MANHATTAN BRIDGE CAPITAL, INC annual report, FY2012

Manhattan Bridge Capital, Inc. — 2012 Form 10-K

Reporting period: Fiscal year ended December 31, 2012. Although the request metadata says “2012 Q4,” this is an annual report, and the results below cover the full year. The company makes short-term, real-estate-secured loans to property investors, primarily in the New York metropolitan area.

Financial performance

Metric20122011Change
Revenue$1.816 million$1.400 million+29.7%
Income from operations$664,382$369,077+79.9%
Income before tax$691,930$448,406+54.3%
Net income$388,610$256,524+51.5%
Basic and diluted EPS$0.09$0.07Higher
Operating margin36.6%26.4%Improved
Net margin21.4%18.3%Improved

Revenue comprised $1.476 million of loan interest and $340,000 of origination fees. Interest and debt-service costs rose to $281,000 from $157,000 as the company used more borrowings to expand lending. General and administrative expense was broadly flat at $864,000. The effective income tax rate was approximately 44%.

Cash flow, liquidity and debt

  • Operating cash flow was $533,399, versus $381,297 in 2011. Investing activities used $4.210 million, principally reflecting loan originations net of collections; financing activities provided $3.695 million.
  • Cash was $240,693 at year-end. Working capital was approximately $5.582 million, down from $5.763 million; current assets were $11.443 million and current liabilities $5.860 million.
  • Year-end borrowings totaled approximately $5.399 million: $1.399 million in short-term loans, $3.5 million drawn on the Sterling National Bank line, and $500,000 of senior secured notes. The notes mature in December 2013 and bear 6.63% interest. Stockholders’ equity was $8.479 million.
  • After year-end, the Sterling credit line was increased from $3.5 million to $5 million, on the same terms, with a personal guarantee from CEO Assaf Ran. Management said cash, the line and operating cash flow were expected to fund operations for the next 12 months.

Lending activity and material changes

  • The company originated $15.174 million of loans in 2012 and collected $10.963 million, compared with $8.513 million originated and $7.254 million collected in 2011. Year-end loans receivable totaled $13.624 million: $11.023 million short term and $2.602 million long term.
  • Loans were generally one-year, interest-only loans with balloon repayments, stated rates of 12%–15%, and real estate collateral; personal guarantees were generally obtained. The company also had $2.010 million of conditional construction-loan commitments.
  • Several loans remained outstanding beyond their original maturity dates, including loans originally due from 2009 through 2012. Borrowers were paying interest, and management reported no impairment or loan-loss provision at year-end. The filing says no loans had defaulted or proved uncollectible to date.
  • The company adopted a buyback program authorizing up to 100,000 shares. Item 5 reports 23,900 shares repurchased during 2012 for about $25,965; the financial-statement note instead reports 26,400 shares at an aggregate cost of about $28,600.
  • Net income growth outpaced revenue growth, while interest costs increased. Other income declined to $27,548 from $79,329, reflecting reduced fees from options to repurchase real estate acquired in 2011.

Outlook, risks and unusual items

  • Management’s stated growth focus was expanding commercial lending and pursuing additional bank loans and lines of credit. The filing provides no quantitative earnings or revenue guidance.
  • Key risks include concentrated exposure to real estate and the New York metropolitan area, collateral-value declines, borrower refinancing and balloon-payment risk, construction-loan risk, economic downturns, rising funding costs, and competition that may pressure loan pricing. Access to financing is important to growth.
  • The shareholder derivative action concerning the CEO’s restricted-stock award was subject to court approval of a settlement. The company agreed to continue certain governance practices and potentially pay plaintiffs’ counsel fees capped at $80,000; the company expected insurance to cover any awarded fees. A final hearing was scheduled for April 2, 2013.
  • CEO Ran’s guarantee supported the bank line; he also made short-term loans to the company during 2012, which were repaid by year-end. The company depends substantially on his continued services, and insiders beneficially owned 62.24% of the common stock as of March 22, 2013.
  • The independent auditor issued an unqualified opinion on the financial statements. Management concluded disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting were effective at December 31, 2012; the auditor did not audit internal controls.

Important facts for investors to verify

  • Reconcile the share-repurchase discrepancy: 23,900 shares in Item 5 versus 26,400 in the financial-statement note, and confirm the cash cost.
  • Review the aging, extensions, collateral valuations and subsequent collections of loans past original maturity; the filing reports no impairment despite these extensions.
  • Confirm the status and terms of the $5 million Sterling line, its covenants, borrowing costs, utilization and CEO guarantee, as well as repayment or refinancing of the $500,000 notes due in December 2013.
  • Check the court’s final approval and disposition of the derivative-action settlement and any resulting fees.
  • Assess the concentration and performance of the loan portfolio, construction commitments, and the company’s ability to sustain origination growth without increasing credit losses or funding pressure.