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8-K - FORM 8-K - ASTA FUNDING INC | c09688e8vk.htm |
Exhibit 99.1
Nasdaq: ASFI
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Robert J. Michel, CFO
Asta Funding, Inc.
(201) 567-5648
Asta Funding, Inc.
(201) 567-5648
Asta Funding, Inc. Announces Financial Results for Year and Fourth Quarter of Fiscal
Year 2010
| Net Income of $3.1 Million, or $0.22 Per Diluted Share for Fiscal Year |
| Solid Cash Position and Strong Cash Flow Trend Continues |
| $84.2 Million of Cash and Cash Equivalents at September 30, 2010 |
||
| Impairment on Great Seneca Portfolio Impacts Fourth Quarter Results |
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., December 14, 2010 Asta Funding, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASFI) (the Company), a
consumer receivable asset management and liquidation company, today reported its results for the
fiscal year and fourth quarter ended September 30, 2010. The Company reported $84.2 million in
cash and cash equivalents at September 30, 2010, representing a substantial increase from 2009 and
providing the Company the resources it needs to move into fiscal year 2011 without the immediate
need for external financing.
Fiscal Year 2010
The Company reported net income of $3,129,000 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, or
$0.22 per diluted share, as compared to a net loss of $90,725,000, or $6.36 per share for the
fiscal year ended September 30, 2009. Revenues for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010 were
$45,849,000, a decrease of 34.8%, as compared to $70,355,000 for the fiscal year ended September 30,
2009.
Net cash collections from collection of consumer receivables acquired for liquidation, including
net cash collections represented by account sales, were $101.9 million for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2010, as compared to $147.4 million during fiscal year 2009, a 30.9% decrease from
the prior year. Net cash collections represented by account sales were $3.5 million, or 3.4% of
net cash collections, in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, compared to $8.7 million, or
5.9% in the prior year.
Income from fully amortized portfolios (zero basis revenue) was $34.3 million for the fiscal year
ended September 30, 2010, as compared to $40.7 million for the fiscal year ended September 30,
2009. The Company purchased portfolios with a face value of $269 million at a cost of $8.0 million
during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010 as compared to purchases with a face value of $577
million at a cost of $19.6 million during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009.
General and administrative expenses were $23,211,000 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010
as compared to $25,915,000 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009, a reduction of
approximately 10%. Collection expenses were reduced as a result of certain contractual obligations
expiring and the closure of the Pennsylvania collection center in the prior year.
Interest for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010 was approximately $4,368,000 as compared to
$8,452,000 for fiscal year 2009, a 48% reduction, as the Company paid off senior debt in January
2010, reduced non-recourse debt by $13.8 million to $90.5 million, and reduced the subordinated
debt related party by $3,860,000 to $4,386,000 in fiscal year 2010. Cash and cash equivalents at
September 30, 2010 were $84.2 million compared to $2.4 million at September 30, 2009.
An impairment charge of $13,029,000 was recorded during fiscal year 2010 as compared to
$183,500,000 of impairment charges recorded during the fiscal year 2009.
Fourth Quarter Fiscal Year 2010
The Company reported a net loss of $5,342,000 or $0.37 per share, as compared to a net loss of
$79,198,000, or $5.55 per share, for the same period in fiscal year 2009. The Company reported
revenues of $11,499,000 for the fourth quarter 2010, as compared to $16,564,000 for the fourth
quarter of fiscal year 2009.
Net cash collections of receivables acquired for liquidation, including net cash collections
represented by account sales, were $21,033,000 for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010, as
compared to $30,825,000 for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2009.
Income from fully amortized portfolios (zero basis revenue) was $8,658,000 for the fourth quarter
ended September 30, 2010, compared to $9,563,000 for the comparable period a year ago.
An impairment charge of $13,029,000 was recorded in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010 as
compared to $137,292,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2009. The impairment recorded in the
fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010, and approximately $53 million of the impairments recorded in
the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2009, were related to the Great Seneca Portfolio.
The Company purchased consumer portfolios with a face value of $113.4 million at a cost of $4.7
million during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010, compared to purchases of $149.9 million in
face value at a cost of $3.1 million during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2009.
Interest expense for the fourth quarter 2010 was $1,003,000, as compared to $1,545,000 for the
comparable period in 2009, as our debt level continues to decline.
During the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, the Company has invested approximately $2.7 million
in portfolio purchases, paid down approximately $2.0 million on the subordinated debt and paid $8.7
million in connection with the extension of the Receivables Financing Agreement with the Bank of
Montreal.
Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of the Company commented, Although the fourth quarter of fiscal year
2010 was impacted by the impairment charge, we returned to profitability, on an annual basis,
during fiscal year 2010. We continued our progress in strengthening our balance sheet and
maintaining a strong cash position. As of December 10, 2010, our cash position was approximately
$81.0 million, after portfolio purchases of $2.7 million and debt payments of $10.7 million
during the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, indicating the Companys continued strong cash flow.
Our strong balance sheet puts us in an excellent position for funding our investment
opportunities without the immediate need for external financing. We continue to review all of our
investment options in the distressed receivables market and other related markets.
A conference call to discuss the results of the fiscal year 2010 and the fourth quarter of fiscal
year 2010 will be held on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 4:00 PM, EST.
Toll-free dial-in number (U.S. and Canada): |
(800) 668-4132 | |||
International dial-in number: |
(224) 357-2196 | |||
Conference ID: |
30706662 |
Conference call will also be available via webcast. Here is the link
http://investor.shareholder.com/media/eventdetail.cfm?eventid=89706&CompanyID=ABEA-58K4IF&e=1&mediaKey=6BC4F784950C3EC9F765AB1AA53FE3BB
Based in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Asta Funding, Inc., is a leading consumer receivable asset
management company that specializes in the purchase, management and liquidation of performing and
non-performing consumer receivables. For additional information, please visit our website at
http://www.astafunding.com.
Important Information about Forward-Looking Statements: All statements in this new release other
than statements of historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding our future
financial position, business strategy, budgets, projected revenues, projected costs, and plans and
objective of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally can be
identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as may, will, expects, intends,
plans, projects, estimates, anticipates, or believes or the negative thereof, or any
variation thereon, or similar terminology or expressions. We have based these forward-looking
statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking
statements are not guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors which
could materially affect our results and our future performance include, without limitation, our
ability to purchase defaulted consumer receivables at appropriate prices, changes in government
regulations that affect our ability to collect sufficient amounts on our defaulted consumer
receivables, our ability to employ and retain qualified employees, changes in the credit or capital
markets, changes in interest rates, deterioration in economic conditions, negative press regarding
the debt collection industry which may have a negative impact on a debtors willingness to pay the
debt we acquire, and statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing, as well as other
factors set forth under Item 1A. Risk Factors in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year
ended September 30, 2009 and other filings with the SEC. All subsequent written and oral
forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly
qualified in their entirety by the foregoing. Except as required by law, we assume no duty to
update or revise any forward-looking statements.
- Financial Tables Follow
Asta Funding, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Year Ended | Three Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
September 30, | September 30, | |||||||||||||||
2010 | 2009 | 2010 | 2009 | |||||||||||||
Revenues: |
||||||||||||||||
Finance income, net |
$ | 45,631,000 | $ | 70,156,000 | $ | 11,434,000 | $ | 16,434,000 | ||||||||
Other income |
218,000 | 199,000 | 65,000 | 130,000 | ||||||||||||
45,849,000 | 70,355,000 | 11,499,000 | 16,564,000 | |||||||||||||
General and administrative expenses |
23,211,000 | 25,915,000 | 6,472,000 | 5,909,000 | ||||||||||||
Interest expense |
4,368,000 | 8,452,000 | 1,003,000 | 1,545,000 | ||||||||||||
Impairments of consumer receivables
acquired for liquidation |
13,029,000 | 183,500,000 | 13,029,000 | 137,292,000 | ||||||||||||
40,608,000 | 217,867,000 | 20,504,000 | 144,746,000 | |||||||||||||
Income (loss) before income taxes |
5,241,000 | (147,512,000 | ) | (9,005,000 | ) | (128,182,000 | ) | |||||||||
Income tax expense (benefit) |
2,112,000 | (56,787,000 | ) | (3,663,000 | ) | (48,984,000 | ) | |||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | 3,129,000 | $ | (90,725,000 | ) | $ | (5,342,000 | ) | $ | (79,198,000 | ) | |||||
Basic net income (loss) per share |
$ | 0.22 | $ | (6.36 | ) | $ | (0.37 | ) | $ | (5.55 | ) | |||||
Diluted net income (loss) per share |
$ | 0.22 | $ | (6.36 | ) | $ | (0.37 | ) | $ | (5.55 | ) | |||||
Weighted average shares outstanding: |
||||||||||||||||
Basic |
14,492,215 | 14,272,425 | 14,600,410 | 14,271,946 | ||||||||||||
Diluted |
14,534,982 | 14,272,425 | 14,600,410 | 14,271,946 |
ASTA FUNDING, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets
September 30, | ||||||||
2010 | 2009 | |||||||
ASSETS |
||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 84,235,000 | $ | 2.385,000 | ||||
Restricted cash |
1,304,000 | 2,130,000 | ||||||
Consumer receivables acquired for liquidation (at net realizable value) |
147,031,000 | 208,261,000 | ||||||
Due from third party collection agencies and attorneys |
3,528,000 | 2,573,000 | ||||||
Prepaid and income taxes receivable |
196,000 | 47,727,000 | ||||||
Furniture and equipment (net of accumulated depreciation of $3,006,000
in 2010 and $2,758,000 in 2009) |
338,000 | 538,000 | ||||||
Deferred income taxes |
18,762,000 | 24,072,000 | ||||||
Other assets |
3,770,000 | 3,070,000 | ||||||
Total assets |
$ | 259,164,000 | $ | 290,756,000 | ||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY |
||||||||
Liabilities |
||||||||
Debt |
$ | 90,483,000 | $ | 122,622,000 | ||||
Subordinated debt related party |
4,386,000 | 8,246,000 | ||||||
Other liabilities |
2,105,000 | 2,166,000 | ||||||
Dividends payable |
292,000 | 286,000 | ||||||
Total liabilities |
97,266,000 | 133,320,000 | ||||||
Commitments and contingencies |
||||||||
STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY |
||||||||
Preferred stock, $.01 par value; authorized 5,000,000; Issued none |
||||||||
Common stock, $.01 par value, authorized 30,000,000 shares, issued and
outstanding 14,600,423 shares in 2010 and 14,272,357 shares in 2009 |
146,000 | 143,000 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
72,717,000 | 70,189,000 | ||||||
Retained earnings |
89,026,000 | 87,058,000 | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of income taxes |
9,000 | 46,000 | ||||||
Total stockholders equity |
161,898,000 | 157,436,000 | ||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders equity |
$ | 259,164,000 | $ | 290,756,000 | ||||