In accordance with FASB’s Topic 810, the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of subsidiaries in which the Company has a controlling interest have been consolidated. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. On December 23, 2010, the Company completed the deconsolidation of the investment management related affiliates (the “Restructuring Transaction”) in accordance with FASB’s Topic 810. As part of the Restructuring Transaction, the Company received a significant non-voting revenues interest (excluding distribution revenues) and a significant non-voting profits interest in the new entity, EULAV Asset Management, a Delaware statutory trust (“EAM” or “EAM Trust”). The Company relied on the guidance in FASB’s ASC Topics 323 and 810 in its determination not to consolidate its investment in EAM and to account for such investment under the equity method of accounting. The Company reports the amount it receives for its non-voting revenues and non-voting profits interests as a separate line item below operating income in the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income.
Revenue Recognition:
Depending upon the product, subscriptions to Value Line periodicals and related publications are available in print or digitally, via internet access. The length of a subscription varies by product and offer received by the subscriber. Generally, subscriptions are offered as annual subscriptions. Subscription revenues, net of discounts, are recognized ratably on a straight line basis when the product is served to the client over the life of the subscription. Accordingly, the amount of subscription fees to be earned by fulfilling subscriptions after the date of the balance sheets are shown as unearned revenue within current and long term liabilities.
Copyright data revenues are derived from providing certain Value Line trademarks and Value Line Proprietary Ranking System information to third parties under written agreements for use in selecting securities for third party marketed products, including unit investment trusts, annuities and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”). The Company earns asset-based copyright data fees as specified in the individual agreements. Revenue is recognized monthly over the term of the agreement and, because it is asset-based, will fluctuate as the market value of the underlying portfolio increases or decreases in value.
The Company’s non-voting revenues and non-voting profits interests in EAM entitle it to receive quarterly distributions in a range of 41% to 55% of EAM’s revenues (excluding distribution revenues) from EAM’s mutual fund and separate account business and at least 90% of the Company's 50% interest in the residual profits of EAM which are payable each fiscal quarter under the provisions of the EAM Trust Agreement. Value Line’s percent share of EAM’s revenues calculated each fiscal quarter was 46.66%, 47.27% and 47.91%, respectively, in the first, second and third quarters of fiscal 2014. Value Line’s percent share of EAM’s revenues was 46.20%, 45.87% and 46.15%, respectively, in the first, second and third quarters of fiscal 2013. The distributable amounts earned through the balance sheet date, which is included in the Investment in EAM Trust on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets, and not yet paid, were $1,953,000 and $1,621,000 at January 31, 2014 and April 30, 2013, respectively.
The Company capitalized $1,874,000 and $1,546,000 related to the development of software for internal use for the nine months ended January 31, 2014 and January 31, 2013, respectively, of which $1,823,000 and $1,444,000 are related to development costs for the digital production software project and $51,000 and $102,000 are related to a new fulfillment system, respectively. Total capitalized software includes $1,255,000 and $1,267,000 of internal costs to develop software and $619,000 and $279,000 of third party programmers' costs for the nine months ended January 31, 2014 and January 31, 2013, respectively. Such costs are capitalized and amortized over the expected useful life of the asset which is 5 years. Total amortization expenses for the nine months ended January 31, 2014 and January 31, 2013 were $1,310,000 and $937,000, respectively.
Rental expenses for the nine months ended January 31, 2014 and January 31, 2013 were $1,896,000 and $1,882,000, respectively. The rental expenses during fiscal 2014 included additional one time overlapping rent of $771,000 for the previously occupied office facilities during the short term lease extension which ended September 15, 2013. The additional rent was offset by a significant decrease in the Company’s annual rental expenses for the New York City office facility under the sublease terms between Value Line, Inc. and Citibank.
Note 13 - Subsequent Events:
During February 2014, the Company became aware that a portfolio of third party sponsored assets managed utilizing Value Line’s proprietary copyright data was moved to a new subadvisor, which was beyond the Company’s control. The Company estimates that the decrease in portfolio assets will result in reduced copyright data fees of approximately $700,000 per year.
The Company’s move to new headquarters in the second quarter of fiscal 2014 will result in lower rent expense over the term of the sublease. However, rental expenses during fiscal 2014 included additional one time overlapping rent of $771,000 for the previously occupied office facilities to permit an orderly move during the short term lease extension which ended September 15, 2013.
Asset Management and Mutual Fund Distribution Businesses
The business of EAM is managed by its trustees each owning 20% of the voting profits interest in EAM and by its officers subject to the direction of the trustees. The Company’s non-voting revenues and non-voting profits interests in EAM entitle it to receive a range of 41% to 55% of EAM’s revenues (excluding distribution revenues) from EAM’s mutual fund and separate account business and 50% of the residual profits of EAM (subject to temporary increase in certain limited circumstances). The Voting Profits Interest Holders will receive the other 50% of residual profits of EAM. Current distribution is set at 90% of EAM’s profits payable each fiscal quarter under the provisions of the EAM Trust Agreement. Value Line’s percent share of EAM’s revenues calculated each fiscal quarter was 46.66%, 47.27% and 47.91%, respectively, in the first, second and third quarters of fiscal 2014. Value Line’s percent share of EAM’s revenues was 46.20%, 45.87% and 46.15%, respectively, in the first, second and third quarters of fiscal 2013.
Pursuant to the EAM Agreement, the Company granted EAM the right to use the Value Line name for all existing Value Line Funds and agreed to supply the Value Line Proprietary Ranking System information to EAM without charge or expense.
Business Environment
During the nine months ended January 31, 2014, the NASDAQ and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 23.3% and 5.8%, respectively, as compared to the combined Ranking System “Rank 1 & 2” stocks which increased 23.9%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index’s increase of 11.6% during the comparable period.
The U.S. economy, supported by improving levels of consumer spending, gains in residential and nonresidential building, and rising levels of exports, produced growth of 1.1%, 2.5%, 4.1%, and 2.4%, respectively, in the first, second, third and fourth quarters of calendar 2013.
The Federal Reserve, a supporter of the economic upturn via bond purchases each month, has announced its intention to gradually reduce such purchases in the coming months. The Federal Open Market Committee announced on January 29, 2014 that it would taper by $10 billion the monthly asset purchases, lowering the program to $65 billion. The announcement was in line with market expectations. In anticipation of such an adjustment, interest rates may resume climbing.
Unearned subscription revenue as of January 31, 2014 is approximately equal to January 31, 2013 and down 2.9% from April 30, 2013. A certain amount of variation is to be expected due to the volume of new orders and timing of renewal orders, direct mail campaigns or large Institutional Sales orders.
Investment periodicals and related publications revenues
Investment periodicals and related publications revenues increased $616,000, or 7.8%, and $1,263,000, or 5.3%, for the three and nine months ended January 31, 2014, respectively, as compared to the prior fiscal year. These results were directly related to the continued increase in circulation attributable to increased marketing efforts. The Company continued its efforts to attract new subscribers through various marketing channels, primarily direct mail, e-mail, and by the efforts of our sales personnel. Total product line circulation at January 31, 2014 was 10.4% above total product line circulation at January 31, 2013, continuing a positive trend of increased subscribers. The Company has been successful in growing revenues from digitally-delivered investment periodicals within both the retail segment and institutional sales. Institutional Sales orders of $8,753,000 for the nine months ended January 31, 2014, were $772,000 or 9.7%, above comparable sales orders of $7,981,000, for the nine months ended January 31, 2013. This growth continues a positive trend for Institutional Sales. We have also benefited from “converting” some customers from retail to professional price services.
The Company has relied more on its personal selling efforts in both the institutional segment and retail retention and sales development. The majority of the Company’s subscribers have traditionally been individual investors who generally receive printed publications via U.S. Mail on a weekly basis. Consistent with the experience of other print publishers in many fields, the Company has found that its roster of print customers has been gradually declining as individuals migrate to various digital services including our own. Individual investors interested in digitally-delivered investment information have access to both free and subscription equity research from many sources.
Value Line serves individual and professional investors who are able to pay, whether on a regular monthly plan or annual subscription for basic services, or as much as $100,000 or more annually for extensive premium quality research, not obtainable elsewhere. The ongoing goal of adding new subscribers has led us to experiment with varying terms for our reliable, proprietary research.
The Company has established the goal of developing competitive digital products and marketing them effectively through traditional as well as internet and mobile channels. Towards that end, the Company continues to modernize legacy information technology systems.
Advertising and promotion expenses during the three months ended January 31, 2014 were comparable with the third quarter of fiscal 2013. Advertising and promotion expenses during the nine months ended January 31, 2014, increased $272,000 or 9.3%, as compared to the prior year period, mainly due to a $142,000 increase in expenses for services related to improvements in retail marketing and brand awareness, and promotion through newspapers, television, and a commercial for internet distribution in fiscal 2014. In the current fiscal year in-house telemarketing expenses which started in March 2013 increased $106,000 and resulted in $3.4 million of retail sales orders during the nine months ended January 31, 2014. There was a decrease of $68,000 in direct mail costs in fiscal 2014.
Production and distribution expenses during the three and nine months ended January 31, 2014, increased $315,000 or 22.2% and $562,000 or 13.3%, respectively, as compared to fiscal 2013. During the three and nine months ended January 31, 2014, increases of $150,000 and $372,000, respectively, resulted from additional amortization of internally developed software costs for the upgrade of our fulfillment system, single sign on, website development and new service oriented production architecture. During the nine months ended January 31, 2014, service mailer and introductory package (binder) costs increased $114,000 and postage expenses increased $83,000 as a result of a 2.5% increase in postal rates in January 2013 which were partially offset by a $66,000 decrease in paper costs due to favorable contracted rates from a new vendor and gradually decreasing use of paper as some subscribers migrate to digital services.
The rental expenses during fiscal 2014 included additional one time overlapping rent of $771,000 for the previously occupied office facilities during the short term lease extension which ended September 15, 2013. The additional rent was offset by a significant decrease in the Company’s annual rental expenses for the New York City office facility under the sublease terms between Value Line, Inc. and Citibank, with the office move also responsible in part for a decline in maintenance, taxes and utilities at New York City headquarters.
Office and administration expenses during the three months ended January 31, 2014, decreased $392,000 or 22.6% as compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2013 mainly due to a $369,000 decrease in rental expenses. Office and administration expenses during the nine months ended January 31, 2014 were comparable with the prior fiscal year. For the nine months ended January 31, 2014, office and administration expenses included a $117,000 increase in data processing fees and an $81,000 increase in bank fees offset by a decrease of $90,000 in building maintenance costs and a decrease of $101,000 in utilities expenses. Additional decreases in fiscal 2014 are related to a decrease in NJ real estate taxes due to re-assessment of the Company’s warehouse and fulfillment facility resulting in a credit of $151,000 and a decrease in New York City property tax escalation paid on the Company’s previously occupied office facility.