Quest Capital Corp. (TSX: QC)(NYSE Amex: QCC)(AIM: QCC) ("Quest" or
the "Company") today announced measures intended to reduce its
overhead costs, refocus its management team, strengthen its balance
sheet, monetize its real estate loan portfolio, and preserve
shareholder value.
These measures are being implemented in response to current
economic volatility and credit market weakness which began
affecting certain components of the Company's loan portfolio during
the last half of 2008 and which resulted in the first loan losses
the Company has experienced in many quarters.
Measures announced today include:
- closing of the Company's Toronto office and concentration of
Quest's operations in its Vancouver head office
- reducing employee count
- reducing executive salaries
- streamlining Quest's executive team
- bolstering the Company's remediation team to assist in
monetizing the loan portfolio, and
- the intention to cancel trading on the AIM market of the
London Stock Exchange
The estimated one-time cost of implementing these actions is
$1.5 million ($0.01 per share) and will be charged against second
quarter 2009 results. Expected annualized overhead cost
(non-interest expense) savings amounting to $1.7 million will
commence in the second quarter 2009 and are expected to benefit the
Company in subsequent financial periods.
"Our operating goals for the current year include repaying our
bank debt completely, reducing costs and preserving shareholder
value" said Stephen Coffey, President and CEO. "Today's actions are
consistent with these stated objectives. The closure of the Toronto
office, the streamlining of the executive team, the reduction in
employee count and the intention to cancel our AIM listing all help
to save costs, while additions to our loan remediation team bolster
our ability to deal with our key operating goals of curing problem
loans and monetizing the loan portfolio."
Syndication and Debt Reduction
Quest also announced that it has recently completed a $30
million syndication of a portion of its loan portfolio. This
syndication has been effected through a structure involving senior
and subordinated positions, the syndicate partners taking the
senior position and Quest the subordinated position. The proceeds
that Quest received from this syndication have been used to pay
down the Company's bank debt.
As a result of actions taken in late 2008 and to date in 2009,
the Company has reduced its bank debt to $16 million as of today's
date from $51 million at December 31, 2008 and $79 million at
September 30, 2008.
It is expected that the aforementioned measures will assist the
Company in eliminating its bank debt by the end of 2009. At that
juncture, the Company's assets will be financed entirely by common
and preferred share equity. As at December 31, 2008, common and
preferred share equity totalled $331 million, with common equity
accounting for 88% of the total.
Credit Agreement
The Company has sought and successfully obtained an amendment to
its current credit agreement from its banking syndicate. The
deletion of a covenant relating to a rolling four quarter EBITDA
test eliminates the potential for an event of default relating to
this covenant.
Shareholder Value
At December 31, 2008, book value per share was $1.98, the same
as a year earlier. The measures announced today to reduce costs and
eliminate bank debt by year end are intended to sustain shareholder
value through the preservation of the Company's book value during
the current difficult financial and economic conditions.
Management Changes
As a result of Quest delaying indefinitely its application for a
deposit-taking license and in order to focus exclusively on problem
loan remediation, the Company will also be implementing several
management changes at the time of its May 2009 annual meeting of
shareholders:
- Brian Bayley, currently Co-Chair of Quest, will resume his
duties as the President and CEO of the Company. Mr. Bayley served
as the President from 2003 to 2007 and as CEO from 2003 to early
2008.
- A. Murray Sinclair, currently Co-Chair of Quest, will become
Chairman. Mr. Sinclair has served as Co-Chair since 2008 and from
2002 to 2007 was Managing Director of the Company.
Mr. Coffey has advised the Company that he will not stand for
re-election as a Director at the upcoming Annual General Meeting
and will step-down as President and CEO effective May 21, 2009. Mr.
Sinclair stated, "We sincerely thank Stephen for his contributions
during his tenure as President and CEO and for guiding the Company
through this realignment phase."
Kenneth Gordon, formerly Chief Operating Officer, is no longer
with Quest. Mr. Coffey commented, "We thank Ken for his
contributions to the Company and wish him well in the future."
Mr. Sinclair added: "We are confident that the streamlined
management team, in conjunction with the measures announced today,
will be successful in sustaining shareholder value and meeting the
challenges inherent in the current economic and financial
environment."
Annual Meeting
The Company will hold its Annual General Meeting of shareholders
on Thursday, May 21 at 2:30 pm EDS at the TSX Broadcast Centre in
Toronto. The Company's Notice of Meeting and Management Proxy
Circular have now been filed with securities administrators and are
available on the Company's website.
Further information relating to the cancellation of Quest's
shares from trading on AIM will be noted in due course.
About Quest
Quest's expertise is in providing financing for the real estate
sector with emphasis on residentially-oriented mortgages. For more
information about Quest, please visit our website
(www.questcapcorp.com) or www.sedar.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release may include certain statements that
constitute "forward-looking statements", and "forward-looking
information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws
("forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" are
collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements", unless
otherwise stated). Such forward-looking statements involve known
and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual
results, performance or achievements to be materially different
from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements may relate to the Company's future outlook and
anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding
the Company's future financial position, business strategy,
budgets, litigation, projected costs, financial results, taxes,
plans and objectives. We have based these forward-looking
statements largely on our current expectations and projections
about future events and financial trends affecting the financial
condition of our business.
These forward-looking statements were derived utilizing numerous
assumptions regarding expected growth, results of operations,
performance and business prospects and opportunities that could
cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. While the Company considers these
assumptions to be reasonable, based on information currently
available, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking
statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance
or results. Forward-looking statements are based on information
available at the time those statements are made and/or management's
good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events,
and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in
or suggested by the forward-looking statements. To the extent any
forward-looking statements constitute future-oriented financial
information or financial outlooks, as those terms are defined under
applicable Canadian securities laws, such statements are being
provided to describe the current potential of the Company and
readers are cautioned that these statements may not be appropriate
for any other purpose, including investment decisions.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those
statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, we
assume no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results
of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or
incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future
events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other
factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If we update any
one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be
drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or
other forward-looking statements. You should not place undue
importance on forward-looking statements and should not rely upon
these statements as of any other date. All forward-looking
statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified
in their entirety by this cautionary notice.
Contacts: Contacts in Canada Quest Capital Corp. Stephen Coffey,
President & CEO (416) 367-8383 (416) 367-4624 (FAX) Quest
Capital Corp. A. Murray Sinclair, Co-Chair (604) 687-8378 (604)
682-3941 (FAX) AIM NOMAD: Canaccord Adams Limited Ryan Gaffney or
Ryan Cohen 011 44 20 7050 6500
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