Prospect Capital Corporation
Q3 2012 Earnings Call Transcript

Published: 4 Dec 2012

[Operator:]

Greetings and welcome to the Pep Boys, third quarter 2012 earnings conference call. (Operator Instructions) It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Michael Odell, President and CEO. Thank you, sir. You may now begin.

[Michael Odell:]

Good morning and thank you for participating in Pep Boys third quarter earnings conference call. On the call with me today are Sanjay Sood, our Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Office; and Scott Webb, our Executive Vice President of Merchandising, Supply Chain and Digital Operations. David Stern, our Chief Financial Officer is not with us today, as he is attending to a sudden family illness and we hope they get well soon. The format of the call is similar to our previous calls. First, I will provide opening comments regarding our results and strategic priorities and then Sanjay will review the financial performance, balance sheet and cash flows for the third quarter. We will then turn the call over to the operator to moderate a Q&A and the call will end by 9

[Sanjay Sood:]

Thanks Mike. This morning I will review our results on a GAAP basis, as well as a line of business basis. Please see the last page of our press release for line of business format financial information. I’ll also review relevant balance sheet and cash flow data. On a GAAP basis, net loss for the third quarter of 2012 was $6.8 million or a loss per share of $0.13, compared to earnings of $7 million or earnings per share of $0.13 in the prior year third quarter. The current year third quarter includes, on a pre-tax basis, an asset impairment change of $8.8 million, which is included in cost sales. Again see the last page of the press release for breakdown of this charge. Also during the quarter the company refinanced its debt, reducing the principal to $200 million, a decrease of $95 million, lowering the interest rate by approximately 200 basis points and extending the maturity to 2018 and thereby reducing annual interest expense by approximate $11 million. In connection with the refinancing the company incurred an interest change of $11.2 million. On a GAAP basis, third quarter 2012 sales decreased by $12.6 million or 2.4% to $509.6 million from $522.2 million in the prior year, primary due to a decline in comparable store sales of 2.7% or $14 million, partially offset by the contribution from our new store locations of $1.5 million. The total comparable store sales decrease of 2.7% for the quarter was comprised of an increase in comparable store service revenue of 0.2%, offset by a decrease in comparable store merchandize sales of 3.5%. The increase in comparable store service revenue was due to higher customer count, offset by a decrease in the average transaction amount per customer. The decrease in comparable store merchandize sales was driven primarily by a lower comparable store customer count, partially offset by a higher average transaction amount per customer. Total gross profit dollars for the third quarter of 2012 decreased by $10.9 million to $116 million or $126.9 million in the same period in the prior year. The gross profit margin which is fully loaded with occupancy cost, warehousing and service payrolls decreased to 22.8% of sales as compared to 24.3% in the prior year quarter. Total gross profit for the third quarter of 2012 included an asset impairment charge of $8.8 million. Excluding the asset impairment charge total gross profit margin increased by 20 basis points to 24.5% for the third quarter of 2012 from 24.3% in the prior year. This increase in total gross profit margin was primarily due to improved product margins, primarily in tires and oil change services of 7 basis points, more fully offset by higher payroll and related expenses as a percent of total sales, 40 basis points. The new service and tire centers have a higher concentration of their sales and tires, which have a lower margin and have a higher rent and payroll cost as a percent of total sales. The service and tire centers exclusive of the impairment charge reduced total margins by approximately 170 basis points and 150 basis points in the third quarter of 2012 and 2011 respectively. While the new service and tire centers had a negative impact on total gross profit margin, they were accretive to gross profit dollars in both years. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues increased to 22% for the third quarter of 2012 from 21% for the third quarter of 2011. SG&A expenses increased $2.5 million or 2.3%, to $112 million from $109.5 million in the prior year quarter, primarily due to higher media expense of $1.5 million. In addition in the third quarter of 2011 SG&A expense benefited from the reduction to the contingent consideration of $700,000 related to one of the company’s acquisitions. On a GAAP basis net earnings for the year-to-date through the third quarter decreased to $27.4 million or earnings of $0.51 per share versus net earnings of $33.3 million or $0.62 per share for the same period last year. The 2012 results include on a pre-tax basis merger termination fees net of related expenses of $42.8 million, debt refinancing expense of $11.2 million and asset impairment charge of $8.8 million and severance expense of $700,000. The 2011 results included a tax benefit of $3.6 million and on a pre tax basis an asset impairment charge of $0.4 million and acquisition related expense of $1.5 million. Now I’ll cover our services center and retail business on a line of business basis for the third quarter of 2012. Our service center business, which includes tire and merchandise sales generated through our service base, as well as service labor revenue generated revenue of $271.4 million in the third quarter of 2012, an increase of 0.6% or $1.6 million over the $269.7 million generated in the same quarter last year. The improvement was primarily due to new locations, which contributed an additional $2 million in revenue, while service center comparable store revenues were flat. New customer count increased by 3.4%, offset by a decrease in the average transaction amount per customer. The increase in customer count was due to the strength in our maintenance and repair business, led by increased oil change transactions, which have a lower average transaction amount per customer. Service center gross profit was $52 million, a decrease of 6.2% or $3.4 million from the $55.4 million recorded in the prior year third quarter. A portion of the previously referenced impairment charge that apply to the service center gross profit was $4.6 million. Excluding the asset impairment charge, service center gross profit as a percentage of service center revenue increased to 20.9% from 20.5% in the same period of the prior year. The increase in gross profit margin was due to improved product margins of 90 basis points, primarily in tires and oil, partially offset by higher occupancy cost of 50 basis points as a percent of total sales. The new service and tire centers have a higher concentration on the sales and lower margin tires and the higher rent and payroll cost as a percent of total sales, which lowered the gross margin by approximately 290 basis points and 260 points in 2012 and 2011 respectively; however, service and tire centers positively contributed to gross profit dollars in both years. The retail business generated sales of $238.2 million in the third quarter of 2012, a decrease of 5.6% or $14.2 million from $252.4 million from the same period for the prior year. The decline was primarily due to a decrease in comparable store sales of 5.4% or $13.7 million as a result of a decline of 5.3% in customer counts. The retail business reported gross profit of $64.1 million for the third quarter 2012 versus $71.5 million for the same quarter of last year. The portion of the previously referenced impairment charge that apply to retail gross profit was $4.2 million. Excluding the impairment charge, retail gross profit as a percentage of retail sales increased to 28.6% from 28.3% in the same period of the prior year. The increase in retail gross margin was primarily due to improved product gross margin of 13 basis points and lower occupancy cost as a percentage of total sales. Moving to the balance sheet and cash flow; at the end of the third quarter cash was $78.7 million, an increase of $20.4 million since year end. For the first nine months of 2012 the company generated free cash flow of $120 million. Free cash flow is defined as cash flow from operating activities plus net amounts financed under our trade payable program, which is included in cash flows from financing activities, less cash from investing activities. Through the third quarter of 2012 operating cash flow was $116.2 million and included merger termination fees net of related expenses of $42.8 million. Significant uses of cash included a $95 million reduction in debt and $36.8 million of capital expenditures. Prior year uses of cash included capital expenditures of $50.8 million, acquisitions of $42.9 million and dividend payments of $4.8 million. Total debt net of cash decreased by $115.5 million from the prior year and due to the previously referenced reduction of debt and the increase in cash of $20.4 million. Inventory net of accounts payable, including freight payable program was $250.3 million at the end of the third quarter of 2012, a decline of $34.9 million since year end. Inventory at the end of the quarter was $634.3 million, an increase of $20.1 million from the end of last year. The increase was primarily due to an expanded inventory assortment in certain hard part categories, seasonal purchases and increased investment in our new stores. Accounts payable, including the trade payable program was $383.9 million at the end of the quarter, an increase of $55 million from the end of last year. The AP to inventory ratio increased to 60.5% from 53.6% at the end of the prior year, primarily due to improved vendor payment terms, increased inventory purchases and an expanded trade payable program. Prospectively we have no significant debt maturities until 2018. We are in the process of terminating our pension plans, which have been frozen since December 1996. This process is expected to be completed before the end of fiscal 2012. We estimate the company will use approximately $13 million of cash on hand before we fund the plan on a termination basis and will incur a pre tax expense of approximately $17 million. We expect capital expenditures to be approximately $55 million in fiscal year 2012. Fiscal 2012 capital expenditures include the addition of approximately 30 new locations, the conversion of 50 supercenters into superhubs, the addition of 20 suite shops with existing store good and existing stores, information technology enhancements and required expenditures for our existing stores, offices and distribution centers. These expenditures are expected to be funded by cash on hand and net cash generated from operating activities. Additional capacity if needed exists under our existing line of credit. At the end of the quarter we have $167.3 million of availability under our revolving credit facility. I will now turn the call over to the operator to begin the question-and-answer session.

[Operator:]

Thank you. (Operator Instructions). Our first question comes from Simeon Gutman of Credit Suisse. Caller, please proceed with your question.

[Simeon Gutman:]

Thanks. Good morning. Mike, can you talk about the tire market and market share and how you’re trending within the overall market share picture, because I think with the initiatives your doing, including TreadSmart, it would feel like the momentum should be turning for Pep Boys within that market. I’m curious what your thoughts are?

[Michael Odell:]

It’s hard to gauge. We look at the RMA data, which is on a fee shipment to retailers that replaces what they’ve sold, so there’s a little bit of a time lag, but as we look at it from, I think its – let me check my notes here, from May to September which is the data that we had it looked like we were doing slightly better than initial trends during that timeframe.

[Simeon Gutman:]

Okay. And I mean, are there any channel shift where they are moving to math versus the aftermarket garages; is there anything like that that’s handout.

[Michael Odell:]

I think everyday it feels like new players are getting into the tire business, whether its repair shops that put more focus on it or obviously detailers have been adding it to their assortment. I don’t think it’s a significant shift. I just think that there continues to be more players in it every day, but that’s been happening probably for a decade or more at this point in time.

[Simeon Gutman:]

Okay, and then with regard to the retail business, I think it was mentioned that may be the traffic was a little weaker, but it was helped by ticket. Is that ticket on individual items or is it the basket size is getting a little larger.

[Michael Odell:]

Its both.

[Simeon Gutman:]

Okay, and is there a widespread, meaning what type of magnitude if you can speak to it is a traffic down and what type of things are the things that could be done or are we just in the soft patch that the industry has been gone through.

[Michael Odell:]

Well, there is a soft patch. Obviously there’s been deceleration in the industry for the last two years, but that’s where we are increasing the number of speed shop that we are going to have to drive more customers into the stores and also review in our marketing plans to drive more customers into our stores. I mean there this definitely tactics we can do and then the biggest tactic is just driving our associates to engage with our customers, to make sure that every customer that walks into the door leaves with a solution for their car, and everyday we have customers where we don’t feel like we fully execute and our biggest issue is – not our biggest issue, but our biggest opportunity is just to make sure that we care for every customer by understanding what they came in for, making sure they leave with a solution.

[Simeon Gutman:]

Okay and then the last question, I think you mentioned in the maintenance business the traffic or the customer transactions were up double digits. I think last quarter and you may have even mentioned it this quarter, is the ticker though are still, they are mixing down a little because of the type of services that are being performed.

[Michael Odell:]

Its more of the biggest mix would be tires, which is obviously a lower margin rate but a higher dollar ticket, so it’s more of the mix between the fact that maintenance is growing and tires have declined and units would drive the average ticker down if it’s more than anything else.

[Simeon Gutman:]

So there isn’t a big portion or maybe there is, it’s just its happening this way. But to take the oil change, to try to capture the customer at the early part of the lifecycle, then to translate into something down the line.

[Michael Odell:]

I mean that’s exactly what our strategy has been, is to start right. The first, if you think about that customer lifecycle, they start to go to the dealer when they first buy the car and the first services that they start to look elsewhere is for the oil change and the other maintenance services and that’s why we are focused on trying to grab those, attract those customers as quickly as possible. Then obviously tires is the next – the first major purchase that people tend to make on their car beyond the maintenance and then it gets into the breaks. So we are absolutely focused on driving the maintenance customer into our stores to start building into that relationship.

[Simeon Gutman:]

Okay, thank you.

[Operator:]

Our next question comes from the line of Brian Sponheimer of Gabelli & Company. Caller, please proceed with your question.

[Brian Sponheimer:]

Hi, good morning Mike.

[Michael Odell:]

Hi Brian.

[Brian Sponheimer:]

Just a question on the store roll out.

[Michael Odell:]

The speed shops – I’m sorry, are you referring to speed shops.

[Brian Sponheimer:]

Well, I don’t want to talk about speed shops. Alright, we’ll stay with speed shops. What strategic alternatives were there other than rolling out speed shops and why you think this is a big differentiator versus those other ones in the (inaudible) of the world as far as getting customers in the door.

[Michael Odell:]

Well, we have the faith to be able to house the product for that customer. Most of the competition is they can go into another store and they can order it or they can go online to order it, but this is having the expert in the store to help the customer. It’s a huge market that is basically not met and we think that it’s going to be difficult for anyone else to match us.

[Brian Sponheimer:]

What’s the incremental spend per store in order to ramp up the speed shops.

[Michael Odell:]

The capital cost per store is about 30,000 per store, as long as you don’t have to do a lot of movement. We use the cavities that exists typically in the form of the store and then the inventory is about 90,000 per store, but there is some vendor money or fees that are payable, so that’s not full cash out the door, but the gross inventory investments are around 90K.

[Brian Sponheimer:]

Okay, and just with the general store rollout, you are slowing down your net ads.

[Michael Odell:]

It’s a little bit. We fell behind in our schedule and Sandy was a contributor to that. We are behind on some of our projects and besides its not really whether it opens in January or opens in February, March, doesn’t really make that big of a difference so.

[Brian Sponheimer:]

And it’s mostly in the Philly market where you are looking to rollout?

[Michael Odell:]

Well, the plan for the new stores continues to be focused in the northeast and in the southeast, largely Florida and then also California and Chicago, Southern California and Chicago.

[Brian Sponheimer:]

Okay and I guess, let taking about the impact of Sandy heading into it and then thereafter. Your quarter ended on the 27th and Sandy came on the 30th, when we were in Vegas. What did you see it bringing up to and what have you seen since?

[Michael Odell:]

Leading up to, the last couple of days right before in the affected markets people spent less on their cars, because they were worried about the storm obviously and they’d spend more on emergency supply. So it tends to shift the balance of what we sell. The first 10 days of the quarter, we were down pretty significantly. Really through the election quite frankly we were down double digits and since then the business has come back to what the previous trends were.

[Brian Sponheimer:]

So there really hasn’t been a snap back as far as maybe some business that was lost.

[Michael Odell:]

It’s a little hard to figure how it will pay out completely, because obviously there is damage to vehicles that people are taking care of it. Actually our repair services in the affected markets have gotten better, but there is also – obviously there I think (inaudible) it was 250,000 less.

[Sanjay Sood:]

Fewer vehicles.

[Michael Odell:]

Fewer vehicles and obviously the first is replacing those vehicles and then maintaining those vehicles. So it’s a little bit of a mix in terms of since then what’s happened to the business, in terms of the mix of services.

[Brian Sponheimer:]

Okay and I just want one last one if you don’t mind. Any color on private label, especially our low end products versus brand on the merchandise side?

[Michael Odell:]

Yes, I would say the only notable is late in the quarter and what we are experiencing rate now in this quarter is we are mixing into a more mid tier tire. Our mix of OPP tires as a balance is lower than it was previously, which we are happy about.

[Brian Sponheimer:]

Centrally. All right, thank you very much.

[Michael Odell:]

All right, thanks Brian.

[Operator:]

Then next question is from Bret Jordan of BB&T Capital Markets. Caller, please proceed with your question.

[Bret Jordan:]

Good morning, a couple of questions. Can we touch on the impairment a little bit, just to get a little bit more color as to what the thought process were.

[Sanjay Sood:]

Yes. Hi Bret, this is Sanjay. As you know we’re booked to an impairment charge at regular intervals, but the last charge we did was in the fourth quarter of 2011. Well clearly given the softness in the sales this particular year and given the softness and the operating profits that we are required to go through and do an impairment review, up along with asset which we did in the end of the third quarter and we identified 35 stores to impair at that point in time.

[Bret Jordan:]

Okay and then on the balance sheet you talked about $39 million in cash. Do you still have the L.A. office, is that still in the mix or did you sell that or…

[Sanjay Sood:]

That L.A., the region office, it has been sold. I will have it closed in the fourth quarter. So that’s probably down in the fourth quarter.

[Bret Jordan:]

Okay but that’s bit – it hasn’t closed yet.

[Sanjay Sood:]

Correct.

[Bret Jordan:]

Okay, all right.

[Sanjay Sood:]

It didn’t close by the end of the third quarter.

[Bret Jordan:]

Okay and then I guess as you look a the buyback and you haven’t made a decisions there, what would be the argument against the buyback, given the fact you are generating cash flow and the stock, I think it could be trading below the 10/22 book value and if you closed the quarter with it, are there any arguments against?

[Michael Odell:]

Really, I guess no comment and not really I guess.

[Bret Jordan:]

Okay and then I guess one last question, on regional performance it’s been the talk of the industry for a while now. Have you seen any changes as far as westerns to eastern this version or changes in the rates of the business?

[Michael Odell:]

There still is a difference between the southern and the western markets, California and Florida performing better than the Northern markets in the mid-western and the northeast.

[Bret Jordan:]

Okay, and could you guys tell us what you put the L.A sold for, is that legal?

[Michael Odell:]

I think it’s roughly $6 million.

[Bret Jordan:]

Okay, that was the gross. All right great, thank you.

[Michael Odell:]

Okay.

[Operator:]

And the next question is from Ronald Bookbinder of the The Benchmark Company. Caller, please proceed with your question.

[Ronald Bookbinder:]

Sure, good morning. Just a quick question; on the tire cost coming down, do you see your competition continuing to hold on to that margin or is that starting to erode as they try and give it back to the consumers and how do you see that going into next year.

[Michael Odell:]

Well, we see prices generally stable, retail prices generally stable in the market place. There are puts and calls on a tire size and brand, sort of all over the place, but I would say generally we see stability, we see a little bit more promotional activity, but generally the sticker prices are stable.

[Ronald Bookbinder:]

You said that the margin improvement that we saw this past quarter, we sort of continue to expect to see that in the next coming quarters.

[Michael Odell:]

We work real hard to improve our margins on tires. Keep in mind that that improvement came in a couple of different fashions. Number one it came from price, but also as I mentioned a moment ago, it came from a mix of tires and so we are mixing out of OPP or Opening Price Pont tires, which generally have a lower rate into more branded tires, which enjoy a better margin rate and margin dollars.

[Ronald Bookbinder:]

And do you see that continuing to ramp towards the more branded tires as people come to know Pep Boys as having a wider selection.

[Michael Odell:]

That’s our strategy.

[Ronald Bookbinder:]

Okay, great. Good luck going forward.

[Michael Odell:]

Thank you.

[Operator:]

It appears there are no further questions at this time. I would now like to pass the floor back to management for closing comments.

[Michael Odell:]

Alright, thank you again for your interest in Pep Boys. Obviously it was a tough quarter, but we are very existed about our future and hope that you are too and have a Merry Christmas.

[Operator:]

This concludes today’s teleconference. You may now disconnect your lines at this time and thank you for your participation.