NowAuto Group, Inc. Announces Second Quarter Fiscal Results
February 14 2008 - 1:18PM
PR Newswire (US)
Company sees significant drop in bad debt charges in a challenging
economic environment TEMPE, Ariz., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- NowAuto Group, Inc. (OTC:NAUGOTC:andOTC:PinkOTC:Sheets:OTC:NWAU)
(BULLETIN BOARD: NAUG and Pink Sheets: NWAU) today announced
results for its fiscal 2008 second quarter ended December 31, 2007.
The Company reported revenue of approximately $1.1 million and a
net loss of $0.03 per diluted share versus revenue of approximately
$2.1 million and a net loss of $0.06 per diluted share in the prior
year. During the quarter ended December 31, 2007 gross margin
increased to 50% reflecting increased finance income and higher
margin sales. Bad debt charges saw a year over year decline from
approximately $580,000 to $237,000. As previously reported, the
switch from sales to leases and stricter underwriting standards
have resulted in lower revenues, but improved gross margins and
significantly declining bad debt costs. In addition, the Company
experienced lower volume during the quarter due to significantly
lower contract purchases, caused by lower credit quality and sales
volume. Charge-offs and defaults improved significantly over the
prior quarter and year in spite of challenging economic conditions.
Net Contract Receivables increase 8% over the prior year. Fixed
costs were further reduced from the prior quarter. Excluding bad
debt charges, the Company's loss for the second quarter was less
than $0.01 per share. "The present condition of the sub-prime and
below sub-prime auto market has continued to impact our industry
and our company," said CEO Scott Miller. "While our emphasis is
always on collections, our challenge in the current environment is
to aggressively work with our customers to maintain active
contracts. Efforts began in the September quarter to maintain
contracts have resulted in significantly improved bad debt charges
over the prior quarter and year. Our commitment to customers and
shareholders alike remains; NowAuto will do whatever it can to
maintain productive contracts without placing imprudent demands on
our customers," Miller said. "Extraordinary efforts have been made
over the past several months to improve our bottom line. Now we are
beginning to see the results and are looking forward to stronger
results in the future," said Faith Forbis, CFO. "Critical in this
environment is conditioning and maintaining our vehicles, both
before as well as after the sale," said Tino Valenzuela, Chief
Operating Officer. "That is why we have invested in a new vehicle
conditioning center that opened December 1, 2007. While this will
serve our customers by providing lower cost vehicle maintenance and
repair, we expect this part of our business to be a profit center
by the end of fiscal 2008," stated Valenzuela. "As previously
announced, we have taken significant strides in identifying an
acquirer," stated Miller. "While, we hope to be in a position to
make a public announcement in coming weeks, it is more important
that the best candidate be chosen and completion of due diligence
be done before any announcement is made. Consummation of a
transaction, if there indeed is one, will not likely occur until
later in 2008. Our goal is to find the candidate that offers to our
shareholders the best prospects for the future," Miller added.
About NowAuto Group, Inc. NowAuto Group, Inc. operates three
buy-here-pay-here used vehicle dealerships in Arizona. The Company
manages all of its installment finance contracts and purchases
installment finance contracts from a select number of other
independent used vehicle dealerships. Through its subsidiary,
NavicomGPS, Inc. the company markets GPS tracking devices,
primarily to independent used vehicle dealerships. Note to
Investors This press release contains forward-looking information
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934, and is subject to the
safe harbor created by those sections. The forward-looking
information is based upon current information and expectations
regarding NowAuto Group, Inc. These estimates and statements speak
only as of the date on which they are made, are not guarantees of
future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and
assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual
outcomes and results could materially differ from what is
expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking
statements. NowAuto Group, Inc. assumes no obligation to update the
information contained in this press release. NowAuto Group, Inc.'s
forward-looking statements in this press release and future results
may be materially impacted by any number of factors, any or all of
which could have a negative impact on sales, operating results,
financial and budgetary constraints. NowAuto Group, Inc.'s future
results may also be impacted by other risk factors listed from time
to time in its SEC filings, including, but not limited to, the
Company's Form-QSBs and its Annual Report on Form 10-K. The
statements made herein are independent statements of NowAuto Group,
Inc. The inclusion, if any, of any third parties does not represent
an endorsement of any NowAuto Group, Inc. products or services by
any such third party. For further information contact NowAuto
Group, Inc. or visit the Company's Web site at
http://www.nowauto.com/. DATASOURCE: NowAuto Group, Inc. CONTACT:
Randy Humphrey, NowAuto Group, Inc., +1-480-990-0007, Web site:
http://www.nowauto.com/
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