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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
 
Washington, D.C.  20549
 

 
FORM 10-Q

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
For the quarterly period ended July 31, 2014
 
Commission File Number: 1-34956
 
CONN'S, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

A Delaware Corporation
 
06-1672840
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

4055 Technology Forest Blvd, Suite 210
The Woodlands, Texas 77381
(936) 230-5899
(Address, including zip code, and telephone
number, including area code, of registrant's
principal executive offices)

None
(Former name, former address and former
fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (l) 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 ý  No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes ý   No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
 
Large accelerated filer x
Accelerated filer o 
Non-accelerated filer o 
Smaller reporting company o
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes o  No ý

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of August 28, 2014:
 
Class
 
Outstanding
Common stock, $.01 par value per share
 
36,254,633



TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I.
 
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 
Page No.
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1.
 
Financial Statements
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 2.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 3.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 4.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PART II.
 
OTHER INFORMATION
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1A.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 2.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 3.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 4.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 5.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 6.
 
 





CONN'S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except share data)

Assets
July 31,
2014
 
January 31,
2014
Current assets
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
$
4,021

 
$
5,727

Customer accounts receivable, net of allowance of $46,113 and $38,447, respectively
583,687

 
527,267

Other accounts receivable
49,993

 
51,480

Inventories
137,624

 
120,530

Deferred income taxes
26,372

 
20,284

Prepaid expenses and other assets
15,257

 
10,307

Total current assets
816,954

 
735,595

Long-term portion of customer accounts receivable, net of allowance of $39,178 and $33,354, respectively
495,904

 
457,413

Property and equipment, net
112,149

 
86,842

Deferred income taxes
13,612

 
7,721

Other assets
10,576

 
10,415

Total assets
$
1,449,195

 
$
1,297,986

 
 
 
 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
 

 
 

Current Liabilities
 

 
 

Current portion of long-term debt
$
401

 
$
420

Accounts payable
95,963

 
82,861

Accrued compensation and related expenses
8,099

 
11,390

Accrued expenses
32,115

 
27,944

Income taxes payable
2,380

 
2,924

Deferred revenues and credits
19,626

 
17,068

Total current liabilities
158,584

 
142,607

Long-term debt
606,980

 
535,631

Other long-term liabilities
45,299

 
30,458

 
 
 
 
Commitments and contingencies
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
Stockholders’ equity
 

 
 

Preferred stock ($0.01 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding)

 

Common stock ($0.01 par value, 100,000,000 and 50,000,000 shares authorized; 36,253,864 and 36,127,569 shares issued at July 31, 2014 and January 31, 2014, respectively)
363

 
361

Additional paid-in capital
228,477

 
225,631

Accumulated other comprehensive loss
(25
)
 
(100
)
Retained earnings
409,517

 
363,398

Total stockholders’ equity
638,332

 
589,290

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
$
1,449,195

 
$
1,297,986


See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

1


CONN'S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except per share amounts)

 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
Revenues
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Product sales
$
264,166

 
$
203,463

 
$
518,386

 
$
394,323

Repair service agreement commissions
20,732

 
17,166

 
40,986

 
33,155

Service revenues
3,383

 
3,083

 
6,538

 
5,682

Total net sales
288,281

 
223,712

 
565,910

 
433,160

Finance charges and other
64,683

 
46,977

 
122,502

 
88,592

Total revenues
352,964

 
270,689

 
688,412

 
521,752

Cost and expenses
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
Cost of goods sold, including warehousing and occupancy costs
168,717

 
136,040

 
329,499

 
259,497

Cost of service parts sold, including warehousing and occupancy costs
1,871

 
1,318

 
3,290

 
2,724

Selling, general and administrative expense
107,303

 
78,757

 
207,507

 
152,012

Provision for bad debts
39,585

 
21,382

 
61,843

 
35,319

Charges and credits
1,492

 

 
3,246

 

Total cost and expenses
318,968

 
237,497

 
605,385

 
449,552

Operating income
33,996

 
33,192

 
83,027

 
72,200

Interest expense
6,247

 
3,135

 
10,971

 
7,006

Other income, net

 
(32
)
 

 
(38
)
Income before income taxes
27,749

 
30,089

 
72,056

 
65,232

Provision for income taxes
10,099

 
10,927

 
25,937

 
23,894

Net income
$
17,650

 
$
19,162

 
$
46,119

 
$
41,338

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Earnings per share:
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
Basic
$
0.49

 
$
0.54

 
$
1.27

 
$
1.16

Diluted
$
0.48

 
$
0.52

 
$
1.25

 
$
1.13

Average common shares outstanding:
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
Basic
36,209

 
35,777

 
36,172

 
35,549

Diluted
36,972

 
36,849

 
36,951

 
36,688


See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

2


CONN'S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(unaudited)
(in thousands)

 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
Net income
$
17,650

 
$
19,162

 
$
46,119

 
$
41,338

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Change in fair value of hedges
58

 
61

 
116

 
90

Impact of provision for income taxes on comprehensive income
(21
)
 
(22
)
 
(41
)
 
(32
)
Comprehensive income
$
17,687

 
$
19,201

 
$
46,194

 
$
41,396


See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

3


CONN'S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Six Months Ended July 31, 2014 and 2013
(unaudited)
(in thousands)

 
 
 
 
 
Additional
 
Accumulated
Other
 
 
 
 
 
Common Stock
 
Paid-in
 
Comprehensive
 
Retained
 
 
 
Shares
 
Amount
 
Capital
 
Loss
 
Earnings
 
Total
Balance at January 31, 2014
36,127

 
$
361

 
$
225,631

 
$
(100
)
 
$
363,398

 
$
589,290

Exercise of stock options, net of tax
52

 
2

 
4

 

 

 
6

Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan
18

 

 
601

 

 

 
601

Vesting of restricted stock units
57

 

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 
2,241

 

 

 
2,241

Net income

 

 

 

 
46,119

 
46,119

Change in fair value of hedges, net of tax of $41

 

 

 
75

 

 
75

Balance at July 31, 2014
36,254

 
$
363

 
$
228,477

 
$
(25
)
 
$
409,517

 
$
638,332


 
 
 
 
 
Additional
 
Accumulated
Other
 
 
 
 
 
Common Stock
 
Paid-in
 
Comprehensive
 
Retained
 
 
 
Shares
 
Amount
 
Capital
 
Loss
 
Earnings
 
Total
Balance at January 31, 2013
35,191

 
$
352

 
$
204,372

 
$
(223
)
 
$
269,949

 
$
474,450

Exercise of stock options, net of tax
657

 
7

 
14,089

 

 

 
14,096

Issuance of common stock under Employee Stock Purchase Plan
15

 

 
406

 

 

 
406

Vesting of restricted stock units
55

 

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 
1,872

 

 

 
1,872

Net income

 

 

 

 
41,338

 
41,338

Change in fair value of hedges, net of tax of $32

 

 

 
58

 

 
58

Balance at July 31, 2013
35,918

 
$
359

 
$
220,739

 
$
(165
)
 
$
311,287

 
$
532,220


See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

4


CONN'S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(unaudited)
(in thousands)
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
2014
 
2013
Cash flows from operating activities
 
 
 
Net income
$
46,119

 
$
41,338

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:
 

 
 

Depreciation
8,566

 
5,675

Amortization
2,089

 
2,237

Provision for bad debts and uncollectible interest
73,552

 
39,856

Stock-based compensation
2,241

 
1,872

Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
(952
)
 
(4,548
)
Store and facility closure and relocation costs
3,246

 

Benefit for deferred income taxes
(12,019
)
 
(1,005
)
(Gain) loss on sale of property and equipment
23

 
(38
)
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
 

 
 

Customer accounts receivable
(168,463
)
 
(129,012
)
Inventories
(17,094
)
 
(16,876
)
Other assets
116

 
7,334

Accounts payable
13,102

 
11,640

Accrued expenses
(1,143
)
 
6,392

Income taxes payable
(4,109
)
 
(4,329
)
Deferred revenues and credits
2,050

 
276

Net cash used in operating activities
(52,676
)
 
(39,188
)
Cash flows from investing activities
 

 
 

Purchase of property and equipment
(38,120
)
 
(19,310
)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment
19,279

 
47

Net cash used in investing activities
(18,841
)
 
(19,263
)
Cash flows from financing activities
 

 
 

Borrowings under lines of credit
215,983

 
181,306

Payments on lines of credit
(389,750
)
 
(109,737
)
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net of issuance costs
243,400

 

Payments on asset-backed notes

 
(32,513
)
Change in restricted cash

 
4,717

Proceeds from stock issued under employee benefit plans
607

 
14,502

Other
(429
)
 
126

Net cash provided by financing activities
69,811

 
58,401

Net change in cash and cash equivalents
(1,706
)
 
(50
)
Cash and cash equivalents
 

 
 

Beginning of period
5,727

 
3,849

End of period
$
4,021

 
$
3,799

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

5


CONN'S, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(unaudited)

1.     Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 
Basis of Presentation. The accompanying unaudited, consolidated financial statements of Conn’s, Inc. and all of its wholly-owned subsidiaries (the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for complete financial statements. The accompanying financial statements reflect all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature, except as otherwise described herein. The Company’s business is moderately seasonal, with a higher portion of sales and operating profit realized during the quarter that ends January 31, due primarily to the holiday selling season. Operating results for the six-month period ended July 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full fiscal year ending January 31, 2015. The financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2014, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2014.

The Company’s balance sheet at January 31, 2014 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for a complete financial presentation. Please see the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for a complete presentation of the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2014, together with all required footnotes, and for a complete presentation and explanation of the components and presentations of the financial statements.

Principles of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Conn’s, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Conn’s, Inc. is a holding company with no independent assets or operations other than its investments in its subsidiaries. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
 
In April 2012, the Company transferred certain customer receivables to a bankruptcy-remote, variable-interest entity (“VIE”) in connection with a securitization. The VIE, which was consolidated within the accompanying financial statements, issued debt secured by the customer receivables that were transferred to it, which were included in customer accounts receivable and long-term portion of customer accounts receivable. On April 15, 2013, the VIE redeemed the then outstanding asset-backed notes and the remaining customer receivables were transferred back to the Company.
 
Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Earnings per Share. Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share include the dilutive effects of any stock options and restricted stock units granted, to the extent not anti-dilutive, which is calculated using the treasury-stock method. The following table sets forth the shares outstanding for the earnings per share calculations:

 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
Weighted average common shares outstanding - Basic
36,209

 
35,777

 
36,172

 
35,549

Assumed exercise of stock options
621

 
859

 
622

 
926

Unvested restricted stock units
142

 
213

 
157

 
213

Weighted average common shares outstanding - Diluted
36,972

 
36,849

 
36,951

 
36,688


The weighted average number of stock options and restricted stock units not included in the calculation due to their anti-dilutive effect was 80,000 and 58,000 for the three and six months ended July 31, 2014, respectively. There were no anti-dilutive stock options or restricted stock units for the three and six months ended July 31, 2013.


6


Fair Value of Financial Instruments. The fair value of cash and cash equivalents and accounts payable approximate their carrying amounts because of the short maturity of these instruments. The fair value of customer accounts receivables, determined using a discounted cash flow analysis, approximates their carrying amount. The fair value of the Company’s debt approximates carrying value. The Company’s interest rate cap options are presented on the balance sheet at fair value. Fair value of these instruments was determined using Level 2 inputs of the ASC 815 GAAP hierarchy, which are defined as inputs not quoted in active markets, but are either directly or indirectly observable.

Stockholders' Equity. On May 29, 2014, following approval by its stockholders on May 28, 2014, the Company amended its Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock, par value of $0.01 per share, from 50,000,000 shares of common stock to 100,000,000 shares of common stock.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements. In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, which provides a single comprehensive accounting standard for revenue recognition for contracts with customers and supersedes current industry-specific guidance, including ASC 605-35. Upon adoption of ASU 2014-09, entities are required to recognize revenue using the following comprehensive model: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (5) recognize revenue as the entity satisfies each performance obligation. ASU 2014-09 is effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 and will result in retrospective application, either in the form of recasting all prior periods presented or a cumulative adjustment to equity in the period of adoption. The Company is currently assessing the impact that the new standard will have on its financial statements.
  
2.     Charges and Credits
 
During the three months ended July 31, 2014, the Company closed one store and incurred lease termination and other costs associated with future store closures. This resulted in a pretax charge of $1.5 million ($1.0 million after-tax). This amount is reported within the retail segment and classified in charges and credits in the consolidated statement of operations.

During the three months ended April 30, 2014, the Company closed two stores, revised its estimate of future obligations related to other closed stores and relocated certain other facilities. This resulted in a pretax charge of $1.8 million ($1.1 million after-tax). This amount is reported within the retail segment and classified in charges and credits in the consolidated statement of operations.

3.     Supplemental Disclosure of Customer Receivables
 
Customer accounts receivable are originated at the time of sale and delivery of the various products and services. The Company records the amount of principal and accrued interest on customer receivables that is expected to be collected within the next twelve months, based on contractual terms, in current assets on its consolidated balance sheet. Those amounts expected to be collected after twelve months, based on contractual terms, are included in long-term assets. Customer receivables are considered delinquent if a payment has not been received on the scheduled due date. Accounts that are delinquent more than 209 days as of the end of a month are charged-off against the allowance for doubtful accounts and interest accrued subsequent to the last payment is reversed and charged against the allowance for uncollectible interest.
 
As part of its efforts in mitigating losses on its accounts receivable, the Company may make loan modifications to a borrower experiencing financial difficulty. The loan modifications are intended to maximize net cash flow after expenses and avoid the need to repossess collateral or exercise legal remedies available to the Company. The Company may extend the loan term, refinance or otherwise re-age an account. Accounts that have been re-aged in excess of three months or refinanced are considered Troubled Debt Restructurings (“TDR”).


7


The Company uses risk-rating criteria to differentiate underwriting requirements, potentially requiring differing down payments, credit limits and initial application and documentation criteria. The following tables present quantitative information about the receivables portfolio managed by the Company, segregated by segment:

 
Total Outstanding Balance
 
Customer Accounts Receivable
 
60 Days Past Due(1)
 
Re-aged(1)
(in thousands)
July 31,
2014
 
January 31,
2014
 
July 31,
2014
 
January 31,
2014
 
July 31,
2014
 
January 31,
2014
Customer accounts receivable
$
1,117,243

 
$
1,022,914

 
$
87,964

 
$
82,486

 
$
80,846

 
$
75,414

Restructured accounts (2)
62,071

 
45,356

 
14,099

 
11,917

 
62,071

 
45,356

Total receivables managed
$
1,179,314

 
$
1,068,270

 
$
102,063

 
$
94,403

 
$
142,917

 
$
120,770

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Allowance for uncollectible accounts related to the credit portfolio
(85,291
)
 
(71,801
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Allowance for short-term, no-interest option credit programs
(14,432
)
 
(11,789
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Short-term portion of customer accounts receivable, net
(583,687
)
 
(527,267
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Long-term portion of customer accounts receivable, net
$
495,904

 
$
457,413

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

(1)
Amounts are based on end of period balances. As an account can become past due after having been re-aged, accounts may be presented in both the past due and re-aged columns shown above. The amounts included within both the past due and re-aged columns shown above as of July 31, 2014 and January 31, 2014 were $33.8 million and $27.4 million, respectively. The total amount of customer receivables past due one day or greater was $282.8 million and $249.3 million as of July 31, 2014 and January 31, 2014, respectively. These amounts include the 60 days past due totals shown above.
(2)
In addition to the amounts included in restructured accounts, there was $1.3 million as of July 31, 2014 and January 31, 2014, respectively, of accounts re-aged four or more months included in the re-aged balance above that did not qualify as TDRs because they were not re-aged subsequent to January 31, 2011.
 
 
 
 
 
Net Credit
 
 
 
 
 
Net Credit
 
Average Balances
 
Charge-offs (1)
 
Average Balances
 
Charge-offs(1)
 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
Customer accounts receivable
$
1,081,196

 
$
766,718

 
$
24,822

 
$
10,818

 
$
1,057,875

 
$
741,108

 
$
42,560

 
$
19,661

Restructured accounts
56,694

 
39,935

 
3,734

 
3,358

 
52,626

 
39,716

 
7,188

 
6,070

Total receivables managed
$
1,137,890

 
$
806,653

 
$
28,556

 
$
14,176

 
$
1,110,501

 
$
780,824

 
$
49,748

 
$
25,731


(1)
Charge-offs include the principal amount of losses (excluding accrued and unpaid interest) net of recoveries which include principal collections during the period shown of previously charged-off balances.


8


The following presents the activity in the Company’s balance in the allowance for doubtful accounts and uncollectible interest for customer receivables for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013:

 
Six Months Ended July 31, 2014
 
Six Months Ended July 31, 2013
(in thousands)
Customer
Accounts
Receivable
 
 
Restructured
Accounts
 
 
 
Total
 
Customer
Accounts
Receivable
 
 
Restructured
Accounts
 
 
 
Total
Allowance at beginning of period
$
54,448

 
$
17,353

 
$
71,801

 
$
27,702

 
$
16,209

 
$
43,911

Provision(1)
61,317

 
12,235

 
73,552

 
32,526

 
7,330

 
39,856

Principal charge-offs(2)
(49,367
)
 
(8,338
)
 
(57,705
)
 
(21,039
)
 
(6,496
)
 
(27,535
)
Interest charge-offs
(8,824
)
 
(1,490
)
 
(10,314
)
 
(3,447
)
 
(1,064
)
 
(4,511
)
Recoveries(2)
6,807

 
1,150

 
7,957

 
1,378

 
425

 
1,803

Allowance at end of period
$
64,381

 
$
20,910

 
$
85,291

 
$
37,120

 
$
16,404

 
$
53,524


(1)
Includes provision for uncollectible interest, which is included in finance charges and other.
(2)
Charge-offs include the principal amount of losses (excluding accrued and unpaid interest), and recoveries include principal collections during the period shown of previously charged-off balances. Net charge-offs are calculated as the net of principal charge-offs and recoveries.

The Company records an allowance for doubtful accounts, including estimated uncollectible interest, for its customer accounts receivable, based on its historical cash collections and net loss experience using a projection of monthly delinquency performance, cash collections and losses. In addition to pre-charge-off cash collections and charge-off information, estimates of post-charge-off recoveries, including cash payments, amounts realized from the repossession of the products financed and, at times, payments received under credit insurance policies are considered.
 
The Company determines reserves for those accounts that are TDRs based on the present value of cash flows expected to be collected over the life of those accounts. The excess of the carrying amount over the discounted cash flow amount is recorded as a reserve for loss on those accounts.
 
The Company typically only places accounts in non-accrual status when legally required. Payments received on non-accrual loans are applied to principal and reduce the amount of the loan. Interest accrual is resumed on those accounts once a legally-mandated settlement arrangement is reached or other payment arrangements are made with the customer. Customer receivables in non-accrual status were $13.6 million and $12.2 million at July 31, 2014 and January 31, 2014, respectively. Customer receivables that were past due 90 days or more and still accruing interest totaled $68.7 million and $63.3 million at July 31, 2014 and January 31, 2014, respectively.

4.        Supplemental Disclosure of Finance Charges and Other Revenue
 
The following is a summary of the classification of the amounts included as finance charges and other for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013:

 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
Interest income and fees on customer receivables
$
52,226

 
$
36,397

 
$
98,716

 
$
69,407

Insurance commissions
12,113

 
10,289

 
22,976

 
18,556

Other
344

 
291

 
810

 
629

Finance charges and other
$
64,683

 
$
46,977

 
$
122,502

 
$
88,592


Interest income and fees on customer receivables is reduced by provisions for uncollectible interest of $6.6 million and $3.1 million, respectively, for the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, and $12.0 million and $5.2 million, respectively, for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013. The amount included in interest income and fees on customer receivables related to TDR accounts was $1.8 million and $0.9 million, respectively, for the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, and $3.1 million and $2.1 million, respectively, for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013. The Company recognizes interest income on

9


TDR accounts using the interest income method, which requires reporting interest income equal to the increase in the net carrying amount of the loan attributable to the passage of time. Cash proceeds and other adjustments are applied to the net carrying amount of TDR accounts such that it always equals the present value of expected future cash flows.

5.     Accrual for Store Closures
 
The Company has closed or relocated retail locations that did not perform at a level the Company expects for mature store locations. Certain of the closed or relocated stores had unexpired leases, resulting in the accrual of the present value of remaining lease obligations and anticipated ancillary occupancy costs, net of estimated sublease income. Revisions to these projections for changes in estimated marketing times and sublease rates are made to the obligation as further information related to the actual terms and costs become available. The estimates were calculated using Level 2 fair value inputs. The following table presents detail of the activity in the accrual for store closures during the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013:

 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
Balance at beginning of period
$
4,316

 
$
5,071

Accrual for closures
3,108

 

Change in estimate
138

 

Cash payments
(4,254
)
 
(1,047
)
Balance at end of period
$
3,308

 
$
4,024


Balance sheet presentation:
July 31,
2014
 
January 31,
2014
Accrued expenses
$
1,181

 
$
1,957

Other long-term liabilities
2,127

 
2,359

 
$
3,308

 
$
4,316




6.     Debt and Letters of Credit
 
The Company’s long-term debt consisted of the following at the period ended:

(in thousands)
July 31,
2014
 
January 31,
2014
Asset-based revolving credit facility
$
361,190

 
$
534,956

7.25% senior notes, net of discount of $4,948
245,052

 

Other long-term debt
1,139

 
1,095

Total debt
607,381

 
536,051

Less current portion of debt
401

 
420

Long-term debt
$
606,980

 
$
535,631


Senior Notes

On July 1, 2014, the Company issued $250.0 million in senior unsecured notes due July 2022 (the “Senior Notes”), bearing interest at 7.25%, pursuant to an indenture dated July 1, 2014 (the "Indenture"), among Conn’s, Inc., its subsidiary guarantors (the "Guarantors") and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. The Senior Notes were sold at par, and resulted in net proceeds to the Company of $243.4 million, after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts and commissions and other offering expenses. The net proceeds were used to repay outstanding borrowings under the Company’s asset-based revolving credit facility. The effective interest rate of the Senior Notes after giving effect to offering fees is 7.6%.


10


The Indenture restricts the Company's ability and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries to: (i) incur indebtedness; (ii) pay dividends or make other distributions in respect of, or repurchase or redeem, our capital stock; (iii) prepay, redeem or repurchase debt that is junior in right of payment to the notes; (iv) make loans and certain investments; (v) sell assets; (vi) incur liens; (vii) enter into transactions with affiliates; and (viii) consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of our assets. These covenants are subject to a number of important exceptions and qualifications. During any time when the Senior Notes are rated investment grade by either of Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and no Default (as defined in the Indenture) has occurred and is continuing, many of such covenants will be suspended and the Company and its subsidiaries will cease to be subject to such covenants during such period.

Events of default under the Indenture include customary events, such as a cross-acceleration provision in the event that we default in the payment of other debt due at maturity or upon acceleration for default in an amount exceeding $25 million, as well as in the event a judgment is entered against us in excess of $25 million that is not discharged, bonded or insured.

The Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the Guarantors. The only direct or indirect subsidiaries of Conn’s, Inc. that are not Guarantors are minor subsidiaries. There are no restrictions on the ability of any of the Guarantors to transfer funds to Conn’s, Inc. in the form of loans, advances or dividends, except as provided by applicable law.

In connection with the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes, the Company and the Guarantors entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with the initial purchasers, dated July 1, 2014. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company and the Guarantors have agreed to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission so that holders of the Senior Notes can exchange the Senior Notes for registered notes that have substantially identical terms as the Senior Notes. In addition, the Company and the Guarantors have agreed to exchange the guarantee related to the Senior Notes for a registered guarantee having substantially the same terms as the original guarantee. The Company and the Guarantors will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the exchange to be completed within 365 days of the issuance of the Senior Notes. The Company and the Guarantors are required to pay additional interest if they fail to comply with their obligations to register the Senior Notes within the specified time periods.

Revolving Credit Facility

The Company also amended its asset-based revolving credit facility in connection with the issuance of the Senior Notes, to provide for among other things, the issuance of the Senior Notes and Indenture as well as related guarantees, upstream distributions from subsidiaries to Conn’s, Inc. (a holding company) for the payment of interest and principal on the Senior Notes and under certain circumstances optional and mandatory prepayment of the Senior Notes and allow holders of the Senior Notes to receive payments even though they may be stockholders of the Company.

The Company’s asset-based revolving credit facility with a syndicate of banks had capacity of $880.0 million as of July 31, 2014. The revolving credit facility provides funding based on a borrowing base calculation that includes customer accounts receivable and inventory. The amended and restated credit facility bears interest at LIBOR plus a spread ranging from 250 basis points to 325 basis points, based on a leverage ratio (defined as total liabilities to tangible net worth). In addition to the leverage ratio, the revolving credit facility includes a fixed charge coverage requirement, a minimum customer receivables cash recovery percentage requirement and a net capital expenditures limit. The asset-based revolving credit facility restricts the amount of dividends the Company can pay and is secured by the assets of the Company not otherwise encumbered.

As of July 31, 2014, the Company had immediately available borrowing capacity of $395.5 million under its asset-based revolving credit facility, net of standby letters of credit issued, for general corporate purposes. The Company also had $121.6 million that may become available under its asset-based revolving credit facility if it grows the balance of eligible customer receivables and its total eligible inventory balances. The Company pays additional fees in the amount of 25 basis points for the additional commitment amount.

The Company’s asset-based revolving credit facility provides it the ability to utilize letters of credit to secure its deductibles under the Company’s property and casualty insurance programs, among other acceptable uses. At July 31, 2014, the Company had outstanding letters of credit of $1.7 million under this facility. The maximum potential amount of future payments under these letter of credit facilities is considered to be the aggregate face amount of each letter of credit commitment, which totals $1.7 million as of July 31, 2014.

The Company was in compliance with its financial covenants at July 31, 2014.


11


7.     Contingencies
 
Litigation. Between March 5, 2014 and May 5, 2014, the Company and three of its current executive officers were sued in three purported securities class action lawsuits, each filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Each of the complaints allege that the defendants made false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. The complaints allege violations of sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The complaints do not specify the amount of damages sought.

On June 3, 2014, the court consolidated these three complaints into a single, putative class action, In re Conn’s, Inc. Securities Litigation, Master File No. 14:14-CV-00548, and appointed lead plaintiffs. On July 21, 2014, the lead plaintiffs’ filed an amended and consolidated complaint.  The deadline for the defendants to respond to the complaint is September 4, 2014.  The defendants intend file a motion to dismiss the consolidated complaint and vigorously defend against these claims. It is not possible at this time to predict the timing or outcome of the litigation.

In addition, the Company is involved in other routine litigation and claims incidental to its business from time to time and, as required, has accrued its estimate of the probable costs for the resolution of these matters, which individually or in the aggregate are expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows. These estimates have been developed in consultation with counsel and are based upon an analysis of potential results, assuming a combination of litigation and settlement strategies. However, the results of these proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, and changes in facts and circumstances could impact the Company’s estimate of reserves for litigation.


12


8.     Segment Reporting
 
Financial information by segment is presented in the following tables:
 
 
Three Months Ended July 31, 2014

Three Months Ended July 31, 2013
(in thousands)
Retail

Credit

Total

Retail

Credit

Total
Revenues
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Product sales
$
264,166

 
$

 
$
264,166

 
$
203,463

 
$

 
$
203,463

Repair service agreement commissions
20,732

 

 
20,732

 
17,166

 

 
17,166

Service revenues
3,383

 

 
3,383

 
3,083

 

 
3,083

Total net sales
288,281

 

 
288,281

 
223,712

 

 
223,712

Finance charges and other
343

 
64,340

 
64,683

 
290

 
46,687

 
46,977

Total revenues
288,624

 
64,340

 
352,964

 
224,002

 
46,687

 
270,689

Cost and expenses
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Cost of goods sold, including warehousing and occupancy costs
168,717

 

 
168,717

 
136,040

 

 
136,040

Cost of service parts sold, including warehousing and occupancy cost
1,871

 

 
1,871

 
1,318

 

 
1,318

Selling, general and administrative expense(a)
82,336

 
24,967

 
107,303

 
60,910

 
17,847

 
78,757

Provision for bad debts

 
39,585

 
39,585

 
72

 
21,310

 
21,382

Charges and credits
1,492

 

 
1,492

 

 

 

Total cost and expense
254,416

 
64,552

 
318,968

 
198,340

 
39,157

 
237,497

Operating income (loss)
34,208

 
(212
)
 
33,996

 
25,662

 
7,530

 
33,192

Interest expense

 
6,247

 
6,247

 

 
3,135

 
3,135

Other income, net

 

 

 
(32
)
 

 
(32
)
Income (loss) before income taxes
$
34,208

 
$
(6,459
)
 
$
27,749

 
$
25,694

 
$
4,395

 
$
30,089


 
As of July 31, 2014
 
As of January 31, 2014
(in thousands)
Retail
 
Credit
 
Total
 
Retail
 
Credit
 
Total
Total assets(b)
$
345,017

 
$
1,104,178

 
$
1,449,195

 
$
283,637

 
$
1,014,349

 
$
1,297,986



13


 
Six Months Ended July 31, 2014
 
Six Months Ended July 31, 2013
(in thousands)
Retail
 
Credit
 
Total
 
Retail
 
Credit
 
Total
Revenues
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Product sales
$
518,386

 
$

 
$
518,386

 
$
394,323

 
$

 
$
394,323

Repair service agreement commissions
40,986

 

 
40,986

 
33,155

 

 
33,155

Service revenues
6,538

 

 
6,538

 
5,682

 

 
5,682

Total net sales
565,910

 

 
565,910

 
433,160

 

 
433,160

Finance charges and other
809

 
121,693

 
122,502

 
629

 
87,963

 
88,592

Total revenues
566,719

 
121,693

 
688,412

 
433,789

 
87,963

 
521,752

Cost and expenses
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Cost of goods sold, including warehousing and occupancy costs
329,499

 

 
329,499

 
259,497

 

 
259,497

Cost of service parts sold, including warehousing and occupancy cost
3,290

 

 
3,290

 
2,724

 

 
2,724

Selling, general and administrative expense(a)
158,666

 
48,841

 
207,507

 
118,420

 
33,592

 
152,012

Provision for bad debts
44

 
61,799

 
61,843

 
186

 
35,133

 
35,319

Charges and credits
3,246

 

 
3,246

 

 

 

Total cost and expense
494,745

 
110,640

 
605,385

 
380,827

 
68,725

 
449,552

Operating income
71,974

 
11,053

 
83,027

 
52,962

 
19,238

 
72,200

Interest expense

 
10,971

 
10,971

 

 
7,006

 
7,006

Other income, net

 

 

 
(38
)
 

 
(38
)
Income before income taxes
$
71,974

 
$
82

 
$
72,056

 
$
53,000

 
$
12,232

 
$
65,232



(a)
Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses include the direct expenses of the retail and credit operations, allocated overhead expenses and a charge to the credit segment to reimburse the retail segment for expenses it incurs related to occupancy, personnel, advertising and other direct costs of the retail segment which benefit the credit operations by sourcing credit customers and collecting payments. The reimbursement received by the retail segment from the credit segment is estimated using an annual rate of 2.5% times the average portfolio balance for each applicable period. The amount of overhead allocated to each segment was $3.0 million and $2.5 million, respectively, for the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, and $5.9 million and $5.1 million, respectively, for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013. The amount of reimbursement made to the retail segment by the credit segment was $7.1 million and $5.0 million, respectively, for the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, and $13.8 million and $9.7 million, respectively, for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013.
(b)
Retail segment total assets as of July 31, 2014 includes $6.0 million of land, buildings and improvements related to two stores under construction which are subject to a sale and lease back transaction. These related assets will be retired from the Company’s balance sheet upon completion of construction and opening of the stores.


14


Item 2.  Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
 
Unless the context otherwise indicates, references to “Conn’s,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the consolidated business operations of Conn’s, Inc. and all of its direct and indirect subsidiaries.
 
Forward-Looking Statements
 
This report contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include information concerning our future financial performance, business strategy, plans, goals and objectives. Statements containing the words "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "should," or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. Although we believe that the expectations, opinions, projections, and comments reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such statements will prove to be correct. A wide variety of potential risks, uncertainties, and other factors could materially affect our ability to achieve the results either expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements including, but not limited to: general economic conditions impacting our customers or potential customers; our ability to continue existing or to offer new customer financing programs; changes in the delinquency status of our credit portfolio; unfavorable developments in ongoing litigation; increased regulatory oversight; higher than anticipated net charge-offs in the credit portfolio; the success of our planned opening of new stores and the updating of existing stores; technological and market developments and sales trends for our major product offerings; our ability to protect against cyber-attacks or data security breaches and to protect the integrity and security of individually identifiable data of our customers and our employees; our ability to fund our operations, capital expenditures, debt repayment and expansion from cash flows from operations, borrowings from our revolving credit facility, and proceeds from accessing debt or equity markets; and the other risks detailed in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) reports, including but not limited to, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended January 31, 2014. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. Except as required by law, we are not obligated to publicly release any revisions or update to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
 
General
 
We are a leading specialty retailer that offers a broad selection of quality, branded durable consumer goods and related services in addition to a proprietary credit solution for our core credit constrained consumers. We operate an integrated and scalable business through our retail stores and website. Our complementary product offerings include home appliances, furniture and mattresses, consumer electronics and home office products from leading global brands across a wide range of price points. Our credit offering provides financing solutions to a large, underserved population of credit constrained consumers who typically are unbanked and have credit scores between 550 and 650. We provide customers the opportunity to comparison shop across brands with confidence in our competitive prices as well as affordable monthly payment options, next-day delivery and installation, and product repair services. We believe our large, attractively merchandised stores and credit solutions offer a distinctive shopping experience compared to other retailers that target our core customer demographic.
 
As of July 31, 2014, we operated 86 retail locations in Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Our primary product categories include:
 
Furniture and mattress, including furniture and related accessories for the living room, dining room and bedroom, as well as both traditional and specialty mattresses;
Home appliance, including refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, dishwashers and ranges;
Consumer electronic, including LCD, LED, 3-D, Ultra HD and plasma televisions, Blu-ray players, home theater and video game products, digital cameras, and portable audio equipment; and
Home office, including computers, tablets, printers and accessories.

Additionally, we offer a variety of products on a seasonal basis.
 
Our stores typically range in size from 20,000 to 50,000 square feet and are predominately located in areas densely populated by our core customer and are typically anchor stores in strip malls. We utilize a merchandising strategy that offers approximately 2,300 quality, branded products from approximately 200 manufacturers and distributors at various price points. Our commissioned sales, consumer credit and service personnel are well-trained and knowledgeable to assist our customers with product selection and the credit application process. We also provide additional services including next-day delivery and installation capabilities, and product repair or replacement services for most items sold in our stores.


15


We provide multiple financing options to address various customer needs including a proprietary in-house credit program, a third-party financing program and a third-party rent-to-own payment program. The majority of our credit customers use our in-house credit program and typically have a credit score of between 550 and 650, with the average score of new applicants financed by us during the three months ended July 31, 2014 of 607, up from 601 for the same period last year. For customers who do not qualify for our in-house program, we offer rent-to-own payment plans primarily through AcceptanceNow (formerly known as RAC Acceptance). For customers with high credit scores, we have partnered with Synchrony Financial (formerly known as GE Capital) to offer long-term, no-interest and revolving credit plans. AcceptanceNow and Synchrony Financial manage their respective underwriting decisions and collection of their credit programs. For the three months ended July 31, 2014, we financed approximately 77.0% of our retail sales, including down payments, under our in-house financing program.
 
We believe our extensive brand and product selection, competitive pricing, financing alternatives and supporting services combined with our customer service focused store associates make us an attractive alternative to appliance and electronics superstores, department stores and other national, regional, local and internet retailers.
 
Due to the holiday selling season, our business is moderately seasonal, with a greater share of our revenues, operating and net income historically realized during the quarter ending January 31.

Operational Changes and Operating Environment

We have implemented, continued to focus on, or modified operating initiatives that we believe should positively impact future results, including:
 
Opening expanded Conn’s HomePlus stores in new markets. During the six months ended July 31, 2014, we opened ten new stores in Arizona (1), Colorado (2), Mississippi (1), Nevada (1), South Carolina (1), Tennessee (3) and Texas (1). We plan to open eight additional new stores by January 31, 2015. We plan to open between 15 and 18 stores in fiscal 2016. We opened 14 new stores in fiscal 2014 and five new stores in fiscal 2013. For the six months ended July 31, 2014, new stores opened since February 1, 2012 accounted for approximately 25.0% of total product sales. New stores opened since February 1, 2012 accounted for approximately 14.9% and 3.4% of total product sales in fiscal 2014 and 2013, respectively;

Reviewing our existing store locations to ensure the customer demographics and retail sales opportunity are sufficient to achieve our store performance expectations, and selectively closing or relocating stores to achieve those goals. In this regard, we have closed a total of 19 retail locations since the beginning of fiscal 2012 that did not perform at the level we expect for mature store locations. We plan to close seven additional retail locations by January 31, 2015;

Remodeling and relocating existing stores utilizing the Conn’s HomePlus format to increase retail square footage and improve our customers' shopping experience;

Expanding and enhancing our product offering of higher-margin furniture and mattresses;

Focusing on quality, branded products to improve operating performance;

Increased use of short-term, no interest credit programs, with terms of 12 months or less, over recent years with the intent to accelerate cash collections, while modestly reducing portfolio interest and fee yield. In this regard, we discontinued offering six-month, no-interest programs in August 2014 and currently offer only a 12-month program. Beginning in September 2014, we raised eligibility requirements to qualify for the 12-month program;

Planning to modestly raise interest rates charged to customers, where possible, in response to the changing market environment;

Adjusted our underwriting standards during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2014 and in March and August of 2014 to improve the overall quality of our credit portfolio. To improve ultimate cash collections, beginning in May 2014, customers may re-age their account once every four months which compares to once every six months previously. The maximum number of months an account can be extended remains unchanged at 12 months; and

Focusing on continuing to improve the execution within our collection operations to reduce delinquency rates and future charge-offs.



16


Results of Operations
 
The presentation of our results of operations may not be comparable to some other retailers since we include the cost of our in-home delivery and installation service as part of selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expense. Similarly, we include the cost related to operating our purchasing function in SG&A expense. It is our understanding that other retailers may include such costs as part of their cost of goods sold. 

The following tables present certain operations information, on a consolidated and segment basis:
 
Consolidated:
 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
 
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Revenues
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Product sales
$
264,166

 
$
203,463

 
$
60,703

 
$
518,386

 
$
394,323

 
$
124,063

Repair service agreement commissions
20,732

 
17,166

 
3,566

 
40,986

 
33,155

 
7,831

Service revenues
3,383

 
3,083

 
300

 
6,538

 
5,682

 
856

Total net sales
288,281

 
223,712

 
64,569

 
565,910

 
433,160

 
132,750

Finance charges and other
64,683

 
46,977

 
17,706

 
122,502

 
88,592

 
33,910

Total revenues
352,964

 
270,689

 
82,275

 
688,412

 
521,752

 
166,660

Cost and expenses
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Cost of goods sold, including warehousing and occupancy costs
168,717

 
136,040

 
32,677

 
329,499

 
259,497

 
70,002

Cost of service parts sold, including warehousing and occupancy cost
1,871

 
1,318

 
553

 
3,290

 
2,724

 
566

Selling, general and administrative expense(a)
107,303

 
78,757

 
28,546

 
207,507

 
152,012

 
55,495

Provision for bad debts
39,585

 
21,382

 
18,203

 
61,843

 
35,319

 
26,524

Charges and credits
1,492

 

 
1,492

 
3,246

 

 
3,246

Total cost and expenses
318,968

 
237,497

 
81,471

 
605,385

 
449,552

 
155,833

Operating income
33,996

 
33,192

 
804

 
83,027

 
72,200

 
10,827

Interest expense
6,247

 
3,135

 
3,112

 
10,971

 
7,006

 
3,965

Other income, net

 
(32
)
 
32

 

 
(38
)
 
38

Income before income taxes
27,749

 
30,089

 
(2,340
)
 
72,056

 
65,232

 
6,824

Provision for income taxes
10,099

 
10,927

 
(828
)
 
25,937

 
23,894

 
2,043

Net income
$
17,650

 
$
19,162

 
$
(1,512
)
 
$
46,119

 
$
41,338

 
$
4,781



17


Retail Segment:

Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
 
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Revenues











Product sales
$
264,166

 
$
203,463

 
$
60,703

 
$
518,386

 
$
394,323

 
$
124,063

Repair service agreement commissions
20,732

 
17,166

 
3,566

 
40,986

 
33,155

 
7,831

Service revenues
3,383

 
3,083

 
300

 
6,538

 
5,682

 
856

Total net sales
288,281

 
223,712

 
64,569

 
565,910

 
433,160

 
132,750

Finance charges and other
343

 
290

 
53

 
809

 
629

 
180

Total revenues
288,624

 
224,002

 
64,622

 
566,719

 
433,789

 
132,930

Cost and expenses
 

 
 

 


 
 

 
 

 
 
Cost of goods sold, including warehousing and occupancy costs
168,717

 
136,040

 
32,677

 
329,499

 
259,497

 
70,002

Cost of service parts sold, including warehousing and occupancy cost
1,871

 
1,318

 
553

 
3,290

 
2,724

 
566

Selling, general and administrative expense(a)
82,336

 
60,910

 
21,426

 
158,666

 
118,420

 
40,246

Provision for bad debts

 
72

 
(72
)
 
44

 
186

 
(142
)
Charges and credits
1,492

 

 
1,492

 
3,246

 

 
3,246

Total cost and expenses
254,416

 
198,340

 
56,076

 
494,745

 
380,827

 
113,918

Operating income
34,208

 
25,662

 
8,546

 
71,974

 
52,962

 
19,012

Other income, net

 
(32
)
 
32

 

 
(38
)
 
38

Income before income taxes
$
34,208

 
$
25,694

 
$
8,514

 
$
71,974

 
$
53,000

 
$
18,974


Credit Segment:

Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
 
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Revenues











Finance charges and other
$
64,340

 
$
46,687

 
$
17,653

 
$
121,693

 
$
87,963

 
$
33,730

Cost and expenses
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Selling, general and administrative expense(a)
24,967

 
17,847

 
7,120

 
48,841

 
33,592

 
15,249

Provision for bad debts
39,585

 
21,310

 
18,275

 
61,799

 
35,133

 
26,666

Total cost and expenses
64,552

 
39,157

 
25,395

 
110,640

 
68,725

 
41,915

Operating income (loss)
(212
)
 
7,530

 
(7,742
)
 
11,053

 
19,238

 
(8,185
)
Interest expense
6,247

 
3,135

 
3,112

 
10,971

 
7,006

 
3,965

Income (loss) before income taxes
$
(6,459
)
 
$
4,395

 
$
(10,854
)
 
$
82

 
$
12,232

 
$
(12,150
)

(a)
SG&A expenses include the direct expenses of the retail and credit operations, allocated overhead expenses and a charge to the credit segment to reimburse the retail segment for expenses it incurs related to occupancy, personnel, advertising and other direct costs of the retail segment which benefit the credit operations by sourcing credit customers and collecting payments. The reimbursement received by the retail segment from the credit segment is estimated using an annual rate of 2.5% times the average portfolio balance for each applicable period. The amount of overhead allocated to each segment was $3.0 million and $2.5 million, respectively, for the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, and $5.9 million and $5.1 million, respectively, for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013. The amount of reimbursement made to the retail segment by the credit segment was $7.1 million and $5.0 million, respectively, for the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, and $13.8 million and $9.7 million, respectively, for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013.

18



Segment Overview
 
The following provides an overview of our retail and credit segment operations for the three and six months ended July 31, 2014. A detailed explanation of the changes in our operations for the comparative periods is included below:
 
Retail Segment
 
Revenues for the quarter ended July 31, 2014 increased $64.6 million, or 28.8%, from the prior-year period. The revenue increase was primarily driven by new store openings and an 11.7% increase in same store sales. The year-over-year expansion in same store sales was tempered by our decision to not sell lawn equipment in fiscal 2015 and tightening by our credit segment of underwriting standards in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2014. Revenues for the six months ended July 31, 2014 increased by 30.6% over the prior-year period, driven by new store openings and same store sales growth of 14.3%. This year-over-year growth was partially offset by the impact of the decision to no longer offer lawn equipment and changes in our underwriting standards.

Retail gross margin for the quarter ended July 31, 2014 was 40.8%, an increase of 250 basis points over the 38.3% reported in the comparable quarter last year. The expansion in retail margin was driven by a favorable shift in product mix with the higher-margin furniture and mattress category accounting for 30.8% of product sales in the current quarter versus 24.9% in the prior-year period. Product gross margins expanded year-over-year in each of the major categories. Retail gross margin for the six-month period increased from 39.3% in the prior-year quarter to 41.1% in the current period reflecting a favorable shift in product mix and margin expansion in each of the major product categories.

SG&A expense was $82.3 million in the current period, an increase of $21.4 million, or 35.2%, over the quarter ended July 31, 2013. The SG&A expense increase was primarily due to higher sales-driven compensation, advertising costs, delivery expenses and facility-related costs. As a percentage of segment revenues, SG&A expense was 28.5% for the quarter ended July 31, 2014, compared to 27.2% in the prior-year quarter. The increase in SG&A expense as a percentage of segment revenues is attributable primarily to costs associated with the eight new stores opened during the current quarter. In the prior-year period, we opened two new stores. SG&A for the six months ended July 31, 2014 increased $40.2 million from the prior-year period but remained relatively flat as a percentage of segment revenues.

Credit Segment
 
Revenues for the three months ended July 31, 2014 were $64.3 million, an increase of $17.7 million, or 37.8%, over the same period last year. The increase reflects the year-over-year growth in the average balance of the customer receivable portfolio and a 30 basis point increase in portfolio yield. Total revenues for the six-month period increased by $33.7 million as compared to the prior year period also due to the rise in the average balance of the customer receivable portfolio.

Credit segment SG&A expense was $25.0 million for the quarter ended July 31, 2014, an increase of $7.1 million, or 39.9%, from the prior-year period. We have added collections personnel to service the 39.9% year-over-year increase in the customer receivable portfolio balance and anticipated near-term portfolio growth. SG&A expense as a percent of segment revenues was 38.8% in the current year period, which compares to 38.2% in the prior-year period. For the six-month period, credit segment SG&A increased by $15.2 million also due to increased compensation and related expenses.

Provision for bad debts was $39.6 million for the three months ended July 31, 2014, an increase of $18.3 million from the prior-year quarter. The annualized provision rate was 13.9%, an increase of 330 basis points from the prior year. These increases were driven primarily by a 41.1% increase in the average receivable portfolio balance, which reflects a 24.9% increase in loan originations, and higher than expected delinquency and future charge-offs. Additionally, the balance of customer receivables accounted for as troubled debt restructurings (for which full-life expected losses are provided) increased to $62.1 million, or 5.3% of the total portfolio balance, driving $3.4 million of the increase in provision for bad debts. The provision for bad debts increased $26.7 million for the six-month period due primarily to substantial growth in the portfolio balance and higher than expected delinquency and future charge-offs at July 31, 2014.

Net interest expense was $6.2 million for the quarter ended July 31, 2014, an increase of $3.1 million from the prior-year quarter reflecting an increase in the level of outstanding debt and an increase in our effective interest rate. The increase in our effective interest rate is attributable to our issuance of $250.0 million in 7.25% senior unsecured notes

19


on July 1, 2014. Net proceeds from the offering were used to reduce borrowings under our asset-based revolving credit facility which carries a lower borrowing rate. For the six months ended July 31, 2014, interest expense rose $4.0 million as a result of the increase in the average debt balance outstanding.

Three Months Ended July 31, 2014 Compared to Three Months Ended July 31, 2013
 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Total net sales
$
288,281

 
$
223,712

 
$
64,569

Finance charges and other
64,683

 
46,977

 
17,706

Total Revenues
$
352,964

 
$
270,689

 
$
82,275


The following table provides an analysis of net sales by product category in each period, including repair service agreement commissions and service revenues, expressed both in dollar amounts and as a percent of total net sales:

 
Three Months Ended July 31,
 
 
 
%
 
Same store
 
2014
 
% of Total
 
2013
 
% of Total
 
Change
 
Change
 
% change
(dollars in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Furniture and mattress
$
81,373

 
28.2
%
 
$
50,668

 
22.6
%
 
$
30,705

 
60.6
 %
 
30.3
 %
Home appliance
84,355

 
29.3

 
63,857

 
28.5

 
20,498

 
32.1

 
19.4

Consumer electronic
68,945

 
23.9

 
55,766

 
24.9

 
13,179

 
23.6

 
7.8

Home office
24,061

 
8.3

 
18,712

 
8.4

 
5,349

 
28.6

 
14.2

Other
5,432

 
1.9

 
14,460

 
6.5

 
(9,028
)
 
(62.4
)
 
(66.5
)
Product sales
264,166

 
91.6

 
203,463

 
90.9

 
60,703

 
29.8

 
11.8

Repair service agreement commissions
20,732

 
7.2

 
17,166

 
7.7

 
3,566

 
20.8

 
11.4

Service revenues
3,383

 
1.2

 
3,083

 
1.4

 
300

 
9.7

 
 

Total net sales
$
288,281

 
100.0
%
 
$
223,712

 
100.0
%
 
$
64,569

 
28.9
 %
 
11.7
 %

The following provides a summary of items influencing the Company’s major product category performance during the quarter, compared to the prior-year period:

Furniture and mattress sales growth was driven by a 44.3% increase in unit sales and an 11.7% increase in the average selling price. Furniture sales rose 59.3% on a 49.1% increase in unit volume with a 6.8% increase in average selling price. Mattress sales increased 64.8% reflecting a 32.2% increase in unit volume and a 24.7% increase in average selling price due to a shift to higher price-point merchandise;
Home appliance sales increased from the prior-year period driven by a 20.3% increase in unit sales and an 8.9% increase in the average selling price. Laundry sales increased 41.1%, refrigeration sales rose 30.8%, dishwasher sales were up 28.5% and cooking sales increased 27.4%;
Consumer electronic sales rose 23.6% driven by a 20.3% increase in unit volume. Television sales were up 16.2%, gaming hardware sales rose 500+% and home theater sales climbed 36.6%;
Home office sales increased primarily due to a 56.2% increase in computer sales with a 15.6% rise in the average selling price of computers. This increase was partially offset by a 27.7% decrease in tablet sales;
Other sales included $9.3 million of lawn equipment sales in the quarter ended July 31, 2013. The Company is not participating in this lower-margin category in the current fiscal year.
The increase in repair service agreement commissions was driven primarily by increased retail sales; and
Service revenue increased by 9.7% due to increased product sales in recent years and additional service technician staffing.


20


 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Interest income and fees
$
52,226

 
$
36,397

 
$
15,829

Insurance commissions
12,113

 
10,289

 
1,824

Other income
344

 
291

 
53

Finance charges and other
$
64,683

 
$
46,977

 
$
17,706


Interest income and fees and insurance commissions are included in the finance charges and other for the credit segment, while other income is included in finance charges and other for the retail segment.

Interest income and fees of the credit segment increased over the prior-year level primarily driven by a 41.1% increase in the average balance of the portfolio and a modest increase in portfolio interest and fee yield. Insurance commissions were favorably impacted by increased retrospective commissions due to lower claims experience.

The following table provides key portfolio performance information for the three months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013:
 

Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
2014
 
2013
(in thousands, except percentages)
 
 
 
Interest income and fees(a)
$
52,226

 
$
36,397

Net charge-offs
(28,556
)
 
(14,176
)
Borrowing costs(b)
(6,247
)
 
(3,135
)
Net portfolio yield
$
17,423

 
$
19,086

Average portfolio balance
$
1,137,890

 
$
806,653

Interest income and fee yield % (annualized)
18.2
%
 
17.9
%
Net charge-off % (annualized)
10.0
%
 
7.0
%

(a)
Included in finance charges and other.
(b)
Total interest expense.
 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands, except percentages)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Cost of goods sold
$
168,717

 
$
136,040

 
$
32,677

Product gross margin percentage
36.1
%
 
33.1
%
 
 


Product gross margin expanded 300 basis points as a percent of product sales from the quarter ended July 31, 2013 primarily due to a favorable shift in product mix and expansion of product gross margin in each of the major product categories.

 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands, except percentages)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Cost of service parts sold
$
1,871

 
$
1,318

 
$
553

As a percent of service revenues
55.3
%
 
42.8
%
 
 


The increase in cost of service parts sold was due primarily to growth in service revenues.


21


 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands, except percentages)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Selling, general and administrative expense - Retail
$
82,336

 
$
60,910

 
$
21,426

Selling, general and administrative expense - Credit
24,967

 
17,847

 
7,120

Selling, general and administrative expense - Total
$
107,303

 
$
78,757

 
$
28,546

As a percent of total revenues
30.4
%
 
29.1
%
 
 


For the three months ended July 31, 2014, the increase in SG&A expense in the retail segment was primarily driven by higher advertising, compensation, delivery expenses and facility-related costs. As a percent of segment revenues, SG&A expense increased 130 basis points primarily due to costs associated with the eight new stores opened during the current quarter. In the prior-year period, we opened two new stores.

The increase in SG&A expense for the credit segment was driven by the addition of collections personnel to service the 39.9% year-over-year increase in the customer receivable portfolio balance and anticipated near-term portfolio growth.

 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands, except percentages)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Provision for bad debts - Retail
$

 
$
72

 
$
(72
)
Provision for bad debts - Credit
39,585

 
21,310

 
18,275

Provision for bad debts - Total
$
39,585

 
$
21,382

 
$
18,203

Provision for bad debts - Credit as a percent of average portfolio balance (annualized)
13.9
%
 
10.6
%
 
 


The provision for bad debts of the credit segment increased by $18.3 million from the prior-year period. The annualized provision rate was 13.9%, an increase of 330 basis points from the prior year. These increases were driven primarily by a 41.1% increase in the average receivable portfolio balance, which reflects a 24.9% increase in loan originations, and higher than expected delinquency and future charge-offs. Additionally, the balance of customer receivables accounted for as troubled debt restructurings increased to $62.1 million, or 5.3% of the total portfolio balance, driving $3.4 million of the increase in provision for bad debts. The percentage of the customer portfolio balance greater than 60 days past due was 8.7% as of July 31, 2014, which compares to 8.0% as of April 30, 2014 and 8.2% a year ago.

 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Store closure and relocation costs
$
1,492

 
$

 
$
1,492

Charges and credits
$
1,492

 
$

 
$
1,492


During the second quarter of fiscal 2015, we recorded a $1.5 million charge related to the closure of certain retail locations.

 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Interest expense
$
6,247

 
$
3,135

 
$
3,112

 
Net interest expense for the three months ended July 31, 2014 increased $3.1 million from the prior-year period reflecting an increase in the average debt balance outstanding and an increase in the effective interest rate. The increase in the effective interest rate was primarily due to our issuance of $250.0 million in 7.25% senior unsecured notes on July 1, 2014. The entirety of our interest expense is included in the results of operations of the credit segment.


22


 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands, except percentages)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Provision for income taxes
$
10,099

 
$
10,927

 
(828
)
As a percent of income before income taxes
36.4
%
 
36.3
%
 
 


The provision for income taxes decreased on a dollar basis due to the year-over-year decline in profitability.

Six Months Ended July 31, 2014 Compared to Six Months Ended July 31, 2013
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Total net sales
$
565,910

 
$
433,160

 
$
132,750

Finance charges and other
122,502

 
88,592

 
33,910

Total Revenues
$
688,412

 
$
521,752

 
$
166,660


The following table provides an analysis of net sales by product category in each period, including repair service agreement commissions and service revenues, expressed both in dollar amounts and as a percent of total net sales:

 
Six Months Ended July 31,
 
 
 
%
 
Same store
 
2014
 
% of Total
 
2013
 
% of Total
 
Change
 
Change
 
% change
(dollars in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Furniture and mattress
$
162,265

 
28.7
%
 
$
99,791

 
23.0
%
 
$
62,474

 
62.6
 %
 
38.0
 %
Home appliance
161,470

 
28.5

 
121,536

 
28.1

 
39,934

 
32.9

 
20.2

Consumer electronic
135,388

 
23.9

 
112,576

 
26.0

 
22,812

 
20.3

 
6.0

Home office
47,997

 
8.5

 
36,218

 
8.4

 
11,779

 
32.5

 
18.8

Other
11,266

 
2.0

 
24,202

 
5.6

 
(12,936
)
 
(53.5
)
 
(62.9
)
Product sales
518,386

 
91.6

 
394,323

 
91.1

 
124,063

 
31.5

 
14.3

Repair service agreement commissions
40,986

 
7.2

 
33,155

 
7.6

 
7,831

 
23.6

 
14.6

Service revenues
6,538

 
1.2

 
5,682

 
1.3

 
856

 
15.1

 
 

Total net sales
$
565,910

 
100.0
%
 
$
433,160

 
100.0
%
 
$
132,750

 
30.6
 %
 
14.3
 %

The following provides a summary of items influencing the Company’s major product category performance during the six months ended July 31, 2014, compared to the prior-year period:

Furniture and mattress sales growth was driven by a 48.5% increase in unit sales and a 13.3% increase in the average selling price. Furniture sales rose 67.5% on a 48.2% increase in unit volume with a 13.0% increase in average selling price. Mattress sales increased 70.4% reflecting a 49.7% increase in unit volume and a 13.8% increase in average selling price attributable to a shift to higher price-point merchandise;
Home appliance sales increased during the period due to a 20.7% increase in unit sales. Laundry sales were up 37.8%, refrigeration sales were up 31.1%, dishwasher sales climbed 29.2% and cooking sales increased 25.3%;
Consumer electronic sales were up 20.3% driven by an 12.9% increase in unit volume. Television sales were up 13.4%, home theater sales climbed 39.1% and gaming hardware sales increased approximately 400%;
Home office sales increased primarily due to a 58.1% increase in computer sales with a 12.2% rise in the average selling price of computers. This increase was partially offset by a 21.6% decrease in tablet sales;
Other sales included $14.4 million of lawn equipment sales in the six months ended July 31, 2013. The Company is not participating in this lower-margin product category in the current fiscal year;
The increase in repair service agreement commissions was driven primarily by increased retail sales; and

23


Service revenue increased by 15.1% due to increased service technician staffing and in-house performance of certain warranty repair services.

 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Interest income and fees
$
98,716

 
$
69,407

 
$
29,309

Insurance commissions
22,976

 
18,556

 
4,420

Other income
810

 
629

 
181

Finance charges and other
$
122,502

 
$
88,592

 
$
33,910


Interest income and fees and insurance commissions are included in the finance charges and other for the credit segment, while other income is included in finance charges and other for the retail segment.

Interest income and fees of the credit segment increased over the prior-year level primarily driven by a 42.2% increase in the average balance of the portfolio. Insurance commissions were favorably impacted by increased retrospective commissions due to lower claims experience.

The following table provides key portfolio performance information for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013:
 

Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
2014
 
2013
(in thousands, except percentages)
 
 
 
Interest income and fees(a)
$
98,716

 
$
69,407

Net charge-offs
(49,748
)
 
(25,731
)
Borrowing costs(b)
(10,971
)
 
(7,006
)
Net portfolio yield
$
37,997

 
$
36,670

Average portfolio balance
$
1,110,501

 
$
780,825

Interest income and fee yield % (annualized)
17.9
%
 
17.9
%
Net charge-off % (annualized)
9.0
%
 
6.6
%

(a)
Included in finance charges and other.
(b)
Total interest expense.
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands, except percentages)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Cost of goods sold
$
329,499

 
$
259,497

 
$
70,002

Product gross margin percentage
36.4
%
 
34.2
%
 
 


Product gross margin expanded 220 basis points as a percent of product sales from the six months ended July 31, 2013 primarily due to a favorable shift in product mix and margin expansion in each of the major product categories.

 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands, except percentages)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Cost of service parts sold
$
3,290

 
$
2,724

 
$
566

As a percent of service revenues
50.3
%
 
47.9
%
 
 



24


The increase in cost of service parts sold was due primarily to 15.1% growth in service revenues.

 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands, except percentages)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Selling, general and administrative expense - Retail
$
158,666

 
$
118,420

 
$
40,246

Selling, general and administrative expense - Credit
48,841

 
33,592

 
15,249

Selling, general and administrative expense - Total
$
207,507

 
$
152,012

 
$
55,495

As a percent of total revenues
30.1
%
 
29.1
%
 
 


For the six months ended July 31, 2014, the increase in SG&A expense in the retail segment was primarily driven by advertising, higher compensation, delivery expenses and facility-related costs. As a percent of segment revenues, SG&A expense increased 70 basis points as compared to the prior-year period primarily due to costs associated with new store openings partially offset by the leveraging effect of increased revenues.

The increase in SG&A expense for the credit segment was driven by the hiring of additional collections personnel to service the 39.9% year-over-year increase in the customer receivable portfolio balance and anticipated near-term portfolio growth.

 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands, except percentages)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Provision for bad debts - Retail
$
44

 
$
186

 
$
(142
)
Provision for bad debts - Credit
61,799

 
35,133

 
26,666

Provision for bad debts - Total
$
61,843

 
$
35,319

 
$
26,524

Provision for bad debts - Credit as a percent of average portfolio balance (annualized)
11.1
%
 
9.0
%
 
 


The provision for bad debts of the credit segment increased by $26.7 million from the prior-year period. The annualized provision rate was 11.1%, an increase of 210 basis points from the prior year. These increases were driven primarily by a 42.2% increase in the average receivable portfolio balance, which reflects a 28.6% increase in loan originations, and higher than expected delinquency and future charge-offs at July 31, 2014. Additionally, the balance of customer receivables accounted for as troubled debt restructurings increased to $62.1 million, or 5.3% of the total portfolio balance, driving $3.9 million of the increase in provision for bad debts.

 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Store closure and relocation costs
$
3,246

 
$

 
$
3,246

Charges and credits
$
3,246

 
$

 
$
3,246


During the six months ended July 31, 2014, we recorded a $3.2 million charge related to the closure and relocation of certain retail locations.

 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Interest expense
$
10,971

 
$
7,006

 
$
3,965

 
Net interest expense for the six months ended July 31, 2014 increased $4.0 million from the prior-year period primarily due to an increase in the average debt balance outstanding. The entirety of our interest expense is included in the results of operations of the credit segment.


25


 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
 
(in thousands, except percentages)
2014
 
2013
 
Change
Provision for income taxes
$
25,937

 
$
23,894

 
2,043

As a percent of income before income taxes
36.0
%
 
36.6
%
 
 


The provision for income taxes increased on a dollar basis due to the year-over-year improvement in profitability. The decline in the effective tax rate reflects the leveraging impact of the year-over-year increase in income before income taxes on non-deductible items and margin-based taxes.

Customer Receivable Portfolio

We provide in-house financing to individual consumers on a short-term basis (maximum initial contractual term is 32 months) for the purchase of durable products for the home. A significant portion of our customer credit portfolio is due from customers that are considered higher-risk, subprime borrowers. Our financing is executed using an installment contract, which requires a fixed monthly payment over a fixed term. We maintain a secured interest in the product financed. If a payment is delayed, missed or paid only in part, the account becomes delinquent. Our collection personnel attempt to contact a customer once their account becomes delinquent. Our loan contracts generally provide for interest at the maximum rate allowed by the respective regulations in the states in which we operate, which generally range between 18% and 21%. In states where regulations do not generally limit the interest rate charged, we currently charge 26%.

We promote the sale of many of our products through advertised short-term, no-interest option programs. The majority of these accounts have a 12-month term, with the balance carrying a term of six months. In August 2014, we discontinued offering six-month, no-interest programs. Minimum monthly customer payments are required under our short-term, no-interest option program addendum to our standard retail installment loan contract. If the customer is delinquent in making a scheduled monthly payment or does not repay the principal in full by the end of the stated term (grace periods are provided), the account no longer qualifies for the no-interest provision and the terms of the account revert back to those of the executed retail installment loan contract. A significant number of customers who purchase through our short-term, no-interest option programs meet the terms of the program, resulting in the payoff of those accounts and thus increase the velocity of portfolio turnover.

We regularly extend or “re-age” a portion of our delinquent customer accounts as a part of our normal collection procedures to protect our investment. Generally, extensions are granted to customers who have experienced a financial difficulty (such as the temporary loss of employment), which was subsequently resolved and the customer indicates a willingness and ability to resume making monthly payments. Re-ages are not granted to debtors who demonstrate a lack of intent or ability to service the obligation. These re-ages involve modifying the payment terms to defer a portion of the cash payments currently required of the debtor to help the debtor improve his or her financial condition and eventually be able to pay us. Our re-aging of customer accounts does not reduce the contractual principal or interest due from the customer. Typically, we also charge the customer an extension fee, which approximates the interest owed for the time period the contract was past due. To a much lesser extent, we may provide the customer the ability to re-age their obligation by refinancing the account or making two consecutive payments. Under these options, as with extensions, the customer must resolve the reason for delinquency and show a willingness and ability to resume making contractual monthly payments.

As of July 31, 2014, we had 666,099 active customer accounts with an average balance of $1,770 outstanding per account. This compares to 519,867 active customer accounts with an average balance of $1,622 outstanding per account as of July 31, 2013. The 28.1% increase in the number of customer accounts outstanding reflects the impact of marketing-driven, same store sales growth as well as new store openings. Year-over-year, the majority of the growth in the average balance is due to our increase in product sales. As a result of the increased sales, we have experienced a decline in the average number of months since origination our customer accounts within the portfolio have been outstanding - down from 8.9 months last year to 8.5 months as of July 31, 2014.


26


The following tables present, for comparison purposes, information about our credit portfolio and, except for "percent of sales paid for by:," do not include information related to third party financing or third party rent-to-own options (dollars in thousands, except average income of credit customer, number of active accounts and average outstanding customer balance):

 
As of July 31,
 
2014
 
2013
Total outstanding balance
$
1,179,314

 
$
843,071

Weighted average credit score of outstanding balances
592

 
595

Number of active accounts
666,099

 
519,867

Weighted average months since origination of outstanding balance
8.5

 
8.9

Average outstanding customer balance
$
1,770

 
$
1,622

Account balances 60+ days past due(1)
$
102,063

 
$
69,158

Percent of balances 60+ days past due to total outstanding balance
8.7
%
 
8.2
%
Total account balances re-aged(1)
$
142,917

 
$
91,067

Percent of re-aged balances to total outstanding balance
12.1
%
 
10.8
%
Account balances re-aged more than six months
$
28,224

 
$
19,891

Percent of total allowance for bad debts to total outstanding customer receivable balance
7.2
%
 
6.3
%
Percent of total outstanding balance represented by short-term, no-interest option receivables(2)
36.6
%
 
31.9
%

Three Months Ended 
 July 31,

Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
Total applications processed
295,983

 
215,850

 
561,248

 
414,895

Weighted average origination credit score of sales financed
607

 
601

 
606

 
601

Percent of total applications approved
45.3
%
 
51.7
%
 
46.6
%
 
51.6
%
Average down payment
3.6
%
 
3.1
%
 
3.9
%
 
3.5
%
Average income of credit customer at origination
$
39,700

 
$
40,500

 
$
39,200

 
$
39,900

Average total outstanding balance
$
1,137,890

 
$
806,653

 
$
1,110,501

 
$
780,825

Bad debt charge-offs (net of recoveries)
$
28,556

 
$
14,176

 
$
49,748

 
$
25,731

Percent of bad debt charge-offs (net of recoveries) to average outstanding balance
10.0
%
 
7.0
%
 
9.0
%
 
6.6
%
Weighted average monthly payment rate(3)
5.0
%
 
5.2
%
 
5.4
%
 
5.7
%
Provision for bad debts(4)
$
39,585

 
$
21,310

 
$
61,799

 
$
35,133

Provision for bad debts as a percentage of average outstanding balance
13.9
%
 
10.6
%
 
11.1
%
 
9.0
%
Percent of retail sales paid for by:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

In-house financing, including down payment received
77.0
%
 
76.8
%
 
77.2
%
 
75.4
%
Third party financing
13.0
%
 
12.2
%
 
12.1
%
 
12.0
%
Third party rent-to-own options
3.9
%
 
2.5
%
 
4.0
%
 
3.1
%

93.9
%
 
91.5
%
 
93.3
%
 
90.5
%
 
(1)
Accounts that become delinquent after being re-aged are included in both the delinquency and re-aged amounts.
(2)
Short-term, no-interest option receivables are financed under a standard retail installment loan contract. Minimum monthly payments are required and the maximum term is 12 months. If the customer account becomes delinquent or the remaining account principal balance is not paid in full prior to the end of the no-interest period, interest is earned over the term of the installment contract and the required minimum monthly payment remains unchanged.
(3)
Three-month average of gross cash payments as a percentage of gross principal balances outstanding at the beginning of each month in the period.
(4)
Amount does not include retail segment provision for bad debts.


27


Our customer accounts receivable and related allowance for uncollectible accounts are segregated between customer accounts receivable and restructured accounts. Customer accounts receivable include all accounts for which payment term has not been cumulatively extended over 90 days or refinanced. Restructured accounts includes all accounts for which payment term has been cumulatively extended over 90 days and accounts refinanced.

The following tables present quantitative information about our receivables portfolio, segregated by segment:

 
Total Outstanding Balance
 
Customer Accounts Receivable
 
60 Days Past Due(1)
 
Re-aged(1)
(in thousands)
July 31,
2014
 
January 31,
2014
 
July 31,
2014
 
January 31,
2014
 
July 31,
2014
 
January 31,
2014
Customer accounts receivable
$
1,117,243

 
$
1,022,914

 
$
87,964

 
$
82,486

 
$
80,846

 
$
75,414

Restructured accounts(2)
62,071

 
45,356

 
14,099

 
11,917

 
62,071

 
45,356

Total receivables managed
$
1,179,314

 
$
1,068,270

 
$
102,063

 
$
94,403

 
$
142,917

 
$
120,770

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Allowance for uncollectible accounts related to the credit portfolio
(85,291
)
 
(71,801
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Allowance for short-term, no-interest option credit programs
(14,432
)
 
(11,789
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Short-term portion of customer accounts receivable, net
(583,687
)
 
(527,267
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Long-term portion of customer accounts receivable, net
$
495,904

 
$
457,413

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

(1)
Amounts are based on end of period balances. As an account can become past due after having been re-aged, accounts may be presented in both the past due and re-aged columns shown above. The amounts included within both the past due and re-aged columns shown above as of July 31, 2014 and January 31, 2014 were $33.8 million and $27.4 million, respectively. The total amount of customer receivables past due one day or greater was $282.8 million and $249.3 million as of July 31, 2014 and January 31, 2014, respectively. These amounts include the 60 days past due totals shown above.
(2)
In addition to the amounts included in restructured accounts, there was $1.3 million as of July 31, 2014 and January 31, 2014, respectively, of accounts re-aged four or more months included in the re-aged balance above that did not qualify as TDRs because they were not re-aged subsequent to January 31, 2011.
 
 
 
 
 
Net Credit
 
 
 
 
 
Net Credit
 
Average Balances
 
Charge-offs (1)
 
Average Balances
 
Charge-offs(1)
 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Three Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
 
Six Months Ended 
 July 31,
(in thousands)
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
Customer accounts receivable
$
1,081,196

 
$
766,718

 
$
24,822

 
$
10,818

 
$
1,057,875

 
$
741,108

 
$
42,560

 
$
19,661

Restructured accounts
56,694

 
39,935

 
3,734

 
3,358

 
52,626

 
39,716

 
7,188

 
6,070

Total receivables managed
$
1,137,890

 
$
806,653

 
$
28,556

 
$
14,176

 
$
1,110,501

 
$
780,824

 
$
49,748

 
$
25,731


(1)
Charge-offs include the principal amount of losses (excluding accrued and unpaid interest) net of recoveries which include principal collections during the period shown of previously charged-off balances.


28


The following presents the activity in the Company’s balance in the allowance for doubtful accounts and uncollectible interest for customer receivables for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013:

 
Six Months Ended July 31, 2014
 
Six Months Ended July 31, 2013
(in thousands)
Customer
Accounts
Receivable
 
 
Restructured
Accounts
 
 
 
Total
 
Customer
Accounts
Receivable
 
 
Restructured
Accounts
 
 
 
Total
Allowance at beginning of period
$
54,448

 
$
17,353

 
$
71,801

 
$
27,702

 
$
16,209

 
$
43,911

Provision(1)
61,317

 
12,235

 
73,552

 
32,526

 
7,330

 
39,856

Principal charge-offs(2)
(49,367
)
 
(8,338
)
 
(57,705
)
 
(21,039
)
 
(6,496
)
 
(27,535
)
Interest charge-offs
(8,824
)
 
(1,490
)
 
(10,314
)
 
(3,447
)
 
(1,064
)
 
(4,511
)
Recoveries(2)
6,807

 
1,150

 
7,957

 
1,378

 
425

 
1,803

Allowance at end of period
$
64,381

 
$
20,910

 
$
85,291

 
$
37,120

 
$
16,404

 
$
53,524


(1)
Includes provision for uncollectible interest, which is included in finance charges and other.
(2)
Charge-offs include the principal amount of losses (excluding accrued and unpaid interest), and recoveries include principal collections during the period shown of previously charged-off balances. Net charge-offs are calculated as the net of principal charge-offs and recoveries.

Our overall allowance for uncollectible accounts as a percentage of the total portfolio balance increased to 7.2% as of July 31, 2014 from 6.3% as of July 31, 2013. The year-over-year increase was primarily driven by a 100 basis point increase in the percentage of account balances greater than 60 days past due for non-restructured customer accounts receivable and higher expected future charge-offs. Delinquency increased year-over-year across credit quality levels, customer groups, product categories, geographic regions and years of origination. Tighter underwriting and better collections execution did not offset deterioration in our customer’s ability to resolve delinquency. The balance of this increase is attributable to a 50 basis point increase in the relative proportion of the total restructured account balance to the total customer receivable portfolio balance from July 31, 2013.

For non-restructured accounts, the allowance for uncollectible accounts as a percentage of the outstanding balance rose from 4.6% as of July 31, 2013 to 5.8% as of July 31, 2014. The percentage of non-restructured accounts greater than 60 days past due decreased from April 2014 to May 2014 and increased modestly in June consistent with seasonal trends. Over 60 day delinquency unexpectedly deteriorated a combined 90 basis points in July and August. We now expect future delinquency to increase to levels above our historical highs in the third and fourth quarter of fiscal 2015. As a result, we expect delinquency levels and charge-offs to remain elevated over the short-term. The delinquency changes and changes in expectations for customer performance were reflected in our projection models as of July 31, 2014, resulting in an increase in the losses we expected to realize over the next 12-month period. We adjusted our allowance for uncollectible accounts based on these analyses.

For restructured accounts, the allowance for uncollectible accounts as a percentage of the portfolio balance was 40.7% as of July 31, 2013 as compared to 33.7% as of July 31, 2014. This 700 basis point reduction reflects the impact of improved delinquency and continued improvement in the performance of restructured accounts under stricter re-aging policies.

The percent of bad debt charge-offs (net of recoveries) to average outstanding balance increased from 7.0% for the three months ended July 31, 2013 to 10.0% for the three months ended July 31, 2014. The increase was primarily due to execution issues in our collections operations and inclement weather experienced during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014.

Included within customer accounts receivable as of July 31, 2014 and 2013 were balances originated under short-term, no-interest programs totaling $431.6 million and $268.7 million, respectively. Amounts financed under these programs increased to 36.6% of the total portfolio balance as of July 31, 2014 from 31.9% as of July 31, 2013 with more products eligible for purchase using this installment contract option. Use of these programs accelerates cash collections. As the proportion of accounts financed under short-term, no-interest programs increases, the overall yield recognized on the average customer receivable balance will decline. Conversely, a decline in the proportion of accounts financed under short-term, no-interest programs will generally result in an increase in the overall yield recognized. The allowance for short-term, no-interest programs represents the portion of the balance reported within customer accounts receivable at the end of each period which is not expected to be realized due to customers satisfying the requirements of the interest-free programs and is based on historical experience. The allowance for no-interest credit programs declined from 3.5% of the balance outstanding as of July 31, 2013 to 3.3% as of July 31, 2014 based on realized changes over the past 12 months in customer satisfaction of the interest-free program requirements.

29



Historical Static Loss Table

The following static loss analysis calculates the cumulative percentage of balances charged off, based on the year the credit account was originated and the period the balance was charged off. The percentage computed below is calculated by dividing the cumulative net amount charged off since origination by the total balance of accounts originated during the applicable fiscal year. The net charge-off was determined by estimating, on a pro rata basis, the amount of the recoveries received during a period that was allocable to the applicable origination period (dollars in millions).

 
 
As of July 31, 2014 (a)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
% of balance

Cumulative loss rate as a % of balance originated (b) (d)
Fiscal year
 
Balance
 
originated

Years from origination
of origination
 
outstanding
 
outstanding


1

2

3

Terminal (c)
2006
 
 
 
 
 
0.3%
 
1.9%
 
3.6%
 
4.8%
 
5.8%
2007
 
 
 
 
 
0.2%
 
1.7%
 
3.5%
 
4.8%
 
5.7%
2008
 
 
 
 
 
0.2%
 
1.8%
 
3.6%
 
5.1%
 
5.9%
2009
 
 
 
 
 
0.2%
 
2.1%
 
4.6%
 
6.1%
 
6.6%
2010
 
 
 
 
 
0.2%
 
2.4%
 
4.6%
 
6.0%
 
6.0%
2011
 
$1.1
 
0.2%
 
0.4%
 
2.6%
 
5.2%
 
5.8%
 
6.0%
2012
 
$14.2
 
2.4%
 
0.2%
 
3.1%
 
5.5%
 
5.9%
 
 
2013
 
$95.8
 
13.0%
 
0.4%
 
5.2%
 
6.7%
 
 
 
 
2014
 
$537.9
 
50.0%
 
0.8%
 
3.7%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(a)
As of July 31, 2014, balances originated prior to fiscal 2011 and outstanding were insignificant.
(b)
The loss rates for balances originated in fiscal years 2012 through 2015 may not be comparable to those for balances originated in earlier years as changes made to our collections policies during fiscal 2012 resulted in accounts charging off earlier than in prior periods.
(c)
The terminal loss percentage presented represents the point at which that pool of loans has reached its maximum loss rate.
(d)
The most recent percentages in years from origination 1 through 3 include loss data through July 31, 2014, and are not comparable to prior fiscal year accumulated net charge-off percentages in the same column.

Liquidity and Capital Resources
 
Cash flow
 
Operating activities. During the six months ended July 31, 2014, net cash used in operating activities was $52.7 million. This compares to net cash used in operating activities of $39.2 million during the prior-year period. The increase was primarily driven by a $94.9 million increase in customer accounts receivable, net, partially offset by the improvement in operating performance during the current year period.
 
Investing activities. We sold three owned properties and received net proceeds of approximately $19.3 million in July 2014 in connection with the sale, which was used to repay borrowings under our asset-based lending facility. Net cash used in investing activities was $18.8 million for the six months ended July 31, 2014. This compares to $19.3 million for the six months ended July 31, 2013. The increase year-over-year in capital expenditures related to the construction of new stores, as well as store remodels and relocations was partially offset by sales proceeds. We expect during the next twelve months to invest between $20 million and $30 million, net of tenant improvement allowances, in capital expenditures for new stores, remodels and other projects. We expect to fund these estimated capital expenditures with cash from operations, borrowings under our asset-based revolving credit facility and tenant improvement allowances from landlords.
 
Financing activities. In July 2014, we issued $250.0 million of 7.25% senior unsecured note and received net proceeds of approximately $243.4 million which was used to pay down outstanding balances under our asset-based revolving credit facility. For the six month ended July 31, 2014, net cash provided by financing activities was $69.8 million with debt outstanding increasing $71.3 million in the period to finance sales driven growth in the customer receivable portfolio and purchases of property and equipment. This compares to net cash provided by financing activities of $58.4 million during the six months ended July 31, 2013.
 

30


Liquidity. We require capital to finance our growth as we add new stores and markets to our operations, which in turn requires additional working capital for increased customer receivables and inventory. We finance our operations through a combination of cash flow generated from earnings and external borrowings, including bank debt, issuance of debt securities or other capital market transactions, extended terms provided by our vendors for inventory purchases and acquisition of inventory under consignment arrangements.

Senior Notes

On July 1, 2014, we issued $250.0 million in senior unsecured notes due July 2022 (the “Senior Notes”), bearing interest at 7.25%, pursuant to an indenture dated July 1, 2014 (the "Indenture"), among Conn’s, Inc., its subsidiary guarantors (the "Guarantors") and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. The Senior Notes were sold at par, and we received net proceeds to the Company of $243.4 million, after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts and commissions and other offering expenses. The net proceeds were used to repay outstanding borrowings under our asset-based revolving credit facility. The effective interest rate of the Senior Notes after giving effect to offering fees is 7.6%.

The Indenture restricts the Company's ability and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries to: (i) incur indebtedness; (ii) pay dividends or make other distributions in respect of, or repurchase or redeem, our capital stock; (iii) prepay, redeem or repurchase debt that is junior in right of payament to the notes; (iv) make loans and certain investments; (v) sell assets; (vi) incur liens; (vii) enter into transactions with affiliates; and (viii) consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of our assets. These covenants are subject to a number of important exceptions and qualifications. During any time when the Senior Notes are rated investment grade by either of Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and no Default (as defined in the Indenture) has occurred and is continuing, many of such covenants will be suspended and the Company and its subsidiaries will cease to be subject to such covenants during such period.

Events of default under the Indenture include customary events, such as a cross-acceleration provision in the event that we default in the payment of other debt due at maturity or upon acceleration for default in an amount exceeding $25 million, as well as in the event a judgment is entered against us in excess of $25 million that is not discharged, bonded or insured.

The Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the Guarantors. The only direct or indirect subsidiaries of Conn’s, Inc. that are not Guarantors are minor subsidiaries. There are no restrictions on the ability of any of the Guarantors to transfer funds to Conn’s, Inc. in the form of loans, advances or dividends, except as provided by applicable law.

In connection with the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes, the Company and the Guarantors entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with the initial purchasers, dated July 1, 2014. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company and the Guarantors have agreed to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission so that holders of the Senior Notes can exchange the Senior Notes for registered notes that have substantially identical terms as the Senior Notes. In addition, the Company and the Guarantors have agreed to exchange the guarantee related to the Senior Notes for a registered guarantee having substantially the same terms as the original guarantee. The Company and the Guarantors will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the exchange to be completed within 365 days of the issuance of the Senior Notes. The Company and the Guarantors are required to pay additional interest if they fail to comply with their obligations to register the Senior Notes within the specified time periods.

Revolving Credit Facility

The Company also amended its asset-based revolving credit facility in connection with the issuance of the Senior Notes, to provide for among other things, the issuance of the Senior Notes and Indenture as well as related guarantees, upstream distributions from subsidiaries to Conn’s, Inc. (a holding company) for the payment of interest and principal on the Senior Notes and under certain circumstances optional and mandatory prepayment of the Senior Notes and allow holders of the Senior Notes to receive payments even though they may be stockholders of the Company.
 
We have an asset-based revolving credit facility with capacity of $880 million as of July 31, 2014. The facility matures in November 2017 and provides funding based on a borrowing base calculation that includes customer accounts receivable and inventory. The credit facility bears interest at LIBOR plus a spread ranging from 250 basis points to 325 basis points, based on a leverage ratio (defined as total liabilities to tangible net worth). In addition to the leverage ratio, the revolving credit facility includes a fixed charge coverage requirement, a minimum customer receivables cash recovery percentage requirement and a net capital expenditures limit. The leverage ratio covenant requirement is a required maximum of 2.00 to 1.00. The fixed charge coverage ratio requirement is a minimum of 1.10 to 1.00. We expect, based on current facts and circumstances, that we will be in

31


compliance with the above covenants for the next 12 months. The weighted average interest rate on borrowings outstanding under the asset-based revolving credit facility was 4.9% at July 31, 2014.

During the quarter ended October 31, 2011 we entered into interest rate cap option transactions with a notional amount of $100 million. These cap options are held for the purpose of hedging against variable interest rate risk related to the variability of cash flows in the interest payments on a portion of our variable-rate debt, based on the benchmark one-month LIBOR interest rate exceeding 1.0%. These cap options expired in August 2014.
 
The weighted average effective interest rate on borrowings outstanding under all our credit facilities for the three months ended July 31, 2014 was 4.3%, including the interest expense associated with our interest rate caps and amortization of deferred financing costs.

A summary of the significant financial covenants that govern our asset-based revolving credit facility, as amended, compared to our actual compliance status at July 31, 2014 is presented below: 
 
Actual
 
Required
Minimum/
Maximum
Fixed charge coverage ratio must exceed required minimum
1.55 to 1.00
 
1.10 to 1.00
Total liabilities to tangible net worth ratio must be lower than required maximum
1.27 to 1.00
 
2.00 to 1.00
Cash recovery percentage must exceed stated amount
5.00%
 
4.49%
Capital expenditures, net must be lower than required maximum
$41.0 million
 
$75.0 million

Note: All terms in the above table are defined by the asset-based revolving credit facility, as amended, and may or may not agree directly to the financial statement captions in this document. The covenants are calculated quarterly on a trailing 12-month basis, except for the cash recovery percentage, which is calculated monthly on a trailing three-month basis.
 
As of July 31, 2014, we had total available borrowing capacity of $517.1 million under our asset-based revolving credit facility, net of standby letters of credit issued, available to us for general corporate purposes. Of this amount, $395.5 million was immediately available under the revolving credit facility as of July 31, 2014 and an additional $121.6 million may become available if we grow the balance of eligible customer receivables and total eligible inventory balances. Payments received on customer receivables averaged approximately $67.5 million per month during the three months ended July 31, 2014, and are available each month to fund new customer receivables generated. During the balance of fiscal 2015, we expect to grow the balance of the credit portfolio.
 
We will continue to finance our operations and future growth through a combination of cash flow generated from operations, external borrowings from our revolving credit facility and proceeds from accessing debt or equity markets. Based on our current operating plans, we believe that cash generated from operations, available borrowings under our revolving credit facility, extended vendor terms for purchases of inventory, acquisition of inventory under consignment arrangements and proceeds from accessing debt or equity markets will be sufficient to fund our operations, store expansion and updating activities and capital programs for the next 12 months, subject to continued compliance with the covenants in our debt and other credit arrangements. If the repayment of amounts owed under our debt and other credit arrangements is accelerated for any reason, we may not have sufficient cash and liquid assets at such time to be able to immediately repay all the amounts owed under the facility.

The revolving credit facility is a significant factor relative to our ongoing liquidity and our ability to meet the cash needs associated with the growth of our business. Our inability to use this program because of a failure to comply with its covenants would adversely affect our business operations. Funding of current and future customer receivables under the borrowing facilities can be adversely affected if we exceed certain predetermined levels of re-aged customer receivables, write-offs, bankruptcies or other ineligible customer receivable amounts.


32


Item 3.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
 
Interest rates under our asset-based revolving credit facility are variable and bear interest at LIBOR plus a spread ranging from 250 basis points to 325 basis points, based on a leverage ratio (defined as total liabilities to tangible net worth). Accordingly, changes in LIBOR will affect the interest rate on, and therefore our costs under, the credit facility.
 
The balance outstanding under our asset-based revolving credit facility decreased from $535.0 million at January 31, 2014 to $361.2 million at July 31, 2014. The notional balance of interest caps used to fix the rate on a portion of asset-based revolving credit facility balance was $100 million at July 31, 2014. These interest rate caps expired without renewal in August 2014. Accordingly, a 100 basis point increase in interest rates on the asset-based revolving credit facility would increase our borrowing costs by $3.6 million over a 12-month period, based on the balance outstanding at July 31, 2014.

For additional information regarding quantitative and qualitative market risks, as updated by the preceding paragraphs, see Item 7A "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk," of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2014.
 
Item 4.  Controls and Procedures
 
Based on management's evaluation (with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO)), as of the end of the period covered by this report, our CEO and CFO have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act)), are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
 
For the six months ended July 31, 2014, there have been no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial reporting.
 
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
 
Item 1.  Legal Proceedings
 
The information set forth under the heading "Contingencies" in Note 7 of the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 1 Part I of this quarterly report is incorporated by reference in response to this item.
 
Item 1A. Risk Factors
 
As of the date of the filing, there have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed in Part 1, Item A, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2014.
 
Item 2.  Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
 
None.
 
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
 
None.
 
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosure
 
None.

Item 5.  Other Information

None.
 
Item 6.  Exhibits

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The exhibits required to be furnished pursuant to Item 6 of Form 10-Q are listed in the Exhibit Index filed herewith, which Exhibit Index is incorporated herein by reference.

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SIGNATURE
 
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.
 
 
CONN’S, INC.
 
 
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Brian E. Taylor
 
 
 
Brian E. Taylor
 
 
 
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
 
 
 
(Principal Financial Officer and duly authorized to sign this report on behalf of the registrant)
 

Date: September 2, 2014

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EXHIBIT INDEX
 
Exhibit
Number
Description
3.1
Certificate of Incorporation of Conn's, Inc. (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Conn's, Inc. registration statement on Form S-1 (file no. 333-109046) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 23, 2003)
 
 
3.1.1
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation of Conn’s, Inc. dated June 3, 2004 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1.1 to Conn’s, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended April 30, 2004 (File No. 000-50421) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 7, 2004)
 
 
3.1.2
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation of Conn’s, Inc. dated May 30, 2012 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1.2 to Conn’s, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended April 30, 2012 (File No. 000-50421) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2012)
 
 
3.1.3
Certificate of Correction to the Certificate of Amendment to Conn’s, Inc. Certificate of Incorporation (as corrected December 31, 2013) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1.3 to Conn’s, Inc. Form 10-K for the annual period ended January 31, 2014 (File No. 000-50421) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2014)
 
 
3.1.4
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation of Conn’s, Inc. as filed on May 29, 2014 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1.4 to Conn’s, Inc. Form 10-Q for the fiscal period ended April 30, 2014 (File No. 000-50421) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 2, 2014)
 
 
3.2
Amended and Restated Bylaws of Conn’s, Inc. effective as of December 3, 2013 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Conn’s, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2013 (File No. 000-50421) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 6, 2013)
 
 
4.1
Specimen of certificate for shares of Conn's, Inc.'s common stock (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Conn's, Inc. registration statement on Form S-1 (file no. 333-109046) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 29, 2003)
 
 
4.2
Indenture, dated as of July 1, 2014, by and among Conn’s, Inc., the several guarantors named therein and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Conn’s, Inc. Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50421) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 2, 2014)
 
 
4.3
Form of 7.250% Senior Notes due 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit A to Exhibit 4.1 to Conn’s, Inc. Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50421) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 2, 2014)
 
 
4.4
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of July 1, 2014, by and among Conn’s, Inc., the several guarantors named therein and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Incorporated as representative of the initial purchasers named therein (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to Conn’s, Inc. Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50421) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 2, 2014)
 
 
10.1
Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 26, 2014 among the Company, the Guarantors and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as representative of the several initial purchasers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Conn’s, Inc. Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50421) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 2, 2014)
 
 
10.2*
Second Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement, effective as of June 20,
2014, among Conn’s, Inc., Conn Appliances, Inc., Conn Credit I, LP, Conn Credit Corporation, Inc., the banks and other financial institutions identified as “Lenders” therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent for the Lenders
 
 

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12.1*
Statement of computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
 
 
31.1*
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification (Chief Executive Officer)
 
 
31.2*
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification (Chief Financial Officer)
 
 
32.1*
Section 1350 Certification (Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer)
 
 
101
The following financial information from our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of fiscal year 2015, filed with the SEC on September 2, 2014, formatted in Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL): (i) the consolidated balance sheets at July 31, 2014 and January 31, 2014 and, (ii) the consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, (iii) the consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three and six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, (iv) the consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013, (v) the consolidated statements of stockholders' equity for the six months ended July 31, 2014 and 2013 and (vi) the notes to consolidated financial statements

*Filed herewith


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