March 2023 - Page 10 of 14

Release – Energy Fuels Announces 2022 Results; Emerging as the Leading US Producer of Critical Minerals with Focus on Uranium and Rare Earth Elements

Posted on March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 by aweinsoff@channelchek.com

Webcast on March 10, 2023

Preparing multiple uranium mines for production, completing profitable sales & developing rare earth refining capacity to power up to 1 million EVs per year by late-2023 or early-2024, while strengthening the balance sheet and avoiding debt.

LAKEWOOD, Colo., March 8, 2023 /CNW/ – Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) (“Energy Fuels” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2022. The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC“) and may be viewed on the Electronic Document Gathering and Retrieval System (“EDGAR“) at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml, on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (“SEDAR“) at www.sedar.com, and on the Company’s website at www.energyfuels.com. Unless noted otherwise, all dollar amounts are in U.S. dollars.

Financial Highlights:

At December 31, 2022, the Company had a robust balance sheet with $116.97 million of working capital, including $62.80 million of cash and cash equivalents, $12.19 million of marketable securities, $38.16 million of inventory, and no debt. At current commodity prices, the Company’s product inventory has a value of $62.48 million;
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company incurred a net loss of $59.85 million or $0.38 per share, due in large part to: i) a non-cash mark-to-market loss on investments accounted for at fair value of $16.90 million; ii) increased expenses associated with preparing four(4) of our uranium mines for production; iii) development expenses associated with developing commercial rare earth element (“REE“) separation capabilities in addition to our existing mixed REE carbonate (“RE Carbonate“) commercial production capabilities; (iv) expenses associated with advancing our medical isotope initiatives;(v) increased selling, general and administrative expenses arising from costs associated with acquiring the South Bahia monazite sand project in Brazil (the “Bahia Project“) and costs associated with the sale of the Company’s Alta Mesa in situ recovery (“ISR“) project in Texas; and (vi) increased other selling, general and administrative expenses associated with significant additions to personnel, enhanced business processes, and other general and administrative expenses required to support all these increased levels of activity.
The Company held 1,027,000 pounds of finished uranium (“U₃O₈“) inventory at year end, along with approximately 985,000 pounds of finished vanadium (“V₂O₅“) inventory. At March 8, 2023, following sale and purchase transactions discussed below, the Company held 847,000 pounds of U₃O₈ and approximately 945,000 pounds of V₂O₅ inventory.

Uranium Highlights:

During 2022, the Company produced 162,000 pounds of U₃O₈ at its White Mesa Mill in Utah (the “Mill“) and remains the largest producer of uranium in the U.S.
During 2022, the Company was awarded four (4) new uranium supply contracts, with deliveries beginning in 2023, of which three (3) are long-term contracts with U.S. nuclear utilities and one (1) is with the U.S. government to supply the newly established strategic U.S. Uranium Reserve (“U.S. Uranium Reserve“).
In January 2023, the Company completed the sale of 300,000 pounds of U.S.-origin U₃O₈ to the U.S. Uranium Reserve realizing total gross proceeds of $18.47 million, or $61.57 per pound of U₃O₈, resulting in an expected margin of approximately $35.85 per pound of uranium.
During Q4-2022 and Q1-2023, the Company purchased a total of 301,052 pounds. of U.S.-origin U₃O₈ on the spot market for a weighted-average price of $50.08 per pound.
During 2022, the Company made significant progress in preparing four (4) of its conventional uranium and uranium/vanadium mines to be ready to resume uranium ore production, including significant workforce expansion and performing needed rehabilitation of surface and underground infrastructure.
On February 15, 2023, the Company announced it had completed its previously announced sale of its Alta Mesa ISR Project to enCore Energy Corp. (“enCore“) for total consideration of $120 million, comprised of $60 million in cash and $60 million in a secured convertible note bearing interest at a rate of eight percent (8%) per annum, convertible into common shares of enCore at a price of $2.9103 per share. This sale of a lower priority project provides Energy Fuels with significant additional cash and working capital, enabling the Company to ramp-up its US industry-leading uranium and REE production, while avoiding dilution to shareholders.

Rare Earth Element Highlights:

During 2022, the Company produced approximately 205 metric tons (“MT“) of high-purity, partially separated RE Carbonate from monazite, containing approximately 95 MT of total rare earth oxides (“TREO“), which is the most advanced REE material being produced commercially in the U.S. today. In Q4-2022, the Company received approximately 600 MT of monazite, which is expected to be processed into 375 to 485 MT of RE Carbonate, containing 175 to 225 MT or TREO, during 2023.
In early 2023, the Company began modifying and enhancing its existing solvent extraction (“SX“) circuits at the Mill to be able to produce separated REE oxides (“Phase 1“). “Phase 1” is expected to be completed and fully commissioned by late 2023 or early 2024 and have the capacity to produce roughly 800 to 1,000 MT of recoverable separated neodymium-praseodymium (“NdPr“) oxide per year, subject to securing sufficient monazite feed, or enough to provide the permanent magnets to power up to 1 million electric vehicles (“EVs“) per year, which is expected to position the Company as one of the world’s leading producers of NdPr outside of China. “Phase 1” capital costs are expected to total approximately $25 million. The Company is also proceeding with engineering on further enhancements to expand NdPr production capability (“Phase 2“) by 2026 and to produce separated dysprosium (“Dy“), terbium (“Tb“) and potentially other REE materials in the future (“Phase 3“) from monazite and potentially other REE process streams by 2027.
On February 13, 2023, the Company announced it had completed its previously announced acquisition of a large heavy mineral project in Brazil (the “Bahia Project“), which has the potential to supply the Company’s growing REE business with significant quantities of REE-bearing natural monazite sand for decades. The Bahia Project also contains significant quantities of high-value titanium (ilmenite and rutile) and zirconium (zircon) minerals.
The Company is currently in active discussions with several additional suppliers of natural monazite around the world to significantly increase the supply of feed for our growing REE initiative.

Vanadium Highlights:

During 2022, the Company sold approximately 642,000 pounds of existing V₂O₅ inventory (as ferrovanadium, “FeV“), for an average weighted net price of $13.67 per pound of V₂O₅.

Medical Isotope Highlights:

The Company continued advancing its program to evaluate the potential to recover radioisotopes from its process streams for use in emerging targeted alpha therapy (“TAT“) cancer therapeutics.

Mark S. Chalmers, Energy Fuels’ President and CEO, stated:

“2022 was an extraordinary year for Energy Fuels as we expanded our US industry-leading uranium business and established a new, sustainable US rare earth supply chain that is already commercially producing the most advanced rare earth material in the US today. We believe we have clearly emerged as one of the leading U.S. critical mineral companies, producing many of the raw materials needed for the clean energy transition.

“In 2022, positive uranium market fundamentals were magnified by concerns over security of supply, potentially creating new market dynamics for nuclear fuel. Nations around the world are embracing nuclear, as it provides clean, carbon-free electricity on a 24/7 basis, making it indispensable in the fight against climate change. Existing uranium mines globally are depleting, and underinvestment in new mines globally over the past several years could cause supply shortfalls in the coming years. These market fundamentals alone are the best I’ve seen in decades. Then, just over a year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. Regrettably, the world has allowed Russian state-owned entities to exert disproportionate influence over global uranium and nuclear fuel supply chains over the past several years. Our company has been a leader warning about the inherent risks of such dependence since at least 2017. Most governments and utilities are taking concrete action to stop funding Russia’s war effort in Ukraine through uranium and nuclear fuel purchases. Energy Fuels continues to stand ready to supply and increase the availability of secure, US-produced uranium.

“We have been very active in the uranium space over the past year. In 2022, we began readying several of our conventional uranium and uranium/vanadium mines for production. We have hired about 30 people, and we are making the investments required to put one or more of these facilities into production as soon as later this year. We were also the only U.S. company to produce material quantities of uranium in 2022, having produced 162,000 pounds during Q4-2022, far more than any other company in the U.S. We are proud to have had the opportunity to sell 300,000 pounds of U.S.-produced uranium to the newly established strategic U.S. Uranium Reserve, which is a small but important step in re-establishing the U.S. nuclear fuel capabilities that will allow us to reduce our reliance on Russian uranium imports. We also have another 260,000 pounds of uranium deliveries to a U.S. utility later this year. Our strong uranium inventory position, which currently sits at 847,000 pounds along with another approximately 351,000 pounds contained in ore on the pad at the Mill, together with planned production, will allow us to meet contract deliveries over the life of those contracts, while also providing the flexibility to sell into the spot market and sign new long-term contracts under favorable market conditions.

“2022 was also an incredible year for our rare earth business. No other company is making progress like Energy Fuels in the rare earth space. We continued to produce and optimize our production of partially separated mixed RE Carbonate, though we produced less than expected due to a delay in deliveries that pushed late-2022 production into early-2023. We announced that we are beginning development of a rare earth separation circuit at the Mill that is expected to be commissioned in late-2023 or early-2024. Once operational, this circuit will have the capacity to produce up to 1,000 MT of refined NdPr oxide per year, or enough for up to one million EVs per year. We are also securing the monazite required to feed our rare earth infrastructure, including our recent acquisition of the Bahia Project — a large rare earth, titanium and zirconium project in Brazil — with additional third-party purchases of monazite from Chemours and others expected to be in the pipeline. Today, Energy Fuels’ mixed RE Carbonate is already the most advanced rare earth material commercially produced in the U.S. If we continue to be successful, no other U.S. company will be producing commercial quantities of refined NdPr products ready for offtake as quickly as Energy Fuels.

“We opportunistically sold some of our vanadium inventory in 2022, and we are looking to potentially sell more with V₂O₅ prices gaining strength recently. Further, our medical isotope initiative is continuing to progress well, and we hope to have more announcements on this very soon.

“Finally, we continue to manage our cash, assets, and working capital to achieve all these heightened initiatives. We take pride in maintaining a strong balance sheet and maintaining the flexibility to do big things. At the end of 2022, we had about $117 million of working capital, with inventories considerably worth more if you apply today’s market prices for uranium and vanadium. In January 2023, we completed the sale of 300,000 pounds of U₃O₈ to the U.S. Department of Energy for $18.5M. In February 2023, we closed on the sale of our Alta Mesa property in Texas, adding another $120 million to our treasury. Of this, $60 million is in cash and $60 million is in a convertible note bearing interest at eight percent per annum, or about $4.8 million per year.

“We accomplished a great deal over the past year, but this is just the beginning. We have market, geopolitical, and societal tailwinds behind all the commodities we produce, and we fully intend to continue building our critical mineral processes and capabilities. We look forward to providing more updates on future milestones as we achieve them in the weeks and months to come.”

Webcast at 11:00 am ET on March 10, 2023:

Energy Fuels will be hosting a video webcast on March 10, 2023 at 11:00 1m ET (9:00 am MT) to discuss its FY-2022 financial results, the outlook for 2023, and its uranium, rare earths, vanadium, and medical isotopes initiatives. To join the webcast and access the presentation and viewer-controlled webcast slides, please click on the link below:

Webcast Link

By clicking this link and registering your name and phone number, the system will call you and place you directly into the call without talking to an operator. If you wish to call in on your own, please dial in to 1-888-664-6392 (toll free in the U.S. and Canada).

A link to a recorded version of the proceedings will be available on the Company’s website shortly after the webcast by calling 1-888-390-0541 (toll free in the U.S. and Canada) and by entering the code 145847#. The recording will be available until March 24, 2023.

Financial Discussion:

At December 31, 2022, the Company had $116.97 million of working capital, including $74.27 million of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities and $38.16 million of inventory, including approximately 1,027,000 pounds of uranium and 985,000 pounds of high-purity vanadium, both in the form of finished, immediately marketable product. The current spot price of U₃O₈, according to TradeTech, is $50.50 per pound, and the current mid-point spot price of V₂O₅, according to Fastmarkets, is $10.78 per pound. Based on those spot prices, the Company’s uranium and vanadium inventories have a current market value of $51.86 million and $10.62 million, respectively, totaling $62.48 million

For the year ended December 31, 2022, we recognized a net loss of $59.85 million or $0.38 per share compared to net income of $1.54 million or $0.01 per share for the year ended December 31, 2021. The change between periods was primarily due to (i) a gain of $35.73 million recognized on the sale of a portfolio of the Company’s non-core conventional uranium projects to Consolidated Uranium Inc. (“CUR“) in 2021 primarily in exchange for shares in CUR; (ii) a non-cash mark-to-market loss on investments accounted for at fair value of $16.90 million in 2022 due primarily to a decrease in the market price of our CUR shares over 2022 (iii) increased expenses in 2022 associated with preparing four (4) of our uranium mines for production or operational readiness amounting to $2.4 million; (iv) development expenses in 2022 associated with developing commercial REE separation capabilities in addition to our existing mixed RE Carbonate commercial production capabilities; (v) expenses in 2022 associated with advancing our medical isotope initiatives; (vi) increased transaction expenses in 2022 arising from costs associated with acquiring the Bahia Project and costs associated with the sale of the Company’s Alta Mesa project in Texas; and (vii) increased other selling, general and administrative expenses in 2022 of $10.2 million associated with significant additions to executive and management/supervisory personnel (including non-cash share-based compensation of $2.5 million), enhanced business processes, and other general and administrative expenses required to support all these increased levels of activity, partially offset by increased revenues in 2022.

Sale to the U.S. Uranium Reserve:

On December 16, 2022, the Company announced it had been awarded a contract to sell 300,000 pounds of U₃O₈ for $18.5 million ($61.57 per pound of U₃O₈) to the U.S. government for the establishment of the U.S. Uranium Reserve, resulting in an expected margin of approximately $35.85 per pound of uranium. The Uranium Reserve is intended to be a backup source of supply for domestic nuclear power plants in the event of a significant market disruption. The Company completed the transfer and received the proceeds in January 2023.

Update on Rare Earth Initiatives and the Bahia Project:

Earlier this year, the Company began “Phase 1” REE separation, which includes modifications and enhancements to the existing SX circuits at the Mill. “Phase 1” is expected to have the capacity to process approximately 8,000 to 10,000 MT of monazite per year, producing roughly 4,000 to 5,000 MT TREO, containing roughly 800 to 1,000 MT of recoverable separated NdPr oxide per year. Because Energy Fuels is utilizing existing infrastructure at the Mill, “Phase 1” capital is expected to total only about $25 million. “Phase 1” is expected to be operational later this year or early 2024, subject to receipt of sufficient monazite supply and successful development and commissioning. If these milestones are achieved, Energy Fuels believes it will be the ‘first to market’ among U.S. companies with commercial quantities of separated NdPr available to EV, renewable energy, and other companies for offtake. Later, the Company expects to complete further enhancements to the Mill to expand NdPr production capability (“Phase 2“) by 2026 and to produce separated Dy, Tb and potentially other REE materials in the future (“Phase 3“) from monazite and potentially other REE-bearing process streams by 2027.

On February 13, 2023, the Company announced it had completed the previously announced acquisition of the Bahia Project located between the towns of Prado and Caravelas in the State of Bahia, Brazil totaling 15,089.71 hectares (approximately 37,300 acres or 58.3 square miles). The Bahia Project is a well-known heavy mineral sand (“HMS“) deposit that has the potential to supply 3,000 – 10,000 MT of natural monazite per year for decades to the Mill for processing into high-purity RE Carbonate, separated REE oxides and other REE products and materials. The Bahia Project is also expected to produce large quantities of high-quality titanium (ilmenite and rutile) and zirconium (zircon) minerals that are also in high demand. REE production is highly complementary to Energy Fuels’ existing US-leading uranium business, as monazite and other major REE-bearing minerals naturally contain uranium that will be recovered and other impurities that will be removed at the Mill before further processing into advanced high-purity REE materials. 3,000 – 10,000 MT of monazite contains roughly 1,500 – 5,000 MT of TREO, including 300 – 1,000 MT of NdPr and significant commercial quantities of Dy and Tb.

Prior to the closing on the Bahia Project, the Company commenced a sonic drilling program to further define and quantify the HMS resource, particularly at depth. The limited sonic drilling completed by Energy Fuels over the past few months appears to be confirming that the mineral-bearing sands continue at depth. The Company finished phase 1 of sonic drilling at the Bahia Project on February 14, 2023 totaling 2,266 meters. The Company plans to announce phase 1 drilling results this year and start phase 2 drilling in Q3-2023. Once data from both drill programs are available, the Company plans to engage industry leaders to calculate an initial mineral resource estimate for use in an S-K 1300 (U.S.) compliant Initial Assessment and an NI 43-101 (Canada) compliant Technical Report.

Prior owners of the Bahia Project performed extensive exploration work on the property, including the drilling of over 3,300 hand augur drill holes and a gamma survey of the region. Data from the drilling was used to publish highly detailed exploration and “reserve” reports prepared between 2016 and 2022 that were submitted to the National Mineral Agency of Brazil (“ANM“) in order to move the areas forward toward mining. Based on these seventeen historical reports dated between October 20, 2016 and April 29, 2022, the Bahia Project is estimated to contain 204 million MT of HMS, containing 7.18 million MT of heavy minerals at an average grade of 3.52%, including monazite concentrations in the HMS concentrate between 0.66% and 13.1%. It should be noted that these numbers are historical in nature and a Qualified Person under S-K 1300 or NI-43-101 has not done sufficient work to classify the estimates as a current estimate of Mineral Resources, Mineral Reserves, or exploration results. The Company is not treating these estimates as a current estimate of Mineral Resources, Mineral Reserves or exploration results. Further drilling and data collection might not prove out these numbers.

Sale of Alta Mesa Property to enCore Energy:

On February 15, 2023, the Company announced it had completed the sale (the “Closing“) of three (3) wholly owned subsidiaries that together hold the Alta Mesa ISR Project (“Alta Mesa“) to enCore Energy Corp. (“enCore“) for total consideration of $120 million (the “Transaction“). The consideration is comprised of:

$60 million cash at or prior to Closing; and
$60 million in a secured convertible note (the “Note“), payable two (2) years from the Closing, bearing annual interest of eight percent (8%). The Note will be convertible at Energy Fuels’ election into enCore common shares at a conversion price of $2.9103 per share, being a 20% premium to the 10-day volume-weighted average price of enCore shares ending the day before the Closing. enCore was recently listed on the NYSE American and also trades on the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Note is guaranteed by enCore and is fully secured by Alta Mesa. Unless a block trade or similar distribution is executed by Energy Fuels to sell enCore shares received upon conversion of the Note, Energy Fuels will be limited to converting the Note into a maximum of $10 million principal amount per thirty (30) day period.

In addition, enCore replaced the existing reclamation bonds for the Alta Mesa project shortly after the Closing, which will result in Energy Fuels receiving an additional $3.6 million cash as a return of collateral from those bonds. The Transaction is also expected to reduce the Company’s holding costs related to Alta Mesa by approximately $2 million per year.

The Transaction provides Energy Fuels with significant additional cash and working capital, enabling the Company to ramp-up its US industry-leading uranium and REE production, while avoiding dilution to shareholders. In addition, the Note provides Energy Fuels with significant exposure to uranium market upside through potential conversion into enCore common shares.

Operations Update and Outlook for 2023:

Overview

The Company continues to believe that uranium supply and demand fundamentals point to higher sustained uranium prices in the future. The Company believes that nuclear energy, fueled by uranium, is experiencing a global resurgence with an increased focus by governments, policymakers, and citizens on decarbonization, electrification, and security of energy supply. In addition, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the entry into the uranium market by financial entities purchasing uranium on the spot market to hold for the long-term has the potential to result in higher sustained spot and term prices and, perhaps, induce utilities to enter into more long-term contracts with non-Russian producers like Energy Fuels to foster security of supply, avoid transportation issues, and ensure more certain pricing.

In 2022, we entered into three long-term uranium contracts with major U.S. utilities for which the Company is beginning to perform the necessary work to recommence production at one or more of its mines, starting as soon as 2023. Until such time when the Company has ramped back up to commercial uranium production, it can rely on its significant uranium inventories to fulfill its new contract requirements, including its recent purchases of U.S. origin uranium on the spot market.

The Company is seeking additional sources of natural monazite to supply feedstock to its emerging REE projects. The Company is also evaluating the potential to recover radioisotopes for use in the development of TAT medical isotopes for the treatment of cancer and continues its support of U.S. governmental activities to assist the U.S. uranium mining industry, including expanding the new U.S. Uranium Reserve Program, supporting efforts to restore domestic nuclear fuel capabilities, and advocating for the responsible sourcing of uranium and nuclear fuel.

We continually evaluate the optimal mix of production, inventory and purchases in order to retain the flexibility to deliver long-term value.

Mill Activities

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recovered and packaged approximately 162,000 pounds of its final uranium product, U₃O₈, at the Mill, which was added to the Company’s finished product inventory. The Mill recovered an additional small quantity of uranium, which was retained in-circuit and was not packaged in 2022. During 2022, the Mill also focused on its mixed RE Carbonate production and produced approximately 205 MT of high-purity, partially separated mixed RE Carbonate during 2022, while working to secure additional monazite ore feedstock to increase production. The Mill did not recover any vanadium in 2022.

During 2023, the Company does not plan to recover uranium at the Mill, other than from its monazite processing which will likely remain in circuit and not be packaged in 2023. During early 2023, the Company expects to process approximately 600 MT of monazite delivered late in 2022 from Chemours and recover approximately 175 to 225 MT of TREO at the Mill in the form of approximately 375 to 485 MT of RE Carbonate. The Company expects to receive an additional 400 – 700 MT of monazite from Chemours later in 2023, which the Company expects to process for the recovery of uranium and production of separated NdPr and a heavy REE (Sm+) Re Carbonate upon commissioning of the Mill’s Phase 1 REE Separation circuit in late 2023 or early 2024. The Company is also in active discussion with several parties globally to acquire additional quantities of natural monazite, which if secured and delivered to the Mill, could result in significant additional quantities of uranium and separated NdPr and heavy REE (Sm+) Re Carbonate production in 2024 and beyond.

No vanadium production is currently planned during 2023, though the Company continually monitors its inventory and vanadium markets to guide future potential vanadium production.

Conventional Mine Activities

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company performed rehabilitation and development work on its La Sal, Beaver, Whirlwind and Pinyon Plain projects for future potential production, including engineering, procurement, construction management, increased development activities, significant workforce expansion and needed rehabilitation of surface and underground infrastructure, while its other conventional mining properties remain on standby. The Company expects to continue its rehabilitation and development work, as it prepares these mines for future production. Although, the timing of the Company’s plans to extract and process mineralized materials from these projects will be based on current contract requirements, inventory levels, sustained improvements in general market conditions, procurement of suitable sales contracts and/or the expansion of the U.S. Uranium Reserve Program, the Company is making the investments required to put one or more of these facilities into production as soon as later in 2023.

The Company is selectively advancing certain permits at its other major conventional uranium projects, such as the Roca Honda, Sheep Mountain, and Bullfrog Projects. All these projects serve as important pipeline assets for the Company’s future conventional production capabilities, as market conditions may warrant.

ISR Mine Activities

The Company expects to produce insignificant quantities of U₃O₈ in the year ending December 31, 2023 from Nichols Ranch. Until such time when (i) market conditions improve sufficiently, (ii) suitable term sales contracts can be procured, and/or (iii) the U.S. Uranium Reserve Program is expanded, the Company expects to maintain the Nichols Ranch Project on standby and defer development of further wellfields and header houses. The Company currently holds 34 fully permitted, undeveloped wellfields at Nichols Ranch, including four additional wellfields at the Nichols Ranch wellfields, 22 wellfields at the adjacent Jane Dough wellfields, and eight wellfields at the Hank Project, which is fully permitted to be constructed as a satellite facility to the Nichols Ranch Plant.

Inventory

As of December 31, 2022, the Company had approximately 1,027,000 pounds of finished uranium inventories located at North American conversion facilities. Additionally, the Company had approximately 351,000 pounds of additional U₃O₈ contained in stockpiled Alternate Feed Materials and other ore inventory at the Mill that can be recovered relatively quickly in the future, as general market conditions may warrant. During Q1-2023, the Company completed the purchase 120,000 additional pounds of uranium and the sale of 300,000 pounds of uranium to the U.S. Uranium Reserve, resulting in the Company holding approximately 847,000 pounds of U₃O₈ in inventory as of March 8, 2023. The Company expects to deliver 260,000 pounds of U₃O₈ under its existing uranium term contracts in 2023, resulting in expected uranium inventories to total approximately 587,000 pounds of U₃O₈at year-end 2023, subject to currently unplanned uranium spot sales and purchases.

The Company currently has approximately 945,000 pounds of V₂O₅ in inventory, and there remains an estimated 1.0 to 3.0 million pounds of additional solubilized recoverable V₂O₅ remaining in tailings solutions awaiting future recovery, as market conditions may warrant.

Sales Update and Outlook for 2023

Uranium Sales

While the Company did not sell uranium during the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company entered into four (4) uranium sale and purchase agreements in 2022, three (3) with major U.S. nuclear utilities and one (1) with the U.S. Uranium Reserve. Under these contracts, the Company expects to sell 560,000 pounds of U₃O₈ during 2023 with an expected weighted-average sales price of $58 – $60 per pound, subject to then-prevailing market prices at the time of delivery.

The three (3) utility contracts require deliveries of uranium between 2023 and 2030, with base quantities totaling 3.0 million pounds of uranium over the period, and up to 4.1 million pounds of uranium if all remaining options are exercised. Having observed a marked uptick in interest from nuclear utilities seeking long-term uranium supply, the Company remains actively engaged in pursuing additional selective long-term uranium sales contracts. During 2023, the Company expects to sell 260,000 pounds of its U₃O₈ inventory into these contracts at an expected sales price of approximately $54 – $58 per pound, subject to inflation and spot prices in effect at the time of delivery. In addition, in January 2023, the Company completed the sale of 300,000 pounds of its inventories located at ConverDyn to the U.S. Uranium Reserve, receiving total proceeds of $18.47 million ($61.57 per pound).

To provide the Company with additional flexibility to fulfill its contract obligations and gain direct exposure to potential future uranium price increases, the Company has recently purchased a total of 301,052 lbs. of U.S. origin uranium on the spot market for a weighted-average gross price of approximately $50.08 per pound.

Vanadium Sales

As a result of strengthening vanadium markets, during the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company sold approximately 642,000 pounds of the Company’s existing inventory of V₂O₅ (as FeV) at a net weighted average price of $13.67 per pound of V₂O₅. The Company expects to sell its remaining finished vanadium product when justified into the metallurgical industry, as well as other markets that demand a higher purity product, including the aerospace, chemical, and potentially the vanadium battery industries. The Company expects to sell to a diverse group of customers in order to maximize revenues and profits. The vanadium produced in the 2018/19 Pond Return campaign was a high-purity vanadium product of 99.6%-99.7% V₂O₅. The Company believes there may be opportunities to sell certain quantities of this high-purity material at a premium to reported spot prices.

The Company intends to continue to selectively sell itsV₂O₅ inventory on the spot market as markets warrant but will otherwise continue to maintain its vanadium in inventory.

Rare Earth Sales

The Company commenced its commercial production of a mixed RE Carbonate in March 2021 and has shipped all its RE Carbonate produced to-date to Neo Performance Material’s (“Neo’s“) REE separation plant, Silmet, located in Estonia where it is currently being fed into their separation process. All RE Carbonate produced at the Mill in 2022 was sold to Neo for separation at Silmet. Until such time as the Company commissions its own separation circuits at the Mill, which is expected to be in late 2023 or early 2024, all or a portion of RE Carbonate production is expected to be sold to Neo for separation at Silmet and/or, potentially, to other REE separation facilities outside of the U.S. To the extent not sold, the Company expects to stockpile mixed RE Carbonate at the Mill for future separation and other downstream REE processing at the Mill or elsewhere. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company sold approximately 89,000 kilograms of RE Carbonate at an average price of $23.88 per kilogram of RE Carbonate.

While the Company continues to make progress on its mixed RE Carbonate production and additional funds are spent on process enhancements, improving recoveries, product quality and other optimization, profits from this initiative are expected to be minimal until such time when monazite throughput rates are increased and optimized. However, even at the current throughput rates, the Company is recovering most of its direct costs of this growing initiative, with the other costs associated with ramping up production and process enhancements at the Mill being expensed as underutilized capacity production costs applicable to RE Carbonate and development expenditures. Throughout this process, the Company is gaining important knowledge, experience and technical information, all of which are valuable for current and future mixed RE Carbonate production and planned future production of separated REE oxides and other advanced REE materials at the Mill or elsewhere.

ABOUT ENERGY FUELS

Energy Fuels is a leading US-based critical minerals company. The Company mines uranium and produces natural uranium concentrates that are sold to major nuclear utilities for the production of carbon-free nuclear energy. Energy Fuels recently began production of advanced rare earth element (“REE“) materials, including mixed REE carbonate, and plans to produce commercial quantities of separated REE oxides in the future. Energy Fuels also produces vanadium from certain of its projects, as market conditions warrant, and is evaluating the recovery of radionuclides needed for emerging cancer treatments. Its corporate offices are in Lakewood, Colorado, near Denver, and substantially all its assets and employees are in the United States. Energy Fuels holds two of America’s key uranium production centers: the White Mesa Mill in Utah and the Nichols Ranch in-situ recovery (“ISR“) Project in Wyoming. The White Mesa Mill is the only conventional uranium mill operating in the US today, has a licensed capacity of over 8 million pounds of U₃O₈per year, has the ability to produce vanadium when market conditions warrant, as well as REE products, from various uranium-bearing ores. The Nichols Ranch ISR Project is on standby and has a licensed capacity of 2 million pounds of U₃O₈ per year. The Company recently acquired the Bahia Project in Brazil, which is believed to have significant quantities of titanium (ilmenite and rutile), zirconium (zircon) and REE (monazite) minerals. In addition to the above production facilities, Energy Fuels also has one of the largest NI 43-101 compliant uranium resource portfolios in the US and several uranium and uranium/vanadium mining projects on standby and in various stages of permitting and development. The primary trading market for Energy Fuels’ common shares is the NYSE American under the trading symbol “UUUU,” and the Company’s common shares are also listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “EFR.” Energy Fuels’ website is www.energyfuels.com.

Daniel Kapostasy, P.G., Director of Technical Services for Energy Fuels, is a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release, including sampling, analytical, and test data underlying such disclosure.

The data collected and provided in this disclosure related to the Bahia Project is derived entirely from the exploration reports for each of the seventeen ANM Process Areas. Dan Kapostasy, Director of Technical Services and a Qualified Person for the Company has reviewed these reports in detail and discussed the methods used with the project geologist in charge of field and laboratory activities for the previous owners. This person is also currently an employee of Energy Fuels Brazil, Ltda. Heavy mineral concentrations were derived for every meter drilled using heavy liquid separations, a standard method of heavy mineral determination.

To determine the concentration of the various heavy minerals in a sample, the heavy fraction was separated from the silica sand by using heavy liquid separation. The heavy fraction was then mounted in epoxy or dispersed on slide glass and viewed under a microscope. A geologist can then identify the various minerals and determine the concentration of each mineral through a process called point counting, whereby the geologist identifies each sand grain individually, tallies the number of each mineral and then divides by the total.

Verification of the heavy mineral concentration was started by the Company in September 2022, when it hired a contract driller to collect samples using a sonic rig. While no laboratory analyses have been received to date, visual estimation of the heavy mineral quantity indicates that the historical values seen at the various Process Areas are valid.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains certain “Forward Looking Information” and “Forward Looking Statements” within the meaning of applicable United States and Canadian securities legislation, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: production and sales forecasts; costs of production; any expectation that the Company will be awarded any future sales under the U.S. Uranium Reserve; scalability, and the Company’s ability and readiness to re-start, expand or deploy any of its existing projects or capacity to respond to any improvements in uranium market conditions or in response to the Uranium Reserve; any expectation as to future uranium, vanadium, RE Carbonate, REE oxide, or REE market fundamentals or sales; any expectation as to recommencement of production at any of the Company’s uranium mines or the timing thereof; any expectation regarding any remaining dissolved vanadium in the Mill’s tailings facility solutions or the ability of the Company to recover any such vanadium at acceptable costs or at all; any expectation as to timelines for the permitting and development of projects; any expectation as to longer term fundamentals in the market and price projections; any expectation as to the implications of the current Russian invasion of Ukraine on uranium, vanadium or other commodity markets; any expectation that the Company will maintain its position as a leading U.S.-based critical minerals company; any expectation with respect to timelines to production; any expectation that the sale of the Alta Mesa project and the use of the proceeds from that sale will not result in any dilution to shareholders; any expectation that the Mill will be successful in producing RE Carbonate on a full-scale commercial basis; any expectation that Energy Fuels will be successful in developing U.S. separation, or other value-added U.S. REE production capabilities at the Mill, or otherwise, including the timing of any such initiatives and the expected production capacity or capital and operating costs associated with any such production capabilities; any expectation with respect to the future demand for REEs; any expectation with respect to the quantities of monazite to be acquired by Energy Fuels, the quantities of RE Carbonate or REE oxides to be produced by the Mill or the quantities of contained TREO in the Mill’s RE Carbonate; any expectation that the Company may sell its separated NdPr oxide to major electric vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe; any expectation that the Bahia Project has the potential to feed the Mill with REE and uranium-bearing monazite sand for decades or at all; any expectation that the Company will complete comprehensive sonic drilling and geophysical mapping at the Bahia Project or complete an Initial Assessment under SK-1300 (U.S.) and a Technical Report Technical Report under NI 43-101 (Canada) during Q4-2023 or Q1-2024, or otherwise; any expectation that the Company’s evaluation of thorium and radium recovery at the Mill will be successful; any expectation that the potential recovery of medical isotopes from any thorium or radium recovered at the Mill will be feasible; any expectation that any thorium, radium or other isotopes can be recovered at the Mill and sold on a commercial basis; any expectation as to the quantities to be delivered under existing uranium sales contracts; any expectation that the Company will be successful in completing any additional contracts for the sale of uranium to U.S. utilities on commercially reasonable terms or at all; and any expectation that the Company will generate net income in future periods. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans,” “expects,” “does not expect,” “is expected,” “is likely,” “budgets,” “scheduled,” “estimates,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “does not anticipate,” or “believes,” or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results “may,” “could,” “would,” “might” or “will be taken,” “occur,” “be achieved” or “have the potential to.” All statements, other than statements of historical fact, herein are considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements express or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated with: commodity prices and price fluctuations; engineering, construction, processing and mining difficulties, upsets and delays; permitting and licensing requirements and delays; changes to regulatory requirements; legal challenges; the availability of sources of Alternate Feed Materials and other feed sources for the Mill; competition from other producers; public opinion; government and political actions; available supplies of monazite; the ability of the Mill to produce RE Carbonate, REE oxides or other REE products to meet commercial specifications on a commercial scale at acceptable costs or at all; market factors, including future demand for REEs; the ability of the Mill to be able to separate radium or other radioisotopes at reasonable costs or at all; market prices and demand for medical isotopes; and the other factors described under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is available for review on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and on the Company’s website at www.energyfuels.com. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management’s estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information in this communication, except as otherwise required by law.

SOURCE Energy Fuels Inc.

For further information: Investor Inquiries: Energy Fuels Inc., Curtis Moore, VP – Marketing and Corporate Development, (303) 974-2140 or Toll free: (888) 864-2125, investorinfo@energyfuels.com , www.energyfuels.com

Vera Bradley (VRA) – Showing Progress; Reports 4QFY2023 Results

Posted on March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 by cpereira@noblefcm.com

Thursday, March 09, 2023

Joe Gomes, Managing Director – Generalist Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

4QFY23 Results. Net revenue of $147.1 million came in above guidance of $136-$141 million, and our $138 million estimate. Expanded promotional activity negatively impacted adjusted gross margin, which declined 240bp y-o-y. GAAP EPS loss was $0.91, while adjusted EPS was $0.16, compared to EPS of $0.15 and $0.17, respectively, in 4QFY22, and our $0.15 estimate.

Improving Sales Trends. In the fourth quarter, sales trends at both Vera Bradley and Pura Vida improved over prior quarters, with Vera Bradley total sales down just 1% and Pura Vida sales down less than 5% on a year-over-year basis. Targeted customer retention efforts led to increased Vera Bradley e-commerce revenues, while Full-Line and Factory store revenues continued to be negatively affected by traffic levels. At Pura Vida, e-commerce trends improved over previous quarters due to strategic promotions.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.

The GEO Group (GEO) – Tracking Gets Easier

Posted on March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 by cpereira@noblefcm.com

Thursday, March 09, 2023

The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO) is a leading diversified government service provider, specializing in design, financing, development, and support services for secure facilities, processing centers, and community reentry centers in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. GEO’s diversified services include enhanced in-custody rehabilitation and post-release support through the award-winning GEO Continuum of Care®, secure transportation, electronic monitoring, community-based programs, and correctional health and mental health care. GEO’s worldwide operations include the ownership and/or delivery of support services for 103 facilities totaling approximately 83,000 beds, including idle facilities and projects under development, with a workforce of up to approximately 18,000 employees.

Joe Gomes, Managing Director – Generalist Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

New Tracking Device. Yesterday, a new five-year contract was awarded by Santa Clara County, CA to GEO’s subsidiary BI Inc. regarding the Company’s wrist-worn GPS tracking device, VeriWatch. It represents the first ever community corrections contract for the device. No financial details were given for the contract. We believe the contract presents a new opportunity for GEO, and we expect more attention towards the device as the year progresses.

ATD Program. As we have noted, populations under the ATD program dropped in January to 324,554 at the end of the month from 376,031 at the start of the year. Uncertainty surrounding ATD populations drove the wide range of 2023 operating guidance from GEO’s management. Over the course of February, the decline slowed noticeably with populations at 293,167 as of February 25th, the latest data available.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

Salem Media Group (SALM) – A Year Of Investing

Posted on March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 by cpereira@noblefcm.com

Thursday, March 09, 2023

Salem Media Group is America’s leading multimedia company specializing in Christian and conservative content, with media properties comprising radio, digital media and book and newsletter publishing. Each day Salem serves a loyal and dedicated audience of listeners and readers numbering in the millions nationally. With its unique programming focus, Salem provides compelling content, fresh commentary and relevant information from some of the most respected figures across the Christian and conservative media landscape.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Patrick McCann, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Q4 beats expectations. The company reported revenue of $68.8 million, beating our estimate of $66.6 million by 3.3%. Adj. EBITDA of $7.3 million exceeded our estimate of $6 million by 21.3%. The favorable surprise in operating results was attributed to stronger than expected, high margin, political revenue of $2.1 million.

Favorable refinancing. The company is issuing $44.7 million new 7.125% notes that mature in 2028 to replace its 6.75% notes due in 2024. The agreement would allow the company to access $4 million to pay down its revolver. The agreement is expected to close by the end of the month.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

Energy Fuels (UUUU) – Financial Results – Initial Take

Posted on March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 by cpereira@noblefcm.com

Thursday, March 09, 2023

Energy Fuels is a leading U.S.-based uranium mining company, supplying U3O8 to major nuclear utilities. Energy Fuels also produces vanadium from certain of its projects, as market conditions warrant, and is ramping up commercial-scale production of REE carbonate. Its corporate offices are in Lakewood, Colorado, near Denver, and all its assets and employees are in the United States. Energy Fuels holds three of America’s key uranium production centers: the White Mesa Mill in Utah, the Nichols Ranch in-situ recovery (“ISR”) Project in Wyoming, and the Alta Mesa ISR Project in Texas. The White Mesa Mill is the only conventional uranium mill operating in the U.S. today, has a licensed capacity of over 8 million pounds of U3O8 per year, has the ability to produce vanadium when market conditions warrant, as well as REE carbonate from various uranium-bearing ores. The Nichols Ranch ISR Project is on standby and has a licensed capacity of 2 million pounds of U3O8 per year. The Alta Mesa ISR Project is also on standby and has a licensed capacity of 1.5 million pounds of U3O8 per year. In addition to the above production facilities, Energy Fuels also has one of the largest NI 43-101 compliant uranium resource portfolios in the U.S. and several uranium and uranium/vanadium mining projects on standby and in various stages of permitting and development. The primary trading market for Energy Fuels’ common shares is the NYSE American under the trading symbol “UUUU,” and the Company’s common shares are also listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “EFR.” Energy Fuels’ website is www.energyfuels.com.

Michael Heim, CFA, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Report full of future promise. UUUU’s press release was full of previously announced news items: Rare Earth Element (REE) progress, signed uranium sales contracts, vanadium inventory sales, Alta Mesa sale, etc. At the same time, production levels have been lagging behind expectations for a variety of reasons including economic conditions, supply issues, etc. Management is clearly focused on developing REE separation operations which it sees as a late 2023/early 2024 event. It is also prepping uranium mines for eventual production.

Production not there yet. The company has yet to resume mining uranium. It signed sales contracts to deliver uranium but is meeting those obligations with inventory or uranium purchases. We initially had hoped uranium operations would have resumed by 2023. REE Carbonate sales to the NEO plant in Estonia are being completed but at levels below initial expectations due to limited Monzanite supply issues. We had also hoped to see vanadium production resume by the end of the year.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

The Key to Strong Real Estate Markets

Posted on March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 by phoffman@channelchek.com

Are Real Estate Markets Addicted to Easy Money?

Without the Fed’s easy money, demand for housing would collapse, according to Ryan McMaken. McMaken, who authored the below article, is a former housing economist for the State of Colorado. He believes once the Fed pivots back to forcing down interest rates and again buying mortgage-backed securities (MBS), housing prices that have recently dipped, will again continue their march upward. He makes the case here that the housing market, without Fed support, faces difficult headwinds. – Paul Hoffman, Managing Editor, Channelchek

Last Friday, residential real estate brokerage firm Redfin released new data on home prices, showing that prices fell 0.6 percent in February, year over year. According to Redfin’s numbers, this was the first time that home prices actually fell since 2012. The year-over-year drop was pulled down by especially large declines in five markets: Austin (-11%), San Jose, California (-10.9%), Oakland (-10.4%), Sacramento (-7.7%), and Phoenix (-7.3%). According to Redfin, the typical monthly mortgage payment is now at a record high of $2,520.

The Redfin numbers come a few days before new numbers from the Case-Shiller home price index showing further slowing in home prices growth since late last year. The market’s expectation for December’s 20-city index had been -0.5 percent, month over month, and 5.8 percent, year over year. But the numbers came in worse (from the seller’s perspective) than was hoped. For December—the most recent monthly data available—the index ended up showing a month-over-month drop of -1.5 percent (seasonally adjusted), and a year-over-year gain of 4.6 percent (not seasonally adjusted).

By most accounts, the rapidly-slowing market faces headwinds thanks to rising interest rates, including the standard 30-year fixed mortgage, which is now back up over 6 percent. This puts homeownership out of reach for many first-time buyers and is also a big disincentive for current owners to “move-up” into higher-priced houses since any new home would come with a much higher mortgage rate than was available a year ago.

Not surprisingly, demand for new mortgages has plummeted. CNBC reported last week:

“Mortgage applications to purchase a home dropped 6% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Volume was 44% lower than the same week one year ago and is now sitting at a 28-year low.”

So, sales have fallen and, at least according to Redfin, prices are falling too. This is what we should expect to see in any environment where the real estate market is not being incessantly fueled by easy money from the central bank. After all, easy money for real estate markets had been the main story since 2009. In recent months, however, the Fed has allowed interest rates to rise while pausing efforts to add more mortgage-backed securities (MBS) to the Fed’s portfolio. Without those key supports from policymakers, the real estate market simply lacks the market demand that is necessary to sustain rapid growth. Contrary to what countless mortgage brokers and real estate agents tell themselves and each other, there is precious little capitalism in real estate markets. It is a market that is thoroughly addicted to, and dependent on, continued stimulus and subsidization from the central bank.

Without the central bank propping up MBS demand in the secondary market, primary-market mortgage lenders have fewer dollars to throw around. That means higher interest rates and fewer eligible buyers. Similarly, by setting a higher target rate for the federal funds rate that banks must pay to manage liquidity, markets face less monetary growth in general. That comes with a lessening overall demand that—in the short term, at least—drives up incomes for both current and potential homebuyers.

Even worse, continued nominal income growth that does exist is not keeping up with price inflation. The result has been 22 months in a row of negative real wage growth, and that will translate to falling demand.

This close connection between easy money and demand for homes can be seen when we compare growth in the Case-Shiller index to growth in the money supply. This has been especially the case since 2009. As the graph shows, once money-supply growth begins to slow, a similar change occurs in home prices one year later.

As money-supply growth rapidly slowed after January 2021, we then saw a similar trend in home prices 12 months later, with a rapid deceleration in the Case-Shiller index. Remarkably, in November of last year, money-supply growth turned negative for the first time since 1994. That points toward continued drops in home prices throughout this year. If Redfin’s February numbers are any indicator, we should expect price growth to turn negative in the Case-Shiller numbers this spring.

Now just imagine how much more lackluster real estate markets would be without the Fed buying up all those trillions in MBS over the past decade. It’s now been more than a decade since we had any idea what real estate prices actually would be without enormous amounts of stimulus from the Fed. The money-printing-for-mortgages scheme entered its first phase throughout 2009 and 2010, and then was almost non-stop from 2013 to 2022, topping out around $1.7 trillion in 2018. The Fed had begun to pull back on its MBS assets in 2018 and 2019, but of course reversed course in 2020 and engaged in a frenzy of new MBS buying. In that period the Fed purchased an additional $1.4 trillion in MBS. That finally ended (for now) in the fall of 2022. The Fed still holds over $2.6 trillion in MBS assets.

If we look at year-over-year changes in these MBS purchases along side Case-Shiller home prices, we again see a clear correlation:

It’s clear that once markets think the Fed may again increase its MBS purchases, home prices again surge. This close relationship should not surprise us since the volume of MBS purchases is a sizable portion of the overall market. Since 2020, the Fed’s MBS stockpile has equaled at least 20 percent of all the household mortgage debt in the United States. In early 2022, Fed-held MBS assets peaked at 24 percent of all US mortgage debt, but they still made up over 20 percent of the market as of late 2022.

Lest we think that real estate markets seem to be weathering the storm fairly well, let’s keep in mind this is all happening during a period when the unemployment rate is very low. Yes, the federal government has greatly exaggerated the amount of job growth that has occurred in the economy over the past 18 months. However, it’s also fairly clear that real estate markets are not yet seeing large numbers of unemployed workers who can’t pay their mortgages. When that does occur, we can expect an acceleration in falling home prices. For now, most mortgages are being paid, and even as real wages fall, most homeowners are cutting in places other than their mortgage payments. Once job losses do set in, all bets are off, and a wave of foreclosures will be likely. Many jobless workers won’t be able to sell quickly to avoid foreclosure either. With so few borrowers who can afford rising mortgage rates, there will be relatively few buyers. That’s when prices will really start to come down—when there is a mixture of motivated sellers and rising interest rates.

For now, though, the investor class remains relatively optimistic. Marcus Millichap CEO Hessam Nadji was on Fox Business last week flogging the now well-worn narrative that we should expect a “small recession,” but Nadji did not even entertain the idea that there might be sizable layoffs. Instead, he suggested that there is now a mere temporary softening of demand, and that will reverse itself once the Fed reverses course and embraces easy money again. In other words, the Fed will time everything perfectly, and it will be a “soft landing.”

This well captures the attitude of the “capitalists” heading the real estate industry right now. It’s all about the Fed. Without the Fed’s easy money, demand is down. Once the Fed pivots back to forcing down interest rates and buying up more MBS, well then happy times are here again. Gone is any discussion of worker productivity, savings, or other fundamentals that would drive demand in a areal capitalist market. All that matters now is a return to easy money. The real estate industry will get increasingly desperate for it. In 2023, it’s become the very foundation of their “market.”

About the Author

Ryan McMaken has a bachelors degree in economics and a master’s degree in public policy and international relations from the University of Colorado. He is the author of Breaking Away: The Case of Secession, Radical Decentralization, and Smaller Polities and Commie Cowboys: The Bourgeoisie and the Nation-State in the Western Genre. He was a housing economist for the State of Colorado. Ryan is a cohost of the Radio Rothbard podcast, has appeared on Fox News and Fox Business, and has been featured in a number of national print publications including Politico, The Hill, Bloomberg, and The Washington Post.

Budget Discussions Likely to Roil Markets

Posted on March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 by phoffman@channelchek.com

Image: Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young besides President Biden (Credit: The White House, March 2022)

Investor Buy/Sell Patterns Could Change Under Biden Budget Proposals

The White House’s annual budget request to Congress has the power to move market sectors, as it’s a preliminary look at spending priorities and possible revenue sources. This year, alongside the pressure of Congress wrestling with raising the debt limit, the House Ways and Means Committee hearings related to the President’s budget could have a more significant impact than before. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will address the House committee on Friday, March 10^th, and respond to questions. Taxation and spending priorities of the White House will be further revealed during this exchange.

Watch Live coverage at 9 AM ET.

What is Expected

The President’s proposed budget for the 2024 fiscal year proposes cutting the U.S. deficit “by nearly $3 trillion over the next decade,” according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, this is a much larger number than the $2 trillion mentioned as a goal during the State of the Union address last month. Jean-Pierre explained to reporters that the proposed spending reduction is “something that shows the American people that we take this very seriously,” and it answers, “how do we move forward, not just for Americans today but for … other generations that are going to be coming behind us.”

Biden’s requested budget includes a proposal that could impact healthcare as it would grow Medicare financing by raising the Medicare tax rate on earned and investment income to 5% from the current 3.8% for people making more than $400,000 a year.

Railroad safety measures are also included in Biden’s proposal, it asks for millions of additional funding for railroad safety measures spurred by recent derailments. The President also proposes a 5.2% pay raise for federal employees.

The budget deficit would be expected to shrink over ten years in part by raising taxes. One proposal investors should look out for is what has been called the Billionaire Minimum Income Tax. According to a White House brief, it “will ensure that the wealthiest Americans pay a tax rate of at least 20 percent on their full income, including unrealized appreciation. This minimum tax would make sure that the wealthiest Americans no longer pay a tax rate lower than teachers and firefighters.” The tax will apply only to the top 0.01% of American households (those worth over $100 million).

At present, the tax system discourages taking taxable gains on investments to postpone taxes. If adopted by Congress, a 20% tax on the unrealized appreciation of investments could have the effect of altering buying and selling patterns of securities, as well as real estate and other investments.

Jean-Pierre did say that the budget would propose “tax reforms to ensure the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share while cutting wasteful spending on special interests like big oil and big pharma.” One reform, the White House has been outspoken about is corporate buybacks. He proposes, quadrupling the tax on corporate stock buybacks.

Take Away

The market will get insight beginning the second week of March 2023 into the financial priorities of the White House and thoughts on members of the House Ways and Means Committee. While nothing is set in stone, the White House and Congress would both seem to be on the same side of more fiscal restraint.

And although nothing is close to complete, the discussions and news of debate can have a dramatic impact on markets. For example, investors may be treated to more buybacks if it appears the tax on buybacks will increase in 2024. Another example would be a tax on the appreciated investments of wealthy individuals. It could follow that accounts of these individuals would have an increased incentive to transact than under a system where capital gains are only recognized by the IRS after taken.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

Sources

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2023/03/08/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-19/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/

https://www.congress.gov/event/118th-congress/house-event/115464?s=1&r=6

https://fortune.com/2023/02/10/how-much-would-musk-gates-bezos-pay-bidens-billionaire-tax/

Release – Salem Media Group, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter 2022 Total Revenue of $68.8 Million

Posted on March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 by aweinsoff@channelchek.com

Research News and Market Data on SALM

March 08, 2023 4:05pm EST

Release – Vera Bradley Announces Fourth Quarter And Fiscal Year 2023 Results

Posted on March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 by aweinsoff@channelchek.com

Research News and Market Data on VRA

Mar 8, 2023

Net revenues totaled $500.0 million for the fiscal year

Net loss totaled ($59.7) million, or ($1.90) per diluted share, for fiscal year;
excluding certain items, non-GAAP net income totaled $7.6 million, or $0.24 per diluted share

Balance sheet remains strong, with cash and cash equivalents of $46.6 million and no debt

Management provides guidance for fiscal year ending February 3, 2024

FORT WAYNE, Ind., March 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vera Bradley, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRA) (or the “Company”) today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended January 28, 2023 (“Fiscal 2023”).

In this release, Vera Bradley, Inc. or “the Company” refers to the entire enterprise and includes both the Vera Bradley and Pura Vida brands. “Vera Bradley” on a stand-alone basis refers only to the Vera Bradley brand.

Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year Comments

Jackie Ardrey, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, noted, “We focused on driving revenues in the fourth quarter through targeted, strategic promotions on seasonal, giftable, and key items. As a result, total Company fourth quarter revenues outperformed our guidance, although gross margins remained under pressure. Diligent expense control enabled us to deliver fourth quarter non-GAAP diluted EPS of $0.16, which was nearly flat with last year.

“In the fourth quarter, sales trends at both Vera Bradley and Pura Vida improved over prior quarters, with Vera Bradley total sales down just 1% and Pura Vida sales down less than 5% on a year-over-year basis. For the fourth consecutive quarter, the Vera Bradley Indirect Channel experienced year-over-year revenue growth. Targeted customer retention efforts led to increased Vera Bradley e-commerce revenues, while Full-Line and Factory store revenues continued to be negatively affected by traffic levels, although trends improved throughout the quarter.”

Ardrey continued, “At Pura Vida, e-commerce trends improved over previous quarters due to strategic promotions; however, overall challenges continued to persist in our social and digital media effectiveness coupled with rising digital media costs. And, we experienced a year-over-year sales decline in our wholesale channel. On the plus side, Pura Vida Full-Line retail stores continued to perform ahead of our expectations, and they drove improved e-commerce traffic and revenues in their markets.

“We also took the opportunity in the fourth quarter to reset and appropriately position the Pura Vida business for the future, by recording goodwill and tradename impairments and necessary inventory write-offs.

“We ended the fiscal year with consolidated revenues of $500 million. During the year, we began to see stabilization in our supply chain, diligently controlled our expenses, and carefully managed our cash. During the fourth quarter, we meaningfully reduced our year-end inventory levels from the third quarter.”

Ardrey added, “Although Fiscal 2023 had its challenges, we took actions and laid the groundwork to position the Company for the future.

“On a corporate basis:

In mid-2022, we collaboratively identified $25 million in annualized cost-reduction initiatives and efficiency processes. The expense savings were derived across various areas of the Company, including payroll reductions, retail store efficiencies, marketing expenses, information technology contracts and projects, professional services, and logistics and operational costs. Many of the savings were realized in Fiscal 2023.
In January 2023, we further streamlined our corporate structure by eliminating the positions of Vera Bradley Brand President, Chief Creative Officer, and Chief Revenue Officer, and by adding the position of Chief Marketing Officer, designed to drive additional annual cost savings of approximately $2 million, add more focus on marketing and merchandising, and position the Company to deliver steady top- and bottom-line growth. These decisions were made in order to right-size our leadership team and cost structure for the size of our business, to address the continuing challenging macro environment, and to best position us to achieve our long-term strategic plans.
Subsequent to the end of Fiscal 2023, in January 2023, we acquired the remaining 25% interest in Pura Vida from founders Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman for $10 million.
We continued to make investments in customer data science, business analytics, and pricing optimization, allowing us to collect and analyze data and make fact-based decisions to more efficiently run our business.

“At the Vera Bradley brand:

We expanded our robust product innovation pipeline, including launching our Featherweight Collection; continued another year of iconic product collaborations, including with Disney, Harry Potter, and Crocs; and expanded our cozy, sleep, and outerwear collections.
We continued to strengthen and rationalize our store base. We opened five new Factory stores and closed 19 underperforming Full-Line stores and one Factory store, ending the fiscal year with 51 Full-Line and 79 Factory locations. We also continued to expand options for customers to shop, like enhancing our presence in third-party marketplaces and adding boutiques in select high-traffic airports.

“At the Pura Vida brand:

We entered into several high-profile product collaborations, with brands such as Hello Kitty, Disney, and Harry Potter, and expanded our product offerings by launching our demi-fine collection and expanding our assortment of engravable jewelry, all designed to bring new customers to our brand.
We focused on building a more diverse, innovative, effective, and performance-based marketing program to drive Pura Vida e-commerce sales. We began the process of implementing a comprehensive customer data platform to build a single, coherent, complete view of each Pura Vida customer so that we can better target and personalize marketing and become less reliant on third-party marketing. This project is scheduled for completion this spring. We continued to engage our micro influencers, significantly expanded our TikTok presence, launched impactful ads on connected TV, optimized SMS, and aggressively explored other methods to effectively reach our customers.
We opened three new Pura Vida Full-Line stores during the year, bringing our Full-Line store count to four, which collectively are exceeding our expectations. These four stores are playing a role in driving new customer acquisition as we continue to diversify our marketing platforms, and they demonstrate the power a retail presence can have in driving digital sales, omni-channel loyalty, and spending.”

Summary of Financial Performance for the Fourth Quarter

Consolidated net revenues totaled $147.1 million for the current year fourth quarter compared to $149.6 million in the prior year fourth quarter.

For the current year fourth quarter, Vera Bradley, Inc.’s consolidated net loss totaled ($28.2) million, or ($0.91) per diluted share. These results included $33.1 million of net after tax charges, comprised of $22.4 million of goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges; $6.7 million of net inventory and purchase order-related adjustments; $2.4 million of severance, retention, and stock-based retirement compensation charges; $0.8 million related to new CEO sign-on bonus and relocation expenses; $0.5 million for the amortization of definite-lived intangible assets; and $0.3 million of consulting and professional fees primarily associated with strategic initiatives. On a non-GAAP basis, Vera Bradley, Inc.’s consolidated fourth quarter net income totaled $5.0 million, or $0.16 per diluted share.

For the prior year fourth quarter, Vera Bradley, Inc. consolidated net income totaled $5.2 million, or $0.15 per diluted share. These results included $0.5 million of net after tax charges primarily related to intangible asset amortization. On a non-GAAP basis, excluding these charges, Vera Bradley, Inc.’s prior year consolidated fourth quarter net income totaled $5.7 million, or $0.17 per diluted share.

Summary of Financial Performance for the Fiscal Year

Consolidated net revenues totaled $500.0 million for Fiscal 2023 compared to $540.5 million for Fiscal 2022.

For the current fiscal year, Vera Bradley, Inc.’s consolidated net loss totaled ($59.7) million, or ($1.90) per diluted share. These results included $67.4 million of net after tax charges, comprised of $40.6 million of goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges; $12.2 million of net inventory and purchase order-related adjustments; $7.4 million of severance, retention, and stock-based retirement compensation charges; $3.3 million of consulting and professional fees primarily associated with cost savings initiatives, the CEO search, and strategic initiatives; $1.8 million for the amortization of definite-lived intangible assets; $1.0 million of store and right-of-use asset impairment charges; $0.8 million related to the new CEO sign-on bonus and relocation expenses; and $0.3 million of goodMRKT exit costs. On a non-GAAP basis, Vera Bradley, Inc.’s consolidated net income totaled $7.6 million, or $0.24 per diluted share.

For the prior fiscal year, Vera Bradley, Inc.’s consolidated net income totaled $17.8 million, or $0.52 per diluted share. These results included $1.8 million of net after tax charges primarily related to intangible asset amortization. On a non-GAAP basis, excluding these charges, Vera Bradley, Inc.’s prior year consolidated net income totaled $19.7 million, or $0.57 per diluted share.

Looking Ahead

Ardrey noted, “We are committed to returning Vera Bradley and Pura Vida to profitable growth and generating strong cash flow as a Company, which I believe will deliver value to our shareholders over the long term. Since joining the Company in November, I am more convinced than ever that both brands have enormous potential, and I am very excited about the future of Vera Bradley, Inc. We have a portfolio of two iconic, lifestyle brands; multi-generational customers with remarkable loyalty and devotion; impressive brand recognition; a solid balance sheet; and an extraordinary culture. We have some heavy lifting to do in fiscal 2024, but I am confident that we will emerge a stronger Company.”

Ardrey continued, “At both brands, we are embarking on Project Restoration and will focus on four key pillars – Consumer, Brand, Product, and Channel – to drive this long-term profitable growth.

“At Vera Bradley:

Consumer: We will focus on restoring brand relevancy, targeting casual and feminine 35 to 54 year old women who value both fashion and function.
Brand: We will strategically market our distinctive and unique position as a feminine, fashionable brand that connects with consumers on a deep, emotional level.
Product: We will refocus on core categories and items we are “best at,” by innovating and expanding within our core products. We will elevate our colorful feminine heritage, keeping it distinctive but more trend relevant through updated print and design. We also will innovate into strategic adjacent lifestyle item introductions that make sense for our customers.
Channel: We will accelerate our digital-first focus and online presence, build a balanced footprint that more clearly differentiates Full-Line from Factory stores, and target and/or strengthen relationships with strategically-aligned wholesale partners.

“At Pura Vida:

Consumer: We will sharpen our focus on the care-free 18 to 24 collegiate girl, who both those younger and older aspire to be.
Brand: We will recenter our brand ethos on “living life to the fullest,” with marketing authentically sharing real moments, places, and faces.
Product: We will focus on delivering unique, fun, playful designs that are affordable and accessible with a dominant emphasis on bracelets and jewelry, as well as other strategic, adjacent categories.
Channel: We will have a strong focus on restoring e-commerce growth; strategic growth of wholesale by pursuing larger, more strategic partnerships and expanding larger existing accounts; and refining our existing store model.”

“To support growth and development of our two brands, on a corporate basis, we will continue to make strategic investments in the right talent to help drive the transformation and diligently manage our supply chain, gross margin, SG&A expenses, and cash flow,” Ardrey concluded.

Non-GAAP Numbers

The current year non-GAAP fourth quarter income statement numbers referenced below exclude the previously outlined charges for goodwill and intangible asset impairment; net inventory and purchase order-related adjustments; severance, retention, and stock-based retirement compensation; new CEO sign-on bonus and relocation; amortization of definite-lived intangible assets; and consulting and professional fees primarily associated with strategic initiatives. The current year non-GAAP fiscal year income statement numbers also exclude the previously outlined charges for cost savings initiatives and the CEO search, store and right-of-use asset impairment charges, and goodMRKT exit costs. The prior year non-GAAP fourth quarter and fiscal year income statement numbers referenced below exclude the previously outlined intangible asset amortization and store impairment charges.

Fourth Quarter Details

Current year fourth quarter Vera Bradley Direct segment revenues totaled $99.5 million, a 4.6% decrease from $104.4 million in the prior year fourth quarter. Comparable sales decreased 4.5% from the prior year. The Company permanently closed 19 Full-Line stores and one Factory store and opened five Factory stores in the last twelve months.

Vera Bradley Indirect segment revenues totaled $16.7 million, a 28.5% increase over $13.0 million in the prior year fourth quarter. The increase was broad-based with both specialty and key accounts posting year-over-year sales gains.

Pura Vida segment revenues totaled $30.9 million, a 4.2% decrease from $32.2 million in the prior year fourth quarter. The decline was primarily related to lower wholesale sales, partially offset by new store openings.

Fourth quarter consolidated gross profit totaled $60.0 million, or 40.8% of net revenues, compared to $76.1 million, or 50.9% of net revenues, in the prior year fourth quarter. On a non-GAAP basis, current year consolidated gross profit totaled $71.3 million, or 48.5% of net revenues. The current year gross profit rate primarily was negatively affected by higher inbound and outbound freight expense and increased promotional activity, partially offset by price increases.

Consolidated SG&A expense totaled $70.0 million, or 47.6% of net revenues, compared to $67.9 million, or 45.4% of net revenues, in the prior year fourth quarter. On a non-GAAP basis, consolidated SG&A expense totaled $64.4 million, or 43.8% of net revenues, compared to $67.1 million, or 44.8% of net revenues, in the prior year fourth quarter. Vera Bradley’s SG&A current year expenses were lower than the prior year primarily due to cost reduction initiatives and a reduction in variable-related expenses due to the lower sales volume.

The Company’s fourth quarter consolidated operating loss totaled ($49.8) million, or (33.8%) of net revenues, compared to operating income of $8.3 million, or 5.5% of net revenues, in the prior year fourth quarter. On a non-GAAP basis, fourth quarter consolidated operating income totaled $7.0 million, or 4.8% of net revenues, compared to $9.1 million, or 6.1% of net revenues, in the prior year.

By segment:

Vera Bradley Direct fourth quarter operating income was $18.5 million, or 18.6% of Direct net revenues, compared to $21.7 million, or 20.7% of Direct net revenues, in the prior year. On a non-GAAP basis, current year Direct fourth quarter operating income was $19.8 million, or 19.9% of Direct net revenues, compared to $21.7 million, or 20.8% of Direct net revenues, in the prior year.
Vera Bradley Indirect fourth quarter operating income was $4.6 million, or 27.3% of Indirect net revenues, compared to $2.9 million, or 22.5% of Indirect net revenues, in the prior year. On a non-GAAP basis, current year Indirect fourth quarter operating income was $5.3 million, or 32.0% of Indirect net revenues.
Pura Vida’s current year fourth quarter operating loss was ($49.8) million, or (161.2%) of Pura Vida net revenues, compared to operating income of $2.0 million, or 6.2% of Pura Vida net revenues, in the prior year. On a non-GAAP basis, Pura Vida’s current year fourth quarter operating income was $0.4 million, or 1.3% of Pura Vida net revenues, compared to $2.8 million, or 8.6% of Pura Vida net revenues, in the prior year.

Details for the Fiscal Year

Vera Bradley Direct segment revenues for the current fiscal year totaled $328.2 million, 7.5% decrease from $354.9 million in the prior year. Comparable sales declined 9.5% for the fiscal year.

Vera Bradley Indirect segment revenues for the fiscal year totaled $73.3 million, an 11.1% increase over $66.0 million in the prior year, primarily reflecting an increase in certain key account orders.

Current year Pura Vida segment revenues totaled $98.4 million, a 17.7% decrease from $119.6 million in the prior year. Pura Vida’s e-commerce revenues continue to be negatively impacted by the shift in social and digital media effectiveness and rising digital media costs, and a decline in sales to wholesale accounts.

Consolidated gross profit for the current fiscal year totaled $238.9 million, or 47.8% of net revenues, compared to $287.9 million, or 53.3% of net revenues, last year. On a non-GAAP basis, gross profit for the current fiscal year totaled $257.2 million, or 51.4% of net revenues. The current year gross profit rate primarily was negatively affected by higher inbound and outbound freight expense and increased promotional activity, partially offset by price increases.

For the fiscal year, consolidated SG&A expense totaled $265.0 million, or 53.0% of net revenues, compared to $262.0 million, or 48.5% of net revenues, in the prior year. On a non-GAAP basis, SG&A expense totaled $245.3 million, or 49.1% of net revenues, in the current year, compared to $258.8 million, or 47.9% of net revenues, in the prior year. Vera Bradley’s SG&A current year expenses were lower than the prior year primarily due to cost reduction initiatives and a reduction in variable-related expenses due to the lower sales volume.

For the fiscal year, the Company’s consolidated operating loss totaled ($94.9) million, or (19.0%) of net revenues, compared to operating income of $26.9 million, or 5.0% of net revenues, in the prior year. On a non-GAAP basis, the Company’s consolidated operating income was $12.3 million, or 2.5% of net revenues, compared to $30.1 million, or 5.6% of net revenues, in the prior year.

By segment:

Vera Bradley Direct operating income was $51.1 million, or 15.6% of Direct net revenues, compared to $73.5 million, or 20.7% of Direct net revenues, in the prior year. On a non-GAAP basis, Direct operating income was $58.3 million, or 17.8% of Direct net revenues, for the current year, compared to $73.6 million, or 20.7% of Direct net revenues, in the prior year.
Vera Bradley Indirect operating income was $23.0 million, or 31.3% of Indirect net revenues, compared to $20.3 million, or 30.8% of Indirect net revenues, in the prior year. On a non-GAAP basis, current year Indirect operating income totaled $24.7 million, or 33.7% of Indirect net revenues.
Pura Vida’s operating loss was ($78.6) million, or (79.9%) of Pura Vida net revenues, compared to operating income of $9.5 million, or 8.0% of Pura Vida net revenues, in the prior year. On a non-GAAP basis, Pura Vida’s operating income was $4.7 million, or 4.8% of Pura Vida net revenues, compared to $12.6 million, or 10.5% of Pura Vida net revenues, in the prior year.

Balance Sheet

Net capital spending for the fiscal year totaled $8.2 million compared to $5.5 million in the prior year.

Cash and cash equivalents as of January 28, 2023 totaled $46.6 million compared to $88.4 million at the prior fiscal year end. The Company had no borrowings on its $75 million ABL credit facility at fiscal year end.

Total fiscal year-end inventory was $142.3 million, compared to $144.9 million at last fiscal year end. Total current year inventory was lower than the prior year primarily due to inventory adjustments associated with excess and discounted inventory, partially offset by incremental logistics costs burdening overall inventory.

During the fourth quarter, the Company repurchased approximately $0.8 million of its common stock (approximately 187,000 shares at an average price of $4.20), bringing the Company’s Fiscal 2023 purchases to $18.1 million (approximately 2.8 million shares at an average price of $6.40). The Company’s $50.0 million share repurchase authorization expires in December 2024. Since Fiscal 2015, the Company has repurchased $132.9 million, or approximately 12.1 million shares, of its common stock.

Forward Outlook

Management is providing estimates for the fiscal year ending February 3, 2024 (“Fiscal 2024”) based on current macroeconomic trends and expectations. Ardrey noted, “We anticipate the Fiscal 2024 macroeconomic environment to continue to be unpredictable and that this year will be a rebuilding year for both of our brands. We expect to take advantage of gross margin improvement opportunities and manage our expense structure diligently.”

The Company is not providing detailed guidance for the first fiscal quarter of 2024 but expects revenues and diluted loss per share to be approximately in line with the prior year. Ardrey stated, “In the first quarter, we will work to stabilize the business. We hope to see momentum build as the year progresses.”

Excluding net revenues, all forward-looking guidance numbers referenced below are non-GAAP. The prior year income statement numbers exclude the previously disclosed charges for goodwill and intangible asset impairment; net inventory and purchase order-related adjustments; severance, retention, and stock-based retirement compensation; consulting and professional fees primarily associated with cost savings initiatives, the CEO search, and strategic initiatives; amortization of definite-lived intangible assets; store and right-of-use asset impairment charges; new CEO sign-on bonus and relocation; and goodMRKT exit costs. Current year guidance excludes any similar charges.

For Fiscal 2024, the Company’s expectations are as follows:

Consolidated net revenues of $490 to $510 million. Net revenues totaled $500.0 million in Fiscal 2023. Both Vera Bradley and Pura Vida revenues are expected to be approximately flat on a year-over-year basis.
A consolidated gross profit percentage of 52.6% to 53.6% compared to 51.4% in Fiscal 2023. The expected year-over-year increase is primarily related to reduced inbound freight expense, partially offset by deleveraged overhead costs related to reduced inventory purchases.
Consolidated SG&A expense of $241 to $251 million compared to $245.3 million in Fiscal 2023. Year-over-year changes in SG&A expense primarily are being driven by restoring short-term and long-term incentive compensation to normal levels, offset by Company-wide cost reduction initiatives.
Consolidated operating income of $17.3 to $21.7 million compared to $12.3 million in Fiscal 2023.
Free cash flow of between $25 and $30 million compared to a cash usage of $21.7 million in Fiscal 2023.
Consolidated diluted EPS of $0.40 to $0.50 based on diluted weighted-average shares outstanding of 31.0 million and an effective tax rate of approximately 28%. Diluted EPS totaled $0.24 last year.
Net capital spending of approximately $5 million compared to $8.2 million in the prior year, reflecting investments associated with new Vera Bradley Factory stores and technology and logistics enhancements.

Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Measures

The Company’s management does not, nor does it suggest that investors should, consider the supplemental non-GAAP financial measures in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). Further, the non-GAAP measures utilized by the Company may be unique to the Company, as they may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies.

The Company believes that the non-GAAP measures presented in this earnings release, including (cash usage) free cash flow; cost of sales; gross profit; selling, general, and administrative expenses; impairment of goodwill and intangible assets; operating (loss) income; net (loss) income; net (loss) income attributable and available to Vera Bradley, Inc.; and diluted net (loss) income per share available to Vera Bradley, Inc. common shareholders, along with the associated percentages of net revenues, are helpful to investors because they allow for a more direct comparison of the Company’s year-over-year performance and are consistent with management’s evaluation of business performance. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures can be found in the Company’s supplemental schedules included in this earnings release.

Call Information

A conference call to discuss results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year is scheduled for today, Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. A broadcast of the call will be available via Vera Bradley’s Investor Relations section of its website, www.verabradley.com. Alternatively, interested parties may dial into the call at (888) 204-4368, and enter the access code 3761893. A replay will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and remain available through March 22, 2023. To access the recording, listeners should dial (844) 512-2921, and enter the access code 3761893.

About Vera Bradley, Inc.

Vera Bradley, Inc. operates two unique lifestyle brands – Vera Bradley and Pura Vida. Vera Bradley and Pura Vida are complementary businesses, both with devoted, emotionally-connected, and multi-generational female customer bases; alignment as casual, comfortable, affordable, and fun brands; positioning as “gifting” and socially-connected brands; strong, entrepreneurial cultures; a keen focus on community, charity, and social consciousness; multi-channel distribution strategies; and talented leadership teams aligned and committed to the long-term success of their brands.

Vera Bradley, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a leading designer of women’s handbags, luggage and other travel items, fashion and home accessories, and unique gifts. Founded in 1982 by friends Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the brand is known for its innovative designs, iconic patterns, and brilliant colors that inspire and connect women unlike any other brand in the global marketplace.

In July 2019, Vera Bradley, Inc. acquired a 75% interest in Creative Genius, Inc., which also operates under the name Pura Vida Bracelets (“Pura Vida”). Pura Vida, based in La Jolla, California, is a digitally native, highly-engaging lifestyle brand founded in 2010 by friends Paul Goodman and Griffin Thall. Pura Vida has a differentiated and expanding offering of bracelets, jewelry, and other lifestyle accessories. The Company acquired the remaining 25% of Pura Vida in January 2023, subsequent to the end of Fiscal 2023.

The Company has three reportable segments: Vera Bradley Direct (“VB Direct”), Vera Bradley Indirect (“VB Indirect”), and Pura Vida. The VB Direct business consists of sales of Vera Bradley products through Vera Bradley Full-Line and Factory stores in the United States, www.verabradley.com, www.verabradley.ca, Vera Bradley’s online outlet site, and the Vera Bradley annual outlet sale in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The VB Indirect business consists of sales of Vera Bradley products to approximately 1,700 specialty retail locations throughout the United States, as well as select department stores, national accounts, third party e-commerce sites, and third-party inventory liquidators, and royalties recognized through licensing agreements related to the Vera Bradley brand. The Pura Vida segment consists of sales of Pura Vida products through the Pura Vida websites, www.puravidabracelets.com, www.puravidabracelets.eu, and www.puravidabracelets.ca; through the distribution of its products to wholesale retailers and department stores; and through its Pura Vida retail stores.

Website Information

We routinely post important information for investors on our website www.verabradley.com in the “Investor Relations” section. We intend to use this webpage as a means of disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Investor Relations section of our website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our webpage is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document.

Investors and other interested parties may also access the Company’s most recent Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report outlining its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives at https://verabradley.com/pages/corporate-responsibility.

Vera Bradley Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this release are “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current expectations or beliefs concerning future events and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that we expected, including: possible adverse changes in general economic conditions and their impact on consumer confidence and spending; possible inability to predict and respond in a timely manner to changes in consumer demand; possible loss of key management or design associates or inability to attract and retain the talent required for our business; possible inability to maintain and enhance our brands; possible inability to successfully implement the Company’s long-term strategic plans; possible inability to successfully open new stores, close targeted stores, and/or operate current stores as planned; incremental tariffs or adverse changes in the cost of raw materials and labor used to manufacture our products; possible adverse effects resulting from a significant disruption in our distribution facilities; or business disruption caused by pandemics. Risks, uncertainties, and assumptions also include the possibility that Pura Vida acquisition benefits may not materialize as expected and that Pura Vida’s business may not perform as expected. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2022. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement. Financial schedules are attached to this release.

CONTACTS:
Investors:
Julia Bentley, VP of Investor Relations and Communications
jbentley@verabradley.com
(260) 207-5116

Media:
mediacontact@verabradley.com
877-708-VERA (8372)

Release – MustGrow Reports Growth of Global Patent Portfolio

Posted on March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 by aweinsoff@channelchek.com

Research News and Market Data on MGROF

Mustard-derived intellectual property portfolio has significantly advanced in quantity and scope.
Patents have been filed across six continents.
Patent portfolio has grown from 23 to 84 in three year period.

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, Canada, Mar. 8, 2023 – MustGrow Biologics Corp. (TSXV: MGRO) (OTC: MGROF) (FRA: 0C0) (the “Company” or “MustGrow”), is pleased to report on the growth of its intellectual property portfolio (the “IP Portfolio”) in both quantity and scope, particularly with respect to the Company’s patents.

“The growth of our IP Portfolio enhances the potential commercial value of MustGrow’s organic mustard-derived crop protection and food preservation technologies through potential product sales, licensing fees and royalities, and/or other commercial transactions – all of which would contribute to driving shareholder value,” remarked Corey Giasson, MustGrow’s President & CEO.

MustGrow’s global IP Portfolio has grown from 23 to 84 total patents issued and pending over the last three years. Of the 84 total patents, 62 have been issued, an increase from 18 issued patents three years ago. The IP Portfolio also includes trade secrets and protects MustGrow’s mustard-derived technology across six continents, including various composition, production process, and end-use applications. The IP Portfolio covers MustGrow’s three key areas of focus: pre-plant soil fumigation, postharvest food preservation, and bioherbicide.

Since 2021, MustGrow has been developing its biologic technologies with four global partners – Janssen PMP, Bayer, Sumitomo Corporation, and NexusBioAg – and retains the ability to commercialize all of its partnership-generated data and discoveries. These arrangements have allowed MustGrow to substantially accelerate technology development and potential future commercialization. MustGrow continues to innovate in biological crop protection and food preservation with the breadth and depth of its IP Portfolio, driven by laboratory, greenhouse, and field trials.

———

About MustGrow

MustGrow is an agriculture biotech company developing organic biopesticides and bioherbicides by harnessing the natural defense mechanism of the mustard plant to protect the global food supply from diseases, insect pests, and weeds. MustGrow and its leading global partners – Janssen PMP (pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson), Bayer, Sumitomo Corporation, and Univar Solutions’ NexusBioAg – are developing mustard-based organic solutions to potentially replace harmful synthetic chemicals. Over 150 independent tests have been completed, validating MustGrow’s safe and effective approach to crop and food protection. Pending regulatory approval, MustGrow’s patented technology could be applied through injection, standard drip or spray equipment, improving functionality and performance features. Now a platform technology, MustGrow and its global partners are pursuing applications in several different industries from preplant soil treatment and weed control, to postharvest disease control and food preservation. MustGrow has approximately 49.7 million basic common shares issued and outstanding and 55.6 million shares fully diluted. For further details, please visit www.mustgrow.ca.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

“Corey Giasson”

Director & CEO
Phone: +1-306-668-2652
info@mustgrow.ca

MustGrow Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute “forward-looking statements” which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect the results, performance or achievements of MustGrow.

Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “occur” or “be achieved”. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements MustGrow makes regarding: (i) enhancements to potential commercial value of its organic mustard-derived crop protection and food preservation technologies through potential product sales, licensing fees and royalities, and/or other commercial transactions; and (ii) the potential outcomes stemming from the Company’s efforts with respect to its IP Portfolio to continue driving shareholder value.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of MustGrow to differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, MustGrow. Important factors that could cause MustGrow’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: (i) the preferences and choices of agricultural regulators with respect to product approval timelines; (ii) the ability of MustGrow’s partners to meet obligations under their respective agreements; and (iii) other risks described in more detail in MustGrow’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2021 and other continuous disclosure documents filed by MustGrow with the applicable securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. Readers are referred to such documents for more detailed information about MustGrow, which is subject to the qualifications, assumptions and notes set forth therein.

This release does not constitute an offer for sale of, nor a solicitation for offers to buy, any securities in the United States.

Neither the TSXV, nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV), nor the OTC Markets has approved the contents of this release or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Onconova Therapeutics (ONTX) – Additional Rigosertib Mechanism of Action Data Presented

Posted on March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 by cpereira@noblefcm.com

Wednesday, March 08, 2023

Onconova Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel products for patients with cancer. The Company has proprietary targeted anti-cancer agents designed to disrupt specific cellular pathways that are important for cancer cell proliferation. Onconova’s novel, proprietary multi-kinase inhibitor narazaciclib (formerly ON 123300) is being evaluated in two Phase 1 dose-escalation and expansion studies. These trials are currently underway in the United States and China. Onconova’s product candidate rigosertib is being studied in an investigator-sponsored study program, including in a dose-escalation and expansion Phase 1/2a investigator-sponsored study with oral rigosertib in combination with nivolumab for patients with KRAS+ non-small cell lung cancer.

Robert LeBoyer, Vice President, Research Analyst, Life Sciences , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

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New Data Shows Mechanisms of Inflammation and Cell Death. Onconova presented new preclinical data on the mechanisms of action for Rigosertib, its cell-signal inhibitor for cancer. The poster presentation at the AACR Special Conference for Targeting RAS included new data showing additional targets and mechanisms of action. We believe the presentation expands on the previous mechanism of action data and differentiates rigosertib from other KRAS drugs.

Data Shows Effects On Early and Late In Cancer Pathways. Rigosertib was shown to activate early targets which then trigger inhibition of the RAS/RAF pathway, as well as inflammation and interruption of cell division. Rigosertib also activates the inflammasome NLRP3, increasing levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1beta and IL-18. This inflammatory response supports the combination of Rigosertib with a checkpoint inhibitor, currently in clinical trials.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

Harte Hanks (HHS) – Anticipating Another Good year

Posted on March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 by cpereira@noblefcm.com

Wednesday, March 08, 2023

Harte Hanks (NASDAQ: HHS) is a leading global customer experience company whose mission is to partner with clients to provide them with CX strategy, data-driven analytics and actionable insights combined with seamless program execution to better understand, attract, and engage their customers. Using its unparalleled resources and award-winning talent in the areas of Customer Care, Fulfillment and Logistics, and Marketing Services, Harte Hanks has a proven track record of driving results for some of the world’s premier brands including Bank of America, GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, Pfizer, HBOMax, Volvo, Ford, FedEx, Midea, Sony, and IBM among others. Headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts , Harte Hanks has over 2,500 employees in offices across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific .

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Patrick McCann, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

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Solid Q4 & full year results. The company reported Q4 revenue of $54.8 million, up 5.4%, and Adj. EBITDA of $5 million, in line with our estimates. Revenue growth was driven by fulfillment & logistics, which grew 34.4% from year earlier results. Full year revenue and Adj. EBITDA grew by 6% and 12%, respectively, a solid performance given the robust growth in 2021, where revenue and Adj. EBITDA grew by 10% and 467%, respectively.

Slow start to 2023. The company faces a difficult comp in Q1 due to non-recurring customer care revenue and lower margin revenue mix in the seasonally light quarter. Notably, we are tweaking upward our Q1 adj. EBITDA estimate given a slightly higher margin expectation.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. (CVGI) – Post Call Commentary

Posted on March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 by cpereira@noblefcm.com

Wednesday, March 08, 2023

Joe Gomes, Managing Director – Generalist Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Joshua Zoepfel, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

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4Q22 Bottom Line Impacted By Special Items. CVG reported GAAP EPS of a loss of $0.98. Adjusting for one-time items, adjusted EPS was $0.04. Further adjusting for special items, high program start-up costs and foreign exchange, special item adjusted EPS was $0.14, or much more in-line with our $0.17 forecast, which did not include any of the above.

A Refined Long-term Roadmap. Management put out a more refined long-term roadmap with a goal of $1.5 billion of revenue and a 9.0% adjusted EBITDA margin for 2027. While the new revenue goal is below the previous $1.9 billion goal, the adjusted EBITDA margin rises from a prior 8.5%. We believe the updated road map reflects management’s goal of focusing on adding only higher margin growth and not just growth for growth’s sake.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

Month: March 2023

Release – Energy Fuels Announces 2022 Results; Emerging as the Leading US Producer of Critical Minerals with Focus on Uranium and Rare Earth Elements

Vera Bradley (VRA) – Showing Progress; Reports 4QFY2023 Results

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The GEO Group (GEO) – Tracking Gets Easier

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Salem Media Group (SALM) – A Year Of Investing

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Energy Fuels (UUUU) – Financial Results – Initial Take

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The Key to Strong Real Estate Markets

Are Real Estate Markets Addicted to Easy Money?

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Budget Discussions Likely to Roil Markets

Investor Buy/Sell Patterns Could Change Under Biden Budget Proposals

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Release – Salem Media Group, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter 2022 Total Revenue of $68.8 Million

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Harte Hanks (HHS) – Anticipating Another Good year

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Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. (CVGI) – Post Call Commentary

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