Cervus Equipment Corp. Announces First Quarter 2018 Results, $0.11 Increase in Adjusted Earnings per Share Driven by Ontario Transportation Performance

CALGARY, May 9, 2018 /CNW/ - Cervus Equipment Corporation ("Cervus" or the "Company") (TSX: CERV) today announced its financial results and operational highlights for the quarter ended March 31, 2018.

"I am pleased that the focused efforts of our dealership teams are reflected in the improved financial result for the quarter. Actions taken last year accelerated first quarter profitability in the Transportation segment, and our Agricultural segment set a first quarter record for equipment delivered to customers.  In addition, we completed the disposition of our construction dealerships," said Graham Drake, President and CEO of Cervus. "Looking forward, weather factors have shifted seeding activity into the second quarter of 2018, increasing second quarter parts and service opportunities in our Agriculture segment. Further, service optimization and process discipline continues to be a focus across the Company, and is a key factor in efficiently and profitably delivering on our customers' expectations."

Highlights of the Quarter:

• The Company generated $0.3 million in adjusted loss before income tax expense,⁽¹⁾ a $1.5 million improvement compared to $1.8 million of adjusted loss before income tax expense in the first quarter of 2017.
  
  
• The Company generated a loss of $0.1 million in the first quarter of 2018, a $1.5 million improvement compared to a loss of $1.6 million for the same period of 2017.
  
  
• The Company reported a loss per basic share of $(0.01) in the first quarter of 2018, a $0.09 per share improvement compared to a loss of $(0.10) per basic share in the first quarter of 2017.
  
  
• The Transportation segment achieved a $1.6 million improvement in adjusted income before income tax expense,⁽¹⁾ due to a $1.6 million improvement in the Ontario Transportation dealerships.
  
  
• The Company achieved record first quarter new equipment sales in the Agriculture segment, increasing 28% compared to the first quarter of 2017.
  
  
• The Company successfully completed the sale of its four Alberta-based construction dealerships, increasing alignment with scalable dealership operations.
  
  
• Selling, general, and administrative ("SG&A") as a percentage of revenue improved to 16.8% in the current quarter, compared to 17.8% in the first quarter of 2017.
  
  
• Dividends of $0.10 per share were declared to shareholders of record as of March 30, 2018.

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^(1)

These non-IFRS financial measures do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and are defined and reconciled to their most directly comparable IFRS measure within Cervus' Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 under the section "Non-IFRS Financial Measures", which is available electronically at www.sedar.com under Cervus' profile.

First Quarter 2018 Financial Highlights

Adjusted loss before income tax expense improved $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2018 compared to 2017. This was comprised of a $1.6 million increase in our Transportation segment, a $0.3 million increase in the Industrial segment, and a $0.5 million decrease in the Agricultural segment.⁽²⁾ Loss before income tax expense improved $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Within the Agricultural segment, loss before income tax expense increased $0.5 million compared to 2017. In our Agriculture segment, record farm profitability combined with focused sales efforts resulted in record first quarter equipment sales for Cervus, and is a positive indicator for the year. Weather conditions have shifted seeding activity into the second quarter of 2018, compared to 2017 when seeding was well underway within the first quarter. The shift in seeding activity has also shifted the revenue associated with parts and service support into the second quarter, with a corresponding impact on revenue and gross profit margin in the first quarter of 2018. At the time of writing, adequate seeding time remains in our geography, and the moisture which delayed seeding should ultimately be positive for producers.

Our Ontario transportation dealerships generated a $1.6 million improvement in adjusted loss before income tax expense in the quarter, the principal factor in Cervus' first quarter 2018 performance. Internal efficiency improvements combined with positive market demand facilitated the increase in segment performance quarter over quarter. The first quarter results for 2018 are positive, including increased gross profit percentage across all revenue streams in the Transportation segment, along with unchanged SG&A expenses despite a 11% increase in revenue.

Within our Industrial segment, service department revenue growth along with divisional expense control were the principal drivers of improved profitability, increasing adjusted income before income tax expense $0.3 million for the first quarter of 2018, compared to 2017. Reduced equipment sales in the quarter reflected the continued caution of customers, while efficiently maintaining and extending the service life of existing equipment contributed to the 23% increase in service revenue.

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⁽²⁾ Difference is due to rounding

Selected Financial Information

		Three month periods ended March 31
($ thousands, except per share amounts)		2018	% Change Compared to 2017	2017
Revenue		248,706	8%	231,110
Cost of sales		(206,913)	8%	(190,723)
Gross profit		41,793	3%	40,387
Other income		1,238	130%	539
Unrealized foreign exchange (loss) gain		(635)	(434%)	190
Total other income		603	(17%)	729
Selling, general and administrative expense		(41,687)	1%	(41,177)
Income (loss) from operating activities		709	1262%	(61)
Finance income		136	45%	94
Finance costs		(1,343)	(19%)	(1,649)
Loss before income tax expense		(498)	(69%)	(1,616)
Income tax recovery (expense)		353	2176%	(17)
Loss for the year		(145)	(91%)	(1,633)
Loss attributable to shareholders		(145)	(91%)	(1,628)
EBITDA^(1)		5,136	27%	4,052
EBITDA margin^(1)		2.1%		1.8%
Ratios as a percentage of revenue:
	Gross profit margin	16.8%		17.5%
	Selling, general and administrative	16.8%		17.8%
Loss per share
	Basic - adjusted^(1)	(0.00)	(100%)	(0.11)
	Basic	(0.01)	(90%)	(0.10)
	Diluted	(0.01)	(90%)	(0.10)
Reconciliation of adjusted loss before income tax expense:
Loss before income tax expense		(498)	(69%)	(1,616)
Adjustments:
	Unrealized foreign currency loss (gain)	635	(434%)	(190)
	(Gain) on sale of Commercial operations	(480)	100%	-
Adjusted loss before income tax expense^(1)		(343)	(81%)	(1,806)

(1)

These non-IFRS financial measures do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and are defined and reconciled to their most directly comparable IFRS measure within Cervus' Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 under the section "Non-IFRS Financial Measures", which is available electronically at www.sedar.com under Cervus' profile.

Conference Call Information

Cervus will host its first quarter 2018 results conference call on May 10, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Interested parties may access the conference call by dialing [phone] or 1-888-231-8191. Please connect approximately 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the call. The conference call will be archived for replay until Thursday, May 17, 2018 at midnight. To access the archived conference call, dial [phone] or 1-855-859-2056 and enter the reservation number 9777329 followed by the number sign.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at:  
https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1659111/1F0905F5C9B1E5DECEE7CBB1197874F9
Please connect at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be required to join the webcast. The webcast will be archived at the above website for 90 days.

About Cervus Equipment Corporation
Cervus acquires and operates authorized agricultural, transportation and materials handling equipment dealerships. The Company has interests in 62 dealerships in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, employing more than 1,500 people. The primary equipment brands represented by Cervus include John Deere agricultural equipment; Peterbilt transportation equipment; and Clark, Sellick, Doosan and JLG material handling equipment. The common shares of Cervus are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade under the symbol "CERV".

Forward Looking Information
This press release contains certain forward‐looking information ("forward‐looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward‐looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should" or similar words suggesting future outcomes. Forward‐looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and involves a number of assumptions and a number of risks and uncertainties some of which are described herein. These risks and uncertainties include the risks identified under the heading "Business Risks and Uncertainties" in the First Quarter 2018 Management Discussion & Analysis of Cervus Equipment Corporation dated May 8, 2018, available electronically at www.sedar.com under Cervus' profile. Cervus believes the expectations reflected in such forward‐looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward‐looking information should not be unduly relied upon. You are cautioned that the preceding list of assumptions and risks is not exhaustive. Any forward‐looking information is made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, Cervus assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such information to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise.

The Toronto Stock Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Cervus Equipment Corp.

Investor inquiries: Graham Drake - President & CEO, [phone], [email protected]; Adam Lowther - Chief Financial Officer, [phone], [email protected]