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COPART INC - 10-Q - MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
(Edgar Glimpses Via Acquire Media NewsEdge)
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including the information incorporated by
reference herein, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the Exchange
Act). All statements other than statements of historical facts are statements
that could be deemed forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify
forward-looking statements by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expect,"
"plan," "intend," "forecast," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict,"
"potential," "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable
terminology. The forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-Q involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and situations that may cause our or our
industry's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be
materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by these statements. These forward-looking
statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provision of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These factors include those listed in
Part I, Item 1A.-"Risk Factors" of this Form 10-Q and those discussed elsewhere
in this Form 10-Q. We encourage investors to review these factors carefully
together with the other matters referred to herein, as well as in the other
documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. We may
from time to time make additional written and oral forward-looking statements,
including statements contained in our filings with the SEC. We do not undertake
to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us
or on our behalf.
Although we believe that, based on information currently available to us and our
management, the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are
reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance
or achievements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. In addition, historical information should not be considered an
indicator of future performance.
Overview
We are a leading provider of online auctions and vehicle remarketing services in
the United States (U.S.), Canada, the United Kingdom (U.K.), the United Arab
Emirates (U.A.E.), Brazil and Germany.
We provide vehicle sellers with a full range of services to process and sell
vehicles over the Internet through our Virtual Bidding Second Generation
Internet auction-style sales technology, which we refer to as VB2. Vehicle
sellers consist primarily of insurance companies, but also include banks and
financial institutions, charities, car dealerships, fleet operators and vehicle
rental companies. We then sell the vehicles principally to licensed vehicle
dismantlers, rebuilders, repair licensees, used vehicle dealers and exporters
and, at certain locations, to the general public. The majority of the vehicles
sold on behalf of insurance companies are either damaged vehicles deemed a total
loss or not economically repairable by the insurance companies or are recovered
stolen vehicles for which an insurance settlement with the vehicle owner has
already been made. We offer vehicle sellers a full range of services that
expedite each stage of the vehicle sales process, minimize administrative and
processing costs and maximize the ultimate sales price.
In the U.S. and Canada (North America), the U.A.E. and Brazil we sell vehicles
primarily as an agent and derive revenue primarily from fees paid by vehicle
sellers and vehicle buyers as well as related fees for services such as towing
and storage.
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In the U.K., we operate both on a principal basis, purchasing the salvage
vehicle outright from the insurance companies and reselling the vehicle for our
own account, and as an agent. In Germany, we derive revenue from sales listing
fees for listing vehicles on behalf of many German insurance companies.
Our revenues consist of sales transaction fees charged to vehicle sellers and
vehicle buyers, transportation revenue, purchased vehicle revenues, and other
remarketing services. Revenues from sellers are generally generated either on a
fixed fee contract basis where we collect a fixed amount for selling each
vehicle regardless of the selling price of the vehicle or, under our Percentage
Incentive Program, or PIP, where our fees are generally based on a predetermined
percentage of the vehicle sales price. Under the consignment, or fixed fee
program, we generally charge an additional fee for title processing and special
preparation. Although sometimes included in the consignment fee, we may also
charge additional fees for the cost of transporting the vehicle to our facility,
storage of the vehicle, and other incidental costs. Under the consignment
programs, only the fees associated with vehicle processing are recorded in
revenue, not the actual sales price (gross proceeds). Sales transaction fees
also include fees charged to vehicle buyers for purchasing vehicles, storage,
loading and annual registration. Transportation revenue includes charges to
sellers for towing vehicles under certain contracts and towing charges assessed
to buyers for delivering vehicles. Purchased vehicle revenue includes the gross
sales price of the vehicle which we have purchased or are otherwise considered
to own and is primarily generated in the U.K.
Operating costs consist primarily of operating personnel (which includes yard
management, clerical and yard employees), rent, contract vehicle towing,
insurance, fuel, equipment maintenance and repair, and costs of vehicles we sold
under purchase contracts. Costs associated with general and administrative
expenses consist primarily of executive management, accounting, data processing,
sales personnel, human resources, professional fees, research and development
and marketing expenses.
We converted all of our North American and U.K. sales to VB2 during fiscal 2004
and fiscal 2008, respectively. VB2 opens our sales process to registered buyers
(whom we refer to as members) anywhere in the world who have Internet access.
This technology and model employs a two-step bidding process. The first step is
an open preliminary bidding feature that allows a member to enter bids either at
a bidding station at the storage facility or over the Internet during the
preview. To improve the effectiveness of bidding, the VB2 system lets members
see the current high bids on the vehicles they want to purchase. The preliminary
bidding step is an open bid format similar to eBay®. Members enter the maximum
price they are willing to pay for a vehicle and VB2's BID4U feature will
incrementally bid on the vehicle on their behalf during all phases of the
auction. Preliminary bidding ends one hour prior to the start of a second
bidding step, an Internet-only virtual auction. This second step allows bidders
the opportunity to bid against each other and the high preliminary bidder. The
bidders enter bids via the Internet in real time while BID4U submits bids for
the high preliminary bidder, up to their maximum bid. When bidding stops, a
countdown is initiated. If no bids are received during the countdown, the
vehicle sells to the highest bidder.
We believe the implementation of VB2 has increased the pool of available buyers
for each sale, which has resulted in added competition and an increase in the
amount buyers are willing to pay for vehicles. We also believe that it has
improved the efficiency of our operations by eliminating the expense and capital
requirements associated with live auctions.
Acquisitions and New Operations
We have acquired eight facilities and established two new facilities since
August 1, 2011 through January 31, 2013. All of these acquisitions have been
accounted for using the purchase method of accounting.
As part of our overall expansion strategy of offering integrated services to
vehicle sellers, we anticipate acquiring and developing facilities in new
regions, as well as the regions currently served by our facilities. We believe
that these acquisitions and openings strengthen our coverage as we have 162
facilities located in North America, the U.K., the U.A.E., and Brazil as of
January 31, 2013 and are able to provide national coverage for our sellers.
The following table sets forth facilities that we have acquired or opened from
August 1, 2011 through January 31, 2013:
Acquisition Geographic Service
Locations or Greenfield Date Area
Atlanta, Georgia Greenfield August 2011 United States
Edmonton, Canada Acquisition May 2012 Canada
Calgary, Canada Acquisition May 2012 Canada
Dubai, U.A.E. Acquisition August 2012 United Arab
Emirates
Webster, New Greenfield September 2012 United States
Hampshire
Embu, Brazil Acquisition November 2012 Brazil
Pirapora, Brazil Acquisition November 2012 Brazil
Osasco, Brazil Acquisition November 2012 Brazil
Mapfre, Brazil Acquisition November 2012 Brazil
Porto Seguro, Acquisition November 2012 Brazil
Brazil
The period-to-period comparability of our consolidated operating results and
financial position is affected by business acquisitions, new openings, weather
and product introductions during such periods. In particular, we have certain
contracts
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inherited through our U.K. acquisitions that require us to act as a principal,
purchasing vehicles from the insurance companies and reselling them for our own
account. It is our intention, where possible, to migrate these contracts to the
agency model in future periods. Changes in the amount of revenue derived in a
period from principal transactions relative to total revenue will impact revenue
growth and margin percentages.
In addition to growth through business acquisitions, we seek to increase
revenues and profitability by, among other things, (i) acquiring and developing
additional vehicle storage facilities in key markets; (ii) pursuing national and
regional vehicle seller agreements; (iii) expanding our service offerings to
sellers and members; and (iv) expanding the application of VB2 into new markets.
In addition, we implement our pricing structure and auction procedures and
attempt to introduce cost efficiencies at each of our acquired facilities by
implementing our operational procedures, integrating our management information
systems and redeploying personnel, when necessary.
In November 2012, we acquired a salvage vehicle auction business in Brazil and
an auction platform in Germany for total purchase price of $34.9 million.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements requires us to
make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets,
liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the related disclosure of contingent
assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates,
including those related to vehicle pooling costs, self-insured reserves,
allowance for doubtful accounts, income taxes, revenue recognition, stock-based
compensation, long-lived asset impairment calculations and contingencies. We
base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions
that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which
form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and
liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may
differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Management has discussed the selection of critical accounting policies and
estimates with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and the Audit
Committee has reviewed our disclosure relating to critical accounting policies
and estimates in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Our significant accounting
policies are described in the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements - Note 1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant
Accounting Policies. The following is a summary of the more significant
judgments and estimates included in our critical accounting policies used in the
preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements. We discuss,
where appropriate, sensitivity to change based on other outcomes reasonably
likely to occur.
Revenue Recognition
We provide a portfolio of services to our sellers and buyers that facilitate the
sale and delivery of a vehicle from seller to buyer. These services include the
ability to use our Internet sales technology and vehicle delivery, loading,
title processing, preparation and storage. We evaluate multiple-element
arrangements relative to our member and seller agreements.
The services we provide to the seller of a vehicle involve disposing of a
vehicle on the seller's behalf and, under most of our current North American
contracts, collecting the proceeds from the member. Pre-sale services, including
towing, title processing, preparation and storage, as well as sale fees and
other enhancement service fees meet the criteria for separate units of
accounting. The revenue associated with each service is recognized upon
completion of the respective service, net of applicable rebates or allowances.
For certain sellers who are charged a proportionate fee based on high bid of the
vehicle, the revenue associated with the pre-sale services are recognized upon
completion of the sale when the total arrangement is fixed and determinable. The
selling price of each service is determined based on management's best estimate
and allotted based on the relative selling price method.
Vehicle sales, where vehicles are purchased and remarketed on our own behalf,
are recognized on the sale date, which is typically the point of high bid
acceptance. Upon high bid acceptance, a legal binding contract is formed with
the member, and we record the gross sales price as revenue.
We also provide a number of services to the buyer of the vehicle, charging a
separate fee for each service. Each of these services has been assessed to
determine whether we have met the requirements to separate them into units of
accounting within a multiple-element arrangement. We have concluded that the
sale and the post-sale services are separate units of accounting.
The fees for sale services are recognized upon completion of the sale, and the
fees for the post-sale services are recognized upon successful completion of
those services using the relative selling price method.
We also charge members an annual registration fee for the right to participate
in our vehicle sales program, which is recognized ratably over the term of the
arrangement, and relist and late-payment fees, which are recognized upon receipt
of payment by the member. No provision for returns has been established, as all
sales are final with no right of return, although we provide for bad debt
expense in the case of non-performance by our members or sellers.
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We allocate arrangement consideration based on the relative estimated selling
prices of the separate units of accounting containing multiple deliverables.
Estimated selling prices are determined using management's best estimate.
Significant inputs in our estimates of the selling price of separate units of
accounting include market and pricing trends, pricing customization and
practices, and profit objectives for the services.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
We record our financial assets and liabilities at fair value in accordance with
the framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted accounting
principles. In accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,
as amended by Accounting Standards Update 2011-04, we consider fair value as an
exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or
paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market
participants under current market conditions. This framework establishes a fair
value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value:
Level I Observable inputs that reflect unadjusted quoted prices for
identical assets or liabilities traded in active markets.
Level II Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level I that are
observable for the asset or liability, either directly or
indirectly. Interest rate hedges are valued at exit prices obtained
from the counter-party.
Level III Inputs that are generally unobservable. These inputs may be used
with internally developed methodologies that result in management's
best estimate.
The amounts recorded for financial instruments in our condensed consolidated
financial statements, which included cash and cash equivalents, accounts
receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair
values as of January 31, 2013 and July 31, 2012, due to the short-term nature of
those instruments, and are classified within Level II of the fair value
hierarchy. Cash equivalents are classified within Level I of the fair value
hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices. See Note 3.
Long-Term Debt for fair value disclosures related to our long-term debt.
Vehicle Pooling Costs
We defer in vehicle pooling costs certain yard operation expenses associated
with vehicles consigned to and received by us, but not sold as of the balance
sheet date. We quantify the deferred costs using a calculation that includes the
number of vehicles at our facilities at the beginning and end of the period, the
number of vehicles sold during the period and an allocation of certain yard
operation expenses of the period. The primary expenses allocated and deferred
are certain facility costs, labor, and vehicle processing. If our allocation
factors change, then yard operation expenses could increase or decrease
correspondingly in the future. These costs are expensed as vehicles are sold in
subsequent periods on an average cost basis. Given the fixed cost nature of our
business there is not a direct correlation in an increase in expenses or units
processed on vehicle pooling costs.
We apply the provisions of accounting guidance for subsequent measurement of
inventory to our vehicle pooling costs. The provision requires that items such
as idle facility expense, excessive spoilage, double freight and re-handling
costs be recognized as current period charges regardless of whether they meet
the criteria of "so abnormal" as provided in the guidance. In addition, the
guidance requires that the allocation of fixed production overhead to the costs
of conversion be based on the normal capacity of production facilities.
In early November 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeastern coast of the United
States. As a result of the extensive flooding that it caused, we expended
additional costs for i) temporary storage facilities, ii) premiums for
subhaulers as they were reassigned from other regions, iii) labor costs incurred
for overtime, travel and lodging due to the reassignment of employees to the
affected region, and iv) equipment costs as additional loaders were leased to
handle the increased volume. These costs, which are characterized as "abnormal"
under ASC 330, Inventory, were expensed as incurred and not included in
inventory. These costs, net of the associated revenues, generated a loss of
$11.9 million during the quarter and had a negative after tax impact on diluted
earnings per share in the quarter of $0.06. At the end of the quarter, over half
of the incremental salvage vehicles received as a result of Hurricane Sandy
remained unsold and in inventory. The Company expects the majority of these
vehicles to be sold in the next quarter.
Derivatives and Hedging
We have entered into two interest rate swaps to eliminate interest rate risk on
our variable rate Term Loan, and the swaps are designated as effective cash flow
hedges under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, (see Note 4. Derivatives
and Hedging). Each quarter, we measure hedge effectiveness using the
"hypothetical derivative method" and record in earnings any hedge
ineffectiveness with the effective portion of the hedges' change in fair value
recorded in other comprehensive income or loss.
Capitalized Software Costs
We capitalize system development costs and website development costs related to
our enterprise computing services during the application development stage.
Costs related to preliminary project activities and post implementation
activities are expensed as incurred. Internal-use software is amortized on a
straight line basis over its estimated useful life, generally three years.
Management evaluates the useful lives of these assets on an annual basis and
tests for impairment whenever events or changes
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in circumstances occur that could impact the recoverability of these assets.
Total capitalized software as of January 31, 2013 and July 31, 2012 was $61.3
million and $55.0 million, respectively. Accumulated amortization expense
related to software for January 31, 2013 and July 31, 2012 totaled $23.7 million
and $19.1 million, respectively.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts in order to provide for estimated
losses resulting from disputed amounts billed to sellers or members and the
inability of our sellers or members to make required payments. If billing
disputes exceed expectations and/or if the financial condition of our sellers or
members were to deteriorate, additional allowances may be required. The
allowance is calculated by taking both seller and buyer accounts receivables
written off during the previous 12 month period as a percentage of the total
accounts receivable balance, i.e. total write-offs/total accounts receivable
(write-off percentage). We note that a one percentage point deviation in the
write-off percentage would have resulted in an increase or decrease to the
allowance for doubtful accounts balance of $1.8 million.
Valuation of Goodwill
We evaluate the impairment of goodwill of our North America and U.K. operating
segments annually (or on an interim basis if certain indicators are present) by
comparing the fair value of the operating segment to its carrying value. Future
adverse changes in market conditions or poor operating results of the operating
segments could result in an inability to recover the carrying value of the
investment, thereby requiring impairment charges in the future.
Income Taxes and Deferred Tax Assets
We account for income tax exposures as required under ASC 740, Income Taxes. We
are subject to income taxes in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Brazil and Germany.
In arriving at a provision of income taxes, we first calculate taxes payable in
accordance with the prevailing tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we
operate; we then analyze the timing differences between the financial reporting
and tax basis of our assets and liabilities, such as various accruals,
depreciation and amortization. The tax effects of the timing difference are
presented as deferred tax assets and liabilities in the condensed consolidated
balance sheet. We assess the probability that the deferred tax assets will be
realized based on our ability to generate future taxable income. In the event
that it is more likely than not the full benefit would not be realized from the
deferred tax assets we carry on our condensed consolidated balance sheet, we
record a valuation allowance to reduce the carrying value of the deferred tax
assets to the amount expected to be realized. As of January 31, 2013, we had
approximately $1.2 million of valuation allowance arising from the state
operating losses where we had discontinued certain operations in prior years and
from capital losses in the U.S. and the U.K. To the extent we establish a
valuation allowance or change the amount of valuation allowance in a period, we
reflect the change with a corresponding increase or decrease in our income tax
provision in the condensed consolidated statements of income.
Historically, our income taxes have been sufficiently provided to cover our
actual income tax liabilities among the jurisdictions in which we operate.
Nonetheless, our future effective tax rate could still be adversely affected by
several factors, including (i) the geographical allocation of our future
earnings; (ii) the change in tax laws or our interpretation of tax laws;
(iii) the changes in governing regulations and accounting principles; (iv) the
changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities; and (v) the
outcome of the income tax examinations. As a result, we routinely assess the
possibilities of material changes resulting from the aforementioned factors to
determine the adequacy of our income tax provision.
Based on our results for the six months ended January 31, 2013, a one percentage
point change in our provision for income taxes as a percentage of income before
taxes would have resulted in an increase or decrease in the provision of
$1.3 million.
We apply the provision of ASC 740, which contains a two-step approach to
recognizing and measuring uncertain tax positions. The first step is to evaluate
the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available
evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be
sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation
processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest
amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement.
Although we believe we have adequately reserved for our uncertain tax positions,
no assurance can be given that the final tax outcome of these matters will not
be different. We adjust these reserves in light of changing facts and
circumstances, such as the closing of a tax audit or the refinement of an
estimate. To the extent that the final tax outcome of these matters is different
than the amounts recorded, such differences will impact the provision for income
taxes in the period in which such determination is made. The provision for
income taxes includes the impact of reserve provisions and changes to reserves
that are considered appropriate, as well as the related net interest settlement
of any particular position, could require the use of cash. In addition, we are
subject to the continuous examination of our income tax returns by various
taxing authorities, including the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. states. We
regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these
examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes.
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Long-lived Asset Valuation, Including Intangible Assets
We evaluate long-lived assets, including property and equipment and certain
identifiable intangibles for impairment whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable. Recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying
amount of an asset to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to
be generated by the use of the asset. If the estimated undiscounted cash flows
change in the future, we may be required to reduce the carrying amount of
an asset.
Stock-based Compensation
We account for our stock-based awards to employees and non-employees using the
fair value method. Compensation cost related to stock-based payment transactions
are recognized based on the fair value of the equity or liability instruments
issued. Determining the fair value of options using the Black-Scholes Merton
option pricing model, or other currently accepted option valuation models,
requires highly subjective assumptions, including future stock price volatility
and expected time until exercise, which greatly affect the calculated fair value
on the measurement date. If actual results are not consistent with our
assumptions and judgments used in estimating the key assumptions, we may be
required to record additional compensation or income tax expense, which could
have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations and financial
position.
Retained Insurance Liabilities
We are partially self-insured for certain losses related to medical, general
liability, workers' compensation and auto liability. Our insurance policies are
subject to a $250,000 deductible per claim, with the exception of our medical
policy which is $225,000 per claim. In addition, each of our policies contains
an aggregate stop loss which limits our ultimate exposure. Our liability
represents an estimate of the ultimate cost of claims incurred as of the balance
sheet date. The estimated liability is not discounted and is established based
upon analysis of historical data and actuarial estimates. The primary estimates
used in the actuarial analysis include total payroll and revenue. Our estimates
have not materially fluctuated from actual results. While we believe these
estimates are reasonable based on the information currently available, if actual
trends, including the severity of claims and medical cost inflation, differ from
our estimates, our consolidated results of operations, financial position or
cash flows could be impacted. The process of determining our insurance reserves
requires estimates with various assumptions, each of which can positively or
negatively impact those balances. The total amount reserved for all policies is
$5.7 million as of January 31, 2013. If the total number of participants in the
medical plan changed by 10% we estimate that our medical expense would change by
$0.8 million and our medical accrual would change by $0.4 million. If our total
payroll changed by 10% we estimate that our workers' compensation expense and
our accrual for workers' compensation expenses would change by $0.1 million. A
10% change in revenue would change our insurance premium for the general
liability and umbrella policy by less than $25,000.
Segment Reporting
Our North American and U.K. regions are considered two separate operating
segments, which have been aggregated into one reportable segment because they
share similar economic characteristics. Our new operations in Brazil, Germany
and U.A.E. are included within the U.K. operating segment as they are immaterial
to our consolidated results of operations and financial position.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
For a description of the new accounting standards that affect us, refer to the
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Note 10. Recent
Accounting Pronouncements.
Results of Operations
Three Months Ended January 31, 2013 Compared to Three Months Ended January 31,
2012
Revenues. The following sets forth revenue by class of revenue (in thousands,
except percentages):
Percentage of Percentage of
2013 Revenue 2012 Revenue Service revenues $ 216,920 81 % $ 186,852 82 %
Vehicle sales 49,265 19 % 41,052 18 %
$ 266,185 100 % $ 227,904 100 %
Service Revenues. Service revenues were $216.9 million during the three months
ended January 31, 2013 compared to $186.9 million for the same period last year,
an increase of $30.0 million, or 16.1%. Growth in unit volume generated $14.0
million in additional service revenue relative to last year and was driven
primarily by incremental volumes received as a result of Hurricane Sandy as well
as growth in the number of units sold on behalf of charities, franchise and
independent car dealerships and from international acquisitions. Growth in the
average revenue per car sold generated $15.6 million in additional revenue over
last year. The higher revenue per car was driven primarily by the increase in
the average selling price per vehicle in North
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America. In North America over 50% of our service revenue is tied in some manner
to the ultimate selling price of the vehicle. We believe the increase in the
average selling price was driven primarily by: (i) the year over year change in
commodity pricing as we believe that commodity pricing, particularly the per ton
price for crushed car bodies, has an impact on the ultimate selling price of
vehicles sold for scrap and vehicles sold for dismantling and (ii) the general
increase in used car pricing, which we believe has an impact on the average
selling price of vehicles which are repaired and retailed or purchased by the
end user. We cannot determine the impact of the movement of these influences as
we cannot determine which vehicles are sold to the end user or for scrap,
dismantling, retailing or export. Nor can we predict their future movement.
Accordingly, we cannot quantify the specific impact that commodity pricing and
used car pricing had on the selling price of vehicles and ultimately on service
revenue. The average GBP to USD exchange rate was 1.60 and 1.56 dollars to the
pound for the three months ended January 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and
led to an increase of $0.4 million.
Vehicle Sales. We have certain contracts, primarily in the U.K., that require us
to act as a principal, purchasing vehicles from the insurance companies and
reselling them for our own account. In North America, we purchase vehicles from
individuals in open market transactions and resell them for our own account.
Vehicle sales revenues were $49.3 million during the three months ended January
31, 2013 compared to $41.1 million for the same period last year, an increase of
$8.2 million, or 20.0%. The increase was due primarily to growth in unit volume
driven primarily by increased purchase car activity in the U.K. The beneficial
impact on recorded vehicle sales revenue due to the change in the GBP to USD
exchange rate was less than $0.8 million.
Yard Operation Expenses. Yard operation expenses, excluding depreciation and
amortization, were $116.5 million during the three months ended January 31, 2013
compared to $86.4 million for the same period last year. Compared to the same
period last year, yard operation expense grew by $30.1 million, or 34.8%, and
included $20.1 million of abnormal costs for temporary storage facilities,
premiums for subhaulers, labor costs incurred from overtime, travel and lodging,
and equipment costs associated with Hurricane Sandy. These costs do not include
normal expenses associated with the increased unit volume created by the
hurricane, which are deferred until the sale of the units and are recognized as
vehicle pooling costs on the balance sheet. The balance of the increase was due
to normal cost associated with the increase in the units processed in the
quarter. There was a detrimental impact of $0.3 million on yard operating
expenses due to the change in the GBP to USD exchange rate. At the end of the
quarter, over half of the incremental salvage vehicles received as a result of
Hurricane Sandy remained unsold and in inventory. We expect the majority of
these vehicles to be sold in the next quarter.
Yard operation depreciation and amortization expenses were $10.7 million and
$8.2 million for the three months ended January 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
The increase in yard operation depreciation and amortization expense is due
primarily to accelerated depreciation from the shorter useful lives of our data
center assets.
Cost of Vehicle Sales. The cost of vehicle sales were $42.2 million during the
three months ended January 31, 2013 compared to $33.6 million for the same
period last year, an increase of $8.6 million, or 25.6%. The growth was due to
an increase in the cost of units sold and an increase in the total units sold,
which resulted in increases of $2.4 million and $5.6 million, respectively. The
detrimental impact on the cost of sales due to the change in the GBP to USD
exchange rate was $0.6 million.
General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses,
excluding impairment, depreciation and amortization, were $30.1 million for the
three months ended January 31, 2013 compared to $23.4 million for the same
period last year, an increase of $6.7 million or 28.6%. The growth was due
primarily to i) the administrative infrastructure required by international
operations as we expanded into Brazil, Germany and the U.A.E.; ii) the increase
in technology and development costs as we develop new products, like our new
mobile app; and iii) the incremental costs associated with the rollout of our
new ERP system, which will allow us to operate worldwide on a common platform
and provide scalability and functionality we currently do not have. The
detrimental impact on general and administrative expenses due to the change in
the GBP to USD exchange rate was less than $0.1 million. General and
administrative depreciation and amortization expenses were $4.0 million for the
three months ended January 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Impairment. During the three months ended January 31, 2012, we recorded an
impairment of $8.8 million associated with the write down to fair market value
of certain assets, primarily real estate, computer hardware and its fleet of
private aircraft which have been removed from operations and, if not disposed
of, are reflected in assets held for sale on the balance sheet.
Other Income (Expense). Interest expense decreased by $0.5 million reflecting
the principal payments on the outstanding term loan. Other income primarily
includes the income from the rent of certain real property, foreign exchange
rate gains and losses and gains and losses from the disposal of assets, and will
fluctuate based on the nature of those activities during the period. Other
income was $0.7 million and $1.6 million during the three months ended January
31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Income Taxes. Our effective income tax rates for the three months ended January
31, 2013 and 2012 were 35.1% and 34.7%, respectively. The change in tax rates
was primarily driven by the geographical allocation of income and fluctuations
in the U.S. state taxes.
Six Months Ended January 31, 2013 Compared to Six Months Ended January 31, 2012
Revenues. The following sets forth revenue by class of revenue (in thousands,
except percentages):
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Percentage of Percentage of
2013 Revenue 2012 Revenue
Service revenues $ 412,099 82 % $ 369,668 82 %
Vehicle sales 92,952 18 % 83,862 18 %
$ 505,051 100 % $ 453,530 100 %
Service Revenues. Service revenues were $412.1 million during the six months
ended January 31, 2013 compared to $369.7 million for the same period last year,
an increase of $42.4 million, or 11.5%. Growth in unit volume generated $24.1
million in additional service revenue relative to last year and was driven
primarily by incremental volumes received as a result of Hurricane Sandy as well
as growth in the number of units sold on behalf of charities, franchise and
independent car dealerships and from international acquisitions. Growth in the
average revenue per car sold generated $17.9 million in additional revenue over
last year. The higher revenue per car was driven primarily by the increase in
the average selling price per vehicle in North America. In North America over
50% of our service revenue is tied in some manner to the ultimate selling price
of the vehicle. We believe the increase in the average selling price was driven
primarily by: (i) the year over year change in commodity pricing as we believe
that commodity pricing, particularly the per ton price for crushed car bodies,
has an impact on the ultimate selling price of vehicles sold for scrap and
vehicles sold for dismantling and (ii) the general increase in used car pricing,
which we believe has an impact on the average selling price of vehicles which
are repaired and retailed or purchased by the end user. We cannot determine the
impact of the movement of these influences as we cannot determine which vehicles
are sold to the end user or for scrap, dismantling, retailing or export. Nor can
we predict their future movement. Accordingly, we cannot quantify the specific
impact that commodity pricing and used car pricing had on the selling price of
vehicles and ultimately on service revenue. The average GBP to USD exchange rate
was 1.60 and 1.58 dollars to the pound for the six months ended January 31, 2013
and 2012, respectively, and led to an increase of $0.4 million.
Vehicle Sales. We have certain contracts, primarily in the U.K., that require us
to act as a principal, purchasing vehicles from the insurance companies and
reselling them for our own account. In North America we purchase vehicles from
individuals in open market transactions and resell them for our own account.
Vehicle sales revenues were $93.0 million during the six months ended January
31, 2013 compared to $83.9 million for the same period last year, an increase of
$9.1 million, or 10.9%. The increase was due primarily to growth in unit volume
driven primarily by increased purchase car activity in the U.K. The beneficial
impact on recorded vehicle sales revenue due to the change in the GBP to USD
exchange rate was $0.7 million.
Yard Operation Expenses. Yard operation expenses, excluding depreciation and
amortization, were $204.5 million during the six months ended January 31, 2013
compared to $174.4 million for the same period last year. Compared to the same
period last year, yard operation expense grew by $30.1 million, or 17.3%, and
included $20.1 million of abnormal costs for temporary storage facilities,
premiums for subhaulers, labor costs incurred from overtime, travel and lodging,
and equipment costs associated with Hurricane Sandy. These costs do not include
normal expenses associated with the increased unit volume created by the
hurricane, which are deferred until the sale of the units and are recognized as
vehicle pooling costs on the balance sheet. The balance of the increase was due
to the normal cost associated with the increase in the units processed in the
quarter. There was a detrimental impact on yard operating expenses due to the
change in the GBP to USD exchange rate of $0.3 million. At the end of the
quarter, over half of the incremental salvage vehicles received as a result of
Hurricane Sandy remained unsold and in inventory. We expect the majority of
these vehicles to be sold in the next quarter.
Included in yard operation costs were depreciation and amortization expenses
which were $19.8 million and $16.4 million for the six months ended January 31,
2013 and 2012, respectively. The increase in yard operation depreciation and
amortization expense is due primarily to accelerated depreciation from the
shorter useful lives of our data center assets.
Cost of Vehicle Sales. The cost of vehicles sales were $78.5 million during the
six months ended January 31, 2013 compared to $67.8 million for the same period
last year, an increase of $10.7 million, or 15.8%. The growth was due to an
increase in the total units sold and an increase in the cost of units sold,
which resulted in increases of $9.5 million and $0.6 million, respectively. The
detrimental impact on the cost of sales due to the change in the GBP to USD
exchange rate was $0.6 million.
General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses,
excluding impairment, depreciation and amortization, were $57.4 million for the
six months ended January 31, 2013 compared to $49.4 million for the same period
last year, an increase of $8.0 million, or 16.2%. The growth was due primarily
to i) the administrative infrastructure required by international operations as
we expanded into Brazil, Germany and the U.A.E.; ii) the increase in technology
and development costs as we develop new products, like our new mobile app; and
iii) the incremental costs associated with the rollout of our new ERP system,
which will allow us to operate worldwide on a common platform and provide
scalability and functionality we currently do not have. The detrimental impact
on general and administrative expenses due to the change in the GBP to USD
exchange rate was less than $0.1 million. General and administrative
depreciation and amortization expenses were $7.7 million and $7.9 million for
the six months ended January 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Impairment. During the six months ended January 31, 2012, we recorded an
impairment of $8.8 million associated with the write down to fair market value
of certain assets, primarily real estate, computer hardware and its fleet of
private aircraft which have been removed from operations and, if not disposed
of, are reflected in assets held for sale on the balance sheet.
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Other (Expense) Income. Other (expense) income primarily includes the income
from the rent of certain real property, foreign exchange rate gains and losses
and gains and losses from the disposal of assets, and will fluctuate based on
the nature of those activities during the period. Other income was $0.5 million
and $2.2 million during the six months ended January 31, 2013 and 2012,
respectively.
Income Taxes. Our effective income tax rates for the six months ended January
31, 2013 and 2012 were 35.6% and 35.1%, respectively. The change in the overall
tax rate was driven by fluctuations in the U.S. state taxes and the geographical
allocation of our taxable income.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our primary source of working capital is net income. Accordingly, factors
affecting net income are the principal factors affecting the generation of
working capital. Those primary factors: (i) seasonality; (ii) market wins and
losses; (iii) supplier mix; (iv) accident frequency; (v) salvage frequency; (vi)
change in market share of our existing suppliers; (vii) commodity pricing;
(viii) used car pricing; (ix) foreign currency exchange rates; (x) product mix;
and (xi) contract mix to the extent appropriate, are discussed in the Results of
Operations and Risk Factors sections of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Potential internal sources of additional working capital are the sale of assets
or the issuance of equity through option exercises and shares issued under our
Employee Stock Purchase Plan. A potential external source of additional working
capital is the issuance of debt and equity. However, with respect to the
issuance of equity or debt, we cannot predict if these sources will be available
in the future and, if available, if they can be issued under terms commercially
acceptable to us.
Historically, we have financed our growth through cash generated from
operations, public offerings of common stock, the equity issued in conjunction
with certain acquisitions and debt financing. Our primary source of cash
generated by operations is from the collection of sellers' fees, members' fees
and reimbursable advances from the proceeds of vehicle sales. Our business is
seasonal as inclement weather during the winter months increases the frequency
of accidents and, consequently, the number of cars deemed as totaled by the
insurance companies. During the winter months, most of our facilities process
10% to 30% more vehicles than at other times of the year. This increased volume
requires the increased use of our cash to pay out advances and handling costs of
the additional business.
As of January 31, 2013, we had working capital of $99.1 million, including cash
and cash equivalents of $49.5 million. Cash equivalents consisted of bank
deposits and funds invested in money market accounts, which bear interest at a
variable rate. Cash and cash equivalents decreased by $90.6 million from July
31, 2012 to January 31, 2013 due primarily to cash used for acquisitions and a
$59.8 million increase in accounts receivable related primarily to Hurricane
Sandy.
We believe that our currently available cash and cash equivalents and cash
generated from operations will be sufficient to satisfy our operating and
working capital requirements for at least the next 12 months. However, if we
experience significant growth in the future, we may be required to raise
additional cash through the issuance of new debt or additional equity.
As of January 31, 2013, $21.7 million of the $49.5 million of cash and cash
equivalents was held by our foreign subsidiaries. If these funds are needed for
our operations in the U.S., we would be required to accrue and pay U.S. taxes to
repatriate these funds. However, our intent is to permanently reinvest these
funds outside of the U.S. and our current plans do not demonstrate a need to
repatriate them to fund our U.S. operations.
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased by $37.3 million to $53.1
million during the six months ended January 31, 2013, when compared to the six
months ended January 31, 2012, due to changes in operating assets and
liabilities and a $3.7 million increase in net income. In particular, we
experienced significant increases in its accounts receivables, vehicle pooling
costs and inventories as a result of Hurricane Sandy related transactions
and volumes.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities increased by $100.8 million to $115.1
million during the six months ended January 31, 2013, when compared to the six
months ended January 31, 2012. The $70.8 million increase in capital
expenditures was due primarily to land acquisitions during the quarter. The
$31.1 million increase in purchase of assets and liabilities in connection with
acquisitions relates primarily to our acquisitions in Brazil and Germany.
Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities increased by $8.4 million to $29.4 million
during the six months ended January 31, 2013, when compared to the same period
in the prior year principally due to higher debt principle repayments totaling
$18.8 million (See Note 3. Long-Term Debt). In 2012, we received $125.0 million
of cash from long-term debt during the six months ended January 31, 2012, which
was used to repurchase $135.4 million of outstanding common stock which did not
recur in the current period (See Note 8. Common Stock Repurchases).
Credit Facility
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On December 14, 2010, we entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Facility
Agreement (Credit Facility), which supersedes our previously disclosed credit
agreement with Bank of America, N.A. (Bank of America). The Credit Facility is
an unsecured credit agreement providing for (i) a $100.0 million revolving
credit facility, including a $100.0 million alternative currency borrowing
sublimit and a $50.0 million letter of credit sublimit (Revolving Credit) and
(ii) a term loan facility of $400.0 million (Term Loan). On January 14, 2011,
the full $400.0 million provided under the Term Loan was borrowed. On September
29, 2011, we amended the credit agreement increasing the amount of the Term Loan
facility from $400.0 million to $500.0 million. In March 2013, we amended the
credit agreement to increase the net leverage ratio at which restrictive
spending covenants are introduced from 1:1 to 1.5:1.
The Term Loan, which at January 31, 2013 had $406.3 million outstanding,
amortizes $18.8 million each quarter beginning December 31, 2011, with all
outstanding borrowings due on December 14, 2015. All amounts borrowed under the
Term Loan may be prepaid without premium or penalty.
Amounts borrowed under the Credit Facility bear interest, subject to certain
restrictions, at a fluctuating rate based on (i) the Eurocurrency Rate; (ii) the
Federal Funds Rate; or (iii) the Prime Rate as described in the Credit Facility.
We have entered into two interest rate swaps (see Note 4. Derivatives
and Hedging) to exchange our variable interest rate payments commitment for
fixed interest rate payments on the Term Loan balance, which at January 31, 2013
totaled $406.3 million. A default interest rate applies on all obligations
during an event of default under the credit facility, at a rate per annum equal
to 2.0% above the otherwise applicable interest rate. Our interest rate at
January 31, 2013 is the 0.21% Eurocurrency Rate plus the 1.5% Applicable Rate.
The Applicable Rate can fluctuate between 1.5% and 2.0% depending on our
consolidated net leverage ratio (as defined in the Credit Facility). The Credit
Facility is guaranteed by our material domestic subsidiaries. The carrying
amount of the Credit Facility is comprised of borrowing under which interest
accrues under a fluctuating interest rate structure. Accordingly, the carrying
value approximates fair value at January 31, 2013 and is classified within Level
II of the fair value hierarchy.
Amounts borrowed under the Revolving Credit may be repaid and reborrowed until
the maturity date, which is December 14, 2015. The Credit Facility requires us
to pay a commitment fee on the unused portion of the Revolving Credit. The
commitment fee ranges from 0.075% to 0.125% per annum depending on our leverage
ratio. We had no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit at the end of
the period.
The Credit Facility contains customary representations and warranties and may
place certain business operating restrictions on us relating to, among other
things, indebtedness, liens and other encumbrances, investments, mergers and
acquisitions, asset sales, dividends and distributions and redemptions of
capital stock. In addition, the Credit Facility provides for the following
financial covenants: (i) earnings before income tax, depreciation and
amortization (EBITDA); (ii) leverage ratio; (iii) interest coverage ratio; and
(iv) limitations on capital expenditures. The Credit Facility contains events of
default that include, among others, non-payment of principal, interest or fees,
violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties,
cross-defaults to certain other indebtedness, bankruptcy and insolvency
defaults, material judgments, invalidity of the loan documents and events
constituting a change of control. We are in compliance with all covenants as of
January 31, 2013.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of January 31, 2013, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as
defined in Item 303(a)(4) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act.
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