LOS ANGELES, Feb. 09, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During the three months ended December 31, 2016, Daily Journal Corporation (NASDAQ:DJCO) had consolidated revenues of $9,990,000 as compared with $10,815,000 in the prior year period. This decrease of $825,000 (8%) was primarily from decreases in Journal Technologies’ public service fees of $536,000, mostly due to a reduction in the number of traffic tickets processed online, and an amnesty program that is expected to reduce traffic ticket fines through March 2017; and consulting fees of $528,000, partially offset by increased license and maintenance fees of $319,000. It also reflects a reduction in The Traditional Business’s trustee sale notice and related service fee revenues of $142,000. Consolidated operating expenses increased by $1,066,000 (9%) to $12,843,000 from $11,777,000 primarily resulting from additional personnel costs and travel expenses for Journal Technologies. Consolidated pretax loss was $1,781,000 and $135,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
| Overall Financial Results (000) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| For the three months ended December 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reportable Segments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Business | Journal Technologies | Corporate income and expenses | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advertising | $ | 2,310 | $ | 2,321 | $ | --- | $ | --- | $ | --- | $ | --- | $ | 2,310 | $ | 2,321 | ||||||||||||
| Circulation | 1,449 | 1,506 | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1,449 | 1,506 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Advertising service fees and other | 638 | 650 | --- | --- | --- | --- | 638 | 650 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Licensing and maintenance fees | --- | --- | 3,966 | 3,647 | --- | --- | 3,966 | 3,647 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Consulting fees | --- | --- | 848 | 1,376 | --- | --- | 848 | 1,376 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other public service fees | --- | --- | 779 | 1,315 | --- | --- | 779 | 1,315 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 4,397 | 4,477 | 5,593 | 6,338 | --- | --- | 9,990 | 10,815 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salaries and employee benefits | 2,565 | 2,469 | 5,076 | 4,179 | --- | --- | 7,641 | 6,648 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | --- | 35 | 1,224 | 1,224 | --- | --- | 1,224 | 1,259 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Others | 1,835 | 1,849 | 2,143 | 2,021 | --- | --- | 3,978 | 3,870 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 4,400 | 4,353 | 8,443 | 7,424 | --- | --- | 12,843 | 11,777 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | (3 | ) | 124 | (2,850 | ) | (1,086 | ) | --- | --- | (2,853 | ) | (962 | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Dividends and interest income | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1,171 | 903 | 1,171 | 903 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other income (net) | 15 | 7 | --- | --- | --- | 9 | 15 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest expenses on note payable collateralized by real estate | (26 | ) | (9 | ) | --- | --- | --- | --- | (26 | ) | (9 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Interest expenses on margin loans | --- | --- | --- | --- | (79 | ) | (59 | ) | (79 | ) | (59 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Interest and penalty expenses accrued for uncertain and unrecognized tax benefits | --- | --- | (9 | ) | (24 | ) | --- | --- | (9 | ) | (24 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Pretax income (loss) | $ | (14 | ) | $ | 122 | $ | (2,859 | ) | $ | (1,110 | ) | $ | 1,092 | $ | 853 | $ | (1,781 | ) | $ | (135 | ) | |||||||
The Company’s Traditional Business segment’s pretax income decreased by $136,000 to pretax loss of $14,000 from pretax income of $122,000. Trustee sale notice and related service fee revenues decreased by $142,000, partially offset by increases in other public notice advertisings. Journal Technologies’ business segment pretax loss increased by $1,749,000 (158%) to $2,859,000 from $1,110,000 and included the amortization costs of intangible assets of $1,224,000 for both the three-month periods ended December 31, 2016 and 2015. This increase in loss primarily resulted from (i) the decreases in public service fees of $536,000 and consulting fees of $528,000, partially offset by increased licensing and maintenance fees of $319,000, and (ii) the increases in personnel costs of $897,000 primarily for installation services.
The Company’s Corporate income, net of expenses, increased by $239,000 (28%) to $1,092,000, primarily because of more dividend income from the Company’s marketable securities, partially offset by increased interest costs for the two acquisition loans in fiscal 2013 and additional interest expenses for the Company’s real estate loan in November 2015 for the purchase of an office building in Utah for Journal Technologies.
For the three months ended December 31, 2016, the Company recorded an income tax benefit of $310,000 on pretax loss of $1,781,000. The income tax benefit was the result of applying the effective tax rate anticipated for fiscal 2017 to pretax loss for the three-month period ended December 31, 2016. The effective tax rate was lower than the statutory rate primarily due to the dividends received deduction. On pretax loss of $135,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2015, the Company recorded an income tax benefit of $185,000 which was the net result of applying the effective tax rate anticipated for fiscal 2016 to pretax loss for the three months ended December 31, 2015. The Company’s effective tax rate was 17% and 137% for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
At December 31, 2016, the Company held marketable securities valued at $196,486,000, including net unrealized gains of $133,095,000, and accrued a liability of $52,070,000 for income taxes due only upon the sales of the net appreciated securities.
Comprehensive income includes net (loss) income and net increase in unrealized net gains on marketable securities, net of taxes, as summarized below:
| Comprehensive Income | ||||||
| Three months ended December 31 | ||||||
| 2016 | 2015 | |||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (1,471,000 | ) | $ | 50,000 | |
| Net increase in unrealized appreciation of marketable securities (net of taxes) | 15,019,000 | 5,927,000 | ||||
| $ | 13,548,000 | $ | 5,977,000 | |||
Daily Journal Corporation publishes newspapers and web sites covering California and Arizona, and produces several specialized information services. Journal Technologies, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary and supplies case management software systems and related products to courts and other justice agencies.
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Certain statements contained in this press release are “forward-looking” statements that involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future events or results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Words such as “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “should,” “believes,” “will,” “plans,” “estimates,” “may,” variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.