Management's discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon management's current expectations and are subject to various uncertainties and changes in circumstances. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements are set forth below under the heading "Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995."
We suggest that the following discussion and analysis be read in conjunction
with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Overview
During 2016, we introduced the All Access Pass (AAP), which we believe is a ground-breaking subscription service that allows our clients unlimited access to our content through an electronic portal. We believe the All Access Pass is a revolutionary and innovative way to deliver our content to clients of various sizes, including large, multinational organizations in a flexible and cost-effective manner. Clients may utilize complete offerings such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity, or use individual concepts from any of our well-known offerings to create a custom solution to fit their organizational or individual training needs. We have also translated All Access Pass materials into numerous additional languages, which allows the AAP to be used effectively by multinational entities and provides for greater international sales opportunities. The AAP is primarily sold through our Enterprise Division.
In our Education Division, we have launched our Leader in Me membership, which
provides coaching, access to the Leader in Me online service, and authorizes use
of
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Our financial performance for the first quarter of fiscal 2020, which ended on
For the quarter ended
Our financial results for the quarter ended
• Sales - Our consolidated net sales for the quarter ended
increased nine percent, or$4.8 million , to$58.6 million , compared with the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Sales increased nine percent in the Enterprise Division, increased seven percent in the Education Division, and grew in nearly all of our delivery channels within the Divisions. Our first quarter fiscal 2020 sales reflected increased subscription and subscription-related sales at both our domestic and international locations, increased facilitator sales, increased Education segment revenues, and increased sales from the acquisition of ourGermany ,Switzerland , andAustria licensee, which recognized$0.7 million of sales during the quarter endedNovember 30, 2019 .
• Cost of Sales/Gross Profit - Our cost of sales totaled
quarter endedNovember 30, 2019 , compared with$17.0 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Gross profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2020 increased 14 percent to$42.0 million compared with$36.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, and increased primarily due to increased sales. Our consolidated gross margin increased to 71.7 percent of sales compared with 68.3 percent in the prior year, reflecting increased higher margin subscription revenues over the prior year.
• Operating Expenses - Our operating expenses for the quarter ended
2019 increased$4.8 million compared with the prior year, which was primarily due to increased selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses. Increased SG&A expenses were primarily related to increased investments in new sales and sales related personnel; increased commissions and bonuses on higher sales; a$0.9 million increase in non-cash stock-based compensation; the addition of personnel inGermany ,Switzerland , andAustria , who were employed by a licensee during the first quarter of fiscal 2019; increased thought leadership and marketing expense; and costs we were required to pay that were associated with the wind-down ofKnowledge Capital .
• Operating Loss and Net Loss - Our loss from operations for the quarter ended
November 30, 2019 improved to$(0.2) million compared with a loss of$(0.7) million in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Net loss for the first quarter of fiscal 2020 was$(0.5) million , or$(.04) per share, compared with a net loss of$(1.4) million , or$(.10) per share, in the prior year. 20
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Further details regarding these factors and their impact on our operating results and liquidity are provided throughout the following management's discussion and analysis.
Quarter Ended
Enterprise Division Direct Offices Segment The Direct Office segment includes our sales personnel that serve clients inthe United States andCanada ; our directly owned international offices inJapan ,China , theUnited Kingdom ,Australia , and our offices inGermany ,Switzerland , andAustria (GSA) which were acquired in the second quarter of fiscal 2019; and other groups such as our government services office. The following comparative information is for our Direct Offices segment for the periods indicated (in thousands): Quarter Ended Quarter Ended November 30, % of November 30, % of 2019 Sales 2018 Sales Change Sales$ 42,111 100.0$ 38,471 100.0$ 3,640 Cost of sales 10,700 25.4 11,401 29.6 (701 ) Gross profit 31,411 74.6 27,070 70.4 4,341 SG&A expenses 25,701 61.0 23,430 60.9 2,271 Adjusted EBITDA $ 5,710 13.6 $ 3,640 9.5$ 2,070
Sales. For the quarter ending
Gross Profit. Gross profit increased due to increased sales in the quarter as previously described. Direct Office gross margin increased primarily due to the mix of services and products sold during the quarter, including increased subscription and facilitator sales, which have higher gross margins than most of our other offerings.
SG&A Expense. Direct Office operating expenses increased primarily due to new
sales and sales related personnel, increased commissions on higher sales, and
GSA expenses that totaled
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International Licensees Segment In countries or foreign locations where we do not have a directly owned office, our training and consulting services are delivered through independent licensees. The following comparative information is for our international licensee operations for the periods indicated (in thousands):
Quarter Ended Quarter Ended November 30, % of November 30, % of 2019 Sales 2018 Sales Change Sales $ 3,721 100.0 $ 3,677 100.0$ 44 Cost of sales 601 16.2 815 22.2 (214 ) Gross profit 3,120 83.8 2,862 77.8 258 SG&A expenses 1,085 29.2 1,233 33.5 (148 ) Adjusted EBITDA $ 2,035 54.7 $ 1,629 44.3$ 406
Sales. International licensee revenues are primarily comprised of royalty
revenues. During the quarter ended
Gross Profit. Gross profit improved due to increased royalty revenues during the quarter, which also significantly improved international licensee gross margin when compared with the prior year.
SG&A Expense. International licensee SG&A expenses decreased primarily due to cost reduction initiatives implemented in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2019. We anticipate further improvements to the international licensee operating results throughout the remainder of fiscal 2020.
Education Division
Our Education Division is comprised of our domestic and international Education practice operations (focused on sales to educational institutions) and includes our widely acclaimed Leader In Me program designed for students primarily in K-6 elementary schools. The following comparative information is for our Education Division in the periods indicated (in thousands):
Quarter Ended Quarter Ended November 30, % of November 30, % of 2019 Sales 2018 Sales Change Sales$ 11,082 100.0$ 10,347 100.0$ 735 Cost of sales 4,425 39.9 3,954 38.2 471 Gross profit 6,657 60.1 6,393 61.8 264 SG&A expenses 7,759 70.0 6,658 64.3 1,101 Adjusted EBITDA$ (1,102 ) (9.9 ) $ (265 ) (2.6 )$ (837 )
Sales. For the quarter ended
Gross Profit. Education Division gross profit increased primarily due to increased sales as previously described. Education segment gross margin was slightly lower than the prior year primarily due to increased costs associated with our symposium events and increased travel costs related to Leader in Me onsite training days, which are offered in connection with the Leader in Me subscription offering.
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SG&A Expenses. Education SG&A expense increased primarily due to investments in additional sales and sales-related personnel, and increased commissions and related costs on higher sales.
Other Expenses
Depreciation - Depreciation expense increased due to the acquisition of capital
assets in fiscal 2019 and the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Based on capital
asset acquisition activity in prior periods, and expected capital additions
during fiscal 2020, we expect depreciation expense will total approximately
Income Taxes
Our effective income tax benefit rate for the quarter ended
Although we paid
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Introduction
Our cash and cash equivalents at
Pursuant to the credit agreement we obtained in
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We may use the proceeds from our 2019 Credit Agreement for general corporate
purposes as well as for other transactions, unless specifically prohibited by
the terms of the agreement. Our 2019 Credit Agreement contains customary
representations and guarantees, as well as provisions for repayment and liens.
The 2019 Credit Agreement also includes the following financial covenants: (i) a
Funded Indebtedness to Adjusted EBITDAR Ratio of less than 3.00 to 1.00; (ii) a
Fixed Charge Coverage ratio not less than 1.15 to 1.00; (iii) an annual limit on
capital expenditures (excluding capitalized curriculum development costs) of
In addition to our term-loan obligation and available borrowings on our revolving line of credit, we have a long-term rental agreement on our corporate campus that is accounted for as a financing obligation.
The following discussion is a description of the primary factors affecting our
cash flows and their effects upon our liquidity and capital resources during the
quarter ended
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Our primary source of cash from operating activities was the sale of services to
our customers in the normal course of business. Our primary uses of cash for
operating activities were payments for selling, general, and administrative
expenses, payments for direct costs necessary to conduct training programs,
payments to suppliers for materials used in training manuals sold, and to fund
working capital needs. Our cash provided by operating activities during the
quarter ended
Cash Flows From Investing Activities and Capital Expenditures
Our cash used for investing activities during the first quarter of fiscal 2020
totaled
In
Our purchases of property and equipment, which totaled
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We spent
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
During the quarter ended
On
Subsequent to
Sources of Liquidity
We expect to meet our projected capital expenditures, repay amounts borrowed on
our 2019 Credit Agreement, service our existing financing obligation, and meet
other working capital requirements during fiscal 2020 from current cash
balances, future cash flows from operating activities, and available borrowings
from our Credit Agreement. Going forward, we will continue to incur costs
necessary for the day-to-day operation and potential growth of the business and
may use our revolving line of credit and other financing alternatives, if
necessary, for these expenditures. Our 2019 Credit Agreement expires in
We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, cash generated by operating activities, and availability of external funds as described above, will be sufficient for us to maintain our operations on both a short- and long-term basis. However, our ability to maintain adequate capital for our operations in the future is dependent upon a number of factors, including sales trends, macroeconomic activity, our ability to contain costs, levels of capital expenditures, collection of accounts receivable, and other factors. Some of the factors that influence our operations are not within our control, such as general economic conditions and the introduction of new offerings or technology by our competitors. We will continue to monitor our liquidity position and may pursue additional financing alternatives, as described above, to maintain sufficient resources for future growth and capital requirements. However, there can be no assurance such financing alternatives will be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
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Contractual Obligations
We have not structured any special purpose entities, or participated in any
commodity trading activities, which would expose us to potential undisclosed
liabilities or create adverse consequences to our liquidity. Required
contractual payments primarily consist of rental payments resulting from the
sale of our corporate campus (financing obligation); repayment of term loan
obligations; expected contingent consideration payments from business
acquisitions; short-term purchase obligations for inventory items and other
products and services used in the ordinary course of business; minimum operating
lease payments; and minimum payments for outsourced warehousing and distribution
service charges. For further information on our contractual obligations, please
refer to the table included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended
ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS ISSUED NOT YET ADOPTED
Refer to the discussion of new accounting pronouncements as found in Note 1 to the financial statements as presented within this report.
USE OF ESTIMATES AND CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Our consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in
Estimates
Some of the accounting guidance we use requires us to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial
statements. We regularly evaluate our estimates and assumptions and base those
estimates and assumptions on historical experience, factors that are believed to
be reasonable under the circumstances, and requirements under accounting
principles generally accepted in
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Certain statements made by the Company in this report are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended (the Exchange Act). Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance, or
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achievements, and may contain words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect,"
"estimate," "project," or words or phrases of similar meaning. In our reports
and filings we may make forward-looking statements regarding, among other
things, our expectations about future sales levels and financial results, future
training and consulting sales activity, expected sales and benefits from the All
Access Pass, anticipated renewals of subscription offerings, the expected impact
of new revenue recognition rules, the change in our business model associated
with subscription offerings, the expected growth of our Education practice,
potential growth opportunities associated with the acquisition of the GSA
licensee, the impact of new accounting standards on our financial condition and
results of operations, the amount and timing of capital expenditures,
anticipated expenses, including SG&A expenses, depreciation, and amortization,
future gross margins, the release of new services or products, the adequacy of
existing capital resources, our ability to extend our line of credit facility,
the amount of cash expected to be paid for income taxes, our ability to maintain
adequate capital for our operations for at least the upcoming 12 months, the
seasonality of future sales, future compliance with the terms and conditions of
our line of credit, the ability to borrow on our line of credit, expected
collection of accounts receivable, estimated capital expenditures, and cash flow
estimates used to determine the fair value of long-lived assets. These, and
other forward-looking statements, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties
that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking
statements. These risks and uncertainties are disclosed from time to time in
reports filed by us with the
The risks included here are not exhaustive. Other sections of this report may include additional factors that could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors may emerge and it is not possible for our management to predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any single factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not rely on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.
The market price of our common stock has been and may remain volatile. In addition, the stock markets in general have experienced increased volatility. Factors such as quarter-to-quarter variations in revenues and earnings or losses and our failure to meet expectations could have a significant impact on the market price of our common stock. In addition, the price of our common stock can change for reasons unrelated to our performance. Due to our low market capitalization, the price of our common stock may also be affected by conditions such as a lack of analyst coverage and fewer potential investors.
Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations as of the date
made, and we do not undertake any responsibility to update any of these
statements in the future except as required by law. Actual future performance
and results will differ and may differ materially from that contained in or
suggested by forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in
this Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations and elsewhere in our filings with the
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