PriceSmart Announces Second Quarter Results of Operations;

Land Acquisition for New Sites also Announced

 

San Diego, California (April 5, 2007) – PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSMT) today announced its results of operations for the second quarter of fiscal year 2007, which ended on February 28, 2007.

For the second quarter of fiscal year 2007, net warehouse club sales increased 19.6% to $226.7 million from $189.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2006.  Total revenues for the second quarter increased 20.0% to $231.9 million, compared to $193.3 million in the prior year.  The Company had 23 warehouse clubs in operation as of February 28, 2007 and 2006.

The Company recorded operating income in the second quarter of $9.6 million, compared to operating income of $6.1 million in the second quarter of the prior year.  Net income was $6.5 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2007 compared to $3.2 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2006.

For the first six months of fiscal 2007, net warehouse club sales increased 19.3% to $424.8 million from $356.1 million in the first six months of fiscal 2006.  Total revenues for the first half of the fiscal year increased 19.6% to $434.4 million from $363.2 million in the same period of the prior year.  For the first six months of fiscal 2007, the Company recorded operating income of $16.8 million, and net income of $10.6 million, or $0.36 per diluted share.  During the same six month period in fiscal 2006, the Company recorded operating income of $9.2 million, and net income of $5.2 million, or $0.20 per diluted share.

The Company also announced that it completed the acquisition of land in Arima, Trinidad, and will begin construction of its previously announced third warehouse club in Trinidad.  As a result of a delay in the land purchase, the Company now expects this warehouse club to open in November 2007.  In addition, the Company announced that it has acquired land and will begin construction of a new warehouse club in the municipality of Fraijanes in the eastern outskirts of Guatemala City, Guatemala.  This warehouse club, which is also expected to open in November 2007, will bring the number of PriceSmart warehouse clubs in Guatemala to three.  Upon completion of both of these warehouse clubs, the total number of warehouse clubs in operation will be 25.

About PriceSmart

PriceSmart, headquartered in San Diego, owns and operates U.S.-style membership shopping warehouse clubs in Central America and the Caribbean, selling high quality merchandise at low prices to PriceSmart members. PriceSmart now operates 23 warehouse clubs in 11 countries and one U.S. territory (four each in Panama and Costa Rica; two each in Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Trinidad; and one each in Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica, Nicaragua and the United States Virgin Islands).

This press release may contain forward-looking statements concerning the Company's anticipated future revenues and earnings, adequacy of future cash flow and related matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements containing the words "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "project," "estimate," "scheduled," and like expressions, and the negative thereof. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the following risks: the Company had substantial net losses in fiscal 2003, 2004 and 2005, and may not be able to sustain the profitability it achieved in fiscal 2006 in future periods; the Company’s financial performance is dependent on international operations which exposes the Company to various risks; any failure by the Company to manage its widely dispersed operations could adversely affect the Company’s business; although the Company has taken and continues to take steps to improve significantly its internal controls, there may be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies that the Company has not yet identified; the Company faces significant competition; the Company faces difficulties in the shipment of and inherent risks in the importation of merchandise to its warehouse clubs; the Company is exposed to weather and other risks associated with international operations; declines in the economies of the countries in which the Company operates its warehouse clubs would harm its business; a few of the Company’s stockholders have control over the Company's voting stock, which will make it difficult to complete some corporate transactions without their support and may prevent a change in control; the loss of key personnel could harm the Company’s business; the Company is subject to volatility in foreign currency exchange; the Company faces the risk of exposure to product liability claims, a product recall and adverse publicity; a determination that the Company's long-lived or intangible assets have been impaired could adversely affect the Company's future results of operations and financial position; and the Company faces increased costs and compliance risks associated with compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; as well as the other risks detailed in the Company's SEC reports, including the Company's Form 10-K filed pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on November 13, 2006. We assume no obligation and expressly disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this presentation or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

For further information, please contact Robert E. Price, Chief Executive Officer (858) 551-2336; or John M. Heffner, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (858) 404-8826.


PRICESMART, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA)

 

February 28, 2007

 

 

August 31, 2006

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

Current Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

      Cash and cash equivalents

$

33,441

 

$

39,995

      Short-term restricted cash

 

7,844

 

 

7,651

      Receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $176 and $191, respectively

 

4,326

 

 

3,599

      Merchandise inventories

 

84,108

 

 

77,432

      Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

10,596

 

 

8,985

      Assets of discontinued operations

 

1,543

 

 

1,594

Total current assets

 

141,858

 

 

139,256

      Long-term restricted cash

 

407

 

 

531

      Note receivable

 

2,130

 

 

      Property and equipment, net

 

160,918

 

 

162,029

      Goodwill

 

31,702

 

 

31,870

      Deferred tax asset

 

19,875

 

 

20,183

      Other assets

 

3,926

 

 

1,903

      Investment in unconsolidated affiliate

 

2,980

 

 

3,271

Total Assets

$

363,796

 

$

359,043

         

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

Current Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

      Short-term borrowings

$

4,062

 

$

158

      Accounts payable

 

72,503

 

 

65,520

      Accounts payable to unconsolidated affiliate

 

 

 

381

      Accrued salaries and benefits

 

5,448

 

 

5,765

      Deferred membership income

 

6,720

 

 

5,780

      Income taxes payable

 

4,217

 

 

4,098

      Other accrued expenses

 

14,469

 

 

15,194

      Dividend payable

 

9,458

 

 

      Long-term debt, current portion

 

1,000

 

 

5,417

      Liabilities of discontinued operations

 

145

 

 

130

Total current liabilities

 

118,022

 

 

102,443

Deferred tax liability

 

1,307

 

 

1,101

Deferred rent

 

1,708

 

 

1,730

Accrued closure costs

 

3,150

 

 

3,226

Long-term debt, net of current portion

 

53

 

 

13,252

Total liabilities

 

124,240

 

 

121,752

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minority interest

 

2,928

 

 

2,672

Commitments and contingencies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ Equity:

 

 

 

 

 

      Common stock, $.0001 par value, 45,000,000 shares authorized; 29,552,580 and 29,404,457

 

 

 

 

 

          shares issued and 29,076,867 and 28,966,294 shares outstanding (net of treasury shares),

           respectively

 

 

                    3

 

 

 

3

      Additional paid-in capital

 

365,317

 

 

364,132

      Tax benefit from stock-based compensation

 

3,902

 

 

3,509

      Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(14,010)

 

 

(13,883)

      Accumulated deficit

 

(108,517)

 

 

(109,676)

      Less: treasury stock at cost;  475,713 shares and 438,163 shares held, respectively

 

(10,067)

 

 

(9,466)

Total stockholders’ equity

 

236,628

 

 

234,619

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

$

363,796

 

$

359,043

 


PRICESMART, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(UNAUDITED—AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

  

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

February 28,

 

February 28,

 

 

 

 2007

 

  

2006

  

2007

 

  

2006

 

Revenues: