10-Q

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

x QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2008

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: 000-18188

PAULSON CAPITAL CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Oregon	93-0589534
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
811 SW Naito Parkway, Portland, Oregon	97204
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 503-243-6000

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  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “accelerated filer,” “large accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer  ¨		Accelerated filer  ¨
Non-accelerated filer  ¨	(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)	Smaller reporting company  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).     Yes  ¨    No  x

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

Common stock, no par value	5,942,150
(Class)	(Outstanding at August 14, 2008)

PAULSON CAPITAL CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

FORM 10-Q

INDEX

		Page
PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.	Financial Statements
	Consolidated Balance Sheets - June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007 (unaudited)	2
	Consolidated Statements of Operations - Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2008 and 2007 (unaudited)	3
	Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - Six Months Ended June 30, 2008 and 2007 (unaudited)	4
	Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)	5
Item 2.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	8
Item 3.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	14
Item 4T.	Controls and Procedures	14
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 2.	Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	15
Item 4.	Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders	15
Item 6.	Exhibits	15
Signatures		16

1

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

Paulson Capital Corp. and Subsidiary

Consolidated Balance Sheets

	June 30, 2008		December 31, 2007
	(Unaudited)
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	23,236	$	43,619
Receivable from clearing organization		9,008,851		11,702,341
Notes and other receivables		709,801		1,563,530
Income taxes receivable		269,623		—
Deferred tax asset		2,864,798		—
Trading securities, at market value		11,644,364		12,037,368
Investment securities, at market or estimated fair value		5,189,181		8,157,546
Underwriter warrants, at estimated fair value		5,228,000		16,373,000
Prepaid and deferred expenses		353,125		939,371
Furniture and equipment, at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $831,600 and $862,616		141,665		196,333
Total Assets	$	35,432,644	$	51,013,108
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	$	1,313,888	$	3,240,877
Payable to clearing organization		1,290,307		2,463,413
Compensation, employee benefits and payroll taxes		736,399		2,065,972
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at market value		—		36,259
Income taxes payable - current		—		1,369,710
Income taxes payable - long-term		307,000		297,000
Deferred revenue		325,000		375,000
Underwriter warrants - employee and independent contractor, at estimated fair value		208,000		651,000
Deferred income taxes		—		1,821,000
Total Liabilities		4,180,594		12,320,231
Commitments and Contingencies		—		—
Shareholders’ Equity
Preferred stock, no par value; 500,000 shares authorized; none issued		—		—
Common stock, no par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding: 5,942,150 and 6,037,150		1,950,469		1,972,319
Retained earnings		29,301,581		36,720,558
Total Shareholders’ Equity		31,252,050		38,692,877
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$	35,432,644	$	51,013,108

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

2

Paulson Capital Corp. and Subsidiary

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

	For the Three Months Ended June 30,						For the Six Months Ended June 30,
	2008			2007			2008			2007
Revenues
Commissions	$	3,556,903		$	4,603,971		$	8,012,732		$	8,720,539
Corporate finance		—			3,450,296			395,389			4,445,807
Investment income (loss)		(5,036,636	)		(628,508	)		(12,074,221	)		2,555,836
Trading income (loss)		(1,770,393	)		370,687			2,552,042			1,710,763
Interest and dividends		12,850			36,826			27,471			70,999
Other		31,671			146,700			56,896			172,075
		(3,205,605	)		7,979,972			(1,029,691	)		17,676,019
Expenses
Commissions and salaries		3,188,836			4,818,382			7,528,400			8,783,091
Underwriting expenses		168,409			149,509			314,006			309,464
Rent, telephone and quotation services		301,893			303,945			588,617			617,180
Professional fees		213,419			141,228			473,558			345,173
Bad debt expense		2,239			107,160			5,176			154,849
Travel and entertainment		169,017			41,804			201,227			77,184
Advertising and promotion expense		56,390			36,720			114,586			84,726
Settlement expense		15,500			230,000			32,000			309,717
Depreciation and amortization		28,116			27,363			57,184			56,327
Other		394,384			461,811			775,177			775,859
		4,538,203			6,317,922			10,089,931			11,513,570
Income (loss) before income taxes		(7,743,808	)		1,662,050			(11,119,622	)		6,162,449
Income tax expense (benefit):
Current		(1,156,805	)		259,647			524,798			746,602
Deferred		(1,760,195	)		401,526			(4,685,798	)		1,637,773
		(2,917,000	)		661,173			(4,161,000	)		2,384,375
Net income (loss)	$	(4,826,808	)	$	1,000,877		$	(6,958,622	)	$	3,778,074
Basic net income (loss) per share	$	(0.81	)	$	0.16		$	(1.16	)	$	0.61
Diluted net income (loss) per share	$	(0.81	)	$	0.16		$	(1.16	)	$	0.61
Shares used in per share calculations:
Basic		5,966,051			6,144,599			5,992,480			6,151,100
Diluted		5,966,051			6,154,496			5,992,480			6,161,051

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

3

Paulson Capital Corp. and Subsidiary

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

	For the Six Months Ended June 30,
	2008			2007
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$	(6,958,622	)	$	3,778,074
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows provided by operating activities:
Receipt of underwriter warrants		(462,320	)		(2,449,787	)
Unrealized (appreciation) depreciation/expiration of underwriter warrants		11,607,320			(5,233,941	)
Unrealized depreciation of underwriter warrants - employee and independent contractor		(443,000	)		—
Non-cash compensation associated with underwriter warrants		—			688,728
Depreciation and amortization		57,184			56,327
Deferred income taxes		(4,685,798	)		1,637,773
Deferred revenue		(50,000	)		(50,000	)
Change in assets and liabilities
Receivables from/payable to clearing organization		1,520,384			(2,465,922	)
Notes and other receivables		853,729			28,635
Income taxes receivable		(269,623	)		304,695
Trading and investment securities		3,361,369			363,174
Prepaid and deferred expenses		586,246			441,962
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and compensation payables		(3,256,562	)		300,365
Securities sold, not yet purchased		(36,259	)		2,669,635
Income taxes payable - current		(1,369,710	)		279,298
Income taxes payable - long-term		10,000			100,000
Net cash provided by operating activities		464,338			449,016
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to furniture and equipment		(2,516	)		(33,374	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercise		—			77,110
Payments to retire common stock		(482,205	)		(591,363	)
Net cash used in financing activities		(482,205	)		(514,253	)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents		(20,383	)		(98,611	)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Beginning of period		43,619			219,341
End of period	$	23,236		$	120,730
Supplemental cash flow information:
Cash paid during the period for income taxes	$	2,231,008		$	412,690
Supplemental non-cash flow information:
Deferred tax benefit from stock option exercises	$	—		$	—
Effect of adoption of FIN 48		—			90,000

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

4

PAULSON CAPITAL CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

Note 1. Basis of Presentation

The financial information for Paulson Capital Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Paulson Investment Company, included herein as of June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007 and for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 and 2007 is unaudited; however, such information reflects all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods. The financial information as of December 31, 2007 is derived from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. The interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Note 2. Earnings Per Share

Following is a reconciliation of our shares used for our basic net income (loss) per share and our diluted net income (loss) per share:

	Three Months Ended June 30,		Six Months Ended June 30,
	2008	2007	2008	2007
Shares used for basic income (loss) per share	5,966,051	6,144,599	5,992,480	6,151,100
Effect of dilutive stock options	—	9,897	—	9,951
Shares used for diluted net income (loss) per share	5,966,051	6,154,496	5,992,480	6,161,051
Stock options not included in diluted net income (loss) per share because their effect would have been antidilutive	95,000	—	95,000	—

Note 3. Repurchases of Common Stock

In the first six months of 2008, we repurchased a total of 95,000 shares of our common stock for a weighted average price of $5.07 per share, which totaled approximately $482,000. The amount paid above the original issue price, which totaled $22,000, was offset against retained earnings. The plan to repurchase up to a total of 600,000 shares of our common stock was approved by our Board of Directors in September 2001 and does not have an expiration date. In addition, in June 2008, our Board of Directors approved the repurchase of up to a total of an additional 200,000 shares of our common stock. This authorization also does not have an expiration date. As of June 30, 2008, 256,876 shares remained available for repurchase.

Note 4. Unrecognized Tax Benefits

During the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2008, accrued interest on unrecognized tax benefits increased $5,000 and $10,000, respectively, as a result of tax positions taken in prior periods.

5

Note 5. Fair Value Measurements

Effective January 1, 2008, we adopted the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements,” for our financial assets and liabilities. The adoption of this portion of SFAS No. 157 did not have any effect on our financial position or results of operations and we do not expect the adoption of the provisions of SFAS No. 157 related to non-financial assets and liabilities to have an effect on our financial position or results of operations.

Various inputs are used in determining the fair value of our financial assets and liabilities and are summarized into three broad categories:

• Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities;

• Level 2 – other significant observable inputs, including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.; and

• Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs, including our own assumptions in determining fair value.

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

Following are the disclosures related to our financial assets and (liabilities) pursuant to SFAS No. 157 (in thousands):

	June 30, 2008
	Fair Value			Input Level
Trading securities	$	11,644		Level 1
Investment securities, marketable		2,848		Level 1
Investment securities, not readily marketable		2,341		Level 3
Underwriter warrants		5,228		Level 3
Underwriter warrants – employee and independent contractor		(208	)	Level 3

Following is a roll-forward of our Level 3 financial assets and liabilities (in thousands):

	Underwriter Warrants			Underwriter Warrants – Employee and Independent Contractor			Not Readily Marketable Investment Securities
Balance, December 31, 2007	$	16,373		$	(651	)	$	1,946
Fair value of warrants received, included as a component of corporate finance revenue		462			—			—
Net unrealized gain (loss), included as a component of investment income (loss)		(10,810	)		443			395
Value of warrants exercised and expired, included as a component of investment income (loss)		(797	)		—			—
Balance, June 30, 2008	$	5,228		$	(208	)	$	2,341

Valuation of Trading Securities and Marketable Investment Securities

The fair value of our trading securities and our marketable investment securities is determined based on quoted market prices.

Valuation of Not Readily Marketable Investment Securities

The fair value of our not readily marketable investment securities are estimated using generally accepted valuation approaches, including the asset, income and market approaches.

6

Valuation of Underwriter Warrants

We estimate the value of our underwriter warrants using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model. The Black-Scholes model requires us to use five inputs including: price, risk free rate, exercise price, time remaining on the warrant and price volatility. After stock price, the most influential factor in this model is price volatility, which we calculate for each company’s warrants based on each company’s own historical closing stock prices as well as an index of historical prices for comparable companies. When we initially receive a new underwriter warrant from an initial public offering, its calculated volatility factor is entirely based on the volatility of an index of comparable companies, since there is no price history for a new publicly traded company. As each underwriter warrant approaches its expiration date, its volatility factor is derived primarily from the historical prices of its underlying common stock. We cannot assure you that we will ultimately be able to exercise any of our warrants in a way that will realize the value that we attribute to them in our financial statements based on this model.

Note 6. New Accounting Pronouncements

SFAS No. 162

In May 2008, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS No. 162, “The Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles,” which identifies the sources of accounting principles and the framework for selecting the principles used in the preparation of financial statements of nongovernmental entities that are presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. SFAS No. 162 is effective 60 days following the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board amendments to AU Section 4311, “The Meaning of Present Fairly in Conformity With Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.” We believe that our accounting principles and practices are consistent with the guidance in SFAS No. 162, and, accordingly, we do not expect the adoption of SFAS No. 162 to have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations.

SFAS No. 161

In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, “Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” which requires certain disclosures related to derivative instruments. SFAS No. 161 is effective prospectively for interim periods and fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008. We do not have any derivative instruments that fall under the guidance of SFAS No. 161 and, accordingly, the adoption of SFAS No. 161 will not have any effect on our financial position or results of operations.

SFAS No. 159

In February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities,” which permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. The adoption of the provisions of SFAS No. 159 effective January 1, 2008 did not have any effect on our financial position or results of operations.

7

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Forward Looking Statements and Risk Factors

This report, including, without limitation, Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” contains or incorporates both historical and “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “future” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements in this report reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance and are subject to a variety of factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from historical results or from anticipated results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Because of such factors, we cannot assure you that the results anticipated in this report will be realized. As noted elsewhere in this report, various aspects of our business are subject to extreme volatility often as a result of factors beyond our ability to anticipate or control. In particular, factors, such as the condition of the securities markets, which are in turn based on popular perceptions of the health of the economy generally, can be expected to affect the volume of our business as well as the value of the securities maintained in our trading and investment accounts. Other factors that may affect our future financial condition or results of operations include the following:

• Aspects of our business are volatile and affected by factors beyond our control.

• Our ability to attract and retain customers may be affected by our reputation.

• We are subject to extensive regulation that could result in investigations, fines or other penalties.

• We face intense competition in our industry.

• Our future success depends on retaining existing management and hiring and assimilating new key employees, and our inability to attract or retain key personnel would materially harm our business and results of operations.

• We are subject to an increased risk of legal proceedings, which may result in significant losses to us that we cannot recover. Claimants in these proceedings may be customers, employees, or regulatory agencies, among others, seeking damages for mistakes, errors, negligence or acts of fraud by our employees.

• As a public company, we are subject to complex legal and accounting requirements that require us to incur substantial expense and expose us to risk of non-compliance.

• Our directors control approximately 60 percent of our common stock and may have interests differing from those of other stockholders.

Overview

Substantially all of our business consists of the securities brokerage and corporate finance activities of our wholly-owned subsidiary, Paulson Investment Company, Inc., which has operations in four principal categories, all of them in the financial services industry. These categories are:

• securities brokerage activities for which we earn commission revenues;

• corporate finance revenues consisting principally of underwriting discounts and underwriter warrants;

• securities trading from which we record profit or loss, depending on trading results; and

• investment income resulting from earnings on, and increases or decreases in the value of, our investment portfolio.

Because we operate in the financial services industry, our revenues and earnings are substantially affected by general conditions in financial markets. In our securities brokerage business, the amount of our revenues depends on levels of market activity requiring the services we provide. Our corporate finance activity, which consists of acting as the managing underwriter of initial and follow-on public offerings, private investments in public equity (“PIPEs”) and private placements for smaller companies, is similarly affected by the strength of the market for new equity offerings, which has historically experienced substantial cyclical fluctuation. During the first six months of 2008, 42 companies completed an initial public offering (“IPO”) in the U.S., with 17 in the second quarter of 2008. This compares to 147 IPOs in the

8

U.S. in the first half of 2007. Although we attempt to match operating costs with activity levels, many of our expenses are either fixed or difficult to change on short notice. Accordingly, fluctuations in brokerage and corporate finance revenues tend to result in sharper fluctuations, on a percentage basis, in net income or loss.

Our investment income or loss and, to a lesser extent, our trading income or loss is affected by changes in market valuation of securities generally and, in particular, by changes in valuation of the equity securities of microcap companies in which our investments and trading activities tend to be concentrated. Equity markets in general, and microcap equity markets in particular, have always experienced significant volatility and this volatility has, in recent years, been extreme. The result of this volatility on the value of our investment portfolio and securities held in connection with our trading and investment activities include large quarterly fluctuations in income or loss from these operations and substantial increases or decreases in our net worth as our securities holdings are marked to market.

A substantial portion of our corporate finance business consists of acting as managing underwriter of initial and follow-on public offerings for microcap and smallcap companies. As a part of our compensation for these activities, we typically receive warrants exercisable to purchase securities similar to those that we offer and sell to the public. The warrants generally have a five-year expiration date and vest immediately. The warrants are generally subject to a restricted period of six months to one-year during which we cannot exercise. The exercise price is typically 120% of the price at which the securities were initially sold to the public. Accordingly, unless there is at least a 20% increase in the price of these securities at some time more than six months and less than five years after the offering, the warrants will remain “under water” and will ultimately expire unexercised. We also receive warrants in connection with PIPEs, which have varying terms and conditions.

Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates

With the exception of the adoption of SFAS No. 157 as described in Note 5 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, we reaffirm the critical accounting policies and estimates as reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2008.

Results of Operations

Our revenues and operating results are influenced by fluctuations in the equity markets as well as general economic and market conditions, particularly conditions in the over-the-counter market, where our investment and trading positions and the underlying stock for the underwriter warrants are heavily concentrated. Significant fluctuations can occur in our revenues and operating results from one period to another. Our results of operations depend upon many factors, such as the number of companies that are seeking financing, the quality and financial condition of those companies, market conditions in general, the performance of our previous underwritings and interest in certain industries by investors. As a result, revenues and income derived from these activities may vary significantly from period to period. Our revenues include the following:

• Commissions, which represent amounts earned from our retail securities brokerage activities;

• Corporate finance revenues, which are a function of total proceeds from offerings done during the period, compensation per offering and the fair value of underwriter warrants received;

• Investment income (loss), which includes (i) the unrealized appreciation and depreciation of securities held based on quoted market prices, (ii) the unrealized appreciation and depreciation of securities held that are not readily marketable, based upon our estimate of their fair value, (iii) realized gains and losses on the sale of securities with quoted market prices and securities that are not readily marketable, (iv) income on the exercise of underwriter warrants, and (v) the unrealized appreciation and depreciation of underwriter warrants held; and

• Trading income (loss), which is the gain or loss from trading positions before commissions paid to the representatives in the trading department.

9

The following tables set forth the changes in our operating results in the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 compared to the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 (dollars in thousands):

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Increase (Decrease)			% Increase (Decrease)
	2008			2007
Revenues:
Commissions	$	3,557		$	4,604		$	(1,047	)	(22.7	)%
Corporate finance		—			3,450			(3,450	)	*
Investment loss		(5,037	)		(629	)		(4,408	)	*
Trading income (loss)		(1,770	)		371			(2,141	)	*
Interest and dividends		13			37			(24	)	(64.9	)
Other		31			147			(116	)	(78.9	)
Total revenues		(3,206	)		7,980			(11,186	)	(140.2	)
Expenses:
Commissions and salaries		3,189			4,818			(1,629	)	(33.8	)
Underwriting expenses		168			150			18		12.0
Rent, telephone and quotation services		302			304			(2	)	(0.7	)
Professional fees		214			141			73		51.8
Bad debt expense		2			107			(105	)	(98.1	)
Travel and entertainment		169			42			127		302.4
Advertising and promotion		56			37			19		51.4
Settlement expense		16			230			(214	)	(93.0	)
Depreciation and amortization		28			27			1		3.7
Other		394			462			(68	)	(14.7	)
Total expenses		4,538			6,318			(1,780	)	(28.2	)
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	(7,744	)	$	1,662		$	(9,406	)	(565.9	)%

	Six Months Ended June 30,					Increase (Decrease)			% Increase (Decrease)
	2008			2007
Revenues:
Commissions	$	8,013		$	8,720	$	(707	)	(8.1	)%
Corporate finance		395			4,446		(4,051	)	(91.1	)
Investment income (loss)		(12,074	)		2,556		(14,630	)	*
Trading income		2,552			1,711		841		49.2
Interest and dividends		27			71		(44	)	(62.0	)
Other		57			172		(115	)	(66.9	)
Total revenues		(1,030	)		17,676		(18,706	)	(105.8	)
Expenses:
Commissions and salaries		7,528			8,783		(1,255	)	(14.3	)
Underwriting expenses		314			310		4		1.3
Rent, telephone and quotation services		589			617		(28	)	(4.5	)
Professional fees		474			345		129		37.4
Bad debt expense		5			155		(150	)	(96.8	)
Travel and entertainment		201			77		124		161.0
Advertising and promotion		115			85		30		35.3
Settlement expense		32			310		(278	)	(89.7	)
Depreciation and amortization		57			56		1		1.8
Other		775			776		(1	)	(0.1	)
Total expenses		10,090			11,514		(1,424	)	(12.4	)
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	(11,120	)	$	6,162	$	(17,282	)	(280.5	)%

* Not meaningful.

Revenues

Commissions decreased 22.7% and 8.1%, respectively, in the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 compared to the same periods of 2007, primarily as a result of poor market conditions. We had 89 registered representatives at June 30, 2008 compared to 95 at December 31, 2007.

We did not have any corporate finance income during the second quarter of 2008. The six-month period ended June 30, 2008 included underwriting discounts earned from the following:

10

• an initial public offering in which we raised $5.1 million for Healthy Fast Foods, Inc., as well as the Black-Scholes value of the underwriter warrants received in connection with that offering.

Corporate finance income of $3.5 million in the three-month period ended June 30, 2007 included underwriting discounts earned from the following:

• an initial public offering in which we raised $14.0 million for Vaughan Foods Incorporated, as well as the Black-Scholes value of the underwriter warrants received in connection with that offering; and

• one private offering during the second quarter of 2007 in which we raised $2.8 million for our client.

Corporate finance income in the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 also included underwriting discounts earned from the following:

• an initial public offering in which we raised $9.8 million for Converted Organics Inc., as well as the Black-Scholes value of the underwriter warrants received in connection with that offering; and

• one private transaction completed during the first quarter of 2007.

Investment income (loss) included the following (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2008			2007			2008			2007
Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) related to underwriter warrants	$	(4,753	)	$	1,158		$	(11,607	)	$	5,234
Net unrealized depreciation of underwriter warrants – employee and independent contractor		352			—			443			—
Net unrealized depreciation of securities held based on quoted market prices or, for securities that are not readily marketable, our estimate of their fair value		(196	)		(2,184	)		(1,536	)		(3,320	)
Net realized gains (losses) on the sale of securities with quoted market prices, securities that are not readily marketable and from the exercise of underwriter warrants		(440	)		397			626			642
	$	(5,037	)	$	(629	)	$	(12,074	)	$	2,556

We exercised zero and two underwriter warrants, respectively, in the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 compared to one in the same periods of 2007. Generally, when we exercise a warrant to obtain the underlying common stock, the common stock is subsequently sold in the near term and the related gain is reflected as a component of investment income.

Investment income (loss) is volatile from period to period due to the fact that it is driven by the market value or fair value of the securities and underwriter warrants held. In addition, the performance of the securities in which we have a concentration can significantly affect our investment income from period to period.

Trading income decreased $2.1 million and increased $0.8 million, respectively, in the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 compared to the same periods of 2007. In the three-month period ended June 30, 2008, trading income was negatively affected by difficult conditions in the market. In the six-month period ended June 30, 2008 and the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007, trading income was positively affected by favorable results for certain securities that we were holding in our trading inventories. Our focus is on very small capitalization issues, especially those tied to our corporate finance clients. Trading income (loss) can be volatile from period to period because it is driven by the market value of the securities in which we make a market.

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Expenses

Total expenses decreased $1.8 million and $1.4 million, respectively, in the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 compared to the same periods of 2007, primarily due to decreases in commissions and salaries, bad debt expense and settlement expense as described in more detail below.

Commissions and salaries decreased $1.6 million and $1.3 million, respectively, in the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 compared to the same periods of 2007. The decreases were primarily due to lower commissions earned on lower commission revenue and lower compensation as a result of fewer investment banking transactions. Retail commissions as a percentage of retail sales was comparable between the current year and prior year periods.

Bad debt expenses are recorded for specific amounts when they are determined by management to be uncollectible. Bad debt expense in the second quarter of 2007 included a $104,000 write-off of a loan to a potential corporate finance client.

Settlement expense of $16,000 and $32,000 in the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2008 was related to current legal matters that were resolved during the periods. Settlement expense of $230,000 in the three-month period ended June 30, 2007 primarily related to an accrual for $220,000 in connection with a legal claim that settled in July 2007. We do not expect insurance recovery on this claim. In addition, the $310,000 in the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 included a net $63,000 adjustment for open claims.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary sources of liquidity include our cash and cash equivalents and receivables from our clearing organization, offset by payables to our clearing organization.

In addition, our sources of liquidity include our trading positions, investment positions, borrowings on those positions and profits realized upon the sale of the securities underlying underwriter warrants exercised. The liquidity of the market for many of our securities holdings, however, varies with trends in the stock market. Since many of the securities we hold are thinly traded, and we are, in many cases, a primary market maker in the issues held, any significant sales of our positions could adversely affect the liquidity of the issues held. In general, falling prices in NASDAQ securities (which make up most of our trading positions) lead to decreased liquidity in the market for these issues, while rising prices in NASDAQ issues tend to increase the liquidity of the market for these securities.

We believe our liquidity is sufficient to meet our needs for both the short and long-term horizon. However, our liquidity could be negatively affected by protracted unfavorable market conditions.

As a securities broker-dealer, we are required by SEC regulations to meet certain liquidity and capital standards. We believe we were in compliance with these standards at June 30, 2008.

Following the lapse of restrictions upon issuance, capital available from the sale of the underlying securities of underwriter warrants exercised can fluctuate significantly from period to period as the value of the underlying securities fluctuates with overall market and individual company financial condition or performance. There is no public market for the underwriter warrants. The securities receivable upon exercise of the underwriter warrants cannot be resold unless the issuer has registered these securities with the SEC and with the states in which the securities will be sold unless exemptions are available. Any delay or other problem in the registration of these securities would have an adverse impact upon our ability to obtain funds from the exercise of the underwriter warrants and the resale of the underlying securities.

At June 30, 2008, we owned 20 underwriter warrants from 19 issuers, all but two of which were exercisable. One of the warrants had an exercise price below the June 30, 2008 market price of the securities receivable upon exercise. The intrinsic value of this warrant was $0.7 million at June 30, 2008.

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There is little or no direct relationship between the intrinsic value of our underwriter warrants at the end of any given period and the fair value calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The prices of the securities underlying the underwriter warrants are very volatile, and substantial fluctuations in our estimate of their value can be expected in the future.

Cash provided by operating activities totaled $0.5 million in the six-month period ended June 30, 2008, primarily due to our net loss of $7.0 million being offset by net non-cash expense items of $6.0 million and changes in our operating assets and liabilities as discussed in more detail below.

Our net receivable from our clearing organization decreased $1.5 million to $7.7 million at June 30, 2008 from $9.2 million at December 31, 2007, primarily due to the results of the activity in our trading and investment accounts, as well as the timing of general corporate expenditures.

Notes and other receivables decreased $0.9 million to $0.7 million at June 30, 2008 from $1.6 million at December 31, 2007, due to repayment of a $1.1 million note from one of our corporate finance clients, partially offset by amounts loaned to a different corporate finance client.

Deferred income tax assets increased $4.7 million to $2.9 million at June 30, 2008 from a liability of $1.8 million at December 31, 2007, primarily due to the decrease in the value of our underwriter warrants, as well as unrealized losses on our investment securities.

Changes in our trading and investment securities are dependent on the purchase and sale of securities during the period, as well as changes in their fair market values during the period.

A roll-forward of the value of our underwriter warrants was as follows (in thousands):

Balance, December 31, 2007	$	16,373
Fair value of warrants received		462
Net unrealized loss on value of warrants		(10,810	)
Value of warrants exercised or expired		(797	)
Balance, June 30, 2008	$	5,228

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities decreased $1.9 million to $1.3 million at June 30, 2008 from $3.2 million at December 31, 2007, primarily due to a decrease in amounts payable to certain employees as a result of a decrease in the market value of stock related to the exercise of underwriter warrants, as well as less commissions payable due to reduced commissions revenue.

Deferred revenue of $0.3 million at June 30, 2008 related to amounts received from our clearing firm based on the execution of a five-year agreement, and is being amortized at the rate of $8,333 per month through September 2011.

Underwriter warrants – employee and independent contractor of $0.2 million at June 30, 2008 represented the estimated fair value of underwriter warrants held for which the gain from the sale of the related stock upon exercise is due to certain employees.

In September 2001, our Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program pursuant to which we are authorized to repurchase up to 600,000 shares of our common stock. In addition, in June 2008, our Board of Directors approved the repurchase of up to a total of an additional 200,000 shares of our common stock. During the six-month period ended June 30, 2008, we repurchased a total of 95,000 shares for $482,000 and, at June 30, 2008, 256,876 shares remained available for repurchase. These repurchase programs do not have an expiration date.

13

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a material current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.

New Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 6 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Not required for smaller reporting companies.

Item 4T. Controls and Procedures

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management has evaluated, under the supervision and with the participation of our President and our Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) or Rule 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Based on that evaluation, our President and our Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is (1) recorded, processed, summarized and reported in a timely manner, and (2) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our President and our Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

14

PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

We repurchased the following shares of our common stock during the second quarter of 2008:

	Total number of shares purchased	Average price paid per share		Total number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced plan	Maximum number of shares that may yet be purchased under the plan
April 1 to April 30	25,000	$	5.10	503,124	96,876
May 1 to May 31	40,000	$	4.96	543,124	56,876
June 1 to June 30	—		—	—	256,876	(1)
Total	65,000	$	5.01	543,124	256,876

(1) A plan to repurchase up to a total of 600,000 shares of our common stock was approved by our Board of Directors in September 2001 and does not have an expiration date. In addition, in June 2008, our Board of Directors approved the repurchase of up to a total of an additional 200,000 shares of our common stock. This authorization also does not have an expiration date.

Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

Our annual meeting of the shareholders was held on June 12, 2008. The following action was approved:

1. To elect the following persons to serve as directors of Paulson Capital Corp. until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified:

Name	Number of Shares Voting For	Number of Shares Withheld Voting
Chester L. F. Paulson	5,813,982	23,946
Jacqueline M. Paulson	5,813,982	23,946
Denis R. Burger, Ph.D.	5,813,982	23,946
Steve H. Kleemann	5,813,982	23,946
Charles Paulson	5,813,982	23,946
Shannon P. Pratt, Ph.D.	5,813,982	23,946
Paul F. Shoen	5,813,982	23,946

Item 6. Exhibits

The following exhibits are filed herewith and this list is intended to constitute the exhibit index:

31.1	Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
31.2	Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
32.1	Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.
32.2	Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Date: August 14, 2008	PAULSON CAPITAL CORP.
	By	/s/ CHESTER L. F. PAULSON
	Chester L. F. Paulson President and Chief Executive Officer Principal Executive Officer
	By	/s/ KAREN L. JOHANNES
	Karen L. Johannes Chief Financial Officer Principal Financial Officer

16

EX-31.1

EXHIBIT 31.1

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14(a) OR RULE 15d-14(a)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

I, Chester L. F. Paulson, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Paulson Capital Corp.;

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 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 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: August 14, 2008

/s/ Chester L. F. Paulson

Chester L. F. Paulson

President and Chief Executive Officer

Paulson Capital Corp.

EX-31.2

EXHIBIT 31.2

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14(a) OR RULE 15d-14(a)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

I, Karen L. Johannes, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Paulson Capital Corp.;

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 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 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: August 14, 2008

/s/ Karen L. Johannes

Karen L. Johannes

Chief Financial Officer

Paulson Capital Corp.

EX-32.1

EXHIBIT 32.1

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14(b) OR RULE 15d-14(b)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 AND 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Paulson Capital Corp. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2008 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Chester L. F. Paulson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my 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 result of operations of the Company.

/s/ Chester L. F. Paulson

Chester L. F. Paulson

President and Chief Executive Officer

Paulson Capital Corp.

August 14, 2008

This certification is made solely for the purpose of 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, and not for any other purpose. A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Paulson Capital Corp. and will be retained by Paulson Capital Corp. and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

EX-32.2

EXHIBIT 32.2

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14(b) OR RULE 15d-14(b)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 AND 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Paulson Capital Corp. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2008 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Karen L. Johannes, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my 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 result of operations of the Company.

/s/ Karen L. Johannes

Karen L. Johannes

Chief Financial Officer

Paulson Capital Corp.

August 14, 2008

This certification is made solely for the purpose of 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, and not for any other purpose. A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Paulson Capital Corp. and will be retained by Paulson Capital Corp. and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.