FirstCash Q4 2020 Earnings Report
Key Takeaways
FirstCash reported Q4 2020 earnings with revenue of $392.16 million and net income of $32.73 million. Diluted earnings per share were $0.79. The company added 137 stores during the year, including 22 U.S. stores in Q4, and repurchased $27 million of common stock in the fourth quarter.
Retail sales were stronger than expected with record high sales margins.
Pawn lending activity continued to recover.
Operating profitability improved significantly compared to the third quarter.
The company continued to invest in long-term growth, adding 137 stores during the year.
FirstCash
FirstCash
FirstCash Revenue by Segment
FirstCash Revenue by Geographic Location
Forward Guidance
Given continued uncertainties related to COVID-19, including the timeline for full reopening of the economies in the markets the Company serves and the related impacts from governmental responses, the Company is not currently providing earnings guidance.
Positive Outlook
- Solid pipeline of additional stores leased, under construction or completed and awaiting permits.
- Company expects 50 to 60 new store openings in 2021.
- There are significant opportunities for accretive consolidations, expansions and/or relocations of acquired small format stores in Mexico.
- Potential for 20 to 30 store consolidations and/or relocations in 2021 where the company can increase retail visibility with more attractive locations while also reducing costs and enhancing profitability.
- Opportunities to negotiate better long-term store leases in the current retail environment, and continue to acquire store real estate when it makes sense strategically and is financially accretive.
Challenges Ahead
- The extent to which COVID-19 continues to impact the Company’s operations will depend on future developments, which are uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence.
- Company also continues to experience COVID-19 related operating restrictions in certain Latin American markets.
- U.S. pawn loan demand dampened slightly in the first two weeks of January 2021, which the Company attributes to additional federal stimulus payments in late December and early January ($600 for most eligible people), which created additional short-term liquidity for many U.S. customers.
- Normalization of loan demand will likely be tempered in the short term.
- While inventory levels in both the U.S. and Latin America have generally stabilized, they remain below historical levels, which is expected to negatively impact 2021 retail sales compared to the prior year, especially in the first half of 2021.
Revenue & Expenses
Visualization of income flow from segment revenue to net income