PriceSmart Announces Third Quarter Results of Operations

 

San Diego, California (July 2, 2007) – PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSMT) today announced its results of operations for the third quarter of fiscal year 2007, which ended on May 31, 2007.

 

For the third quarter of fiscal year 2007, net warehouse club sales increased 21.4% to $219.5 million from $180.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2006.  Total revenues for the third quarter increased 21.5% to $224.3 million, compared to $184.6 million in the prior year.  The Company had 23 warehouse clubs in operation as of May 31, 2007 and 2006.

 

The Company recorded operating income in the third quarter of $9.0 million, compared to operating income of $4.6 million in the third quarter of the prior year.  Net income was $5.2 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, in the third quarter of fiscal 2007 compared to $3.2 million, or $0.11 per diluted share in the third quarter of fiscal 2006.

 

For the first nine months of fiscal 2007, net warehouse club sales increased 20.0% to $644.3 million from $536.9 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2006.  Total revenues for the first nine months of the fiscal year increased 20.2% to $658.7 million from $547.9 million in the same period of the prior year.  For the first nine months of fiscal 2007, the Company recorded operating income of $25.9 million, and net income of $15.8 million, or $0.54 per diluted share.  During the same nine month period in fiscal 2006, the Company recorded operating income of $13.8 million, and net income of $8.5 million, or $0.31 per diluted share.

 

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, as amended by Amendment No.1 on Form 10K/A filed on December 19, 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.

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

  

Nine Months Ended

 

 

 

May 31,

 

May 31,

 

 

 

 2007

 

  

2006

  

2007

 

  

2006

 

Revenues:

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Sales:

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net warehouse club

$

219,515

 

  

$

180,781

  

$

644,337

 

  

$

536,856

 

Export

 

190

 

  

 

9

  

 

456

 

  

 

20

 

Membership income

 

3,559

 

 

 

2,961

 

 

10,221

 

 

 

8,423

 

Other income

 

1,048

 

  

 

886

  

 

3,652

 

  

 

2,570

 

Total revenues

 

224,312

 

  

 

184,637

  

 

658,666

 

  

 

547,869

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Cost of goods sold:

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Net warehouse club

 

185,762

 

  

 

153,619

  

 

547,220

 

  

 

458,309

 

Export

 

172

 

  

 

7

  

 

432

 

  

 

23

 

Selling, general and administrative:

 

 

 

  

 

     

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Warehouse club operations

 

22,252

 

  

 

20,068

  

 

64,294

 

  

 

57,556

 

General and administrative

 

7,024

 

  

 

6,312

  

 

19,869

 

  

 

17,691

 

Preopening expenses

 

1

 

  

 

  

 

256

 

  

 

336

 

Asset impairment and closure costs

 

68

 

 

 

59

 

 

731

 

 

 

172

 

Total operating expenses

 

215,279

 

  

 

180,065

  

 

632,802

 

  

 

534,087

 

Operating income

 

9,033

 

  

 

4,572

  

 

25,864

 

  

 

13,782

 

Other income (expense):

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Interest income

 

395

 

  

 

624

  

 

1,238

 

  

 

1,348

 

Interest expense

 

(129)

 

  

 

(708)

 

 

(574)

 

  

 

(2,258)

 

Other income (expense), net

 

(100)

 

  

 

(71)

  

 

(122)

 

  

 

(46)

 

Total other income (expense)

 

166

 

  

 

(155)

  

 

542

 

  

 

(956)

 

Income from continuing operations before provision
for income taxes, loss of unconsolidated
affiliate and minority interest

 

9,199

 

  

 

4,417

  

 

26,406

 

  

 

12,826

 

Provision for income taxes

 

(3,819)

 

  

 

(1,192)

  

 

(10,011)

 

  

 

(4,686)

 

Loss of unconsolidated affiliate

 

       (99)

 

 

 

(12)

  

 

(282)

 

 

 

(56)

 

Minority interest

 

(75)

 

  

 

(88)

  

 

(337)

 

  

 

(261)

 

Income from continuing operations

 

5,206

 

 

 

3,125

 

 

15,776

 

 

 

7,823

 

Discontinued operations, net of tax

 

25

 

 

 

103

 

 

71

 

 

 

650

 

Net income

$

5,231

 

  

$

3,228

  

$

15,847

 

  

$

8,473

 

Basic income per share:

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

          Continuing operations

$

       0.18

 

 

$

       0.11

 

$

      0.55

 

 

$