XML 75 R17.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.24.3
COMMON SHARES
12 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2024
Equity [Abstract]  
COMMON SHARES

11.COMMON SHARES

 

a)Issuances

 

Fiscal Year 2024 Issuances

 

On September 1, 2023, the Company closed a non-brokered private placement (the “September 2023 Private Placement”) of units of the Company (the “September 2023 Units”). A total of 250,000 September 2023 Units were issued at a price per September 2023 Unit of $4.00, for total gross proceeds to the Company of $1,000. Each September 2023 Unit consists of one Common Share and one Warrant (“September 2023 Warrant”). Each September 2023 Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of $4.60 at any time prior to September 1, 2025. Proceeds of the September 2023 Private Placement will be used for continued advancement of the Elk Creek Project and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

 

The September 2023 Warrants were classified as an equity instrument and accordingly, the net proceeds of $962 were allocated based on the relative fair values of the Common Shares and the September 2023 Warrants on the date of issuance. The amount allocated to the fair value of the September 2023 Warrants was $254 and the balance of the proceeds of $708 was allocated to the Common Shares. The fair value of the September 2023 Warrants issued was computed using the Black Scholes pricing model using the following assumptions: an expected life of 2.0 years, a risk-free interest rate of 4.85%, an expected volatility of 71.63%, and an expected dividend rate of 0%.

 

On December 22, 2023, the Company closed a non-brokered private placement (the “December 2023 Private Placement”) of 413,432 units of the Company (the “December 2023 Units”). Each December 2023 Unit consists of one Common Share and one Warrant (“December 2023 Warrant”). Each December 2023 Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of $3.54 at any time until December 22, 2025. 274,587 of the December 2023 Units were issued and sold to certain accredited investors, who are not affiliated with the Company but with whom the Company had a pre-existing relationship, at a price of $3.08 per December 2023 Unit, and 138,845 of the December 2023 Units were issued and sold to certain officers and directors of the Company (the “Insider Investors”), at a price of $3.205 per December 2023 Unit. The price per December 2023 Unit paid by the Insider Investors included $0.125 per December 2023 Warrant underlying each December 2023 Unit purchased by the Insider Investors which allowed the Insider Investors to participate in the December 2023 Private Placement in accordance with the rules of Nasdaq. The Company received aggregate gross proceeds from the December 2023 Private Placement of approximately $1,290. Proceeds of the December 2023 Private Placement will be used for continued advancement of the Elk Creek Project and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Company recorded a non-cash expense of $92 and $10 to other operating expense and employee related costs, respectively, representing the excess of fair value of the December 2023 Units over the purchase price paid by Insider Investors.

 

The December 2023 Warrants were classified as an equity instrument and accordingly, the estimated net proceeds of $1,241 were allocated based on the relative fair values of the Common Shares and the December 2023 Warrants on the date of issuance. The amount allocated to the fair value of the December 2023 Warrants was $264 and the balance of the proceeds of $977 was allocated to the Common Shares. The fair value of the December 2023 Warrants issued was computed using the Black Scholes pricing model using the following assumptions: an expected life of 2.0 years, a risk-free interest rate of 4.33%, an expected volatility of 54.8%, and an expected dividend rate of 0%.

 

On June 24, 2024, the Company closed a non-brokered private placement (the “June 2024 Private Placement”) of units of the Company (the “June 2024 Units”). A total of 315,000 June 2024 Units were issued at a price per June 2024 Unit of $1.91, for total gross proceeds to the Company of $602. Each June 2024 Unit consists of one Common Share and one Warrant (“June 2024 Warrant”). Each June 2024 Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of $2.20 at any time prior to June 24, 2026. Proceeds of the June 2024 Private Placement will be used for continued advancement of the Elk Creek Project and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

 

The June 2024 Warrants were classified as an equity instrument and accordingly, the net proceeds of $602 were allocated based on the relative fair values of the Common Shares and the June 2024 Warrants on the date of issuance. The amount allocated to the fair value of the June 2024 Warrants was $161 and the balance of the proceeds of $441 was allocated to Common Shares. The fair value of the June 2024 Warrants issued was computed using the Black Scholes pricing model using the following assumptions: an expected life of 2.0 years, a risk-free interest rate of 4.73%, an expected volatility of 73.92%, and an expected dividend rate of 0%.

 

Fiscal Year 2023 Issuances

 

In addition to the Common Shares issued in connection with the GXII Transaction, as discussed in Note 5, the following Common Share issuances occurred during fiscal year 2023:

 

On April 28, 2023, the Company closed a registered direct offering and issued 314,465 Common Shares for $2,000, before deducting share issuance costs of $172. The Common Shares were sold pursuant to a securities purchase agreement, dated April 26, 2023, between the Company and a fund managed by Kingdon Capital Management, LLC.

 

On June 9, 2023, the Company issued 100,000 Common Shares under the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement (discussed below) in exchange for $488 in cash proceeds. The Company recorded a non-cash operating expense of $13 which represented the difference between the proceeds received and the fair value of the Common Shares issued based on Nasdaq closing price per Common Share on the issuance date.

 

b)Stock Options

 

On January 19, 2024, the Company’s shareholders voted to approve an amendment and restatement of its long-term incentive plan (the “2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan”) and the granting of incentive securities thereunder until January 19, 2027. Under the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, the Board may, in its discretion from time to time, grant options and share units (in the form of restricted share units and performance share units) to directors, employees and certain other service providers (as defined in the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan) of the Company and affiliated entities selected by the Board.

 

Subject to adjustment as described in the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, the aggregate number of Common Shares that may be reserved for issuance to participants under the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, together with all other security-based compensation arrangements of the Company, may not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time, and the Common Shares reserved for issuance upon settlement of share units will not exceed 5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time. The 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan limits the maximum number of Common Shares issued to insiders (as defined under TSX rules for this purpose) within any 1-year period, or issuable to insiders at any time, in the aggregate, under all security-based compensation arrangements (including the 2017 Amended Long-Term

 

 

Incentive Plan) to 10% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares. The 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan also limits the aggregate number of Common Shares that may be reserved for issuance to any one participant under the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, together with all other security-based compensation arrangements of the Company, to 5% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares (on a non-diluted basis). Subject to the adjustment provisions of the 2017 Amended Long-Term Incentive Plan, the aggregate number of Common Shares actually issued or transferred by the Company upon the exercise of incentive stock options will be limited as described above.

The Board has power over the granting, amendment, administration, or settlement of any award.

 

Stock option transactions are summarized as follows:

 

   Number of Options   Weighted Average Exercise Price   Aggregate Intrinsic Value   Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life 
Balance, June 30, 2023   1,541,500   $7.19           
   Granted   1,625,000    2.99           
   Exercised   (7,800)   3.95           
   Cancelled/expired   (663,200)   5.88           
Balance, June 30, 2024   2,495,500   $4.78   $-    3.44 years 

 

As of June 30, 2024, 100% of the outstanding stock options were fully vested. The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the year ended June 30, 2024 was immaterial, and as of June 30, 2024, there were no unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested share-based compensation arrangements granted. The Company recognized share-based compensation expense of $2,779 and $1,794 for the years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

 

The following table summarizes the weighted average information and assumptions used to determine option costs: 

               
   Year ended June 30, 
   2024     2023 
Fair value per option granted during the period  $1.71   $3.09 
Risk-free interest rate   4.25%   3.30%
Expected dividend yield   0%   0%
Expected stock price volatility (historical basis)   63.2%   63.6%
Expected option life in years   5.0    3.0 

 

Prior to January 1, 2024, the Company concluded that under ASU 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Options previously issued on December 31, 2021, May 30, 2022, and March 27, 2023, which included a C$ strike price should remain equity-classified as management determined that the Options qualified for an exemption from liability classification as the Options were denominated in a currency in which a substantial portion of the Company’s equity securities traded. Effective January 1, 2024, the Company determined that due to historically decreasing trading volume on the TSX, this exemption no longer applied and accordingly, these Options were classified as a liability based on their fair values on that date. The Company recorded a mark-to-market gain of $147 in other operating expenses related to these option liabilities for the year ended June 30, 2024. The associated liability related to these Canadian-denominated Options was nil at June 30, 2024.

 

On March 28, 2024, the Board approved a modification to Options previously issued on March 27, 2023, with dual strike prices of $6.95 and C$9.52, under which the option to exercise in C$ was removed. No other terms or conditions were amended by the Board. Based on this amendment, the Company re-classified these Options to equity on March 28, 2024, based on their fair value on that date.

 

c)Warrants

 

Warrant transactions are summarized as follows. Weighted average exercise prices related to Canadian dollar denominated warrants were converted to U.S. dollars using end of period foreign currency exchange rates.

 

  Warrants   Weighted Average Exercise Price 
Balance, June 30, 2022   1,851,622   $8.99 
Granted:          
Yorkville financing warrants   1,789,267    8.94 
GXII warrants   15,666,626    11.50 
Expired   (491,211)   11.67 
Balance, June 30, 2023   18,816,304    10.98 
Granted   1,593,817    3.33 
Expired   (1,846,560)   8.67 
Balance, June 30, 2024   18,563,561    10.53 

 

At June 30, 2024, the Company has outstanding exercisable warrants, as follows:

 

Number   Exercise Price   Expiry Date
 855,800    C$9.70   February 19, 2025
 447,318   $8.94   (1)
 250,000   $4.60   September 1, 2025
 413,432   $3.54   December 22, 2025
 315,000    2.20   June 24, 2025
 615,385   $3.25   April 12, 2027
 15,666,626   $11.50   March 17, 2028
 18,563,561         

     
  (1) Expires in 3 equal monthly tranches on July 17, 2024, August 17, 2024, and September 17, 2024.

 

In connection with the Closing, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, the Company assumed the GXII Warrant Agreement and each GXII Warrant thereunder that was issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Closing Date was converted into one NioCorp Assumed Warrant pursuant to the GXII Warrant Agreement, as amended by an Assignment, Assumption and Amendment Agreement, dated March 17, 2023, among the Company, GXII, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as the existing warrant agent, and Computershare Inc. and its affiliate, Computershare Trust Company, N.A, together as the successor warrant agent (the “NioCorp Assumed Warrant Agreement”). In connection with the Closing, NioCorp issued (a) 9,999,959 public NioCorp Assumed Warrants (the “Public Warrants”) in respect of the GXII Warrants that were publicly traded prior to the Closing and (b) 5,666,667 NioCorp Assumed Warrants (the “Private Warrants”) to the Sponsor in respect of the GXII Warrants that it held prior to the Closing, which NioCorp Assumed Warrants were subsequently distributed by the Sponsor to its members in connection with the Closing.

 

Each NioCorp Assumed Warrant entitles the holder to the right to purchase 1.11829212 Common Shares at an exercise price of $11.50 per 1.11829212 Common Shares (subject to adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like). No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of any NioCorp Assumed Warrants, and fractional shares that would otherwise be due to the exercising holder will be rounded down to the nearest whole Common Share. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any NioCorp Assumed Warrant.

 

Public Warrants

 

The Company may elect to redeem the Public Warrants subject to certain conditions, in whole and not in part, at a price of $0.01 per Public Warrant if (i) 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption is provided to the holders, (ii) the last reported sale price of the Common Shares equals or exceeds approximately $16.10 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days

 

 

within a 30-trading day period ending on the third business day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders and (iii) there is an effective registration statement covering the Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants, and a current prospectus relating thereto, available through the redemption date. Upon issuance of a redemption notice by the Company, the warrant holders will have until the redemption date to exercise for cash, or, at the Company’s election, on a cashless basis. The Public Warrants are not precluded from equity classification and are accounted for as such on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. Because the 2023 Transactions resulted in an excess of liabilities over assets acquired, no value was ascribed to the Public Warrants. 

Private Warrants

 

The Private Warrants: (i) will be exercisable either for cash or on a cashless basis at the holder’s option and (ii) will not be redeemable by the Company, in either case as long as the Private Warrants are held by the Sponsor, its members or any of their permitted transferees (as prescribed in the NioCorp Assumed Warrant Agreement). In accordance with the NioCorp Assumed Warrant Agreement, any Private Warrants that are held by someone other than the Sponsor, its members or any of their permitted transferees are treated as Public Warrants.

 

The Company accounts for the Private Warrants assumed in the 2023 Transactions in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815-40. Such guidance provides that because the Private Warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment thereunder, each Private Warrant must be recorded as a liability. This liability is carried as a component of Warrant Liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet and is subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date. With each such re-measurement, the warrant liability will be adjusted to its current fair value, with the change in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company will reassess the classification at each balance sheet date.

 

The Company classifies Private Warrants as Level 2 instruments under the fair value hierarchy and estimated the fair value using a Black Scholes model with the following assumptions:

 

Key Valuation Input  June 30, 2024   June 30, 2023   March 17, 2023 
Stock price on valuation date  $1.73   $5.03   $7.00 
Strike price  $11.50   $11.50   $11.50 
Implied volatility of Public Warrants   69.0%   33.5%   19.5%
Risk free rate   4.45%   4.18%   3.47%
Dividend yield   0%   0%   0%
Expected warrant life in years   3.7    4.7    5.0 

 

The change in the Private Warrants liability is presented below:

 

   Amount 
Initial valuation, March 17, 2023  $2,987 
Change in valuation   292 
Valuation at June 30, 2023   3,279 
Change in valuation   (1,926)
Valuation at June 30, 2024  $1,353 

 

d)Yorkville Equity Facility Financing

 

Concurrent with the closing of the GXII Transaction, the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing became effective. Pursuant to the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement, Yorkville committed to purchase up to $65,000 of Common Shares (the “Commitment Amount”), at NioCorp’s direction from time to time for a period commencing upon the Closing Date and ending on the earliest of (i) the first day of the month next following the 36-month anniversary of the Closing, (ii) the date on which Yorkville shall have made payment of the full Commitment Amount and (iii) the date that the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement otherwise terminates in accordance with its terms (the “Commitment Period”), subject to certain limitations and the

 

 

satisfaction of the conditions in the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement. The Common Shares that may be sold pursuant to the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement would be purchased by Yorkville at a purchase price equal to 97% of the daily volume-weighted average price of the Common Shares on Nasdaq or such other principal U.S. market for the Common Shares if the Common Shares are ever listed or traded on the New York Stock Exchange or the NYSE American as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets (or, if not available, a similar service provider of national recognized standing) during the applicable pricing period, which is a period during a single trading day or a period of three consecutive trading days, at the Company’s option and subject to certain restrictions, in each case, defined based on when an Advance Notice (as defined in the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement) is submitted, subject to certain limitations.

 

Pursuant to the terms of the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement, NioCorp issued 81,213 of Common Shares (the “Commitment Shares”) valued at $650 to Yorkville as consideration for its irrevocable commitment to purchase Common Shares under the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement. On June 9, 2023, NioCorp issued and sold 100,000 Common Shares to Yorkville under the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement. Additionally, NioCorp is required to pay Yorkville an aggregate fee of $1,500 in cash (the “Cash Fee”), including $500 that NioCorp paid on the Closing Date and an additional $250 NioCorp was paid as of June 30, 2023. NioCorp will pay the remaining $750 balance in installments over a 12-month period following the Closing Date, provided that it will have the right to prepay without penalty all or part of the remaining installments of the Cash Fee at any time. In addition, legal and other costs of $496 were incurred in connection with the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing and were expensed on the effective date. The following amounts related to the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement were expensed as other operating costs during the year ended June 30, 2023:

 

   Amount 
Yorkville Cash Fee  $1,500 
Fair value of Commitment Shares issued   650 
Legal and other related costs   496 
Costs expensed to other operating expense  $2,646