TAL International Group, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2013 Results and Increases Its Quarterly Divide
TAL International Group, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2013 Results and Increases Its Quarterly Dividend to $0.68
PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TAL International Group, Inc. (NYSE: TAL) , one of the world's largest lessors of intermodal freight containers and chassis, today reported results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013.
Highlights:
TAL reported Adjusted pre-tax income of $1.66 per fully diluted common share for the second quarter of 2013, an increase of 7.8% from the second quarter of 2012.
TAL reported leasing revenues of $139.5 million for the second quarter of 2013, an increase of 9.1% from the second quarter of 2012.
TAL continues to achieve outstanding operational performance. Utilization averaged 97.5% for the second quarter of 2013 and TAL has purchased over $470 million in new and sale-leaseback containers for delivery in 2013.
TAL announced a $0.02 increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.68 per share payable on September 24, 2013 to shareholders of record as of September 3, 2013.
Financial Results
The following table depicts TAL's selected key financial information for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012 (dollars in millions, except per share data):
Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||
2013 | 2012 | % Change | 2013 | 2012 | % Change | |||||||||
Adjusted pre-tax income(1) | $55.9 | $51.9 | 7.7% | $110.7 | $99.9 | 10.8% | ||||||||
Adjusted pre-tax income(1) per share | $1.66 | $1.54 | 7.8% | $3.29 | $2.97 | 10.8% | ||||||||
Leasing revenues | $139.5 | $127.9 | 9.1% | $276.6 | $251.0 | 10.2% | ||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA(1) | $144.6 | $135.7 | 6.6% | $286.5 | $264.0 | 8.5% | ||||||||
Adjusted net income(1) | $36.1 | $33.6 | 7.4% | $71.6 | $64.7 | 10.7% | ||||||||
Adjusted net income(1) per share | $1.07 | $1.00 | 7.0% | $2.13 | $1.92 | 10.9% | ||||||||
Net income | $37.9 | $29.3 | 29.4% | $75.4 | $62.2 | 21.2% | ||||||||
Net income per share | $1.12 | $0.87 | 28.7% | $2.24 | $1.85 | 21.1% | ||||||||
Note: All per share data is per fully diluted common share. | ||||||||||||||
The Company focuses on adjusted pre-tax results since it considers gains and losses on interest rate swaps to be unrelated to operating performance and since it does not expect to pay any significant income taxes for a number of years due to the availability of accelerated tax depreciation on its existing container fleet and anticipated future equipment purchases.
Effective October 1, 2012, TAL increased the estimated residual values used in its equipment depreciation calculations. The increase in estimated residual values resulted in a decrease in depreciation expense of $5.0 million in the second quarter of 2013 and $9.9 million in the six months ended June 30, 2013 compared to what it would have been using the prior residual value estimates.
Operating Performance
"TAL continued to achieve outstanding operational and financial results in the second quarter of 2013," commented Brian M. Sondey, President and CEO of TAL International. "TAL generated $1.66 of Adjusted pretax income per share, which represents a new record level of financial performance for TAL. Our income continues to be supported by very high utilization. Our utilization averaged 97.5% for the second quarter, and stood at 97.4% as of July 24, 2013. Our profitability in the second quarter was also boosted by a decrease in our average effective interest rate. During the second quarter we took advantage of the very low interest rate environment to refinance several debt facilities and extend and lower the fixed rates on a large portion of our interest rate swap portfolio.
"Our market environment continues to support our high utilization and strong financial performance. The overall supply and demand balance for containers remains generally favorable, as procurement of new containers remains tightly connected to the growth in global containerized trade. However, trade growth for 2013 now seems likely to fall below initial expectations, and the environment for new investment has been more challenging. Alphaliners is currently projecting global containerized trade growth of 4.2% in 2013, down from their projection of 5.5% in January. In addition, a number of our shipping line customers have increased their container purchases this year, perhaps to take advantage of a reduction in new container prices, and the leasing share of new container procurement will likely fall toward 50% in 2013, after reaching an estimated 65% last year. New investment opportunities have been more limited in this environment and market leasing rates have become more aggressive. Nonetheless, TAL has been able to take advantage of our strong customer relationships and extensive supply capability to generate a solid volume of new business, and we have purchased over $470 million of new and sale-leaseback containers for delivery in 2013."
Outlook
Mr. Sondey continued, "We currently expect our market environment to hold fairly steady as we head into the second half of the year. We expect our utilization to remain high and expect our leasing revenue will continue to grow as containers committed to lease are picked up. We will also benefit from a full quarter impact of lower interest rates from the refinancing activity that occurred throughout the second quarter. However, we expect used container sale prices will continue to moderate and cause our disposal gains to continue to trend down to historically normal levels. Overall, we expect our pretax income will hold steady or increase slightly from the second quarter of 2013 to the third."
Dividend
TAL's Board of Directors has approved and declared a $0.68 per share quarterly cash dividend on its issued and outstanding common stock, payable on September 24, 2013 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 3, 2013. Based on the information available today, we believe this distribution will qualify as a return of capital rather than a taxable dividend for U.S. tax purposes. Investors should consult with a tax adviser to determine the proper tax treatment of this distribution.
Mr. Sondey concluded, "We are very pleased to announce an increase to our dividend again this quarter. The increase reflects our continued strong performance, the growth in our recurring leasing revenues and our general expectations that our market environment will remain supportive for the foreseeable future."
Investors' Webcast
TAL will hold a Webcast at 9 a.m. (New York time) on Thursday, July 25, 2013 to discuss its second quarter results. An archive of the Webcast will be available one hour after the live call through Friday, August 30, 2013. To access the live Webcast or archive, please visit the Company's Web site at http://www.talinternational.com.
About TAL International Group, Inc.
TAL is one of the world's largest lessors of intermodal freight containers and chassis with 17 offices in 11 countries and approximately 230 third-party container depot facilities in 40 countries. The Company's global operations include the acquisition, leasing, re-leasing and subsequent sale of multiple types of intermodal containers and chassis. TAL's fleet consists of approximately 1,238,000 containers and related equipment representing approximately 2,031,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). This places TAL among the world's largest independent lessors of intermodal containers and chassis as measured by fleet size.
Important Cautionary Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release regarding TAL International Group, Inc.'s business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that these statements involve risks and uncertainties, are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 20, 2013.
The Company's views, estimates, plans and outlook as described within this document may change subsequent to the release of this statement.The Company is under no obligation to modify or update any or all of the statements it has made herein despite any subsequent changes the Company may make in its views, estimates, plans or outlook for the future.
(1) Adjusted pre-tax income, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted net income are non-GAAP measurements we believe are useful in evaluating our operating performance. The Company's definition and calculation of Adjusted pre-tax income, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted net income are outlined in the attached schedules.
Please see page 8 for a detailed reconciliation of these financial measurements.
-Financial Tables Follow-
TAL INTERNATIONAL GROUP, INC. Consolidated Balance Sheets (Dollars in thousands, except share data) (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||
June 30, | December 31, | |||||||||||
ASSETS: | ||||||||||||
Leasing equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and allowances of | $ | 3,369,725 | $ | 3,249,374 | ||||||||
Net investment in finance leases, net of allowances of $1,055 and $897 | 143,362 | 121,933 | ||||||||||
Equipment held for sale | 39,062 | 47,139 | ||||||||||
Revenue earning assets | 3,552,149 | 3,418,446 | ||||||||||
Unrestricted cash and cash equivalents | 68,293 | 65,843 | ||||||||||
Restricted cash | 28,560 | 35,837 | ||||||||||
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $744 and $692 | 87,016 | 71,363 | ||||||||||
Goodwill | 71,898 | 71,898 | ||||||||||
Deferred financing costs | 28,180 | 26,450 | ||||||||||
Other assets | 8,105 | 9,453 | ||||||||||
Fair value of derivative instruments | 21,317 | 1,904 | ||||||||||
Total assets | $ | 3,865,518 | $ | 3,701,194 | ||||||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY: | ||||||||||||
Equipment purchases payable | $ | 39,193 | $ | 111,176 | ||||||||
Fair value of derivative instruments | 1,563 | 34,633 | ||||||||||
Accounts payable and other accrued expenses | 52,204 | 64,936 | ||||||||||
Net deferred income tax liability | 318,880 | 270,459 | ||||||||||
Debt | 2,790,022 | 2,604,015 | ||||||||||
Total liabilities | 3,201,862 | 3,085,219 | ||||||||||
Stockholders' equity: | ||||||||||||
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 500,000 shares authorized, none issued | — | — | ||||||||||
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 36,856,307 | 37 | 37 | ||||||||||
Treasury stock, at cost, 3,011,843 shares | (37,535 | ) | (37,535 | ) | ||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 496,533 | 493,456 | ||||||||||
Accumulated earnings | 199,442 | 168,447 | ||||||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) | 5,179 | (8,430 | ) | |||||||||
Total stockholders' equity | 663,656 | 615,975 | ||||||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity | $ | 3,865,518 | $ | 3,701,194 | ||||||||
TAL INTERNATIONAL GROUP, INC. Consolidated Statements of Income (Dollars and shares in thousands, except earnings per share) (Unaudited) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 2012 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||
Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||||
Leasing revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||||
Operating leases | $ | 136,304 | $ | 124,303 | $ | 270,358 | $ | 243,784 | |||||||||||||
Finance leases | 3,152 | 3,552 | 6,250 | 7,250 | |||||||||||||||||
Total leasing revenues | 139,456 | 127,855 | 276,608 | 251,034 | |||||||||||||||||
Equipment trading revenues | 31,781 | 21,308 | 50,067 | 35,769 | |||||||||||||||||
Management fee income | 601 | 820 | 1,220 | 1,480 | |||||||||||||||||
Other revenues | 124 | 40 | 142 | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
Total revenues | 171,962 | 150,023 | 328,037 | 288,355 | |||||||||||||||||
Operating expenses (income): | |||||||||||||||||||||
Equipment trading expenses | 27,494 | 19,031 | 43,105 | 31,594 | |||||||||||||||||
Direct operating expenses | 6,218 | 6,026 | 12,180 | 11,607 | |||||||||||||||||
Administrative expenses | 10,614 | 11,128 | 22,518 | 22,234 | |||||||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 49,832 | 47,169 | 99,149 | 92,374 | |||||||||||||||||
Provision (reversal) for doubtful accounts | 1,585 | (183 | ) | 1,503 | (169 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Net (gain) on sale of leasing equipment | (8,026 | ) | (13,152 | ) | (18,287 | ) | (23,912 | ) | |||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 87,717 | 70,019 | 160,168 | 133,728 | |||||||||||||||||
Operating income | 84,245 | 80,004 | 167,869 | 154,627 | |||||||||||||||||
Other expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
Interest and debt expense | 28,303 | 28,073 | 57,186 | 54,698 | |||||||||||||||||
Write-off of deferred financing costs | 2,578 | — | 2,578 | — | |||||||||||||||||
Net (gain) loss on interest rate swaps | (5,268 | ) | 6,728 | (8,420 | ) | 3,756 | |||||||||||||||
Total other expenses | 25,613 | 34,801 | 51,344 | 58,454 | |||||||||||||||||
Income before income taxes | |||||||||||||||||||||
