Steve Cunningham
Analyst · Janney
Thank you, David, and good afternoon, everyone. As David mentioned in his remarks, our direct online-only business model, world-class analytics and technology, and deep organizational preparedness for a challenging economy have allowed us to react quickly to the uncertain economic environment facing our country. Our financial results this quarter reflect the outstanding work our team has done to stabilize portfolio credit risk while supporting our customers as well as our deep organizational operating and cost discipline. Our efficient operating model and resourceful culture have allowed us to avoid disruptive cost reduction programs, enabling us to maintain an unwavering operating focus while keeping key capabilities in place that will allow us to quickly reaccelerate our businesses as the economy stabilizes and recovers. These capabilities, in combination with our strong liquidity and balance sheet, provide us significant strategic flexibility as we accelerate origination expansion in the coming months. Also, as David and Noah mentioned, we are pleased to announce the acquisition of OnDeck. This combination will create a leading online financial services company with increased scale, diversified revenues, robust cash flows and greater flexibility to drive growth and profitability. We expect the capabilities of our combined organizations to create significant shareholder value opportunities over the next several years as we combine our operations, recognize synergies and drive meaningful EPS accretion. Let me start my comments with a liquidity update. We ended the second quarter with $379 million of cash and marketable securities, including $321 million unrestricted and had an additional $124 million of available capacity on our corporate revolver and $187 million of available capacity on other committed facilities. Our net cash flows from operations for the second quarter totaled $231 million as a result of solid customer payment rates that have returned to pre-COVID levels. In a reduced origination environment, we expect our cash position to grow even if we experience an unexpected increase in defaults, given the relatively short duration of our receivables, our revenue yields, and the frequency of contractual payments. We continue to believe our cash position, available facility capacity and portfolio repayment characteristics will provide us with a long runway of available liquidity before needing to raise new external funding, even when we return to levels of originations experienced in recent years. Now turning to second quarter results. Total company revenue from continuing operations decreased 2.5% to $253 million. The decline in revenue was driven by a 15% year-over-year decrease in total company combined loan and finance receivables balances, which ended the quarter at $823 million on an amortized cost basis. Sequentially, the portfolio declined 29%. As David mentioned, the decline in the portfolio during the quarter was driven primarily by our deliberate reduction in originations in the current economic environment. We expect limited marketing to new customers until lending reacceleration tests, that have started nearly 30 states across our footprint, reflect signs of credit stability and acceptable unit economics. As we stated previously, we are well positioned to rapidly reaccelerate originations as the economy stabilizes. The net revenue margin for the second quarter was 52%. The improvement in net revenue margin from the first quarter was driven primarily by the impact of stabilized credit quality on the fair value of the portfolio as payment rates, delinquency rates, hardship requests and charge-off rates all leveled off or improved. As you'll recall, the change in the fair value line item is driven mostly by changes to key valuation assumptions, including credit loss expectations, prepayment assumptions, and the discount rate. Key valuation assumptions for the portfolio at June 30 was largely unchanged from the first quarter, the sequential improvement in the net revenue margin in the fair value of the portfolio driven by improvements in the credit profile of the portfolio. For the second quarter, the total company ratio of net charge-offs as a percentage of average combined loan and finance receivables was 15.9% compared to 11.8% in the prior year quarter. The increase was driven by line of credit products, while the ratio for installment and RPA products was mostly unchanged from the same quarter a year ago. We saw a steady improvement during the quarter in total net charge-offs across the portfolio after net charge-off ratios peaked during April. In fact, the total company net charge-off ratio for the month of June, which is 4% higher than the same month a year ago. The percentage of total portfolio receivables past due 30 days or more declined to 4.5% at the end of the second quarter from 7.5% at the end of the first quarter, and from 5.2% at the end of the second quarter a year ago. We also saw meaningful declines in early-stage delinquencies during the second quarter. Even with the sharp decline in customer requests for modifications that peaked earlier in the quarter, receivables balances at the end of the second quarter tied to customers that we have granted requests for payment deferrals or modifications remains elevated across our businesses. While loans performing as agreed under modified plans are not considered delinquent, we expect customers that have received deferrals or modifications to present higher default risk than typical nondelinquent customers that continue to pay on time. As we did last quarter, we adjusted the fair value for these loans downward to reflect the increased risk. The discount rate used in the fair value calculation was unchanged from the prior quarter and remained at the high end of our range to reflect the uncertainty in the current economic environment and the uncertainty of additional government stimulus and benefits. To summarize fair value, we saw improvement in portfolio credit quality at the end of the second quarter and have maintained our approach to addressing future credit uncertainties arising from the level of modified accounts in the current economic environment. As a result, the fair value of the portfolio increased slightly to 104% of principal at June 30 from 103% at March 31. This is the primary reason for the meaningful improvement in our net revenue margin for the second quarter. As of late last week, we have seen a continuation of credit stability, payment rates, delinquency rates, hardship requests, and charge-off rates remain at pre-COVID levels, even if some government stimulus programs have wound down. Turning to operating expenses. Consistent with our expectations, total operating expenses for the second quarter, including marketing, were $42 million or 17% of revenue compared to $74 million or 29% of revenue in the second quarter of 2019. As we discussed last quarter, the operating leverage in our business model allows for rapid reductions in operating expenses during periods of reduced originations. Consistent with the deliberate reduction in originations, we ceased most paid marketing during the quarter. As a result, marketing expenses in the second quarter were just $3 million or 1% of revenue compared to $26 million or 10% of revenue in the second quarter of 2019. Similarly, operations and technology expenses declined 18% from the year ago quarter to $17 million or 7% of revenue compared to $20 million or 8% of revenue in the second quarter of 2019. General and administrative expenses for the second quarter declined 21% from the year ago quarter to $22 million or 9% of revenue compared to $28 million or 11% of revenue in the second quarter of the prior year. The reductions were driven by lower personnel-related costs. So nearly every category of G&A expense was lower by both year-over-year and sequentially. We expect total operating expenses, including marketing, to normalize in the mid upper 20% of revenue by the end of 2020, but this will be dependent upon the timing and level of marketing spend and the resumption of meaningful originations growth. Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, increased 45% year-over-year to $94 million in the first quarter for the reasons I've previously discussed. Our adjusted EBITDA margin increased to 37% from 25% in the second quarter of the prior year. Our stock-based compensation expense was $3.7 million in the second quarter, which compares to $3.3 million in the second quarter of 2019. 2020 is the first year where expense associated with the 2017 increase in the vesting period for restricted stock units is fully reflected, resulting in the year-over-year increase. Our effective tax rate was 27% in the second quarter, which increased from 23% for the second quarter of 2019. The increase in the effective tax rate was driven primarily by a reduced tax benefit from restricted stock units that vested during the second quarter at a price below the original grant price. We expect our normalized effective tax rate to remain in the mid- to upper 20% range, but also expect some near-term volatility depending on the trajectory of our future results. We recognized net income from continuing operations of $48 million or $1.58 per diluted share in the quarter compared to $31 million or $0.89 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2019. Adjusted earnings, a non-GAAP measure increased to $51 million or $1.68 per diluted share from $33 million or $0.97 per diluted share in the first quarter -- in the second quarter of the prior year. The trailing 12-month return on average shareholder equity, using adjusted earnings decreased to 27% during the second quarter from 30% a year ago. Our debt balance at the end of the quarter includes $163 million outstanding under our $350 million of combined installment loan securitization facilities. We had no borrowings outstanding under our $125 million corporate revolver. Our cost of funds for the second quarter declined to 7.97%, a 70 basis point decrease from the same quarter a year ago as we continue to recognize the cost benefits of transactions completed over the past several years as well as the benefit of lower market rates. The cost of funds improvement contributed nearly $2 million of pretax income this quarter. During the second quarter, we acquired nearly 1 million shares at a cost of approximately $13 million under our $75 million share repurchase program. And this was the case last quarter. We are not providing guidance for future periods at this time given the ongoing economic uncertainty. In conclusion, we are encouraged by our credit and financial performance this quarter and remain focused on prudently resuming growth by leveraging our world-class analytics and technology, proven approach to unit economics and solid balance sheet. We remain well positioned to generate long-term profitable growth as the economy stabilizes, loan demand recovers and we recognize the meaningful opportunities from our acquisition of OnDeck. And with that, we'd be happy to take your questions. Operator?