The Presley Companies Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End Results


NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Feb. 17, 1999 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Presley Companies (NYSE: PDC) today reported net income for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 1998 of $8,640,000, or $0.17 per share, on sales of $131,765,000, as compared with a net loss of ($7,666,000), or ($0.15) per share, on sales of $96,232,000 for the comparable period a year ago. Sales of homes were $122,760,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 1998, up 46 percent from $84,098,000 for the comparable period a year ago. The net income for the quarter ended December 31, 1998 includes an extraordinary gain from retirement of debt of $2,219,000, after giving effect to income taxes and amortization of related deferred loan costs.

For the year ended December 31, 1998, the Company reported net income of $9,855,000, or $0.19 per share, on sales of $368,282,000, as compared with a net loss of ($89,894,000), or ($1.72) per share, on sales of $329,942,000 for the comparable period a year ago. The net income for the year ended December 31, 1998 includes an extraordinary gain from retirement of debt of $2,741,000, after giving effect to income taxes and amortization of related deferred loan costs. The net loss for the year ended December 31, 1997 included a non-cash charge of $74,000,000 as a result of the recognition of impairment losses on certain of the Company's real estate assets.

Homes sold, closed and in backlog for the Company and its unconsolidated joint ventures as of and for the periods presented are as follows:


                                    As of and for          As of and for
                                   the Three Months          the Year
                                  Ended December 31,    Ended December 31,
                                   1998       1997       1998       1997
Number of homes sold
  Company                           350        422      1,937      1,718
  Unconsolidated joint ventures      79          -        202          -
                                    429        422      2,139      1,718
 
Number of homes closed
  Company                           628        411      1,834      1,597
  Unconsolidated joint ventures      69          -         91          -
                                    697        411      1,925      1,597

Backlog of homes sold but not closed at end of period
  Company                           499        403        499        403
  Unconsolidated joint ventures     118          -        118          -
                                    617        403        617        403

Net new home orders for the quarter ended December 31, 1998 increased 2 percent to 429 units from 422 a year ago. For the fourth quarter of 1998, net new orders decreased 22 percent to 429 from 549 units in the third quarter of 1998. The number of homes closed in the fourth quarter of 1998 increased 70 percent to 697 from 411 in the fourth quarter of 1997. The backlog of homes sold as of December 31, 1998 was 617, up 53 percent from 403 units a year earlier, and down 30 percent from 885 units at September 30, 1998.

The dollar amount of backlog of homes sold but not closed as of December 31, 1998 was $165,100,000, as compared to $84,600,000 as of December 31, 1997 and $222,800,000 as of September 30, 1998. The Company's inventory of completed and unsold homes as of December 31, 1998 has increased by 92 percent to 50 units from 26 units as of September 30, 1998.

The improvement in net new homes orders, closings and backlog for the fourth quarter of 1998 as compared with the fourth quarter of 1997 is primarily the result of improved market conditions in substantially all of the Company's markets and additional sales locations as a result of new land acquisitions. At December 31, 1998, the Company had 46 sales locations as compared to 40 sales locations at December 31, 1997.

The Company also reported that for purposes of the Indenture governing its Senior Notes, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) was $50,119,000 for the fourth quarter of 1998 as compared to $40,686,000 for the fourth quarter of 1997. EBITDA coverage of interest incurred for the three months ended December 31, 1998 was 6.99, as compared to 4.70 for the three months ended December 31, 1997. EBITDA after development expenditures amounted to $44,644,000 for the fourth quarter of 1998 as compared to $9,218,000 for the fourth quarter of 1997.

The Presley Companies is one of the oldest and largest homebuilders in the Southwest with development communities in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. Founded in 1956, The Presley Companies has built and sold more than 47,000 homes and currently has 46 sales locations. Presley's corporate headquarters are located in Newport Beach, California.

Certain statements contained in this release that are not historical information contain forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual results may differ materially from those projected or implied. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions of future events which may not prove to be accurate. Factors that may impact such forward-looking statements include, among others, changes in general economic conditions and in the markets in which the Company competes, changes in interest rates and competition.


                            THE PRESLEY COMPANIES

                   CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
               (in thousands except per common share amounts)
                                (unaudited)


                                 Three Months Ended        Year Ended
                                    December 31,          December 31,  
                                  1998       1997       1998       1997
Sales
  Homes                         $122,760   $ 84,098   $348,352   $307,332
  Lots, land and other             9,005     12,134     19,930     22,610
                                 131,765     96,232    368,282    329,942
Operating costs
   Cost of sales - homes        (103,588)   (77,621)  (297,781)  (278,299)
   Cost of sales - lots, 
    land and other                (9,614)   (13,918)   (20,992)   (23,902)
   Impairment loss on 
    real estate assets                 -          -          -    (74,000)
   Sales and marketing            (6,283)    (6,452)   (21,463)   (22,279)
   General and administrative     (5,821)    (3,949)   (15,965)   (15,996)
                                (125,306)  (101,940)  (356,201)  (414,476)

Operating income (loss)            6,459     (5,708)    12,081    (84,534)

Income from unconsolidated 
 joint ventures                    3,153          -      3,499          -

Interest expense, net 
 of amounts capitalized           (2,141)    (2,812)    (9,214)    (7,812)

Financial advisory expenses       (1,286)         -     (1,286)         -

Other income, net                  1,587        854      3,225      2,452

Income (loss) before income taxes
 and extraordinary item            7,772     (7,666)     8,305    (89,894)

Provision for income taxes        (1,351)         -     (1,191)        -

Income (loss) before 
 extraordinary item                6,421     (7,666)     7,114    (89,894)

Extraordinary item - gain from 
 retirement of debt, net of 
  applicable income taxes          2,219          -      2,741          -


Net income (loss)               $  8,640  $  (7,666)  $  9,855   $(89,894)

Basic and diluted earnings per 
 common share
      Before extraordinary item $   0.13  $   (0.15)  $   0.14   $  (1.72)
      Extraordinary item            0.04          -       0.05          -
      After extraordinary item  $   0.17  $   (0.15)  $   0.19   $  (1.72)


                           THE PRESLEY COMPANIES

                        CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
       (in thousands except number of shares and par value per share)

 
                                                December 31,  December 31,
                                                   1998           1997   
                                                (unaudited)
                                ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents                       $  23,955     $   4,569
Receivables                                         8,613         8,652
Real estate inventories                           174,502       255,472
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated
  joint ventures                                   30,462         7,077
Property and equipment, less accumulated
  depreciation of $3,156 and $2,339 at
  December 31, 1998 and 1997, respectively          2,912         3,613
Deferred loan costs                                 3,381         3,266
Other assets                                        2,579         2,595
                                                 $246,404      $285,244

                   LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Accounts payable                                $  17,364     $  12,854
Accrued expenses                                   27,823        23,136
Notes payable                                      55,393        74,935
121/2% Senior Notes due 2001                      140,000       180,000
                                                  240,580       290,925
Stockholders' equity
  Common stock:
      Series A common stock, par value $.01 per share;
         100,000,000 shares authorized; 34,792,732 and 
         17,838,535 shares issued and outstanding at
         December 31, 1998 and 1997, 
         respectively                                 348           178

      Series B restricted voting convertible common stock, 
         par value $.01 per share; 50,000,000 shares authorized;
         17,402,946 and 34,357,143 shares issued and
         outstanding at December 31, 1998 and 1997,
         respectively                                 174           344

  Additional paid-in capital                      116,249       114,599

  Accumulated deficit from January 1, 1994       (110,947)     (120,802)
                                                    5,824        (5,681)
                                                 $246,404      $285,244


                             THE PRESLEY COMPANIES

                       SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION
                             (dollars in thousands)
                                   (unaudited)

The following table sets forth certain selected unaudited financial data regarding the Company's cash flow for the purposes of the Indenture governing the Company's Senior Notes:


                                  Three Months Ended     Year Ended
                                      December 31,       December 31,
                                  1998        1997      1998       1997

EBIT  (1)                      $  18,647  $    2,686  $  44,768 $  16,250
Amortization of Non-Cash Costs 
   to Cost of Sales, excluding interest 
   amortized to cost of sales     31,243      37,747     96,941   109,829
Depreciation and amortization        229         253      1,040       799

EBITDA                          $ 50,119    $ 40,686   $142,749  $126,878

Development expenditures:
   Lot and amenity development  $(12,768)   $(17,153) $ (47,954) $(58,437)
   Land acquisitions              (7,186)     (8,191)   (30,367)  (38,335)
   Net change in 
    housing inventory             18,278         830    (12,022)    9,965
   Investments in unconsolidated 
    joint ventures                (3,799)     (6,954)    11,772    (6,954)

     Total development 
      expenditures                (5,475)    (31,468)   (78,571)  (93,761)

EBITDA after development 
 expenditures                   $ 44,644   $   9,218  $  64,178 $  33,117

Interest expensed and amortized to cost of sales:
      Interest incurred        $   7,167   $   8,652   $ 31,474 $  32,218
      Less capitalized interest   (5,027)     (5,840)   (22,261)  (24,705)
         Interest expensed         2,140       2,812      9,213     7,513
         Amortization of capitalized 
            interest included in 
            cost of sales          9,703       7,618     27,899    23,760

         Total interest expensed and 
            amortized to
            cost of sales       $ 11,843    $ 10,430   $ 37,112 $  31,273

Interest incurred              $   7,167   $   8,652   $ 31,474 $  32,218

EBITDA/Interest incurred            6.99x       4.70x      4.54x     3.94x

(1) The impairment loss on real estate assets was not included in calculating EBIT for the year ended December 31, 1997.



            

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