UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
þ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017
or
¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission file number: 001-36849
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
59-2705336
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
609 Deep Valley Drive
Suite 395
Rolling Hills Estates, California 90274
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (310) 541-0888
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share
Name of each exchange on which registered
The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ¨ No þ
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and
(2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive
Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12
months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained
herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by
reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting
company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company”
and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ¨
Non-accelerated filer ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting
company)
Accelerated filer þ
Smaller reporting company ¨
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Emerging growth company ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ¨ No þ
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the closing price
of such common equity on June 30, 2017: $202,498,798
At March 21, 2018, the number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock was 11,376,092 shares.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission no later than
120 days after the end of the registrant’s fiscal year end to which this report relates are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual
Report on Form 10-K where indicated.
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
Annual Report on Form 10-K
December 31, 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Business
Risk Factors
Unresolved Staff Comments
Properties
Legal Proceedings
Mine Safety Disclosures
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Selected Financial Data
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Changes In and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
Other Information
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Executive Compensation
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Form 10-K Summary
PART I
Item 1.
Item 1A.
Item 1B.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
PART II
Item 5.
Item 6.
Item 7.
Item 7A.
Item 8.
Item 9.
Item 9A.
Item 9B.
PART III
Item 10.
Item 11.
Item 12.
Item 13.
Item 14.
PART IV
Item 15.
Item 16.
Signatures
Page
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K, in particular “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations,” and “Item 1. Business,” include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). When used in this report, the words or phrases “will likely result,” “expect,”
“intend,” “will continue,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the Exchange Act. These statements represent our expectations or beliefs concerning, among other
things, future revenue, earnings, growth strategies, new products and initiatives, future operations and operating results, and future business
and market opportunities.
Forward-looking statements in this report speak only as of the date hereof, and forward-looking statements in documents
incorporated by reference speak only as of the date of those documents. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. We caution and
advise readers that these statements are based on certain assumptions that may not be realized and involve risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations and beliefs contained herein.
For a summary of certain risks related to our business, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this report. Additional factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements are set forth in this report, including under the heading
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in our financial statements and the related
notes.
Unless otherwise noted, the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” and “Company,” refer to Natural Health Trends Corp. and its subsidiaries.
References to “dollars” and “$” are to United States dollars.
Table of Contents
Item 1. BUSINESS
Overview of Business
Part I
Natural Health Trends Corp. is an international direct-selling and e-commerce company headquartered in Rolling Hills Estates,
California. Subsidiaries controlled by us sell personal care, wellness, and “quality of life” products under the “NHT Global” brand. Our
wholly-owned subsidiaries have an active physical presence in the following markets: the Americas, which consists of the United States,
Canada, Cayman Islands, Mexico and Peru; Greater China, which consists of Hong Kong, Taiwan and China; Southeast Asia, which
consists of Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam; South Korea; Japan; and Europe. We also operate in Russia and Kazakhstan through our
engagement with a local service provider. See Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements
and Supplementary Data” of this report for further information about our net sales by geographic area.
Most of our order volume, particularly in our Hong Kong subsidiary, is for personal consumption through existing members’
referrals. The exception is our Chinese entity, where we sell directly to consumers through an e-commerce retail platform. Our objectives
are to enrich the lives of the users of our products and enable our members to benefit financially from the sale of our products.
We were originally incorporated as a Florida corporation in 1988. We re-incorporated in Delaware effective June 29, 2005.
Our common stock is currently traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “NHTC.”
Available Information
We maintain executive offices at 609 Deep Valley Drive, Suite 395, Rolling Hills Estates, California 90274 and our telephone
number is (310) 541-0888. Our website is located at www.naturalhealthtrendscorp.com. Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to such reports are available, free of charge, on our website as soon
as reasonably practicable after we file electronically such material with, or furnish it to, the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission, or SEC. The information provided on our website should not be considered part of this report. The public may read and copy
any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549. The
public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1–800–SEC–0330. The SEC
maintains an internet website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information
regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
Our Principal Products
We offer a line of “NHT Global” branded products in six distinct categories: wellness, herbal, beauty, lifestyle, home, and baby.
These product categories, along with the business opportunity we offer in most of our markets, provide our members a platform to further
their goal of achieving and maintaining healthy, quality lifestyles complete with product supplementation and the opportunity for financial
rewards.
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The following table summarizes our product offering by category:
Product Category
Description
Products
Wellness
Products formulated and designed to meet
specific wellness goals of our customers.
Includes targeted nutrition for joint health,
antioxidant support, digestive health, heart
health, vision health, immune support and
cellular health
Herbal
Products formulated incorporating
ingredients commonly found in traditional
Chinese medicine
Beauty
Products to help improve skin health and
bring an appearance of youthful vibrancy.
This product line includes anti-aging and
hydrating cleansers, creams, lotions,
serums and toners to moisturize, protect
and improve the appearance of skin
Lifestyle
Products uniquely formulated to improve
overall quality of life and to support active,
physical and healthy lifestyles including
weight management, intimacy support and
energy enhancing supplements
Home
Products designed to create a clean and
natural living environment for the home
Baby
Products uniquely formulated with gentle
ingredients from nature for infants and
babies
Liquid, encapsulated, tableted and powder
dietary and nutritional supplements,
vitamins, minerals
Premium Noni Juice, Triotein®, Cluster
X2®, Children’s Chewable MultiVitamin,
ReStor Silver®, ReStor Vital®,
HerBalance®, Trifusion Max™,
Glucosamine 2200, FibeRich®, Energin,
Enhanced Essential Probiotics®, Omega 3
Essential Fatty Acids, Memory Burst®,
StemRenu®, OcuFocus, FE Enzyme
Toothpaste, RespFactor®, CogniMax®
Herbal supplements
LivaPro®, Cordyceps Mycelia CS-4, Purus
Facial skin care and hand and body care
Skindulgence® 30-Minute Non-Surgical
Facelift System, Time Restore Eye Cream
and Essence, BioCell Mask, 24K
Renaissance Rejuvenation Serum,
Valesce®, Soothe™, Floraeda Hydrating
Series, NHT Homme®, Complete Renewal
8 Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Mask,
Botanical Hand Protector
Supplements and topical gels for improved
vitality
Alura® Lux by NHT Global, Valura Lux™,
LaVie™ Vibrant Energy drink, Twin Slim
Diet Jelly®, NaturalGlo™
Home and car appliances
PurAir Air Purifier, AquaPur Water Purifier
Infant and toddler bath and body care
Moisturizing Lotion and Foaming Cleanser
We continuously source unique, proprietary and immediate impact products to offer to our members and customers. Our product
development is an ongoing process that is fueled by marketplace trends, new technologies and scientific findings, members’ input, research
and vendor proposals.
Working closely with raw material manufacturers and contract manufacturers, our mission is to co-develop and bring to market the
highest quality products. Our manufacturers are primarily located in the United States, as well as a few in South Korea, Hong Kong and
China. Our raw materials are sourced from reputable suppliers around the world. All current and new products introduced into the market
are tested to ensure country and state regulatory compliance requirements are met where the products are sold. This includes proper
handling, shipping, and shelf-life recommendations for our products. In addition, raw material Certificates of Analysis are reviewed to
ensure that appropriate testing has been performed and are within required ingredient specifications.
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Operations of the Business
Operating Strategy
Our objective is to help our members succeed in achieving their life objectives; be it personal health, beauty, happiness or financial
rewards. Our employees focus on assisting our members in attaining their goals.
We believe we have a competitive business model applicable to the markets in which we operate based on six key competencies:
•
•
Our field leaders are experienced and culturally coherent. They work effectively with our management, implementing our
strategies and providing continuous feedback to improve our services.
A discipline and capability has been established to continue launching high-quality consumer products that are designed to
facilitate the accomplishment of our corporate objectives.
• We have developed and rolled out a comprehensive training system that provides a complete career path appropriate for our
members. Our training material covers the needs of our members, be they prospects, new recruits, product evangelists, sales
leaders or dream builders.
• We have developed a year-round, multi-faceted promotional plan that targets different segments of our membership and has
proven most effective in the last few years.
• We have implemented a commission structure that makes it as easy as possible to join our business, while giving existing
members a chance to start earning money as quickly as possible in multiple ways.
•
The continuously improving mentality and methodology in our customer services have not only distinguished us as an
organization, but have also given us a constant flow of information as to how we can do better to service our members.
Sourcing of Products
Our corporate staff works with research and development personnel of our manufacturers and other prospective vendors to create
product concepts and develop the product ideas into actual products. We then may enter into supply agreements with the vendors pursuant
to which we obtain rights to sell the products under private labels (or trademarks) that are owned by us. In addition, some of our local
markets introduce their own products from time to time and these products are sometimes adopted by our other markets.
We generally purchase finished goods from manufacturers and sell them to our members for retail and personal consumption. We
believe that in the event we are unable to source products from our current or alternate suppliers, our revenue, income and cash flow could
be adversely and materially impacted. We have some contracts with our suppliers with automatic renewal rights.
Marketing and Distribution
We distribute our products internationally primarily through a network marketing system, which is a form of person-to-person direct
selling. Under this system, members primarily refer our products to prospective consumers or they may buy at wholesale prices for
personal consumption or for resale to consumers. The concept of network marketing is based on the strength of personal recommendations
that frequently come from friends, neighbors, relatives, and close acquaintances. We believe that network marketing is an effective way to
distribute our products because it allows person-to-person product education and testimonials as well as higher levels of customer service,
all of which are not as readily available through other distribution channels. In this document, we generically use the term “member” to
refer to members who purchase for their own consumption or for resale, or both, as well as to members who only sign up to consume our
products.
Each of our products is designated a specified number of bonus volume points. Commissions are paid to members based on total
personal and group bonus volume points per weekly sales period. Bonus volume points are essentially a percentage of a product’s
wholesale price.
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Our members are independent full-time or part-time contractors who purchase products directly from our subsidiaries via the internet
for their own personal consumption or for resale to retail consumers. Purchasers of our products in China and certain other markets may
purchase only for their own personal consumption and not for resale.
The following table sets forth the number of active members by market as of the dates indicated. We consider a member “active” if
they have placed at least one product order with us during the preceding year. Members may not necessarily reside in the market for which
they sign up as a member.
December 31,
2017
2016
Americas1
Hong Kong (including those members residing in China)2
Taiwan
South Korea
Japan
Singapore
Russia and Kazakhstan
Europe
5,540
82,150
4,460
200
130
80
790
2,320
95,670
3,720
108,570
4,030
290
100
80
940
1,230
118,960
Total
_____________________________
1 United States, Canada, Mexico and Peru
2 Substantially all of our Hong Kong revenues are derived from the sale of products that are delivered to members in China. See “Item 1A.
Risk Factors”.
Members must agree to the terms and conditions of our member agreement posted on our website. The member agreement sets forth
our policies and procedures, and we may elect to terminate a member for non-compliance.
We pay commissions to eligible members based on product purchases by such members’ down-line customers and members during a
given commission period. To be eligible to receive commissions, members in some countries may be required to make nominal monthly or
other periodic purchases of products. See “Working with Members.”
Members generally place orders through the internet and pay by credit card prior to shipment. Accordingly, we carry minimal
accounts receivable and credit losses are historically negligible.
We sponsor promotional meetings, product education, motivational and personal development training events for current and
potential members. These events are designed to inform prospective and existing members about both existing and new product lines, our
latest marketing and promotional plans, and new services improvements. These events also serve as a venue for recognition of member
accomplishments. Members typically share their experiences in using our products and developing their business at these events. We are
continually developing and updating our marketing strategies and programs to motivate our members.
Management Information Systems
Our business uses a proprietary web-based system to process orders and to communicate bonus volume activity and commissions to
members. We have automated a substantial amount of our financial reporting processes through implementation of Oracle’s E-Business
Suite, and have integrated other critical business processes such as inventory management, purchasing and costing in our most significant
markets.
Employees
At December 31, 2017, we employed 149 total full-time employees worldwide, of which 34 were located in the Americas (United
States, Canada, Cayman Islands, and Peru), 100 in Greater China (Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan), three in Russia, two in Singapore, two
in Malaysia, three in South Korea, three in Europe, and two in Japan.
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Seasonality
From quarter to quarter, we are somewhat impacted by seasonal factors and trends such as major cultural events and vacation
patterns. For example, most Asian markets celebrate their respective local New Year in the first quarter. This generally has a significant
impact on the services of our third-party providers, and can negatively impact our net sales. We believe that net sales can also be
negatively impacted during the third quarter, when many of our members traditionally take time off for vacations. In addition, the national
holidays in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan in early October tend to have an adverse effect on sales in those markets.
Our spending, as well as to some extent revenue, is affected by the major events planned at different times of the year. A major
promotional event could significantly increase the reported expenses during the quarter in which the event actually takes place, while the
revenue that might be generated by the event may not occur in the same reporting period.
Intellectual Property
Most of our products are packaged under a “private label” arrangement. We have obtained or applied for trademark registration for
certain names, logos and various product names in several countries in which we are doing business or considering expanding. We also rely
on common law trademark rights to protect our unregistered trademarks. These common law trademark rights do not provide us with the
same level of protection as afforded by a United States federal trademark. Common law trademark rights are limited to the geographic area
in which the trademark is actually utilized, while a United States federal registration of a trademark enables the registrant to discontinue the
unauthorized use of the trademark by a third party anywhere in the United States even if the registrant has never used the trademark in the
geographic area where the trademark is being used; provided, however, that the unauthorized third party user has not, prior to the
registration date, perfected its common law rights in the trademark within that geographic area.
We have U.S. and foreign holding and operating company structures for our businesses, which involve the division of our United
States and non-United States operations. Under this structure, the foreign holding company retains the economic ownership of the
intangible property outside of the United States, including trademarks, trade secrets and other proprietary information.
Working with Members
Sponsorship
Enrolling new members creates multiple levels in our direct selling structure. The persons that a member enrolls within the network
are referred to as “sponsored” members, who may purchase product solely for their own personal consumption, for resale, or both. Persons
newly enrolled are assigned into network positions that can be “under” other members, and thus they can be called “down-line” members.
If down-line members also enroll new members, they create additional levels within the structure, but their down-line members remain in
the same down-line network as the original member that introduced them to our business.
While we provide informational brochures and other sales materials, members are primarily responsible for enrolling and educating
their new members with respect to products, the compensation plan and how to build a successful membership network.
Members are not required to enroll other members as their down-line, and we do not pay any commissions for enrolling new
members. However, because of the financial incentives provided to those who succeed in building a member network that consumes and
resells products, we believe that many of our members attempt, with varying degrees of effort and success, to enroll additional members.
Because they are seeking new opportunities for income, people are often attracted to become members after using our products or after
attending introductory seminars. Once a person becomes a member, he or she is able to purchase products directly from us at wholesale
prices via the internet. The member is also entitled to enroll other members in order to build a network of members and product users.
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Compensation Plans
We employ what is commonly referred to as a binary compensation plan, enhanced with certain unilevel features. Under our
compensation plan, members are paid weekly commissions by our subsidiary in which they are enrolled for product purchases by their
down-line member network across all geographic markets. Our China subsidiary maintains an e-commerce retail platform and does not pay
commissions. This “seamless” compensation plan enables a member located in one country to sponsor other members located in other
countries. Currently, there are basically two ways in which members can earn income:
•
•
Through commissions paid on the accumulated bonus volume from product purchases made by their down-line members and
customers; and
Through retail profits on sales of products purchased by members at discount and wholesale prices and resold at retail prices (in
some markets, sales are for personal consumption only and income may not be earned through retail profits).
Each of our products is designated a specified number of bonus volume points. Commissions are based on total personal and group
bonus volume points per sales period. Bonus volume points are essentially a percentage of a product’s wholesale price. As the member’s
business expands, the member receives higher commissions from purchases made by an expanding down-line network. To be eligible to
receive commissions, a member may be required to make nominal monthly or other periodic purchases of our products. Certain of our
subsidiaries do not require these nominal purchases for a member to be eligible to receive commissions. In determining commissions, the
number of levels of down-line members included within the member’s commissionable group increases as the number of memberships
directly below the member increases. Under our current compensation plan, some of our commission payout may be limited to a hard cap
dollar amount per week or a specific percentage of the total product sales. In some markets, commissions may be further limited.
In some markets, we also pay certain bonuses on purchases by up to three generations of personally sponsored members, as well as
bonuses on commissions earned by up to three generations of personally sponsored members. From time to time, we may implement
promotions in some markets where bonuses on commissions can be earned by up to seven generations of personally sponsored members.
Members can also earn income, trips and other prizes in specific time-limited promotions and contests we hold from time to time.
Occasionally, we make modifications and enhancements to our compensation plan to help motivate members, which can have an
impact on member commissions. We may also enter into agreements for business or market development, which could result in additional
compensation to specific members.
Member Support
We are committed to providing a high level of support services tailored to the needs of our members in each market we are serving.
We attempt to meet the needs and build the loyalty of members by providing personalized member services and by maintaining a generous
product return policy (see “Product Warranties and Returns”). We believe that maximizing a member’s efforts by providing effective
member support has been, and could continue to be, important to our success.
Through product training meetings, regular conventions, web-based messages, member focus groups, regular telephone conference
calls and other personal contacts with members, we seek to understand and satisfy the needs of our members. Via our websites, we may
provide product fulfillment and tracking services that result in user-friendly and timely product distribution.
To help maintain communication with our members, we offer the following support programs:
•
•
•
•
Teleconferences – we hold teleconferences with associate field leadership on various subjects such as technical product
discussions, member organization building and management techniques.
Internet – we maintain a website at www.nhtglobal.com. On this website, the user can read company news, learn more about
various products, sign up to be a member, place orders, and track the fulfillment and delivery of their orders.
Product Tools – we offer a variety of marketing tools to members, including product catalogs, videos, informational brochures,
pamphlets and posters for individual products, which are both printed and available online.
Broadcast E-mail and Text Messages – we send announcements via e-mail and/or text messages to members who opt in to receive
this form of communication.
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•
Social Media Tools – in some countries we maintain country-specific social media sites to foster a community environment around
our product offering and business opportunity.
Technology and Internet Initiatives
We believe that the internet is important to our business as more consumers communicate online and purchase products over the
internet as opposed to traditional retail and direct sales channels. As a result, we have committed significant resources to our e-commerce
capabilities and the abilities of our members to take advantage of the internet. Substantially all of our sales take place via the internet. We
offer a global web page that allows a member to have a personalized replicating website through which he or she can sell products in all of
the countries in which we do business. Links to these websites can be found at our main website for members at www.nhtglobal.com. The
information provided on these websites should not be considered part of this report.
Rules Affecting Members
Our member policies and procedures establish the rules that members must follow in each market. We also monitor member activity
in an attempt to provide our members with a “level playing field” so that one member may not be disadvantaged by the activities of another.
We require our members to present products and business opportunities in an ethical and professional manner. Members further agree that
their presentations to customers must be consistent with, and limited to, the product claims and representations made in our literature.
Our policies and procedures require that we produce or pre-approve all sales aids used by members such as presentations, videos,
audio recordings, brochures and promotional clothing. Further, members may not use any form of media advertising to promote products
unless it is pre-approved by us. Members are not entitled to use our trademarks or other intellectual property without our prior consent. If
we are made aware of unapproved materials being used, we notify and direct the relevant members to cease using such materials. In
addition to regularly communicating to our members what is and is not appropriate to say about product or income claims, we have engaged
a third-party service provider to assist us in monitoring the internet and various social media to identify potential misconduct or violations
of our policies and procedures.
Our compliance and member services department reviews reports of alleged member misbehavior. If we determine that a member has
violated our member policies or procedures, we may terminate the member’s rights completely. Alternatively, we may impose sanctions,
such as warnings, probation, withdrawal or denial of an award, suspension of privileges of the membership, fines, withholding
commissions, until specified conditions are satisfied or other appropriate injunctive relief. Our members are independent contractors, not
employees, and may act independently of us. Further, our members may resign or terminate their membership at any time without notice.
See “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
Government Regulations
Direct Selling Activities
Direct selling, or multi-level marketing, activities are regulated by various federal, state and local governmental agencies in the
United States and other countries. These laws and regulations are generally intended to prevent fraudulent or deceptive schemes. The laws
and regulations in our current markets often:
•
•
•
•
impose cancellation/product return, inventory buy-backs and cooling-off rights for consumers and
members;
require us or our members to obtain a license from, or register with, governmental
agencies;
impose reporting requirements;
and
impose upon us requirements, such as requiring members to maintain levels of retail sales to qualify to receive commissions, to
ensure that members are being compensated for sales of products and not for recruiting new members.
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The laws and regulations governing direct selling are modified from time to time, and, like other direct selling companies, we may be
subject from time to time to government reviews, examinations or investigations in our various markets related to our direct selling
activities. This can require us to make changes to our business model and aspects of our global compensation plan in the markets impacted
by such changes and examinations.
We believe our method of distribution complies in all material respects with the laws and regulations related to direct selling in the
countries in which we currently operate, based on advice of our engaged outside professionals in existing markets, the length of time we
have been operating under our Hong Kong business model, guidance provided by governmental regulatory authorities and our history of
operations to date.
At the end of 2005, China adopted new direct selling and anti-pyramiding regulations that are restrictive and contain various
limitations, including a restriction on the ability to pay multi-level compensation to independent members. We are not conducting direct
selling in China. Rather, consumers and members purchase our products via our Hong Kong-based website or our e-commerce retail
platform in China. The regulatory environment in China is complex, and our operations in China can receive regulatory and media
attention.
The Chinese government scrutinizes activities of direct selling companies. Our business continues to be subject to regulations and
examinations by municipal and provincial level regulators. At times, actions by government regulators have impacted our members’
activities in certain locations, and have resulted in a few cases of enforcement actions. In each of these cases, we helped our members with
their defense in the legality of their conduct. So far, no material changes to our business model have been required. We expect to receive
continued guidance and direction as we work with regulators to address our business model and any changes that need to be made to
comply with the direct selling regulations.
We believe that neither our Hong Kong-based website nor our e-commerce platform in China require a direct selling license in
China, which we currently do not hold. We have previously sought to obtain a direct selling license, and in August 2015 initiated the
process for submitting a new preliminary application for a direct selling license in China. If we are able to obtain a direct selling license in
China, we believe that the incentives inherent in the direct selling model in China would incrementally benefit our existing business.
Increased sales in China that could be derived from obtaining a direct selling license may be partially offset by the higher fixed costs
associated with the establishment and maintenance of required service centers and branch offices. We are unable to predict whether and
when we will be successful in obtaining a direct selling license to operate in China, and if we are successful, when we will be permitted to
conduct direct selling operations and whether such operations would be profitable.
Regulation of Our Products
Our products and related promotional and marketing activities are subject to extensive governmental regulation by numerous
governmental agencies and authorities in the United States, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), the Federal
Trade Commission (the “FTC”), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the United States Department of Agriculture, State Attorneys
General and other state regulatory agencies. In our foreign markets, the products are generally regulated by similar government agencies.
Our personal care products are subject to various laws and regulations that regulate cosmetic products and set forth regulations for
determining whether a product can be marketed as a “cosmetic” or requires further approval as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug. In the
United States, regulation of cosmetics is under the jurisdiction of the FDA. The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act defines cosmetics by their
intended use, as “articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body .
. . for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance.” Among the products included in this definition are skin
moisturizers, eye and facial makeup preparations, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail polishes, shampoos, permanent waves, hair colors,
toothpastes and deodorants, as well as any material intended for use as a component of a cosmetic product. Conversely, a product will not
be considered a cosmetic, but may be considered a drug if it is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of
disease, or is intended to affect the structure or any function of the body. A product’s intended use can be surmised from marketing or
product claims. The other markets in which we operate have similar regulations.
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In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare regulates the sale and distribution of cosmetics and requires us to have an
import business license and to register each personal care product imported into Japan. In Taiwan, all “medicated” cosmetic products
require registration. In China, personal care products are placed into one of two categories, “general” and “drug.” Products in both
categories require submission of formulas and other information with the health authorities, and drug products require human clinical
studies. The product registration process in China for these products can take from nine to more than 18 months or longer. Such
regulations in any given market can limit our ability to import products and can delay product launches as we go through the registration
and approval process for those products. The sale of cosmetic products is regulated in the European Union under the European Union
Cosmetics Directive, which requires a uniform application for foreign companies making personal care product sales, and in Peru by the
governing arm DIGEMID (Dirección General de Medicamentos, Insumos y Drogas) and can take up to three months to fully register as
saleable.
The markets in which we operate all have varied regulations that distinguish foods and nutritional health supplements from “drugs”
or “pharmaceutical products.” Because of the varied regulations, some products or ingredients that are recognized as a “food” in certain
markets may be treated as a “pharmaceutical” in other markets. These regulations may require us to either modify a product or refrain from
selling the product in a given market. As a result, we must regularly modify the ingredients and/or the levels of ingredients in our products
to ensure all applicable regulatory restrictions are addressed. In some circumstances, the regulations in foreign markets may require us to
obtain regulatory approval prior to introduction of a new product or limit our uses of certain ingredients altogether. There has been an
increased movement in the United States and other markets to expand the regulation of dietary supplements. This could impose additional
restrictions or requirements in the future. Because of this increased regulatory focus, our internal review efforts have been enhanced in
order to comply with our understanding of current regulations.
FDA regulations require current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) for dietary supplements. The regulations ensure that dietary
supplements are produced in a quality manner, do not contain contaminants or impurities, and are accurately labeled. The regulations
include requirements for establishing quality control procedures for us and our vendors and suppliers, designing and constructing
manufacturing plants, and testing ingredients and finished products. The regulations also include requirements for record keeping and
handling consumer product complaints. If dietary supplements contain contaminants or do not contain the type or quantity of dietary
ingredient they are represented to contain, the FDA would consider those products to be adulterated or misbranded. We seek to ensure
compliance with all regulatory requirements through our periodic manufacturer and warehouse audits, as well as our corrective action
request (CAR) program, if needed. cGMP also extends to logistics where we seek to minimize any safety risks associated with product
distribution.
Our business is subject to additional FDA regulations, such as those implementing an adverse event reporting system (“AER’s”),
which requires us to document and track adverse events and report serious adverse events, which are events involving hospitalization or
death, associated with consumers’ use of our products.
Most of our major markets also regulate advertising and product claims regarding the efficacy of products. This is particularly true
with respect to our dietary supplements because we typically market them as foods or health functional foods. For example, in the United
States, we are unable to claim that any of our nutritional supplements will diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent disease. In the United
States, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, however, permits substantiated, truthful and non-misleading statements of
nutritional support to be made in labeling, such as statements describing general well-being resulting from consumption of a dietary
ingredient or the role of a nutrient or dietary ingredient in affecting or maintaining a structure or a function of the body. Most of the other
markets in which we operate have not adopted similar legislation, so we may be subject to more restrictive limitations on the claims we can
make about our products in these markets.
Other Regulatory Issues
As a United States entity operating through subsidiaries in foreign jurisdictions, we are subject to foreign exchange control, transfer
pricing and custom laws that regulate the flow of funds between our subsidiaries and us for product purchases, management services and
contractual obligations, such as the payment of member commissions. As is the case with most companies that operate in direct sales, we
might receive inquiries from time to time from government regulatory authorities regarding the nature of our business and other issues,
such as compliance with local direct selling, transfer pricing, customs, taxation, foreign exchange control, securities and other laws.
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Product Warranties and Returns
Our refund policies and procedures closely follow industry and country-specific standards, which vary greatly by country. For
example, in the United States, the Direct Selling Association recommends that direct sellers permit returns during the twelve-month period
following the sale, while in Hong Kong the standard return policy is 14 days following the sale. Our return policies typically conform to
local laws or the recommendation of the local direct selling association. In most cases, members who timely return unopened product that
is in resalable condition may receive a refund. The amount of the refund may be dependent on the country in which the sale occurred, the
timeliness of the return, and any applicable re-stocking fee. NHT Global must be notified of the return in writing and such written requests
would be considered a termination notice of the membership. We may alter our return policy in response to special circumstances.
Significant Customers
Sales are made to our members and no single customer accounted for 10% or more of our net sales. However, our business model
can result in a concentration of sales to several different members and their network of members. Although no single member accounted for
10% or more of net sales, the loss of a key member or that member’s network could have an adverse effect on our net sales and financial
results.
Our Industry
We are engaged in the direct selling industry, selling wellness, herbal, beauty, lifestyle, home and baby products. More specifically,
we are engaged in what is called network marketing or multi-level marketing. This type of organizational structure and approach to
marketing and sales include companies selling lifestyle enhancement products, cosmetics and dietary supplements, or selling other types of
consumer products. Generally, direct selling is based upon an organizational structure in which independent members purchasing a
company’s products are compensated for sales made directly to consumers.
Our members are compensated based on sales generated by members they have enrolled and all subsequent members enrolled by
their “down-line” network of members. The experience of the direct selling industry has been that once a sizeable network of members is
established, new and alternative products and services can be offered to those members for sale to consumers and additional members.
Competition
The network marketing industry is very diverse, with giant multinational corporations as well as smaller, local operators. Big network
marketing companies include Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc., USANA Health Sciences, Inc., and Herbalife, Ltd, which have much greater name
recognition and financial resources than we do and also have many more members. They are publicly traded and therefore serve as
informational benchmarks, but we don’t overlap with them in terms of marketplace or product range. On the other hand, many medium-
and small-sized privately held Chinese, Taiwanese and Hong Kong companies are fierce competitors and are much closer to directly
competing with us. Also, a number of our former employees and members now work for competitors, and sometimes try to use
relationships and knowledge obtained to compete with us.
Our ability to compete with other network marketing companies depends, in significant part, on our success in attracting and
retaining members. There can be no assurance that our programs for attracting and retaining members will be successful. The pool of
individuals interested in network marketing is limited in each market and is reduced to the extent other network marketing companies
successfully attract these individuals into their businesses. Although we believe that we offer an attractive opportunity for our members,
there can be no assurance that other network marketing companies will not be able to recruit our existing members or deplete the pool of
potential members in a given market.
The direct selling channel tends to sell products at a higher price compared to traditional retailers, which poses a degree of
competitive risk. There is no assurance that we would continue to compete effectively against retail stores, internet-based retailers or other
direct sellers.
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Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
We are exposed to a variety of risks that are present in our business and industry. The following are some of the more significant
factors that could affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We could be adversely affected by management changes or an inability to attract and retain key management, directors and
consultants.
We incur a low level of overhead and are run by a small number of executives, who rely on a small group of employees. Our future
success depends to a significant degree on the skills, experience and efforts of our top management and directors. We also depend on the
ability of our executive officers and other members of senior management to work effectively as a team. The loss of one or more of our
executive officers, members of our senior management or directors could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of
operations and financial condition. Moreover, as our business evolves, we may require additional or different management members,
directors or consultants, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to locate, attract and retain them if and when they are needed.
Because our Hong Kong operations account for a substantial portion of our overall business, and substantially all of our Hong
Kong business is derived from the sale of products to members in China, any material adverse change in our business relating to
either Hong Kong or China would likely have a material adverse impact on our overall business.
In 2017, 2016 and 2015, approximately 89%, 92% and 93% of our revenue, respectively, was generated in Hong Kong. Substantially
all of our Hong Kong revenues are derived from the sale of products that are delivered to members in China. This geographic concentration
in our business means that events or conditions that could negatively impact this geographic region or our operations in this region would
have a greater adverse impact upon our overall business and financial results than would be the case with a company having greater
geographic diversification.
Our operations in China are subject to compliance with a myriad of applicable laws and regulations, and any actual or alleged
violations of those laws or government actions otherwise directed at us could have a material adverse impact on our business and
the value of our company.
In contrast to our operations in other parts of the world, we have not implemented a direct sales model in China. The Chinese
government permits direct selling only by organizations that have a license, which we are in the process of applying for, and has also
adopted anti-multilevel marketing legislation. We operate an e-commerce direct selling model in Hong Kong and recognize the revenue
derived from sales to both Hong Kong and Chinese members as being generated in Hong Kong. Products purchased by members in China
are delivered to third parties that act as the importers of record under agreements to pay applicable duties. In addition, through a Chinese
entity, we sell products in China using an e-commerce retail model. The Chinese entity operates separately from the Hong Kong entity, and
a Chinese member may elect to participate in either or both.
After consulting with outside professionals and certain Chinese authorities, and given the length of time we have been operating
under our Hong Kong business model, we believe that our e-commerce direct selling model in Hong Kong does not violate any applicable
laws in China, even though it is used for the internet purchase of our products by members in China. We also believe that our Chinese
entity, including its e-commerce retail platform, is operating in compliance with applicable Chinese laws. However, there can be no
assurance that the Chinese authorities will agree with our interpretations of applicable laws and regulations or that China will not adopt
new laws or regulations. Should the Chinese government determine that our activities violate China’s direct selling or anti-multilevel
marketing legislation, or should new laws or regulations be adopted, there could be a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
The Chinese government scrutinizes the activities of direct selling companies. Our business continues to be subject to regulations and
examinations by municipal and provincial level regulators. At times, actions by government regulators have impacted our members’
activities in certain locations and have resulted in a few cases of enforcement actions. In each of these cases, we helped our members with
their defense of the legality of their conduct, and no material changes to our business model were required.
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However, our business operations and the value of our company can be adversely affected by Chinese government scrutiny of our
operations, even if that scrutiny does not result in investigations of our operations. For example, one or more parties encouraged the Beijing
City governmental authorities to conduct an investigation of our business, which resulted in a meeting in January 2016 involving members
of our Beijing office staff, Beijing City governmental officials, and two complainants. Even though the Beijing City governmental officials
advised our staff and the complainants at that meeting that there was insufficient evidence to warrant an investigation of us,
mischaracterizations of the meeting immediately appeared in several “news reports.” Similarly, a subsequent meeting between several
Guangzhou City government officials and members of our Guangzhou office staff that resulted in our providing routine information about
our operations to the government officials was mischaracterized in an online posting made immediately following the meeting. Although
we remain in regular contact with Chinese government officials and take other steps to address the risks posed by these events, our business
and the value of our company remain vulnerable to Chinese government scrutiny of our operations, whether or not initiated by third parties.
Various other factors could harm our business in Hong Kong and China, such as worsening economic conditions in Hong Kong or
China, adverse local publicity, geopolitical or trade tensions between the U.S. and China or other events that may be out of our
control. For example, we were advised to voluntarily suspend marketing activities in China during the third quarter of 2007 when the
Chinese government was expected to impose a more intense enforcement program against illegal pyramid scheme activities or “chain
sales” activities in transliterated Chinese terms. We do not conduct such activities, but we did not want to run the risk of being
inadvertently entangled in the government enforcement actions and voluntarily withdrew all marketing activities from China during that
period. It may be necessary or advisable to repeat this or similar actions from time to time in the future, and such periods of reduced
activity could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Although we attempt to work closely with both national and local Chinese governmental agencies in conducting our business, our
efforts to comply with national and local laws may be harmed by a rapidly evolving regulatory climate, concerns about activities resembling
violations of direct selling or anti-multi-level marketing legislation, subjective interpretations of laws and regulations, and activities by
individual members that may violate laws notwithstanding our strict policies prohibiting such activities.
Any determination that our operations or activities, or the activities of our individual members, employee sales representatives, or
importers of record are not in compliance with applicable laws and regulations could result in the imposition of substantial fines, extended
interruptions of business, restrictions on our future ability to obtain business licenses or expand into new locations, changes to our business
model, the termination of required licenses to conduct business, or other actions, any of which could materially harm our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Our failure to maintain and expand our member relationships could adversely affect our business.
We distribute our products through independent members, and we depend upon them directly for all of our sales in most of our
markets. Accordingly, our success depends in significant part upon our ability to attract, retain and motivate a large base of members. Our
direct selling organization is headed by a relatively small number of key members. The loss of a significant number of members, or the loss
of one or more key members, could materially and adversely affect sales of our products and could impair our ability to attract new
members. Moreover, the replacement of members could be difficult because, in our efforts to attract and retain members, we compete with
other direct selling organizations, including but not limited to those in the personal care, cosmetic product and nutritional supplement
industries. Our members may terminate their services with us at any time and, in fact, like most direct selling organizations, we have a high
rate of attrition.
Our number of active members has recently declined and could in the future further decline. We cannot accurately predict any
fluctuation in the number or the productivity of members because we primarily rely upon existing members to enroll and train new
members and to motivate new and existing members. Operating results could be adversely affected if our existing and new business
opportunities and products do not generate sufficient economic incentive or interest to retain existing members and to attract new members.
The number and productivity of our members could be harmed by several factors, including:
•
•
•
adverse publicity or negative perceptions regarding us, our products, our method of distribution or our
competitors;
lack of interest in, or the technical failure of, existing or new
products;
lack of interest in our existing compensation plan for members or in enhancements or other changes to that compensation
plan;
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•
•
•
•
•
•
our actions to enforce our policies and
procedures;
regulatory actions or charges or private actions against us or others in our
industry;
general economic and business
conditions;
changes in management or the loss of one or more key member
leaders;
entry of new competitors, or new products or compensation plan enhancements by existing competitors, in our markets;
and
potential saturation or maturity levels in a given country or market which could negatively impact our ability to attract
and retain members in such market.
We are currently being sued in three lawsuits alleging, among other things, that we made materially false and misleading
statements regarding the legality of our business operations in China.
We, together with our executive officers, have been named as defendants in three complaints (one of which also names our directors
as defendants) relating to running an alleged illegal multilevel marketing business in China and making alleged materially false and
misleading statements regarding the legality of our business operations in China, among other things. These complaints seek an
indeterminate amount of damages, and one of the complaints also seeks various equitable remedies. Notwithstanding potentially applicable
insurance coverage, these complaints, or others filed alleging similar facts, could result in monetary or other penalties that may adversely
affect our operating results and financial condition. Moreover, the negative publicity stemming from these complaints and the allegations
they make could harm our business and operations. Accordingly, any adverse determination against us in these suits, or even the
allegations contained in the suits regardless of whether they are ultimately found to be without merit, could harm our business, operations
and financial condition.
We are currently involved in, and may in the future face, litigation claims and governmental proceedings and inquiries that could
harm our business.
We are currently, and have in the past, been a party to lawsuits, claims and governmental proceedings and inquiries. Prosecuting and
defending these matters may require significant expense and attention of our management. There can be no assurance that we will be able
to successfully defend or resolve any such litigation, claims or governmental proceedings or inquiries, or that the significant money, time
and effort spent in defending these matters will not adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Although our members are independent contractors, improper member actions that violate laws or regulations could harm our
business.
Our members are independent contractors and, accordingly, we are not in a position to directly provide the same direction,
motivation and oversight as we would if members were our own employees. As a result, there can be no assurance that our members will
participate in our marketing strategies or plans, accept our introduction of new products, or comply with our member policies and
procedures. Extensive federal, state, local and foreign laws regulate our business, our products and our network marketing
program. Because we have expanded into foreign countries, our policies and procedures for our members differ due to the different legal
requirements of each country in which we do business. While we have implemented member policies and procedures designed to govern
member conduct and to protect the goodwill associated with our trademarks and trade names, it can be difficult to enforce these policies and
procedures because of the large number of members and their independent status.
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Given the size and diversity of our member force, we experience problems with members from time to time, especially with respect
to our members in foreign markets. For example, if our members engage in illegal activities in China, those actions could be attributed to
us. Chinese laws regarding how and when members may assemble and the activities that they may conduct, or the conditions under which
the activities may be conducted, are subject to interpretations and enforcement that sometimes vary from province to province, among
different levels of government, and from time to time. Members can be accused of violating one or more of the laws regulating these
activities, notwithstanding training that we attempt to provide. Enforcement measures regarding these violations, which can include arrests,
raise the uncertainty and perceived risk associated with conducting this business, especially among those who are aware of the enforcement
actions but not the specific activities leading to the enforcement action. We believe that this has led some existing members in China - who
are signed up as members in Hong Kong - to leave the business or curtail their selling activities and has led some potential members to
choose not to participate. Among other things, we are managing this risk with more training and public relations efforts that are designed,
among other things, to distinguish our company from businesses that make no attempt to comply with the law. This environment creates
uncertainty about the future of doing this type of business in China generally and under our business model, specifically.
In addition, members often desire to enter a market before we have received approval to do business in order to gain an advantage in
the marketplace. Improper member activity in new geographic markets could result in adverse publicity and can be particularly harmful to
our ability to ultimately enter these markets. Violations by our members of applicable law or of our policies and procedures in dealing with
customers could reflect negatively on our products and operations, and harm our business reputation. In addition, it is possible that a
judicial or administrative body could hold us civilly or criminally accountable based on vicarious liability because of the actions of our
members. If any of the above or related events involving our members occur, our business, financial condition, or results of operations
could be materially adversely affected.
Direct-selling laws and regulations may prohibit or severely restrict our direct sales efforts and cause our revenue and profitability
to decline, and regulators could adopt new regulations that harm our business.
Our direct selling system is subject to extensive laws, governmental regulations, administrative determinations, court decisions and
similar constraints. These laws and regulations are generally intended to prevent fraudulent or deceptive schemes, often referred to as
“pyramid” schemes, which compensate participants for recruiting additional participants irrespective of product sales, use high pressure
recruiting methods and/or do not involve legitimate products. They also seek to ensure that claims regarding the ability of participants to
earn money are truthful and substantiated.
Complying with these widely varying and sometimes inconsistent rules and regulations can be difficult and may require the devotion
of significant resources on our part. There can be no assurance that we or our members are in compliance with all of these
regulations. Our failure or our members’ failure to comply with these regulations or new regulations could lead to the imposition of
significant penalties or claims and could negatively impact our business. If we are unable to continue business in existing markets or
commence operations in new markets because of these laws, our revenue and profitability may decline.
We are also subject to the risk that new laws or regulations might be implemented or that current laws or regulations might change,
which could require us to change or modify the way we conduct our business in certain markets. This could be particularly detrimental to
us if we have to change or modify the way we conduct business in markets that represent a significant percentage of our revenue.
The high level of competition in our industry could adversely affect our business.
The business of marketing personal care, cosmetic, nutritional supplements, and lifestyle enhancement products is highly
competitive. This market segment includes numerous manufacturers, members, marketers, and retailers that actively compete for the
business of consumers both in the United States and abroad. The market is highly sensitive to the introduction of new products, which may
rapidly capture a significant share of the market. Sales of similar products by competitors may materially and adversely affect our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to significant competition for the recruitment of members from other direct selling organizations, including those that
market similar products. Many of our competitors are substantially larger than we are, offer a wider array of products, have far greater
financial resources and many more active members than we have. Even more numerous are those medium- and small-sized, all privately
held Chinese, Taiwanese and Hong Kong companies that are fierce competitors and are much closer to directly competing with us. Our
ability to remain competitive depends, in significant part, on our success in recruiting and retaining members with our products, attractive
compensation plan and other incentives. We believe that we have an attractive product line and that our compensation and incentive
programs provide our members with significant earning potential. However, we cannot be sure that our programs for recruitment and
retention of members will be successful.
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Some of our competitors have employed or otherwise contracted for the services of our former officers, employees, consultants, and
members, who may try to use information and contacts obtained while under contract with us for competitive advantage. While we seek to
protect our information through contractual and other means, there can be no assurance that we will timely learn of such activity, have the
resources to attempt to stop it, or have adequate remedies available to us.
Challenges by third parties to the legality of our business operations could harm our business.
We are also subject to the risk of private party challenges to the legality of our operations, including our direct selling system. The
regulatory requirements concerning direct selling systems generally do not include “bright line” rules and are inherently fact-based and
subject to judicial or administrative interpretation. An adverse judicial or administrative determination against us with respect to our direct
selling system, or in proceedings not involving us directly but which challenge the legality of other direct selling marketing systems, could
have a material adverse effect on our business. There is also risk that challenges and settlements involving other parties could provide
incentives for similar actions by members against us and other direct selling companies. Moreover, challenges to our business system and
operations in important markets may come from short sellers, hedge funds, other investors, bloggers and reporters. Other companies in our
industry have recently faced such challenges. Any challenges regarding us or others in our industry could harm our business if such
challenges result in the imposition of any fines or damages on our business, create adverse publicity, increase scrutiny or investigations of
us or our industry, detrimentally affect our efforts to recruit or motivate members and attract customers, or interpret laws in a manner
inconsistent with our current business practices.
An increase in the amount of compensation paid to members would reduce profitability.
We incur significant expense in the payment of compensation to our members, which represented approximately 42%, 44% and 48%
of net sales during 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. We compensate our members by paying commissions, bonuses, and certain awards
and prizes. Factors impacting the overall commission payout include the growth and depth of the member network, the member retention
rate, the level of promotions, local promotional programs and business development agreements. Any increase in compensation payments
to members as a percentage of net sales will reduce our profitability.
Our compensation plan includes a cap that may be enforced on member compensation paid out on a weekly dollar limit or as a
percentage of product sales. There can be no assurance that enforcement of this cap will ensure profitability (which depends on many other
factors). Moreover, enforcement of this cap could cause key members affected by the cap to leave and join other companies.
Currency exchange rate fluctuations could lower our revenue and net income.
In 2017, 97% of our revenue was recorded by subsidiaries located outside of North America. Revenue transactions and related
commission payments, as well as other incurred expenses, are typically denominated in the local currency. Accordingly, our international
subsidiaries generally use the local currency as their functional currency. The results of operations of our international subsidiaries are
exposed to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations during consolidation since we translate into U.S. dollars using the average
exchanges rates for the period. As exchange rates vary, revenue and other operating results may differ materially from our
expectations. Additionally, we may record significant gains or losses related to foreign-denominated cash and cash equivalents and the re-
measurement of inter-company balances.
Our most significant foreign exchange exposure, the Hong Kong dollar, is for now pegged to the U.S. dollar. We also purchase a
significant majority of inventories in U.S. dollars. Our foreign currency exchange rate exposure to the South Korean won, Taiwan dollar,
Japanese yen, Chinese yuan, Russian ruble, Kazakhstani tenge, Singaporean dollar, Malaysian ringgit, Vietnamese dong, Canadian dollar,
Mexican peso, Peruvian sol and European euro collectively represented approximately 10%, 7% and 6% of our revenue in 2017, 2016 and
2015, respectively. Our foreign currency exchange rate exposure may increase in the near future as we develop opportunities in Southeast
Asia, Canada, Central America, South America and Europe. Additionally, our foreign currency exchange rate exposure would significantly
increase if the Hong Kong dollar were no longer pegged to the U.S. dollar. Finally, we also experience indirect exchange rate exposure due
to the concentration of our sales to members residing in China and the impact of fluctuations in the value of the Chinese yuan on our
members’ purchasing power.
Given our inability to predict the degree of exchange rate fluctuations, we cannot estimate the effect these fluctuations may have
upon future reported results, product pricing or our overall financial condition. Further, to date we have not attempted to reduce our
exposure to short-term exchange rate fluctuations by using foreign currency exchange contracts.
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Changes in tax or duty laws, and unanticipated tax or duty liabilities, could adversely affect our net income.
In the course of doing business we may be subject to various taxes, such as sales and use, value-added, and franchise. We are also
subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. We earn a substantial portion of our income in foreign
jurisdictions. Economic and political conditions make tax rules in any jurisdiction, including the United States, subject to significant
change. There have been recent changes in U.S. tax law that impact how U.S. multinational corporations are taxed on foreign earnings.
There have also been proposals to reform foreign tax laws that could significantly affect the Company’s tax position. Although we cannot
predict whether or in what form these proposals will pass, several of the proposals considered, if enacted into law, could have an adverse
impact on our income tax expense and cash flows.
Our principal domicile is the United States. Under tax treaties, we are eligible to receive foreign tax credits in the United States for
taxes paid abroad. Taxes paid to foreign taxing authorities may exceed the credits available to us, resulting in the payment of a higher
overall effective tax rate on our worldwide operations.
Our effective income tax rate in the future could be adversely affected by a number of factors, including changes in the mix of
earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in tax laws,
and the outcome of income tax audits in various jurisdictions around the world.
We may also be subject to examinations of our tax returns and other tax matters by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax
authorities and governmental bodies. We regularly assess the likelihood of an adverse outcome resulting from these examinations to
determine the adequacy of our provision for taxes, which is subject to significant discretion. There can be no assurance as to the outcome of
these examinations. If our effective tax rates were to increase, particularly in the U.S., or if the ultimate determination of taxes owed is for
an amount in excess of amounts previously accrued, our financial results or operations could be adversely affected.
In addition, our operations are subject to regulations designed to ensure that appropriate levels of customs duties are assessed on the
importation of our products. The failure to properly calculate, report and pay such duties when we are subject to them could have a material
adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Any change in the laws or regulations regarding such duties, or any
interpretation thereof, could result in an increase in the cost of doing business.
Transfer pricing regulations affect our business and results of operations.
In many countries, including the United States, we are subject to transfer pricing and other tax regulations designed to ensure that
appropriate levels of income are reported as earned by our United States or local entities and are taxed accordingly. We have adopted
transfer pricing agreements with our subsidiaries to regulate inter-company transfers, which agreements are subject to transfer pricing laws
that regulate the flow of funds between the subsidiaries and the parent corporation for product purchases, management services, and
contractual obligations, such as the payment of member compensation. We believe that we operate in compliance with all applicable
transfer pricing laws, and we intend to continue to operate in compliance with such laws. However, there can be no assurance that we will
continue to be found to be operating in compliance with transfer pricing laws, or that those laws would not be modified, which, as a result,
may require changes in our operating procedures or otherwise may have a material adverse effect on our financial results or operations.
Our products and related activities are subject to extensive government regulation, which could delay, limit or prevent the sale of
some of our products in some markets.
The formulation, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, importation, advertising, distribution, sale and storage of certain of our
products are subject to extensive regulation by various federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), the
FTC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture and by various agencies of the states,
localities and foreign countries in which our products are manufactured, distributed and sold. For example, the FDA requires us and our
suppliers to meet relevant current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) regulations for the preparation, packing and storage of foods and
over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. We are also now required to report serious adverse events associated with consumer use of certain of our
products. Other laws and regulations govern or restrict the claims that may be made about our products and the information that must be
included and excluded on labels.
In markets outside the United States, prior to commencing operations or marketing new products, we may be required to obtain
approvals, licenses, or certifications from a ministry of health or a comparable agency. Moreover, a foreign jurisdiction may pass laws that
would prohibit the use of certain ingredients in their particular market. Compliance with these regulations can create delays and added
expense in introducing new products to certain markets.
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Failure by our members or us to comply with those regulations could lead to the imposition of significant penalties or claims and
could materially and adversely affect our business. If we are not able to satisfy the various regulations, then we would have to cease sales
of that product in that market. In addition, the adoption of new regulations or changes in the interpretation of existing regulations may
result in significant compliance costs or discontinuation of product sales and may adversely affect the marketing of our products, resulting
in significant loss of revenues.
We cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations, interpretations, or applications, nor can we determine what effect
additional governmental regulations or administrative orders, when and if promulgated, could have on our business. These potential effects
could include, however, requirements for the reformulation of certain products to meet new standards, the recall or discontinuance of
certain products, additional recordkeeping and reporting requirements, expanded documentation of the properties of certain products,
expanded or different labeling, or additional scientific substantiation. Any or all of these requirements could have a material adverse effect
on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Failure of new products to gain member and market acceptance could harm our business.
An important component of our business is our ability to develop new products that create enthusiasm among our member force. If
we fail to introduce new products on a timely basis, our member productivity could be harmed. In addition, if any new products fail to gain
market acceptance, are restricted by regulatory requirements, or have quality problems, this would harm our results of operations. Factors
that could affect our ability to continue to introduce new products include, among others, limited capital and human resources, government
regulations, proprietary protections of competitors that may limit our ability to offer comparable products and any failure to anticipate
changes in consumer tastes and buying preferences.
New regulations governing the marketing and sale of nutritional supplements could harm our business.
There has been an increasing movement in the United States and other markets to increase the regulation of dietary supplements,
which could impose additional restrictions or requirements in the future. In the United States, for example, some legislators and industry
critics continue to push for increased regulatory authority by the FDA over nutritional supplements. Our business could be harmed if more
restrictive legislation is successfully introduced and adopted in the future. In particular, the adoption of legislation requiring FDA approval
of supplements or ingredients could delay or inhibit our ability to introduce new supplements. We face similar pressures in our other
markets. In the United States the FTC Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (“Guides”) require
disclosure of material connections between an endorser and the company they are endorsing and require the disclosure of typical results
when these are different from those reported by the endorser. The requirements and restrictions of the Guides may diminish the impact of
our marketing efforts and negatively impact our sales results. If we or our members fail to comply with these Guides, the FTC could bring
an enforcement action against us and we could be fined and/or forced to alter our operations. Our operations also could be harmed if new
laws or regulations are enacted that restrict our ability to market or distribute nutritional supplements or impose additional burdens or
requirements on nutritional supplement companies or require us to reformulate our products.
Regulations governing the production and marketing of our personal care products could harm our business.
Our personal care products are subject to various domestic and foreign laws and regulations that regulate cosmetic products and set
forth regulations for determining whether a product can be marketed as a “cosmetic” or requires further approval as an over-the-counter
drug. A determination that our cosmetic products impact the structure or function of the human body, or improper marketing claims by our
members, may lead to a determination that such products require pre-market approval as a drug. Such regulations in any given market can
limit our ability to import products and can delay product launches as we go through the registration and approval process for those
products. Furthermore, if we fail to comply with these regulations, we could face enforcement action against us and we could be fined,
forced to alter or stop selling our products and/or required to adjust our operations. Our operations also could be harmed if new laws or
regulations are enacted that restrict our ability to market or distribute our personal care products or impose additional burdens or
requirements on the contents of our personal care products or require us to reformulate our products.
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If we are found not to be in compliance with good manufacturing practices our operations could be harmed.
Regulations on good manufacturing practices and adverse event reporting requirements for the nutritional supplement industry are in
effect and require good manufacturing processes for us and our vendors, including stringent vendor qualifications, ingredient identification,
manufacturing controls and record keeping. We are also required to report serious adverse events associated with consumer use of our
products. Our operations could be harmed if regulatory authorities make determinations that we or our vendors are not in compliance with
the regulations. A finding of noncompliance may result in administrative warnings, penalties or actions impacting our ability to continue
selling certain of our products. In addition, compliance with these regulations has increased and may further increase the cost of
manufacturing certain of our products as we work with our vendors to assure they are qualified and in compliance.
Failure to comply with domestic and foreign laws and regulations governing product claims and advertising could harm our
business.
Our failure to comply with FTC or state regulations, or with regulations in foreign markets that cover our product claims and
advertising, including direct claims and advertising by us, as well as claims and advertising by members for which we may be held
responsible, may result in enforcement actions and imposition of penalties or otherwise materially and adversely affect the distribution and
sale of our products. Member activities in our existing markets that violate applicable governmental laws or regulations could result in
governmental or private actions against us in markets where we operate. Given the size of our member force, we cannot ensure that our
members will comply with applicable legal requirements.
Adverse publicity associated with our products, ingredients or network marketing program, or those of similar companies, could
harm our financial condition and operating results.
Adverse publicity concerning any actual or claimed failure by us or our members to comply with applicable laws and regulations
regarding product claims and advertising, good manufacturing practices, the regulation of our network marketing program, the licensing of
our products for sale in our target markets or other aspects of our business, whether or not resulting in enforcement actions or the
imposition of penalties, could have an adverse effect on our goodwill and could negatively affect our ability to attract, motivate and retain
members, which would negatively impact our ability to generate revenue. We cannot ensure that all members will comply with applicable
legal requirements relating to the advertising, labeling, licensing or distribution of our products.
In addition, our members’ and consumers’ perception of the safety and quality of our products and ingredients, as well as similar
products and ingredients distributed by other companies, can be significantly influenced by media attention, publicized scientific research
or findings, widespread product liability claims and other publicity concerning our products or ingredients or similar products and
ingredients distributed by other companies. Adverse publicity, whether or not accurate or resulting from consumers’ use or misuse of our
products, that associates consumption of our products or ingredients or any similar products or ingredients with illness or other adverse
effects, questions the benefits of our or similar products or claims that any such products are ineffective, inappropriately labeled or have
inaccurate instructions as to their use, could negatively impact our reputation or the market demand for our products.
We are subject to risks relating to product concentration and lack of revenue diversification.
Although we have in recent years expanded our line of products, we derive more than 10% of our total revenue from each of our
Premium Noni Juice and Enhanced Essential Probiotics® products. Further, we currently source each such product from a single supplier.
If demand decreases significantly, government regulation restricts their sale, we are unable to adequately source or deliver the products, or
we are unable to offer the products for any reason without suitable replacements, our business, financial condition and results of operations
could be materially and adversely affected. Our future success will also depend on our ability to reduce our dependence on these few
products by developing and introducing new products and product or feature enhancements in a timely manner. Even if we are able to
develop and commercially introduce new products and enhancements, they may not achieve market acceptance and the revenue generated
from these new products and enhancements may not offset the costs, which could substantially impair our business, financial condition and
results of operations.
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We rely on a limited number of independent third parties to manufacture and supply our products.
All of our products are manufactured by a limited number of independent third parties. There is no assurance that our current
manufacturers will continue to reliably supply products to us at the level of quality we require. If a key manufacturer suffers liquidity
problems or experiences operational or other problems assisting with our products, our results could suffer. In the event any of our third-
party manufacturers become unable or unwilling to continue to provide the products in required volumes and quality levels at acceptable
prices, we will be required to identify and obtain acceptable replacement manufacturing sources or replacement products. There is no
assurance that we will be able to obtain alternative manufacturing sources or products or be able to do so on a timely basis. An extended
interruption in the supply of certain of our products may result in a substantial loss of revenue. In addition, any actual or perceived
degradation of product quality as a result of our reliance on third party manufacturers may have an adverse effect on revenue or result in
increased product returns.
Growth may be impeded by the political and economic risks of entering and operating in foreign markets.
Our ability to achieve future growth is dependent, in part, on our ability to continue our international expansion efforts. However,
there can be no assurance that we would be able to grow in our existing international markets, enter new international markets on a timely
basis, or that new markets would be profitable. We must overcome significant regulatory and legal barriers before we can begin marketing
in any foreign market.
Also, it is difficult to assess the extent to which our products and sales techniques would be accepted or successful in any given
country. In addition to significant regulatory barriers, we may also encounter problems conducting operations in new markets with
different cultures and legal systems from those elsewhere. We may be required to reformulate certain of our products before commencing
sales in a given country. Once we have entered a market, we must adhere to the regulatory and legal requirements of that market. No
assurance can be given that we would be able to successfully reformulate our products in any of our current or potential international
markets to meet local regulatory requirements or attract local customers. The failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition, and results of operations. There can be no assurance that we would be able to obtain and retain necessary
permits and approvals.
In many markets, other direct selling companies already have significant market penetration, the effect of which could be to
desensitize the local member population to a new opportunity or to make it more difficult for us to recruit qualified members. There can be
no assurance that, even if we are able to commence operations in foreign countries, there would be a sufficiently large population of
potential members inclined to participate in a direct selling system offered by us. We believe our future success could depend in part on
our ability to seamlessly integrate our business methods, including member compensation plan, across all markets in which our products
are sold. There can be no assurance that we would be able to further develop and maintain a seamless compensation program.
We may be held responsible for certain taxes or assessments relating to the activities of our members and service providers, which
could harm our financial condition and operating results.
Our members and service providers are subject to taxation, and in some instances, legislation or governmental agencies impose an
obligation on us to collect the taxes, such as value added taxes, and to maintain appropriate records. In addition, we are subject to the risk
in some jurisdictions of being responsible for social security and similar taxes with respect to our members.
We may be unable to protect or use our intellectual property rights.
We rely on trade secret, copyright and trademark laws and confidentiality agreements with employees and third parties, all of which
offer only limited protection of our confidential information and trademarks. Moreover, the laws of some countries in which we market our
products may afford little or no effective protection of our intellectual property rights. The unauthorized copying, use or other
misappropriation of our confidential information, trademarks and other intellectual property could enable third parties to benefit from such
property without paying us for it. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. If
we resort to legal proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights, the proceedings could be burdensome, expensive and result in
inadequate remedies. It is also possible that our use of our intellectual property rights could be found to infringe on prior rights of others
and, in that event, we could be compelled to stop or modify the infringing use, which could be burdensome and expensive.
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We do not have a comprehensive product liability insurance program and product liability claims could hurt our business.
Currently, we do not have a comprehensive product liability insurance program, although the insurance carried by our suppliers may
cover certain product liability claims against us. As a marketer of dietary supplements, cosmetics and other products that are ingested by
consumers or applied to their bodies, we may become subjected to various product liability claims, including that:
•
•
•
our products contain contaminants or unsafe ingredients;
our products include inadequate instructions as to their uses; or
our products include inadequate warnings concerning side effects and interactions with other substances.
If our suppliers’ product liability insurance fails to cover product liability claims or other product liability claims, or any product
liability claims exceeds the amount of coverage provided by such policies or if we are unsuccessful in any third party claim against the
manufacturer or if we are unsuccessful in collecting any judgment that may be recovered by us against the manufacturer, we could be
required to pay substantial monetary damages which could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. As a
result, we may become required to pay high premiums and accept high deductibles in order to secure adequate insurance coverage in the
future. Especially since we do not have direct product liability insurance, it is possible that product liability claims and the resulting
adverse publicity could negatively affect our business.
Our internal controls and accounting methods may require modification.
We continue to review and develop controls and procedures sufficient to accurately report our financial performance on a timely
basis. If we do not develop and implement effective controls and procedures, we may not be able to report our financial performance on a
timely basis and our business and stock price would be adversely affected.
We identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. If we do not adequately address this material
weakness or if other material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting are discovered,
our financial statements could contain material misstatements and our business, operations and stock price may be adversely
affected.
As disclosed under “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures” of this report, our management has identified a material weakness in our
internal control over financial reporting at December 31, 2017. Under standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board, a material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a
reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Although
no material misstatement of our historical financial statements was identified, the existence of this or one or more material weaknesses or
significant deficiencies could result in material misstatements in our financial statements and we could be required to restate our financial
statements. Further, significant costs and resources may be needed to remediate the identified material weakness or any other material
weaknesses or internal control deficiencies. If we are unable to remediate, evaluate, and test our internal controls on a timely basis in the
future, management will be unable to conclude that our internal controls are effective and our independent registered public accounting
firm will be unable to express an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls. If we cannot produce reliable financial
reports, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting, the price of our common stock could be adversely impacted and we could
be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC, NASDAQ or other regulatory authorities, which could negatively impact our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on and are subject to risks associated with our reliance upon information technology systems.
Our success is dependent on the accuracy, reliability, and proper use of information processing systems and management
information technology. Our information technology systems are designed and selected to facilitate order entry and customer billing,
maintain member records, accurately track purchases and member compensation payments, manage accounting operations, generate
reports, and provide customer service and technical support. Any interruption in these systems could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition, and results of operations.
There can be no assurance that there will not be delays or interruptions in our information technology services. An interruption or
delay in availability of these services could, if it lasted long enough, prevent us from accepting orders, cause members to leave our
business, or otherwise materially adversely affect our business.
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System disruptions or failures, cybersecurity risks, and compromises of data could harm our business.
Because of our diverse geographic operations and our internationally applicable member compensation plans, our business is highly
dependent on the secure and efficient functioning of our information technology systems, and the security of personal and sensitive
business data. We collect certain personal information, including payment data, from members and consumers, as well as our employees.
We also develop and maintain sensitive and proprietary business information. Any systems failure or interruption, breach in security, or
loss of data, whatever the cause, could adversely affect our operations and financial results.
Systems disruptions and data breaches can derive from natural disasters, accidental technological events or human error, but can also
result from fraud or malice on the part of external or internal parties. Our systems, networks and software, like those of other companies,
have been and are likely to continue to be, the target of cybersecurity threats and attacks, which may range from isolated or random
attempts to sophisticated and targeted measures directed specifically at us. The risk of a systems disruption or data breach, particularly
through cyber-attack or cyber intrusion, has increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from
around the world have increased. A material systems disruption or data breach affecting us could damage our reputation, deter members
from purchasing our products, and result in cost and liability to us.
Although we have implemented technical and administrative safeguards to maintain the security and integrity of our information
technology systems and data, there can be no assurance that our security efforts and measures will be effective in a continually evolving
threat environment. In addition to the risks presented by malicious actors and natural disasters, many systems disruptions and data breaches
are reportedly caused by human error. Therefore, despite our security policies and mandatory training, our systems and data are exposed to
the risk that human error could either create a vulnerability that could be exploited by an attacker, or expose our systems and data to
unintended risk of compromise. In addition, as described below, most of our information technology systems and data are hosted by third-
party vendors over which we have limited control. We anticipate that we will be required to expend additional resources in order to
continue to enhance our technical and administrative safeguards, and to investigate and remediate any vulnerabilities in our systems,
networks and software.
In any case, a data breach or other significant disruption of our information systems or those related to our third party vendors,
including as a result of cyber-attacks, could (1) disrupt the proper functioning of our systems and networks and therefore operations, (2)
result in the unauthorized access to, and destruction, loss, theft, misappropriation or release of personal, confidential, sensitive or otherwise
valuable data or other information, (3) result in a violation of applicable privacy, cybersecurity, data breach notification requirements under
applicable laws, regulations and contractual provisions, subjecting us to additional regulatory scrutiny, and exposing us to possible fines,
lawsuits and related financial liability, (4) require significant management attention and financial resources to investigate and remedy the
breach or disruption, and (5) harm our reputation, cause a decrease in the number of our members and revenue, and otherwise damage our
business. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of
operations.
Our systems, software and data reside on third-party servers, exposing us to risks that disruption or intrusion of those servers
could temporarily or permanently interrupt our access and damage our business.
Beginning in 2012, most of our systems, software and data reside in the “cloud” on servers operated by third-party vendors to which
we have limited access. We assess the risks presented by these third-party vendors, and our contracts with them contain representations,
warranties and other provisions related to the security of our data, and of the systems and software on which we rely. We are, however,
limited in our ability to mitigate the risks of a systems disruption or data breach affecting our third-party vendors. Moreover, any delay or
failure in payment of the third-party vendors, disputes with such vendors, or business interruption or failure of the third-party vendors
could result in loss of or interruption in access to our systems, software or data. It is possible that our systems, software and data could in
the future be moved to servers of different third parties or to our own servers. Any such move could result in temporary or permanent loss
of access to our systems, software or data. Any protracted loss of such access would materially and adversely affect our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
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Terrorist attacks, acts of war, epidemics or natural disasters may seriously harm our business.
Terrorist attacks, acts of war, epidemics or natural disasters may cause damage or disruption to us, our employees, our facilities and
our members and customers, which could impact our revenues, expenses and financial condition. The potential for future terrorist attacks,
the national and international responses to terrorist attacks, and other acts of war or hostility, such as challenges to Chinese sovereignty
claims in the South China Sea or Chinese objection to the Taiwan independence movement and the resultant tension in the Taiwan Strait,
could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition in ways that we currently cannot
predict. Additionally, epidemics such as outbreaks of avian influenza, or natural disasters, whether or not as severe as the Indian Ocean
tsunami that occurred in December 2004, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may experience substantial negative cash flows, which may have a significant adverse effect on our business and could threaten
our solvency.
We experienced substantial negative cash flows during the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, primarily due to declines in our
revenues greater than the decreases in expenditures we could manage. If we again experience negative cash flows, any resulting decreasing
cash balance could impair our ability to support our operations and, eventually, threaten our solvency, which would have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition, as well as our stock price. Negative cash flows and the related adverse
market perception associated therewith may have negatively affected, and may in the future negatively affect, our ability to attract new
members and/or sell our products. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in maintaining an adequate level of cash resources
and we could be forced to act more aggressively in the area of expense reduction in order to conserve cash resources as we look for
alternative solutions.
If we experience negative cash flows, we may need to seek additional debt or equity financing, which may not be available on
acceptable terms or at all. If available, it could have a highly dilutive effect on the holdings of existing stockholders.
Unless we are able to maintain revenues, control expenses and achieve positive cash flows, our ability to support our obligations
could be impaired and our liquidity could be adversely affected and our solvency and our ability to repay our debts when they come due
could be threatened. We may need to seek additional debt or equity financing on acceptable terms in order to improve our
liquidity. However, we may not be able to obtain additional debt or equity financing on satisfactory terms, or at all, and any new financing
could have a dilutive effect to our existing stockholders.
Disappointing quarterly revenue or operating results could cause the price of our common stock to fall.
Our quarterly revenue and operating results are difficult to predict and may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter. If our
quarterly revenue or operating results fall below the expectations of investors or securities analysts, the price of our common stock could
fall substantially.
Our common stock is particularly subject to volatility because of the industry in which we operate.
The market prices of securities of direct selling companies have been extremely volatile, and have experienced fluctuations that have
often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of such companies. These broad market fluctuations could adversely
affect the market price of our common stock.
Our common stock continues to experience wide fluctuations in trading volumes and prices. This may make it more difficult for
holders of our common stock to sell shares when they want and at prices they find attractive.
The public market for our common stock has historically been very volatile experiencing wide fluctuations in trading volumes and
prices. There are a number of factors that may contribute to this volatility, including the following:
•
active participation of speculative traders in our stock (including short
sellers);
• market rumors regarding our business
operations;
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•
•
•
government scrutiny of our
business;
adverse publicity related to our business or industry;
and
fluctuations in our operating
results.
This market volatility for our stock may make it more difficult for holders of our stock to sell shares when they want and at prices
they find attractive. There can be no assurance that a larger or more liquid market will be developed or maintained for our common stock.
Future sales by us or our existing stockholders could depress the market price of our common stock.
If we or our existing stockholders sell a large number of shares of our common stock, the market price of our common stock could
decline significantly. Further, even the perception in the public market that we or our existing stockholders might sell shares of common
stock could depress the market price of our common stock.
Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
We lease 4,900 square feet of office space in Rolling Hills Estates, California for our corporate headquarters with a term expiring in
September 2025. In August 2017, we entered into a lease for 2,000 square feet of retail space in Metuchen, New Jersey with a term expiring
in November 2022, to help further develop the market for our products in North America. Similarly, we lease 2,400 and 1,600 square feet
of retail space in Monterey Park, California and Richmond, British Columbia, respectively. The Monterey Park and Richmond locations
have terms expiring in August 2020 and February 2021, respectively. We also maintain an office in Dallas, Texas.
Outside of North America, in February 2017, we entered into a lease for 9,000 square feet of office and retail space in Peru with a
term expiring in July 2018. In November 2017, we renewed our lease for 7,300 square feet of office space in Hong Kong with a term
expiring in February 2021, nine branch offices throughout China, and additional office space in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore,
Malaysia, Vietnam and the Cayman Islands. We also lease a multi-purpose facility and factory in Zhongshan, China and 11 service stations
throughout the city of Guangzhou, China that serve or will in the future serve the needs of our Chinese consumers. We contract with third
parties for fulfillment and distribution operations in all of our international markets. We believe that our existing office space is in good
condition, and is suitable and adequate for the conduct of our business.
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Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Securities Class Action
In January 2016, two putative securities class action complaints were filed against us and our top executives in the United States
District Court for the Central District of California. On March 29, 2016, the Court consolidated these actions under the caption Ford v.
Natural Health Trends Corp., Case No. 2:16-cv-00255-TJH-AFMx, appointed two Lead Plaintiffs, Mahn Dao and Juan Wang, and
appointed the Rosen Law Firm and Levi & Korsinsky LLP as co-Lead Counsel for the purported class. Plaintiffs filed a consolidated
complaint on April 29, 2016. The consolidated complaint purports to assert claims on behalf of all persons who purchased or otherwise
acquired our common stock between March 6, 2015 and March 15, 2016 under (i) Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and
Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder against Natural Health Trends Corp., and Chris T. Sharng, Timothy S. Davidson and George K. Broady
(together, the “Individual Defendants”), and (ii) Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Individual Defendants.
The consolidated complaint alleges, among other things, that we have been running an allegedly illegal multilevel marketing business in
China and that we have made materially false and misleading statements regarding the legality of our business operations in China. The
consolidated complaint seeks an indeterminate amount of damages, plus interest and costs. On June 15, 2016, we filed a motion to dismiss
the consolidated complaint, which was denied on December 5, 2016. On February 17, 2017, we filed an answer to the consolidated
complaint. On July 10, 2017, the Court entered a stipulation between the parties, postponing all deadlines and staying the case to allow the
parties to engage in settlement discussions. On July 17, 2017, the parties reached an agreement in principle to settle the action. The
proposed class-wide settlement of $1.75 million was submitted to the Court on October 3, 2017. The Court entered an order preliminarily
approving the settlement on November 17, 2017, which was amended on January 4, 2018. Plaintiffs have provided notice to the settlement
class in accordance with the amended order, and a final approval hearing is currently set for April 2, 2018. If approved, the proposed
settlement will be fully funded by our insurers. Defendants continue to believe that these claims are without merit and intend to vigorously
defend against them if a settlement is not finalized and approved by the Court.
Shareholder Derivative Claims
In February 2016, a purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of
Los Angeles: Zhou v. Sharng. In March 2016, a purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the United States District Court for
the Central District of California: Kleinfeldt v. Sharng (collectively the “Derivative Complaints”). The Derivative Complaints purport to
assert claims for breach of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, abuse of control, gross mismanagement and corporate waste against certain
of our officers and directors. The Derivative Complaints also purport to assert fiduciary duty claims based on alleged insider selling and
conspiring to enter into several stock repurchase agreements, which allegedly harmed us and our assets. The Derivative Complaints allege,
among other things, that we have been running an allegedly illegal multilevel marketing business in China, that we have made materially
false and misleading statements regarding the legality of our business operations in China, and that certain officers and directors sold
common stock on the basis of this allegedly material, adverse non-public information. The Derivative Complaints seek an indeterminate
amount of damages, plus interest and costs, as well as various equitable remedies. On February 1, 2017, pursuant to a stipulation among the
parties, the Los Angeles Superior Court entered a stay of the Zhou action pending conclusion of the related federal class action in the
United States District Court for the Central District of California: Ford v. Natural Health Trends Corp. A nearly identical stipulated stay
was entered in the Kleinfeldt case on February 28, 2017. On November 10, 2017, the parties to both the Zhou and Kleinfeldt actions entered
into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to resolve both actions, subject to the negotiation of a written settlement agreement and
approval by the federal court in the Kleinfeldt matter. On November 15, 2017, the parties filed a joint status report and stipulation in the
Zhou matter, alerting the court to the MOU and seeking to maintain the stay pending finalization and court approval of the parties’
tentative settlement. The Zhou court entered an order continuing the stay on November 17, 2017. On March 9, 2018, the parties filed a
Stipulation of Settlement and supporting papers in the Kleinfeldt action. On March 22, 2018, plaintiffs filed a motion for preliminary
approval of the tentative settlement. The settlement is subject to both preliminary and final approval by the court. If approved, the proposed
settlement will require certain corporate governance reforms and permit an award of up to $250,000 in attorneys’ fees to plaintiffs’ counsel,
all of which will be fully funded by our insurers. Defendants continue to believe that these claims are without merit and intend to
vigorously defend against them if the derivative settlement is not finalized and approved.
The consolidated class action (if the settlement is not approved by the Court) and the Derivative Complaints (if the tentative
settlement is not finalized or approved), or other actions alleging similar facts, could result in monetary or other penalties that may
materially affect our operating results and financial condition.
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Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER
Part II
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our common stock is currently traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “NHTC.” The following table
sets forth the range of the high and low bid quotations of our common stock as reported by Nasdaq. The bid quotations reflect inter-dealer
prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
2017
2016
High
Low
High
Low
$
29.66 $
29.76
28.98
24.93
24.45 $
27.78
18.55
15.19
36.19 $
38.25
34.30
29.95
17.75
26.24
25.89
21.44
On March 21, 2018, the closing price of our common stock as reported by Nasdaq was $19.15 per share.
Holders of Record
At March 21, 2018, there were approximately 110 record holders of our common stock (although we believe that the number of
beneficial owners of our common stock is substantially greater).
Dividends
The following tables summarize all cash dividend activity during 2017 and 2016 (in thousands, except per share data), all of which
dividend payments were made to holders of our common stock:
Declaration Date
October 30, 2017 (special)
October 30, 2017
July 31, 2017 (special)
July 31, 2017
April 24, 2017 (special)
April 24, 2017
January 24, 2017 (special)
January 24, 2017
Declaration Date
October 23, 2016 (special)
October 23, 2016
July 19, 2016
April 21, 2016
March 1, 2016
Total
Per Share
$
0.15 $
0.12
0.25
0.11
0.35
0.10
0.35
0.09
1.52 $
0.35 $
0.08
0.07
0.06
0.05
0.61 $
Amount
Payment Date
1,701 November 24, 2017
1,360 November 24, 2017
2,833
1,246
3,964
1,133
3,962
1,019
17,218
August 31, 2017
August 31, 2017
May 19, 2017
May 19, 2017
March 3, 2017
March 3, 2017
Amount
Payment Date
3,941 November 25, 2016
901 November 25, 2016
787
686
576
6,891
August 26, 2016
May 20, 2016
March 24, 2016
Per Share
$
$
$
Additionally, on February 6, 2018, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.13 on each share of common stock
outstanding. Such dividends were paid on March 9, 2018 to stockholders of record on February 27, 2018. Declaration and payment of any
future dividends on shares of common stock will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors.
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Table of Contents
Stock Performance Graph
Set forth below is a line graph and table comparing the performance of our common stock to the S&P 500 Index and to a market-
weighted index of publicly traded peers from the period from December 31, 2012 through December 31, 2017. The graph assumes $100
was invested in our common stock, the S&P 500 Index and the index of publicly traded peers on December 31, 2012 and that all dividends
were reinvested. The publicly traded companies in the peer group consist of Nature’s Sunshine Products, Nu Skin Enterprises Inc., USANA
Health Sciences Inc., and Herbalife Ltd. The graph represents past performance and should not be considered to be an indication of future
performance.
Period
December 31, 2012
December 31, 2013
December 31, 2014
December 31, 2015
December 31, 2016
December 31, 2017
NHTC
S&P 500
$
100 $
317
1,137
3,342
2,538
1,707
26
Peer Group
100
302
182
226
219
302
100 $
132
151
153
171
208
Table of Contents
Item 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The following selected consolidated financial data, which have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, are
not necessarily indicative of the results of future operations and should be read in conjunction with “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, and the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included
elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (in thousands, except per share data).
Consolidated Statements of Operations Data:
Net sales
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Operating expenses:
Commissions expense
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Total operating expenses
Income from operations
Other income (expense), net
Income before income taxes
Income tax provision
Net income
Preferred stock dividends
Net income available to common stockholders
Net income per common share:
Basic
Diluted
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic
Diluted
Cash dividends declared per common share
Consolidated Balance Sheets Data:
Cash and cash equivalents
Inventories
Working capital
Long-term incentive
Non-current income taxes payable
Total assets
Total stockholders’ equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Data:
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities
Investing activities
Financing activities
Income taxes paid, net of refunds
2017
Year Ended December 31
2015
2016
2014
2013
$
197,563 $
38,645
158,918
287,728 $
54,903
232,825
264,860 $
54,098
210,762
124,590 $
26,981
97,609
52,527
12,551
39,976
83,638
31,685
536
115,859
43,059
367
43,426
19,848
23,578
—
23,578 $
125,050
43,245
394
168,689
64,136
(59)
64,077
8,991
55,086
—
55,086 $
126,598
36,024
263
162,885
47,877
(84)
47,793
552
47,241
—
47,241 $
56,997
19,687
105
76,789
20,820
(184)
20,636
266
20,370
(10)
20,360 $
24,053
11,634
66
35,753
4,223
(32)
4,191
102
4,089
(15)
4,074
2.10 $
2.09 $
4.84 $
4.83 $
3.84 $
3.82 $
1.67 $
1.61 $
0.36
0.36
11,251
11,267
11,382
11,407
12,302
12,372
12,131
12,600
1.52 $
0.61 $
0.14 $
0.03 $
135,311 $
8,398
109,322
125,921 $
11,257
84,090
104,914 $
10,455
56,199
44,816 $
3,760
25,253
7,904
19,052
159,554
90,621
8,190
—
148,051
82,439
5,770
—
124,152
56,809
1,665
—
52,540
26,450
11,154
11,331
—
14,550
1,828
3,598
—
—
19,827
6,077
26,605 $
(278)
(17,218)
6,772
53,174 $
(905)
(30,595)
8,791
81,326 $
(3,738)
(17,471)
707
30,613 $
(339)
(189)
60
10,686
(292)
(52)
71
27
$
$
$
$
$
$
Table of Contents
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Business Overview
We are an international direct-selling and e-commerce company. Subsidiaries controlled by us sell personal care, wellness, and
“quality of life” products under the “NHT Global” brand. Our wholly-owned subsidiaries have an active physical presence in the following
markets: the Americas, which consists of the United States, Canada, Cayman Islands, Mexico and Peru; Greater China, which consists of
Hong Kong, Taiwan and China; Southeast Asia, which consists of Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam; South Korea; Japan; and Europe. We
also operate in Russia and Kazakhstan through our engagement with a local service provider. See Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report for further information about our net sales by
geographic area.
As of December 31, 2017, we were conducting business through 95,670 active members, compared to 118,960 in 2016 and 109,360
in 2015. We consider a member “active” if they have placed at least one product order with us during the preceding year. Our priority is to
focus our resources in our most promising markets, which we consider to be Greater China and countries where our existing members have
the connections to recruit prospects and sell our products, such as Southeast Asia and Europe. We also invested some resources in Mexico
and Peru during 2017.
We generate approximately 97% of our net sales from subsidiaries located outside the Americas, with sales of our Hong Kong
subsidiary representing 89% of net sales in the latest fiscal year. Because of the size of our foreign operations, operating results can be
impacted negatively or positively by factors such as foreign currency fluctuations, and economic, political and business conditions around
the world. In addition, our business is subject to various laws and regulations, in particular, regulations related to direct selling activities that
create uncertain risks for our business, including improper claims or activities by our members and potential inability to obtain necessary
product registrations. For further information regarding some of the risks associated with the conduct of our business in China, see “Item
1A. Risk Factors,” and more specifically under the captions “Risk Factors - Because our Hong Kong operations account for a substantial
portion of our overall business...” and “Risk Factors - Our operations in China are subject to compliance with a myriad of applicable laws
and regulations...”.
China has been and continues to be our most important business development project. We operate an e-commerce direct selling
model in Hong Kong that generates revenue derived from the sale of products to members in Hong Kong and elsewhere, including China.
Substantially all of our Hong Kong revenues are derived from the sale of products that are delivered to members in China. Through a
separate Chinese entity, we operate an e-commerce retail platform in China. We believe that neither of these activities require a direct
selling license in China, which we do not currently hold. We have previously sought to obtain a direct selling license, and in August 2015
initiated the process for submitting a new preliminary application for a direct selling license in China. If we are able to obtain a direct
selling license in China, we believe that the incentives inherent in the direct selling model in China would incrementally benefit our
existing business. We do not expect that any increased sales in China derived from obtaining a direct selling license would initially be
material and, in any event may be partially offset by the higher fixed costs associated with the establishment and maintenance of required
service centers, branch offices, manufacturing facilities, certification programs and other legal requirements. We are unable to predict
whether and when we will be successful in obtaining a direct selling license to operate in China, and if we are successful, when we will be
permitted to conduct direct selling operations and whether such operations would be profitable.
Income Statement Presentation
We mainly derive revenue from sales of products. Substantially all of our product sales are to independent members at published
wholesale prices. Product sales are recorded when the products are shipped and title passes to independent members, which generally is
upon our delivery to the carrier that completes delivery to the members. We estimate and accrue a reserve for product returns based on our
return policies and historical experience. Enrollment package revenue, including any nonrefundable set-up fees, is deferred and recognized
over the term of the arrangement, generally twelve months. We bill members for shipping charges and recognize the freight revenue in net
sales. Event and training revenue is deferred and recognized as the event or training occurs.
Cost of sales consists primarily of products purchased from third-party manufacturers, freight cost for transporting products to our
foreign subsidiaries and shipping products to members, import duties, packing materials, product royalties, costs of promotional materials
sold to our members at or near cost, and provisions for slow moving or obsolete inventories. Cost of sales also includes purchasing costs,
receiving costs, inspection costs and warehousing costs.
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Table of Contents
Member commissions are our most significant expense and are classified as an operating expense. Under our compensation plan,
members are paid weekly commissions by our subsidiary in which they are enrolled, generally in their home country currency, for product
purchases by their down-line member network across all geographic markets. Our China subsidiary maintains an e-commerce retail
platform and does not pay commissions. This “seamless” compensation plan enables a member located in one country to enroll other
members located in other countries where we are authorized to conduct our business. Currently, there are basically two ways in which our
members can earn income:
•
•
through commissions paid on the accumulated bonus volume from product purchases made by their down-line members and
customers; and
through retail profits on sales of products purchased by members at wholesale prices and resold at retail prices (in some markets,
sales are for personal consumption only and income may not be earned through retail profits).
Each of our products is designated a specified number of bonus volume points. Commissions are based on total personal and group
bonus volume points per weekly sales period. Bonus volume points are essentially a percentage of a product’s wholesale price. As the
member’s business expands from successfully enrolling other members who in turn expand their own businesses by selling product to other
members, the member receives higher commissions from purchases made by an expanding down-line network. In some of our markets, to
be eligible to receive commissions, a member may be required to make nominal monthly or other periodic purchases of our products.
Certain of our subsidiaries do not require these nominal purchases for a member to be eligible to receive commissions. In determining
commissions, the number of levels of down-line members included within the member’s commissionable group increases as the number of
memberships directly below the member increases.
Under our current compensation plan, certain of our commission payouts may be limited to a hard cap dollar amount per week or a
specific percentage of total product sales. In some markets, commissions may be further limited. In some markets, we also pay certain
bonuses on purchases by up to three generations of personally enrolled members, as well as bonuses on commissions earned by up to three
generations of personally enrolled members. Members can also earn additional income, trips and other prizes in specific time-limited
promotions and contests we hold from time to time. Member commissions are dependent on the sales mix and, for each of fiscal 2017, 2016
and 2015 represented 42%, 44% and 48%, respectively, of net sales. Occasionally, we make modifications and enhancements to our
compensation plan to help motivate members, which can have an impact on member commissions. We may also enter into performance-
based agreements for business or market development, which can result in additional compensation to specific members.
Selling, general and administrative expenses consist of administrative compensation and benefits, travel, credit card fees and
assessments, professional fees, certain occupancy costs, and other corporate administrative expenses (including stock-based compensation).
In addition, this category includes selling, marketing, and promotion expenses (including the costs of member training events and
conventions that are designed to increase both product awareness and member recruitment). Because our various member conventions are
not always held at the same time each year, interim period comparisons will be impacted accordingly.
The functional currency of our international subsidiaries is generally their local currency. Local currency assets and liabilities are
translated at the rates of exchange on the balance sheet date, and local currency revenues and expenses are translated at average rates of
exchange during the period. Equity accounts are translated at historical rates. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded directly
into accumulated other comprehensive income.
Sales by our foreign subsidiaries are generally transacted in the respective local currencies and are translated into U.S. dollars using
average rates of exchange for each monthly accounting period to which they relate. Most of our product purchases from third-party
manufacturers are transacted in U.S. dollars. Consequently, our sales and net earnings are affected by changes in currency exchange rates,
with sales and earnings generally increasing with a weakening U.S. dollar and decreasing with a strengthening U.S. dollar, see “Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” and more specifically under the caption “Foreign Currency Exchange Risk”
for further information.
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Table of Contents
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth our operating results as a percentage of net sales for the periods indicated:
Net sales
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Operating expenses:
Commissions expense
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Total operating expenses
Income from operations
Other income (expense), net
Income before income taxes
Income tax provision
Net income
Year Ended December 31,
2016
2017
2015
100.0%
19.6
80.4
100.0%
19.1
80.9
100.0%
20.4
79.6
42.3
16.0
0.3
58.6
21.8
0.2
22.0
10.0
12.0%
43.5
15.0
0.1
58.6
22.3
—
22.3
3.1
19.2%
47.8
13.6
0.1
61.5
18.1
—
18.1
0.2
17.9%
The following table sets forth revenue by market for the periods indicated (in thousands):
2017
Year Ended December 31,
2016
2015
$
Americas1
Hong Kong2
China
Taiwan
South Korea
Japan
Singapore
Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine3
Europe
Total
_____________________________
1 United States, Canada, Mexico and Peru.
2 Substantially all of our Hong Kong revenues are derived from the sale of products that are delivered to members in China. See “Item 1A.
Risk Factors”.
3 We discontinued our Ukraine operations during the second quarter of 2015.
5,992
245,737
4,425
5,965
1,128
92
—
1,139
382
100.0% $ 264,860
5,909
263,482
9,086
6,213
691
86
169
858
1,234
100.0% $ 287,728
5,794
174,926
7,282
5,591
466
129
184
913
2,278
$ 197,563
2.0% $
91.6
3.2
2.2
0.2
—
0.1
0.3
0.4
2.9% $
88.5
3.7
2.8
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.5
1.2
2.3%
92.8
1.7
2.3
0.4
—
—
0.4
0.1
100.0%
Financial Results of 2017 Compared to 2016
Net Sales
Net sales were $197.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared with $287.7 million a year ago, a decrease of $90.1
million, or 31%. Hong Kong net sales, substantially all of which were shipped to members residing in China, decreased $88.6 million, or
34%, over the prior year. The sales decrease was primarily attributable to the slowdown we have been experiencing in our Asian markets
since the third quarter of 2016. We believe much of this decrease could be traced to factors beyond our control, including the G20 Summit,
the 20th Anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover and the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which impaired our
members’ ability to conduct business and impacted the operations of our logistics partners. In addition, Hong Kong experienced a decrease
of 26,400 active members, or 24%, during 2017, which contributed to the decrease in product sales volume.
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Table of Contents
Outside of our Hong Kong business, net sales decreased $1.6 million, or 7%, compared with the prior year, driven by a 20% decrease
in our China e-commerce business and offset by an 85% increase in Europe. The $1.8 million net sales decrease in our China e-commerce
business was primarily driven by decreased sales in our Home product line. The $1.0 million net sales increase in Europe was primarily
driven by our Wellness product line.
As of December 31, 2017, deferred revenue was $4.5 million, which primarily consisted of $2.4 million in unshipped product orders,
and $1.7 million and $379,000 pertaining to auto ship advances and unamortized enrollment package revenue, respectively.
Gross Profit
Gross profit was 80.4% of net sales for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared with 80.9% of net sales for the year ended
December 31, 2016. The gross profit margin percentage decrease is primarily due to lower event revenue, offset by lower logistics costs.
Commissions
Commissions were 42.3% of net sales for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared with 43.5% of net sales for the year ended
December 31, 2016. The decrease as a percentage of net sales was primarily due to less cost incurred for our third quarter incentive trip
than expected and recognized during the qualification period in 2016. Excluding this benefit, commissions as a percentage of net sales for
2017 would have been relatively consistent with 2016.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $31.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared with $43.2 million
for the year ended December 31, 2016. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by $11.6 million, or 27%, mainly due to a
decrease in employee-related expenses, event costs, member training costs, and a decrease in credit card fees and assessments due to lower
net sales, offset by an increase in professional fees, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2016.
Income Taxes
An income tax provision of $19.8 million was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared with $9.0 million for the
year ended December 31, 2016. The increase is due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) on December 22, 2017
by the U.S. government which is effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Two major provisions of the Tax Act,
however, increased our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2017. The first of such provisions reduces the maximum U.S.
federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018 (reducing the value of our net deferred tax asset by $1.0
million), and the second of which requires a one-time repatriation tax on certain un-repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries at a rate of
15.5% tax on post-1986 foreign earnings held in cash and an 8% rate on all other post-1986 earnings (resulting in a 2017 tax liability of
$20.7 million). As a result of the repatriation tax, we reversed our deferred tax liability previously established for undistributed foreign
earnings resulting in a tax benefit of $3.7 million, which partially offset the effect on tax expense of the repatriation tax.
Financial Results of 2016 Compared to 2015
Net Sales
Net sales were $287.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with $264.9 million a year ago, an increase of $22.8
million, or 9%. Hong Kong net sales, substantially all of which were shipped to members residing in China, increased $17.7 million, or
7%, over the prior year. Hong Kong experienced an increase of 7,800 active members, or 8%, during 2016, which contributed to the
increase in product sales volume. We also launched new Wellness products during 2016, which contributed approximately $11.2 million to
our top-line growth. However, we believe our net sales increase was adversely impacted by the following:
•
A primary factor was the special measures the Chinese government implemented in preparation of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou,
one of our top markets, in which they relocated city residents, emptied entire districts, blocked urban traffic and shut down
businesses in July, August and early September 2016.
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Table of Contents
•
•
Also, we did not offer a comparable incentive trip promotion in 2016 as the 2015 supplemental incentive trip promotion to the
U.S., which proved to be appealing and contributed to increased sales in 2015.
Finally, the devaluation of the Chinese yuan, which depreciated 7% against the Hong Kong dollar during 2016, indirectly affected
our financial results by increasing the product pricing in the currency of our Chinese members.
Outside of our Hong Kong business, net sales increased $5.1 million, or 27%, compared with the prior year, driven by a 105%
increase in our China e-commerce business and a 223% increase in Europe, offset by the performance of South Korea, which decreased
39% and our Commonwealth of Independent States (“CIS”) market, which decreased 25%. The $4.7 million net sales increase in our China
e-commerce business was primarily driven by increased sales in our Home product line, which was introduced during the fourth quarter of
2015. The $852,000 net sales increase in Europe was primarily driven by our Wellness product line.
As of December 31, 2016, deferred revenue was $4.9 million, which primarily consisted of $2.2 million in unshipped product orders,
and $2.3 million and $430,000 pertaining to auto ship advances and unamortized enrollment package revenue, respectively.
Gross Profit
Gross profit was 80.9% of net sales for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with 79.6% of net sales for the year ended
December 31, 2015. The gross profit margin percentage increase is due to higher event and training revenue, higher product margins and
lower logistics costs.
Commissions
Commissions were 43.5% of net sales for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with 47.8% of net sales for the year ended
December 31, 2015. The decrease as a percentage of net sales resulted primarily from the reduction in our on-going cash and other
incentive programs which cost 3.0% of net sales for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with 6.4% of net sales for the year ended
December 31, 2015.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $43.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with $36.0 million
for the year ended December 31, 2015. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $7.2 million, or 20%, mainly due to an
increase in event costs, member training costs, professional fees, and an increase in credit card fees and assessments due to higher net sales,
offset by a decrease in our employee-related expenses, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015.
Income Taxes
An income tax provision of $9.0 million was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with $552,000 for the year
ended December 31, 2015. The increase is due to greater profitability of our international operations, as well as the repatriation of foreign
earnings back to the U.S. during the year. As a result of capital return activities approved by the Board of Directors during the first quarter
of 2016 and anticipated future capital return activities, we then determined that a portion of our undistributed foreign earnings were no
longer deemed reinvested indefinitely by our non-U.S. subsidiaries. We repatriated $19.8 million to the U.S. during the three months ended
March 31, 2016, part of which was offset by U.S. net operating losses. Accordingly, the deferred tax liability previously established for
undistributed foreign earnings up to existing U.S. net operating losses was reduced. The excess amount repatriated during the year ended
December 31, 2016 was generated from current foreign earnings. In addition, during the three months ended December 31, 2016, we
released our remaining valuation allowance against U.S. deferred tax assets as it was determined that it is more likely than not that we will
realize the tax benefits of our deferred assets in future periods.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2017, our cash and cash equivalents totaled $135.3 million, of which $134.2 million is held in bank accounts
overseas. Total cash and cash equivalents increased by $9.4 million and $21.0 million during 2017 and 2016, respectively. We consider all
highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, when purchased, to be cash equivalents. As of December 31,
2017, we had $73.6 million in available-for-sale investments classified as cash equivalents. In addition, cash and cash equivalents included
$8.7 million held in banks located in China subject to foreign currency controls.
At December 31, 2017, the ratio of current assets to current liabilities was 3.61 to 1.00 and we had $109.3 million of working capital.
Working capital as of December 31, 2017 increased $25.2 million compared to our working capital as of December 31, 2016, primarily due
to our proactive expense management efforts designed to better align our cost structure with the challenging environment that we
encountered during 2017.
Cash provided by operations during 2017 was $26.6 million compared to $53.2 million during 2016. The decrease in operating cash
flows resulted primarily from the decrease in product orders and the impact of our members’ increasing utilization of our eWallet
functionality, offset by a reduction in inventories and inventory-related deposits during 2017.
Cash flows used in investing activities totaled $278,000 during 2017 and consisted primarily of capitalizable software development
costs and buildout costs for our expansion into Peru and Vietnam. Cash flows used in investing activities totaled $905,000 during the year
ended December 31, 2016 and consisted primarily of capitalized software development costs of $666,800 for our Oracle ERP upgrade and
enhancement of our back office software platform.
Cash flows used in financing activities during 2017 consisted solely of the following cash dividend payments (in thousands, except
per share amounts) to holders of our common stock:
Declaration Date
October 30, 2017 (special)
October 30, 2017
July 31, 2017 (special)
July 31, 2017
April 24, 2017 (special)
April 24, 2017
January 24, 2017 (special)
January 24, 2017
Total
Per Share
$
0.15 $
0.12
0.25
0.11
0.35
0.10
0.35
0.09
1.52 $
$
Amount
Record Date
Payment Date
1,701 November 14, 2017
1,360 November 14, 2017
2,833
1,246
3,964
1,133
3,962
1,019
17,218
August 21, 2017
August 21, 2017
May 9, 2017
May 9, 2017
February 21, 2017
February 21, 2017
November 24, 2017
November 24, 2017
August 31, 2017
August 31, 2017
May 19, 2017
May 19, 2017
March 3, 2017
March 3, 2017
Subsequent to December 31, 2017, on February 6, 2018, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.13 on each share of
common stock outstanding. Such dividends were paid on March 9, 2018 to stockholders of record on February 27, 2018. Declaration and
payment of any future dividends on shares of common stock will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors.
Cash flows used in financing activities during 2016 totaled $30.6 million. We used $23.7 million to repurchase shares of our
common stock. On January 12, 2016, the Board of Directors authorized an increase to our stock repurchase program first approved on July
28, 2015 from $15.0 million to $70.0 million. Repurchases are expected to be executed to the extent that our earnings and cash-on-hand
allow, and will be made in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act. For
all or a portion of the authorized repurchase amount, we may enter into one or more plans that are compliant with Rule 10b5-1 of the
Exchange Act that are designed to facilitate these purchases. The stock repurchase program does not require us to acquire a specific number
of shares, and may be suspended from time to time or discontinued. During February 2016, pursuant to the stock repurchase program, we
authorized our broker to proceed with the purchase of shares of our common stock in the open market. During the year ended December 31,
2016, the stock repurchase program resulted in our purchasing a total of 903,031 shares of our common stock for an aggregate purchase
price of $23.7 million, plus transaction costs. As of December 31, 2017, $32.0 million of the $70.0 million stock repurchase program
approved on July 28, 2015 and increased on January 12, 2016 remained available for future purchases, inclusive of related estimated
income tax. No shares were purchased under our stock repurchase program during 2017.
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We believe that our existing internal liquidity, supported by cash on hand and cash flows from operations should be adequate to fund
normal business operations and address our financial commitments for the foreseeable future.
We do not have any significant unused sources of liquid assets. If necessary, we may attempt to generate more funding from the
capital markets, but currently do not believe that will be necessary.
Our priority is to focus our resources on investing in our most important markets, which we consider to be Greater China and
countries where our existing members may have the connections to recruit prospects and sell our products, such as Southeast Asia and
Europe. We will continue to invest in our Mainland China entity for such purposes as establishing China-based manufacturing capabilities,
increasing public awareness of our brand and our products, sourcing more Chinese-made products, building a chain of service stations,
opening additional Healthy Lifestyle Centers or branch offices, adding local staffing and other requirements for a China direct selling
license application. We also have invested some resources in Mexico and Peru.
Quarterly Results of Operations (Unaudited)
The following table sets forth unaudited quarterly operating results for each of the last eight fiscal quarters. The information for each
of these quarters has been prepared on the same basis as the audited annual financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report
and, in the opinion of management, includes all adjustments, which includes only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair
statement of the results of operations for these periods. This data should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial
statements and related notes included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this annual report. These quarterly
operating results are not necessarily indicative of our operating results for any future period.
2017
2016
4th
Quarter1
3rd
Quarter
2nd
Quarter
1st
Quarter
4th
Quarter
3rd
Quarter
2nd
Quarter
1st
Quarter
(In Thousands, Except Per Share Data)
$
46,092 $
36,668
8,686
(4,488)
40,132 $
31,949
8,514
7,338
51,465 $
41,672
12,867
10,303
59,874 $
48,629
12,992
10,425
62,312 $
50,375
20,014
19,048
70,679 $
57,052
15,208
12,557
80,391 $
65,332
14,927
12,201
74,346
60,066
13,987
11,280
(0.40)
(0.40)
0.65
0.65
0.92
0.91
0.93
0.93
1.70
1.70
1.12
1.12
1.08
1.07
0.96
0.95
Net sales
Gross profit
Income from operations
Net income
Net income per common
share:
Basic
Diluted
_____________________________
1 Reflects the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 enacted in December 2017.
Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2017 and the expected effect on our cash flow and
liquidity in future periods (in thousands):
Total
2018
2019-2020
2021-2022
Thereafter
Operating leases
Purchase obligations
Long-term incentive compensation
Tax Cut & Jobs Act repatriation tax liability
Other commitments
Total
$
$
4,690 $
6,895
9,742
20,708
250
42,285 $
1,586 $
6,895
1,838
1,657
93
12,069 $
2,009 $
—
1,397
3,313
140
6,859 $
582 $
—
4,338
3,313
17
8,250 $
513
—
2,169
12,425
—
15,107
We have entered into non-cancelable operating lease agreements for locations within the United States and for our international
subsidiaries, with expirations through September 2025 totaling $4.7 million.
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In May 2013, we entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with one of our suppliers to purchase their product through July
2016 which automatically renews annually unless terminated 90 days prior to the termination date. To maintain exclusivity, we are required
to purchase a minimum of $40,000 of product per month until the termination date. As of December 31, 2017, we were in compliance with
the exclusivity provision.
We have a supply agreement with one of our suppliers to maintain worldwide exclusivity in return for purchasing a minimum of $6.6
million of product in 2018, plus certain raw material guarantees. If we do not purchase the minimum product as required, then a Cure
Payment, as defined, will be due to the supplier. The term of the agreement is one year commencing January 2018 and shall automatically
renew for a successive one year term unless notice of termination is provided by either party.
Subsequent to December 31, 2017, we entered into an exclusive distribution, license and royalty agreement with a new supplier to
purchase products through January 2021 and shall renew for successive one year terms unless notice of termination is provided by either
party. To maintain exclusivity, we are required to purchase between $453,000 and $3.6 million of product, depending on the product mix
and inclusive of royalties, per year until the termination date.
In recognition of the achievement of specified performance goals, financial rewards are awarded under our 2014 Long-Term
Incentive Plan with cash payments through December 2023. See Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report for additional information.
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) was signed into law. The Tax Act significantly revised the
U.S. corporate income tax regime by, among other things, lowering the U.S. corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018,
implementing a territorial tax system and imposing a one-time repatriation tax on deemed repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries. We
are subject to this repatriation tax, resulting in a federal income tax liability as of December 31, 2017 in the amount of $20.7 million. An
election is available to allow U.S. shareholders to spread the payment of the one-time repatriation tax liability over eight years. Under the
election, 8% of the installment payments are due in each of the first five years, 15% in the sixth year, 20% in the seventh year, and the
remaining 25% due in the eight year. As a result of the Tax Act adoption of a territorial tax regime, any foreign source portion of a
qualified dividend received by a 10% U.S. corporate shareholder is exempt from U.S. tax, therefore resulting in any future repatriation
having a minimal effect on our tax liability.
We have evaluated our tax positions and have determined that there are no uncertain tax positions for the current year or years prior.
We have employment agreements with certain members of our management team that can be terminated by either the employee or us
upon four weeks’ notice. The employment agreements entered into with the management team contain provisions that guarantee the
payments of specified amounts in the event of a change in control, as defined, or if the employee is terminated without cause, as defined, or
terminates employment for good reason, as defined.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
A summary of our significant accounting policies is provided in Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report. The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the
reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial
statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. The process of determining significant estimates
is fact specific and takes into account historical experience and current and expected economic conditions. To the extent that there are
material differences between the estimates and actual results, future results of operations will be affected.
Critical accounting policies and estimates are defined as both those that are material to the portrayal of our financial condition and
results of operations and as those that require management’s most subjective judgments. Management believes our critical accounting
policies and estimates are those related to revenue recognition, as well as those used in the determination of liabilities related to sales
returns, member commissions and income taxes.
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Revenue Recognition. Product sales are recorded when the products are shipped and title passes to independent members. Product
sales to members are made pursuant to a member agreement that provides for transfer of both title and risk of loss upon our delivery to the
carrier that completes delivery to the members, which is commonly referred to as “F.O.B. Shipping Point.” We primarily receive payment
by credit card at the time members place orders. Our sales arrangements do not contain right of inspection or customer acceptance
provisions other than general rights of return. Amounts received for unshipped product are recorded as deferred revenue. Such amounts
totaled $2.4 million and $2.2 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Shipping charges billed to members are included in net
sales. Costs associated with shipments are included in cost of sales. Event and training revenue is deferred and recognized as the event or
training occurs.
Enrollment package revenue, including any nonrefundable set-up fees, is deferred and recognized over the term of the arrangement,
generally twelve months. Enrollment packages provide members access to both a personalized marketing website and a business
management system. No upfront costs are deferred as the amount is nominal. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, enrollment package revenue
totaling $379,000 and $430,000 was deferred, respectively. Although we have no immediate plans to significantly change the terms or
conditions of enrollment packages, any changes in the future could result in additional revenue deferrals or could cause us to recognize the
deferred revenue over a longer period of time. Additionally, deferred revenue includes advances for auto ship orders. In certain markets,
when a member’s cumulative commission income reaches a certain threshold, a percentage of the member’s weekly commission is held
back as an advance and applied to an auto ship order once the accumulated amount of the advances is sufficient to pay for the pre-selected
auto ship package of the member. Such advances were $1.7 million and $2.3 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Allowance for Sales Returns. An allowance for sales returns is provided during the period the product is shipped. The allowance is
based upon the return policy of each country, which varies from 14 days to one year, and their historical return rates, which range from 1%
to 7% of sales. Sales returns were 2% and 3% of sales for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The allowance for
sales returns was $614,000 and $1.6 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. No material changes in estimates have been
recognized during the periods presented.
Commissions. Independent members earn commissions based on total personal and group bonus volume points per weekly sales
period. Each of our products are designated a specified number of bonus volume points, which is essentially a percentage of the product’s
wholesale price. We accrue commissions when earned and as the related revenue is recognized and pay commissions on product sales
generally two weeks following the end of the weekly sales period.
Independent members may also earn incentives based on meeting certain qualifications during a designated incentive period, which
may range from several weeks to up to a year. For each individual incentive, we estimate the total number of qualifiers as well as the
expected per qualifier cost and accrue all costs associated with incentives throughout the qualification period. We regularly review and
update, if necessary, the estimates of both qualifiers and cost as more information is obtained during the qualification period. Any resulting
change in total cost is recognized over the remaining qualification period. Accrued commissions, including the estimated cost of our
international recognition incentive program and other supplemental programs, totaled $11.2 million and $13.6 million at December 31,
2017 and 2016, respectively.
Income Taxes. Deferred income taxes are recognized for differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and
liabilities at enacted statutory rates for the years in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. We evaluate the
probability of realizing the future benefits of any of our deferred tax assets and record a valuation allowance when we believe a portion or
all of our deferred tax assets may not be realized. Deferred tax expense or benefit is a result of changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities.
Based on the technical merits of our tax position, tax benefits may be recognized if we determine it is more likely than not that our position
will be sustained on examination by tax authorities. The complex nature of these estimates requires us to anticipate the likely application of
tax law and make judgments on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized prior to the completion
and filing of tax returns for such periods. As of December 31, 2017, we no longer have a valuation allowance against our U.S. deferred tax
assets. We maintain a valuation allowance in certain foreign jurisdictions with an overall tax loss. The valuation allowance will be reduced
at such time as management believes it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will be realized. Any reductions in the valuation
allowance will reduce future income tax provision.
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Provision for income taxes depends on the statutory tax rates in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. As a result of capital
return activities, we determined that a portion of our current undistributed foreign earnings are no longer deemed reinvested indefinitely by
our non-U.S. subsidiaries. For state income tax purposes, we will continue to periodically reassess the needs of our foreign subsidiaries and
update our indefinite reinvestment assertion as necessary. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”), enacted on December 22, 2017 by
the U.S. government requires a one-time repatriation tax on certain un-repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries at a rate of 15.5% tax on
post-1986 foreign earnings held in cash and an 8% rate on all other post-1986 earnings. Due to the adoption of a territorial tax regime, any
foreign source portion of a qualified dividend received by a 10% U.S. corporate shareholder is exempt from U.S. tax, therefore resulting in
any future repatriation having a minimal effect on our effective tax rate. To the extent that additional foreign earnings are not deemed
permanently reinvested, we expect to recognize additional income tax provision at the applicable U.S. state corporate tax rate(s). As of
December 31, 2017, we have accrued tax liabilities for earnings that we plan to repatriate out of accumulated earnings in future periods for
state purposes only. All undistributed earnings in excess of 50% of current earnings on an annual basis are intended to be reinvested
indefinitely as of December 31, 2017.
We estimate what our effective tax rate will be for the full fiscal year at each interim reporting period and record a quarterly tax
provision based on that estimated effective tax rate. Throughout the year that estimated rate may change based on variations in our
business, changes in our corporate structure, changes in the geographic mix and amount of income, applicable tax laws and regulations,
communications with tax authorities, as well as our estimated and actual level of annual pre-tax income. We adjust our income tax
provision in the reporting period in which the change in our estimated rate occurs so that the year-to-date provision is consistent with the
anticipated annual tax rate.
Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We have operations both internationally and within the United States, and we are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of
our business. These risks include primarily interest rate, foreign exchange and inflation risks.
Interest Rate Fluctuation Risk
Our cash and cash equivalents consist of cash, available-for-sale securities, comprising municipal notes, bonds and corporate debt,
money market funds and time deposits. The primary objective of our investment in available-for-sale securities is to preserve principal
while maximizing income without significantly increasing risk. Because our cash and cash equivalents have a relatively short maturity, our
portfolio’s fair value is relatively insensitive to interest rate changes. In future periods, we will continue to evaluate our investment policy
relative to our overall objectives.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
We have foreign currency risks related to our revenue and expenses denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Our most
significant foreign exchange exposure, the Hong Kong dollar, is for now pegged to the U.S. dollar. Our foreign currency exchange rate
exposure to the South Korean won, Taiwan dollar, Japanese yen, Chinese yuan, Russian ruble, Kazakhstani tenge, Singaporean dollar,
Malaysian ringgit, Vietnamese dong, Canadian dollar, Mexican peso, Peruvian sol and European euro collectively represented
approximately 10%, 7% and 6% of our revenue during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. We have
experienced and will continue to experience fluctuations in our net income as a result of transaction gains and losses related to translating
certain balances denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Our foreign currency exchange rate exposure may increase in the near future as we further develop opportunities in Southeast Asia,
Canada, Central America, South America and Europe. Additionally, our foreign currency exchange rate exposure would significantly
increase if the Hong Kong dollar were no longer pegged to the U.S. dollar. We also experience indirect exchange rate exposure to the
Chinese yuan, due to the concentration of our sales to members residing in China and the impact of fluctuations in the value of the Chinese
yuan on their purchasing power. Given our inability to predict the degree of exchange rate fluctuations, we cannot estimate the effect these
fluctuations may have upon future reported results, product pricing or our overall financial condition. Further, to date we have not
attempted to reduce our exposure to short-term exchange rate fluctuations by using foreign currency exchange contracts.
Inflation Risk
We do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. If our costs
were to become subject to significant inflationary pressures, we might not be able to fully offset such higher costs through price increases.
Our inability or failure to do so could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Report of Marcum LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Report of Lane Gorman Trubitt, LLC, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
38
Page
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
Table of Contents
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of
Natural Health Trends Corp.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Natural Health Trends Corp. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2017,
the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended, and
the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows
for the year then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB"),
the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, based on the criteria established in Internal Control -
Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in 2013 and our report
dated March 27, 2018, expressed an adverse opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting
because of the existence of a material weakness.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the
Company's financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be
independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our
audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud,
and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the
amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant
estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit
provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2017.
Chicago, IL
March 27, 2018
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Table of Contents
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Board of Directors and Stockholders
Natural Health Trends Corp.
Rolling Hills Estates, California
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Natural Health Trends Corp. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2016,
and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in
the two-year period ended December 31, 2016. The Company’s management is responsible for these financial statements. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of
material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial
position of Natural Health Trends Corp. as of December 31, 2016, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each
of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2016, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States of America.
/s/ Lane Gorman Trubitt, LLC
Dallas, Texas
March 10, 2017
40
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In Thousands, Except Share Data)
ASSETS
Table of Contents
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Inventories
Other current assets
Total current assets
Property and equipment, net
Goodwill
Restricted cash
Deferred tax asset
Other assets
Total assets
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
Income taxes payable
Accrued commissions
Other accrued expenses
Deferred revenue
Amounts held in eWallets
Other current liabilities
Total current liabilities
Income taxes payable
Deferred tax liability
Long-term incentive
Total liabilities
Commitments and contingencies (Note 5)
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and
outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 12,979,414 shares issued at
December 31, 2017 and 2016
Additional paid-in capital
Retained earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Treasury stock, at cost; 1,637,524 and 1,692,218 shares at December 31, 2017 and 2016,
respectively
Total stockholders’ equity
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
41
$
$
$
December 31,
2017
2016
135,311 $
8,398
7,534
151,243
1,149
1,764
3,167
1,435
796
159,554 $
1,751 $
309
11,170
7,605
4,455
15,152
1,479
41,921
19,052
56
7,904
68,933
125,921
11,257
4,066
141,244
1,388
1,764
2,963
—
692
148,051
2,145
663
13,611
14,989
4,948
19,165
1,633
57,154
—
268
8,190
65,612
—
—
13
86,683
44,908
(413)
(40,570)
90,621
$
159,554
$
13
86,574
38,548
(807)
(41,889)
82,439
148,051
Table of Contents
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In Thousands, Except Per Share Data)
Net sales
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Operating expenses:
Commissions expense
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Total operating expenses
Income from operations
Other income (expense), net
Income before income taxes
Income tax provision
Net income
Net income per common share:
Basic
Diluted
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic
Diluted
Cash dividends declared per common share
$
$
$
$
$
2017
197,563 $
38,645
Year Ended December 31,
2016
287,728 $
54,903
232,825
158,918
2015
264,860
54,098
210,762
83,638
31,685
536
115,859
43,059
367
43,426
19,848
23,578
$
125,050
43,245
394
168,689
64,136
(59)
64,077
8,991
55,086 $
126,598
36,024
263
162,885
47,877
(84)
47,793
552
47,241
2.10 $
2.09 $
4.84 $
4.83 $
3.84
3.82
11,251
11,267
11,382
11,407
1.52 $
0.61 $
12,302
12,372
0.14
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
42
Table of Contents
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(In Thousands)
Net income
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Release of cumulative translation adjustment
Net change in foreign currency translation adjustment
Unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities
Comprehensive income
$
$
2017
Year Ended December 31,
2016
55,086 $
23,578 $
2015
47,241
677
(258)
419
(25)
23,972 $
(838)
132
(706)
—
54,380 $
(79)
(82)
(161)
(2)
47,078
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
43
Table of Contents
BALANCE,
December 31, 2014
Net income
Exercise of warrants
Repurchase of
common stock
Common stock issued
Dividends declared
Elimination of CTA
upon dissolution
Foreign currency
translation
adjustments
Unrealized loss on
available-for-sale
securities
Stock-based
compensation
BALANCE,
December 31, 2015
Net income
Repurchase of
common stock
Common stock issued
Dividends declared
Elimination of CTA
upon dissolution
Foreign currency
translation
adjustments
Stock-based
compensation
BALANCE,
December 31, 2016
Net income
Restricted stock
forfeiture
Common stock issued
Dividends declared
Elimination of CTA
upon dissolution
Foreign currency
translation
adjustments
Unrealized loss on
available-for-sale
securities
Stock-based
compensation
BALANCE,
December 31, 2017
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(In Thousands, Except Share Data)
Preferred Stock
Common Stock
Shares Amount
Shares
Amount
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
Retained
Earnings
(Accumulated
Deficit)
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
(Loss) Income
— $ — 12,891,317 $
—
—
—
88,097
—
—
13 $ 85,750 $
—
—
—
309
(54,799) $
47,241
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(182 )
—
—
(380 )
(1,709 )
62
—
—
—
—
—
Treasury Stock
Shares
Amount
Total
(384,220 ) $ (4,576 ) $ 26,450
— 47,241
—
309
—
—
(547,042 )
91,060
—
(16,071) (16,071)
666
(1,709 )
1,228
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(82)
—
—
(82)
—
—
—
—
—
—
(79)
—
—
(79)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
86
—
—
—
—
—
— 12,979,414
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
13
—
—
—
—
85,963
—
—
507
—
—
—
(9,647 )
55,086
—
—
(6,891 )
(2 )
—
—
—
—
—
(2 )
86
(101 )
—
(840,202 )
—
(19,419) 56,809
— 55,086
—
—
—
(903,031 )
51,015
—
(23,704) (23,704)
1,741
(6,891 )
1,234
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
132
—
—
132
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
104
—
—
(838 )
—
—
—
—
(838 )
—
104
—
—
—
—
—
— 12,979,414
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
13
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
86,574
—
38,548
23,578
(807 )
(1,692,218)
—
(41,889) 82,439
— 23,578
—
(5 )
79
—
—
—
—
(17,218)
—
—
—
(1,566 )
56,260
—
(33)
1,352
(38)
1,431
— (17,218)
—
(258 )
—
—
(258 )
—
—
—
—
—
—
677
—
—
677
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
35
—
—
(25)
—
—
—
—
(25)
—
35
— $ — 12,979,414 $
13 $ 86,683 $
44,908 $
(413 )
(1,637,524) $ (40,570) $ 90,621
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
44
Table of Contents
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In Thousands)
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
Stock-based compensation
Cumulative translation adjustment realized in net income
Deferred income taxes
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Inventories
Other current assets
Other assets
Accounts payable
Income taxes payable
Accrued commissions
Other accrued expenses
Deferred revenue
Amounts held in eWallets
Other current liabilities
Long-term incentive
Net cash provided by operating activities
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property and equipment
Increase in restricted cash
Net cash used in investing activities
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from exercise of warrants
Repurchase of common stock
Dividends paid
Net cash used in financing activities
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW DISCLOSURE:
Cash paid for income taxes, net
Issuance of treasury stock for employee awards, net
Year Ended December 31,
2016
2017
2015
$
23,578 $
55,086 $
47,241
536
35
(258)
(1,644)
2,843
(3,399)
(61)
(392)
18,676
(2,417)
(6,033)
(481)
(3,875)
(179)
(324)
26,605
(278)
—
(278)
394
104
132
217
(851)
(1,681)
(90)
(714)
303
(6,031)
51
947
2,752
135
2,420
53,174
(905)
—
(905)
263
86
(82)
(15)
(6,762)
(1,025)
(267)
637
(115)
10,840
10,714
1,331
14,350
25
4,105
81,326
(710)
(3,028)
(3,738)
—
—
(17,218)
(17,218)
281
9,390
125,921
135,311 $
—
(23,704)
(6,891)
(30,595)
(667)
21,007
104,914
125,921 $
309
(16,071)
(1,709)
(17,471)
(19)
60,098
44,816
104,914
6,772 $
1,393 $
8,791 $
1,741 $
707
666
$
$
$
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
45
Table of Contents
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Nature of Operations
Natural Health Trends Corp., a Delaware corporation (whether or not including its subsidiaries, the “Company”), is an international
direct-selling and e-commerce company headquartered in Rolling Hills Estates, California. Subsidiaries controlled by the Company sell
personal care, wellness, and “quality of life” products under the “NHT Global” brand.
The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries have an active physical presence in the following markets: the Americas, which consists
of the United States, Canada, Cayman Islands, Mexico and Peru; Greater China, which consists of Hong Kong, Taiwan and China;
Southeast Asia, which consists of Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam; South Korea; Japan; and Europe. The Company also operates in
Russia and Kazakhstan through an engagement with a local service provider.
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all of its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant
inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of
contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses
during the reported period.
The most significant accounting estimates inherent in the preparation of the Company’s financial statements include estimates
associated with revenue recognition, as well as those used in the determination of liabilities related to sales returns, commissions and
income taxes. Various assumptions and other factors prompt the determination of these significant estimates. The process of determining
significant estimates is fact specific and takes into account historical experience and current and expected economic conditions. The actual
results may differ materially and adversely from the Company’s estimates. To the extent that there are material differences between the
estimates and actual results, future results of operations will be affected.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include the Company’s investments in debt securities, comprising municipal notes, bonds and corporate
debt, money market funds and time deposits. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months
or less, when purchased, to be cash equivalents. Debt securities classified as cash equivalents are required to be accounted for in accordance
with ASC 320, Investments - Debt and Equity Securities. As such, the Company determined its investments in debt securities held at
December 31, 2017 should be classified as available-for-sale and are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported in
accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ equity. The cost of debt securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and
discounts to maturity. This amortization is included in other income. Realized gains and losses, as well as interest income, are also included
in other income. The fair values of securities are based on quoted market prices.
The Company includes credit card receivables due from certain of its credit card processors in its cash and cash equivalents as the
cash proceeds are received within two to five days.
The Company maintains certain cash balances at several institutions located in the United States, Hong Kong and Malaysia which at
times may exceed insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to any
significant credit risk.
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Table of Contents
Restricted Cash
In June 2015, the Company funded a bank deposit account in the amount of CNY 20 million (USD 3.1 million at December 31,
2017) in anticipation of submitting a direct selling license application in China. Such deposit is required by Chinese laws to establish a
consumer protection fund.
The Company periodically maintains a cash reserve with certain credit card processing companies to provide for potential
uncollectible amounts and chargebacks. Those cash reserves held by credit card processing companies located in South Korea are reflected
in noncurrent assets since they require the Company to provide 100% collateral before processing transactions, which must be maintained
indefinitely.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, using the first-in, first-out method. The Company reviews its
inventory for obsolescence and any inventory identified as obsolete is reserved or written off. The Company’s determination of
obsolescence is based on assumptions about the demand for its products, product expiration dates, estimated future sales, and
management’s future plans.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is computed using the
straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, generally three to five years for office equipment, office software and
capitalized internal-use software development costs and five to seven years for furniture and fixtures. Leasehold improvements are
amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the assets. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged
to expense as incurred.
The Company reviews property and equipment for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying
amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of these assets is measured by comparison of its carrying amounts to future
undiscounted cash flows the assets are expected to generate. If property and equipment are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be
recognized equals the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value.
Goodwill
The Company assesses qualitative factors in order to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting
unit is less than its carrying amount. If, through this qualitative assessment, the conclusion is made that it is more likely than not that a
reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount, a two-step impairment test is performed. The Company’s policy is to test for
impairment annually during the fourth quarter. Considerable management judgment is necessary to measure fair value. The Company did
not recognize any impairment charges for goodwill during the periods presented.
Income Taxes
The Company recognizes income taxes under the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Deferred income taxes are
recognized for differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities at enacted statutory tax rates in effect for
the years in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Deferred tax expense or benefit is a result of changes
in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts
expected to be ultimately realized based on the more likely than not recognition criteria. The Company recognizes tax benefits from
uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities,
based on the technical merits of the position. The Company has evaluated its tax positions and determined that there are no uncertain tax
positions for the current year or years prior. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured
based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. The Company
recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense. Deferred taxes are not
provided for state income tax purposes on the portion of undistributed earnings of subsidiaries outside of the United States when these
earnings are considered permanently reinvested.
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Table of Contents
Amounts Held in eWallets
Commencing in October 2014, the Company requires commission payments of certain members in Hong Kong to be first recorded
into an electronic wallet (eWallet) account in lieu of being paid out directly to members. The eWallet functionality allows members to place
new product orders utilizing eWallet available balance and/or request commission payout via multiple payment methods. Amounts held in
eWallets are reflected on the balance sheet as a current liability.
Long-Term Incentive
Financial rewards earned under the 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “LTI Plan”) are recognized over the performance period as
specified performance or other goals are achieved or exceeded. In accordance with the LTI Plan, fifty percent of any cash payment earned
is payable in thirty-five equal consecutive monthly installments commencing in February of the calendar year immediately following the
conclusion of the performance period and the remaining fifty percent of the payment earned is payable in thirty-five equal consecutive
monthly installments commencing in February 2021 and ending in December 2023. As such, certain installments to be paid are reflected on
the balance sheet as a non-current liability, and the current portion of the installments is reflected in other accrued expenses.
At the sole discretion of the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, distributions under the LTI Plan are
made in cash, or alternatively awarded in the form of common stock or other common stock rights having an equivalent cash value under
the terms of the Natural Health Trends Corp. 2016 Equity Incentive Plan. A determination of the form of distribution, if any, is made by the
Compensation Committee subsequent to the end of each calendar year. As such, amounts earned are considered non-equity awards. See
Note 6 for grant information of distributions settled in common stock.
Foreign Currency
The functional currency of the Company’s international subsidiaries is generally their local currency. Local currency assets and
liabilities are translated at the rates of exchange on the balance sheet date, and local currency revenues and expenses are translated at
average rates of exchange during the period. Equity accounts are translated at historical rates. The resulting translation adjustments are
recorded directly into accumulated other comprehensive income.
Aggregate transaction gains or losses, including gains or losses related to foreign-denominated cash and cash equivalents and the re-
measurement of certain inter-company balances, are included in the statement of operations as other income and expense. Loss on foreign
exchange totaling $451,000, $333,000 and $204,000 was recognized during 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
Revenue Recognition
Product sales are recorded when the products are shipped and title passes to independent members. Product sales to members are
made pursuant to a member agreement that provides for transfer of both title and risk of loss upon the Company’s delivery to the carrier that
completes delivery to the members, which is commonly referred to as “F.O.B. Shipping Point.” The Company primarily receives payment
by credit card at the time members place orders. Amounts received for unshipped product are recorded as deferred revenue. The
Company’s sales arrangements do not contain right of inspection or customer acceptance provisions other than general rights of return.
Actual product returns are recorded as a reduction to net sales. The Company estimates and accrues a reserve for product returns
based on its return policies and historical experience.
Enrollment package revenue, including any nonrefundable set-up fees, is deferred and recognized over the term of the arrangement,
generally twelve months. Enrollment packages provide members access to both a personalized marketing website and a business
management system. No upfront costs are deferred as the amount is nominal.
Shipping charges billed to members are included in net sales. Costs associated with shipments are included in cost of sales. Event and
training revenue is deferred and recognized as the event or training occurs. Costs of events and member training are included within selling,
general and administrative expenses.
Various taxes on the sale of products and enrollment packages to members are collected by the Company as an agent and remitted to
the respective taxing authority. These taxes are presented on a net basis and recorded as a liability until remitted to the respective taxing
authority.
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Table of Contents
Commissions
Independent members earn commissions based on total personal and group bonus volume points per weekly sales period. Each of
the Company’s products are designated a specified number of bonus volume points, which is essentially a percentage of the product’s
wholesale price. The Company accrues commissions when earned and pays commissions on product sales generally two weeks following
the end of the weekly sales period.
In some markets, the Company also pays certain bonuses on purchases by up to three generations of personally enrolled members, as
well as bonuses on commissions earned by up to three generations of personally enrolled members. Independent members may also earn
incentives based on meeting certain qualifications during a designated incentive period, which may range from several weeks to up to a
year. The Company estimates and accrues all costs associated with the incentives as the members meet the qualification requirements.
From time to time the Company makes modifications and enhancements to the Company’s compensation plan to help motivate
members, which can have an impact on member commissions. The Company also enters into performance-based agreements for business
or market development, which may result in additional compensation to specific members.
Operating Leases
The Company leases its physical properties under operating leases. Certain lease agreements include rent holidays and incentives.
The Company recognizes rent holiday periods on a straight-line basis over the lease term beginning when the Company has the right to the
leased space.
Stock-Based Compensation
Stock-based compensation expense is determined based on the grant date fair value of each award, net of estimated forfeitures which
are derived from historical experience, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the award.
Net Income Per Common Share
Diluted net income per common share is determined using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the
period, adjusted for the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents. The dilutive effect of non-vested restricted stock and warrants is
reflected by application of the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, the amount of compensation cost for future service
that the Company has not yet recognized and the amount of tax benefit that would be recorded in additional paid-in capital when the award
becomes deductible are assumed to be used to repurchase shares.
Certain Risks and Concentrations
A substantial portion of the Company’s sales are generated in Hong Kong (see Note 10). Substantially all of the Company’s Hong
Kong revenues are derived from the sale of products that are delivered to members in China. In contrast to the Company’s operations in
other parts of the world, the Company has not implemented a direct sales model in China. The Chinese government permits direct selling
only by organizations that have a license, which the Company has applied for, and has also adopted anti-multilevel marketing legislation.
The Company operates an e-commerce direct selling model in Hong Kong and recognizes the revenue derived from sales to both Hong
Kong and Chinese members as being generated in Hong Kong. Products purchased by members in China are delivered to third parties that
act as the importers of record under agreements to pay applicable duties. In addition, through a Chinese entity, the Company sells products
in China using an e-commerce retail model. The Chinese entity operates separately from the Hong Kong entity, and a Chinese member may
elect to participate separately or in both.
The Company believes that its e-commerce direct selling model in Hong Kong does not violate any applicable laws in China, even
though it is used for the internet purchase of the Company’s products by members in China. The Company also believes that its Chinese
entity, including its e-commerce retail platform, is operating in compliance with applicable Chinese laws. However, there can be no
assurance that the Chinese authorities will agree with the Company’s interpretations of applicable laws and regulations or that China will
not adopt new laws or regulations. Should the Chinese government determine that the Company’s activities violate China’s direct selling or
anti-multilevel marketing legislation, or should new laws or regulations be adopted, there could be a material adverse effect on the
Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Although the Company attempts to work closely with both national and local Chinese governmental agencies in conducting its
business, the Company’s efforts to comply with national and local laws may be harmed by a rapidly evolving regulatory climate, concerns
about activities resembling violations of direct selling or anti-multi-level marketing legislation, subjective interpretations of laws and
regulations, Chinese nationals collaborating with short traders to damage the Company’s business and activities by individual members that
may violate laws notwithstanding the Company’s strict policies prohibiting such activities. Any determination that the Company’s
operations or activities, or the activities of its individual members or employee sales representatives, or importers of record are not in
compliance with applicable laws and regulations could result in the imposition of substantial fines, extended interruptions of business,
restrictions on the Company’s future ability to obtain business licenses or expand into new locations, changes to its business model, the
termination of required licenses to conduct business, or other actions, any of which could materially harm the Company’s business,
financial condition and results of operations.
The Company’s Premium Noni Juice and Enhanced Essential Probiotics® products each account for more than 10% of the
Company’s total revenue. The Company currently sources each such product from a single supplier. If demand decreases significantly,
government regulation restricts their sale, the Company is unable to adequately source or deliver the products, or the Company ceases
offering the products for any reason without suitable replacements, the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations
could be materially and adversely affected.
Sales are made to the Company’s members and no single customer accounted for 10% or more of its net sales. However, the
Company’s business model can result in a concentration of sales to several different members and their network of members. Although no
single member accounted for 10% or more of net sales, the loss of a key member or that member’s network could have an adverse effect on
the Company’s net sales and financial results.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The carrying amounts of the Company’s financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents and accounts payable,
approximate fair value because of their short maturities. The carrying amount of the noncurrent restricted cash approximates fair value
since, absent the restrictions, the underlying assets would be included in cash and cash equivalents. The Company’s cash equivalents are
valued based on level 1 inputs which consist of quoted prices in active markets.
Accounting standards permit companies, at their option, to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at
fair value. The Company has elected to not fair value existing eligible items.
Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-
18, Statement of Cash Flows - Restricted Cash, that requires amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents
be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the
statement of cash flows. The new standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods
within those fiscal years, and early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the
Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based
Payment Accounting, that simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax
consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The new standard
was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those annual years, and early adoption
was permitted. The Company adopted this guidance as of the quarter ended March 31, 2017. The adoption of this guidance did not have a
material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, that requires organizations that lease assets, referred to as “lessees”,
to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases with lease terms of more
than 12 months. ASU 2016-02 will also require disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the
amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases and will include qualitative and quantitative requirements. The new
standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those annual years, and early
application is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial
statements.
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Table of Contents
In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. Under this guidance,
entities are required to present deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. This guidance was
effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. Entities were permitted to adopt
this guidance either prospectively or retrospectively. The Company elected to early adopt this guidance prospectively as of the quarter
ended December 31, 2016.
In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory: Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. Under this guidance,
inventory not measured using either the last in, first out (LIFO) or the retail inventory method are to be measured at the lower of cost and
net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable cost
of completion, disposal, and transportation. The new standard was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including
interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this guidance as of the quarter ended March
31, 2017. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue From Contracts With Customers, that outlines a single comprehensive
model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition
guidance, including industry-specific guidance. ASU 2014-09 is based on the principle that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the
transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange
for those goods or services. It also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash
flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred
to fulfill a contract. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach for the adoption of the
new standard. In July 2015, the FASB approved the deferral of the effective date for annual reporting periods that begin after December
15, 2017, including interim reporting periods. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s
consolidated financial statements.
Other recently issued accounting pronouncements did not or are not believed by management to have a material impact on the
Company’s present or future financial statements.
2. NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE
The following table illustrates the computation of basic and diluted net income per common share for the periods indicated (in
thousands, except per share data):
Year Ended December 31,
2017
2016
2015
Income
Shares
Per Share
Income
Shares
Per
Share
Income Shares
Per
Share
Basic net income per common
share:
Net income available to
common stockholders
Effect of dilutive securities:
Warrants to purchase
common stock
Non-vested restricted stock
Diluted net income per
common share:
Net income available to
common stockholders plus
assumed conversions
$ 23,578
11,251 $
2.10 $ 55,086
11,382 $ 4.84 $ 47,241
12,302 $ 3.84
—
—
—
16
—
—
—
25
—
—
21
49
$ 23,578
11,267 $
2.09 $ 55,086
11,407 $ 4.83 $ 47,241
12,372 $ 3.82
Warrants to purchase 88,097 shares of common stock were exercised during April 2015.
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Table of Contents
Certain non-vested restricted stock is anti-dilutive upon applying the treasury stock method since the amount of compensation cost
for future service results in the hypothetical repurchase of shares exceeding the actual number of shares to be vested. Non-vested restricted
stock totaling 2,232 and 345 shares were not included for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, as their effect would
have been anti-dilutive.
3. BALANCE SHEET COMPONENTS
The components of certain balance sheet amounts are as follows (in thousands):
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash
Cash equivalents
Inventories:
Finished goods
Raw materials
Inventory reserve for obsolescence
Property and equipment:
Office equipment
Office software
Machinery
Furniture and fixtures
Leasehold improvements
Construction in progress (including internal-use software development costs)
Property and equipment, at cost
Accumulated depreciation and amortization
Other accrued expenses:
Sales returns
Employee-related expense
Warehousing, inventory-related and other
Deferred revenue:
Unshipped product
Auto ship advances
Enrollment package revenue
December 31,
2017
2016
61,703 $
73,608
135,311 $
52,453
73,468
125,921
7,779 $
799
(180)
8,398 $
530 $
916
30
276
957
10
2,719
(1,570)
1,149 $
614 $
5,568
1,423
7,605 $
2,411 $
1,665
379
4,455 $
10,722
617
(82)
11,257
517
672
28
241
840
157
2,455
(1,067)
1,388
1,632
10,541
2,816
14,989
2,191
2,327
430
4,948
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
As of December 31, 2017, cash and cash equivalents include $8.7 million held in banks located within China subject to foreign
currency controls.
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Table of Contents
4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Available-for-sale investments included in cash equivalents at the end of each period were as follows (in thousands):
Municipal bonds and notes
Corporate debt securities
Financial institution instruments
Total available-for-sale
investments
$
$
December 31, 2017
Gross
Unrealized
Gains/Losses
(1)
(24)
—
Adjusted
Cost
13,320 $
49,432
10,881
December 31, 2016
Adjusted
Cost
Gross Unrealized
Gains/Losses
Fair Value
$
13,319 $
49,408
10,881
43,490 $
1,673
28,307
Fair Value
43,490
1,671
28,307
— $
(2)
—
73,633 $
(25)
$
73,608 $
73,470 $
(2)
$
73,468
Financial institution instruments include instruments issued or managed by financial institutions such as money market fund deposits
and time deposits.
5. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Operating Leases
The Company has entered into non-cancelable operating lease agreements for locations within the United States and for its
international subsidiaries, with expirations through September 2025. Rent expense in connection with operating leases was $2.0 million,
$1.8 million and $1.5 million during 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
Future minimum lease obligations as of December 31, 2017 are as follows (in thousands):
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Thereafter
Total minimum lease obligations
Purchase Commitments
$
$
1,586
1,114
895
337
245
513
4,690
In May 2013, the Company entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with one of its suppliers to purchase its product through
July 2016 which automatically renews annually unless terminated 90 days prior to the termination date. To maintain exclusivity, the
Company is required to purchase a minimum of $40,000 of product per month until the termination date. As of December 31, 2017, the
Company was in compliance with the exclusivity provision.
The Company has a supply agreement with one of its suppliers to maintain worldwide exclusivity in return for purchasing a
minimum of $6.6 million of product in 2018, plus certain raw material guarantees. If the Company does not purchase the minimum product
as required, then a Cure Payment, as defined, will be due to the supplier. The term of the agreement is one year commencing January 2018
and shall automatically renew for a successive one year term unless notice of termination is provided by either party.
Employment Agreements
The Company has employment agreements with certain members of its management team that can be terminated by either the
employee or the Company upon four weeks’ notice. The employment agreements entered into with the management team contain
provisions that guarantee the payments of specified amounts in the event of a change in control, as defined, or if the employee is terminated
without cause, as defined, or terminates employment for good reason, as defined.
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Securities Class Action
In January 2016, two putative securities class action complaints were filed against the Company and its top executives in the United
States District Court for the Central District of California. On March 29, 2016, the Court consolidated these actions under the caption Ford
v. Natural Health Trends Corp., Case No. 2:16-cv-00255-TJH-AFMx, appointed two Lead Plaintiffs, Mahn Dao and Juan Wang, and
appointed the Rosen Law Firm and Levi & Korsinsky LLP as co-Lead Counsel for the purported class. Plaintiffs filed a consolidated
complaint on April 29, 2016. The consolidated complaint purports to assert claims on behalf of all persons who purchased or otherwise
acquired our common stock between March 6, 2015 and March 15, 2016 under (i) Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and
Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder against the Company and Chris T. Sharng, Timothy S. Davidson and George K. Broady (together, the
“Individual Defendants”), and (ii) Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Individual Defendants. The
consolidated complaint alleges, among other things, that the Company has been running an allegedly illegal multilevel marketing business
in China and that it has made materially false and misleading statements regarding the legality of its business operations in China. The
consolidated complaint seeks an indeterminate amount of damages, plus interest and costs. On June 15, 2016, the Company filed a motion
to dismiss the consolidated complaint, which was denied on December 5, 2016. On February 17, 2017, the Company filed an answer to the
consolidated complaint. On July 10, 2017, the Court entered a stipulation between the parties, postponing all deadlines and staying the case
to allow the parties to engage in settlement discussions. On July 17, 2017, the parties reached an agreement in principle to settle the
action. The proposed class-wide settlement of $1.75 million was submitted to the Court on October 3, 2017. The Court entered an order
preliminarily approving the settlement on November 17, 2017, which was amended on January 4, 2018. Plaintiffs have provided notice to
the settlement class in accordance with the amended order, and a final approval hearing is currently set for April 2, 2018. If approved, the
proposed settlement will be fully funded by the Company’s insurers. Defendants continue to believe that these claims are without merit and
intend to vigorously defend against them if a settlement is not finalized and approved by the Court.
Shareholder Derivative Claims
In February 2016, a purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of
Los Angeles: Zhou v. Sharng. In March 2016, a purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the United States District Court for
the Central District of California: Kleinfeldt v. Sharng (collectively the “Derivative Complaints”). The Derivative Complaints purport to
assert claims for breach of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, abuse of control, gross mismanagement and corporate waste against certain
of the Company’s officers and directors. The Derivative Complaints also purport to assert fiduciary duty claims based on alleged insider
selling and conspiring to enter into several stock repurchase agreements, which allegedly harmed the Company and its assets. The
Derivative Complaints allege, among other things, that the Company has been running an allegedly illegal multilevel marketing business in
China, and it has made materially false and misleading statements regarding the legality of its business operations in China, and that certain
officers and directors sold common stock on the basis of this allegedly material, adverse non-public information. The Derivative
Complaints seek an indeterminate amount of damages, plus interest and costs, as well as various equitable remedies. On February 1, 2017,
pursuant to a stipulation among the parties, the Los Angeles Superior Court entered a stay of the Zhou action pending conclusion of the
related federal class action in the United States District Court for the Central District of California: Ford v. Natural Health Trends Corp. A
nearly identical stipulated stay was entered in the Kleinfeldt case on February 28, 2017. On November 10, 2017, the parties to both the
Zhou and Kleinfeldt actions entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to resolve both actions, subject to the negotiation of a
written settlement agreement and approval by the federal court in the Kleinfeldt matter. On November 15, 2017, the parties filed a joint
status report and stipulation in the Zhou matter, alerting the court to the MOU and seeking to maintain the stay pending finalization and
court approval of the parties’ tentative settlement. The Zhou court entered an order continuing the stay on November 17, 2017. On March
9, 2018, the parties filed a Stipulation of Settlement and supporting papers in the Kleinfeldt action. On March 22, 2018, plaintiffs filed a
motion for preliminary approval of the tentative settlement. The settlement is subject to both preliminary and final approval by the court. If
approved, the proposed settlement will require certain corporate governance reforms and permit an award of up to $250,000 in attorneys’
fees to plaintiffs’ counsel, all of which will be fully funded by the Company’s insurers. Defendants continue to believe that these claims are
without merit and intend to vigorously defend against them if the derivative settlement is not finalized and approved.
The consolidated class action (if the settlement is not approved by the Court) and the Derivative Complaints (if the tentative
settlement is not finalized or approved), or other actions alleging similar facts, could result in monetary or other penalties that may
materially affect the Company’s operating results and financial condition.
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Other Claims
The Company is currently involved in a legal matter with one of its vendors and an outside party. Per the royalty agreement with the
vendor, the Company believes that it is fully indemnified in the event of an unfavorable outcome and any potential settlement costs related
to the matter would be fully covered by the Company’s vendor.
6. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Authorized Shares
The Company is authorized to issue two classes of capital stock consisting of up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par
value, and 50,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value.
Dividends
The following tables summarize the Company’s cash dividend activity during 2017, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands, except per share
data):
Declaration Date
October 30, 2017 (special)
October 30, 2017
July 31, 2017 (special)
July 31, 2017
April 24, 2017 (special)
April 24, 2017
January 24, 2017 (special)
January 24, 2017
Declaration Date
October 23, 2016 (special)
October 23, 2016
July 19, 2016
April 21, 2016
March 1, 2016
Total
Declaration Date
October 21, 2015
July 28, 2015
May 4, 2015
February 27, 2015
Total
Per Common Share
Amount
0.15 $
0.12
0.25
0.11
0.35
0.10
0.35
0.09
1.52 $
Per Common Share
Amount
0.35 $
0.08
0.07
0.06
0.05
0.61 $
Per Common Share
Amount
0.05 $
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.14 $
1,701
1,360
2,833
1,246
3,964
1,133
3,962
1,019
17,218
3,941
901
787
686
576
6,891
598
489
372
250
1,709
$
$
$
$
$
$
Payment Date
November 24, 2017
November 24, 2017
August 31, 2017
August 31, 2017
May 19, 2017
May 19, 2017
March 3, 2017
March 3, 2017
Payment Date
November 25, 2016
November 25, 2016
August 26, 2016
May 20, 2016
March 24, 2016
Payment Date
November 20, 2015
August 28, 2015
May 29, 2015
March 27, 2015
Declaration and payment of any future dividends on shares of common stock will be at the discretion of the Company’s Board of
Directors.
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Stock Repurchases
On January 12, 2016, the Board of Directors authorized an increase to the Company’s stock repurchase program first approved on
July 28, 2015 from $15.0 million to $70.0 million. Repurchases are expected to be executed to the extent that the Company’s earnings and
cash-on-hand allow, and will be made in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the
Exchange Act. For all or a portion of the authorized repurchase amount, the Company may enter into one or more plans that are compliant
with Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act that are designed to facilitate these purchases. The stock repurchase program does not require the
Company to acquire a specific number of shares, and may be suspended from time to time or discontinued.
During February 2016, pursuant to the stock repurchase program, the Company authorized its broker to proceed with the purchase of
shares of the Company’s common stock in the open market. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company purchased a total of
903,031 shares of its common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $23.7 million, plus transaction costs. No shares of the Company’s
common stock were repurchased by the Company during the year ended December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2017, $32.0 million of
the $70.0 million stock repurchase program approved on July 28, 2015 and increased on January 12, 2016 remained available for future
purchases, inclusive of related estimated income tax.
On July 28, 2015, the Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program of up to $15.0 million of the Company’s outstanding
shares of common stock. Repurchases are expected to be executed to the extent that the Company’s earnings and cash-on-hand allow, are
anticipated to be conducted through December 2016, and will be made in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations,
including Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act. For all or a portion of the authorized repurchase amount, the Company may enter into one or
more plans that are compliant with Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act that are designed to facilitate these purchases. The repurchase
program does not require the Company to acquire a specific number of shares, and may be suspended from time to time or discontinued. In
connection therewith, the Company was advised that George K. Broady, a director of the Company and owner of more than 5% of its
outstanding shares of common stock, would participate in the stock repurchase program on a basis roughly proportional to his family’s
ownership interest.
During August 2015, pursuant to the foregoing stock repurchase program, the Company authorized its broker to proceed with the
purchase of shares of the Company’s common stock in the open market for a total purchase price of $3.5 million. The open market
repurchases were completed on August 4, 2015. The stock repurchase program, which included both open market purchases and the
purchase of shares from Mr. Broady, resulted in the Company purchasing a total of 162,442 shares of its common stock for an aggregate
purchase price of $5.0 million, plus transaction costs. During October 2015, the Company authorized its broker to proceed with the
purchase of shares of the Company’s common stock in the open market for a total purchase price of $3.6 million. The open market
repurchases were completed on October 30, 2015. The stock repurchase program, which included both open market purchases and the
purchase of shares from Mr. Broady, resulted in the Company purchasing a total of 106,264 shares of its common stock for an aggregate
purchase price of $5.0 million, plus transaction costs.
On May 4, 2015, the Board of Directors approved a separate, prior stock repurchase program of up to $5.0 million of the Company’s
outstanding shares of common stock. In connection therewith, the Company was advised by Mr. Broady that he would participate in the
stock repurchase program on a basis roughly proportional to his family’s ownership interest (see Note 8). As such, the Company authorized
its broker to proceed with the purchase of shares of the Company’s common stock in the open market for a total purchase price of $3.5
million in accordance with Rules 10b5-1 and 10b-18 under the Exchange Act. The stock repurchase program, which included both open
market purchases and the purchase of shares from Mr. Broady, was completed on May 13, 2015, and resulted in the Company purchasing a
total of 186,519 shares of its common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $5.0 million, plus transaction costs.
On January 22, 2015, the Company entered into a stock repurchase agreement with Mr. Broady that provided for the Company’s
purchase from Mr. Broady in off-the-market, private transactions of a total of 91,817 shares of the Company’s common stock, which would
be purchased at the rate of 5,000 shares each trading day following the date of the agreement until all of such shares were purchased (see
Note 8). The shares were purchased at a per share price equal to the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the
preceding trading day, as reported on the primary market in which the Company’s common stock is publicly traded. The Company’s
purchases concluded on February 19, 2015, and resulted in an aggregate purchase price of $1.1 million.
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Restricted Stock
Stock-based compensation expense totaled approximately $35,000, $104,000 and $86,000 for 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
During March 2016, the Company modified the vesting feature of an award granted to a director who decided to not stand for re-election at
the Company’s 2016 annual meeting of stockholders. The modification of the award resulted in an additional $64,000 in stock-based
compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2016.
At the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders held on April 7, 2016, the Company’s stockholders approved the Natural Health
Trends Corp. 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”) to replace its 2007 Equity Incentive Plan. The 2016 Plan allows for the grant of
various equity awards including incentive stock options, non-statutory options, stock, stock units stock appreciation rights and other similar
equity-based awards to the Company’s employees, officers, non-employee directors, contractors, consultants and advisors of the Company.
Up to 2,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (subject to adjustment under certain circumstances) may be issued pursuant to
awards granted. As of December 31, 2017, 2,393,873 shares remained available for issuance under the 2016 Plan.
On January 24, 2017, the Company granted 56,260 shares of restricted common stock under the 2016 Plan to certain employees for
the purpose of further aligning their interest with those of its stockholders and settling fiscal 2016 performance incentives totaling $1.4
million. The shares vest on a quarterly basis over three years and are subject to forfeiture in the event of the employee’s termination of
service to the Company under specified circumstances.
On April 8, 2016, the Company granted 51,015 shares of restricted common stock under the 2016 Plan to certain employees for the
purpose of further aligning their interest with those of its stockholders and settling fiscal 2015 performance incentives totaling $1.7 million.
The shares vest on a quarterly basis over three years and are subject to forfeiture in the event of the employee’s termination of service to the
Company under specified circumstances.
The following table summarizes the Company’s restricted stock activity under the 2016 Plan:
Nonvested at December 31, 2015
Granted
Vested
Nonvested at December 31, 2016
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Nonvested at December 31, 2017
Shares
Wtd. Avg. Price at
Date of Issuance
— $
51,015
(12,759 )
38,256
56,260
(35,336 )
(1,148 )
58,032
—
34.13
34.13
34.13
25.44
29.58
28.55
28.72
On January 20, 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors granted 60,960 shares of restricted common stock to certain employees and
its then-existing outside directors for the purpose of further aligning their interest with those of its stockholders and as to the employee
shares, settling fiscal 2014 performance incentives. The shares vested on a quarterly basis over the next three years and were subject to
forfeiture in the event of their termination of service to the Company under specified circumstances. On February 11, 2015, the Board of
Directors granted an additional 6,116 shares of restricted common stock to its newly-elected outside directors subject to the same
conditions.
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The following table summarizes the Company’s other restricted stock activity:
Nonvested at December 31, 2014
Granted
Vested
Nonvested at December 31, 2015
Vested
Nonvested at December 31, 2016
Vested
Forfeited
Nonvested at December 31, 2017
Shares
Wtd. Avg. Price at
Date of Issuance
— $
67,076
(22,364 )
44,712
(22,364 )
22,348
(21,930 )
(418 )
—
—
12.15
12.15
12.15
12.15
12.15
12.15
12.28
12.15
On August 13, 2012, the Board of Directors authorized the Company, acting as trustee for certain of its non-officer, overseas
employees, to execute a Rule 10b5-1 plan to purchase 100,000 shares of its common stock in accordance with guidelines specified under
Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act and the Company’s policies regarding stock transactions. Pursuant to this authority, the Company, as
Trustee, entered into a 10b5-1 plan and began purchasing in December 2012. The latest 10b5-1 plan terminated in November 2014, and the
Company, as Trustee, did not enter into a new 10b5-1 plan. The employees received the stock as incentive compensation in quarterly
increments over three years beginning March 15, 2013, provided that they were employees of the Company on the date of the distribution.
Any common stock that was forfeited by an employee whose employment terminated was delivered to the Company and held as treasury
stock.
Nonvested at December 31, 2014
Vested
Nonvested at December 31, 2015
7. INCOME TAXES
The components of income before income taxes consist of the following (in thousands):
Domestic
Foreign
Income before income taxes
The components of the income tax provision consist of the following (in thousands):
Current:
Federal
State
Foreign
Total current taxes
Deferred taxes
Income tax provision
58
$
$
$
$
Shares
Wtd. Avg. Grant-Date
Fair Value
23,984
(23,984 )
—
1.37
1.37
—
Year Ended December 31,
2016
2017
2015
(2,965) $
46,391
43,426 $
(3,106) $
67,183
64,077 $
(7,820)
55,613
47,793
Year Ended December 31,
2016
2017
2015
20,277 $
2
1,216
21,495
(1,647)
19,848 $
7,151 $
(81)
1,648
8,718
273
8,991 $
12
100
456
568
(16)
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A reconciliation of the reported income tax provision to the provision that would result from applying the domestic federal statutory
tax rate to pretax income is as follows (in thousands):
Income tax at federal statutory rate
Effect of permanent differences
Tax Cut & Jobs Act repatriation tax
Tax Cut & Jobs Act federal rate change
Change in valuation allowance
Foreign rate differential
Foreign tax credits
Other reconciling items
Income tax provision
$
$
2017
Year Ended December 31,
2016
22,427 $
12,496
—
—
(3,877)
(21,713)
(261)
(81)
8,991 $
15,200 $
459
20,792
954
(43)
(15,002)
(2,105)
(407)
19,848 $
2015
16,250
370
—
—
2,017
(18,099)
—
14
552
Income before income taxes and the statutory tax rate for each country that materially contributed to the foreign rate differential
presented above is as follows (in thousands):
Cayman Islands
Hong Kong
China
Statutory Tax Rate
2017
Year Ended December 31,
2016
2015
— % $
16.5 %
25.0 %
39,954 $
3,315
2,584
58,169 $
3,992
3,855
50,993
2,645
1,493
Deferred income taxes consist of the following (in thousands):
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating losses
Stock-based compensation
Accrued expenses
Tax credits
Other
Total deferred tax assets
Valuation allowance
Net deferred tax assets
Deferred tax liabilities:
Foreign earnings
Other
Total deferred tax liabilities
Net deferred tax asset (liability)
December 31,
2017
2016
192 $
270
1,374
—
6
1,842
(192)
1,650
(4)
(267)
(271)
1,379 $
235
623
3,174
—
—
4,032
(235)
3,797
(3,650)
(415)
(4,065)
(268)
$
$
The effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2017 was significantly impacted by recording the effect of the Tax
Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”), enacted on December 22, 2017 by the U.S. government. The Tax Act makes broad and complex
changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which has affected the Company’s year ended December 31, 2017, including,
but not limited to, reducing the maximum U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018, and requiring a one-
time repatriation tax on certain un-repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries at a rate of 15.5% tax on post-1986 foreign earnings held in
cash and an 8% rate on all other post-1986 earnings that is payable over eight years beginning with 8% of the liability due with the filing of
the year ended December 31, 2017 federal tax return that will be due in 2018.
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On December 22, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”),
which provides guidance on accounting for tax effects of the Tax Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend
beyond one year from the Tax Act enactment date for companies to complete the accounting under ASC 740, Income Taxes. In accordance
with SAB 118, a company must reflect the income tax effects of those aspects of the Tax Act for which the accounting under ASC 740 is
complete. To the extent that a company’s accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Act is incomplete but it is able to determine a
reasonable estimate, it must record a provisional estimate to be included in the financial statements. If a company cannot determine a
provisional estimate to be included in the financial statements, it should continue to apply ASC 740 on the basis of the provision of the tax
laws that were in effect immediately before the enactment of the Tax Act. While the Company is able to make reasonable estimates of the
impact of the reduction in the corporate income tax rate and the deemed repatriation transition tax, the final impact of the Tax Act may
differ from these estimates, due to, among other things, changes in the Company’s interpretations and assumptions, additional guidance that
may be issued by the Internal Revenue Service, and actions it may take. The Company is continuing to gather additional information to
determine the final impact. Any adjustments recorded to the provisional amounts through the fourth quarter of 2018 will be included as an
adjustment to income tax expense.
As a result of the Tax Act, the Company recorded additional income tax expense of $20.7 million due to the repatriation tax on
deemed repatriation of deferred foreign income and of $1.0 million due to a re-measurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities, in the
three months ended December 31, 2017. The Deemed Repatriation Transition Tax (the “Repatriation Tax”) is a tax on previously untaxed
accumulated earnings and profits (“E&P”) of certain of its foreign subsidiaries. To determine the amount of the Repatriation Tax, the
Company must determine, in addition to other factors, the amount of post-1986 E&P of the relevant subsidiaries, as well as the amount of
non-U.S. income taxes paid on such earnings. The Company is able to make a reasonable estimate and recorded a provisional Repatriation
Tax obligation of $20.7 million.
Because of the complexity of the new Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”) tax rules, the Company continues to evaluate
this provision of the Tax Act and the application of ASC 740. Under U.S. GAAP, the Company is allowed to make an accounting policy
choice of either treating taxes due on future U.S. inclusions in taxable income related to GILTI as a current period expense when incurred
(the “period cost method”) or factoring such amounts into the Company’s measurement of its deferred taxes (the “deferred method”). The
Company is currently in the process of analyzing its structure and, as a result, is not yet able to reasonably estimate the effect of this
provision of the Tax Act. Therefore, the Company has not made any adjustments related to potential GILTI tax in its financial statements
and has not made a policy decision regarding whether to record deferred tax on GILTI.
As of December 31, 2017, the Company does not have a valuation allowance against its U.S. deferred tax assets. The Company
analyzed all sources of available income and determined that they are more likely than not to realize the tax benefits of their deferred assets
in future periods or carryback years.
As of December 31, 2017, the Company has a valuation allowance against certain foreign deferred tax assets. The Company is
recording a valuation allowance in foreign jurisdictions with an overall deferred tax loss. The valuation allowance will be reduced at such
time as management believes it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will be realized. Any reductions in the valuation
allowance will reduce future income tax provision.
As of December 31, 2017, the Company has no U.S. federal net operating loss or credit carryforwards as any attributes are expected
to be fully utilized to offset tax in the current year. At December 31, 2017, the Company has foreign net operating loss carryforwards of
approximately $1.25 million in various jurisdictions with various expirations.
As a result of capital return activities approved by the Board of Directors during the first quarter of 2016 and anticipated future
capital return activities, the Company determined that a portion of its current undistributed foreign earnings are no longer deemed
reinvested indefinitely by its non-U.S. subsidiaries. The Company repatriated $19.8 million to the U.S. during the three months ended
March 31, 2016, part of which was offset by U.S. net operating losses. Accordingly, the deferred tax liability previously established for
undistributed foreign earnings up to its existing U.S. net operating losses was reduced. The excess amount repatriated during the year ended
December 31, 2017 was generated from current foreign earnings. The Company will continue to periodically reassess the needs of its
foreign subsidiaries and update its indefinite reinvestment assertion as necessary. To the extent that additional foreign earnings are not
deemed permanently reinvested, the Company expects to recognize additional income tax provision at the applicable U.S. corporate income
tax rate. As of December 31, 2017, the Company has recorded a state deferred tax liability for earnings that the Company plans to repatriate
out of accumulated earnings in future periods. Due to the Tax Act, repatriation from foreign subsidiaries will be offset with a dividends
received deduction, resulting in little to no impact on federal tax expense. All undistributed earnings in excess of 50% of current earnings
on an annual basis are intended to be reinvested indefinitely as of December 31, 2017.
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The Company and its subsidiaries file tax returns in the United States, California and Texas and various foreign jurisdictions. For
federal income tax purposes, fiscal years 2007 through 2016 remain open for examination by tax authorities as a result of net operating loss
carryovers from older years being used to offset income in recent tax years. The Company is no longer subject to state income tax
examinations for years prior to 2011. No jurisdictions are currently examining any income tax returns of the Company or its subsidiaries
except that the Taiwan Taxation Administration is currently examining the Taiwan subsidiary’s 2016 tax return. No adjustments have been
proposed at this time.
8. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Product Royalties
On April 29, 2015, the Company entered into a Royalty Agreement and License with Broady Health Sciences, L.L.C., a Texas
limited liability company, (“BHS”) regarding the manufacture and sale of a product called Soothe™. The Company began selling this
product in the fourth quarter of 2012 with the permission of BHS. Mr. Broady is owner of BHS. Under the agreement, the Company agreed
to pay BHS a royalty of 2.5% of sales revenue in return for the right to manufacture (or have manufactured), market, import, export and sell
this product worldwide. Further, the Company agreed to pay BHS $11,700 as royalties for the period it began selling the product in the
fourth quarter of 2012 through 2014. The Company recognized royalties of $1,400, $3,400 and $7,000 during 2017, 2016 and 2015,
respectively. The Company is not required to purchase any product under the agreement, and the agreement may be terminated at any time
on 120 days’ notice. Otherwise, the agreement terminates March 31, 2020.
In February 2013, the Company entered into a Royalty Agreement and License with BHS regarding the manufacture and sale of a
product called ReStor™. Under this agreement, the Company agreed to pay BHS a royalty of 2.5% of sales revenue in return for the right
to manufacture (or have manufactured), market, import, export and sell this product worldwide, with certain rights being exclusive outside
the United States. On April 29, 2015, the Company and BHS amended the Royalty and Agreement and License to change the royalty to a
price per unit instead of 2.5% of sales revenue. This provision was effective retroactive to January 1, 2015. The Company recognized
royalties of $306,000, $475,000 and $555,000 during 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company is not required to purchase any
product under the agreement, and the agreement may be terminated at any time on 120 days’ notice or, under certain circumstances, with no
notice. Otherwise, the agreement terminates March 31, 2020.
Stock Repurchase Agreements
On October 28, 2015, the Company entered into a Stock Repurchase Agreement with Mr. Broady that provided for the Company’s
purchase of common stock from Mr. Broady in off-the-market, private transactions at a rate equal to 0.4066 times the number of shares
purchased by the Company’s broker in conjunction with the stock repurchase program authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors on
July 28, 2015. The Company’s purchases from Mr. Broady concluded on November 2, 2015, were completed at a per share purchase price
equal to the weighted average price per share paid by the Company’s broker in its open-market purchases, and resulted in an aggregate
purchase price of $1.4 million. See Note 6.
On July 31, 2015, the Company entered into a Stock Repurchase Agreement with Mr. Broady that provided for the Company’s
purchase of common stock from Mr. Broady in off-the-market, private transactions at a rate equal to 0.4085 times the number of shares
purchased by the Company’s broker in conjunction with the stock repurchase program authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors on
July 28, 2015. The Company’s purchases from Mr. Broady concluded on August 6, 2015, were completed at a per share purchase price
equal to the weighted average price per share paid by the Company’s broker in its open-market purchases, and resulted in an aggregate
purchase price of $1.5 million. See Note 6.
On May 7, 2015, the Company entered into a Stock Repurchase Agreement with Mr. Broady that provided for the Company’s
purchase of common stock from Mr. Broady in off-the-market, private transactions at a rate equal to 0.4286 times the number of shares
purchased by the Company’s broker in conjunction with the stock repurchase program authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors on
May 4, 2015. The Company’s purchases from Mr. Broady concluded on May 13, 2015, were completed at a per share purchase price equal
to the weighted average price per share paid by the Company’s broker in its open-market purchases, and resulted in an aggregate purchase
price of $1.5 million. See Note 6.
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On January 22, 2015, the Company entered into a Stock Repurchase Agreement with Mr. Broady that provided for the Company’s
purchase from Mr. Broady in off-the-market, private transactions of a total of 91,817 shares of the Company’s common stock, which would
be purchased at the rate of 5,000 shares each trading day following the date of the agreement until all of such shares were purchased. The
shares were purchased at a per share price equal to the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the preceding trading
day, as reported on the primary market in which the Company’s common stock was publicly traded. The Company’s purchases concluded
on February 19, 2015, and resulted in an aggregate purchase price of $1.1 million. See Note 6.
9. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
The Company has a 401(k) defined contribution plan which permits participating employees in the United States to defer up to a
maximum of 90% of their compensation, subject to limitations established by the Internal Revenue Service. Employees age 21 and older
are eligible to contribute to the plan starting the first day of the following month of employment. Participating employees are eligible to
receive discretionary matching contributions and profit sharing, subject to certain conditions, from the Company. In 2017, 2016 and 2015,
the Company matched employee deferral contributions up to 4.5% of salary, which vested 100% immediately. No profit sharing has been
paid under the plan. The Company recorded compensation expense of $171,000, $134,000 and $115,000 for 2017, 2016 and 2015,
respectively, related to its matching contributions to the plan. Certain of the Company’s employees located outside the United States
participate in employee benefit plans that are statutory in nature.
10. SEGMENT INFORMATION
The Company sells products to a member network that operates in a seamless manner from market to market, except for the China
market where it sells to consumers through an e-commerce platform, and the Russia and Kazakhstan market where the Company’s
engagement of a third-party service provider results in a different economic structure than its other markets. Otherwise, the Company
believes that all of its other operating segments have similar economic characteristics and are similar in the nature of the products sold, the
product acquisition process, the types of customers products are sold to, the methods used to distribute the products, and the nature of the
regulatory environment.
There is no separate segment manager who is held accountable by the Company’s chief operating decision-makers, or anyone else,
for operations, operating results and planning for the China market or the Russia and Kazakhstan market on a stand-alone basis, and neither
market is material for the periods presented. As such, the Company believes that all operating segments should be aggregated into a single
reportable segment for disclosure purposes.
The Company’s net sales by geographic area are as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2016
2017
2015
Net sales from external customers:
United States
Canada
Peru
Hong Kong1
China
Taiwan
South Korea
Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine2
Europe
Other foreign countries
Total net sales
$
$
3,348 $
1,938
508
174,926
7,282
5,591
466
913
2,278
313
197,563 $
4,100 $
1,809
—
263,482
9,086
6,213
691
858
1,234
255
287,728 $
3,246
2,746
—
245,737
4,425
5,965
1,129
1,139
382
91
264,860
_____________________________
1 Substantially all of our Hong Kong revenues are derived from the sale of products that are delivered to members in China. See “Item 1A.
Risk Factors”.
2 The Company discontinued its Ukraine operations during the second quarter of 2015.
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The Company’s net sales by product and service are as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2016
2017
2015
Net sales by product and service:
Product sales
Enrollment package revenue, freight and other
Less: sales returns
Total net sales
$
$
187,591 $
13,676
(3,704)
197,563 $
269,731 $
25,616
(7,619)
287,728 $
253,041
17,623
(5,804)
264,860
Due to system constraints, it is impracticable for the Company to separately disclose sales by product category for the years
presented.
The Company’s long-lived assets by geographic area are as follows (in thousands):
Long-lived assets:
United States
Hong Kong
China
Other foreign countries
Total long-lived assets
11. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
December 31,
2017
2016
$
$
648 $
78
112
311
1,149 $
763
140
199
286
1,388
On February 6, 2018, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.13 on each share of common stock outstanding. Such
dividends were paid on March 9, 2018 to stockholders of record on February 27, 2018. Declaration and payment of any future dividends on
shares of common stock will be at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.
On February 1, 2018, the Company granted 34,202 shares of restricted common stock under the 2016 Plan to certain employees for
the purpose of settling fiscal 2017 performance incentives. The shares vest on a quarterly basis over the next three years and are subject to
forfeiture in the event of their termination of service to the Company under specified circumstances.
On January 26, 2018, the Company entered into an exclusive distribution, license and royalty agreement with a new supplier to
purchase products through January 2021 and shall renew for successive one year terms unless notice of termination is provided by either
party. To maintain exclusivity, the Company is required to purchase between $453,000 and $3.6 million of product, depending on the
product mix and inclusive of royalties, per year until the termination date.
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Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Not applicable.
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of
the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) as of December 31,
2017. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we
file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities
and Exchange Commission rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including our
principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Based on
this evaluation and as disclosed in “Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting” below, the principal
executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that due to a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting, our
disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2017.
The material weakness identified is related to information technology general controls (“ITGC”) related to our proprietary web-based
system. No material financial statement misstatement was identified in relation to this material weakness in our internal control over
financial reporting. Management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, believes the consolidated
financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, fairly represent in all material respects our financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows for the periods at and for the periods presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over
financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our principal executive and principal financial officers and
effected by our Board of Directors, management and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and
includes those policies and procedures that:
•
•
•
pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our
assets;
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in
accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and
provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets
that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any
evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risks that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions,
or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management evaluates the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting by using the criteria established in Internal
Control – Integrated Framework (2013), issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”).
Based on this criteria, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017 was not effective
due to the material weakness described below. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control
over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial
statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
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Management identified ITGC deficiencies related to user access controls for our proprietary web-based system, which is used to
process orders, record bonus volume activity and calculate member commissions. The Company’s ITGC user access controls specific to
our proprietary web-based system did not operate effectively to provide an adequate audit trail for system change management and for the
periodic review and testing of user access rights and permissions. Although the control deficiencies identified resulted in no material
misstatements to the consolidated financial statements, these ITGC deficiencies, combined with inadequate compensating review controls,
create a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement to the consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a
timely basis and represent a material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. As a result, management
concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective at December 31, 2017.
Remediation Efforts to Address Material Weakness
Management, with oversight from the Audit Committee, has implemented a plan intended to remediate the material weakness related
to our proprietary web-based system and strengthen our internal control environment. The remediation plan includes the following:
•
•
Enhancement of controls to ensure that the system change management log is adequately backed up, secured and sufficiently
maintained; and
Initiation of periodic review and testing of user access rights and
permissions.
During the first quarter of 2018, we began the process of revising our controls related to the backup of our proprietary web-based
system change management logs and believe those controls are now providing the necessary audit trail. In addition, management has
initiated the periodic reviews of user access rights and permissions; however, the required programming changes necessary to improve user
access rights and permissions is on-going. We also continue to review and develop additional controls and procedures to improve our
control environment, including compensating review controls for our proprietary web-based system. We expect that the remediation of this
material weakness will be fully complete during 2018.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Other than with respect to the material weakness identified during the fourth quarter and described above, there were no changes in
internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2017 that have materially affected, or are
reasonably likely to materially affect, internal control over financial reporting.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Board of Directors and Stockholders
Natural Health Trends Corp.
Adverse Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited Natural Health Trends Corp.’s (the "Company") internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, based
on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission. In our opinion, because of the effect of the material weakness described in the following paragraph on the
achievement of the objectives of the control criteria, the Company has not maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as
of December 31, 2017, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
A material weakness is a control deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a
reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or
detected on a timely basis. The following material weakness has been identified and included in “Management's Annual Report on Internal
Control Over Financial Reporting:”
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Management identified Information Technology General Control (“ITGC”) deficiencies related to user access controls of its
proprietary web-based system, which is used to process orders, record bonus volume activity and calculate member commissions.
The Company’s ITGC user access controls specific to the proprietary web-based system did not operate effectively to provide an
adequate audit trail for system change management and for the periodic review and testing of user access rights and permissions.
These ITGC deficiencies, combined with inadequate compensating review controls, create a reasonable possibility that a material
misstatement to the consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis and represent a material
weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
This material weakness was considered in determining the nature, timing and extent of audit tests applied in our audit of the fiscal
December 31, 2017 consolidated financial statements, and this report does not affect our report dated March 27, 2018 on those consolidated
financial statements.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”),
the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2017 and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income,
stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year then ended of the Company and our report dated March 27, 2018 expressed an unqualified
opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
Basis for Opinion
The Company's management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying "Management Annual Report on Internal Control
Over Financial Reporting." Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on
our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in
accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and
the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our
audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing
the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the
assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that
our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance
of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide
reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of
management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized
acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of the inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of
any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in
conditions, or that degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP
Chicago, IL
March 27, 2018
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Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Part III
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC
within 120 days after December 31, 2017.
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC
within 120 days after December 31, 2017.
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED
STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC
within 120 days after December 31, 2017.
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC
within 120 days after December 31, 2017.
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC
within 120 days after December 31, 2017.
Item 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Documents filed as part of this Form 10-K:
Part IV
1. Financial Statements. See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary
Data” of this report.
2. Financial Statement Schedules. Financial statement schedules have been omitted because they are not required, not applicable, or
because the required information is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.
3. Exhibits. The exhibits listed on the accompanying Exhibit Index are filed as a part of, and are incorporated by reference into, this
report. We will furnish any of the exhibits referenced in the accompanying Exhibit Index to a requesting shareholder upon
payment of a fee equal to our reasonable expenses in furnishing such exhibit(s).
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this
Annual Report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: March 27, 2018
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
/s/ Chris T. Sharng
Chris T. Sharng
President
(Principal Executive Officer)
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that each of Natural Health Trends Corp., a Delaware corporation, and the undersigned
directors and officers of Natural Health Trends Corp., hereby constitutes and appoints Chris T. Sharng and Timothy S. Davidson, or any
one of them, its, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, for it, him or her and in its, his or her name, place and stead, in any
and all capacities, with full power to act alone, to sign any and all amendments to this report, and to file each such amendment to the report,
with all exhibits thereto, and any and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby
granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform any and all acts and things requisite and necessary
to be done in and about the premises as fully to all intents and purposes as it, he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of
the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
/s/ Chris T. Sharng
Chris T. Sharng
/s/ Timothy S. Davidson
Timothy S. Davidson
/s/ Randall A. Mason
Randall A. Mason
/s/ George K. Broady
George K. Broady
/s/ Kin Y. Chung
Kin Y. Chung
/s/ Yiu T. Chan
Yiu T. Chan
President and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
Date
March 27, 2018
March 27, 2018
Chairman of the Board and Director
March 27, 2018
Director
Director
Director
68
March 27, 2018
March 27, 2018
March 27, 2018
Table of Contents
Exhibit
Number
EXHIBIT INDEX
(Pursuant to Item 601 of Regulation S-K)
Exhibit Description
3.1 Certificate of Incorporation of Natural Health Trends Corp. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.01 to Current Report
on Form 8-K filed on July 12, 2005).
3.3 By-Laws of Natural Health Trends Corp. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.02 to Current Report on Form 8-K filed
on July 12, 2005).
4.1 Specimen Certificate for shares of common stock, $.001 par value per share, of Natural Health Trends Corp. (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 4.01 to Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on May 8, 2006).
+10.1 Natural Health Trends Corp. 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix C to Definitive Proxy
Statement filed on March 4, 2016).
+10.2 Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement under the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.2 to Annual Report on Form 10-K filed March 4, 2016).
+10.3 Natural Health Trends Corp. Annual Incentive Plan (Restated as of January 1, 2016) (incorporated by reference to
Appendix A to Definitive Proxy Statement filed on March 4, 2016).
+10.4 Natural Health Trends Corp. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (Restated as of January 1, 2016) (incorporated by reference
to Appendix B to Definitive Proxy Statement filed on March 4, 2016).
+10.5 First Amendment to the Natural Health Trends Corp. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (Restated as of January 1, 2016)
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 10, 2017).
+10.6 Employment Agreement (including form of Non-Competition and Proprietary Rights Assignment Agreement) for Chris T.
Sharng, dated April 23, 2007 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 26,
2007).
+10.7 Employment Agreement (including form of Non-Competition and Proprietary Rights Assignment Agreement) for
Timothy S. Davidson dated April 23, 2007 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Current Report on Form 8-K
filed on April 26, 2007).
+10.8 Form of Restricted Stock Notice of Grant and Award Agreement for shares of restricted stock granted on (1) January 20,
2015 to each of Chris T. Sharng, Timothy S. Davidson, Randall A. Mason and George K. Broady, and (2) February 11,
2015 to each of Christopher R. O’Brien and Kin Y. Chung (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed on March 6, 2015).
Form of Indemnification Agreement dated February 11, 2015, between Natural Health Trends Corp. and each of its
directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 12, 2015).
+10.9
21.1 Subsidiaries of Natural Health Trends Corp. (filed herewith).
23.1 Consent of Marcum LLP (filed herewith).
23.2 Consent of Lane Gorman Trubitt, LLC (filed herewith).
24.1 Power of Attorney (see signature page).
31.1 Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant
to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).
31.2 Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant
to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).
32.1 Certifications of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as
adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).
101.INS
Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are
embedded within the Inline XBRL document
101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
101.CAL
101.DEF
101.LAB
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation
+ Management contract or compensatory plan
SUBSIDIARIES OF THE REGISTRANT
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2017
NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
A DELAWARE CORPORATION
Exhibit 21.1
Name
NHT Global, Inc.
NHTC International, LLC
NHT Global (Canada) Company
NHTC Holding Company
NHTC Trading Company
NHT Global Taiwan Company
NHT Global CIS Company
NHT Global (China) Commodities Co., Ltd.
NHT Global (Zhongshan) Cosmetics Co., Ltd.
NHT Global Hong Kong Limited
Natural Health Trends Japan, Inc.
NHTC Global Singapore Pte. Ltd.
NHTC Wellness Products Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
NHTK Ltd.
NHT Global Europe S.R.L.
NHT Global Peru S.A.C.
Jurisdiction
United States (Delaware)
United States (Delaware)
Canada
Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
China
China
Hong Kong
Japan
Singapore
Malaysia
South Korea
Italy
Peru
The names of omitted subsidiaries when considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary do not constitute a significant subsidiary as
of the end of the year covered by this report.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM'S CONSENT
Exhibit 23.1
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement of Natural Health Trends Corp. on Form S-8 (333-210658) of
our report dated March 27, 2018, with respect to our audit of the consolidated financial statements of Natural Health Trends Corp. as of
December 31, 2017, and for the year then ended, and our report dated March 27, 2018 which included an adverse opinion with respect to
our audit of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Natural Health Trends Corp. as of December 31, 2017,
appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Natural Health Trends Corp. for the year ended December 31, 2017.
/s/ Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP
Chicago, IL
March 27, 2018
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Exhibit 23.2
Natural Health Trends Corp.
Rolling Hills Estates, California
We consent to the incorporation by reference in Registration Statement on Form S-8 (333-210658) of our report dated March 10, 2017,
with respect to the consolidated balance sheet of Natural Health Trends Corp. as of December 31, 2016, and the related consolidated
statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended
December 31, 2016, which appear in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
/s/ Lane Gorman Trubitt, LLC
Dallas, Texas
March 27, 2018
Exhibit 31.1
I, Chris T. Sharng, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K of Natural Health Trends Corp.;
CERTIFICATION
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the
period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all
material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed
under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial
statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such
evaluation; and
d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which
are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
internal control over financial reporting.
Date: March 27, 2018
/s/ Chris T. Sharng
Chris T. Sharng
President
(Principal Executive Officer)
Exhibit 31.2
I, Timothy S. Davidson, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K of Natural Health Trends Corp.;
CERTIFICATION
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the
period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all
material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed
under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial
statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such
evaluation; and
d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which
are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
internal control over financial reporting.
Date: March 27, 2018
/s/ Timothy S. Davidson
Timothy S. Davidson
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
Exhibit 32.1
In connection with the Annual Report of Natural Health Trends Corp. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), we, Chris T. Sharng, the
Principal Executive Officer, and Timothy S. Davidson, the Principal Financial Officer, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as
adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to the best of our knowledge:
1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of
the Company.
Date: March 27, 2018
Date: March 27, 2018
/s/ Chris T. Sharng
Chris T. Sharng
President
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Timothy S. Davidson
Timothy S. Davidson
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
The foregoing certifications are not deemed filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for purposes of Section
18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the
Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of
any general incorporation language in such filing.