ARKO REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2021 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Operating Income Increases $21.2 million (+265%)

RICHMOND, VA, May 13, 2021 – ARKO Corp. (Nasdaq: ARKO) (“ARKO” or the “Company”), a growing leader in the U.S. convenience store industry, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021.

 

First Quarter 2021 Key Highlights

Operating income of $13.2 million for the quarter versus an operating loss of $8.0 million in first quarter of 2020
Net loss for the quarter of $14.7 million compared to a net loss of $12.9 million for the first quarter 2020
Net loss for first quarter 2021 includes $12.1 million for interest expense primarily related to non-cash fair value adjustments for warrants along with one-time $4.5 million in additional interest for the early redemption of the Israeli Bonds (Series C)
Adjusted EBITDA of $42.3 million, an increase of $25.4 million, or 150%, versus the prior year period, with Empire contributing approximately $13 million of the increase
Same store merchandise sales increase of 6.0% compared to the prior year period while merchandise margin increased 130 basis points to 27.4% from 26.1%
Same store merchandise sales excluding cigarettes increase of 9.2% compared to the prior year period
Eliminating the extra day in 2020 due to the leap year, same store merchandise sales increased by 7.2% and same store merchandise sales excluding cigarettes increased by 10.4% as compared to the first quarter of 2020
Retail fuel margin cents per gallon increase of 22% to 32.1 cents per gallon; same store fuel gallons sold declined by 13.8%
DoorDash delivery partnership continues its expansion, now operating in more than 625, or nearly half, of all Company-operated stores
Empire added 14 new dealers during the quarter

 

“We are pleased to report another quarter of strong financial results in spite of what remains a challenging operating environment a full year since the start of the pandemic,” said Arie Kotler, Chief Executive Officer of ARKO. “We continue making progress on several of our core growth initiatives, including having launched our remodel program, while at the same time, making solid headway on the Empire integration. In addition, we have continued to build upon our strong record of acquisitions through our planned purchase of approximately 60 sites from ExpressStop, and just recently, we announced an agreement with Oak Street Real Estate Capital, LLC under which they agreed to purchase up to $1 billion dollars in real estate to assist with our planned future growth. I’m very proud of the dedication of our team and the profitable growth momentum of the business demonstrated in the first quarter of 2021 as we continue our journey as one of the largest and most successful convenience store operators in the country.”

 

First Quarter 2021 Segment Highlights

 


 

 

Retail

 

For the three months ended March 31,

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Fuel gallons sold

 

226,112

 

 

 

234,815

 

Same store fuel gallons sold decrease (%) 1

 

(13.8

%)

 

 

(7.4

%)

Fuel margin, cents per gallon 2

 

32.1

 

 

 

26.3

 

Merchandise revenue

$

359,281

 

 

$

323,679

 

Same store merchandise sales increase (%) 1

 

6.0

%

 

 

0.2

%

Same store merchandise sales excluding cigarettes increase (decrease) (%) 1

 

9.2

%

 

 

(0.5

%)

Merchandise contribution 3

$

98,527

 

 

$

84,588

 

Merchandise margin 4

 

27.4

%

 

 

26.1

%

 

1 Same store is a common metric used in the convenience store industry.  We consider a store a same store beginning in the first quarter in which the store has a full quarter of activity in the prior year. Refer to “Use of Non-GAAP Measures” below for discussion of this measure.

 

2 Calculated as fuel revenue less fuel costs divided by fuel gallons sold; excludes the estimated fixed margin paid to GPMP for the cost of fuel.

 

3 Calculated as merchandise revenue less merchandise costs.

 

4 Calculated as merchandise contribution divided by merchandise revenue.

Same store merchandise sales increased 6.0% for the quarter and 9.2% excluding cigarettes as compared to the first quarter of 2020. Adjusting to eliminate the extra day in 2020 due to the leap year, same store merchandise sales increased by 7.2% and same store merchandise sales excluding cigarettes increased by 10.4%. Total merchandise contribution increased $13.9 million for the quarter compared to the prior year due to the same store revenue growth coupled with a 130-basis point increase in merchandise margin along with a $6.8 million increase as a result of the Empire acquisition.

 

For the first quarter of 2021, retail fuel profitability (excluding intercompany charges by our wholesale fuel distribution subsidiary, GPM Petroleum LP (“GPMP”)) increased approximately $10.8 million compared to the prior year period primarily due to the $10.5 million contribution from the Empire acquisition. Higher retail fuel margin cents per gallon increased 22% to 32.1 cents per gallon; same store gallons sold declined by 13.8% as compared to the first quarter of 2020 primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Wholesale

 

 

For the three months ended March 31,

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Fuel gallons sold – non-consignment agent locations

 

183,645

 

 

 

7,527

 

Fuel gallons sold – consignment agent locations

 

37,911

 

 

 

5,589

 

Fuel margin, cents per gallon1 – non-consignment agent locations

 

5.1

 

 

 

6.0

 

Fuel margin, cents per gallon1 – consignment agent locations

 

21.9

 

 

 

19.1

 

 

 


 

1 Calculated as fuel revenue less fuel costs divided by fuel gallons sold; excludes the estimated fixed margin paid to GPMP for the cost of fuel.

 

For the first quarter of 2021, wholesale fuel profitability (excluding intercompany charges by GPMP) increased approximately $16.2 million compared to the prior year period, with the Empire acquisition accounting for $16.0 million of the growth. Fuel contribution from non-consignment agent locations grew by $8.9 million compared to the prior year due to a 176 million gallon increase in fuel volume. Fuel margin cents per gallon for these locations decreased 0.9 cents versus the first quarter of 2020. The decrease in the margin was due to the inclusion of Empire non-consignment sales, which included spot market sales and longer-term contracts which generally are at a lower margin.

 

Fuel contribution from consignment agent locations grew $7.3 million compared to the prior year due to quarter over quarter increases in both volume of 32 million gallons and fuel margin, cents per gallon of 2.8 cents. Although volume sold through consignment locations aggregated 17% of the combined total, fuel margin dollars realized accounted for approximately 47% of the fuel margin dollar contribution.

 

Liquidity and Capital Expenditures

 

As of March 31, 2021, the Company’s total liquidity was approximately $457 million, consisting of cash and cash equivalents of $205.0 million, plus $31.8 million of restricted investments, and approximately $220 million of unused availability under lines of credit. Outstanding debt was $674.3 million, resulting in net debt of $437.5 million. Capital expenditures were $17.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $12.1 million for the prior year period.

Store Network Update

 

The following tables present certain information regarding changes in the store network for the periods presented:

 

For the three months ended March 31,

 

Retail Segment

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of sites at beginning of period.................................................

 

1,330

 

 

 

1,272

 

Company-controlled sites converted to................................................

 

 

 

 

 

   consignment locations and independent and lessee dealers, net.........

 

 

 

 

(1

)

Closed, relocated or divested sites......................................................

 

(6

)

 

 

 

Number of sites at end of period.........................................................

 

1,324

 

 

 

1,271

 

 

 

For the three months ended March 31,

 

Wholesale Segment

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of sites at beginning of period.................................................

 

1,614

 

 

 

128

 

Newly opened or reopened sites..........................................................

 

14

 

 

 

 

Consignment locations or independent and lessee

 

 

 

 

 

   dealers converted from Company-controlled sites, net.......................

 

 

 

 

1

 

Closed, relocated or divested sites......................................................

 

(3

)

 

 

(1

)

Number of sites at end of period.........................................................

 

1,625

 

 

 

128

 

 

 


 

Conference Call and Webcast Details

 

The Company will host a conference call to discuss these results today at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Investors interested in participating in the live call can dial 877-605-1792 or 201-689-8728. A telephone replay will be available approximately two hours after the call concludes through May 27, 2021, by dialing 877-660-6853 or 201-612-7415 and entering confirmation code 13718973.

 

There will also be a simultaneous, live webcast available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://www.arkocorp.com/. The webcast will be archived for 30 days.

 

About ARKO Corp.

 

ARKO Corp. (Nasdaq: ARKO) owns 100% of GPM Investments, LLC (“GPM”). Based in Richmond, VA, GPM was founded in 2003 with 169 stores and has grown through acquisitions to become the 7th largest convenience store chain in the United States, operating or supplying fuel to approximately 2,950 locations in 33 states and the District of Columbia, comprised of approximately 1,325 company-operated stores and approximately 1,625 dealer sites to which we supply fuel. We operate in three reportable segments: retail, which consists of fuel and merchandise sales to retail consumers; wholesale, which supplies fuel to third-party dealers and consignment agents; and GPMP, which supplies fuel to our sites (both in the retail and wholesale segments). Our stores offer fas REWARDS® high value loyalty program, a large selection of beverages, coffee, fountain drinks, candy, salty snacks, and many other products to meet the needs of the everyday customer.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This document includes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may address, among other things, our expected financial and operational results and the related assumptions underlying our expected results. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to, among other things, changes in economic, business and market conditions; our ability to maintain the listing of our common stock and warrants on the Nasdaq Stock Market; changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans; expansion plans and opportunities; changes in the markets in which we compete; changes in applicable laws or regulations, including those relating to environmental matters; market conditions and global and economic factors beyond our control, including the potential adverse effects of the ongoing global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on capital markets, general economic conditions, unemployment and our liquidity, operations and personnel; and the outcome of any known or unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings. Detailed information about these factors and additional important factors can be found in the documents that ARKO files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, such as Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements were made. ARKO assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

 

Media Contact

 


 

 

Andrew Petro

Matter on behalf of ARKO

(978) 518-4531

apetro@matternow.com

 

Investor Contact

 

Chris Mandeville

ARKO@icrinc.com

 

 


 

 

Consolidated statements of operations

 

 

 

 

 

For the three months ended March 31,

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

   Fuel revenue

$

1,102,947

 

 

$

563,041

 

   Merchandise revenue

 

359,281

 

 

 

323,679

 

   Other revenues, net

 

22,128

 

 

 

13,160

 

Total revenues

 

1,484,356

 

 

 

899,880

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

   Fuel costs

 

1,012,798

 

 

 

499,803

 

   Merchandise costs

 

260,754

 

 

 

239,091

 

Store operating expenses

 

144,938

 

 

 

128,830

 

General and administrative expenses

 

26,713

 

 

 

18,893

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

24,242

 

 

 

17,071

 

Total operating expenses

 

1,469,445

 

 

 

903,688

 

Other expenses, net

 

1,672

 

 

 

4,176

 

Operating income (loss)

 

13,239

 

 

 

(7,984

)

   Interest and other financial income

 

2,407

 

 

 

3,245

 

   Interest and other financial expenses

 

(31,024

)

 

 

(9,896

)

Loss before income taxes

 

(15,378

)

 

 

(14,635

)

   Income tax benefit

 

722

 

 

 

2,011

 

   Loss from equity investee

 

(6

)

 

 

(233

)

Net loss

$

(14,662

)

 

$

(12,857

)

Less: Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests

 

74

 

 

 

(2,401

)

Net loss attributable to ARKO Corp.

$

(14,736

)

 

$

(10,456

)

Series A redeemable preferred stock dividends

 

(1,402

)

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to common shareholders

$

(16,138

)

 

 

 

Net loss per share attributable to common
   shareholders - basic and diluted

$

(0.13

)

 

$

(0.16

)

Weighted average shares outstanding:

 

 

 

 

 

  Basic and Diluted

 

124,361

 

 

 

66,731

 

 


 

 

 Consolidated balance sheets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31, 2021

 

 

December 31, 2020

 

 

 (in thousands)

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

   Cash and cash equivalents

$

204,986

 

 

$

293,666

 

   Restricted cash with respect to bonds

 

 

 

 

1,230

 

   Restricted cash

 

18,017

 

 

 

16,529

 

   Trade receivables, net

 

57,597

 

 

 

46,940

 

   Inventory

 

171,123

 

 

 

163,686

 

   Other current assets

 

80,425

 

 

 

87,355

 

Total current assets

 

532,148

 

 

 

609,406

 

Non-current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

   Property and equipment, net

 

493,420

 

 

 

491,513

 

   Right-of-use assets under operating leases

 

947,568

 

 

 

961,561

 

   Right-of-use assets under financing leases, net

 

203,706

 

 

 

198,317

 

   Goodwill

 

173,937

 

 

 

173,937

 

   Intangible assets, net

 

212,144

 

 

 

218,132

 

   Restricted investments

 

31,825

 

 

 

31,825

 

   Non-current restricted cash with respect to bonds

 

 

 

 

1,552

 

   Equity investment

 

2,612

 

 

 

2,715

 

   Deferred tax asset

 

42,345

 

 

 

40,655

 

   Other non-current assets

 

10,849

 

 

 

10,196

 

Total assets

$

2,650,554

 

 

$

2,739,809

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

   Long-term debt, current portion

$

29,495

 

 

$

40,988

 

   Accounts payable

 

172,910

 

 

 

155,714

 

   Other current liabilities

 

108,021

 

 

 

133,637

 

   Operating leases, current portion

 

49,590

 

 

 

48,878

 

   Financing leases, current portion

 

7,598

 

 

 

7,834

 

Total current liabilities

 

367,614

 

 

 

387,051

 

Non-current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

   Long-term debt, net

 

644,764

 

 

 

708,802

 

   Asset retirement obligation

 

53,351

 

 

 

52,964

 

   Operating leases

 

961,621

 

 

 

973,695

 

   Financing leases

 

233,575

 

 

 

226,440

 

   Deferred tax liability

 

2,663

 

 

 

2,816

 

   Other non-current liabilities

 

107,644

 

 

 

96,621

 

Total liabilities

 

2,371,232

 

 

 

2,448,389

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Series A redeemable preferred stock

 

100,000

 

 

 

100,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders' equity:

 

 

 

 

 

   Common stock

 

12

 

 

 

12

 

   Additional paid-in capital

 

214,727

 

 

 

212,103

 

   Accumulated other comprehensive income

 

9,119

 

 

 

9,119

 

   Accumulated deficit

 

(44,389

)

 

 

(29,653

)

Total shareholders' equity

 

179,469

 

 

 

191,581

 

   Non-controlling interest

 

(147

)

 

 

(161

)

Total equity

 

179,322

 

 

 

191,420

 

Total liabilities, redeemable preferred stock and equity

$

2,650,554

 

 

$

2,739,809

 

 

 


 

 

Consolidated statements of cash flows

 

 

For the three months ended
 March 31,

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss

$

(14,662

)

 

$

(12,857

)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by
   operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

24,242

 

 

 

17,071

 

Deferred income taxes

 

(1,843

)

 

 

389

 

Loss on disposal of assets and impairment charges

 

1,375

 

 

 

3,382

 

Foreign currency gain

 

(1,042

)

 

 

(2,874

)

Amortization of deferred financing costs, debt discount and premium

 

(185

)

 

 

1,780

 

Amortization of deferred income

 

(2,484

)

 

 

(2,380

)

Accretion of asset retirement obligation

 

445

 

 

 

327

 

Non-cash rent

 

1,771

 

 

 

1,801

 

Charges to allowance for credit losses

 

141

 

 

 

49

 

Loss from equity investment

 

6

 

 

 

233

 

Share-based compensation

 

1,026

 

 

 

127

 

Fair value adjustment of financial assets and liabilities

 

11,049

 

 

 

(418

)

Other operating activities, net

 

224

 

 

 

 

Changes in assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

(Increase) decrease in trade receivables

 

(10,798

)

 

 

7,732

 

(Increase) decrease in inventory

 

(7,437

)

 

 

17,402

 

Decrease in other assets

 

7,688

 

 

 

4,737

 

Increase (decrease) in accounts payable

 

17,309

 

 

 

(10,996

)

Decrease in other current liabilities

 

(15,829

)

 

 

(966

)

Decrease in asset retirement obligation

 

(89

)

 

 

(36

)

Increase (decrease) in non-current liabilities

 

369

 

 

 

(591

)

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

11,276

 

 

 

23,912

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase of property and equipment

 

(17,525

)

 

 

(12,048

)

Purchase of intangible assets

 

 

 

 

(30

)

Proceeds from sale of property and equipment

 

880

 

 

 

 

Business acquisitions, net of cash

 

 

 

 

(320

)

Loans to equity investment

 

 

 

 

(143

)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(16,645

)

 

 

(12,541

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Lines of credit, net

 

 

 

 

(39,364

)

Repayment of related-party loans

 

 

 

 

(4,517

)

Receipt of long-term debt, net

 

1,115

 

 

 

156,694

 

Repayment of debt

 

(75,963

)

 

 

(41,722

)

Principal payments on financing leases

 

(1,990

)

 

 

(2,124

)

Investment of non-controlling interest in subsidiary

 

 

 

 

19,325

 

Payment of Merger Transaction issuance costs

 

(4,686

)

 

 

 

Dividends paid on redeemable preferred stock

 

(1,559

)

 

 

 

Distributions to non-controlling interests

 

(60

)

 

 

(2,375

)

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

 

(83,143

)

 

 

85,917

 

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

(88,512

)

 

 

97,288

 

Effect of exchange rate on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

(1,462

)

 

 

(1,306

)

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period

 

312,977

 

 

 

52,763

 

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

$

223,003

 

 

$

148,745

 

 

 


 

 

Use of Non-GAAP Measures

We disclose non-GAAP measures on a “same store basis,” which exclude the results of any store that is not a “same store” for the applicable period. A store is considered a same store beginning in the first quarter in which the store has a full quarter of activity in the prior year. We believe that this information provides greater comparability regarding our ongoing operating performance. These measures should not be considered an alternative to measurements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and are non-GAAP financial measures.

We define EBITDA as net income (loss) before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA further adjusts EBITDA by excluding the gain or loss on disposal of assets, impairment charges, acquisition costs, other non-cash items, and other unusual or non-recurring charges. None of EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA are presented in accordance with GAAP and are non-GAAP financial measures.

We use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for operational and financial decision-making and believe these measures are useful in evaluating our performance because they eliminate certain items that we do not consider indicators of our operating performance. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are also used by many of our investors, securities analysts, and other interested parties in evaluating our operational and financial performance across reporting periods. We believe that the presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors by allowing an understanding of key measures that we use internally for operational decision-making, budgeting, evaluating acquisition targets, and assessing our operating performance.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized terms under GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for net income (loss), cash flows from operating activities, or other income or cash flow statement data. These measures have limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. We strongly encourage investors to review our financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, same stores measures, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, as defined by us, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. It therefore may not be possible to compare our use of these non-GAAP financial measures with those used by other companies.

The following table contains a reconciliation of net loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented:

 


 

 

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA

 

 

For the three months ended March 31,

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Net loss

$

(14,662

)

 

$

(12,857

)

Interest and other financing expenses, net

 

28,617

 

 

 

6,651

 

Income tax benefit

 

(722

)

 

 

(2,011

)

Depreciation and amortization

 

24,242

 

 

 

17,071

 

EBITDA

 

37,475

 

 

 

8,854

 

Non-cash rent expense (a)

 

1,771

 

 

 

1,801

 

Acquisition costs (b)

 

611

 

 

 

1,500

 

Loss on disposal of assets and impairment charges (c)

 

1,375

 

 

 

3,382

 

Share-based compensation expense (d)

 

1,026

 

 

 

127

 

Loss from equity investment (e)

 

6

 

 

 

233

 

Fuel taxes paid in arrears (f)

 

 

 

 

1,050

 

Other (g)

 

39

 

 

 

(13

)

Adjusted EBITDA

$

42,303

 

 

$

16,934

 

 

(a)
Eliminates the non-cash portion of rent, which reflects the extent to which our GAAP rent expense recognized exceeds (or is less than) our cash rent payments. The GAAP rent expense adjustment can vary depending on the terms of our lease portfolio, which has been impacted by our recent acquisitions. For newer leases, our rent expense recognized typically exceeds our cash rent payments, while for more mature leases, rent expense recognized is typically less than our cash rent payments.
(b)
Eliminates costs incurred that are directly attributable to historical business acquisitions and salaries of employees whose primary job function is to execute our acquisition strategy and facilitate integration of acquired operations.
(c)
Eliminates the non-cash loss (gain) from the sale of property and equipment, the gain recognized upon the sale of related leased assets and impairment charges on property and equipment and right-of-use assets related to closed and non-performing stores.
(d)
Eliminates non-cash share-based compensation expense related to the equity incentive program in place to incentivize, retain, and motivate our employees, certain non-employees and members of our Board.
(e)
Eliminates our share of loss attributable to our unconsolidated equity investment.
(f)
Eliminates the payment of historical fuel tax liabilities owed for multiple prior periods.
(g)
Eliminates other unusual or non-recurring items that we do not consider to be meaningful in assessing operating performance.