2 Small Caps: Do You Bet on the Horse or the Jockey?
Investment Debate: The ongoing discussion in the investment community revolves around whether to prioritize a company's business model (the "horse") or its management team (the "jockey"), with recent examples like Starbucks and Kingsway Financial Services highlighting this dynamic.
Company Performances: Kingsway Financial Services is focusing on leadership quality while TSS Inc. is capitalizing on the growing demand for AI-driven data center solutions, both showcasing different strategies in navigating their respective industries.
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Stock Performance: Kingsway Financial Services Inc. shares dropped 12.9% following their Q3 2025 results, significantly underperforming the S&P 500, which gained 0.8% during the same period.
Revenue Growth: The company reported a 36.9% increase in revenues to $37.2 million, driven by a substantial rise in Kingsway Search Xcelerator revenues, although it still posted a net loss of $2.4 million.
Adjusted EBITDA Trends: Adjusted consolidated EBITDA fell 32.1% to $2.1 million, with mixed performance across segments; KSX saw an increase while Extended Warranty faced declines due to accounting timing issues.
Acquisition Strategy: Kingsway Financial executed four acquisitions in the quarter, emphasizing confidence in organic growth and acquisition-led expansion as key strategic focuses moving forward.

Stock Offering Announcement: Kingsway Financial Services (NYSE: KFS) has filed a registration statement for an offering of up to 1,419,001 common stocks.
Preliminary Prospectus Note: The preliminary prospectus associated with the stock offering is not considered an offer to sell the securities.
Recent Acquisitions: Kingsway has recently acquired Southside Plumbing and is signaling plans for accelerated mergers and acquisitions.
Future Acquisition Goals: The company aims to target 3–5 acquisitions per year, leveraging new capital and current momentum.

Acquisition Announcement: Generational Capital Markets has facilitated the sale of Roundhouse Electric & Equipment Co., Inc. to Kingsway Financial Services, with the acquisition closing on July 1, 2025. Roundhouse specializes in mission-critical services for natural gas pipeline operators and utilities in the Permian Basin.
Company Profiles: Kingsway Financial Services operates using a Search Fund model and focuses on acquiring profitable, asset-light businesses with recurring revenues. The new CEO of Roundhouse, Miles Mamon, expressed enthusiasm about expanding the company's impact in the industry.
Earnings Call Overview: Kingsway Financial Services Inc. held its Q3 2024 earnings conference call on November 6, 2024, featuring key executives including CEO John Fitzgerald and CFO Kent Hansen, discussing the company's performance and future outlook.
Forward-Looking Statements Warning: The call included forward-looking statements about expected revenue and operating margins, with a reminder that actual results may differ due to various risks and uncertainties outlined in their SEC filings.

Conference Call Overview: Kingsway Financial Services Inc. held a conference call on October 16, 2024, to discuss its acquisition of Image Solutions LLC, featuring key executives including CEO J.T. Fitzgerald and incoming CEO Davide Zanchi.
Forward-Looking Statements: The call included forward-looking statements about future performance and risks associated with the acquisition, along with mentions of non-GAAP metrics used for performance analysis.
Acquisition Details: Kingsway Financial Services has acquired Image Solutions, an IT managed services provider, for $19.5 million in cash, supported by $7.75 million in debt financing.
Financial Impact: The acquisition is projected to be immediately beneficial, contributing $9.8 million in annual revenue and $3.1 million in adjusted EBITDA.





