SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
Quarterly Report Under Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the Fiscal Quarter Ended January 31, 2010
Commission File Number 0-12788
CASEYS GENERAL STORES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
ONE CONVENIENCE BOULEVARD,
ANKENY, IOWA
(515) 965-6100
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
NONE
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
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 by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ¨ No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of Accelerated filer and large accelerated filer@ in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer x Accelerated filer ¨ Non-accelerated filer ¨
Indicated by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuers classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.
Class
Outstanding at March 5, 2010
INDEX
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PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
CASEYS GENERAL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
(DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Receivables
Inventories
Prepaid expenses
Deferred income taxes
Income tax receivable
Total current assets
Other assets
Goodwill
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $690,841 at January 31, 2010 and of $652,376 at April 30, 2009
See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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(Continued)
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt
Accounts payable
Accrued expenses
Total current liabilities
Long-term debt, net of current maturities
Deferred compensation
Other long-term liabilities
Total liabilities
Shareholders equity:
Preferred stock, no par value
Common stock, no par value
Retained earnings
Total shareholders equity
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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
(DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS)
Total revenue
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization, shown separately below)
Gross profit
Operating expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Interest, net
Earnings before income taxes
Federal and state income taxes
Net earnings
Earnings per common share
Basic
Diluted
Basic weighted average shares outstanding
Plus effect of stock options
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding
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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Cash flows from operations:
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operations:
Other amortization (accretion)
Stock based compensation
Loss on sale and disposal of property and equipment
Excess tax benefits related to stock option exercises
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Income taxes
Other, net
Net cash provided by operations
Cash flows from investing:
Purchase of property and equipment
Payments for acquisition of stores, net of cash acquired
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing:
Payments of long-term debt
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
Payments of cash dividends
Net cash used in financing activities
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Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOWS INFORMATION
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest, net of amount capitalized
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NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Dollars in Thousands)
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The 2000 Stock Option Plan granted employees options with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Companys stock on the date of grant and expire ten years after the date of grant. Vesting is generally over a three to five-year service period. On June 23, 2009, stock options totaling 361,000 shares were granted to certain officers and key employees. These awards were granted at no cost to the grantee. These awards will vest on June 23, 2012 and compensation expense is currently being recognized ratably over the vesting period.
On June 25, 2007, stock options totaling 246,000 shares were granted to certain officers and key employees. These awards were granted at no cost to the employee. These awards will vest on June 25, 2010 and compensation expense is currently being recognized ratably over the vesting period.
On July 5, 2005, stock options totaling 234,000 shares were granted to certain officers and key employees. These awards were also granted at no cost to the employee. These awards will vest on July 5, 2010 and compensation expense is currently being recognized ratably over the vesting period.
The Non-employee Directors Stock Option Plan granted directors options with an exercise price equal to the average of the last reported sale prices of shares of common stock on the last trading day of each of the 12 months preceding the award of the option. The term of such options is ten years from the date of grant, and each option is exercisable immediately upon grant. On May 1, 2009, stock options totaling 16,000 shares were granted to the directors.
At January 31, 2010, options for 970,250 shares (which expire between 2010 and 2019) were outstanding for the Prior Plans. Information concerning the issuance of stock options under the Prior Plans is presented in the following table:
Outstanding April 30, 2009
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited
Outstanding at January 31, 2010
Weighted average fair value of options granted during the nine-month period ended January 31, 2010
At January 31, 2010, all outstanding options had an aggregate intrinsic value of $7,751 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 7.01 years. The vested options totaled 213,250 shares with a weighted average exercise price of $16.07 per share and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 4.00 years. The aggregate intrinsic value for the vested options as of January 31, 2010, was $3,115. The aggregate intrinsic value
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for the total of all options exercised during the nine months ended January 31, 2010, was $978 and the total fair value of shares vested during the nine months ended January 31, 2010, was $164.
The fair value of stock options granted in 2009 was estimated utilizing the Black Scholes valuation model. The grant date fair value for the May 1, 2009 and the June 23, 2009 options were $10.24 and $8.65, respectively. Significant assumptions include:
Risk-free interest rate
Expected option life
Expected volatility
Expected dividend yield
The expected option life of the award granted was based upon historical experience of employees and directors exercise behavior. Expected volatility was based upon historical volatility levels over a period commensurate with the expected option life. Expected dividend yield was based on expected dividend rate. Risk free interest rate reflects the yield of a zero coupon U.S. Treasury over the expected option life. Total compensation costs recorded for the nine months ended January 31, 2010 and 2009, were $1,536 and $992, respectively, for the stock option awards. As of January 31, 2010, there was $2,714 of total unrecognized compensation costs related to the 2000 Stock Option Plan for stock options which is expected to be recognized ratably through fiscal 2013.
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Allocation of the purchase price for the transactions in aggregate is as follows (in thousands):
Assets acquired:
Property and equipment
Total assets
Liabilities assumed:
Net tangible assets acquired, net of cash
Non-compete agreements
Total consideration paid, net of cash acquired
The allocation of the purchase price to assets acquired and liabilities assumed is preliminary pending finalization of managements analysis.
The following unaudited pro forma information presents a summary of our consolidated results of operations as if the transactions reference above occurred at the beginning of the fiscal year for each of the periods presented (amounts in thousands, except per share data):
Total revenues
Earnings per share:
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These actions are among a total of 45 similar lawsuits now pending in 28 jurisdictions, including 25 states, Guam, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands, against a wide range of defendants that produce, refine, distribute, and/or market gasoline products in the United States. On June 18, 2007, the Federal Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered that all of the pending hot fuel cases (officially, the Motor Fuel Temperature Sales Practices Litigation) be transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas in Kansas City, Kansas, for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings, including rulings on discovery matters, various pretrial motions, and class certification. Discovery efforts by both sides are being pursued. The Court has made no ruling to date as to whether any of the pending lawsuits should be certified as class actions. Management does not believe the Company is liable to the defendants for the conduct complained of, and intends to contest the matters vigorously.
From time to time we are involved in other legal and administrative proceedings or investigations arising from the conduct of our business operations, including contractual disputes; environmental contamination or remediation issues; employment or personnel matters; personal injury and property damage claims; and claims by federal, state, and local regulatory authorities relating to the sale of products pursuant to licenses and permits issued by those authorities. Claims for compensatory or exemplary damages in those actions may be substantial. While the outcome of such litigation, proceedings, investigations, or claims is never certain, it is our opinion, after taking into consideration legal counsels assessment and the availability of insurance proceeds and other collateral sources to cover potential losses, that the ultimate disposition of such matters currently pending or threatened, individually or cumulatively, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position and results of operation.
A number of years may elapse before an uncertain tax position is audited and ultimately settled. It is difficult to predict the ultimate outcome or the timing of resolution for uncertain tax positions. It is reasonably possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits could significantly increase or decrease within the next twelve months. These changes could result from the expiration of the statute of limitations, examinations or
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other unforeseen circumstances. As of January 31, 2010, the Company did not have any ongoing federal income tax examinations. One state has an examination in progress. The Company did not have any outstanding litigation related to tax matters. At this time, management expects the aggregate amount of unrecognized tax benefits to decrease by approximately $900 within the next 12 months. This expected decrease is due to the expiration of statute of limitations related to certain state income tax filing positions.
The statute of limitations for federal income tax filings remains open for the years 2006 and forward. Tax years 2003 and forward are subject to audit by state tax authorities depending on the tax code of each state.
Overview
Caseys General Stores, Inc. (Caseys) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (Caseys, together with its subsidiaries, are referred to herein as the Company) operate convenience stores under the name Caseys General Store, HandiMart and Just Diesel (hereinafter collectively referred to as Caseys Store or Stores) in nine Midwestern states, primarily Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. On January 31, 2010, there were a total of 1,507 Caseys Stores in operation. All stores offer gasoline for sale on a self-serve basis and carry a broad selection of food (including freshly prepared foods such as pizza, donuts and sandwiches), beverages, tobacco products, health and beauty aids, automotive products and other non-food items. The Company derives its revenue primarily from the retail sale of gasoline and the products offered in its stores.
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Approximately 61% of all Caseys Stores are located in areas with populations of fewer than 5,000 persons, while approximately 14% of all stores are located in communities with populations exceeding 20,000 persons. The Company operates a central warehouse, the Caseys Distribution Center, adjacent to its Corporate Headquarters facility in Ankeny, Iowa, through which it supplies grocery and general merchandise items to stores. At January 31, 2010, the Company owned the land at 1,469 locations and the buildings at 1,477 locations, and leased the land at 38 locations and the buildings at 30 locations.
During the third quarter of fiscal 2010, the Company earned $0.34 in earnings per share compared to $0.28 per share for the same quarter a year ago. The Companys business is seasonal, and generally the Company experiences higher sales and profitability during the first and second fiscal quarters (May-October), when customers tend to purchase greater quantities of gasoline and certain convenience items such as beer and soft drinks.
During the third fiscal quarter, the Company opened three newly constructed stores and replaced an additional seven stores. There were 16 acquired stores opened during the quarter. The annual goal is to increase the number of stores by 4%.
The third quarter results reflected a 2.9% decrease in same-store gasoline gallons sold, with an average margin of approximately 12.4 cents per gallon. The Company policy is to price to the competition, so the timing of retail price changes is driven by local competitive conditions. During the quarter, the Company continued to benefit from a more favorable pricing environment.
Same store sales of grocery and other merchandise and prepared foods and fountain showed gains during the third quarter. Operating expenses increased 7.5% in the quarter primarily due to increases in credit card fees and transportation costs associated with higher fuel prices.
The weakening U.S. economy and increased unemployment have generally had an adverse impact on consumer disposable income in the Midwest. These conditions have not significantly lowered the overall demand for gasoline and the merchandise sold in stores, but management believes customers often are trading down to less expensive items inside the store. For further information concerning the Companys operating environment and certain of the conditions that may affect future performance, see the Cautionary Statements at the end of this Item 2.
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Three Months Ended January 31, 2010 Compared to
Three Months Ended January 31, 2009
(Dollars and Amounts in Thousands)
Revenue
Margin
Gasoline gallons
Total revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 increased by $265,103 (31.2%) over the comparable period in fiscal 2009. Retail gasoline sales increased by $248,578 (46.7%) as the number of gallons sold increased by 2,110 (0.7%) while the average retail price per gallon increased 45.7%. During this same period, retail sales of grocery and general merchandise increased by $11,111 (4.8%), primarily due to higher cigarette revenues attributable to the federal excise tax increase. Prepared food and fountain sales also increased by $4,934 (6.1%), due to the continued popularity of menu offerings and a greater number of stores in operation.
The other revenue category primarily consists of lottery, prepaid phone cards, video rental and automated teller machine (ATM) commissions received. These revenues increased $480 (10.5%) for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 primarily due to the increase in ATM commissions of $151 (61.0%) and lottery commissions of $220 (9.3%) from the comparable period in the prior year.
Total gross profit margin was 15.8% for the third quarter of fiscal 2010, compared to 19.0% for the comparable period in the prior year. The gross profit margin on retail gasoline sales decreased (to 4.9%) during the third quarter of fiscal 2010 from the third
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quarter of the prior year (5.7%). However, the gross profit margin per gallon increased (to $.1237) in the third quarter of fiscal 2010 from the comparable period in the prior year ($.0994), primarily due to the competitive response of many gasoline retailers to the movement of wholesale costs. The gross profit margin on retail sales of grocery and other merchandise decreased (to 32.7%) from the comparable period in the prior year (32.9%). The prepared food margin increased (to 62.8%) from the comparable period in the prior year (61.8%), primarily due to an increased contribution from higher margin items such as pizza and fountain.
Operating expenses as a percentage of total revenue were 11.5% for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 compared to 14.0% for the comparable period in the prior year. The decrease in operating expenses as a percentage of total revenue was caused primarily by an increase in revenues due to the increase in the average retail price per gallon of gasoline sold. Operating expenses increased 7.5% in the third quarter of 2010 from the comparable period in the prior year, primarily due to increases in credit card fees and transportation costs associated with higher fuel prices. These two expenses combined were up $3,585 (33.3%) from the comparable period in the prior year. Without these increases, operating expenses would have increased 4.5%.
The effective tax rate increased 40 basis points to 37.5% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 from 37.1% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2009. The increase in the effective tax rate was primarily due to the projected reduction of federal tax credits compared to the prior year.
Net earnings increased by $3,221 (23.0%). The increase in net earnings was attributable primarily to the increase in the gross profit dollars from gasoline sales, grocery and other merchandise sales, and prepared food and fountain sales.
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Nine Months Ended January 31, 2010 Compared to
Nine Months Ended January 31, 2009
Total revenue for the first nine months of fiscal 2010 decreased by $349,801 (9.2%) over the comparable period in fiscal 2009. Retail gasoline sales decreased by $414,738 (15.0%) as the number of gallons sold increased by 26,182 (2.8%) while the average retail price per gallon decreased 17.3%. During this same period, retail sales of grocery and general merchandise increased by $44,948 (5.8%), primarily due to higher cigarette revenues attributable to the federal excise tax increase. Prepared food and fountain sales also increased by $21,433 (8.4%), due to the continued popularity of menu offerings and a greater number of stores in operation.
The other revenue category primarily consists of lottery, prepaid phone card, video rental, and ATM commissions received. These revenues decreased $1,444 (9.0%) for the first nine months of fiscal 2010 primarily due to the elimination of the franchise program effective December 31, 2008, while the gross profit margin increased $1,441 (11.0%) primarily due to the increases in ATM commissions of $760 (103.0%) and lottery commissions of $735 (10.8%) from the comparable period in the prior year.
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Total gross profit margin was 17.4% for the first nine months of fiscal 2010, compared to 14.5% for the comparable period in the prior year primarily due to increases in the gross profit margin of all three of our major categories. The gross profit margin on retail gasoline sales increased (to 5.8%) during the first nine months of fiscal 2010 from the comparable period of the prior year (4.5%). The gross profit margin per gallon also increased (to $.1415) in the first nine months of fiscal 2010 from the comparable period in the prior year ($.1312), primarily due to the competitive response of many gasoline retailers to the movement of wholesale costs. The gross profit margin on retail sales of grocery and other merchandise increased (to 33.7%) from the comparable period in the prior year (33.6%). The prepared food margin also increased (to 63.7%) from the comparable period in the prior year (60.9%), primarily due to an increased contribution from higher margin items such as pizza and fountain.
Operating expenses as a percentage of total revenue were 11.3% for the first nine months of fiscal 2010 compared to 10.0% for the comparable period in the prior year. The increase in operating expenses as a percentage of total revenue was caused primarily by a decrease in revenues due to the decline in the average retail price per gallon of gasoline sold. Operating expenses increased 3.2% in the first nine months of fiscal 2010 from the comparable period in the prior year, primarily due to increases in wages, utilities, and insurance, offset partially by decreases in credit card fees and transportation costs associated with lower fuel prices. Also, without the prior year impairment charges, operating expenses would have increased 4.5%.
The effective tax rate decreased 150 basis points to 36.2% for the first nine months of fiscal year 2010 from 37.7% in the comparable period of the prior year. The decrease in the effective tax rate was primarily due to the expiration of certain statutes of limitations for unrecognized tax benefits related to risks associated with federal tax credits claimed for the Companys subsidiaries.
Net earnings increased by $24,892 (35.5%). The increase in net earnings was attributable primarily to the increase in the gross profit dollars from gasoline sales, grocery and other merchandise sales, and prepared food and fountain sales.
Critical Accounting Policies
Critical accounting policies are those accounting policies that management believes are important to the portrayal of the Companys financial condition and results of operations.
Inventory. Inventories, which consist of merchandise and gasoline, are stated at the lower of cost or market. For gasoline, cost is determined through the use of the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. For merchandise inventories, cost is determined through the use of the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method applied to inventory values determined primarily by the FIFO method for warehouse inventories and the retail inventory method (RIM) for store inventories, except for cigarettes, beer, pop, and prepared foods, which are valued at cost. RIM is an averaging method widely used in the retail industry because of its practicality.
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Under RIM, inventory valuations are at cost and the resulting gross margins are calculated by applying a cost-to-retail ratio to sales. Inherent in the RIM calculations are certain management judgments and estimates that could affect the ending inventory valuation at cost and the resulting gross margins.
Vendor allowances include rebates and other funds received from vendors to promote their products. The Company often receives such allowances on the basis of quantitative contract terms that vary by product and vendor or directly on the basis of purchases made. Vendor rebates in the form of rack display allowances are treated as a reduction in cost of sales and are recognized incrementally over the period covered by the applicable rebate agreement. Vendor rebates in the form of billbacks are treated as a reduction in cost of sales and are recognized at the time the product is sold.
Long-lived Assets. The Company periodically monitors under-performing stores to assess whether the carrying amount of assets may not be recoverable. If the sum of the expected future undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the assets, a further analysis of the amount of potential impairment is performed. The impairment loss is based on the estimated amount by which carrying value exceeds fair value of the asset group. Fair value is based on managements estimate of the future cash flows to be generated and the amount that could be realized from the sale of assets in a current transaction between willing parties. The estimate is derived from offers, actual sale or disposition of assets subsequent to the reporting period, and other indications of asset value. In determining whether an asset is impaired, assets are grouped at the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows that are largely independent of the cash flows of other groups of assets, which for the Company is generally on a store-by-store basis. Management expects to continue its on-going evaluation of under-performing stores, and may periodically sell specific stores where further operational and marketing efforts are not likely to improve their performance. The Company incurred impairment charges of $100 during the nine months ended January 31, 2010. The Company recognized charges of $2,553 for five stores damaged by significant flooding in June of 2008. The Company also incurred additional impairment charges of $1,985 during the nine months ended January 31, 2009 for stores not affected by the flooding. The impairment charges are a component of operating expenses.
Self-insurance. The Company is primarily self-insured for employee health care, workers compensation, general liability, and automobile claims. The self-insurance claim liability is determined actuarially based on claims filed and an estimate of claims incurred but not yet reported. Actuarial projections of the losses are employed due to the high degree of variability in the liability estimates. Some factors affecting the uncertainty of claims include the time frame of development, settlement patterns, litigation and adjudication direction, and medical treatment and cost trends. The liability is not discounted.
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements. Please see Note 8 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements applicable to the Company.
Liquidity and Capital Resources (Dollars in Thousands)
Due to the nature of the Companys business, cash provided by operations is the Companys primary source of liquidity. The Company finances its inventory purchases primarily from normal trade credit aided by the relatively rapid turnover of inventory. This turnover allows the Company to conduct its operations without large amounts of cash and working capital. As of January 31, 2010, the Companys ratio of current assets to current liabilities was 1.34 to 1. The ratio at January 31, 2009 and April 30, 2009 was 1.31 to 1 and 1.29 to 1, respectively. Management believes that the Companys current $50,000 bank line of credit, together with cash flow from operations will be sufficient to satisfy the working capital needs of our business.
Net cash provided by operations increased $58,641 (55.6%) in the nine months ended January 31, 2010 from the comparable period in the prior year, primarily as a result of larger net earnings and increases in accounts payable and deferred income taxes. This result was partially offset by an increase in inventories and a decrease in accrued expenses. Cash used in investing in the nine months ended January 31, 2010 increased due to the increase in store acquisitions and the purchase of additional property and equipment. Cash used in financing increased, primarily due to an increase in the repayments of long-term debt and the dividends paid in the current year.
Capital expenditures represent the single largest use of Company funds. Management believes that by reinvesting in stores, the Company will be better able to respond to competitive challenges and increase operating efficiencies. During the first nine months of fiscal 2010, the Company expended $129,793 primarily for property and equipment, resulting from the construction, acquisition and remodeling of stores, compared to $110,006 for the comparable period in the prior year. The Company anticipates expending approximately $175,000 in fiscal 2010 for construction, acquisition and remodeling of stores, primarily from existing cash and funds generated by operations.
As of January 31, 2010, the Company had long-term debt, net of current maturities, of $156,077, consisting of $100,000 in principal amount of 5.72% Senior Notes, Series A and B, $28,571 in principal amount of 7.38% Senior Notes, $17,000 in principal amount of Senior Notes, Series A through Series F, with interest rates ranging from 6.18% to 7.23%, $675 of mortgage notes payable, and $9,831 of capital lease obligations.
To date, the Company has funded capital expenditures primarily from the proceeds of the sale of Common Stock, issuance of 6- 1/4% Convertible Subordinated Debentures (which were converted into shares of Common Stock in 1994), the above-described Senior Notes, a mortgage note, and through funds generated from operations. Future
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capital needs required to finance operations, improvements and the anticipated growth in the number of stores are expected to be met from cash generated by operations, the bank line of credit, and additional long-term debt or other securities as circumstances may dictate, and are not expected to adversely affect liquidity.
Cautionary Statements (Dollars in Thousands)
The foregoing Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains various forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements represent the Companys expectations or beliefs concerning future events, including (i) any statements regarding future sales and gross profit percentages, (ii) any statements regarding the continuation of historical trends and (iii) any statements regarding the sufficiency of the Companys cash balances and cash generated from operations and financing activities for the Companys future liquidity and capital resource needs. The Company cautions that these statements are further qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitations, the following factors described more completely in the Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2009:
Competition. The Companys business is highly competitive, and marked by ease of entry and constant change in terms of the numbers and type of retailers offering the products and services found in stores. Many of the food (including prepared foods) and non-food items similar or identical to those sold by the Company are generally available from a variety of competitors in the communities served by stores, and the Company competes with other convenience store chains, gasoline stations, supermarkets, drug stores, discount stores, club stores, mass merchants and fast-food outlets (with respect to the sale of prepared foods). Sales of such non-gasoline items (particularly prepared food items) have contributed substantially to the Companys gross profits from retail sales in recent years. Gasoline sales are also intensely competitive. The Company competes with both independent and national brand gasoline stations in the sale of gasoline, other convenience store chains and several non-traditional gasoline retailers such as supermarkets in specific markets. Some of these other gasoline retailers may have access to more favorable arrangements for gasoline supply then do the Company or the firms that supply its stores. Some of the Companys competitors have greater financial, marketing and other resources than the Company, and, as a result, may be able to respond better to changes in the economy and new opportunities within the industry.
Gasoline operations. Gasoline sales are an important part of the Companys sales and earnings, and retail gasoline profit margins have a substantial impact on the Companys net earnings. Profit margins on gasoline sales can be adversely affected by factors beyond the control of the Company, including the supply of gasoline available in the retail gasoline market, uncertainty or volatility in the wholesale gasoline market,
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increases in wholesale gasoline costs generally during a period and price competition from other gasoline marketers. The market for crude oil and domestic wholesale petroleum products is marked by significant volatility, and is affected by general political conditions and instability in oil producing regions such as the Middle East and South America. The volatility of the wholesale gasoline market makes it extremely difficult to predict the impact of future wholesale cost fluctuation on the Companys operating results and financial conditions. These factors could materially impact the Companys gasoline gallon volume, gasoline gross profit and overall customer traffic levels at stores. Any substantial decrease in profit margins on gasoline sales or in the number of gallons sold by stores could have a material adverse effect on the Companys earnings.
The Company purchases its gasoline from a variety of independent national and regional petroleum distributors. Although in recent years the Companys suppliers have not experienced any difficulties in obtaining sufficient amounts of gasoline to meet the Companys needs, unanticipated national and international events could result in a reduction of gasoline supplies available for distribution to the Company. Any substantial curtailment in gasoline supplied to the Company could adversely affect the Company by reducing its gasoline sales. Further, management believes that a significant amount of the Companys business results from the patronage of customers primarily desiring to purchase gasoline and, accordingly, reduced gasoline supplies could adversely affect the sale of non-gasoline items. Such factors could have a material adverse impact upon the Companys earnings and operations.
Tobacco Products. Sales of tobacco products represent a significant portion of the Companys revenues. Significant increases in wholesale cigarette costs and tax increases on tobacco products, as well as national and local campaigns to discourage smoking in the United States, could have an adverse affect on the demand for cigarettes sold by stores. The Company attempts to pass price increases onto its customers, but competitive pressures in specific markets may prevent it from doing so. These factors could materially impact the retail price of cigarettes, the volume of cigarettes sold by stores and overall customer traffic.
Environmental Compliance Costs. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and several states, including Iowa, have established requirements for owners and operators of underground gasoline storage tanks (USTs) with regard to (i) maintenance of leak detection, corrosion protection and overfill/spill protection systems; (ii) upgrade of existing tanks; (iii) actions required in the event of a detected leak; (iv) prevention of leakage through tank closings; and (v) required gasoline inventory recordkeeping. Since 1984, new Company stores have been equipped with non-corroding fiberglass USTs, including many with double-wall construction, over-fill protection and electronic tank monitoring. The Company currently has 3,350 USTs, of which 2,805 are fiberglass and 545 are steel. Management believes that its existing gasoline procedures and planned capital expenditures will continue to keep the Company in substantial compliance with all current federal and state UST regulations.
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Several of the states in which the Company does business have trust fund programs with provisions for sharing or reimbursing corrective action or remediation costs incurred by UST owners, including the Company. In each of the years ended April 30, 2009 and 2008, the Company spent approximately $1,128 and $1,133, respectively, for assessments and remediation. During the nine months ended January 31, 2010, the Company expended approximately $876 for such purposes. Substantially all of these expenditures have been submitted for reimbursement from state-sponsored trust fund programs and as of January 31, 2010, approximately $13,066 has been received from such programs since their inception. Such amounts are typically subject to statutory provisions requiring repayment of the reimbursed funds for non-compliance with upgrade provisions or other applicable laws. No amounts are currently expected to be repaid. The Company has an accrued liability at January 31, 2010 of approximately $185 for estimated expenses related to anticipated corrective actions or remediation efforts, including relevant legal and consulting costs. Management believes the Company has no material joint and several environmental liability with other parties.
Although the Company regularly accrues expenses for the estimated costs related to its future corrective action or remediation efforts, there can be no assurance that such accrued amounts will be sufficient to pay such costs, or that the Company has identified all environmental liabilities at all of its current store locations. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Company will not incur substantial expenditures in the future for remediation of contamination or related claims that have not been discovered or asserted with respect to existing store locations or locations that the Company may acquire in the future, or that the Company will not be subject to any claims for reimbursement of funds disbursed to the Company under the various state programs or that additional regulations, or amendments to existing regulations, will not require additional expenditures beyond those presently anticipated.
The Companys exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our investment portfolio and long-term debt obligations. We place our investments with high-quality credit issuers and, by policy, limit the amount of credit exposure to any one issuer. Our first priority is to reduce the risk of principal loss. Consequently, we seek to preserve our invested funds by limiting default risk, market risk, and reinvestment risk. We mitigate default risk by investing in only high-quality credit securities that we believe to be low risk and by positioning our portfolio to respond appropriately to a significant reduction in a credit rating of any investment issuer or guarantor. The portfolio includes only marketable securities with active secondary or resale markets to ensure portfolio liquidity. We believe an immediate 100-basis-point move in interest rates affecting our floating and fixed rate financial instruments as of January 31, 2010 would have no material effect on pretax earnings.
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In the past, we have used derivative instruments such as options and futures to hedge against the volatility of gasoline cost and were at risk for possible changes in the market value of these derivative instruments. No such derivative instruments were used during the nine months ended January 31, 2010 and 2009. However, we do from time to time, participate in a forward buy of certain commodities, primarily cheese and coffee.
As of the end of the period covered by this report, an evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of the Companys Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the effectiveness of the Companys disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 240.13a-15(e)). Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the Companys current disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commissions rules and forms and such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
There were no changes in the Companys internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting.
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
The information required by this Item is set forth in Note 6 to the consolidated condensed financial statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q and is incorporated herein by this reference.
There have been no material changes in our risk factors from those disclosed in our 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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The following exhibits are filed with this Report or, if so indicated, incorporated by reference.
ExhibitNo.
Description
3.1(a)
3.2(a)
4.4
4.6
4.7
4.8
10.21
31.1
31.2
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32.1
32.2
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SIGNATURE
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.
/s/ William J. Walljasper
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EXHIBIT INDEX
The following exhibits are filed herewith:
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