SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
FORM 10-Q
[X] | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2004 |
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 0-23158
CRONOS GLOBAL INCOME FUND XIV, L.P.
California | 94-3163375 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer | |
incorporation or organization) | Identification No.) |
One Front Street, Suite 925, San Francisco, California 94111 | ||
(Address
of principal executive
offices) (Zip
Code)
|
(415) 677-8990
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
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 an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes [ ]. No [X].
CRONOS GLOBAL INCOME FUND XIV, L.P.
Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarterly Period
Ended June 30, 2004
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE | ||||||||
3 | ||||||||
3 | ||||||||
4 | ||||||||
5 | ||||||||
6 | ||||||||
7 | ||||||||
11 | ||||||||
15 | ||||||||
15 | ||||||||
16 | ||||||||
16 | ||||||||
16 | ||||||||
16 | ||||||||
16 | ||||||||
16 | ||||||||
16 | ||||||||
EXHIBIT 31.1 | ||||||||
EXHIBIT 31.2 | ||||||||
EXHIBIT 32 |
2
PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
Presented herein are the Registrants condensed balance sheets as of June 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, condensed statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2004 and 2003, and condensed statements of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2004 and 2003, (collectively the Financial Statements) prepared by the Registrant without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principals generally accepted in the United States have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although the Registrant believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information present not misleading. It is suggested that these Financial Statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Registrants December 31, 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K. These Financial Statements reflect, in the opinion of the Registrant and Cronos Capital Corp., the general partner, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the results for the interim periods. The statements of operations for such interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full year.
The information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect the current view of the Registrant with respect to future events and financial performance and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Registrants control. All statements, other than statements of historical facts included in this report, including the statements under Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, regarding the Registrants strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of the Registrant are forward-looking statements. When used in this report, the words will, believe, anticipate, intend, estimate, expect, project, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report. The Registrant does not undertake any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although the Registrant believes that its plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements made in this report are reasonable, the Registrant can give no assurance that these plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. Future economic and industry trends that could potentially impact revenues and profitability are difficult to predict.
3
CRONOS GLOBAL INCOME FUND XIV, L.P.
Condensed Balance Sheets
(Unaudited)
June 30, | December 31, | |||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||
Assets |
||||||||
Current assets: |
||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents, includes $1,402,531 at June 30, 2004 and
$1,430,620 at December 31, 2003 in interest-bearing accounts |
$ | 1,637,220 | $ | 1,647,319 | ||||
Net lease receivables due from Leasing Company
(notes 1 and 2) |
456,982 | 391,883 | ||||||
Total current assets |
2,094,202 | 2,039,202 | ||||||
Container rental equipment, at cost |
38,354,029 | 40,263,250 | ||||||
Less accumulated depreciation |
(24,545,798 | ) | (24,622,184 | ) | ||||
Net container rental equipment |
13,808,231 | 15,641,066 | ||||||
Total assets |
$ | 15,902,433 | $ | 17,680,268 | ||||
Partners Capital |
||||||||
Partners capital (deficit): |
||||||||
General partner |
$ | (441,872 | ) | $ | (423,571 | ) | ||
Limited partners |
16,344,305 | 18,103,839 | ||||||
Total partners capital |
$ | 15,902,433 | $ | 17,680,268 | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
4
CRONOS GLOBAL INCOME FUND XIV, L.P.
Condensed Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended |
Six Months Ended |
|||||||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||
2004 |
2003 |
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||||||||
Net lease revenue (notes 1 and 3) |
$ | 740,729 | $ | 599,178 | $ | 1,393,132 | $ | 1,282,891 | ||||||||
Other operating expenses: |
||||||||||||||||
Depreciation |
585,409 | 636,336 | 1,183,225 | 1,282,279 | ||||||||||||
Other general and administrative expenses |
31,757 | 28,622 | 59,637 | 58,179 | ||||||||||||
Net loss on disposal of equipment |
55,463 | 66,246 | 118,763 | 117,292 | ||||||||||||
Income (loss) from operations |
68,100 | (132,026 | ) | 31,507 | (174,859 | ) | ||||||||||
Other income: |
||||||||||||||||
Interest income |
986 | 2,360 | 1,973 | 5,409 | ||||||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | 69,086 | $ | (129,666 | ) | $ | 33,480 | $ | (169,450 | ) | ||||||
Allocation of net income (loss): |
||||||||||||||||
General partner |
$ | 27,125 | $ | (12,446 | ) | $ | 52,169 | $ | (1,694 | ) | ||||||
Limited partners |
41,961 | (117,220 | ) | (18,689 | ) | (167,756 | ) | |||||||||
$ | 69,086 | $ | (129,666 | ) | $ | 33,480 | $ | (169,450 | ) | |||||||
Limited partners per unit share of income
(loss) |
$ | 0.01 | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.06 | ) | |||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
5
CRONOS GLOBAL INCOME FUND XIV, L.P.
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
Six Months Ended |
||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities |
$ | 1,307,626 | $ | 1,274,126 | ||||
Cash provided by investing activities: |
||||||||
Proceeds from disposal of equipment |
493,591 | 398,818 | ||||||
Cash used in financing activities: |
||||||||
Distribution to general partners |
(70,471 | ) | (74,467 | ) | ||||
Distribution to limited partners |
(1,740,845 | ) | (1,927,365 | ) | ||||
(1,811,316 | ) | (2,001,832 | ) | |||||
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents |
(10,099 | ) | (328,888 | ) | ||||
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period |
1,647,319 | 2,142,650 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period |
$ | 1,637,220 | $ | 1,813,762 | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
6
CRONOS GLOBAL INCOME FUND XIV, L.P.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements
(1) | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
(a) | Nature of Operations | |||
Cronos Global Income Fund XIV, L.P. (the Partnership) is a limited partnership organized under the laws of the State of California on July 30, 1992, for the purpose of owning and leasing marine cargo containers worldwide to ocean carriers. To this extent, the Partnerships operations are subject to the fluctuations of world economic and political conditions. Such factors may affect the pattern and levels of world trade. The Partnership believes that the profitability of, and risks associated with, leases to foreign customers is generally the same as those of leases to domestic customers. The Partnerships leases generally require all payments to be made in United States currency. | ||||
Cronos Capital Corp. (CCC) is the general partner and, with its affiliate Cronos Containers Limited (the Leasing Company), manages the business of the Partnership. CCC and the Leasing Company also manage the container leasing business for other partnerships affiliated with CCC. The Partnership shall continue until December 31, 2012, unless sooner terminated upon the occurrence of certain events. | ||||
The Partnership commenced operations on January 29, 1993 when the minimum subscription proceeds of $2,000,000 were obtained. The Partnership offered 4,250,000 units of limited partnership interests at $20 per unit, or $85,000,000. The offering terminated on November 30, 1993, at which time 2,984,309 limited partnership units had been sold. | ||||
(b) | Leasing Company and Leasing Agent Agreement | |||
A Leasing Agent Agreement exists between the Partnership and the Leasing Company, whereby the Leasing Company has the responsibility to manage the leasing operations of all equipment owned by the Partnership. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Leasing Company is responsible for leasing, managing and re-leasing the Partnerships containers to ocean carriers, and has full discretion over which ocean carriers and suppliers of goods and services it may deal with. The Leasing Agent Agreement permits the Leasing Company to use the containers owned by the Partnership, together with other containers owned or managed by the Leasing Company and its affiliates, as part of a single fleet operated without regard to ownership. Since the Leasing Agent Agreement meets the definition of an operating lease in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 13, it is accounted for as a lease under which the Partnership is lessor and the Leasing Company is lessee. | ||||
The Leasing Agent Agreement generally provides that the Leasing Company will make payments to the Partnership based upon rentals collected from ocean carriers after deducting direct operating expenses and management fees to CCC and the Leasing Company. The Leasing Company leases containers to ocean carriers, generally under operating leases which are either master leases or term leases (mostly one to five years). Master leases do not specify the exact number of containers to be leased or the term that each container will remain on hire but allow the ocean carrier to pick up and drop off containers at various locations, and rentals are based upon the number of containers used and the applicable per-diem rate. Accordingly, rentals under master leases are all variable and contingent upon the number of containers used. Most containers are leased to ocean carriers under master leases; leasing agreements with fixed payment terms are not material to the financial statements. Since there are no material minimum lease rentals, no disclosure of minimum lease rentals is provided in these financial statements. |
(Continued)
7
CRONOS GLOBAL INCOME FUND XIV, L.P.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements
(c) | Basis of Accounting | |||
The Partnership utilizes the accrual method of accounting. Net lease revenue is recorded by the Partnership in each period based upon its leasing agent agreement with the Leasing Company. Net lease revenue is generally dependent upon operating lease rentals from operating lease agreements between the Leasing Company and its various lessees, less direct operating expenses and management fees due in respect of the containers specified in each operating lease agreement. | ||||
(d) | Container Rental Equipment | |||
In accordance with SFAS No. 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, container rental equipment is considered to be impaired if the carrying value of the asset exceeds the expected future cash flows from related operations (undiscounted and without interest charges). If impairment is deemed to exist, the assets are written down to fair value. An analysis is prepared each quarter projecting future cash flows from container rental equipment operations. Current and projected utilization rates, per-diem rental rates, direct operating expenses, fleet size and container disposals are the primary variables utilized by the analysis. Additionally, the Partnership evaluates future cash flows and potential impairment by container type rather than for each individual container, and as a result, future losses could result for individual container dispositions due to various factors, including age, condition, suitability for continued leasing, as well as the geographical location of containers when disposed. There were no impairment charges to the carrying value of container rental equipment for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2004 and 2003. | ||||
Depreciation policies are also evaluated to determine whether subsequent events and circumstances warrant revised estimates of useful lives. Container rental equipment is depreciated using the straight-line basis. | ||||
(e) | Use of Estimates | |||
The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP), which requires the Partnership to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. | ||||
The most significant estimates included within the financial statements are the container rental equipment estimated useful lives and residual values, and the estimate of future cash flows from container rental equipment operations, used to determine the adequacy of the carrying value of container rental equipment in accordance with SFAS No. 144. Considerable judgment is required in estimating future cash flows from container rental equipment operations. Accordingly, the estimates may not be indicative of the amounts that may be realized in future periods. As additional information becomes available in subsequent periods, recognition of an impairment of the container rental equipment carrying values may be necessary based upon changes in market and economic conditions. |
(Continued)
8
CRONOS GLOBAL INCOME FUND XIV, L.P.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements
(f) | Financial Statement Presentation | |||
These financial statements have been prepared without audit pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although the Registrant believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. It is suggested that these financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and accompanying notes in the Partnerships December 31, 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K. | ||||
The interim financial statements presented herewith reflect in the opinion of management, all adjustments of a normal recurring nature necessary to present fairly the results for the interim periods presented. The results of operations for such interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. |
(2) | Net Lease Receivables Due from Leasing Company | |||
Net lease receivables due from the Leasing Company are determined by deducting direct operating payables and accrued expenses, base management fees payable, and reimbursed administrative expenses payable to CCC and its affiliates from the rental billings earned by the Leasing Company under operating leases to ocean carriers for the containers owned by the Partnership, as well as proceeds earned from container disposals. Net lease receivables at June 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003 were as follows: |
June 30, | December 31, | |||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||
Gross lease receivables |
$ | 961,203 | $ | 928,605 | ||||
Less: |
||||||||
Direct operating payables and accrued expenses |
242,633 | 289,257 | ||||||
Damage protection reserve |
110,453 | 75,095 | ||||||
Base management fees payable |
27,082 | 37,268 | ||||||
Reimbursed administrative expenses |
20,900 | 20,813 | ||||||
Allowance for doubtful accounts |
103,153 | 114,289 | ||||||
Net lease receivables |
$ | 456,982 | $ | 391,883 | ||||
(Continued)
9
CRONOS GLOBAL INCOME FUND XIV, L.P.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements
(3) | Net Lease Revenue | |||
Net lease revenue is determined by deducting direct operating expenses, base management fees and reimbursed administrative expenses to CCC and its affiliates from the rental revenue earned by the Leasing Company under operating leases to ocean carriers for the containers owned by the Partnership. Net lease revenue for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2004 and 2003 were as follows: |
Three Months Ended |
Six Months Ended |
|||||||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||
2004 |
2003 |
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||||||||
Rental revenue (note 4) |
$ | 1,063,460 | $ | 1,085,117 | $ | 2,113,503 | $ | 2,179,100 | ||||||||
Less: |
||||||||||||||||
Rental equipment operating expenses |
196,184 | 346,970 | 458,477 | 621,437 | ||||||||||||
Base management fees |
64,248 | 73,456 | 137,573 | 147,063 | ||||||||||||
Reimbursed administrative expenses |
62,299 | 65,513 | 124,321 | 127,709 | ||||||||||||
Net lease revenue |
$ | 740,729 | $ | 599,178 | $ | 1,393,132 | $ | 1,282,891 | ||||||||
(4) | Operating Segment | |||
An operating segment is a component of an enterprise that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses, whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprises chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and about which separate financial information is available. Management operates the Partnerships container fleet as a homogenous unit and has determined that as such it has a single reportable operating segment. | ||||
The Partnership derives its revenues from dry cargo and refrigerated containers used by its customers in global trade routes. As of June 30, 2004, the Partnership operated 6,432 twenty-foot, 2,687 forty-foot and 182 forty-foot high-cube marine dry cargo containers, as well as 449 twenty-foot and 156 forty-foot marine refrigerated cargo containers. A summary of gross lease revenue, by product, for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2004 and 2003 follows: |
Three Months Ended |
Six Months Ended |
|||||||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||
2004 |
2003 |
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||||||||
Dry cargo containers |
$ | 737,656 | $ | 713,532 | $ | 1,442,890 | $ | 1,452,230 | ||||||||
Refrigerated containers |
325,804 | 371,585 | 670,613 | 726,870 | ||||||||||||
Total |
$ | 1,063,460 | $ | 1,085,117 | $ | 2,113,503 | $ | 2,179,100 | ||||||||
Due to the Partnerships lack of information regarding the physical location of its fleet of containers when on lease in the global shipping trade, the Partnership believes that it does not possess discernible geographic reporting segments as defined in SFAS No. 131 (SFAS 131), Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information. |
10
Item 2. Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion of the Registrants historical financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the Registrants December 31, 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the financial statements and the notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report.
General
A Leasing Agent Agreement exists between the Registrant and the Leasing Company, whereby the Leasing Company has the responsibility to manage the leasing operations of all equipment owned by the Registrant. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Leasing Company is responsible for leasing, managing and re-leasing the Registrants containers to ocean carriers, and has full discretion over which ocean carriers and suppliers of goods and services it may deal with. The Leasing Agent Agreement permits the Leasing Company to use the containers owned by the Registrant, together with other containers owned or managed by the Leasing Company and its affiliates, as part of a single fleet operated without regard to ownership. At June 30, 2004, 74% of the original equipment remained in the Registrants fleet, as compared to 77% December 31, 2003. The following chart summarizes the composition of the Registrants fleet (based on container type) at June 30, 2004.
Dry Cargo | Refrigerated | |||||||||||||||||||
Containers |
Containers |
|||||||||||||||||||
40-Foot | 40-Foot | |||||||||||||||||||
20-Foot |
40-Foot |
High-Cube |
20-Foot |
High-Cube |
||||||||||||||||
Containers on lease: |
||||||||||||||||||||
Master lease |
4,091 | 1,453 | 128 | 327 | 37 | |||||||||||||||
Term lease (1-5 years) |
2,060 | 892 | 47 | 52 | 76 | |||||||||||||||
Subtotal |
6,151 | 2,345 | 175 | 379 | 113 | |||||||||||||||
Containers off lease |
281 | 342 | 7 | 70 | 43 | |||||||||||||||
Total container fleet |
6,432 | 2,687 | 182 | 449 | 156 | |||||||||||||||
Dry Cargo | Refrigerated | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Containers |
Containers |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
40-Foot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20-Foot |
40-Foot |
High-Cube |
20-Foot |
40-Foot |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Units |
% |
Units |
% |
Units |
% |
Units |
% |
Units |
% |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total purchases |
8,778 | 100 | % | 3,612 | 100 | % | 216 | 100 | % | 511 | 100 | % | 350 | 100 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Less disposals |
2,346 | 27 | % | 925 | 26 | % | 34 | 16 | % | 62 | 12 | % | 194 | 55 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Remaining fleet at
June 30, 2004 |
6,432 | 73 | % | 2,687 | 74 | % | 182 | 84 | % | 449 | 88 | % | 156 | 45 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The general increase in trade volumes that emerged during the three-month period ending March 31, 2004, continued during the three-month period ending June 30, 2004, contributing to stronger container leasing market conditions and higher levels of demand for new and existing containers. The Registrants dry cargo container utilization measured 92% at June 30, 2004, compared to 85% at December 31, 2003.
The six-month period ending June 30, 2004 experienced substantial growth in container trade volumes, especially within Asia-Europe and intra-Asian trade routes. Chinas import and export markets were a catalyst to this growth. These increases in trade volumes exasperated the worlds ports and railroads, contributing to congestion and additional demand in some locations.
Although container manufacturers stepped up production in the first half of 2004 in order to meet the increased container demand by shipping lines, production of new containers was hampered somewhat by steel shortages earlier in the year, contributing to stronger market conditions for leased containers. As steel prices increased during 2004, the price of a new twenty-foot dry cargo container also increased to as high as $2,000 in the first and second quarters of 2004, compared to $1,350 in the latter part of 2003.
11
Off-hire inventories of older containers throughout the world declined, as shipping lines employed more leased containers to meet their container requirements. This decline in inventories has resulted in substantial decreases in storage expenses, and expenditures to reposition containers from low demand locations to locations of higher demand. Declining inventories have also contributed to an increase in proceeds per container realized on the sale of used containers, as fewer containers were available to meet the demand of buyers of existing containers. The Registrants dry cargo inventory of off-hire containers at June 30, 2004 decreased approximately 66% in comparison to June 30, 2003.
Per-diem rates for new containers increased in line with the increase in new container costs, while per diems for older containers remained relatively unchanged, as the lease market for older containers remains competitive, and therefore, subject to significant pricing pressures. The Registrants average dry cargo container per-diem rate for the three-month period ended June 30, 2004 increased approximately 1% in comparison to the same period in the prior year.
Although favorable market conditions currently exist for container lessors, the current market conditions may negatively impact the shipping lines. Sharply rising charter rates for ships, combined with the rise in steel prices and the related increase in new container prices, have created a concern for both the shipping lines and therefore, the leasing companies. Although some shipping lines have experienced an increase in freight rates in line with the strong demand on major trade routes, some shipping lines are facing increased financial pressures, especially those shipping lines that rely on operating their containerships via short-term charters. Current conditions appear to favor the larger more established shipping lines, which have witnessed strong recoveries in their performance over the last few quarters. Some regional intra-Asia shipping lines have cut back services in some routes in an attempt to reduce their rising costs. The Registrant, CCC and the Leasing Company remain cautious, and continue to monitor the aging of lease receivables, collections and the credit exposure to various existing and new customers. The financial impact of losses from these shipping lines may eventually influence the demand for leased containers, as some shipping lines may experience additional financial difficulties, consolidate, or become insolvent.
Lastly, wide-ranging concerns remain regarding recovery of the worlds major economies, including the price of oil, inflation concerns and its impact on interest rates, US trade and budget deficits, Chinas efforts to cool its economy, performance of global stock markets, geopolitical concerns arising from uncertainties within the Middle East and Asia, threats of another major terrorist attack, as well as new container production levels, all of which may have an impact on the current demand for leased containers.
The Registrants average fleet size and utilization rates for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2004 and 2003 were as follows:
Three Months Ended |
Six Months Ended |
|||||||||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||
2004 |
2003 |
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||||||||
Average fleet size (measured in
twenty-foot equivalent units
(TEU)) |
||||||||||||||||
Dry cargo containers |
12,365 | 13,550 | 12,516 | 13,666 | ||||||||||||
Refrigerated containers |
780 | 920 | 789 | 931 | ||||||||||||
Average Utilization |
||||||||||||||||
Dry cargo containers |
91 | % | 81 | % | 88 | % | 81 | % | ||||||||
Refrigerated containers |
83 | % | 85 | % | 84 | % | 83 | % |
The primary component of the Registrants results of operations is net lease revenue. Net lease revenue is determined by deducting direct operating expenses, management fees and reimbursed administrative expenses, from rental revenues billed by the Leasing Company from the leasing of the Registrants containers. Net lease revenue is directly related to the size, utilization and per-diem rental rates of the Registrants fleet.
12
Three Months Ended June 30, 2004 Compared to the Three Months Ended June 30, 2003
Net lease revenue of $740,729 for the three months ended June 30, 2004 was $141,551 higher than the corresponding period of 2003. This was due to a decrease of certain components of net lease revenue, including rental equipment operating expenses, management fees and reimbursed administrative expenses, of $163,208 when compared to the corresponding period in 2003. Increases in utilization levels contributed to a reduction in rental equipment operating expenses during the three-month period ended June 30, 2004, as storage costs declined inline with diminishing inventories of idle containers, and the need to move containers from low demand locations to high demand locations was reduced, resulting in lower repositioning costs. Repair and maintenance expenses declined by $19,081 and the provision for doubtful accounts also declined by $9,580 in comparison to the corresponding period in 2003. Partially offsetting these positive changes was a $21,657 decline in gross rental revenue (a component of net lease revenue) from the same period in 2003. The decrease in gross rental revenue was a direct result of a smaller fleet size, partially offset by an increase in utilization.
Depreciation expense of $585,409 for the three-month period June 30, 2004 was $50,927 lower than the same period in 2003, a direct result of the Registrants declining fleet size.
Other general and administrative expenses were $31,757 in the second quarter of 2004, an increase of $3,135 or 11%, when compared to the corresponding period of 2003, primarily due to an increase in investor communication expenses.
Net loss on disposal of equipment was a result of the Registrant disposing of 296 containers during the three-month period ended June 30, 2004, as compared to 181 containers during the same period in 2003. These disposals resulted in a loss of $55,463 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2004, as compared to $66,246 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2003. The Registrant believes that the net loss on container disposals in the three-month period ended June 30, 2004 was a result of various factors including the volume of disposed containers, age, condition, suitability for continued leasing, as well as the geographical location of the containers when disposed. These factors will continue to influence the decision to repair or dispose of a container when it is returned by a lessee, as well as the amount of sales proceeds received and the related gain or loss on container disposals. The level of the Registrants container disposals in subsequent periods, as well as the price of steel, new container prices, and the current leasing markets impact on sales prices for existing, older containers, such as those owned by the Registrant, will also contribute to fluctuations in the net gain or loss on disposals. There were no reductions to the carrying value of container rental equipment due to impairment during the three-month periods ended June 30, 2004 and 2003.
Six Months Ended June 30, 2004 Compared to the Six Months Ended June 30, 2003
Net lease revenue of $1,393,132 for the six months ended June 30, 2004 was $110,241 higher than the corresponding period of 2003. The increase was due to a decline in certain components of net lease revenue, including management fees and reimbursed administrative expenses, of $175,838 when compared to the corresponding period in 2003. Rental equipment operating expenses decreased $162,960 when compared to the corresponding period in 2003. Contributing to the decrease in rental equipment operating expenses were lower handling and storage costs, reflecting improved on-hire volumes and the sale of certain older equipment, as well as a decrease of $46,404 in expenses for repositioning equipment from low demand locations to markets of higher demand. A decrease in the provision for doubtful accounts also contributed to the increase of net lease revenue. Partially offsetting these positive changes was a $65,597 decline in gross rental revenue (a component of net lease revenue) from the same period in 2003. Gross rental revenue was impacted by the Registrants smaller fleet size.
Depreciation expense of $1,183,225 for the six-month period June 30, 2004 was $99,054 lower than the same period in 2003, a direct result of the Registrants declining fleet size.
Other general and administrative expenses were $59,637 in the first six months of 2004, an increase of $1,458 or 3%, when compared to the corresponding period of 2003.
13
Net loss on disposal of equipment was a result of the Registrant disposing of 521 containers during the six-month period ended June 30, 2004, as compared to 352 containers during the same period in 2003. These disposals resulted in a loss of $118,763 for the six-month period ended June 30, 2004, as compared to $117,292 for the six-month period ended June 30, 2003. There were no reductions to the carrying value of container rental equipment during the six-month periods ended June 30, 2004 and 2003. The Registrant believes that the net loss on container disposals in the six-month period ended June 30, 2004 was a result of various factors including the volume of disposed containers, age, condition, suitability for continued leasing, as well as the geographical location of the containers when disposed. These factors will continue to influence the decision to repair or dispose of a container when it is returned by a lessee, as well as the amount of sales proceeds received and the related gain or loss on container disposals. The level of the Registrants container disposals in subsequent periods, as well as the price of steel, new container prices, and the current leasing markets impact on sales prices for existing, older containers, such as those owned by the Registrant, will also contribute to fluctuations in the net gain or loss on disposals. There were no reductions to the carrying value of container rental equipment due to impairment during the six-month periods ended June 30, 2004 and 2003.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash from Operating Activities: Net cash provided by operating activities was $1,307,626 and $1,274,126 during the first six months of 2004 and 2003, respectively, primarily generated from the billing and collection of net lease revenue.
Cash from Investing Activities: Net cash provided by investing activities during the six-month periods ending June 30, 2004 and 2003, included sales proceeds generated from the sale of rental equipment of $493,591 and $398,818, respectively.
Cash from Financing Activities: Net cash used in financing activities was $1,811,316 during the first six months of 2004 compared to $2,001,832 in the corresponding period of 2003. These amounts represent distributions to the Registrants general and limited partners. The Registrants container disposals should produce lower operating results and, consequently, lower distributions to its partners in subsequent periods. Sales proceeds distributed to its partners may fluctuate in subsequent periods, reflecting the level of container disposals.
Capital Resources
Capital Resources: Aside from the initial working capital reserve retained from the gross subscription proceeds (equal to approximately 1% of such proceeds), the Registrant relied primarily on container rental receipts and proceeds from container sales to generate distributions to its general and limited partners, as well as to finance current operating needs. Quarterly distributions are also affected by periodic increases or decreases to working capital reserves, as deemed appropriate by CCC, to ensure cash reserves on hand are sufficient to meet the Registrants operating requirements. No credit lines are maintained to finance working capital.
Critical Accounting Policies
The Registrants accounting policies are fundamental to understanding managements discussion and analysis of results of operations and financial condition. The Registrant has identified three policies as being significant because they require the Registrant to make subjective and/or complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain. These policies include the following:
| Container equipment depreciable lives | |||
| Container equipment valuation | |||
| Allowance for doubtful accounts |
The Registrant, in consultation with its audit committee, has reviewed and approved these significant accounting policies which are further described in the Registrants 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Inflation
The Registrant believes inflation has not had a material adverse effect on the results of its operations.
14
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Exchange rate risk: Substantially all of the Registrants revenues are billed and paid in US dollars and a significant portion of costs are billed and paid in US dollars. The Leasing Company believes that the proportion of US dollar revenues may decrease in future years, reflecting a more diversified customer base and lease portfolio. Of the remaining costs, the majority are individually small, unpredictable and incurred in various denominations and thus are not suitable for cost effective hedging.
The Leasing Company may hedge a portion of the expenses that are predictable and are principally in UK pounds sterling. As exchange rates are outside of the control of the Registrant and Leasing Company, there can be no assurance that such fluctuations will not adversely affect its results of operations and financial condition.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
The principal executive and principal financial officers of CCC have evaluated the disclosure controls and procedures of the Registrant as of the end of the period covered by this report. As used herein, the term disclosure controls and procedures has the meaning given to the term by Rule 13a-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), and includes the controls and other procedures of the Registrant that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Registrant in the reports that it files with the SEC under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and forms. Based upon their evaluation, the principal executive and principal financial officers of CCC have concluded that the Registrants disclosure controls and procedures were effective such that the information required to be disclosed by the Registrant in this report is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and forms applicable to the preparation of this report and is accumulated and communicated to CCCs management, including CCCs principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
There have been no significant changes in the Registrants internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect the Registrants internal controls subsequent to the evaluation described above conducted by CCCs principal executive and financial officers.
15
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
Not applicable.
Item 2. Changes in Securities and Use of Proceeds
Not applicable.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
Not applicable.
Item 4. Submissions of Matters to a Vote of Securities Holders
Not applicable.
Item 5. Other Information
Not applicable.
Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K
(a) | Exhibits |
Exhibit | ||||||
No. |
Description |
Method of Filing |
||||
3 | (a) | Limited Partnership Agreement of the Registrant, amended
and restated as of December 2, 1992
|
* | |||
3 | (b) | Certificate of Limited Partnership of the Registrant
|
** | |||
10 | Form of Leasing Agent Agreement with Cronos Containers
Limited
|
*** | ||||
31.1 | Rule 13a-14 Certification
|
Filed with this document | ||||
31.2 | Rule 13a-14 Certification
|
Filed with this document | ||||
32 | Section 1350 Certification
|
Filed with this document **** |
(b) | Reports on Form 8-K | |||
No reports on Form 8-K were filed by the Registrant during the quarter ended June 30, 2004. |
* | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit A to the Prospectus of the Registrant dated December 2, 1992, included as part of Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 33-51810) | |
** | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 33-51810) | |
*** | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 33-51810) | |
**** | This certification, required by Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, other than as required by Section 906, is not to be deemed filed with the Commission or subject to the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or to the liabilities of Section 18 of said Act. |
16
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.
CRONOS GLOBAL INCOME FUND XIV, L.P. | ||||
By | Cronos Capital Corp. | |||
The General Partner | ||||
By | /s/ Dennis J. Tietz | |||
Dennis J. Tietz | ||||
President and Director of Cronos Capital Corp. (CCC) | ||||
Principal Executive Officer of CCC | ||||
By | /s/ John Kallas | |||
John Kallas | ||||
Chief Financial Officer and | ||||
Director of Cronos Capital Corp. (CCC) | ||||
Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of CCC |
Date: August 12, 2004
17
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit | ||||||
No. |
Description |
Method of Filing |
||||
3 | (a) | Limited Partnership Agreement of the Registrant, amended
and restated as of December 2, 1992
|
* | |||
3 | (b) | Certificate of Limited Partnership of the Registrant
|
** | |||
10 | Form of Leasing Agent Agreement with Cronos Containers
Limited
|
*** | ||||
31.1 | Rule 13a-14 Certification
|
Filed with this document | ||||
31.2 | Rule 13a-14 Certification
|
Filed with this document | ||||
32 | Section 1350 Certification
|
Filed with this document **** |
* | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit A to the Prospectus of the Registrant dated December 2, 1992, included as part of Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 33-51810) | |
** | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 33-51810) | |
*** | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 33-51810) | |
**** | This certification, required by Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, other than as required by Section 906, is not to be deemed filed with the Commission or subject to the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or to the liabilities of Section 18 of said Act. |