The following schedule sets forth certain consolidated statement of operations data as a percentage of net revenue for the periods indicated:
Sales in the Sporting Goods business declined 19.8% and 16.6% in the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2009 respectively, compared to the same periods last year. Based on the first half year results and product placement information, the Company expects Sporting Goods sales to be approximately 20% lower in 2009 compared to 2008. The Company is continuing to identify and implement cost saving initiatives and to enhance product design to expand market share to improve Company profits.
Compared to last year, Office Products sales declined 26.3% and 23.4% for the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2009, respectively. Sales declined 21.8% in the United States and 24.8% in Europe for the first half of 2009. The Company expects sales declines for the remainder of 2009 to be relatively unchanged from the decline experienced in the first half of fiscal 2009.
The overall gross margin ratios for the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2009 were 3.7% and 3.3% higher, respectively, over the same periods last year due to cost reductions and facility consolidations initiated in 2008 resulting in positive production cost variances.
Consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) for the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2009 were down 30.4% and 22.4%, respectively, compared to the same periods last year. Excluding the effect of changes in foreign currency rates, SG&A costs for the first half of fiscal 2009 were down 19.0% due mainly to decreases in variable compensation in relation to decreases in sales volume and the continued benefit of personnel reductions and facility consolidation initiated in 2008.
The effective tax rate for the first half of 2009 for domestic operations was 37% compared with 38% for the same period last year. As a result of net losses in certain foreign countries where a tax benefit is not expected to be realized, the Company is reporting a provision for income tax as of the end of the second quarter of $150 thousand on pre-tax income of $77 thousand.
Financial Condition and Liquidity
The following schedule summarizes the Company’s total debt:
| | | | | | | | | | |
In thousands | | July 11, 2009 | | July 12, 2008 | | December 27, 2008 | |
| | | | | | | |
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Notes payable short-term | | $ | 40,052 | | $ | 52,345 | | $ | 46,525 | |
Long-term debt | | | — | | | 2,737 | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Total debt | | $ | 40,052 | | $ | 55,082 | | $ | 46,525 | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
As a percentage of stockholders’ equity, total bank debt was 50%, 63% and 59% at July 11, 2009, July 12, 2008 and December 27, 2008, respectively.
During the first half of 2009, operations provided $7.9 million in cash primarily due to reductions in accounts receivable and inventory and income tax refunds.
The Company’s working capital requirements are funded from operating cash flows and revolving credit agreements with its primary bank. The Company’s relationship with its primary lending bank remains strong and the Company expects to have access to the same level of revolving credit that was available in 2008.
During the first half of fiscal 2009, the Company finalized its new credit agreement with JP Morgan Chase. As part of that agreement, the Company consented to merge one of its subsidiaries, Indian Martin, Inc. into the parent company, Escalade, Inc. The merger was completed during the second quarter of 2009. The Company is continuing to market the Reynosa facility through a national broker and is pursuing all viable offers of purchase or lease. The Company has completed the Mexico facility consolidation and is fully operational at the Rosarito site. There have been no material changes to previously identified cost reduction measures.
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ITEM 3. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK |
The Company is exposed to financial market risks, including changes in currency exchange rates, interest rates and marketable equity security prices. To mitigate these risks, the Company has utilized derivative financial instruments, among other strategies but is not currently utilizing any derivative financial instruments. The Company does not use derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes.
Interest Rates
The Company’s exposure to market-rate risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to its revolving variable rate bank debt which is based on both U.S. prime and LIBOR interest rates. A hypothetical 1% or 100 basis point change in interest rates would not have a significant effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operation.
Foreign Currency
The Company conducts business in various countries around the world and is therefore subject to risks associated with fluctuating foreign exchange rates. This revenue is generated from the operations of the Company’s subsidiaries in their respective countries and surrounding geographic areas and is primarily denominated in each subsidiary’s local functional currency. These subsidiaries incur most of their expenses (other than inter-company expenses) in their local functional currency and include the Euro, Great Britain Pound Sterling, Mexican Peso, Chinese Yuan, Swedish Krona and South African Rand.
The geographic areas outside the United States in which the Company operates are generally not considered to be highly inflationary. Nonetheless, the Company’s foreign operations are sensitive to fluctuations in currency exchange rates arising from, among other things, certain inter-company transactions that are denominated in currencies other than the respective functional currency. Operating results as well as assets and liabilities are also subject to the effect of foreign currency translation when the operating results, assets and liabilities of our foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars in our consolidated financial statements.
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The Company and its subsidiaries conduct substantially all of their business in their respective functional currencies to avoid the effects of cross-border transactions. To protect against reductions in value and the volatility of future cash flows caused by changes in currency exchange rates, the Company carefully considers the use of transaction and balance sheet hedging programs such as matching assets and liabilities in the same currency. Such programs reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the impact of currency exchange rate changes. The Company currently has no currency exchange hedging instruments in place. Changes in currency exchange rates may be volatile and could affect the Company’s performance.
Marketable Securities
An adverse movement of equity market prices has impacted the Company’s long-term marketable equity securities available for sale that are included in investments on the consolidated balance sheets. At July 11, 2009 the aggregate fair market value of long-term marketable equity securities available for sale was $1.4 million. The Company has not employed any hedge programs relative to these investments.
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ITEM 4T. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES |
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Escalade maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Company’s Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure based closely on the definition of “disclosure controls and procedures” in Rule 13a-14(c). In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Also, the Company has investments in certain unconsolidated entities. As the Company does not control or manage these entities, its disclosure controls and procedures with respect to such entities are necessarily substantially more limited than those it maintains with respect to its consolidated subsidiaries.
The Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on the foregoing, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Management of the Company has evaluated, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the second quarter of 2009.
There have been no changes to the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred since the beginning of the Company’s second quarter of 2009 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
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Item 1. | Not Required. |
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Item 1A. | Risk Factors. |
In addition to the following risk factors and the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2008 and in Part II, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 21, 2009 (the “2009 First Quarter 10-Q”) which could materially affect the Company’s business, financial condition or future results. The risks described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, the 2009 First Quarter 10-Q, and this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are not the only risks facing the Company. Other than as modified below, the risk factors set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and the 2009 First Quarter 10-Q have not materially changed since March 27, 2009, the date the Company filed its Annual Report with the SEC. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Company or that the Company currently deems to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and/or operating results.
The Company must maintain compliance with the terms of its existing credit facilities. The failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to finance its ongoing operations and the Company may not be able to find an alternative lending source if a default would occur.
On April 30, 2009, the Company entered into a new secured, senior revolving credit facility with its existing lender, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Upon doing so, the Company was able to negotiate new terms in order to cure the Company’s previous non-compliance with the leverage ratio and debt service ratio covenants contained in the Company’s prior credit facility. There can be no assurances that the Company will be able to maintain compliance with all of the covenants and other terms and conditions of this credit facility on an ongoing basis. If not, the Company could be required to pay back the amounts borrowed on an accelerated basis, which could subject the Company to decreased liquidity and other negative impacts on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, if the Company would need to find an alternative lending source, the Company may have difficulty in doing so, particularly in the current credit environment which is not favorable to borrowers. Without a sufficient credit facility, the Company would be adversely affected by a lack of access to liquidity needed to operate the Company’s business. Any disruption in access to credit could force the Company to take additional measures to conserve cash, which measures could have a material adverse effect on the Company.
The Company may not be able to remain in compliance with NASDAQ requirements for continued listing of common stock.
The Company’s common stock may not remain in compliance with NASDAQ rules for continued listing on the NASDAQ Global Market and could be at risk of being delisted. Over the past eight months, the Company’s common stock has not always maintained a minimum $1.00 per share bid price for the prior 30 consecutive business days as required by NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5450(a)(1). Additionally, the Company’s common stock is currently at risk of not complying with NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5450(b)(1) relating to continued listing on the NASDAQ Global Market. In accordance with Marketplace Rule 5450(b)(1), companies must, among other requirements, maintain a market value of publicly held shares of at least $5,000,000. Although the bid price for the Company’s stock has been $1.00 or greater within the last 30 business days and the market value of the Company’s publicly held shares currently exceeds $5,000,000, the Company cannot provide any assurance it will be able to meet these requirements in the future.
Through July 31, 2009, NASDAQ suspended enforcement of the bid price and market value of publicly held shares requirements. Now that these requirements are no longer suspended, if the Company would fail to comply with Marketplace Rule 5450(a)(1) or 5450(b)(1), it would have 180 days or 90 days, respectively, to regain compliance. There is no guarantee that the Company will be able to meet the bid price or market value of publicly held shares requirements. This may subject the Company to the risk of being delisted and would result in decreased liquidity of common stock.
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The Company is no longer actively considering the potential for voluntary delisting of its common stock with NASDAQ or suspension of its SEC reporting obligations.
The Company reported in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2008 that the Company’s Board of Directors and management were in the process of exploring the advantages and disadvantages to the Company and its stockholders if the Company would no longer be a public reporting company. The Company’s Board has determined at this time that the Company will continue to be a public reporting company. The Company’s Board of Directors may again consider this alternative in the future, but is no longer actively considering a voluntary delisting from NASDAQ nor the suspension of the Company’s periodic reporting obligations imposed by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Nonetheless, as indicated in the preceding risk factor, there can be no assurance that the Company will remain eligible for listing on NASDAQ. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Company will remain eligible to suspend its periodic reporting obligations in the event that the number of the Company’s stockholders of record would be 300 or greater in the future.
The market price of common stock is likely to be highly volatile as the stock market in general can be highly volatile.
The public trading of common stock is based on many factors, which could cause fluctuation in the Company’s stock price. These factors may include, among other things:
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| · | General economic and market conditions; |
| · | Actual or anticipated variations in quarterly operating results; |
| · | Lack of research coverage by securities analysts; |
| · | If securities analysts provide coverage, our inability to meet or exceed securities analysts’ estimates or expectations; |
| · | Conditions or trends in our industry; |
| · | Changes in the market valuations of other companies in our industry; |
| · | Announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, divestitures, joint ventures or other strategic initiatives; |
| · | Capital commitments; |
| · | Additions or departures of key personnel; |
| · | Sales and repurchases of our common stock; and |
| · | The potential delisting of the Company’s common stock from NASDAQ and/or the current decision of the Board to continue to be a public reporting company as discussed in the two risk factors set forth immediately above this risk factor. |
Many of these factors are beyond the Company’s control. These factors may cause the market price of the Company’s common stock to decline, regardless of operating performance.
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Item 2. (c) | ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Period | | (a) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased | | (b) Average Price Paid per Share (or Unit) | | (c) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | | (d) Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares (or Units) that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Shares purchased prior to 03/21/2009 under the current repurchase program. | | | 982,916 | | $ | 8.84 | | | 982,916 | | $ | 2,273,939 | |
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Second quarter purchases: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
03/22/2009 – 04/18/2009 | | | None | | | None | | | No change | | | No change | |
04/19/2009 – 05/16/2009 | | | None | | | None | | | No change | | | No change | |
05/17/2009 – 06/13/2009 | | | None | | | None | | | No change | | | No change | |
06/14/2009 – 07/11/2009 | | | None | | | None | | | No change | | | No change | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Total share purchases under the current program | | | 982,916 | | $ | 8.84 | | | 982,916 | | $ | 2,273,939 | |
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The Company has one stock repurchase program which was established in February 2003 by the Board of Directors and which authorized management to expend up to $3,000,000 to repurchase shares on the open market as well as in private negotiated transactions. The repurchase plan has no termination date. There have been no share repurchases that were not part of a publicly announced program. In February 2008, the Board of Directors increased the remaining amount on this plan to its original level of $3,000,000.
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Item 3. | Not Required. |
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Item 4. | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders. |
The annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders was held on April 24, 2009. The Company previously reported the results of the matters voted on at such annual meeting in Part II, Item 4, of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 21, 2009, which Item 4 is incorporated herein by reference.
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Exhibits
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| Number | | Description |
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| 10.1 | | Credit Agreement dated as of April 30, 2009 among Escalade, Incorporated and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (without exhibits and schedules, which Escalade has determined are not material). (1) |
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| 10.2 | | Pledge and Security Agreement dated as of April 30, 2009 by and between Escalade, Incorporated and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (without exhibits and schedules, which Escalade has determined are not material). (1) |
| | | |
| 10.3 | | Form of Pledge and Security Agreement dated as of April 30, 2009 with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (1) (2) |
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| 10.4 | | Form of Unlimited Continuing Guaranty dated as of April 30, 2009 in favor of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (1) (2) |
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| 10.5 | | First Amendment dated as of July 29, 2009 to Credit Agreement by and between Escalade, Incorporated and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (3) |
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| 31.1 | | Chief Executive Officer Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification. |
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| 31.2 | | Chief Financial Officer Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification. |
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| 32.1 | | Chief Executive Officer Section 1350 Certification. |
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| 32.2 | | Chief Financial Officer Section 1350 Certification. |
(1) Incorporated by reference from the Company’s Form 8-K filed on May 6, 2009.
(2) Each of Escalade’s eleven domestic subsidiaries has entered into the identical form of Pledge and Security Agreement and form of Unlimited Continuing Guaranty. Those eleven domestic subsidiaries are: Indian Industries, Inc.; Harvard Sports, Inc.; Martin Yale Industries, Inc.; U.S. Weight, Inc.; Bear Archery, Inc.; Escalade Sports Playground, Inc.; Schleicher & Co. America, Inc.; Olympia Business Systems, Inc.; EIM Company, Inc.; SOP Services, Inc.; and Escalade Insurance, Inc.
(3) Incorporated by reference from the Company’s Form 8-K filed on July 30, 2009.
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.
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| ESCALADE, INCORPORATED |
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Date: August 10, 2009 | /s/ Deborah Meinert |
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| Vice President Finance and |
| Chief Financial Officer |
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