10-Q

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

[X] QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended July 31, 2012

Or

[]   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from ________ to ________

Commission file number:  0-14939

AMERICA’S CAR-MART, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Texas	63-0851141
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

802 Southeast Plaza Ave., Suite 200, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712

(Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)

(479) 464-9944

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ý  No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes ý  No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer o                                                    Accelerated filer ý

Non-accelerated filer o                                                      Smaller reporting company o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No ý

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

	Outstanding at
Title of Each Class	September 6, 2012
Common stock, par value $.01 per share	9,092,492

Part I.  FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.  Financial Statements America’s Car-Mart, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands except per share amounts)

	July 31, 2012			April 30, 2012
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	199		$	276
Accrued interest on finance receivables		1,581			1,428
Finance receivables, net		261,430			251,103
Inventory		27,871			27,242
Prepaid expenses and other assets		1,358			1,545
Income taxes receivable, net		-			1,444
Goodwill		355			355
Property and equipment, net		27,810			27,547
Total Assets	$	320,604		$	310,940
Liabilities, mezzanine equity and equity:
Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	7,267		$	7,352
Deferred payment protection plan revenue		11,302			10,745
Accrued liabilities		13,532			13,349
Income taxes payable, net		1,857			-
Deferred tax liabilities, net		16,998			16,721
Revolving credit facilities		85,208			77,900
Total liabilities		136,164			126,067
Commitments and contingencies
Mezzanine equity:
Mandatorily redeemable preferred stock		400			400
Equity:
Preferred stock, par value $.01 per share, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding		-			-
Common stock, par value $.01 per share, 50,000,000 shares authorized; 12,373,264 and 12,371,167 issued at July 31, 2012 and April 30, 2012, respectively, of which 9,164,597 and 9,378,346 were outstanding at July 31, 2012 and April 30, 2012, respectively		124			124
Additional paid-in capital		51,233			50,357
Retained earnings		219,242			211,134
Less:  Treasury stock, at cost, 3,208 667 and 2,992,821 shares at July 31, 2012 and April 30, 2012, respectively		(86,659	)		(77,242	)
Total stockholders' equity		183,940			184,373
Non-controlling interest		100			100
Total equity		184,040			184,473
Total Liabilities, Mezzanine equity and Equity	$	320,604		$	310,940

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations America’s Car-Mart, Inc.

(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands except per share amounts)

	Three Months Ended
	July 31,
	2012			2011
Revenues:
Sales	$	98,297		$	90,324
Interest income		11,703			10,200
Total revenue		110,000			100,524
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales, excluding depreciation shown below		56,185			51,562
Selling, general and administrative		17,856			16,198
Provision for credit losses		21,663			18,534
Interest expense		653			442
Depreciation and amortization		662			538
Total costs and expenses		97,019			87,274
Income before taxes		12,981			13,250
Provision for income taxes		4,863			4,968
Net income	$	8,118		$	8,282
Less:  Dividends on mandatorily redeemable preferred stock		(10	)		(10	)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$	8,108		$	8,272
Earnings per share:
Basic	$	0.87		$	0.81
Diluted	$	0.83		$	0.78
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:
Basic		9,304,743			10,271,359
Diluted		9,752,069			10,579,824

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows America’s Car-Mart, Inc.

(Unaudited)

(In thousands)

	Three Months Ended
	July 31,
Operating activities:	2012			2011
Net income	$	8,118		$	8,282
Adjustments to reconcile net income from operations to net cash provided by operating activities:
Provision for credit losses		21,663			18,534
Losses on claims for payment protection plan		1,484			1,336
Depreciation and amortization		662			538
Amortization of debt issuance costs		46			44
Stock based compensation		807			731
Deferred income taxes		277			247
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Finance receivable originations		(90,953	)		(82,903	)
Finance receivable collections		48,279			45,815
Accrued interest on finance receivables		(153	)		(242	)
Inventory		8,571			4,903
Prepaid expenses and other assets		141			(136	)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(1,615	)		(1,717	)
Deferred payment protection plan revenue		557			301
Income taxes, net		3,301			5,510
Net cash provided by operating activities		1,185			1,243
Investing Activities:
Purchase of property and equipment		(925	)		(734	)
Net cash used in investing activities		(925	)		(734	)
Financing Activities:
Exercise of stock options and warrants		-			1
Issuance of common stock		69			53
Purchase of common stock		(9,417	)		(11,096	)
Dividend payments		(10	)		(10	)
Change in cash overdrafts		1,713			601
Proceeds from revolving credit facilities		77,420			74,887
Payments on revolving credit facilities		(70,112	)		(64,949	)
Net cash used in financing activities		(337	)		(513	)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents		(77	)		(4	)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		276			223
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$	199		$	219

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements

4

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)  America’s Car-Mart, Inc.

A – Organization and Business

America’s Car-Mart, Inc., a Texas corporation (the “Company”), is the largest publicly held automotive retailer in the United States focused exclusively on the “Integrated Auto Sales and Finance” segment of the used car market.  References to the Company typically include the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries.  The Company’s operations are principally conducted through its two operating subsidiaries, America’s Car Mart, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (“Car-Mart of Arkansas”), and Colonial Auto Finance, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (“Colonial”).  Collectively, Car-Mart of Arkansas and Colonial are referred to herein as “Car-Mart.”  The Company primarily sells older model used vehicles and provides financing for substantially all of its customers. Many of the Company’s customers have limited financial resources and would not qualify for conventional financing as a result of limited credit histories or past credit problems.  As of July 31, 2012, the Company operated 116 dealerships located primarily in small cities throughout the South-Central United States.

B – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

General

The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of April 30, 2012, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and the unaudited interim condensed financial statements as of July 31, 2012 and 2011, have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q in Article 10 of Regulation S-X.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended July 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending April 30, 2013.  For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2012.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries.  All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Segment Information

Each dealership is an operating segment with its results regularly reviewed by the Company’s chief operating decision maker in an effort to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and to assess its performance. Individual dealerships meet the aggregation criteria under the current accounting guidance.  The Company operates in the Integrated Auto Sales and Finance segment of the used car market.  In this industry, the nature of the sale and the financing of the transaction, financing processes, the type of customer and the methods used to distribute the Company’s products and services, including the actual servicing of the contracts as well as the regulatory environment in which the Company operates, all have similar characteristics.  Each of our individual dealerships is similar in nature and only engages in the selling and financing of used vehicles.  All individual dealerships have similar operating characteristics.  As such, individual dealerships have been aggregated into one reportable segment.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Concentration of Risk

The Company provides financing in connection with the sale of substantially all of its vehicles.  These sales are made primarily to customers residing in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas, with approximately 41% of revenues resulting from sales to Arkansas customers.  Periodically, the Company maintains cash in financial institutions in excess of the amounts insured by the federal government.

5

Restrictions on Distributions/Dividends

The Company’s revolving credit facilities generally limit distributions by the Company to its shareholders in order to repurchase the Company’s common stock.  The distribution limitations under the Agreement allow the Company to repurchase the Company’s stock so long as: either (a) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed $40 million and the sum of borrowing bases combined minus the principal balances of all revolver loans after giving effect to such repurchases is equal to or greater than 25% of the sum of the borrowing bases, or (b) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed 75% of the consolidated net income of the Company measured on a trailing twelve month basis; provided that immediately before and after giving effect to the stock repurchases, at least 12.5% of the aggregate funds committed under the credit facilities remain available. Thus, the Company is limited in the amount of dividends or other distributions it can make to its shareholders without the consent of the Company’s lenders.

Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Finance Receivables, Repossessions and Charge-offs and Allowance for Credit Losses

The Company originates installment sale contracts from the sale of used vehicles at its dealerships.  These installment sale contracts carry interest rates ranging from 11% to 19% using the simple effective interest method including any deferred fees.  Contract origination costs are not significant.  The installment sale contracts are not pre-computed contracts whereby buyers are obligated to pay back principal plus the full amount of interest that will accrue over the entire term of the contract.  Finance receivables are collateralized by vehicles sold and consist of contractually scheduled payments from installment contracts net of unearned finance charges and an allowance for credit losses.  Unearned finance charges represent the balance of interest receivable to be earned over the entire term of the related installment contract, less the earned amount ($1.6 million at July 31, 2012 and $1.4 million at April 30, 2012), and as such, has been reflected as a reduction to the gross contract amount in arriving at the principal balance in finance receivables. An account is considered delinquent when a contractually scheduled payment has not been received by the scheduled payment date.  While the Company does not formally place contracts on nonaccrual status, the immaterial amount of interest that may accrue after an account becomes delinquent up until the point of resolution via repossession or write-off, is reserved for against the accrued interest on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Delinquent contracts are addressed and either made current by the customer, which is the case in most situations, or the vehicle is repossessed or written off, if the collateral cannot be recovered quickly. Customer payments are set to match their pay-day with over 80% of payments due on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The frequency of the payment due dates combined with the declining value of collateral lead to prompt resolutions on problem accounts.  Accounts are delinquent when the customer is one day or more behind on their contractual payments.  At July 31, 2012 and 2011, 4.0% of the Company’s finance receivable balances were 30 days or more past due.

Substantially all of the Company’s automobile contracts involve contracts made to individuals with impaired or limited credit histories, or higher debt-to-income ratios than permitted by traditional lenders.  Contracts made with buyers who are restricted in their ability to obtain financing from traditional lenders generally entail a higher risk of delinquency, default and repossession, and higher losses than contracts made with buyers with better credit.

The Company works very hard to keep its delinquency percentages low, and not to repossess vehicles.  Accounts one day late are sent a notice in the mail.  Accounts three days late are contacted by telephone.  Notes from each telephone contact are electronically maintained in the Company’s computer system.  If a customer becomes severely delinquent in his or her payments, and management determines that timely collection of future payments is not probable, the Company will take steps to repossess the vehicle.  The Company attempts to resolve payment delinquencies amicably prior to repossessing a vehicle.  Periodically, the Company enters into contract modifications with its customers to extend the payment terms.  The Company only enters into a contract modification or extension if it believes such action will increase the amount of monies the Company will ultimately realize on the customer’s account. At the time of modification, the Company expects to collect amounts due including accrued interest at the contractual interest rate for the period of delay. Other than the extension of additional time, concessions are not granted to customers at the time of modifications. Modifications are minor and are made for pay-day changes, minor vehicle repairs and other reasons.  For those vehicles that are repossessed, the majority are returned or surrendered by the customer on a voluntary basis.  Other repossessions are performed by Company personnel or third party repossession agents.  Depending on the condition of a repossessed vehicle, it is either resold on a retail basis through a Company dealership, or sold for cash on a wholesale basis primarily through physical and/or on-line auctions.

6

The Company takes steps to repossess a vehicle when the customer becomes delinquent in his or her payments, and management determines that timely collection of future payments is not probable.  Accounts are charged-off after the expiration of a statutory notice period for repossessed accounts, or when management determines that the timely collection of future payments is not probable for accounts where the Company has been unable to repossess the vehicle.  For accounts with respect to which the vehicle was repossessed, the fair value of the repossessed vehicle is charged as a reduction of the gross finance receivable balance charged-off.  On average, accounts are approximately 62 days past due at the time of charge-off.  For previously charged-off accounts that are subsequently recovered, the amount of such recovery is credited to the allowance for credit losses.

The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses on an aggregate basis, as opposed to a contract-by-contract basis, at an amount it considers sufficient to cover estimated losses in the collection of its finance receivables.  The Company accrues an estimated loss as it is probable that the entire amount will not be collected and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated in the aggregate.  The allowance for credit losses is based primarily upon historical credit loss experience, with consideration given to recent credit loss trends and changes in contract characteristics (i.e., average amount financed and term), delinquency levels, collateral values, economic conditions and underwriting and collection practices.  The allowance for credit losses is periodically reviewed by management with any changes reflected in current operations.  Although it is at least reasonably possible that events or circumstances could occur in the future that are not presently foreseen which could cause actual credit losses to be materially different from the recorded allowance for credit losses, the Company believes that it has given appropriate consideration to all relevant factors and has made reasonable assumptions in determining the allowance for credit losses.

The calculation of the allowance for credit losses uses the following primary factors:

·   The number of units repossessed or charged-off as a percentage of total units financed over specific historical periods of time.

·   The average net repossession and charge-off loss per unit during the last eighteen months, segregated by the number of months since the contract origination date, and adjusted for the expected future average net charge-off loss per unit.  About 50% of the charge-offs that will ultimately occur in the portfolio are expected to occur within 10-11 months following the balance sheet date.  The average age of an account at charge-off date is 10.7 months.

·   The timing of repossession and charge-off losses relative to the date of sale (i.e., how long it takes for a repossession or charge-off to occur) for repossessions and charge-offs occurring during the last eighteen months.

A point estimate is produced by this analysis which is then supplemented by any positive or negative subjective factors to arrive at an overall reserve amount that management considers to be a reasonable estimate of incurred losses that will be realized via actual charge-offs in the future. Although it is at least reasonably possible that events or circumstances could occur in the future that are not presently foreseen which could cause actual credit losses to be materially different from the recorded allowance for credit losses, the Company believes that it has given appropriate consideration to all relevant factors and has made reasonable assumptions in determining the allowance for credit losses.  Periods of economic downturn do not necessarily lead to increased credit losses because the Company provides basic affordable transportation to customers that, for the most part, do not have access to public transportation.  The effectiveness of the execution of internal policies and procedures within the collections area has historically had a more significant effect on collection results than macro-economic issues.

The Company offers retail customers in most states the option of purchasing a payment protection plan product as an add-on to the installment sale contract.  This product contractually obligates the Company to cancel the remaining principal outstanding for any contract where the retail customer has totaled the vehicle, as defined, or the vehicle has been stolen.  The Company periodically evaluates anticipated losses to ensure that if anticipated losses exceed deferred payment protection plan revenues, an additional liability is recorded for such difference.  No such liability was required at July 31, 2012 or April 30, 2012.

Inventory

Inventory consists of used vehicles and is valued at the lower of cost or market on a specific identification basis.  Vehicle reconditioning costs are capitalized as a component of inventory.  Repossessed vehicles are recorded at fair value, which approximates wholesale value.  The cost of used vehicles sold is determined using the specific identification method.

7

Goodwill

Goodwill reflects the excess of purchase price over the fair value of specifically identified net assets purchased.  Goodwill and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized but are subject to annual impairment tests at the Company’s year-end. The Company assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test.  If the qualitative factors indicate impairment then additional tests are based on the comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit to the carrying value of such unit. If the fair value of the reporting unit falls below its carrying value, the Company performs the second step of the two-step goodwill impairment process to determine the amount, if any, that the goodwill is impaired.  The second step involves determining the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities and the implied goodwill.  The implied goodwill is compared to the carrying value of the goodwill to determine the impairment, if any.  There was no impairment of goodwill during fiscal 2012, and to date, there has been none in fiscal 2013.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost.  Expenditures for additions, renewals and improvements are capitalized.  Costs of repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.  Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated life of the improvement or the lease term.  The lease term includes the primary lease term plus any extensions that are reasonably assured. Depreciation is computed principally using the straight-line method generally over the following estimated useful lives:

Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3 to 7 years
Leasehold improvements	5 to 15 years
Buildings and improvements	18 to 39 years

Property and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.  Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset.  If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying values of the impaired assets exceed the fair value of such assets.  Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

Cash Overdraft

As checks are presented for payment from the Company’s primary disbursement bank account, monies are automatically drawn against cash collections for the day and, if necessary, are drawn against one of its revolving credit facilities.  Any cash overdraft balance principally represents outstanding checks, net of any deposits in transit that as of the balance sheet date had not yet been presented for payment.

Deferred Sales Tax

Deferred sales tax represents a sales tax liability of the Company for vehicles sold on an installment basis in the states of Alabama and Texas.  Under Alabama and Texas law, for vehicles sold on an installment basis, the related sales tax is due as the payments are collected from the customer, rather than at the time of sale.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the liability method.  Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply in the years in which these temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The quarterly provision for income taxes is determined using an estimated annual effective tax rate, which is based on expected annual taxable income, statutory tax rates and the Company’s best estimate of nontaxable and nondeductible items of income and expense.

Occasionally, the Company is audited by taxing authorities.  These audits could result in proposed assessments of additional taxes. The Company believes that its tax positions comply in all material respects with applicable tax law.  However, tax law is subject to interpretation, and interpretations by taxing authorities could be different from those of the Company, which could result in the imposition of additional taxes.

The Company recognizes the financial statement benefit of a tax position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more likely than not sustain the position following an audit.  For tax positions meeting the more-likely-than-not threshold, the amount recognized in the financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant tax authority.  The Company applies this methodology to all tax positions for which the statute of limitations remains open.

8

The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions.  Tax regulations within each jurisdiction are subject to the interpretation of the related tax laws and regulations and require significant judgment to apply.  With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and local income tax examinations by tax authorities for the years before fiscal 2009.

In fiscal 2010, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) completed the examinations of the Company’s income tax returns for fiscal years 2008 and 2009.  As a result of the examinations, the IRS had questioned whether deferred payment protection plan (“PPP”) revenue associated with the sale of certain receivables are subject to the acceleration of advance payments provision of the IRS code and whether the Company may deduct losses on the sale of the PPP receivables in excess of the income recognized on the underlying contracts.  The issue was timing in nature and did not affect the overall tax provision, but affected the timing of required tax payments.

Subsequent to the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company received a proposed negotiated settlement with the IRS related to the examinations for income tax returns for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. The proposed settlement would result in additional taxable income and a resulting tax payment for the exam period. The additional income was timing in nature and would result in a corresponding tax deduction and resulting refund for fiscal year 2010. Under the proposed settlement the Company would pay an immaterial amount of interest to the IRS related to the additional tax payment. The settlement is pending final approval within the IRS processes.

The IRS is currently auditing the federal income tax returns for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 for the Company.

The Company’s policy is to recognize accrued interest related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and penalties in operating expenses. The Company had no accrued penalties or interest as of July 31, 2012 or April 30, 2012.

Revenue Recognition

Revenues are generated principally from the sale of used vehicles, which in most cases includes a service contract and a payment protection plan product, interest income and late fees earned on finance receivables.  Revenues are net of taxes collected from customers and remitted to government agencies.  Cost of vehicle sales include costs incurred by the Company to prepare the vehicle for sale including license and title costs, gasoline, transport services and repairs.

Revenues from the sale of used vehicles are recognized when the sales contract is signed, the customer has taken possession of the vehicle and, if applicable, financing has been approved.  Revenues from the sale of service contracts are recognized ratably over the five-month service contract period.  Service contract revenues are included in sales and the related expenses are included in cost of sales.  Payment protection plan revenues are initially deferred and then recognized to income using the “Rule of 78’s” interest method over the life of the contract so that revenues are recognized in proportion to the amount of cancellation protection provided.  Payment protection plan revenues are included in sales and related losses are included in cost of sales.  Interest income is recognized on all active finance receivable accounts using the simple effective interest method.  Active accounts include all accounts except those that have been paid-off or charged-off.

Sales consist of the following:

	Three Months Ended:
	July 31,
(In thousands)	2012		2011
Sales – used autos	$	86,884	$	79,574
Wholesales – third party		4,835		4,894
Service contract sales		3,524		3,192
Payment protection plan revenue		3,054		2,664
Total	$	98,297	$	90,324

Late fee revenues were approximately $461,000 and $394,000 for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Late fees are recognized when collected and are reflected in interest income.  Finance receivables more than 90 days past due were approximately $638,000 and $361,000 at July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

9

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net income by the average number of common shares outstanding during the period.  Diluted earnings per share are computed by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the average number of common shares outstanding during the period plus common stock equivalents.  The calculation of diluted earnings per share takes into consideration the potentially dilutive effect of common stock equivalents, such as outstanding stock options and restricted stock, which if exercised or converted into common stock would then share in the earnings of the Company.  In computing diluted earnings per share, the Company utilizes the treasury stock method and anti-dilutive securities are excluded.

Stock-based compensation

The Company recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments, such as stock options and restricted stock, based on the fair value of those awards at the date of grant over the requisite service period.  The Company uses the Black Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of stock option awards.  The Company may issue either new shares or treasury shares upon exercise of these awards.  Stock-based compensation plans, related expenses and assumptions used in the Black Scholes option pricing model are more fully described in Note I.

Treasury Stock

The Company purchased 215,846 shares of its common stock during the first three months of fiscal 2013 for a total cost of $9.4 million and 388,520 shares for a total cost of $11.1 million during the first three months of fiscal 2012.  Treasury stock may be used for issuances under the Company’s stock-based compensation plans or for other general corporate purposes.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Occasionally, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies which the Company adopts as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company believes the impact of recently issued standards which are not yet effective will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Goodwill.  In September 2011, the FASB adopted an update regarding testing goodwill and other intangibles for impairment.  The update permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test.  This update was effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011.  The Company implemented this update for its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2012.  This update did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

C – Finance Receivables

The Company originates installment sale contracts from the sale of used vehicles at its dealerships.  These installment sale contracts typically include interest rates ranging from 11% to 19% per annum, are collateralized by the vehicle sold and typically provide for payments over periods ranging from 18 to 36 months.  The Company’s finance receivables are defined as one segment and one class of loans, which is sub-prime consumer automobile contracts.  The level of risks inherent in our financing receivable are managed as one homogeneous pool.  The components of finance receivables are as follows:

(In thousands)	July 31, 2012			April 30, 2012
Gross contract amount	$	374,014		$	359,364
Less unearned finance charges		(44,079	)		(42,430	)
Principal balance		329,935			316,934
Less allowance for credit losses		(68,505	)		(65,831	)
Finance receivables, net	$	261,430		$	251,103

10

Changes in the finance receivables, net for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011 are as follows:

	Three Months Ended July 31,
(In thousands)	2012			2011
Balance at beginning of period	$	251,103		$	222,305
Finance receivable originations		90,953			82,903
Finance receivable collections		(48,279	)		(45,815	)
Provision for credit losses		(21,663	)		(18,534	)
Losses on claims for payment protection plan		(1,484	)		(1,336	)
Inventory acquired in repossession and payment protection plan claims		(9,200	)		(7,872	)
Balance at end of period	$	261,430		$	231,651

Changes in the finance receivables allowance for credit losses for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011 are as follows:

	Three Months Ended July 31,
(In thousands)	2012				2011
Balance at beginning of period		$	65,831			$	60,173
Provision for credit losses			21,663				18,534
Charge-offs, net of recovered collateral			(18,989	)			(15,983	)
Balance at end of period		$	68,505			$	62,724

The factors which influenced management’s judgment in determining the amount of the additions to the allowance charged to provision for credit losses are described below:

The level of actual charge-offs, net of recovered collateral, is the most important factor in determining the charges to the provision for credit losses. This is due to the fact that once a contract becomes delinquent the account is either made current by the customer, the vehicle is repossessed or the account is written off if the collateral cannot be recovered.  Net charge-offs for the first three months of fiscal 2013 were higher than the prior year period, partially due to higher sales volumes.  Net charge-offs as a percentage of average finance receivables increased 0.3% to 5.9% for the first three months ended July 31, 2012 compared to 5.6% for the same period in the prior year.  Higher sales volumes also had the effect of higher additions to the allowance charged to the provision for the first three months of fiscal 2013, partially offset by a decrease in the allowance percentage from 22% at July 31, 2011 to 21.5% at July 31, 2012.

Collections and delinquency levels can have a significant effect on additions to the allowance and are reviewed frequently.  Collections as a percentage of average finance receivables were 14.9% for the quarter ended July 31, 2012 compared to 15.9% for the prior year period.  The decrease in collections as a percentage of average finance receivables was primarily due to the increase in the average term and the increased average interest rate in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 as compared to the first quarter of the prior year.  Delinquencies greater than 30 days remained constant at 4.0% for July 31, 2012 and July 31, 2011.

Macro-economic factors as well as proper execution of operational policies and procedures have a significant effect on additions to the allowance charged to the provision. Higher unemployment levels, higher gasoline prices and higher prices for staple items can potentially have a significant effect.  While overall macro-economic factors were still somewhat unfavorable during the first three months of fiscal 2013, the Company is focused on continuing operational improvements within the collections area as well as market share gains which can be a positive factor in the Company’s collection efforts.

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Credit quality information for finance receivables is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)	July 31, 2012						April 30, 2012						July 31, 2011
	Principal			Percent of			Principal			Percent of			Principal			Percent of
	Balance			Portfolio			Balance			Portfolio			Balance			Portfolio
Current		$	259,012		78.50	%		$	262,325		82.77	%		$	245,280		83.32	%
3 - 29 days past due			57,575		17.45	%			41,508		13.10	%			37,230		12.65	%
30 - 60 days past due			9,968		3.02	%			8,818		2.78	%			9,265		3.15	%
61 - 90 days past due			2,742		0.83	%			3,627		1.14	%			2,239		0.76	%
> 90 days past due			638		0.20	%			656		0.21	%			361		0.12	%
Total		$	329,935		100.00	%		$	316,934		100.00	%		$	294,375		100.00	%

Accounts one and two days past due are considered current for this analysis, due to the varying payment dates and variation in the day of the week at each period end.  Delinquencies may vary from period to period based on the average age of the portfolio, seasonality within the calendar year, the day of the week and overall economic factors.  The above categories are consistent with internal operational measures used by the Company to monitor credit results.  The increase in the 3-29 days past due percentage is primarily the result of the current quarter ending on a Tuesday this year compared to a Sunday for the prior year period.

Substantially all of the Company’s automobile contracts involve contracts made to individuals with impaired or limited credit histories, or higher debt-to-income ratios than permitted by traditional lenders.  Contracts made with buyers who are restricted in their ability to obtain financing from traditional lenders generally entail a higher risk of delinquency, default and repossession, and higher losses than contracts made with buyers with better credit.  The Company monitors contract term length, down payment percentages, and collections for credit quality indicators.

	Three Months Ended July 31,
	2012			2011
Principal collected as a percent of average finance receivables		14.9	%		15.9	%
Average down-payment percentage		7.2	%		7.3	%

	July 31, 2012		July 31, 2011
Average originating contract term (in months)		26.7		26.4
Portfolio weighted average contract term, including modifications (in months)		28.1		27.4

The decrease in the principal collected as a percent of average finance receivables is primarily attributed to the longer average contract term, together with an increase in contract modifications as well as the higher average interest rate within the portfolio when compared to this time last year.  The increases in contract term are primarily related to recent increases in the average selling price and our efforts to keep payments affordable for our customers.  The Company has seen average selling price decreases in its most recent quarters but over the last several years pricing trends have resulted in higher average selling prices.

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D – Property and Equipment

A summary of property and equipment is as follows:

	July 31,			April 30,
(In thousands)	2012			2012
Land	$	6,079		$	6,079
Buildings and improvements		10,311			10,275
Furniture, fixtures and equipment		9,218			8,904
Leasehold improvements		13,526			12,368
Construction in progress		479			1,063
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization		(11,803	)		(11,142	)
	$	27,810		$	27,547

E – Accrued Liabilities

A summary of accrued liabilities is as follows:

	July 31,		April 30,
(In thousands)	2012		2012
Compensation	$	3,519	$	5,063
Cash overdraft (see Note B)		1,841		128
Deferred service contract revenue (see Note B)		3,110		3,036
Deferred sales tax (see Note B)		1,984		1,785
Interest		203		185
Other		2,875		3,152
	$	13,532	$	13,349

F – Debt Facilities

A summary of revolving credit facilities is as follows:

(In thousands)
	Aggregate		Interest		Balance at
	Amount		Rate	Maturity	July 31, 2012		April 30, 2012
Revolving credit facilities	$	125,000	LIBOR + 2.5%	March 2015	$	85,208	$	77,900
			(2.75% at July 31, 2012 and 2.74% at April 30, 2012)

On March 9, 2012, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement (“Credit Facilities”) with a group of lenders providing revolving credit facilities totaling $125 million.  The Credit Facilities expire in March 2015.  The revolving credit facilities are collateralized primarily by finance receivables and inventory of Car-Mart, are cross collateralized and contain a guarantee by the Company.  Interest is payable monthly under the revolving credit facilities. The Credit Facilities provide for three pricing tiers for determining the applicable interest rate, based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio for the preceding fiscal quarter. The current applicable interest rate under the Agreement is generally LIBOR plus 2.5%.  The Credit Facilities contains various reporting and performance covenants including (i) maintenance of certain financial ratios and tests, (ii) limitations on borrowings from other sources, (iii) restrictions on certain operating activities and (iv) limitations on the payment of dividends or distributions. The distribution limitations under the Credit Facilities allow the Company to repurchase the Company’s stock so long as: either (a) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed $40 million and the sum of borrowing bases combined minus the principal balances of all revolver loans after giving effect to such repurchases is equal to or greater than 25% of the sum of the borrowing bases, or (b) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed 75% of the consolidated net income of the Company measured on a trailing twelve month basis; provided that immediately before and after giving effect to the stock repurchases, at least 12.5% of the aggregate funds committed under the credit facilities remain available.   The Company was in compliance with the covenants at July 31, 2012.  The amount available to be drawn under the credit facilities is a function of eligible finance receivables and inventory. Based upon eligible finance receivables and inventory at July 31, 2012, the Company had additional availability of $39.8 million under the revolving credit facilities.

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The Company recognized $46,000 and $44,000 of amortization for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and July 31, 2011, respectively related to debt issuance costs.  The amortization is reflected as interest expense in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Operations.

The Company has made reclassifications to certain prior year amounts in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows to conform to the fiscal 2013 presentation.  The prior year amounts related to proceeds from revolving credit facilities and payments on revolving credit facilities have been changed to reflect the gross amount of proceeds and payments in order to reflect a more meaningful disclosure of these amounts.

G – Fair Value Measurements

The table below summarizes information about the fair value of financial instruments included in the Company’s financial statements at July 31, 2012 and April 30, 2012:

	July 31, 2012				April 30, 2012
	Carrying		Fair		Carrying		Fair
(In thousands)	Value		Value		Value		Value
Cash	$	199	$	199	$	276	$	276
Finance receivables, net		261,430		206,209		251,103		198,084
Accounts payable		7,267		7,267		7,352		7,352
Revolving credit facilities		85,208		85,208		77,900		77,900

Because no market exists for certain of the Company’s financial instruments, fair value estimates are based on judgments and estimates regarding yield expectations of investors, credit risk and other risk characteristics, including interest rate and prepayment risk.  These estimates are subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of judgment and therefore cannot be determined with precision.  Changes in assumptions could significantly affect these estimates.  The methodology and assumptions utilized to estimate the fair value of the Company’s financial instruments are as follows:

Financial Instrument	Valuation Methodology
Cash	The carrying amount is considered to be a reasonable estimate of fair value due to the short-term nature of the financial instrument.
Finance receivables, net	The Company estimated the fair value of its receivables at what a third party purchaser might be willing to pay. The Company has had discussions with third parties and has bought and sold portfolios, and has had a third party appraisal that indicates a 37.5% discount to face would be a reasonable fair value in a negotiated third party transaction.  The sale of finance receivables from Car-Mart of Arkansas to Colonial is at a 37.5% discount. For financial reporting purposes these sale transactions are eliminated. Since the Company does not intend to offer the receivables for sale to an outside third party, the expectation is that the book value at July 31, 2012, will be ultimately collected. By collecting the accounts internally the Company expects to realize more than a third party purchaser would expect to collect with a servicing requirement and a profit margin included.
Accounts payable	The carrying amount is considered to be a reasonable estimate of fair value due to the short-term nature of the financial instrument.
Revolving credit facilities	The fair value approximates carrying value due to the variable interest rates charged on the borrowings, which reprice frequently.

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H – Weighted Average Shares Outstanding

Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding, which are used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share, are as follows:

	Three Months Ended:
	July 31,
	2012		2011
Weighted average shares outstanding-basic		9,304,743		10,271,359
Dilutive options and restricted stock		447,326		308,465
Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted		9,752,069		10,579,824
Antidilutive securities not included:
Options		35,000		25,000

I – Stock Based Compensation

The Company has stock based compensation plans available to grant non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options and restricted stock to employees, directors and certain advisors of the Company.  The stock based compensation plans currently being utilized are the 2007 Stock Option Plan (“2007 Plan”) and the Stock Incentive Plan (“Incentive Plan”).    The Company recorded total stock based compensation expense for all plans of $807,000 ($504,000 after tax effects) and $731,000 ($457,000 after tax effects) for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.  Tax benefits were recognized for these costs at the Company’s overall effective tax rate.

Stock Options

The Company has options outstanding under two stock option plans approved by the shareholders, the 1997 Stock Option Plan (“1997 Plan”) and the 2007 Plan. While previously granted options remain outstanding, no additional option grants may be made under the 1997 Plan.  The shareholders of the Company approved an amendment to the Company’s 2007 Plan on October 13, 2010. The amendment increased from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 the number of options to purchase our common stock that may be issued under the 2007 Plan.  The 2007 Plan provides for the grant of options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock to employees, directors and certain advisors of the Company at a price not less than the fair market value of the stock on the date of grant and for periods not to exceed ten years. Options granted under the Company’s stock option plans expire in the calendar years 2013 through 2022.

	1997 Plan		2007 Plan
Minimum exercise price as a percentage of fair market value at date of grant		100%		100%
Last expiration date for outstanding options	July 2, 2017		May 24, 2022
Shares available for grant at July 31, 2012		-		402,500

The fair value of options granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on the assumptions in the table below.

	July 31, 2012			July 31, 2011
Expected term (years)		5.0			5.0
Risk-free interest rate		0.82	%		1.77	%
Volatility		50	%		50	%
Dividend yield		—			—

The expected term of the options is based on evaluations of historical and expected future employee exercise behavior.  The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury rates at the date of grant with maturity dates approximately equal to the expected life at the grant date.  Volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock.  The Company has not historically issued any dividends and does not expect to do so in the foreseeable future.

There were 30,000 and 48,750 options granted during the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The grant-date fair value of options granted during the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011 was $592,000 and $579,000, respectively. The options were granted at fair market value on date of grant.

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Stock option compensation expense on a pre-tax basis was $764,000 ($478,000 after tax effects) and $687,000 ($429,000 after tax effects) for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

The aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding options at July 31, 2012 and 2011 was $28.4 million and $16.8 million.

As of July 31, 2012, the Company had $2.1 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested options.  These unvested outstanding options have a weighted-average remaining vesting period of 1 year.

There were no options exercised during the first three months of fiscal 2013.  The Company received cash from 165 options exercised during the first three months of fiscal 2012 of $1,100.  The impact of these cash receipts is included in financing activities in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.  The intrinsic value for options exercised was $5,000.

Stock Incentive Plan

The shareholders of the Company approved an amendment to the Company’s Stock Incentive Plan on October 14, 2009. The amendment increased from 150,000 to 350,000 the number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Stock Incentive Plan.  For shares issued under the Stock Incentive Plan, the associated compensation expense is generally recognized equally over the vesting periods established at the award date and is subject to the employee’s continued employment by the Company.  

There were no restricted shares granted during the first three months of fiscal 2013 or fiscal 2012.  A total of 187,027 shares remained available for award at July 31, 2012.There were 27,000 unvested shares at July 31, 2012 with a weighted average grant date fair value of $23.07.

The Company recorded a compensation cost of $31,000 ($19,000 after tax effects) and $34,000 ($21,000 after tax effects) related to the Stock Incentive Plan during the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

As of July 31, 2012, the Company has $287,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested awards granted under the Stock Incentive Plan, which the Company expects to recognize over a weighted-average remaining period of 2.26 years.

There were no modifications to any of the Company’s outstanding share-based payment awards during fiscal 2012 or during the first three months of fiscal 2013.

J - Supplemental Cash Flow Information

Supplemental cash flow disclosures are as follows:

	Three Months Ended July 31,
(in thousands)	2012		2011
Supplemental disclosures:
Interest paid	$	665	$	415
Income taxes paid (received) , net		1,286		(788	)
Non-cash transactions:
Inventory acquired in repossession and payment protection plan claims		9,200		7,872

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Item 2.  Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report.

Forward-Looking Information

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These forward-looking statements address the Company’s future objectives, plans and goals, as well as the Company’s intent, beliefs and current expectations regarding future operating performance, and can generally be identified by words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “plan”, “foresee”, and other similar words or phrases.  Specific events addressed by these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

·   new dealership openings;

·   performance of new dealerships;

·   same store revenue growth;

·   future revenue growth;

·   future credit losses;

·   the Company’s collection results, including but not limited to collections during income tax refund periods;

·   investment in development of workforce;

·   gross margin percentages;

·   financing the majority of growth from profits;

·   seasonality;

·   compliance with tax regulations; and

·   the Company’s business and growth strategies.

These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current estimates and assumptions and involve various risks and uncertainties.  As a result, you are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and that actual results could differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements.  Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s projections include, but are not limited to:

·   the availability of credit facilities to support the Company’s business;

·   the Company’s ability to underwrite and collect its contracts effectively;

·   competition;

·   dependence on existing management;

·   availability of quality vehicles at prices that will be affordable to customers;

·   changes in financing laws or regulations;

·   the outcome of pending tax audits; and

·   general economic conditions in the markets in which the Company operates, including but not limited to fluctuations in gas prices, grocery prices and employment levels.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made.

Overview

America’s Car-Mart, Inc., a Texas corporation (the “Company”), is the largest publicly held automotive retailer in the United States focused exclusively on the “Integrated Auto Sales and Finance” segment of the used car market.  References to the Company typically include the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries.  The Company’s operations are principally conducted through its two operating subsidiaries, America’s Car Mart, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (“Car-Mart of Arkansas”), and Colonial Auto Finance, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (“Colonial”).  Collectively, Car-Mart of Arkansas and Colonial are referred to herein as “Car-Mart”.  The Company primarily sells older model used vehicles and provides financing for substantially all of its customers. Many of the Company’s customers have limited financial resources and would not qualify for conventional financing as a result of limited credit histories or past credit problems.  As of July 31, 2012, the Company operated 116 dealerships located primarily in small cities throughout the South-Central United States.

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Car-Mart has been operating since 1981.  Car-Mart has grown its revenues between 3% and 21% per year over the last ten fiscal years (average 13%).  Growth results from same dealership revenue growth and the addition of new dealerships.  Revenue increased 9.4% for the first three months of fiscal 2013 compared to the same period of fiscal 2012 due primarily to a 7.8% increase in retail units sold, a 1.5% increase in average retail sales price and a 14.7% increase in interest income.

The Company’s primary focus is on collections.  Each dealership is responsible for its own collections with supervisory involvement of the corporate office.  Over the last five full fiscal years, the Company’s credit losses as a percentage of sales have ranged between approximately 20.2% in fiscal 2010 and 22.0% in fiscal 2008 (average of 21.1%). Credit losses in fiscal 2008 were 22% of sales as the Company continued to focus on operational initiatives, including credit and collections efforts.  In fiscal 2009, the Company saw the benefit of continuing operational improvements despite negative macro-economic factors and experienced a reduction in credit losses to 21.5% of sales.  Improvements in credit losses continued into fiscal 2010 as the provision for credit losses was 20.2% of sales for the year ended April 30, 2010.  The Company experienced credit losses of 20.8% of sales for fiscal 2011 and 21.1% of sales for fiscal 2012.  In fiscal 2011 the higher credit losses primarily related to credit losses during the second fiscal quarter as the Company did experience some modest operational difficulties.  In fiscal 2012 the Company experienced slightly higher credit losses; however, the losses were within the range of credit losses that the Company targets annually.  The credit losses as a percentage of sales for the first three months of fiscal 2013 were 22.0% compared to 20.5% of sales for the prior year period.  The increase was primarily due to expected higher losses at the newer dealerships as these dealerships represent a higher percentage of the total dealerships as of the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2013 versus the same period last year, along with an increase in losses for some older dealerships.

Historically, credit losses, on a percentage basis, tend to be higher at new and developing dealerships than at mature dealerships.  Generally, this is the case because the management at new and developing dealerships tends to be less experienced in making credit decisions and collecting customer accounts and the customer base is less seasoned.  Normally the older, more mature dealerships have more repeat customers and on average, repeat customers are a better credit risk than non-repeat customers.

The Company continues to make improvements to its business practices, including better underwriting and better collection procedures in a continuing effort to improve collection results. Negative macro-economic issues do not always lead to higher credit loss results for the Company, because the Company provides basic affordable transportation which in many cases is not a discretionary expenditure for customers. The Company has installed a proprietary credit scoring system which enables the Company to monitor the quality of contracts on the front end. Corporate office personnel monitor scores and work with dealerships when the distribution of scores fall outside of prescribed thresholds.  The Company continues to invest in the corporate infrastructure within the collection area.  The Director of Collection Practices and Review provides timely oversight and more accountability on a consistent basis.  In addition, the Company now has several Collection Specialists who assist the Director of Collection Practices and Review with monitoring and training efforts.  The Company believes that the proper execution of its business practices is the single most important determinant of credit loss experience.  The Company does believe that higher energy and fuel costs, general inflation and potentially lower personal income levels affecting customers can have a negative impact on collections.

The Company’s gross margins as a percentage of sales have been fairly consistent from year to year. Over the last five full fiscal years, the Company’s gross margins as a percentage of sales have ranged between approximately 42% and 44%. Gross margin as a percentage of sales for fiscal 2012 was 42.3%. The Company’s gross margins are based upon the cost of the vehicle purchased, with lower-priced vehicles typically having higher gross margin percentages. In recent years, the Company’s gross margins have been negatively affected by the increase in the average retail sales price (a function of a higher purchase price) and higher operating costs, mostly related to increased vehicle repair costs and higher fuel costs. Additionally, the percentage of wholesale sales to retail sales, which relate for the most part to repossessed vehicles sold at or near cost, can have a significant effect on overall gross margin percentages.  The negative effect from wholesale sales was higher during the first part of fiscal 2008 due to the increased level of repossession activity coupled with relatively flat retail sales levels. Higher retail sales levels and lower repossessions activity during the latter part of fiscal 2008 and for fiscal 2009 helped to bring gross margin percentages back up.  Gross margin percentages in fiscal 2010 benefitted from higher retail sales levels and from a strong wholesale market for repossessed vehicles due to overall used vehicle supply shortages.  The gross margin percentage in fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2012 was negatively affected by higher wholesale sales, increased average retail selling price, higher inventory repair costs and lower margins on the payment protection plan and service contract products. For the first quarter of fiscal 2013, the gross margin as a percentage of sales was 42.8%, down slightly from 42.9% for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 but an increase from the fourth quarter fiscal 2012 gross margin percentage of sales of 41.7%.  The sequential increase is primarily due to the effect of a lower average retail sales price, improved margins on the payment protection plan and service contract products and slightly lower cost of sales expenses.  The Company expects that its gross margin percentage will not change significantly in the near term from the current level (42%-43% range).

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Hiring, training and retaining qualified associates are critical to the Company’s success.  The rate at which the Company adds new dealerships and is able to implement operating initiatives is limited by the number of trained managers and support personnel the Company has at its disposal.  Excessive turnover, particularly at the dealership manager level, could impact the Company’s ability to add new dealerships and to meet operational initiatives.  The Company has added resources to recruit, train and develop personnel especially personnel targeted to fill dealership manager positions.  The Company expects to continue to invest in the development of its workforce in fiscal 2013 and beyond.

Consolidated Operations

(Operating Statement Dollars in Thousands)

							% Change			As a % of Sales
	Three Months Ended						2012			Three Months Ended
	July 31,						vs.			July 31,
	2012			2011			2011			2012			2011
Revenues:
Sales	$	98,297		$	90,324			8.8	%		100.0	%		100.0	%
Interest income		11,703			10,200			14.7			11.9			11.3
Total		110,000			100,524			9.4			111.9			111.3
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales, excluding depreciation shown below		56,185			51,562			9.0			57.2			57.1
Selling, general and administrative		17,856			16,198			10.2			18.2			17.9
Provision for credit losses		21,663			18,534			16.9			22.0			20.5
Interest expense		653			442			47.7			0.7			0.5
Depreciation and amortization		662			538			23.0			0.7			0.6
Total		97,019			87,274			11.2			98.7			96.6
Pretax income	$	12,981		$	13,250			(2.0	)		13.2	%		14.7	%
Operating Data:
Retail units sold		9,753			9,049
Average stores in operation		115			107
Average units sold per store per month		28.3			28.2
Average retail sales price	$	9,584		$	9,441
Same store revenue change		5.5	%		3.6	%
Period End Data:
Stores open		116			107
Accounts over 30 days past due		4.0	%		4.0	%

Three Months Ended July 31, 2012 vs. Three Months Ended July 31, 2011

Revenues increased by $9.5 million, or 9.4%, for the three months ended July 31, 2012 as compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year.  The increase was principally the result of (i) revenue growth from dealerships that operated a full three months in both periods ($5.5 million, or 5.5%), (ii) revenue growth from dealerships opened during the three months ended July 31, 2011 ($306,000), and (iii) revenue from dealerships opened after July 31, 2011 ($3.7 million).

Cost of sales as a percentage of sales increased 0.1% to 57.2% for the three months ended July 31, 2012 from 57.1% in the same period of the prior fiscal year. The increase from the prior year period relates primarily to the increased average selling price and slightly lower margins on the payment protection plan and service contract products.  The average retail sales price for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 decreased $200 from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 which contributed to the sequential increase in the overall gross margin percentage during the first quarter of fiscal 2013.  The Company will continue to focus efforts on holding down purchase costs (and the related selling price) and expects to see gross margin percentages generally in the 42% - 43% range over the near term.  Average selling prices and top line sales levels in relation to wholesale volumes, resulting from credit loss experience, can have a significant effect on gross margin percentages.

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Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales were 18.2% for the three months ended July 31, 2012, an increase of 0.3% from the same period of the prior fiscal year. In dollar terms, overall selling, general and administrative expenses increased $1.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year, consisting primarily of increased payroll costs, incremental costs at new dealerships as well as higher marketing and advertising costs. Many of the Company’s compensation arrangements are tied to financial performance and as such, more payroll costs are incurred during periods of improved financial results.

Provision for credit losses as a percentage of sales increased to 22.0% for the three months ended July 31, 2012 compared to 20.5% for the three months ended July 31, 2011.  The increase between periods was primarily related to the expected higher losses at the newer dealerships and an increase in losses for some of the older dealerships.  The Company continually pushes for improvements and better execution of its collection practices.  However, the extended negative macro-economic issues continue to put pressure on our customers and the resulting collections of our finance receivables.  The Company has made considerable investment in the corporate infrastructure within the collection area which is continuing to have a positive effect on results by providing more oversight and accountability on a consistent basis. The Company believes that the proper execution of its business practices is the single most important determinate of credit loss experience.

Interest expense for the three months ended July 31, 2012 as a percentage of sales increased to 0.7% for the three months ended July 31, 2012 compared to 0.5% for the three months ended July 31, 2011.   The increase resulted from higher average borrowings during the three months ended July 31, 2012 ($82.1 million compared to $53.8 million in the prior year), which were partially offset by lower interest rates on the Company’s variable rate debt.

Financial Condition

The following table sets forth the major balance sheet accounts of the Company as of the dates specified (in thousands):

	July 31, 2012		April 30, 2012
Assets:
Finance receivables, net	$	261,430	$	251,103
Inventory		27,871		27,242
Property and equipment, net		27,810		27,547
Liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		20,799		20,701
Deferred payment protection plan revenue		11,302		10,745
Income taxes payable, net		1,857		(1,444	)
Deferred tax liabilities, net		16,998		16,721
Debt facilities		85,208		77,900

Historically, finance receivables tended to grow slightly faster than revenue growth.  This has historically been due, to a large extent, to an increasing weighted average term necessitated by increases in the average retail sales price over recent years.  The weighted average term for installment sales contracts at July 31, 2012 increased slightly as compared to July 31, 2011 (28.1 months vs. 27.4 months).  Benefits related to software and operational changes made in an effort to shorten relative terms by maximizing up-front equity and scheduling payments to coincide with anticipated income tax refunds have helped maintain the overall term length in the face of the increasing average retail sales prices.  Revenue growth results from same store revenue growth and the addition of new dealerships.  The Company anticipates going forward that the growth in finance receivables will approximate overall revenue growth on an annual basis as the improvements in underwriting and collection procedures are expected to result in strong collections.

During the first three months of fiscal 2013, inventory increased 2.3% ($629,000) as compared to inventory at April 30, 2012.  The increase resulted from additional inventory for new dealerships and an expected increase in demand for the type of vehicle the Company purchases for resale as well as the Company’s desire to offer a broad mix and sufficient quantities of vehicles to adequately serve its expanding customer base. The Company will continue to manage inventory levels in the future to ensure adequate supply, in volume and mix, and to meet anticipated sales demand.

Property and equipment, net, increased $263,000 during the three months ended July 31, 2012 as compared to property and equipment, net, at April 30, 2012 as the Company incurred expenditures related to new dealerships as well as to refurbish and expand existing locations.

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities increased $98,000 during the first three months of fiscal 2012 as compared to Accounts payable and accrued liabilities at April 30, 2012 due primarily to timing of payroll periods and the amount and timing of cash overdrafts.

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Income taxes payable, net, increased $3.3 million during the first three months of fiscal 2013 as compared to April 30, 2012 due primarily to the fact that the first quarter 2013 tax payments were due after the end of the quarter.

Deferred tax liabilities, net, increased $277,000 during the first three months of fiscal 2013 as compared to April 30, 2012 due primarily to the increase in Finance Receivables partially offset by increases in deferred tax assets related to increased share based compensation.

Borrowings on the Company’s revolving credit facilities fluctuate primarily based upon a number of factors including (i) net income, (ii) finance receivables changes, (iii) income taxes, (iv) capital expenditures and (v) common stock repurchases.  Historically, income from continuing operations, as well as borrowings on the revolving credit facilities, have funded the Company’s finance receivables growth, capital asset purchases and common stock repurchases.  In the first three months of fiscal 2013, the Company had a $7.3 million increase in its debt facilities to help finance receivables growth of $13.0 million, capital expenditures of $0.9 million and common stock repurchases of $9.4 million.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

The following table sets forth certain summarized historical information with respect to the Company’s Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended July 31,
	2012			2011
Operating activities:
Net income	$	8,118		$	8,282
Provision for credit losses		21,663			18,534
Losses on claims for payment protection plan		1,484			1,336
Depreciation and amortization		662			538
Stock based compensation		807			731
Finance receivable originations		(90,953	)		(82,903	)
Finance receivable collections		48,279			45,815
Inventory		8,571			4,903
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(1,615	)		(1,717	)
Deferred payment protection plan revenue		557			301
Income taxes, net		3,301			5,510
Deferred income taxes		277			247
Accrued interest on finance receivables		(153	)		(242	)
Other		187			(92	)
Total		1,185			1,243
Investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment		(925	)		(734	)
Total		(925	)		(734	)
Financing activities:
Debt facilities, net		7,308			9,938
Change in cash overdrafts		1,713			601
Issuance of common stock		69			54
Purchase of common stock		(9,417	)		(11,096	)
Dividend payments		(10	)		(10	)
Total		(337	)		(513	)
Decrease in Cash	$	(77	)	$	(4	)

The primary drivers of operating profits and cash flows include (i) top line sales, (ii) interest rates on finance receivables, (iii) gross margin percentages on vehicle sales, and (iv) credit losses. The Company generates cash flow from income from operations.  Historically, most or all of this cash is used to fund finance receivables growth, capital expenditures and common stock repurchases.  To the extent finance receivables growth, capital expenditures and common stock repurchases exceed income from operations generally the Company increases its borrowings under its revolving credit facilities.  The majority of the Company’s growth has been self-funded.

Cash flows from operations for the three months ended July 31, 2012 compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year were negatively impacted by (i) an increase in finance receivables, (ii) a smaller increase in income tax payable, net, and (iii) lower net income, partially offset by (iv) higher non-cash charges including credit losses, depreciation, and losses on claims for payment protection plan and (v) higher values for inventory acquired in repossession and payment protection plan claims.  Finance receivables, net, increased by $10.3 million from April 30, 2012 to July 31, 2012.

The purchase price the Company pays for a vehicle has a significant effect on liquidity and capital resources. Several external factors can negatively affect the purchase cost of vehicles. Decreases in the overall volume of new car sales, particularly domestic brands, leads to decreased supply in the used car market. Also, the expansion of the customer base due in part to constrictions in consumer credit, as well as general economic conditions, can have an overall effect on the demand for the type of vehicle the Company purchases for resale. Because the Company bases its selling price on the purchase cost for the vehicle, increases in purchase costs result in increased selling prices. As the selling price increases, it becomes more difficult to keep the gross margin percentage and contract term in line with historical results because the Company’s customers have limited incomes and their car payments must remain affordable within their individual budgets. The Company has seen increases in the purchase cost of vehicles and resulting increases in selling prices over the last few years.   Management does expect a continuing tight supply of vehicles and a resulting pressure for increases in vehicle purchase costs even though there have been recent sequential decreases in purchase costs. Management also expects the availability of consumer credit within the automotive industry to continue to be constricted when compared to recent history and that this will continue to result in overall increases in demand for most, if not all, of the vehicles the Company purchases for resale.  The Company has devoted significant efforts to improve its purchasing processes to ensure adequate supply at appropriate prices. This is expected to result in gross margin percentages generally in the 42% - 43% range in the near term with overall contract terms increasing, somewhat mitigated by software and operational changes which have been made to structure seasonal payments during income tax refund periods.  In an effort to ensure an adequate supply of vehicles at appropriate prices, the Company has increased the level of accountability for its purchasing agents including the establishment of sourcing and pricing guidelines.  Additionally, the Company is expanding its purchasing territories to larger cities in close proximity to its dealerships and increasing its efforts to purchase vehicles from individuals at the dealership level as well as via the internet. Somewhat as a result of these initiatives, the average retail sales price for the first quarter of fiscal 2013 decreased $200 from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 and increased only $143 from the first quarter of fiscal 2012.

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Macro-economic factors can have an effect on credit losses and resulting liquidity. General inflation, particularly within staple items such as groceries and gasoline, as well as overall unemployment levels can have a significant effect on collection results and ultimately credit losses. The Company has made improvements to its business processes within the last few years to strengthen controls and provide stronger infrastructure to support its collection efforts. With these improvements, the Company anticipates that credit losses on a going-forward basis will be within historical ranges. However, significant negative macro-economic effects could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated range.  Management continues to focus on improved execution at the dealership level, specifically as related to working individually with its customers concerning collection issues.

The Company has generally leased the majority of the properties where its dealerships are located.  As of July 31, 2012, the Company leased approximately 79% of its dealership properties.  The Company expects to continue to lease the majority of the properties where its dealerships are located.

The Company’s revolving credit facilities generally limit distributions by the Company to its shareholders in order to repurchase the Company’s common stock.  The distribution limitations under these facilities allow the Company to repurchase the Company’s stock so long as: either (a) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed $40 million and the sum of borrowing bases combined minus the principal balances of all revolver loans after giving effect to such repurchases is equal to or greater than 25% of the sum of the borrowing bases, or (b) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed 75% of the consolidated net income of the Company measured on a trailing twelve month basis; provided that immediately before and after giving effect to the stock repurchases, at least 12.5% of the aggregate funds committed under the credit facilities remain available. Thus, the Company is limited in the amount of dividends or other distributions it can make to its shareholders without the consent of the Company’s lenders.

At July 31, 2012, the Company had $199,000 of cash on hand and an additional $39.8 million of availability under its revolving credit facilities (see Note F to the Consolidated Financial Statements).  On a short-term basis, the Company’s principal sources of liquidity include income from operations and borrowings under its revolving credit facilities.  On a longer-term basis, the Company expects its principal sources of liquidity to consist of income from operations and borrowings under revolving credit facilities and/or fixed interest term loans.  The Company’s revolving credit facilities mature in March 2015 and the Company expects that it will be able to renew or refinance its revolving credit facilities on or before the date they mature.  Furthermore, while the Company has no specific plans to issue debt or equity securities, the Company believes, if necessary, it could raise additional capital through the issuance of such securities.

The Company expects to use cash to (i) grow its finance receivables portfolio,  (ii) purchase property and equipment of approximately $4 million in the next 12 months in connection with refurbishing existing dealerships and adding new dealerships, (iii) repurchase shares of common stock when favorable conditions exist and (iv) reduce debt to the extent excess cash is available.

The Company believes it will have adequate liquidity to continue to grow its revenues and to satisfy its capital needs for the foreseeable future.

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Contractual Payment Obligations

There have been no material changes outside of the ordinary course of business in the Company’s contractual payment obligations from  those reported at April 30, 2012 in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

   The Company has entered into operating leases for approximately 79% of its dealerships and office facilities.  Generally these leases are for periods of three to five years and usually contain multiple renewal options.  The Company uses leasing arrangements to maintain flexibility in its dealership locations and to preserve capital.  The Company expects to continue to lease the majority of its dealerships and office facilities under arrangements substantially consistent with the past.

   Other than its operating leases, the Company is not a party to any off-balance sheet arrangement that management believes is reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to investors.

Related Finance Company Contingency

   Car-Mart of Arkansas and Colonial do not meet the affiliation standard for filing consolidated income tax returns, and as such they file separate federal and state income tax returns.  Car-Mart of Arkansas routinely sells its finance receivables to Colonial at what the Company believes to be fair market value and is able to take a tax deduction at the time of sale for the difference between the tax basis of the receivables sold and the sales price.  These types of transactions, based upon facts and circumstances, have been permissible under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) as described in the Treasury Regulations.  For financial accounting purposes, these transactions are eliminated in consolidation and a deferred tax liability has been recorded for this timing difference.   The sale of finance receivables from Car-Mart of Arkansas to Colonial provides certain legal protection for the Company’s finance receivables and, principally because of certain state apportionment characteristics of Colonial, also has the effect of reducing the Company’s overall effective state income tax rate by approximately 230 basis points.  The actual interpretation of the Regulations is in part a facts and circumstances matter.  The Company believes it satisfies the material provisions of the Regulations. Failure to satisfy those provisions could result in the loss of a tax deduction at the time the receivables are sold and have the effect of increasing the Company’s overall effective income tax rate as well as the timing of required tax payments.

In fiscal 2010, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) concluded the examinations of the Company’s income tax returns for fiscal years 2008 and 2009.  As a result of the examinations, the IRS had questioned whether deferred payment protection plan (“PPP”) revenue associated with the sale of certain receivables are subject to the acceleration of advance payments provision of the IRC and whether the Company may deduct losses on the sale of the PPP receivables in excess of the income recognized on the underlying contracts.  The issue was timing in nature and did not affect the overall tax provision, but affected the timing of required tax payments.

Subsequent to the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company received a proposed negotiated settlement with the IRS related to the examinations for income tax returns for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. The proposed settlement would result in additional taxable income and a resulting tax payment for the exam period. The additional income was timing in nature and would result in a corresponding tax deduction and resulting refund for fiscal year 2010. Under the proposed settlement the Company would pay an immaterial amount of interest to the IRS related to the additional tax payment. The settlement is pending final approval within the IRS processes.

The IRS is currently auditing the federal income tax returns for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 for the Company.

The Company’s policy is to recognize accrued interest related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and penalties in operating expenses. The Company had no accrued penalties and/or interest as of July 31, 2012.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions in determining the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from the Company’s estimates.  The Company believes the most significant estimate made in the preparation of the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements relates to the determination of its allowance for credit losses, which is discussed below.  The Company’s accounting policies are discussed in Note B to the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses on an aggregate basis at an amount it considers sufficient to cover estimated losses in the collection of its finance receivables.  At July 31, 2012, the weighted average total contract term was 28.1 months with 20.3 months remaining. The reserve amount in the allowance for credit losses at July 31, 2012, $68.5 million, was 21.5% of the principal balance in finance receivables of $329.9 million, less unearned payment protection plan revenue of $11.3 million. Based on the analysis discussed below and strong and consistent credit results the past several years, management reduced the allowance for credit losses at April 30, 2012 to 21.5% from 22.0% at July 31, 2011.  The estimated reserve amount is the Company’s anticipated future net charge-offs for losses incurred through the balance sheet date. The allowance takes into account historical credit loss experience (both timing and severity of losses), with consideration given to recent credit loss trends and changes in contract characteristics (i.e., average amount financed, months outstanding at loss date, term and age of portfolio), delinquency levels, collateral values, economic conditions and underwriting and collection practices. The allowance for credit losses is reviewed at least quarterly by management with any changes reflected in current operations.  The calculation of the allowance for credit losses uses the following primary factors:

· The number of units repossessed or charged-off as a percentage of total units financed over specific historical periods of time.

· The average net repossession and charge-off loss per unit during the last eighteen months segregated by the number of months since the contract origination date and adjusted for the expected future average net charge-off loss per unit.  About 50% of the charge-offs that will ultimately occur in the portfolio are expected to occur within 10-11 months following the balance sheet date.  The average age of an account at charge-off date is 11 months.

· The timing of repossession and charge-off losses relative to the date of sale (i.e., how long it takes for a repossession or charge-off to occur) for repossessions and charge-offs occurring during the last eighteen months.

A point estimate is produced by this analysis which is then supplemented by any positive or negative subjective factors to arrive at an overall reserve amount that management considers to be a reasonable estimate of incurred losses that will be realized via actual charge-offs in the future. Although it is at least reasonably possible that events or circumstances could occur in the future that are not presently foreseen which could cause actual credit losses to be materially different from the recorded allowance for credit losses, the Company believes that it has given appropriate consideration to all relevant factors and has made reasonable assumptions in determining the allowance for credit losses.  Periods of economic downturn do not necessarily lead to increased credit losses because the Company provides basic affordable transportation to customers that, for the most part, do not have access to public transportation.  The effectiveness of the execution of internal policies and procedures within the collections area has historically had a more significant effect on collection results than macro-economic issues. A 1% change, as a percentage of Finance receivables, in the allowance for credit losses would equate to an approximate pre-tax change of $3.2 million.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Occasionally, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies which the Company adopts as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company believes the impact of recently issued standards which are not yet effective will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Goodwill.  In September 2011, the FASB adopted an update regarding testing goodwill and other intangibles for impairment.  The update permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test.  This update was effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011.  The Company implemented this update for its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2012.  This update did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Seasonality

The Company’s third fiscal quarter (November through January) was historically the slowest period for vehicle sales. Conversely, the Company’s first and fourth fiscal quarters (May through July and February through April) were historically the busiest times for vehicle sales. Therefore, the Company generally realized a higher proportion of its revenue and operating profit during the first and fourth fiscal quarters. However, beginning in fiscal 2008 tax refund anticipation sales have begun in early November and continued through January (the Company’s third fiscal quarter).  The success of the tax refund anticipation sales effort has led to higher sales levels during the third fiscal quarters and the Company expects this trend to continue in future periods, but a shift in the timing of actual tax refund dollars in the Company’s markets could have an effect in future years. If conditions arise that impair vehicle sales during the first, third or fourth fiscal quarters, the adverse effect on the Company’s revenues and operating results for the year could be disproportionately large.

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Item 3.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

The Company is exposed to market risk on its financial instruments from changes in interest rates.  In particular, the Company has exposure to changes in the prime interest rate of its lender.  The Company does not use financial instruments for trading purposes.  The Company has in the past entered into an interest rate swap agreement to manage interest rate risk; however, as of July 31, 2012, the Company has no interest rate swap agreement in effect.  

Interest rate risk. The Company’s exposure to changes in interest rates relates primarily to its debt obligations.  The Company is exposed to changes in interest rates as a result of its revolving credit facilities, and the interest rates charged to the Company under its credit facilities fluctuate based on its primary lender’s base rate of interest.  The Company had total indebtedness of $85.2 million outstanding at July 31, 2012. The impact of a 1% increase in interest rates on this amount of debt would result in increased annual interest expense of approximately $852,000 and a corresponding decrease in net income before income tax.

The Company’s earnings are impacted by its net interest income, which is the difference between the income earned on interest-bearing assets and the interest paid on interest-bearing notes payable.  The Company’s finance receivables generally bear interest at fixed rates ranging from 11% to 19%, while its revolving credit facilities contain variable interest rates that fluctuate with market interest rates.  Prior to June 2009, interest rates charged on finance receivables originated in the State of Arkansas were limited to the federal primary credit rate plus 5%.  Typically, the Company had charged interest on its Arkansas contracts at or near the maximum rate allowed by law.  Thus, while the interest rates charged on the Company’s contracts do not fluctuate once established, new contracts originated in Arkansas were set at a spread above the federal primary credit rate which does fluctuate. Effective June 26, 2009, the Company began charging 12% on contracts originated in Arkansas. This was due to the passage by the U.S. Congress of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 which was signed into law on June 24, 2009. Within this legislation was a provision that allowed the Company to charge up to 17% on sales financed to customers in Arkansas, which expired via a sunset clause on December 31, 2010.  On November 2, 2010, voters in Arkansas approved a state constitutional amendment to allow up to 17% interest for non-bank loans and contracts in the state effectively making the Federal legislation permanent.  Subsequently, an appeal challenging the constitutionality of the amendment was filed with the Arkansas Supreme Court.  In June 2011, the Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the amendment.  In mid-July 2011, the Company began charging a fixed 15% interest rate on new contracts for all dealerships in all states in which the Company operates.  At July 31, 2012, approximately 43% of the Company’s finance receivables were originated in Arkansas.

Item 4.  Controls and Procedures

a)   Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Based on management’s evaluation (with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer), as of July 31, 2012, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) and Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer), to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

b)   Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the Company’s last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 4T. Controls and Procedures

Not applicable
 

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PART II

Item 2.  Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

The Company is authorized to repurchase up to one million shares of its common stock under the common stock repurchase program last amended and approved by the Board of Directors on November 17, 2011.  Subsequent to July 31, 2012, on August 16, 2012 the Board of Directors approved, once again, the repurchase of up to one million shares of the Company’s common stock under the common stock repurchase program.  The following table sets forth information with respect to purchases made by or on behalf of the Company of shares of the Company’s common stock during the periods indicated:

Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased		Average Price Paid per Share		Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs(1)		Maximum Number of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs(1)
May 1, 2012 through May 31, 2012		57,000	$	43.75		57,000		641,978
June 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012		0	$	0.00		0		641,978
July 1, 2012 through July 31, 2012		158,846	$	43.59		158,846		483,132
Total		215,846	$	43.63		215,846		483,132

(1)  The above described stock repurchase program has no expiration date.

Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosure

Not applicable

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Exhibit Number Description of Exhibit

3.1	Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibits 4.1-4.8 to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed with the SEC on November 16, 2005 (File No. 333-129727)).
3.2	Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company dated December 4, 2007.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2007 filed with the SEC on December 7, 2007).
31.1	Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
31.2	Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Exchange Act.
32.1	Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) of the Exchange Act and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS	XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document
101.PRE	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

America’s Car-Mart, Inc.

By:           \s\ William H. Henderson

William H. Henderson

Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

By:           \s\ Jeffrey A. Williams

Jeffrey A. Williams

Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

Dated: September 6, 2012

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

Certification

I, William H. Henderson, certify that:

1.I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of America’s Car-Mart, Inc. for the period ended July 31, 2012;

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

September 6, 2012	\s\ William H. Henderson
	William H. Henderson
	Chief Executive Officer

EX-31.2

Exhibit 31.2

Certification

I, Jeffrey A. Williams, certify that:

1.I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of America’s Car-Mart, Inc. for the period ended July 31, 2012;

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

September 6, 2012	\s\ Jeffrey A. Williams
	Jeffrey A. Williams
	Chief Financial Officer

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of America’s Car-Mart, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 31, 2012 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), the undersigned, William H. Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Jeffrey A. Williams, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify in our capacities as officers of the Company, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to the best of our knowledge:

(1)   The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

(2)   The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

By:           \s\ William H. Henderson

William H. Henderson

Chief Executive Officer

September 6, 2012

By:           \s\ Jeffrey A. Williams

Jeffrey A. Williams

Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

September 6, 2012

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Note F - Debt Facilities (Detail) - Revolving credit facilities (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012
Revolving credit facilities	$ 125,000
Revolving credit facilities	LIBOR + 2.5%
Revolving credit facilities	Mar. 31, 2015
Revolving credit facilities	$ 85,208	$ 77,900
	(2.75% at July 31, 2012 and 2.74% at April 30, 2012)

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Note J - Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Detail) - Supplemental cash flow disclosures (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Supplemental disclosures:
Interest paid	$ 665	$ 415
Income taxes paid (received) , net	1,286	(788)
Non-cash transactions:
Inventory acquired in repossession and payment protection plan claims	$ 9,200	$ 7,872

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Note C - Finance Receivables (Detail) - Changes in the finance receivables allowance for credit losses (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Balance	$ 65,831	$ 60,173
Provision for credit losses	21,663	18,534
Charge-offs, net of recovered collateral	(18,989)	(15,983)
Balance	$ 68,505	$ 62,724

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Note J - Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Schedule of Cash Flow, Supplemental Disclosures [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended July 31,
(in thousands)	2012		2011
Supplemental disclosures:
Interest paid	$	665	$	415
Income taxes paid (received) , net		1,286		(788	)
Non-cash transactions:
Inventory acquired in repossession and payment protection plan claims		9,200		7,872

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Note H - Weighted Average Shares Outstanding (Detail) - Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Weighted average shares outstanding-basic	9,304,743	10,271,359
Dilutive options and restricted stock	447,326	308,465
Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted	9,752,069	10,579,824
Antidilutive securities not included:
Options	35,000	25,000

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Note E - Accrued Liabilities (Detail) - Accrued liabilities (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jul. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012
Compensation	$ 3,519	$ 5,063
Cash overdraft (see Note B)	1,841	128
Deferred service contract revenue (see Note B)	3,110	3,036
Deferred sales tax (see Note B)	1,984	1,785
Interest	203	185
Other	2,875	3,152
	$ 13,532	$ 13,349

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Note D - Property and Equipment

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]

D – Property and Equipment

A summary of property and equipment is as follows:

	July 31,			April 30,
(In thousands)	2012			2012
Land	$	6,079		$	6,079
Buildings and improvements		10,311			10,275
Furniture, fixtures and equipment		9,218			8,904
Leasehold improvements		13,526			12,368
Construction in progress		479			1,063
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization		(11,803	)		(11,142	)
	$	27,810		$	27,547

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Note I - Stock Based Compensation (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2012 Stock Options [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Stock Options [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Stock Options [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 Stock Incentive Plan [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Stock Incentive Plan [Member]	Jul. 31, 2009 Stock Incentive Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation	$ 807,000	$ 731,000	$ 764,000	$ 687,000		$ 31,000	$ 34,000
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense, Net of Tax	504,000	457,000	478,000	429,000		19,000	21,000
Number Of Stock Option Plans	2
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized (in Shares)			1,500,000		1,000,000	350,000		150,000
Stock Options, Maximum Term	10 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross (in Shares)	30,000	48,750
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (in Dollars per share)	$ 592,000	$ 579,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Intrinsic Value	28,400,000	16,800,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized			2,100,000			287,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition			1 year			2 years 94 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period (in Shares)		165
Proceeds from Issuance of Shares under Incentive and Share-based Compensation Plans, Including Stock Options		1,100
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Total Intrinsic Value		$ 5,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant (in Shares)						187,027
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number (in Shares)	27,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (in Dollars per share)	$ 23.07

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Note B - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Detail) - Sales (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Sales	$ 98,297	$ 90,324
Sales - Used Autos [Member]
Sales	86,884	79,574
Wholesales - Third Party [Member]
Sales	4,835	4,894
Service Contract Sales [Member]
Sales	3,524	3,192
Payment Protection Plan Revenue [Member]
Sales	$ 3,054	$ 2,664

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Note B - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Detail) - Property and equipment, estimated useful lives

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Property and Equipment

Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3 to 7 years
Leasehold improvements	5 to 15 years
Buildings and improvements	18 to 39 years

Furniture and Fixtures [Member]

Property and Equipment

3 to 7 years

Leasehold Improvements [Member]

Property and Equipment

5 to 15 years

Building and Building Improvements [Member]

Property and Equipment

18 to 39 years

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Note I - Stock Based Compensation (Detail) - Stock Option Plan Comparison	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012
1997 Plan [Member]
Minimum exercise price as a percentage of fair market value at date of grant	100.00%
Last expiration date for outstanding options	Jul. 02, 2017
2007 Plan [Member]
Minimum exercise price as a percentage of fair market value at date of grant	100.00%
Last expiration date for outstanding options	May 24, 2022
Shares available for grant at July 31, 2012 (in Shares)	402,500

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Note C - Finance Receivables (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Finance Receivables Interest Rate Range Start	11.00%
Finance Receivable Interest Rate Range End	19.00%
Finance Receivables Payment Periods Start	18 months
Finance Receivables Payment Periods End	36 months
Finance Receivables, Number Of Segments	1
Finance Receivables, Number Of Loan Classes	1
Finance Receivables, Number Of Risk Pools	1
Net Increase In Net Charge Offs As Percentage Of Average Finance Receivables	0.30%
Net Charge Offs As Percentage of Average Finance Receivables	5.90%	5.60%
Allowance Percentage	21.50%	22.00%
Collections As Percentage of Average Finance Receivables	14.90%	15.90%
Dellinquecies Greater Than 30 Days As Percentage Of Average Finance Receivables	4.00%	4.00%

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Note C - Finance Receivables (Detail) - Components of Finance Receivables (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jul. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011	Apr. 30, 2011
Gross contract amount	$ 374,014	$ 359,364
Less unearned finance charges	(44,079)	(42,430)
Principal balance	329,935	316,934	294,375
Less allowance for credit losses	(68,505)	(65,831)	(62,724)	(60,173)
Finance receivables, net	$ 261,430	$ 251,103	$ 231,651	$ 222,305

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Note C - Finance Receivables

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Financing Receivables [Text Block]

C – Finance Receivables

The Company originates installment sale contracts from the sale of used vehicles at its dealerships.  These installment sale contracts typically include interest rates ranging from 11% to 19% per annum, are collateralized by the vehicle sold and typically provide for payments over periods ranging from 18 to 36 months.  The Company’s finance receivables are defined as one segment and one class of loans, which is sub-prime consumer automobile contracts.  The level of risks inherent in our financing receivable are managed as one homogeneous pool.  The components of finance receivables are as follows:

(In thousands)	July 31, 2012			April 30, 2012
Gross contract amount	$	374,014		$	359,364
Less unearned finance charges		(44,079	)		(42,430	)
Principal balance		329,935			316,934
Less allowance for credit losses		(68,505	)		(65,831	)
Finance receivables, net	$	261,430		$	251,103

Changes in the finance receivables, net for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011 are as follows:

	Three Months Ended July 31,
(In thousands)	2012			2011
Balance at beginning of period	$	251,103		$	222,305
Finance receivable originations		90,953			82,903
Finance receivable collections		(48,279	)		(45,815	)
Provision for credit losses		(21,663	)		(18,534	)
Losses on claims for payment protection plan		(1,484	)		(1,336	)
Inventory acquired in repossession and payment protection plan claims		(9,200	)		(7,872	)
Balance at end of period	$	261,430		$	231,651

Changes in the finance receivables allowance for credit losses for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011 are as follows:

	Three Months Ended July 31,
(In thousands)	2012				2011
Balance at beginning of period		$	65,831			$	60,173
Provision for credit losses			21,663				18,534
Charge-offs, net of recovered collateral			(18,989	)			(15,983	)
Balance at end of period		$	68,505			$	62,724

The factors which influenced management’s judgment in determining the amount of the additions to the allowance charged to provision for credit losses are described below:

The level of actual charge-offs, net of recovered collateral, is the most important factor in determining the charges to the provision for credit losses. This is due to the fact that once a contract becomes delinquent the account is either made current by the customer, the vehicle is repossessed or the account is written off if the collateral cannot be recovered.  Net charge-offs for the first three months of fiscal 2013 were higher than the prior year period, partially due to higher sales volumes.  Net charge-offs as a percentage of average finance receivables increased 0.3% to 5.9% for the first three months ended July 31, 2012 compared to 5.6% for the same period in the prior year.  Higher sales volumes also had the effect of higher additions to the allowance charged to the provision for the first three months of fiscal 2013, partially offset by a decrease in the allowance percentage from 22% at July 31, 2011 to 21.5% at July 31, 2012.

Collections and delinquency levels can have a significant effect on additions to the allowance and are reviewed frequently.  Collections as a percentage of average finance receivables were 14.9% for the quarter ended July 31, 2012 compared to 15.9% for the prior year period.  The decrease in collections as a percentage of average finance receivables was primarily due to the increase in the average term and the increased average interest rate in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 as compared to the first quarter of the prior year.  Delinquencies greater than 30 days remained constant at 4.0% for July 31, 2012 and July 31, 2011.

Macro-economic factors as well as proper execution of operational policies and procedures have a significant effect on additions to the allowance charged to the provision. Higher unemployment levels, higher gasoline prices and higher prices for staple items can potentially have a significant effect.  While overall macro-economic factors were still somewhat unfavorable during the first three months of fiscal 2013, the Company is focused on continuing operational improvements within the collections area as well as market share gains which can be a positive factor in the Company’s collection efforts.

Credit quality information for finance receivables is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)	July 31, 2012						April 30, 2012						July 31, 2011
	Principal			Percent of			Principal			Percent of			Principal			Percent of
	Balance			Portfolio			Balance			Portfolio			Balance			Portfolio
Current		$	259,012		78.50	%		$	262,325		82.77	%		$	245,280		83.32	%
3 - 29 days past due			57,575		17.45	%			41,508		13.10	%			37,230		12.65	%
30 - 60 days past due			9,968		3.02	%			8,818		2.78	%			9,265		3.15	%
61 - 90 days past due			2,742		0.83	%			3,627		1.14	%			2,239		0.76	%
> 90 days past due			638		0.20	%			656		0.21	%			361		0.12	%
Total		$	329,935		100.00	%		$	316,934		100.00	%		$	294,375		100.00	%

Accounts one and two days past due are considered current for this analysis, due to the varying payment dates and variation in the day of the week at each period end.  Delinquencies may vary from period to period based on the average age of the portfolio, seasonality within the calendar year, the day of the week and overall economic factors.  The above categories are consistent with internal operational measures used by the Company to monitor credit results.  The increase in the 3-29 days past due percentage is primarily the result of the current quarter ending on a Tuesday this year compared to a Sunday for the prior year period.

Substantially all of the Company’s automobile contracts involve contracts made to individuals with impaired or limited credit histories, or higher debt-to-income ratios than permitted by traditional lenders.  Contracts made with buyers who are restricted in their ability to obtain financing from traditional lenders generally entail a higher risk of delinquency, default and repossession, and higher losses than contracts made with buyers with better credit.  The Company monitors contract term length, down payment percentages, and collections for credit quality indicators.

	Three Months Ended July 31,
	2012			2011
Principal collected as a percent of average finance receivables		14.9	%		15.9	%
Average down-payment percentage		7.2	%		7.3	%

	July 31, 2012		July 31, 2011
Average originating contract term (in months)		26.7		26.4
Portfolio weighted average contract term, including modifications (in months)		28.1		27.4

The decrease in the principal collected as a percent of average finance receivables is primarily attributed to the longer average contract term, together with an increase in contract modifications as well as the higher average interest rate within the portfolio when compared to this time last year.  The increases in contract term are primarily related to recent increases in the average selling price and our efforts to keep payments affordable for our customers.  The Company has seen average selling price decreases in its most recent quarters but over the last several years pricing trends have resulted in higher average selling prices.

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Note C - Finance Receivables (Detail) - Changes in Finance Receivables (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Balance	$ 251,103	$ 222,305
Finance receivable originations	90,953	82,903
Finance receivable collections	(48,279)	(45,815)
Provision for credit losses	(21,663)	(18,534)
Losses on claims for payment protection plan	(1,484)	(1,336)
Inventory acquired in repossession and payment protection plan claims	(9,200)	(7,872)
Balance	$ 261,430	$ 231,651

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Note G - Fair Value Measurements (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	37.50%

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Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jul. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 199	$ 276
Accrued interest on finance receivables	1,581	1,428
Finance receivables, net	261,430	251,103
Inventory	27,871	27,242
Prepaid expenses and other assets	1,358	1,545
Income taxes receivable, net		1,444
Goodwill	355	355
Property and equipment, net	27,810	27,547
Total Assets	320,604	310,940
Liabilities:
Accounts payable	7,267	7,352
Deferred payment protection plan revenue	11,302	10,745
Accrued liabilities	13,532	13,349
Income taxes payable, net	1,857
Deferred tax liabilities, net	16,998	16,721
Revolving credit facilities	85,208	77,900
Total liabilities	136,164	126,067
Commitments and contingencies
Mezzanine equity:
Mandatorily redeemable preferred stock	400	400
Equity:
Preferred stock, par value $.01 per share, 1,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding
Common stock, par value $.01 per share, 50,000,000 shares authorized; 12,373,264 and 12,371,167 issued at July 31, 2012 and April 30, 2012, respectively, of which 9,164,597 and 9,378,346 were outstanding at July 31, 2012 and April 30, 2012, respectively	124	124
Additional paid-in capital	51,233	50,357
Retained earnings	219,242	211,134
Less: Treasury stock, at cost, 3,208 667 and 2,992,821 shares at July 31, 2012 and April 30, 2012, respectively	(86,659)	(77,242)
Total stockholders' equity	183,940	184,373
Non-controlling interest	100	100
Total equity	184,040	184,473
Total Liabilities, Mezzanine equity and Equity	$ 320,604	$ 310,940

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Note I - Stock Based Compensation (Detail) - Options valuation assumptions	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Expected term (years)	5 years	5 years
Risk-free interest rate	0.82%	1.77%
Volatility	50.00%	50.00%

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Note A - Organization and Business

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]

A – Organization and Business

America’s Car-Mart, Inc., a Texas corporation (the “Company”), is the largest publicly held automotive retailer in the United States focused exclusively on the “Integrated Auto Sales and Finance” segment of the used car market.  References to the Company typically include the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries.  The Company’s operations are principally conducted through its two operating subsidiaries, America’s Car Mart, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (“Car-Mart of Arkansas”), and Colonial Auto Finance, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (“Colonial”).  Collectively, Car-Mart of Arkansas and Colonial are referred to herein as “Car-Mart.”  The Company primarily sells older model used vehicles and provides financing for substantially all of its customers. Many of the Company’s customers have limited financial resources and would not qualify for conventional financing as a result of limited credit histories or past credit problems.  As of July 31, 2012, the Company operated 116 dealerships located primarily in small cities throughout the South-Central United States.

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Note C - Finance Receivables (Detail) - Financing receivables analysis	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Principal collected as a percent of average finance receivables	14.90%	15.90%
Average down-payment percentage	7.20%	7.30%
Average originating contract term (in months)	26 months 21 days	26 months 12 days
Portfolio weighted average contract term, including modifications (in months)	28 months 3 days	27 months 12 days

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Note G - Fair Value Measurements (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Fair Value, by Balance Sheet Grouping [Table Text Block]

	July 31, 2012				April 30, 2012
	Carrying		Fair		Carrying		Fair
(In thousands)	Value		Value		Value		Value
Cash	$	199	$	199	$	276	$	276
Finance receivables, net		261,430		206,209		251,103		198,084
Accounts payable		7,267		7,267		7,352		7,352
Revolving credit facilities		85,208		85,208		77,900		77,900

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Note D - Property and Equipment (Detail) - Property and equipment (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jul. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012
Land	$ 6,079	$ 6,079
Buildings and improvements	10,311	10,275
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	9,218	8,904
Leasehold improvements	13,526	12,368
Construction in progress	479	1,063
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	(11,803)	(11,142)
	$ 27,810	$ 27,547

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Note I - Stock Based Compensation (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Stock Option Plan Comparison [Table Text Block]

	1997 Plan		2007 Plan
Minimum exercise price as a percentage of fair market value at date of grant		100%		100%
Last expiration date for outstanding options	July 2, 2017		May 24, 2022
Shares available for grant at July 31, 2012		-		402,500

Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]

	July 31, 2012			July 31, 2011
Expected term (years)		5.0			5.0
Risk-free interest rate		0.82	%		1.77	%
Volatility		50	%		50	%
Dividend yield		—			—

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Note B - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

B – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

General

The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of April 30, 2012, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and the unaudited interim condensed financial statements as of July 31, 2012 and 2011, have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q in Article 10 of Regulation S-X.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended July 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending April 30, 2013.  For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2012.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries.  All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Segment Information

Each dealership is an operating segment with its results regularly reviewed by the Company’s chief operating decision maker in an effort to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and to assess its performance. Individual dealerships meet the aggregation criteria under the current accounting guidance.  The Company operates in the Integrated Auto Sales and Finance segment of the used car market.  In this industry, the nature of the sale and the financing of the transaction, financing processes, the type of customer and the methods used to distribute the Company’s products and services, including the actual servicing of the contracts as well as the regulatory environment in which the Company operates, all have similar characteristics.  Each of our individual dealerships is similar in nature and only engages in the selling and financing of used vehicles.  All individual dealerships have similar operating characteristics.  As such, individual dealerships have been aggregated into one reportable segment.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Concentration of Risk

The Company provides financing in connection with the sale of substantially all of its vehicles.  These sales are made primarily to customers residing in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas, with approximately 41% of revenues resulting from sales to Arkansas customers.  Periodically, the Company maintains cash in financial institutions in excess of the amounts insured by the federal government.

Restrictions on Distributions/Dividends

The Company’s revolving credit facilities generally limit distributions by the Company to its shareholders in order to repurchase the Company’s common stock.  The distribution limitations under the Agreement allow the Company to repurchase the Company’s stock so long as: either (a) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed $40 million and the sum of borrowing bases combined minus the principal balances of all revolver loans after giving effect to such repurchases is equal to or greater than 25% of the sum of the borrowing bases, or (b) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed 75% of the consolidated net income of the Company measured on a trailing twelve month basis; provided that immediately before and after giving effect to the stock repurchases, at least 12.5% of the aggregate funds committed under the credit facilities remain available. Thus, the Company is limited in the amount of dividends or other distributions it can make to its shareholders without the consent of the Company’s lenders.

Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Finance Receivables, Repossessions and Charge-offs and Allowance for Credit Losses

The Company originates installment sale contracts from the sale of used vehicles at its dealerships.  These installment sale contracts carry interest rates ranging from 11% to 19% using the simple effective interest method including any deferred fees.  Contract origination costs are not significant.  The installment sale contracts are not pre-computed contracts whereby buyers are obligated to pay back principal plus the full amount of interest that will accrue over the entire term of the contract.  Finance receivables are collateralized by vehicles sold and consist of contractually scheduled payments from installment contracts net of unearned finance charges and an allowance for credit losses.  Unearned finance charges represent the balance of interest receivable to be earned over the entire term of the related installment contract, less the earned amount ($1.6 million at July 31, 2012 and $1.4 million at April 30, 2012), and as such, has been reflected as a reduction to the gross contract amount in arriving at the principal balance in finance receivables. An account is considered delinquent when a contractually scheduled payment has not been received by the scheduled payment date.  While the Company does not formally place contracts on nonaccrual status, the immaterial amount of interest that may accrue after an account becomes delinquent up until the point of resolution via repossession or write-off, is reserved for against the accrued interest on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Delinquent contracts are addressed and either made current by the customer, which is the case in most situations, or the vehicle is repossessed or written off, if the collateral cannot be recovered quickly. Customer payments are set to match their pay-day with over 80% of payments due on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The frequency of the payment due dates combined with the declining value of collateral lead to prompt resolutions on problem accounts.  Accounts are delinquent when the customer is one day or more behind on their contractual payments.  At July 31, 2012 and 2011, 4.0% of the Company’s finance receivable balances were 30 days or more past due.

Substantially all of the Company’s automobile contracts involve contracts made to individuals with impaired or limited credit histories, or higher debt-to-income ratios than permitted by traditional lenders.  Contracts made with buyers who are restricted in their ability to obtain financing from traditional lenders generally entail a higher risk of delinquency, default and repossession, and higher losses than contracts made with buyers with better credit.

The Company works very hard to keep its delinquency percentages low, and not to repossess vehicles.  Accounts one day late are sent a notice in the mail.  Accounts three days late are contacted by telephone.  Notes from each telephone contact are electronically maintained in the Company’s computer system.  If a customer becomes severely delinquent in his or her payments, and management determines that timely collection of future payments is not probable, the Company will take steps to repossess the vehicle.  The Company attempts to resolve payment delinquencies amicably prior to repossessing a vehicle.  Periodically, the Company enters into contract modifications with its customers to extend the payment terms.  The Company only enters into a contract modification or extension if it believes such action will increase the amount of monies the Company will ultimately realize on the customer’s account. At the time of modification, the Company expects to collect amounts due including accrued interest at the contractual interest rate for the period of delay. Other than the extension of additional time, concessions are not granted to customers at the time of modifications. Modifications are minor and are made for pay-day changes, minor vehicle repairs and other reasons.  For those vehicles that are repossessed, the majority are returned or surrendered by the customer on a voluntary basis.  Other repossessions are performed by Company personnel or third party repossession agents.  Depending on the condition of a repossessed vehicle, it is either resold on a retail basis through a Company dealership, or sold for cash on a wholesale basis primarily through physical and/or on-line auctions.

The Company takes steps to repossess a vehicle when the customer becomes delinquent in his or her payments, and management determines that timely collection of future payments is not probable.  Accounts are charged-off after the expiration of a statutory notice period for repossessed accounts, or when management determines that the timely collection of future payments is not probable for accounts where the Company has been unable to repossess the vehicle.  For accounts with respect to which the vehicle was repossessed, the fair value of the repossessed vehicle is charged as a reduction of the gross finance receivable balance charged-off.  On average, accounts are approximately 62 days past due at the time of charge-off.  For previously charged-off accounts that are subsequently recovered, the amount of such recovery is credited to the allowance for credit losses.

The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses on an aggregate basis, as opposed to a contract-by-contract basis, at an amount it considers sufficient to cover estimated losses in the collection of its finance receivables.  The Company accrues an estimated loss as it is probable that the entire amount will not be collected and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated in the aggregate.  The allowance for credit losses is based primarily upon historical credit loss experience, with consideration given to recent credit loss trends and changes in contract characteristics (i.e., average amount financed and term), delinquency levels, collateral values, economic conditions and underwriting and collection practices.  The allowance for credit losses is periodically reviewed by management with any changes reflected in current operations.  Although it is at least reasonably possible that events or circumstances could occur in the future that are not presently foreseen which could cause actual credit losses to be materially different from the recorded allowance for credit losses, the Company believes that it has given appropriate consideration to all relevant factors and has made reasonable assumptions in determining the allowance for credit losses.

The calculation of the allowance for credit losses uses the following primary factors:

·   The number of units repossessed or charged-off as a percentage of total units financed over specific historical periods of time.

·   The average net repossession and charge-off loss per unit during the last eighteen months, segregated by the number of months since the contract origination date, and adjusted for the expected future average net charge-off loss per unit.  About 50% of the charge-offs that will ultimately occur in the portfolio are expected to occur within 10-11 months following the balance sheet date.  The average age of an account at charge-off date is 10.7 months.

·   The timing of repossession and charge-off losses relative to the date of sale (i.e., how long it takes for a repossession or charge-off to occur) for repossessions and charge-offs occurring during the last eighteen months.

A point estimate is produced by this analysis which is then supplemented by any positive or negative subjective factors to arrive at an overall reserve amount that management considers to be a reasonable estimate of incurred losses that will be realized via actual charge-offs in the future. Although it is at least reasonably possible that events or circumstances could occur in the future that are not presently foreseen which could cause actual credit losses to be materially different from the recorded allowance for credit losses, the Company believes that it has given appropriate consideration to all relevant factors and has made reasonable assumptions in determining the allowance for credit losses.  Periods of economic downturn do not necessarily lead to increased credit losses because the Company provides basic affordable transportation to customers that, for the most part, do not have access to public transportation.  The effectiveness of the execution of internal policies and procedures within the collections area has historically had a more significant effect on collection results than macro-economic issues.

The Company offers retail customers in most states the option of purchasing a payment protection plan product as an add-on to the installment sale contract.  This product contractually obligates the Company to cancel the remaining principal outstanding for any contract where the retail customer has totaled the vehicle, as defined, or the vehicle has been stolen.  The Company periodically evaluates anticipated losses to ensure that if anticipated losses exceed deferred payment protection plan revenues, an additional liability is recorded for such difference.  No such liability was required at July 31, 2012 or April 30, 2012.

Inventory

Inventory consists of used vehicles and is valued at the lower of cost or market on a specific identification basis.  Vehicle reconditioning costs are capitalized as a component of inventory.  Repossessed vehicles are recorded at fair value, which approximates wholesale value.  The cost of used vehicles sold is determined using the specific identification method.

Goodwill

Goodwill reflects the excess of purchase price over the fair value of specifically identified net assets purchased.  Goodwill and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized but are subject to annual impairment tests at the Company’s year-end. The Company assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test.  If the qualitative factors indicate impairment then additional tests are based on the comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit to the carrying value of such unit. If the fair value of the reporting unit falls below its carrying value, the Company performs the second step of the two-step goodwill impairment process to determine the amount, if any, that the goodwill is impaired.  The second step involves determining the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities and the implied goodwill.  The implied goodwill is compared to the carrying value of the goodwill to determine the impairment, if any.  There was no impairment of goodwill during fiscal 2012, and to date, there has been none in fiscal 2013.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost.  Expenditures for additions, renewals and improvements are capitalized.  Costs of repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.  Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated life of the improvement or the lease term.  The lease term includes the primary lease term plus any extensions that are reasonably assured. Depreciation is computed principally using the straight-line method generally over the following estimated useful lives:

Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3 to 7 years
Leasehold improvements	5 to 15 years
Buildings and improvements	18 to 39 years

Property and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.  Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset.  If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying values of the impaired assets exceed the fair value of such assets.  Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

Cash Overdraft

As checks are presented for payment from the Company’s primary disbursement bank account, monies are automatically drawn against cash collections for the day and, if necessary, are drawn against one of its revolving credit facilities.  Any cash overdraft balance principally represents outstanding checks, net of any deposits in transit that as of the balance sheet date had not yet been presented for payment.

Deferred Sales Tax

Deferred sales tax represents a sales tax liability of the Company for vehicles sold on an installment basis in the states of Alabama and Texas.  Under Alabama and Texas law, for vehicles sold on an installment basis, the related sales tax is due as the payments are collected from the customer, rather than at the time of sale.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the liability method.  Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply in the years in which these temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The quarterly provision for income taxes is determined using an estimated annual effective tax rate, which is based on expected annual taxable income, statutory tax rates and the Company’s best estimate of nontaxable and nondeductible items of income and expense.

Occasionally, the Company is audited by taxing authorities.  These audits could result in proposed assessments of additional taxes. The Company believes that its tax positions comply in all material respects with applicable tax law.  However, tax law is subject to interpretation, and interpretations by taxing authorities could be different from those of the Company, which could result in the imposition of additional taxes.

The Company recognizes the financial statement benefit of a tax position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more likely than not sustain the position following an audit.  For tax positions meeting the more-likely-than-not threshold, the amount recognized in the financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant tax authority.  The Company applies this methodology to all tax positions for which the statute of limitations remains open.

The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions.  Tax regulations within each jurisdiction are subject to the interpretation of the related tax laws and regulations and require significant judgment to apply.  With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and local income tax examinations by tax authorities for the years before fiscal 2009.

In fiscal 2010, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) completed the examinations of the Company’s income tax returns for fiscal years 2008 and 2009.  As a result of the examinations, the IRS had questioned whether deferred payment protection plan (“PPP”) revenue associated with the sale of certain receivables are subject to the acceleration of advance payments provision of the IRS code and whether the Company may deduct losses on the sale of the PPP receivables in excess of the income recognized on the underlying contracts.  The issue was timing in nature and did not affect the overall tax provision, but affected the timing of required tax payments.

Subsequent to the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company received a proposed negotiated settlement with the IRS related to the examinations for income tax returns for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. The proposed settlement would result in additional taxable income and a resulting tax payment for the exam period. The additional income was timing in nature and would result in a corresponding tax deduction and resulting refund for fiscal year 2010. Under the proposed settlement the Company would pay an immaterial amount of interest to the IRS related to the additional tax payment. The settlement is pending final approval within the IRS processes.

The IRS is currently auditing the federal income tax returns for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 for the Company.

The Company’s policy is to recognize accrued interest related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and penalties in operating expenses. The Company had no accrued penalties or interest as of July 31, 2012 or April 30, 2012.

Revenue Recognition

Revenues are generated principally from the sale of used vehicles, which in most cases includes a service contract and a payment protection plan product, interest income and late fees earned on finance receivables.  Revenues are net of taxes collected from customers and remitted to government agencies.  Cost of vehicle sales include costs incurred by the Company to prepare the vehicle for sale including license and title costs, gasoline, transport services and repairs.

Revenues from the sale of used vehicles are recognized when the sales contract is signed, the customer has taken possession of the vehicle and, if applicable, financing has been approved.  Revenues from the sale of service contracts are recognized ratably over the five-month service contract period.  Service contract revenues are included in sales and the related expenses are included in cost of sales.  Payment protection plan revenues are initially deferred and then recognized to income using the “Rule of 78’s” interest method over the life of the contract so that revenues are recognized in proportion to the amount of cancellation protection provided.  Payment protection plan revenues are included in sales and related losses are included in cost of sales.  Interest income is recognized on all active finance receivable accounts using the simple effective interest method.  Active accounts include all accounts except those that have been paid-off or charged-off.

Sales consist of the following:

	Three Months Ended:
	July 31,
(In thousands)	2012		2011
Sales – used autos	$	86,884	$	79,574
Wholesales – third party		4,835		4,894
Service contract sales		3,524		3,192
Payment protection plan revenue		3,054		2,664
Total	$	98,297	$	90,324

Late fee revenues were approximately $461,000 and $394,000 for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Late fees are recognized when collected and are reflected in interest income.  Finance receivables more than 90 days past due were approximately $638,000 and $361,000 at July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net income by the average number of common shares outstanding during the period.  Diluted earnings per share are computed by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the average number of common shares outstanding during the period plus common stock equivalents.  The calculation of diluted earnings per share takes into consideration the potentially dilutive effect of common stock equivalents, such as outstanding stock options and restricted stock, which if exercised or converted into common stock would then share in the earnings of the Company.  In computing diluted earnings per share, the Company utilizes the treasury stock method and anti-dilutive securities are excluded.

Stock-based compensation

The Company recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments, such as stock options and restricted stock, based on the fair value of those awards at the date of grant over the requisite service period.  The Company uses the Black Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of stock option awards.  The Company may issue either new shares or treasury shares upon exercise of these awards.  Stock-based compensation plans, related expenses and assumptions used in the Black Scholes option pricing model are more fully described in Note I.

Treasury Stock

The Company purchased 215,846 shares of its common stock during the first three months of fiscal 2013 for a total cost of $9.4 million and 388,520 shares for a total cost of $11.1 million during the first three months of fiscal 2012.  Treasury stock may be used for issuances under the Company’s stock-based compensation plans or for other general corporate purposes.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Occasionally, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies which the Company adopts as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company believes the impact of recently issued standards which are not yet effective will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Goodwill.  In September 2011, the FASB adopted an update regarding testing goodwill and other intangibles for impairment.  The update permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test.  This update was effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011.  The Company implemented this update for its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2012.  This update did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

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Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parentheticals) (USD $)	Jul. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012
Preferred stock, par value (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in Shares)	1,000,000	1,000,000
Common stock, par value $.01 (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized (in Shares)	50,000,000	50,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in Shares)	12,373,264	12,371,167
Common stock, shares outstanding (in Shares)	9,164,597	9,378,346
Treasury stock, shares (in Shares)	3,208,667	2,992,821

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Note B - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives

Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3 to 7 years
Leasehold improvements	5 to 15 years
Buildings and improvements	18 to 39 years

Revenue from External Customers by Products and Services [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended:
	July 31,
(In thousands)	2012		2011
Sales – used autos	$	86,884	$	79,574
Wholesales – third party		4,835		4,894
Service contract sales		3,524		3,192
Payment protection plan revenue		3,054		2,664
Total	$	98,297	$	90,324

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Document And Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Sep. 06, 2012
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	AMERICAS CARMART INC
Document Type	10-Q
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--04-30
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		9,092,492
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Central Index Key	0000799850
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Document Period End Date	Jul. 31, 2012
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2013
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1

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Note C - Finance Receivables (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Schedule of Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Table Text Block]

(In thousands)	July 31, 2012			April 30, 2012
Gross contract amount	$	374,014		$	359,364
Less unearned finance charges		(44,079	)		(42,430	)
Principal balance		329,935			316,934
Less allowance for credit losses		(68,505	)		(65,831	)
Finance receivables, net	$	261,430		$	251,103

Change in Finance Receivables, Net

	Three Months Ended July 31,
(In thousands)	2012			2011
Balance at beginning of period	$	251,103		$	222,305
Finance receivable originations		90,953			82,903
Finance receivable collections		(48,279	)		(45,815	)
Provision for credit losses		(21,663	)		(18,534	)
Losses on claims for payment protection plan		(1,484	)		(1,336	)
Inventory acquired in repossession and payment protection plan claims		(9,200	)		(7,872	)
Balance at end of period	$	261,430		$	231,651

Allowance for Credit Losses on Financing Receivables [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended July 31,
(In thousands)	2012				2011
Balance at beginning of period		$	65,831			$	60,173
Provision for credit losses			21,663				18,534
Charge-offs, net of recovered collateral			(18,989	)			(15,983	)
Balance at end of period		$	68,505			$	62,724

Past Due Financing Receivables [Table Text Block]

(Dollars in thousands)	July 31, 2012						April 30, 2012						July 31, 2011
	Principal			Percent of			Principal			Percent of			Principal			Percent of
	Balance			Portfolio			Balance			Portfolio			Balance			Portfolio
Current		$	259,012		78.50	%		$	262,325		82.77	%		$	245,280		83.32	%
3 - 29 days past due			57,575		17.45	%			41,508		13.10	%			37,230		12.65	%
30 - 60 days past due			9,968		3.02	%			8,818		2.78	%			9,265		3.15	%
61 - 90 days past due			2,742		0.83	%			3,627		1.14	%			2,239		0.76	%
> 90 days past due			638		0.20	%			656		0.21	%			361		0.12	%
Total		$	329,935		100.00	%		$	316,934		100.00	%		$	294,375		100.00	%

Financing Receivable Credit Quality Indicators [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended July 31,
	2012			2011
Principal collected as a percent of average finance receivables		14.9	%		15.9	%
Average down-payment percentage		7.2	%		7.3	%

	July 31, 2012		July 31, 2011
Average originating contract term (in months)		26.7		26.4
Portfolio weighted average contract term, including modifications (in months)		28.1		27.4

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Revenues:
Sales	$ 98,297	$ 90,324
Interest income	11,703	10,200
Total revenue	110,000	100,524
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales, excluding depreciation shown below	56,185	51,562
Selling, general and administrative	17,856	16,198
Provision for credit losses	21,663	18,534
Interest expense	653	442
Depreciation and amortization	662	538
Total costs and expenses	97,019	87,274
Income before taxes	12,981	13,250
Provision for income taxes	4,863	4,968
Net income	8,118	8,282
Less: Dividends on mandatorily redeemable preferred stock	(10)	(10)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 8,108	$ 8,272
Earnings per share:
Basic (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.87	$ 0.81
Diluted (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.83	$ 0.78
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:
Basic (in Shares)	9,304,743	10,271,359
Diluted (in Shares)	9,752,069	10,579,824

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Note G - Fair Value Measurements

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]

G – Fair Value Measurements

The table below summarizes information about the fair value of financial instruments included in the Company’s financial statements at July 31, 2012 and April 30, 2012:

	July 31, 2012				April 30, 2012
	Carrying		Fair		Carrying		Fair
(In thousands)	Value		Value		Value		Value
Cash	$	199	$	199	$	276	$	276
Finance receivables, net		261,430		206,209		251,103		198,084
Accounts payable		7,267		7,267		7,352		7,352
Revolving credit facilities		85,208		85,208		77,900		77,900

Because no market exists for certain of the Company’s financial instruments, fair value estimates are based on judgments and estimates regarding yield expectations of investors, credit risk and other risk characteristics, including interest rate and prepayment risk.  These estimates are subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of judgment and therefore cannot be determined with precision.  Changes in assumptions could significantly affect these estimates.  The methodology and assumptions utilized to estimate the fair value of the Company’s financial instruments are as follows:

Financial Instrument	Valuation Methodology
Cash	The carrying amount is considered to be a reasonable estimate of fair value due to the short-term nature of the financial instrument.
Finance receivables, net	The Company estimated the fair value of its receivables at what a third party purchaser might be willing to pay. The Company has had discussions with third parties and has bought and sold portfolios, and has had a third party appraisal that indicates a 37.5% discount to face would be a reasonable fair value in a negotiated third party transaction.  The sale of finance receivables from Car-Mart of Arkansas to Colonial is at a 37.5% discount. For financial reporting purposes these sale transactions are eliminated. Since the Company does not intend to offer the receivables for sale to an outside third party, the expectation is that the book value at July 31, 2012, will be ultimately collected. By collecting the accounts internally the Company expects to realize more than a third party purchaser would expect to collect with a servicing requirement and a profit margin included.
Accounts payable	The carrying amount is considered to be a reasonable estimate of fair value due to the short-term nature of the financial instrument.
Revolving credit facilities	The fair value approximates carrying value due to the variable interest rates charged on the borrowings, which reprice frequently.

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Note F - Debt Facilities

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Debt Disclosure [Text Block]

F – Debt Facilities

A summary of revolving credit facilities is as follows:

(In thousands)
	Aggregate		Interest		Balance at
	Amount		Rate	Maturity	July 31, 2012		April 30, 2012
Revolving credit facilities	$	125,000	LIBOR + 2.5%	March 2015	$	85,208	$	77,900
			(2.75% at July 31, 2012 and 2.74% at April 30, 2012)

On March 9, 2012, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement (“Credit Facilities”) with a group of lenders providing revolving credit facilities totaling $125 million.  The Credit Facilities expire in March 2015.  The revolving credit facilities are collateralized primarily by finance receivables and inventory of Car-Mart, are cross collateralized and contain a guarantee by the Company.  Interest is payable monthly under the revolving credit facilities. The Credit Facilities provide for three pricing tiers for determining the applicable interest rate, based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio for the preceding fiscal quarter. The current applicable interest rate under the Agreement is generally LIBOR plus 2.5%.  The Credit Facilities contains various reporting and performance covenants including (i) maintenance of certain financial ratios and tests, (ii) limitations on borrowings from other sources, (iii) restrictions on certain operating activities and (iv) limitations on the payment of dividends or distributions. The distribution limitations under the Credit Facilities allow the Company to repurchase the Company’s stock so long as: either (a) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed $40 million and the sum of borrowing bases combined minus the principal balances of all revolver loans after giving effect to such repurchases is equal to or greater than 25% of the sum of the borrowing bases, or (b) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed 75% of the consolidated net income of the Company measured on a trailing twelve month basis; provided that immediately before and after giving effect to the stock repurchases, at least 12.5% of the aggregate funds committed under the credit facilities remain available.   The Company was in compliance with the covenants at July 31, 2012.  The amount available to be drawn under the credit facilities is a function of eligible finance receivables and inventory. Based upon eligible finance receivables and inventory at July 31, 2012, the Company had additional availability of $39.8 million under the revolving credit facilities.

The Company recognized $46,000 and $44,000 of amortization for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and July 31, 2011, respectively related to debt issuance costs.  The amortization is reflected as interest expense in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Operations.

The Company has made reclassifications to certain prior year amounts in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows to conform to the fiscal 2013 presentation.  The prior year amounts related to proceeds from revolving credit facilities and payments on revolving credit facilities have been changed to reflect the gross amount of proceeds and payments in order to reflect a more meaningful disclosure of these amounts.

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Note H - Weighted Average Shares Outstanding (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Schedule of Weighted Average Number of Shares [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended:
	July 31,
	2012		2011
Weighted average shares outstanding-basic		9,304,743		10,271,359
Dilutive options and restricted stock		447,326		308,465
Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted		9,752,069		10,579,824
Antidilutive securities not included:
Options		35,000		25,000

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Note D - Property and Equipment (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Property, Plant and Equipment [Table Text Block]

	July 31,			April 30,
(In thousands)	2012			2012
Land	$	6,079		$	6,079
Buildings and improvements		10,311			10,275
Furniture, fixtures and equipment		9,218			8,904
Leasehold improvements		13,526			12,368
Construction in progress		479			1,063
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization		(11,803	)		(11,142	)
	$	27,810		$	27,547

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Note J - Supplemental Cash Flow Information

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Cash Flow, Supplemental Disclosures [Text Block]

J - Supplemental Cash Flow Information

Supplemental cash flow disclosures are as follows:

	Three Months Ended July 31,
(in thousands)	2012		2011
Supplemental disclosures:
Interest paid	$	665	$	415
Income taxes paid (received) , net		1,286		(788	)
Non-cash transactions:
Inventory acquired in repossession and payment protection plan claims		9,200		7,872

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Note H - Weighted Average Shares Outstanding

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding

H – Weighted Average Shares Outstanding

Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding, which are used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share, are as follows:

	Three Months Ended:
	July 31,
	2012		2011
Weighted average shares outstanding-basic		9,304,743		10,271,359
Dilutive options and restricted stock		447,326		308,465
Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted		9,752,069		10,579,824
Antidilutive securities not included:
Options		35,000		25,000

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Note I - Stock Based Compensation

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]

I – Stock Based Compensation

The Company has stock based compensation plans available to grant non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options and restricted stock to employees, directors and certain advisors of the Company.  The stock based compensation plans currently being utilized are the 2007 Stock Option Plan (“2007 Plan”) and the Stock Incentive Plan (“Incentive Plan”).    The Company recorded total stock based compensation expense for all plans of $807,000 ($504,000 after tax effects) and $731,000 ($457,000 after tax effects) for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.  Tax benefits were recognized for these costs at the Company’s overall effective tax rate.

Stock Options

The Company has options outstanding under two stock option plans approved by the shareholders, the 1997 Stock Option Plan (“1997 Plan”) and the 2007 Plan. While previously granted options remain outstanding, no additional option grants may be made under the 1997 Plan.  The shareholders of the Company approved an amendment to the Company’s 2007 Plan on October 13, 2010. The amendment increased from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 the number of options to purchase our common stock that may be issued under the 2007 Plan.  The 2007 Plan provides for the grant of options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock to employees, directors and certain advisors of the Company at a price not less than the fair market value of the stock on the date of grant and for periods not to exceed ten years. Options granted under the Company’s stock option plans expire in the calendar years 2013 through 2022.

	1997 Plan		2007 Plan
Minimum exercise price as a percentage of fair market value at date of grant		100%		100%
Last expiration date for outstanding options	July 2, 2017		May 24, 2022
Shares available for grant at July 31, 2012		-		402,500

The fair value of options granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on the assumptions in the table below.

	July 31, 2012			July 31, 2011
Expected term (years)		5.0			5.0
Risk-free interest rate		0.82	%		1.77	%
Volatility		50	%		50	%
Dividend yield		—			—

The expected term of the options is based on evaluations of historical and expected future employee exercise behavior.  The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury rates at the date of grant with maturity dates approximately equal to the expected life at the grant date.  Volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock.  The Company has not historically issued any dividends and does not expect to do so in the foreseeable future.

There were 30,000 and 48,750 options granted during the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The grant-date fair value of options granted during the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011 was $592,000 and $579,000, respectively. The options were granted at fair market value on date of grant.

Stock option compensation expense on a pre-tax basis was $764,000 ($478,000 after tax effects) and $687,000 ($429,000 after tax effects) for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

The aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding options at July 31, 2012 and 2011 was $28.4 million and $16.8 million.

As of July 31, 2012, the Company had $2.1 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested options.  These unvested outstanding options have a weighted-average remaining vesting period of 1 year.

There were no options exercised during the first three months of fiscal 2013.  The Company received cash from 165 options exercised during the first three months of fiscal 2012 of $1,100.  The impact of these cash receipts is included in financing activities in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.  The intrinsic value for options exercised was $5,000.

Stock Incentive Plan

The shareholders of the Company approved an amendment to the Company’s Stock Incentive Plan on October 14, 2009. The amendment increased from 150,000 to 350,000 the number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Stock Incentive Plan.  For shares issued under the Stock Incentive Plan, the associated compensation expense is generally recognized equally over the vesting periods established at the award date and is subject to the employee’s continued employment by the Company.  

There were no restricted shares granted during the first three months of fiscal 2013 or fiscal 2012.  A total of 187,027 shares remained available for award at July 31, 2012.There were 27,000 unvested shares at July 31, 2012 with a weighted average grant date fair value of $23.07.

The Company recorded a compensation cost of $31,000 ($19,000 after tax effects) and $34,000 ($21,000 after tax effects) related to the Stock Incentive Plan during the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

As of July 31, 2012, the Company has $287,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested awards granted under the Stock Incentive Plan, which the Company expects to recognize over a weighted-average remaining period of 2.26 years.

There were no modifications to any of the Company’s outstanding share-based payment awards during fiscal 2012 or during the first three months of fiscal 2013.

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Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012
Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Principles of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries.All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Segment Information Each dealership is an operating segment with its results regularly reviewed by the Company's chief operating decision maker in an effort to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and to assess its performance. Individual dealerships meet the aggregation criteria under the current accounting guidance.The Company operates in the Integrated Auto Sales and Finance segment of the used car market.In this industry, the nature of the sale and the financing of the transaction, financing processes, the type of customer and the methods used to distribute the Company's products and services, including the actual servicing of the contracts as well as the regulatory environment in which the Company operates, all have similar characteristics.Each of our individual dealerships is similar in nature and only engages in the selling and financing of used vehicles.All individual dealerships have similar operating characteristics.As such, individual dealerships have been aggregated into one reportable segment.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period.Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Concentration Risk, Credit Risk, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Concentration of Risk The Company provides financing in connection with the sale of substantially all of its vehicles.These sales are made primarily to customers residing in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas, with approximately 41% of revenues resulting from sales to Arkansas customers.Periodically, the Company maintains cash in financial institutions in excess of the amounts insured by the federal government.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Finance, Loans and Leases Receivable, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Finance Receivables, Repossessions and Charge-offs and Allowance for Credit Losses The Company originates installment sale contracts from the sale of used vehicles at its dealerships.These installment sale contracts carry interest rates ranging from 11% to 19% using the simple effective interest method including any deferred fees.Contract origination costs are not significant.The installment sale contracts are not pre-computed contracts whereby buyers are obligated to pay back principal plus the full amount of interest that will accrue over the entire term of the contract.Finance receivables are collateralized by vehicles sold and consist of contractually scheduled payments from installment contracts net of unearned finance charges and an allowance for credit losses.Unearned finance charges represent the balance of interest receivable to be earned over the entire term of the related installment contract, less the earned amount ($1.6 million at July 31, 2012 and $1.4 million at April 30, 2012), and as such, has been reflected as a reduction to the gross contract amount in arriving at the principal balance in finance receivables. An account is considered delinquent when a contractually scheduled payment has not been received by the scheduled payment date.While the Company does not formally place contracts on nonaccrual status, the immaterial amount of interest that may accrue after an account becomes delinquent up until the point of resolution via repossession or write-off, is reserved for against the accrued interest on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Delinquent contracts are addressed and either made current by the customer, which is the case in most situations, or the vehicle is repossessed or written off, if the collateral cannot be recovered quickly. Customer payments are set to match their pay-day with over 80% of payments due on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The frequency of the payment due dates combined with the declining value of collateral lead to prompt resolutions on problem accounts.Accounts are delinquent when the customer is one day or more behind on their contractual payments.At July 31, 2012 and 2011, 4.0% of the Company's finance receivable balances were 30 days or more past due. Substantially all of the Company's automobile contracts involve contracts made to individuals with impaired or limited credit histories, or higher debt-to-income ratios than permitted by traditional lenders.Contracts made with buyers who are restricted in their ability to obtain financing from traditional lenders generally entail a higher risk of delinquency, default and repossession, and higher losses than contracts made with buyers with better credit. The Company works very hard to keep its delinquency percentages low, and not to repossess vehicles.Accounts one day late are sent a notice in the mail.Accounts three days late are contacted by telephone.Notes from each telephone contact are electronically maintained in the Company's computer system.If a customer becomes severely delinquent in his or her payments, and management determines that timely collection of future payments is not probable, the Company will take steps to repossess the vehicle.The Company attempts to resolve payment delinquencies amicably prior to repossessing a vehicle.Periodically, the Company enters into contract modifications with its customers to extend the payment terms.The Company only enters into a contract modification or extension if it believes such action will increase the amount of monies the Company will ultimately realize on the customer's account. At the time of modification, the Company expects to collect amounts due including accrued interest at the contractual interest rate for the period of delay. Other than the extension of additional time, concessions are not granted to customers at the time of modifications. Modifications are minor and are made for pay-day changes, minor vehicle repairs and other reasons.For those vehicles that are repossessed, the majority are returned or surrendered by the customer on a voluntary basis.Other repossessions are performed by Company personnel or third party repossession agents.Depending on the condition of a repossessed vehicle, it is either resold on a retail basis through a Company dealership, or sold for cash on a wholesale basis primarily through physical and/or on-line auctions. The Company takes steps to repossess a vehicle when the customer becomes delinquent in his or her payments, and management determines that timely collection of future payments is not probable.Accounts are charged-off after the expiration of a statutory notice period for repossessed accounts, or when management determines that the timely collection of future payments is not probable for accounts where the Company has been unable to repossess the vehicle.For accounts with respect to which the vehicle was repossessed, the fair value of the repossessed vehicle is charged as a reduction of the gross finance receivable balance charged-off.On average, accounts are approximately 62 days past due at the time of charge-off.For previously charged-off accounts that are subsequently recovered, the amount of such recovery is credited to the allowance for credit losses. The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses on an aggregate basis, as opposed to a contract-by-contract basis, at an amount it considers sufficient to cover estimated losses in the collection of its finance receivables.The Company accrues an estimated loss as it is probable that the entire amount will not be collected and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated in the aggregate.The allowance for credit losses is based primarily upon historical credit loss experience, with consideration given to recent credit loss trends and changes in contract characteristics (i.e., average amount financed and term), delinquency levels, collateral values, economic conditions and underwriting and collection practices.The allowance for credit losses is periodically reviewed by management with any changes reflected in current operations.Although it is at least reasonably possible that events or circumstances could occur in the future that are not presently foreseen which could cause actual credit losses to be materially different from the recorded allowance for credit losses, the Company believes that it has given appropriate consideration to all relevant factors and has made reasonable assumptions in determining the allowance for credit losses. The calculation of the allowance for credit losses uses the following primary factors: The number of units repossessed or charged-off as a percentage of total units financed over specific historical periods of time. The average net repossession and charge-off loss per unit during the last eighteen months, segregated by the number of months since the contract origination date, and adjusted for the expected future average net charge-off loss per unit.About 50% of the charge-offs that will ultimately occur in the portfolio are expected to occur within 10-11 months following the balance sheet date.The average age of an account at charge-off date is 10.7 months. The timing of repossession and charge-off losses relative to the date of sale (i.e., how long it takes for a repossession or charge-off to occur) for repossessions and charge-offs occurring during the last eighteen months. A point estimate is produced by this analysis which is then supplemented by any positive or negative subjective factors to arrive at an overall reserve amount that management considers to be a reasonable estimate of incurred losses that will be realized via actual charge-offs in the future. Although it is at least reasonably possible that events or circumstances could occur in the future that are not presently foreseen which could cause actual credit losses to be materially different from the recorded allowance for credit losses, the Company believes that it has given appropriate consideration to all relevant factors and has made reasonable assumptions in determining the allowance for credit losses.Periods of economic downturn do not necessarily lead to increased credit losses because the Company provides basic affordable transportation to customers that, for the most part, do not have access to public transportation.The effectiveness of the execution of internal policies and procedures within the collections area has historically had a more significant effect on collection results than macro-economic issues. The Company offers retail customers in most states the option of purchasing a payment protection plan product as an add-on to the installment sale contract.This product contractually obligates the Company to cancel the remaining principal outstanding for any contract where the retail customer has totaled the vehicle, as defined, or the vehicle has been stolen.The Company periodically evaluates anticipated losses to ensure that if anticipated losses exceed deferred payment protection plan revenues, an additional liability is recorded for such difference.No such liability was required at July 31, 2012 or April 30, 2012.
Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Inventory Inventory consists of used vehicles and is valued at the lower of cost or market on a specific identification basis.Vehicle reconditioning costs are capitalized as a component of inventory.Repossessed vehicles are recorded at fair value, which approximates wholesale value.The cost of used vehicles sold is determined using the specific identification method.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Goodwill, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Goodwill Goodwill reflects the excess of purchase price over the fair value of specifically identified net assets purchased.Goodwill and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized but are subject to annual impairment tests at the Company's year-end. The Company assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test.If the qualitative factors indicate impairment then additional tests are based on the comparison of the fair value of the reporting unit to the carrying value of such unit. If the fair value of the reporting unit falls below its carrying value, the Company performs the second step of the two-step goodwill impairment process to determine the amount, if any, that the goodwill is impaired.The second step involves determining the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities and the implied goodwill.The implied goodwill is compared to the carrying value of the goodwill to determine the impairment, if any.There was no impairment of goodwill during fiscal 2012, and to date, there has been none in fiscal 2013.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost.Expenditures for additions, renewals and improvements are capitalized.Costs of repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated life of the improvement or the lease term.The lease term includes the primary lease term plus any extensions that are reasonably assured. Depreciation is computed principally using the straight-line method generally over the following estimated useful lives: Furniture, fixtures and equipment 3 to 7 years Leasehold improvements 5 to 15 years Buildings and improvements 18 to 39 years Property and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset.If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying values of the impaired assets exceed the fair value of such assets.Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Income Taxes Income taxes are accounted for under the liability method.Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply in the years in which these temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The quarterly provision for income taxes is determined using an estimated annual effective tax rate, which is based on expected annual taxable income, statutory tax rates and the Company's best estimate of nontaxable and nondeductible items of income and expense. Occasionally, the Company is audited by taxing authorities.These audits could result in proposed assessments of additional taxes. The Company believes that its tax positions comply in all material respects with applicable tax law.However, tax law is subject to interpretation, and interpretations by taxing authorities could be different from those of the Company, which could result in the imposition of additional taxes. The Company recognizes the financial statement benefit of a tax position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more likely than not sustain the position following an audit.For tax positions meeting the more-likely-than-not threshold, the amount recognized in the financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant tax authority.The Company applies this methodology to all tax positions for which the statute of limitations remains open. The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions.Tax regulations within each jurisdiction are subject to the interpretation of the related tax laws and regulations and require significant judgment to apply.With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and local income tax examinations by tax authorities for the years before fiscal 2009. In fiscal 2010, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") completed the examinations of the Company's income tax returns for fiscal years 2008 and 2009.As a result of the examinations, the IRS had questioned whether deferred payment protection plan ("PPP") revenue associated with the sale of certain receivables are subject to the acceleration of advance payments provision of the IRS code and whether the Company may deduct losses on the sale of the PPP receivables in excess of the income recognized on the underlying contracts.The issue was timing in nature and did not affect the overall tax provision, but affected the timing of required tax payments. Subsequent to the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company received a proposed negotiated settlement with the IRS related to the examinations for income tax returns for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. The proposed settlement would result in additional taxable income and a resulting tax payment for the exam period. The additional income was timing in nature and would result in a corresponding tax deduction and resulting refund for fiscal year 2010. Under the proposed settlement the Company would pay an immaterial amount of interest to the IRS related to the additional tax payment. The settlement is pending final approval within the IRS processes. The IRS is currently auditing the federal income tax returns for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 for the Company. The Company's policy is to recognize accrued interest related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and penalties in operating expenses. The Company had no accrued penalties or interest as of July 31, 2012 or April 30, 2012.
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Revenue Recognition Revenues are generated principally from the sale of used vehicles, which in most cases includes a service contract and a payment protection plan product, interest income and late fees earned on finance receivables.Revenues are net of taxes collected from customers and remitted to government agencies.Cost of vehicle sales include costs incurred by the Company to prepare the vehicle for sale including license and title costs, gasoline, transport services and repairs. Revenues from the sale of used vehicles are recognized when the sales contract is signed, the customer has taken possession of the vehicle and, if applicable, financing has been approved.Revenues from the sale of service contracts are recognized ratably over the five-month service contract period.Service contract revenues are included in sales and the related expenses are included in cost of sales.Payment protection plan revenues are initially deferred and then recognized to income using the "Rule of 78's" interest method over the life of the contract so that revenues are recognized in proportion to the amount of cancellation protection provided.Payment protection plan revenues are included in sales and related losses are included in cost of sales.Interest income is recognized on all active finance receivable accounts using the simple effective interest method.Active accounts include all accounts except those that have been paid-off or charged-off. Sales consist of the following: Three Months Ended: July 31, (In thousands) 2012 2011 Sales - used autos $ 86,884 $ 79,574 Wholesales - third party 4,835 4,894 Service contract sales 3,524 3,192 Payment protection plan revenue 3,054 2,664 Total $ 98,297 $ 90,324 Late fee revenues were approximately $461,000 and $394,000 for the three months ended July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Late fees are recognized when collected and are reflected in interest income.Finance receivables more than 90 days past due were approximately $638,000 and $361,000 at July 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Earnings per Share Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net income by the average number of common shares outstanding during the period.Diluted earnings per share are computed by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the average number of common shares outstanding during the period plus common stock equivalents.The calculation of diluted earnings per share takes into consideration the potentially dilutive effect of common stock equivalents, such as outstanding stock options and restricted stock, which if exercised or converted into common stock would then share in the earnings of the Company.In computing diluted earnings per share, the Company utilizes the treasury stock method and anti-dilutive securities are excluded.
Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]	Stock-based compensation The Company recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments, such as stock options and restricted stock, based on the fair value of those awards at the date of grant over the requisite service period.The Company uses the Black Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of stock option awards.The Company may issue either new shares or treasury shares upon exercise of these awards.Stock-based compensation plans, related expenses and assumptions used in the Black Scholes option pricing model are more fully described in Note I.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Occasionally, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") or other standard setting bodies which the Company adopts as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company believes the impact of recently issued standards which are not yet effective will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements upon adoption. Goodwill . In September 2011, the FASB adopted an update regarding testing goodwill and other intangibles for impairment.The update permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test.This update was effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011.The Company implemented this update for its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2012.This update did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

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Note C - Finance Receivables (Detail) - Credit quality information for finance receivables (USD $)	Jul. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Current (in Dollars)	$ 259,012,000	$ 262,325,000	$ 245,280,000
Current	78.50%	82.77%	83.32%
3 - 29 days past due (in Dollars)	57,575,000	41,508,000	37,230,000
3 - 29 days past due	17.45%	13.10%	12.65%
30 - 60 days past due (in Dollars)	9,968,000	8,818,000	9,265,000
30 - 60 days past due	3.02%	2.78%	3.15%
61 - 90 days past due (in Dollars)	2,742,000	3,627,000	2,239,000
61 - 90 days past due	0.83%	1.14%	0.76%
> 90 days past due (in Dollars)	638,000	656,000	361,000
> 90 days past due	0.20%	0.21%	0.12%
Total (in Dollars)	$ 329,935,000	$ 316,934,000	$ 294,375,000
Total	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

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Note F - Debt Facilities (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]

(In thousands)
	Aggregate		Interest		Balance at
	Amount		Rate	Maturity	July 31, 2012		April 30, 2012
Revolving credit facilities	$	125,000	LIBOR + 2.5%	March 2015	$	85,208	$	77,900
			(2.75% at July 31, 2012 and 2.74% at April 30, 2012)

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Note A - Organization and Business (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012
Number of Operating Subsidiaries	2
Number of Stores	116

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Note G - Fair Value Measurements (Detail) - Fair value of financial instruments (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jul. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012
Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Cash	$ 199	$ 276
Finance receivables, net	261,430	251,103
Accounts payable	7,267	7,352
Revolving credit facilities	85,208	77,900
Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Cash	199	276
Finance receivables, net	206,209	198,084
Accounts payable	7,267	7,352
Revolving credit facilities	$ 85,208	$ 77,900

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Net income	$ 8,118,000	$ 8,282,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income from operations to net cash provided by operating activities:
Provision for credit losses	21,663,000	18,534,000
Losses on claims for payment protection plan	1,484,000	1,336,000
Depreciation and amortization	662,000	538,000
Amortization of debt issuance costs	46,000	44,000
Stock based compensation	807,000	731,000
Deferred income taxes	277,000	247,000
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Finance receivable originations	(90,953,000)	(82,903,000)
Finance receivable collections	48,279,000	45,815,000
Accrued interest on finance receivables	(153,000)	(242,000)
Inventory	8,571,000	4,903,000
Prepaid expenses and other assets	141,000	(136,000)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(1,615,000)	(1,717,000)
Deferred payment protection plan revenue	557,000	301,000
Income taxes, net	3,301,000	5,510,000
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,185,000	1,243,000
Investing Activities:
Purchase of property and equipment	(925,000)	(734,000)
Net cash used in investing activities	(925,000)	(734,000)
Financing Activities:
Exercise of stock options and warrants		1,100
Issuance of common stock	69,000	53,000
Purchase of common stock	(9,417,000)	(11,096,000)
Dividend payments	(10,000)	(10,000)
Change in cash overdrafts	1,713,000	601,000
Proceeds from revolving credit facilities	77,420,000	74,887,000
Payments on revolving credit facilities	(70,112,000)	(64,949,000)
Net cash used in financing activities	(337,000)	(513,000)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(77,000)	(4,000)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	276,000	223,000
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 199,000	$ 219,000

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Note E - Accrued Liabilities

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Other Liabilities Disclosure [Text Block]

E – Accrued Liabilities

A summary of accrued liabilities is as follows:

	July 31,		April 30,
(In thousands)	2012		2012
Compensation	$	3,519	$	5,063
Cash overdraft (see Note B)		1,841		128
Deferred service contract revenue (see Note B)		3,110		3,036
Deferred sales tax (see Note B)		1,984		1,785
Interest		203		185
Other		2,875		3,152
	$	13,532	$	13,349

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Note B - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011	Apr. 30, 2012
Number of Reportable Segments	1
Concentration Risk, Percentage	41.00%
Finance Receivables Interest Rate Range Start	11.00%
Finance Receivable Interest Rate Range End	19.00%
Interest Earned On Financing Receivables (in Dollars)	$ 1,600,000		$ 1,400,000
Finance Receivables Repayment Terms	Customer payments are set to match their pay-day with over 80% of payments due on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
Finance Receivable Delinquency Determination	Accounts are delinquent when the customer is one day or more behind on their contractual payments.
Financing Receivable, Greater Than Or Equal To 30 Days Past Due, Percent Of Portfolio	4.00%	4.00%
Financing Receivable, Average Days Past Due At Charge Off	62
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses, Policy for Uncollectible Amounts	The number of units repossessed or charged-off as a percentage of total units financed over specific historical periods of time. The average net repossession and charge-off loss per unit during the last eighteen months, segregated by the number of months since the contract origination date, and adjusted for the expected future average net charge-off loss per unit.About 50% of the charge-offs that will ultimately occur in the portfolio are expected to occur within 10-11 months following the balance sheet date.The average age of an account at charge-off date is 10.7 months. The timing of repossession and charge-off losses relative to the date of sale (i.e., how long it takes for a repossession or charge-off to occur) for repossessions and charge-offs occurring during the last eighteen months.
Service Contract Revenue Recognition Period	5 months
Late Fee Income Generated by Servicing Financial Assets, Amount (in Dollars)	461,000	394,000
(in Dollars)	638,000	361,000	656,000
Stock Repurchased During Period, Shares (in Shares)	215,846	388,520
Stock Repurchased During Period, Value (in Dollars)	$ 9,400,000	$ 11,100,000
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies Note [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Dividend Restrictions	The Company's revolving credit facilities generally limit distributions by the Company to its shareholders in order to repurchase the Company's common stock.The distribution limitations under the Agreement allow the Company to repurchase the Company's stock so long as: either (a) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed $40 million and the sum of borrowing bases combined minus the principal balances of all revolver loans after giving effect to such repurchases is equal to or greater than 25% of the sum of the borrowing bases, or (b) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed 75% of the consolidated net income of the Company measured on a trailing twelve month basis; provided that immediately before and after giving effect to the stock repurchases, at least 12.5% of the aggregate funds committed under the credit facilities remain available. Thus, the Company is limited in the amount of dividends or other distributions it can make to its shareholders without the consent of the Company's lenders.

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Note F - Debt Facilities (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 125,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description	The Credit Facilities provide for three pricing tiers for determining the applicable interest rate, based on the Company's consolidated leverage ratio for the preceding fiscal quarter. The current applicable interest rate under the Agreement is generally LIBOR plus 2.5%.
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	39,800,000
Amortization of Financing Costs and Discounts	$ 46,000	$ 44,000
Debt Facilities Note [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Dividend Restrictions	The distribution limitations under the Credit Facilities allow the Company to repurchase the Company's stock so long as: either (a) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed $40 million and the sum of borrowing bases combined minus the principal balances of all revolver loans after giving effect to such repurchases is equal to or greater than 25% of the sum of the borrowing bases, or (b) the aggregate amount of such repurchases does not exceed 75% of the consolidated net income of the Company measured on a trailing twelve month basis; provided that immediately before and after giving effect to the stock repurchases, at least 12.5% of the aggregate funds committed under the credit facilities remain available.

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Note E - Accrued Liabilities (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Schedule of Accrued Liabilities [Table Text Block]

	July 31,		April 30,
(In thousands)	2012		2012
Compensation	$	3,519	$	5,063
Cash overdraft (see Note B)		1,841		128
Deferred service contract revenue (see Note B)		3,110		3,036
Deferred sales tax (see Note B)		1,984		1,785
Interest		203		185
Other		2,875		3,152
	$	13,532	$	13,349