Segment operating loss for the quarter ended August 31, 2005 improved by $0.5 million, or 8.1%, to $5.7 million, compared to $6.2 million in the prior fiscal year quarter.
SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 2. MD&A
Segment operating loss for the quarter ended August 31, 2005 increased $2.5 million to $5.5 million, compared to $3.0 million in the prior fiscal year quarter, primarily due to lower local currency operating profit in the United Kingdom.
Seasonality
The Company’s school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs and most of its magazines operate on a school-year basis. Therefore, the Company’s business is highly seasonal. As a consequence, the Company’s revenues in the first and third quarters of the fiscal year generally are lower than its revenues in the other two fiscal quarters. Typically, school-based book club and book fair revenues are greatest in the second quarter of the fiscal year, while revenues from the sale of instructional materials are highest in the first quarter. The Company experiences a substantial loss from operations in the first quarter of each fiscal year.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents were $18.4 million at August 31, 2005, compared to $13.3 million at August 31, 2004 and $110.6 million at May 31, 2005.
Cash used in operating activities was $138.8 million for the three-month period ended August 31, 2005, compared to $76.5 million in the prior fiscal year period, on a lower seasonal net loss of $29.3 million, primarily as a result of changes in working capital. Accounts receivable, net and Accrued royalties increased by $154.5 million and $87.1 million, respectively, during the three-month period ended August 31, 2005, compared to a decrease of $7.7 million and an increase of $12.6 million, respectively, in the prior fiscal year quarter, primarily due to the higher level ofHarry Potter revenues. Inventories and Accounts payable and other accrued expenses increased by $102.3 million and $28.2 million, respectively, in the quarter ended August 31, 2005, compared to increases of $129.9 million and $57.4 million, respectively, in the prior fiscal year quarter, primarily due to a lower level of inventory purchases. The benefit from Deferred income taxes decreased $18.6 million to $12.5 million in the quarter ended August 31, 2005, compared to $31.1 million in the prior fiscal year quarter, principally due to the smaller seasonal net loss.
Cash used in investing activities was $42.8 million for the three-month period ended August 31, 2005, compared to $31.7 million in the prior fiscal year period. Additions to property, plant and equipment totaled $15.4 million for the quarter ended August 31, 2005, an increase of $5.7 million over the prior fiscal year period, principally due to increased information technology spending. Acquisition-related payments totaled $3.3 million in the quarter ended August 31, 2005 due to a contingent payment related to the acquisition of Klutz in fiscal 2002.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $89.3 million in the three-month period ended August 31, 2005, as compared to $103.7 million in the prior fiscal year period, substantially due to the effect of a higher cash position at the beginning of the quarter ended August 31, 2005, as compared to the beginning of the prior fiscal year period.
Due to the seasonality of its business as discussed under “Seasonality” above, the Company experiences negative cash flow in the June through October time period. As a result of the Company’s business cycle, seasonal borrowings have historically increased during June, July and August, have generally peaked in September or October, and have been at their lowest point in May.
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 2. MD&A
The Company believes its existing cash position, combined with funds generated from operations and available under the Credit Agreement and the Revolver, described in “Financing” below, will be sufficient to finance its ongoing working capital requirements. The Company anticipates refinancing its debt obligations prior to their respective maturity dates, to the extent not paid through cash flow.
Financing
On March 31, 2004, Scholastic Corporation and Scholastic Inc. entered into an unsecured revolving credit agreement with certain banks (the “Credit Agreement”), which replaced a similar loan agreement that was scheduled to expire on August 11, 2004. The Credit Agreement, which expires on March 31, 2009, provides for aggregate borrowings of up to $190.0 million (with a right in certain circumstances to increase borrowings to $250.0 million), including the issuance of up to $10.0 million in letters of credit. Interest under this facility is either at the prime rate or at a rate equal to 0.325% to 0.975% over LIBOR (as defined). There is a facility fee ranging from 0.10% to 0.30% and a utilization fee ranging from 0.05% to 0.25% if borrowings exceed 50% of the total facility. The amounts charged vary based upon the Company’s credit rating. The interest rate, facility fee and utilization fee (when applicable) as of August 31, 2005 were 0.675% over LIBOR, 0.20% and 0.125%, respectively. The Credit Agreement contains certain financial covenants related to debt and interest coverage ratios (as defined) and limits dividends and other distributions. At August 31, 2005 and 2004, $35.0 million and $87.5 million, respectively, were outstanding under the Credit Agreement at a weighted average interest rate of 4.32% and 2.32%, respectively. There were no borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement at May 31, 2005.
Scholastic Corporation and Scholastic Inc. are joint and several borrowers under an unsecured revolving loan agreement with a bank (the “Revolver”). As amended effective April 30, 2004, the Revolver provides for unsecured revolving credit of up to $40.0 million and expires on March 31, 2009. Interest under this facility is either at the prime rate minus 1% or at a rate equal to 0.375% to 1.025% over LIBOR (as defined). There is a facility fee ranging from 0.10% to 0.30% . The amounts charged vary based upon the Company’s credit rating. The interest rate and facility fee as of August 31, 2005 were 0.725% over LIBOR and 0.20%, respectively. The Revolver contains certain financial covenants related to debt and interest coverage ratios (as defined) and limits dividends and other distributions. At August 31, 2005 and 2004, $37.0 million and $22.5 million, respectively, were outstanding under the Revolver at a weighted average interest rate of 5.02% and 2.19%, respectively. There were no borrowings outstanding under the Revolver at May 31, 2005.
Unsecured lines of credit available in local currencies to Scholastic Corporation’s international subsidiaries were, in the aggregate, equivalent to $59.1 million at August 31, 2005, as compared to $62.1 million at August 31, 2004 and $61.8 million at May 31, 2005. These lines are used primarily to fund local working capital needs. There were borrowings outstanding under these lines of credit equivalent to $33.7 million at August 31, 2005, as compared to $30.2 million at August 31, 2004 and $24.7 million at May 31, 2005. These lines of credit are considered short-term in nature. The weighted average interest rates on the outstanding amounts were 5.5% and 5.9% at August 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively, and 5.4% at May 31, 2005.
The Company’s total debt obligations at August 31, 2005 and 2004 were $579.8 million and $618.4 million, respectively. The Company’s total debt obligations at May 31, 2005 were $501.4 million. In June 2005, the Company repurchased $2.0 million of its 5.75% Notes due 2007 on the open market. For a more complete description of the Company’s debt obligations, see Note 4 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 1, “Financial Statements.”
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 2. MD&A
Forward Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including the conditions of the children’s book and educational materials markets and acceptance of the Company’s products within those markets, and other risks and factors identified in this Report, in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2005, and from time to time in the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated.
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The Company has operations in various foreign countries. In the normal course of business, these operations are exposed to fluctuations in currency values. Management believes that the impact of currency fluctuations does not represent a significant risk in the context of the Company’s current international operations. In the normal course of business, the Company’s operations outside the United States periodically enter into short-term forward contracts (generally not exceeding $20.0 million) to match selected purchases not denominated in their respective local currencies.
Market risks relating to the Company’s operations result primarily from changes in interest rates, which are managed through the mix of variable-rate versus fixed-rate borrowings. Additionally, financial instruments, including swap agreements, have been used to manage interest rate exposures. Approximately 18% of the Company’s debt at August 31, 2005 bore interest at a variable rate and was sensitive to changes in interest rates, compared to approximately 5% at May 31, 2005 and approximately 23% at August 31, 2004, with the increase from May 31, 2005 due to seasonal borrowings. The Company is subject to the risk that market interest rates will increase and thereby increase the interest charged under its variable-rate debt.
Additional information relating to the Company’s outstanding financial instruments is included in Item 2, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Financing.”
The following table sets forth information about the Company’s debt instruments as of August 31, 2005 (see Note 4 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 1, “Financial Statements”):
($ amounts in millions) | | Fiscal Year Maturity |
|
| | 2006 | | | 2007 | | | 2008 | | 2009 | (1) | | 2010 | | Thereafter | | Total |
|
Debt Obligations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Lines of credit | | $ | 33.7 | | | $ | - | | | $ | - | | $ | - | | | $ | - | | $ | - | | | $ | 33.7 | |
Average interest rate | | | 5.5 | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
Long-term debt including | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
current portion: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Fixed-rate debt | | $ | 0.1 | | | $ | 298.0 | | | $ | | | $ | - | | | $ | - | | $ | 175.0 | | | $ | 473.1 | |
Average interest rate | | | 13.0 | % | | | 5.75 | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5.0 | % | | | | |
|
Variable -rate debt | | $ | - | | | $ | - | | | $ | | | $ | 72.0 | (1) | | $ | - | | $ | - | | | $ | 72.0 | |
Average interest rate | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4.68 | % | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
(1) Represents amounts drawn on the Credit Agreement and Revolver with credit lines totaling $230.0, which expire in fiscal 2009.
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
The Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation, after conducting an evaluation, together with other members of the Company's management, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Corporation’s disclosure controls and procedures as of August 31, 2005, have concluded that the Corporation’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Corporation in its reports filed or submitted under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC and accumulated and communicated to members of the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. There was no change in the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended August 31, 2005 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
Item 6. Exhibits
| |
31.1 | Certification of the Chief Executive Officer of Scholastic Corporation filed pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|
31.2 | Certification of the Chief Financial Officer of Scholastic Corporation filed pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|
32 | Certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Scholastic Corporation furnished pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| | |
| | |
| | SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION |
| | (Registrant) |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
Date: October 4, 2005 | | /s/ Richard Robinson |
| |
|
| | Richard Robinson |
| | Chairman of the Board, |
| | President, and Chief |
| | Executive Officer |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
Date: October 4, 2005 | | /s/ Mary A. Winston |
| |
|
| | Mary A. Winston |
| | Executive Vice President and |
| | Chief Financial Officer |
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SCHOLASTIC CORPORATION
CURRENT REPORT ON FORM 10-Q, DATED AUGUST 31, 2005
Exhibits Index
| | |
Exhibit | | |
Number | | Description of Document |
|
31.1 | | Certification of the Chief Executive Officer of Scholastic Corporation filed |
| | pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| | |
31.2 | | Certification of the Chief Financial Officer of Scholastic Corporation filed |
| | pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| | |
32 | | Certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of |
| | Scholastic Corporation furnished pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley |
| | Act of 2002. |
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