Car-Mart(US:CRMT)2025-09-04 14:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for the quarter was $341.3 million, a decrease of 1.9% from the prior year, primarily due to fewer retail units sold [12] - Gross margin expanded to 36.6%, a 160 basis point increase over the prior year quarter [14] - Interest income increased by 7.5%, supported by a larger portfolio and more payments collected year over year [12] - Total collections rose by 6.2% to $183.6 million, highlighting the effectiveness of the Pay Your Way platform [19] - Operating expenses for SG&A totaled $51.4 million, a 10.1% increase from $46.7 million in the prior year [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Volumes declined by 5.7% to 13,568 units compared to 14,391 units a year ago [13] - The average selling price of vehicles decreased by $144 year over year [13] - The company saw a 10% year-over-year increase in credit applications, indicating strong customer demand [15] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The procurement costs rose by an incremental $500 per unit during the quarter, impacting inventory capacity [7] - Delinquencies greater than thirty days increased to 3.8%, representing a 30 basis point increase [20] - The average FICO score for new contracts improved by approximately 20 points year over year [50] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on quality, growth with affordability, and protecting returns while modernizing payment and collections processes [29] - The rollout of LOS V2 and risk-based pricing is expected to drive improvements in deal quality and cash flow predictability [27] - The company is actively exploring alternative financing solutions to address capital constraints impacting working capital and inventory management [26] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that demand remained solid, with a significant increase in credit applications, particularly in July and August [15][33] - The company expects to see a positive effect on revenue from average selling prices, excluding ancillary products, while remaining disciplined on gross margin [14] - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to navigate current challenges and position for long-term growth [27] Other Important Information - The company completed a $216 million term securitization at a weighted average interest rate of 6.27% [22] - The recent securitization transaction was nearly eight times oversubscribed for Class A notes and nearly 16 times for Class B notes, indicating strong market interest [22] - The company has taken significant steps to remediate material weaknesses in financial reporting and enhance transparency [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: What has been observed regarding procurement costs subsequent to the quarter end? - Management indicated that pricing has smoothed out and has come down slightly, with demand remaining strong [33] Question: How quickly can delinquencies stabilize with the new LOS systems? - Management expects normal seasonal fluctuations in net charge-offs and believes the portfolio is now weighted with mostly new underwriting in place [36] Question: What are the expectations for SG&A expenses moving forward? - Management anticipates that roughly half of the SG&A increase from this quarter will unwind in the second half of the year as technology implementations are completed [38] Question: What is the outlook for used car pricing and the duration of impacts from tariffs? - Management expects some seasonality and pricing decline in the back half of the year, as the effects of tariffs become known [45] Question: How is the health of the consumer characterized given the increase in delinquencies? - Management noted that while the consumer base is generally strained, the structures in place today are much better than a year ago, with a significant portion of the portfolio under enhanced underwriting standards [60]