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8-K - FORM 8-K - ASTA FUNDING INC | c12151e8vk.htm |
Exhibit 99.1
Nasdaq: ASFI
CONTACT:
Robert J. Michel, CFO
Asta Funding, Inc.
(201) 567-5648
Asta Funding, Inc.
(201) 567-5648
Asta Funding, Inc. Announces Financial Results for First Quarter Fiscal 2011
Net Income of $2.7 Million, or $0.18 Per Diluted Share
Strong Balance Sheet, No Impairments, Strong Liquidity Position Continues
$84 Million Cash & Cash Equivalents
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., February 9, 2011 Asta Funding, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASFI) (the Company), a
consumer receivable asset management and liquidation company, today announced results for the first
quarter of the 2011 fiscal year, the three-month period ended December 31, 2010.
For the three months ended December 31, 2010, the Company reported net income of $2,666,000, or
$0.18 per diluted share, an increase over net income of $2,475,000, or $0.17 per diluted share for
the comparable period of fiscal year 2010. Total revenue was $10,838,000 for the quarter ended
December 31, 2010, as compared to $11,053,000 for the three month period ended December 31, 2009.
Finance income from fully amortized portfolios (zero basis revenue) was $8,793,000 for the
three-month period ended December 31, 2010, an increase of $685,000 from the first quarter of
fiscal year 2010 of $8,108,000.
General and administrative expenses were $5,481,000 for the three month period ended December 31,
2010, including $1.0 million non cash charge for stock based compensation expense as compared to
general and administrative expenses of $5,629,000 for the same period in the prior year, which
included approximately $500,000 for non cash stock based compensation expense.
Net cash collections of consumer receivables acquired for liquidation for the quarter ended
December 31, 2010 totaled $21,105,000, including $155,000 from collections represented by account
sales. This compares to $29,430,000 of total net cash collections, including $2,597,000 from
collections represented by account sales, for the same period a year ago. Net cash collections on
the Great Seneca portfolio were $3,551,000 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011 as compared to
$4,910,000 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2010. The carrying value of the Great Seneca
portfolio at December 31, 2010 was $87.7 million, as compared to $116.6 million at December 31,
2009. Investments in new portfolios totaled $2,883,000 during the first quarter of fiscal year
2011, as compared to $2,300,000 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2010. The portfolios acquired
during the first quarter of fiscal year 2011 include semi-performing litigation-related medical
accounts receivable portfolios whereby the Company is assigned the revenue stream. As a portion of
the accounts are performing, the cost of the portfolio is higher than the traditional charged off
non-performing assets.
The Company had no senior or subordinated debt as of December 31, 2010, as compared to $4,386,000
of subordinated debt as of September 30, 2010. In addition, the balance of the non-recourse debt to
the Bank of Montreal was $79,268,000 at December 31, 2010 down from $90,483,000 at September 30,
2010.
The progress we made last year in strengthening our balance sheet, increasing our cash position
and generating strong cash flow has continued into fiscal year 2011. Although there are signs of
economic recovery, the current economic environment remains challenging and we continue to be
selective buyers of distressed, performing or semi performing debt portfolios, commented Gary
Stern, Chairman and CEO of the Company. Exclusive of the non-recourse debt, we are funding our
business through our cash flow from operations without the need for borrowing. Our current cash and
cash equivalents balance is approximately $84 million. We anticipate funding portfolio investments
through cash flow generated from operations. However,
for the right opportunities that fit our strict investment criteria for acquiring debt portfolios,
or pursuing other investment opportunities, we may consider seeking additional financing.
Conference Call Details
Interested parties may participate in a conference call to discuss results by dialing USA/Canada
(800) 668-4132, International (224) 357-2196 five minutes prior to 4:00PM EST on February 9, 2010.
Please refer to the Asta Funding earnings teleconference ID # 42329189. A recording of the
conference call will be available from 02/09/2010 5:00PM EST through 02/16/2010 11:59PM EST by
dialing USA/Canada (800) 642-1687, International (706) 645-9291 conference ID # 42329189.
About Asta Funding
Based in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Asta Funding, Inc., is a consumer receivable asset management
company that specializes in the purchase, management and liquidation of performing and
non-performing consumer receivables. For additional information, please visit our website at
http://www.astafunding.com.
Important Information about Forward-Looking Statements:
All statements in this news release other than statements of historical facts, including without
limitation, statements regarding our future financial position, business strategy, budgets,
projected revenues, projected costs, and plans and objective of management for future operations,
are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology such as may, will, expects, intends, plans, projects, estimates,
anticipates, or believes or the negative thereof, or any variation thereon, or similar
terminology or expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current
expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are not
guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that
may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors which could materially affect our
results and our future performance include, without limitation, our ability to purchase defaulted
consumer receivables at appropriate prices, changes in government regulations that affect our
ability to collect sufficient amounts on our defaulted consumer receivables, our ability to employ
and retain qualified employees, changes in the credit or capital markets, changes in interest
rates, deterioration in economic conditions, negative press regarding the debt collection industry
which may have a negative impact on a debtors willingness to pay the debt we acquire, and
statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing, as well as other factors set forth under
Item 1A. Risk Factors in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2010 and
other filings with the SEC. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable
to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing.
Except as required by law, we assume no duty to update or revise any forward-looking statements.
# # #
ASTA FUNDING, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, | September 30, | |||||||
2010 | 2010 | |||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||
ASSETS |
||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 81,058,000 | $ | 84,235,000 | ||||
Restricted cash |
1,202,000 | 1,304,000 | ||||||
Consumer receivables acquired for liquidation (at net
realizable value) |
139,579,000 | 147,031,000 | ||||||
Due from third party collection agencies and attorneys |
2,425,000 | 3,528,000 | ||||||
Prepaid and income taxes receivable |
| 196,000 | ||||||
Furniture and equipment, net |
446,000 | 338,000 | ||||||
Deferred income taxes |
18,307,000 | 18,762,000 | ||||||
Other assets |
4,396,000 | 3,770,000 | ||||||
Total assets |
$ | 247,413,000 | $ | 259,164,000 | ||||
LIABILITIES |
||||||||
Debt |
$ | 79,268,000 | $ | 90,483,000 | ||||
Subordinated debt related party |
| 4,386,000 | ||||||
Other liabilities |
1,314,000 | 2,105,000 | ||||||
Dividends payable |
292,000 | 292,000 | ||||||
Income taxes payable |
1,204,000 | | ||||||
Total liabilities |
82,078,000 | 97,266,000 | ||||||
Commitments and contingencies |
||||||||
STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY |
||||||||
Preferred stock, $.01 par value; authorized
5,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding none |
||||||||
Common stock, $.01 par value; authorized
30,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding
14,633,188 shares at December 31, 2010 and
14,600,423 at September 30, 2010 |
146,000 | 146,000 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
73,715,000 | 72,717,000 | ||||||
Retained earnings |
91,400,000 | 89,026,000 | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income |
74,000 | 9,000 | ||||||
Total stockholders equity |
165,335,000 | 161,898,000 | ||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders equity |
$ | 247,413,000 | $ | 259,164,000 | ||||
ASTA FUNDING, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
Three Months | Three Months | |||||||
Ended | Ended | |||||||
December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2010 | 2009 | |||||||
Revenues |
||||||||
Finance income, net |
$ | 10,759,000 | $ | 10,974,000 | ||||
Other income |
79,000 | 79,000 | ||||||
10,838,000 | 11,053,000 | |||||||
Expenses |
||||||||
General and administrative |
5,481,000 | 5,629,000 | ||||||
Interest expense (fiscal year 2011
Related Party $86,000;
fiscal year 2010 Related Party
$130,000) |
879,000 | 1,259,000 | ||||||
6,360,000 | 6,888,000 | |||||||
Income before income taxes |
4,478,000 | 4,165,000 | ||||||
Income tax expense |
1,812,000 | 1,690,000 | ||||||
Net income |
$ | 2,666,000 | $ | 2,475,000 | ||||
Net income per share Basic |
$ | 0.18 | $ | 0.17 | ||||
Net income per share Diluted |
$ | 0.18 | $ | 0.17 | ||||
Weighted average number of shares outstanding: |
||||||||
Basic |
14,606,121 | 14,272,420 | ||||||
Diluted |
14,827,767 | 14,615,054 |