1 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20549 FORM 10-Q [X] QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 1999. [ ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM TO -------------------- -------------------- COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 0-22187 ADVANTAGE LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC. (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER) WISCONSIN 39-1559474 (STATE OR OTHER (IRS EMPLOYER JURISDICTION OF INCORPORATION) IDENTIFICATION NO.) PO BOX 8036 2911 PEACH STREET WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WISCONSIN (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES) 54495-8036 (ZIP CODE) (715) 424-3636 (REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE) Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) 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 [X] No [ ] Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date. OUTSTANDING AT CLASS APRIL 30, 1999 ----- -------------- Common Stock, $0.01 par value 33,888,194 2 ADVANTAGE LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC. INDEX TO FORM 10-Q FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 1999 PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION PAGE NUMBER ------ ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 1999 and December 31, 1998 ............................................. 1 Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Income for the Three Months Ended March 31, 1999 and 1998 .............................. 2 Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Months Ended March 31, 1999 and 1998 .............................. 3 Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements........................ 4 ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS........................................ 6 ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK................................................................ 9 PART II - OTHER INFORMATION ITEM 2. CHANGES IN SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS ................................. 10 ITEM 6. EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K .......................................... 10 - Index - 3 PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION Item 1. Financial Statements ADVANTAGE LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) March 31, 1999 December 31, 1998 -------------------- ------------------- (In thousands) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 24,701 $ 14,222 Short term investments 11,846 18,869 Accounts receivable, less allowance of $1,364,000 in 1999 and $1,058,000 in 1998 10,017 8,832 Inventories 773 794 Prepaid expenses 847 656 Deferred tax asset 2,434 2,242 -------------------- ------------------- Total current assets 50,618 45,615 -------------------- ------------------- Property, plant and equipment, net 20,356 19,101 Deferred tax asset 1,670 1,647 Intangibles, net 1,343 1,445 Capitalized software, net 180 188 -------------------- ------------------- Total assets $ 74,167 $ 67,996 ==================== =================== LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 2,371 $ 1,815 Deferred revenue 3,418 3,443 Payroll and employee benefits 1,281 1,080 Income taxes payable 2,673 2,157 Other current liabilities 2,064 2,182 -------------------- ------------------- Total current liabilities 11,807 10,677 -------------------- ------------------- Deferred revenue 1,648 1,398 -------------------- ------------------- Total liabilities 13,455 12,075 Minority interest 276 295 Shareholders' equity 60,436 55,626 -------------------- ------------------- Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 74,167 $ 67,996 ==================== =================== See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. - 1 - 4 ADVANTAGE LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 1999 1998 ---------------- ---------------- (In thousands, except per share amounts) Net sales: Products $ 15,060 $ 8,636 Services 3,292 1,987 ---------------- ---------------- Total net sales 18,352 10,623 ---------------- ---------------- Cost of sales: Products 1,565 901 Services 1,705 865 ---------------- ---------------- Total cost of sales 3,270 1,766 ---------------- ---------------- Gross profit 15,082 8,857 Operating expenses: Product development 1,394 1,027 Selling and marketing 4,722 3,351 General and administrative 2,236 1,737 ---------------- ---------------- Total operating expenses 8,352 6,115 ---------------- ---------------- Operating income 6,730 2,742 Other income: Interest income 413 434 Other, net 176 70 ---------------- ---------------- Income before taxes 7,319 3,246 Income taxes 3,001 1,347 ---------------- ---------------- Net income $ 4,318 $ 1,899 ================ ================ Basic and diluted earnings per share $ 0.13 $ 0.06 ================ ================ See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. - 2 - 5 ADVANTAGE LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 1999 1998 ------------------- ----------------- (In thousands) Reconciliation of net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Net income $ 4,318 $ 1,899 Noncash (income) expenses included in net income - Depreciation and amortization 654 403 Deferred income taxes (216) (33) Change in assets and liabilities - Accounts receivable (1,185) (984) Inventory 22 50 Prepaid expenses (191) 159 Accounts payable and other current liabilities 1,156 1,633 Deferred revenue 224 50 Other (41) (17) ------------------- ----------------- Net cash provided by operating activities 4,741 3,160 ------------------- ----------------- Cash flows from investing activities: Purchase of property, plant and equipment (1,752) (960) Purchase of short term investments, net 7,022 (14,911) Capitalized software development costs (20) - ------------------- ----------------- Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 5,250 (15,871) ------------------- ----------------- Cash flows from financing activities: Equity contribution from minority partner - 66 Proceeds from issuance of stock 222 - Proceeds from exercise of stock options 266 - ------------------- ----------------- Net cash provided by financing activities 488 66 ------------------- ----------------- Net increase (decrease) in cash 10,479 (12,645) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 14,222 22,320 ------------------- ----------------- Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 24,701 $ 9,675 =================== ================= See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. - 3 - 6 ADVANTAGE LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC. NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED) 1. CONSOLIDATION The consolidated financial statements include the financial results of Advantage Learning Systems, Inc. ("ALS") and its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively the "Company"). All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. 2. BASIS OF PRESENTATION The consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods, and are presented on an unaudited basis. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's financial information contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The results of operations for the three month periods ended March 31, 1999 and 1998 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. 3. EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE Basic earnings per common share has been computed based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per common share has been computed based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, increased by the number of additional common shares that would have been outstanding if the dilutive potential common shares had been issued. On January 18, 1999, the board of directors of the Company authorized a 2-for-1 split of common stock in the form of a stock dividend payable on February 26, 1999 to shareholders of record on February 11, 1999. Accordingly, all share and per share data presented herein have been restated to reflect this split. The weighted average shares outstanding during the three months ended March 31, 1999 and 1998 are as follows: Three Months Ended Three Months Ended March 31, 1999 March 31, 1998 ------------------ ------------------ Basic Weighted Average Shares 33,867,084 33,804,766 Impact of Stock Options 288,603 114,968 Diluted Weighted Average Shares 34,155,687 33,919,734 4. SEGMENT REPORTING The Company's reportable segments are strategic business units that offer different products and services. They are managed separately because each business requires different technology and marketing strategies. The Company has two reportable segments: software and training. The software segment produces learning information systems software for the K-12 school market in the United States and Canada. The software assists educators in assessing and monitoring student development by increasing the quantity, quality and timeliness of student performance data in the areas of reading, math and writing. Revenue from the software segment includes product revenue from the sale of software and service revenue from the sale of software support agreements. - 4 - 7 The training segment provides professional development training seminars. The program trains educators how to accelerate learning in the classroom through use of the information that the Company's learning information systems provide. Revenue from the training segment includes service revenue from a variety of seminars presented in hotels and schools across the country, and product revenue from training material. The Company evaluates the performance of its operating segments based on operating income before nonrecurring items. Intersegment sales and transfers and revenue derived outside of the United States are not significant. Summarized financial information concerning the Company's reportable segments is shown in the following table: Three Months Ended March 31, 1999 1998 ----------------- ------------- (In thousands) Revenues: Software $ 16,277 $ 9,070 Training 2,075 1,553 ----------------- ------------- Total revenues $ 18,352 $ 10,623 ================= ============= Operating income: Software $ 7,434 $ 3,136 Training (704) (394) ----------------- ------------- Total operating income $ 6,730 $ 2,742 ================= ============= The information about the segments presented above is in compliance with SFAS 131 reporting requirements. The reported measures are consistent with those used in measuring amounts in the consolidated financial statements. Such measurements are generally along legal entity lines as aggregated. It is management's opinion, however, that because many flows of value between the segments cannot be precisely quantified, this information provides an incomplete measure of the training segment profit or loss, and should not be viewed in isolation. Management evaluates the performance of the training segment based on many factors not captured by the financial accounting system and often evaluates the Company's financial performance on a total entity basis. 5. COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Total comprehensive income was $4,322,000 and $1,899,000 in the first quarter of 1999 and 1998, respectively. The difference between net income and total comprehensive income comprised solely foreign currency translations. - 5 - 8 Item 2. Management's Discussion And Analysis Of Financial Condition And Results Of Operations THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1999 AND 1998 The following table sets forth certain consolidated income statement data in dollars and as a percentage of net sales, except that individual components of costs of sales and gross profit are shown as a percentage of their corresponding component of net sales: THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 1999 1998 CHANGE ------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ (Dollars in thousands) Net Sales: Products $15,060 82.1% $8,636 81.3% $6,424 74.4% Services 3,292 17.9% 1,987 18.7% 1,305 65.7% ------------ =========== ----------- ========== ------------ Total net sales 18,352 100.0% 10,623 100.0% 7,729 72.8% ------------ =========== ----------- ========== ------------ Cost of sales: Products 1,565 10.4% 901 10.4% 664 73.7% Services 1,705 51.8% 865 43.5% 840 97.1% ------------ ----------- ------------ Total cost of sales 3,270 17.8% 1,766 16.6% 1,504 85.2% ------------ ----------- ------------ Gross profit: Products 13,495 89.6% 7,735 89.6% 5,760 74.5% Services 1,587 48.2% 1,122 56.5% 465 41.4% ------------ ----------- ------------ Total gross profit 15,082 82.2% 8,857 83.4% 6,225 70.3% ------------ ----------- ------------ Operating expenses: Product development 1,394 7.6% 1,027 9.7% 367 35.7% Selling & marketing 4,722 25.7% 3,351 31.5% 1,371 40.9% General & administrative 2,236 12.2% 1,737 16.4% 499 28.7% ------------ ----------- ------------ Total operating expenses 8,352 45.5% 6,115 57.6% 2,237 36.6% ------------ ----------- ------------ Operating income 6,730 36.7% 2,742 25.8% 3,988 145.4% Other income: Interest income 413 2.2% 434 4.1% (21) -4.8% Other, net 176 1.0% 70 0.7% 106 151.4% ------------ ----------- ------------ Total other income 589 3.2% 504 4.8% 85 16.9% ------------ ----------- ------------ Income before taxes 7,319 39.9% 3,246 30.6% 4,073 125.5% Income taxes 3,001 16.4% 1,347 12.7% 1,654 122.8% ------------ ----------- ------------ Net income $ 4,318 23.5% $1,899 17.9% $2,419 127.4% ============ =========== ============ - 6 - 9 Net Sales. The Company's net sales increased by $7.7 million, or 72.8%, to $18.4 million in the first quarter of 1999 from $10.6 million in the first quarter of 1998. Product sales increased by $6.4 million, or 74.4%, to $15.1 million in the first quarter of 1999 from $8.6 million in the first quarter of 1998. The increase in product sales is primarily attributable to (i) sales of the Company's new math products which began shipping in late 1998 and (ii) increased sales of Accelerated Reader title disks, with about 22,000 available book titles, to a larger base of Accelerated Reader schools. Service revenue, which consists of revenue from sales of training sessions and software support agreements, increased by $1.3 million, or 65.7%, to $3.3 million in the first quarter of 1999 from $2.0 million in the first quarter of 1998. This increase is primarily attributable to revenue from software support agreements associated with new product sales along with renewals of agreements by an expanding base of existing customers, and to an increased number of Reading Renaissance training sessions. Cost of Sales. The cost of sales of products increased by $664,000, or 73.7%, to $1.6 million in the first quarter of 1999 from $901,000 in the first quarter of 1998. As a percentage of product sales, the cost of sales of products remained constant at 10.4% in the first quarter of 1999 and 1998. The cost of sales of services increased by $840,000, or 97.1%, to $1.7 million in the first quarter of 1999 from $865,000 in the first quarter of 1998. As a percentage of sales of services, the cost of sales of services increased to 51.8% in the first quarter of 1999 compared to 43.5% in the first quarter of 1998. This increase is primarily the result of increased costs associated with a new training program, Math Renaissance, introduced during the quarter, and increased numbers of seminars in smaller markets. The Company's overall gross profit margin decreased to 82.2% in the first quarter of 1999 from 83.4% in the first quarter of 1998 due to the decreased gross profit margin on services. Management expects that the overall gross profit margin will remain relatively constant in 1999. Product Development. Product development expenses increased by $367,000, or 35.7%, to $1.4 million in the first quarter of 1999 from $1.0 million in the first quarter of 1998. These expenses increased primarily due to increased development staff and consulting costs associated with the new math and writing products, new Accelerated Reader quizzes, and new seminars introduced in 1998 and early 1999. As a percentage of net sales, product development costs decreased to 7.6% in the first quarter of 1999 from 9.7% in the first quarter of 1998. The Company anticipates that the total dollar amount of product development costs will continue to increase as the Company enhances and extends its product offerings into other areas of the K-12 curriculum. Selling and Marketing. Selling and marketing expenses increased by $1.4 million, or 40.9%, to $4.7 million in the first quarter of 1999 from $3.4 million in the first quarter of 1998. These expenses increased due to (i) mailings to an increased customer and prospect base and increased lead-generation advertising and (ii) salary and recruiting costs associated with the hiring of additional personnel. As a percentage of net sales, selling and marketing expenses decreased to 25.7% in the first quarter of 1999 from 31.5% in the first quarter of 1998. This decrease is primarily due to economies of scale associated with significantly increased product sales and service sales. Management anticipates that selling and marketing expenses will generally continue to rise, while remaining relatively constant as a percentage of sales, as the Company expands its customer and prospect base and number of curricular areas its products cover. General and Administrative. General and administrative expenses increased by $499,000, or 28.7%, to $2.2 million in the first quarter of 1999 from $1.7 million in the first quarter of 1998. The higher expenses for the first quarter of 1999 are largely due to increased costs associated with the hiring of additional personnel, including wages and related benefits. As a percentage of net sales, general and administrative costs decreased to 12.2% in the first quarter of 1999 compared to 16.4% in the first quarter of 1998. Operating Income. Operating income increased by $4.0 million, or 145.4%, to $6.7 million in the first quarter of 1999 from $2.7 million in the first quarter of 1998. As a percentage of net sales, operating income increased to 36.7% in the first quarter of 1999 compared to 25.8% in the first quarter of 1998. Income Tax Expense. Income tax expense of $3.0 million was recorded in the first quarter of 1999 at an effective income tax rate, as a percentage of pre-tax income, of 41.0% compared to $1.3 million, or 41.5% of pre-tax income in first quarter 1998. - 7 - 10 LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES As of March 31, 1999, the Company's cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments increased to $36.5 million from the December 31, 1998 total of $33.1 million. The increase of $3.4 million in the first quarter of 1999 is primarily due to the net effect of an increase of $4.7 million in net cash provided by operating activities offset by $1.8 million used in the purchase of property, plant and equipment. The Company believes cash flow from operations and its current cash position will be sufficient to meet its working capital requirements for the foreseeable future. At March 31, 1999, the Company had a $10.0 million unsecured revolving line of credit with a bank which is available until March 31, 2000. The line of credit bears interest at either a floating rate based on the prime rate less 1.0%, or a fixed rate for a period of up to 90 days based on LIBOR plus 1.25%. The rate is at the option of the Company and is determined at the time of borrowing. As of March 31, 1999, the line of credit had not been used. YEAR 2000 The Company has investigated the extent to which its operations are subject to Year 2000 issues and assessed the measures it believes will be necessary to avoid any material disruption to its operations relating to Year 2000 issues. On the basis of this investigation and assessment, the Company has taken steps to ensure that its systems and products will not be adversely impacted by Year 2000 issues. As of March 31, 1999, substantially all of the Company's systems and products are Year 2000 compliant. The cost to the Company for such compliance measures has been approximately $100,000, and management believes that the cost of additional modifications will be approximately $300,000. The cost of the Company's internal Year 2000 compliance measures is being funded through operating cash flows. In addition to assessing its own readiness for the Year 2000, the Company has initiated formal communications with all of its significant suppliers to determine the extent to which the Company is vulnerable to those third parties' potential failure to remediate their own Year 2000 issues. A significant percentage of these suppliers have responded in writing to the Company's Year 2000 readiness inquiries. The Company plans to continue assessment of its third party business partners, including face-to-face meetings with management and/or on site visits as deemed appropriate. Despite the Company's diligence, there can be no guarantee that the systems of other companies, on which the Company's systems rely, will be timely converted or that a failure to convert by another company or a conversion that is incompatible with the Company's systems would not have a material adverse effect on the Company. The cost to the Company for its third party compliance efforts as of March 31, 1999 has been approximately $650,000, and management believes that the cost of additional efforts in this regard will be approximately $150,000. The cost of the Company's external Year 2000 compliance measures is being funded through operating cash flows. With respect to Year 2000 risks associated with the Company's systems, the Company believes that the most reasonably likely worst case scenario is that the Company will experience a number of minor systems malfunctions and errors in the early part of the Year 2000 that were not detected during its compliance efforts. The Company believes that these problems will not be overwhelming and will not have a material effect on the Company's operations or financial results. With respect to Year 2000 risks associated with the Company's software products, the Company cannot be certain that the software will operate error free, or that the Company will not be subject to litigation, whether the software operates error free or not. However, the Company believes that based on its efforts to ensure compliance, it is not reasonably likely that the Company will be subject to such litigation. With respect to Year 2000 risks associated with third party suppliers, the Company believes that the most reasonably likely worst case scenario is that some of the Company's significant suppliers will not be Year 2000 compliant. Management also believes that the number of such suppliers will have been minimized by the Company's program of identifying non-compliant suppliers and replacing or jointly developing alternative supply or delivery solutions prior to the Year 2000. The Company has limited the scope of its risk assessment to those factors which it can reasonably be expected to have an influence upon. For example, the Company has made the assumption that government agencies, utility companies and national telecommunication providers will continue to operate. Obviously, the lack of such services could have a material effect on the Company's ability to operate, but the Company has little, if any, ability to influence such an outcome, or to make alternative arrangements in advance for such services in the event they are not available. - 8 - 11 Based upon the modifications made to its products and the new internal systems which have been put in place, the Company believes it has substantially completed the contingency plan to handle the most reasonably likely worst case scenarios described above. However, if unanticipated Year 2000 related problems occur, it could result in a material financial risk to the Company. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS In accordance with the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Company can obtain a "safe-harbor" for forward-looking statements by identifying those statements and by accompanying those statements with cautionary statements which identify factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, the foregoing "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" contains certain forward-looking statements relating to growth plans, projected sales, revenues, earnings and costs, and product development schedules and plans. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements herein. Factors which may cause such a difference to occur include those factors identified in Item 1, Business, Forward-Looking Statements, contained in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998, which factors are incorporated herein by reference to such Form 10-K. Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk At March 31, 1999, the Company had no material market risk exposure (e.g., interest rate risk, foreign currency exchange rate risk or commodity price risk). - 9 - 12 Part II - OTHER INFORMATION Item 2. Changes in Securities and Use of Proceeds (a) Not applicable. (b) Not applicable. (c) Not applicable. (d) The net proceeds to the Company from its initial public offering, after deducting underwriting discounts of $3,606,400 and other expenses of approximately $941,000, were approximately $46,972,000. From September 24, 1997 through March 31, 1999, the Company used the net proceeds from the offering as follows: (i)Approximately $1.6 million was used to pay compensation expenses related to the termination of the Company's phantom stock plan. (ii) Approximately $7.2 million was used to pay the entire principal and accrued interest on the mortgage note and an unsecured note, both related to the construction of the Company's facility in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. (iii) Approximately $5.1 million was used to pay the entire principal and accrued interest on notes from the Company's principal shareholders related to the 1996 acquisition of IPS Publishing, Inc. (iv) Approximately $10.9 million was used to pay distributions of S corporation retained profits to S corporation shareholders. (v) Approximately $7.4 million was used to invest in Athena Holdings LLC, a limited liability company formed for the purpose of constructing the Company's facility in Madison, Wisconsin. (vi) Approximately $800,000 was used for pilot operations in various markets and miscellaneous acquisitions. The Company has broad discretion with respect to the use of the remaining proceeds. Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K (a) Exhibits. Exhibit No. Description ----------- ----------- 3.1 Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Advantage Learning Systems, Inc., as amended 27.1 Financial Data Schedule (b) The Company filed no reports on Form 8-K during the quarter covered by this report. - 10 - 13 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. ADVANTAGE LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC. (Registrant) May 13, 1999 /s/ Michael H. Baum ------------ ------------------------------ Date Michael H. Baum Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) May 13, 1999 /s/ Timothy Sherlock ------------ ------------------------------ Date Timothy Sherlock Secretary, Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) 14 Index to Exhibits Exhibit No. Description ----------- ----------- 3.1 Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Advantage Learning Systems, Inc., as amended 27.1 Financial Data Schedule