EX-99.1 2 l27244aexv99w1.htm EX-99.1 EX-99.1
 

Exhibit 99.1
     
CONTACT:
  Robert Gross
President and Chief Executive Officer
(585) 647-6400

 
  Catherine D’Amico
EVP of Finance and Chief Financial Officer
(585) 647-6400

 
  Leigh Parrish/Caren Barbara
FD
(212) 850-5600
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONRO MUFFLER BRAKE, INC. ANNOUNCES RECORD
SALES AND EARNINGS FOR FIRST QUARTER 2008
~ First Quarter Comparable Store Sales Increase 6.2% ~
~ Pre-Tax Income Increases 15% to $13.1 million~
     ROCHESTER, N.Y. — July 26, 2007 — Monro Muffler Brake, Inc. (Nasdaq: MNRO), a leading provider of automotive undercar repair and tire services, today announced record financial results for its first quarter ended June 30, 2007.
First Quarter Results
     Sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2008 increased 9.3% to a record $107.6 million from $98.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. Comparable store sales increased 6.2%, exceeding the Company’s estimated range of 4.0% to 6.0%. The comparable store sales increase for the quarter was largely the result of increased sales in the tires, brakes and alignments categories, which increased by approximately 10%, 5%, and 26% respectively. The total sales increase for the quarter of $9.2 million included an increase in sales from new stores of $5.4 million, of which $4.2 million came from the former ProCare stores acquired in April 2006. For the quarter, comparable sales in the ProCare stores increased approximately 10% over the same period of the prior year.
     Gross margin improved to 43.4% in the first quarter from 41.7% in the prior year quarter due, in large part, to the increase in comparable store sales along with strong sales of higher-margin products. The increase in gross margin was also partially due to the recording of certain ProCare leases as capital


 

leases, causing a shift in expense from rent to interest expense. Additionally, there were more vendor rebates received, as well as a shift in vendor rebates from SG&A to cost of sales in the current year quarter as compared to the prior year. SG&A expenses, as a percentage of sales, were 30.3% compared with 30.1% for the same period of the prior year, primarily due to the aforementioned shift in vendor rebates.
     Operating income for the quarter was a record $14.0 million, up 22.9% from $11.4 million in the prior year’s first quarter, and benefiting largely from the growth in sales and gross margin. Interest expense increased to $1.2 million from $.6 million in the prior year’s first quarter, largely due to the aforementioned recording of ProCare capital leases.
     Net income for the quarter increased to a record $8.2 million compared to $7.6 million for the prior year period. Diluted earnings per share were $.54 compared to $.50 in the first quarter of the prior fiscal year, which included a one-time $.03 income tax benefit. Excluding the benefit, earnings per diluted share would have increased 14.9% from $.47 in the prior year’s first quarter.
     During the quarter, the Company opened one location and closed three locations, ending first quarter fiscal 2008 with 696 stores.
     Robert G. Gross, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are pleased with our top line performance for the quarter, which maintained the strong trends we experienced in the second half of last year, particularly in higher-margin categories such as brakes and alignments. We believe we are continuing to gain market share. While our ProCare stores generated a 10% increase in comparable store sales, we had planned on 15%. As a result, the ProCare stores broke even for the quarter compared with the expected profit of approximately $.03 per share. However, we still achieved 15% pre-tax growth in a tough environment. Further, our overall results as well as our success across product and service categories demonstrate the strength of our two-store format approach and low-cost operating model.”
Company Outlook
     Based on first quarter results and current business trends, the Company anticipates second quarter fiscal 2008 comparable store sales growth to be in the range of 3% to 5% and diluted earnings per share to be between $.53 and $.56. This compares to $.37 in the second quarter fiscal 2007, which


 

included an after-tax impairment charge of $.11 related to the Company’s Strauss Discount Auto equity investment.
     For the full fiscal year, the Company has increased its expected sales range to between $445 million to $455 million and maintains its expectations for comparable store sales growth of 3% to 5%. The Company has tightened its anticipated earnings range for fiscal 2008 and now expects fiscal 2008 earnings per diluted share to be $1.85 to $1.90. The revised expectations include the effects of the two recently announced acquisitions, as well as an expected $.05 earnings per share full year contribution from ProCare. The earnings estimates are based upon 15.3 million weighted average shares outstanding.
     Mr. Gross concluded, “For the remainder of the year, we will focus on integrating our Craven and Valley Forge acquisitions, achieving further improvements in ProCare, and continuing the strong sales momentum that we are experiencing across many of our product and service categories. As we have previously stated, challenging business conditions create opportunities for us to grow through attractively priced acquisitions. Given the current environment, we see several opportunities in our pipeline and expect to announce at least one additional acquisition by the end of the third quarter. Further, we remain confident in our market position and look forward to solid sales and earnings growth through the remainder of the year.”
Capital Structure Update
     The Company has repurchased 118,400 shares of its common stock for approximately $4.1 million, at the weighted average price of $34.78, in the period from January 1, 2007 through July 25, 2007. Under the share repurchase plan authorized in January 2007, the Company is authorized to purchase up to $30 million of its common stock within a term of 12 months.
     Separately, as previously announced in May 2007, the Company’s Board of Directors intends to declare a three-for-two stock split of the Company’s common stock to be effected in the form of a 50% stock dividend and subject to shareholder approval of an increase in the number of authorized common shares to 45,000,000. The shareholders will vote on the increase on August 21, 2007 at Monro’s regularly scheduled Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.


 

Conference Call Information
     The conference call will be broadcast live on Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time and will be available via the Company’s website, www.monro.com. An archive of the webcast will be available at this website an hour after the live call through midnight, August 10, 2007.
About Monro Muffler Brake
     Monro Muffler Brake operates a chain of stores providing automotive undercar repair and tire services in the United States, operating under the brand names of Monro Muffler Brake and Service, Mr. Tire and Tread Quarters Discount Tires. The Company currently operates 705 stores and has 14 dealer locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maine and Michigan. Monro’s stores provide a full range of services for exhaust systems, brake systems, steering and suspension systems, tires and many vehicle maintenance services.
The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may contain statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed. These factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, product demand, dependence on and competition within the primary markets in which the Company’s stores are located, the need for and costs associated with store renovations and other capital expenditures, the effect of economic conditions, the impact of competitive services and pricing, product development, parts supply restraints or difficulties, industry regulation, risks relating to leverage and debt service (including sensitivity to fluctuations in interest rates), continued availability of capital resources and financing, risks relating to integration of acquired businesses and other factors set forth elsewhere herein and in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.
Tables to follow


 

MONRO MUFFLER BRAKE, INC.
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands)
                         
    Quarter Ended Fiscal June        
    2007     2006     % Change  
 
                       
Sales
  $ 107,622     $ 98,445       9.3 %
 
                       
Cost of sales, including distribution and occupancy costs
    60,945       57,409       6.2  
 
                   
 
                       
Gross profit
    46,677       41,036       13.7  
 
                       
Operating, selling, general and administrative expenses
    32,636       29,612       10.2  
 
                   
 
                       
Operating income
    14,041       11,424       22.9  
 
                       
Interest expense, net
    1,189       636       87.1  
 
                       
Other (income), net
    (239 )     (627 )     (61.9 )
 
                   
 
                       
Income before provision for income taxes
    13,091       11,415       14.7  
 
                       
Provision for income taxes
    4,909       3,853       27.4  
 
                   
 
                       
Net income
  $ 8,182     $ 7,562       8.2  
 
                   
 
                       
Diluted earnings per share
  $ .54     $ .50       8.0 %
 
                   
 
                       
Weighted average number of diluted shares outstanding
    15,273       15,215          
 
                       
Number of stores open (at end of quarter)
    696       701          


 

MONRO MUFFLER BRAKE, INC.
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands)
                 
    June 30,     March 31,  
    2007     2007  
 
               
Current assets
               
 
               
Cash
  $ 974     $ 965  
 
               
Inventories
    63,801       62,398  
 
               
Other current assets
    21,686       25,473  
 
           
 
               
Total current assets
    86,461       88,836  
 
               
Property, plant and equipment, net
    181,325       184,249  
 
               
Other noncurrent assets
    67,285       66,938  
 
           
 
               
Total assets
  $ 335,071     $ 340,023  
 
           
 
               
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
               
 
               
Current liabilities
  $ 59,280     $ 60,508  
 
               
Long-term debt
    45,813       52,525  
 
               
Other long term liabilities
    12,589       11,871  
 
           
 
               
Total liabilities
    117,682       124,904  
 
               
Total shareholders’ equity
    217,389       215,119  
 
           
 
               
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
  $ 335,071     $ 340,023