We do not believe that the inflation experienced over the last few years in the United Sates, where we primarily compete, has had a significant effect on sales or profitability. Historically, we have minimalized the impact of product cost increases by improving operating efficiencies, changing suppliers and increasing prices. However, no assurance can be given that we will be able to offset such inflationary cost increases in the future.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, sales and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Estimates by their nature are based on judgments and available information. Our estimates are made based upon historical factors, current circumstances and the experience and judgment of management. Assumptions and estimates are evaluated on an ongoing basis and we may employ outside experts to assist in evaluations. Therefore, actual results could materially differ from those estimates under different assumptions and conditions. Management believes the following critical accounting estimates are more significantly affected by judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements: allowance for bad debts, returns, and customer chargebacks; inventory reserves; valuation of intangible assets; litigation reserves and cost of sales.
Litigation reserves. Estimated amounts for litigation claims that are probable and can be reasonably estimated are recorded as liabilities in our consolidated financial statements. The likelihood of a material change in these estimated reserves would be dependent on new claims as they may arise and the favorable or unfavorable events of a particular litigation. As additional information becomes available, management will assess the potential liability related to the pending litigation and revise their estimates. Such revisions in management’s estimates of a contingent liability could materially impact our results of operation and financial position.
Cost of sales.All costs incurred to bring finished products to our distribution center and, in the Retail Division, the costs to bring products to our stores, are included in the cost of sales line item on our Consolidated Statement of Operations. These include the cost of finished products, purchase commissions, letter of credit fees, brokerage fees, material and labor and related items, sample expenses, custom duty, inbound freight, royalty payments on licensed products, labels and product packaging. All warehouse and distribution costs are included in the operating expenses line item of our Consolidated Statements of Operations. We classify shipping costs to customers, if any, as operating expense. Our gross profit margins may not be comparable to other companies in the industry because some companies may include warehouse and distribution as a component of cost of sales, while other companies report on the same basis as we do and include them in operating expenses.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
($ in thousands)
We do not engage in the trading of market risk sensitive instruments in the normal course of business. Our financing arrangements are subject to variable interest rates, primarily based on the prime rate and LIBOR. An analysis of our credit agreements with GMAC can be found in the Liquidity and Capital Resources section under Item 2 of this document.
As of June 30, 2008, we held marketable securities valued at $27,462, which consist primarily of corporate and municipal bonds, U.S. treasury notes, certificates of deposit and government asset-backed securities that have various maturities through 2046, as well as marketable equity securities. These investments are subject to interest rate risk and will decrease in value if market interest rates increase. We have the ability to hold these investments until maturity. In addition, any decline in interest rates would be expected to reduce our interest income.
At December 31, 2007, we held $37,325 in auction rate securities. The contractual maturities of the investments underlying the auction rate securities matured at various dates through 2046, however, all of our auction rate securities, or ARSs, had a reset period of 28 days. Subsequent to December 31, 2007, we reduced the amount of our investment in ARSs via successful auctions to $16,300; however, in February of 2008, the liquidity in the ARS market evaporated causing the ARSs to fail at auction, resulting in our continuing to hold these securities and the issuers paying interest at the maximum contractual rate. Accordingly, $16,300 of the auction rate securities were classified as long term as of December 31, 2007. The lack of liquidity in the ARS market continued during the first quarter of 2008, and as a result, we recorded an unrealized loss on our ARSs of $230 as of March 31, 2008. Beginning in June of 2008, a market developed for certain ARSs based on the quality and the collateral of the underlying securities. During the month of June, we were able to sell $6,825 of our ARSs at full face value thereby reducing our holdings in ARSs to $9,475 as of June 30, 2008, and subsequently, we were able to sell an additional $9,400 of ARSs to further reduce our holdings to $75 as of July 31, 2008. Therefore, the ARS balance of $9,475 as of June 30, 2008 has been classified as short term and the unrealized loss of $230 provided for the first quarter of this year has been reversed in the current quarter. As a result, we did not incur any losses with respect to our investments in ARSs.
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
As required by Rule 13a-15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the fiscal quarter covered by this quarterly report. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were, as of the end of the fiscal quarter covered by this quarterly report, effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by our in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
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As required by Rule 13a-15(d) under the Exchange Act, our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated our internal controls over financial reporting to determine whether any changes occurred during the quarter covered by this quarterly report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Based on that evaluation, there has been no such change during the quarter covered by this report.
Part II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
($ in thousands)
Certain legal proceedings in which we are involved are discussed in Note K and Part I, Item 3 to the consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. The following discussion is limited to recent developments concerning certain of our legal proceedings in which we are involved should be read in conjunction with our earlier reports filed with the SEC Reports. Unless otherwise indicated, all proceedings discussed in those earlier reports remain outstanding.
On August 10, 2005, the U.S. Customs Department (“Customs”) issued a report that asserts that certain commissions which we treated as “buying agents’ commissions” (which are non-dutiable) should be treated as “selling agents’ commissions” and hence are dutiable. In its preliminary report, Customs estimated that we had underpaid duties during the calendar years of 1998 through 2004 in the amount of $1,051. In September of 2007, Customs notified us that it had finalized its assessment of the underpaid duties to be $1,400. Pursuant to this assessment, we have, with the advice of legal counsel, evaluated the liability in the case, including interest and penalties, and believe that it is not likely to exceed $2,700. Accordingly, a Customs reserve, which was initially recorded in 2005, and has been revised from time to time to reflect changes in the status of this matter, was most recently adjusted to $2,700 in the third quarter of 2007. Such reserve is subject to change to reflect the status of this matter.
We have been named as a defendant in certain other lawsuits in the normal course of business. In the opinion of management, after consulting with legal counsel, the liabilities, if any, resulting from these matters should not have a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations. It is the policy of management to disclose the amount or range of reasonably possible losses in excess of recorded amounts.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
The risk factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 have not materially changed.
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
There were no unregistered sales of equity securities and we did not repurchase any of its common stock during the quarter ended June 30, 2008.
ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
None.
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
At our Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on May 23, 2008 (the “Annual Meeting”), our stockholders ratified the appointment of Eisner LLP and elected six directors to serve until the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
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The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the total votes cast was required to ratify the appointment of Eisner LLP and the affirmative vote of a plurality of the votes cast by holders of shares of common stock was required to elect the directors.
With respect to the approval of the appointment of Eisner LLP, set forth below is information on the results of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting.
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | For | | Against | | Abstained | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| | | | | | | | | | |
Appointment of Eisner LLP | | | 14,649,839 | | | 454,920 | | | 666 | |
With respect to the election of directors, set forth below is information with respect to the nominees elected as our directors at the Annual Meeting and the votes cast and/or withheld with respect to each such nominee.
| | | | |
Nominees | | For | | Withheld |
| |
| |
|
| | | | |
Walter Yetnikoff | | 14,767,142 | | 338,283 |
Edward Rosenfeld | | 14,719,812 | | 385,613 |
John L. Madden | | 14,316,852 | | 788,573 |
Peter Migliorini | | 14,651,553 | | 453,872 |
Richard P. Randall | | 14,786,091 | | 319,334 |
Thomas H. Schwartz | | 14,836,371 | | 269,054 |
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS
| |
3.1 | Certificate of Incorporation of Steven Madden, Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1 to Steven Madden, Ltd.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, dated November 23, 1998, Securities and Exchange Commission File Number 000-23702, Film Number 98757800). |
| |
3.2 | Amended & Restated By-Laws of Steven Madden, Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to Steven Madden, Ltd.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, dated March 28, 2008). |
| |
4.1 | Specimen Certificate for shares of Common Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.01 to Steven Madden, Ltd.’s Registration Statement on Form SB-2/A, dated September 29, 1993). |
| |
4.2 | Rights Agreement between Steven Madden, Ltd. and American Stock Transfer and Trust Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Steven Madden, Ltd.’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated November 16, 2001, SEC File Number 000-23702, Film Number 1794721). |
| |
31.1 | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 or 15d-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| |
31.2 | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 or 15d-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| |
32.1 | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| |
32.2 | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report on Form 10-Q to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
DATE: August 8, 2008
| | | |
| STEVEN MADDEN, LTD. | |
| | | |
| By: | /s/ EDWARD R. ROSENFELD | |
| |
| |
| | Edward R. Rosenfeld | |
| | Chief Executive Officer | |
| | | |
| By: | /s/ ARVIND DHARIA | |
| |
| |
| | Arvind Dharia | |
| | Chief Financial Officer | |
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| | |
Exhibit No. | | Description |
| |
|
| | |
3.1 | | Certificate of Incorporation of Steven Madden, Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1 to Steven Madden, Ltd.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, dated November 23, 1998, Securities and Exchange Commission File Number 000-23702, Film Number 98757800). |
| | |
3.2 | | Amended & Restated By-Laws of Steven Madden, Ltd. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to Steven Madden, Ltd.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, dated March 28, 2008). |
| | |
4.1 | | Specimen Certificate for shares of Common Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.01 to Steven Madden, Ltd.’s Registration Statement on Form SB-2/A, dated September 29, 1993). |
| | |
4.2 | | Rights Agreement between Steven Madden, Ltd. and American Stock Transfer and Trust Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Steven Madden, Ltd.’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated November 16, 2001, SEC File Number 000-23702, Film Number 1794721). |
| | |
31.1 | | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 or 15d-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| | |
31.2 | | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 or 15d-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| | |
32.1 | | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| | |
32.2 | | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
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