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Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Reports Earnings for the Fiscal Third Quarter 2009

Thu. November 05, 2009; Posted: 04:01 PM
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GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Nov 05, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- RRGB | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., (NASDAQ: RRGB), a casual dining restaurant chain focused on serving an innovative selection of high-quality gourmet burgers in a family-friendly atmosphere, today reported financial results for the 12 and 40 weeks ended October 4, 2009.

Financial and Operational Results

Results for the 12 weeks ended October 4, 2009, compared to the 12 weeks ended October 5, 2008, include the following:

-- Total revenues decreased 10.4% to $187.0 million.

-- Restaurant revenue decreased 10.4% to $183.9 million.

-- Company-owned comparable restaurant sales decreased 14.9%.

-- Restaurant-level operating profit decreased 20.1% to $30.4 million.

-- GAAP diluted earnings per share were $0.37 vs. $0.40 in the same period a year ago.

-- One new franchised Red Robin restaurant opened during the third quarter 2009.

As of the end of the fiscal third quarter of 2009, there were 304 company-owned and 132 franchised Red Robin(R) restaurants.

"While Red Robin's financial results for our fiscal third quarter reflected continued softness in the casual dining industry and in the macroeconomic climate as a whole, we are encouraged by the results we are beginning to see from our targeted initiatives to drive Guest traffic and retention, as well as the progress our teams continue to make in managing controllable costs," said Dennis B. Mullen, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., chairman and chief executive officer. "Despite the challenging operating environment, we believe we are focused on the right strategies for the long-term strength and growth of our business. We will continue to concentrate on making further progress on improving productivity and leveraging the success that our recent marketing strategies have had in building awareness for the quality, variety and value that Red Robin offers our Guests."

Fiscal Third Quarter 2009 Results

Comparable restaurant sales decreased 14.9% for company-owned restaurants in the fiscal third quarter of 2009 compared to the fiscal third quarter of 2008, driven by a 13.8% decline in guest counts and 1.1% decrease in the average guest check. Average weekly comparable sales from the 269 company-owned comparable restaurants were $51,964 in the fiscal third quarter of 2009, compared to $62,182 for the 233 company-owned comparable restaurants in the fiscal third quarter of 2008. Average weekly sales for the 35 non-comparable company-owned restaurants were $49,385 in the fiscal third quarter of 2009, compared to $56,111 for the 44 non-comparable restaurants in the fiscal third quarter a year ago. For all company-owned restaurants, average weekly sales were $51,667 from 3,648 operating weeks in the fiscal third quarter of 2009 compared to $60,974 from 3,433 operating weeks, in the fiscal third quarter of 2008.

Total Company revenues, which include company-owned restaurant sales and franchise royalties and fees, decreased 10.4% to $187.0 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2009, versus $208.6 million last year. Franchise royalties and fees decreased 8.0% to $3.0 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2009 compared to $3.3 million in the same period a year ago.

For the fiscal third quarter of 2009, the Company's U.S. franchise restaurant sales of $64.6 million were lower compared to $71.6 million in the prior year period. Comparable sales in the fiscal third quarter of 2009 for franchise restaurants in the U.S. decreased 14.4% and for franchise restaurants in Canada decreased 0.2% from the fiscal third quarter of 2008. Average weekly comparable sales for the U.S. franchised restaurants were $47,998 from the 101 comparable restaurants in the fiscal third quarter of 2009, compared to $56,749 for the 94 comparable restaurants in the fiscal third quarter of 2008. Average weekly sales in the fiscal third quarter of 2009 for the Company's 18 comparable franchise restaurants in Canada were C$52,908 versus C$53,008 in the same period last year. Canadian results are in Canadian dollars.

Restaurant-level operating profit margins at company-owned restaurants were 16.5% in the fiscal third quarter of 2009 compared to 18.5% in the fiscal third quarter of 2008. As a percentage of restaurant revenue, fiscal third quarter 2009 restaurant-level operating profit margins were negatively impacted by a 1.6% increase in labor costs and 1.0% higher occupancy costs largely due to sales deleveraging, partially offset by an approximately 0.3% decrease in food and beverage costs and 0.3% lower operating costs.

The Company's restaurant-level operating profit metric does not represent income from operations or net income calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Schedule I of this earnings release reconciles restaurant-level operating profit to income from operations and net income for all periods presented.

General and administrative expense was $12.1 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2009 and $15.7 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2008, which were 6.5% and 7.5% of total revenue, respectively.

Interest expense was $1.3 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2009, compared to $2.0 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2008.

In the fiscal third quarter of 2009, the Company realized a reduction in the effective tax rate to 16.3 % compared to 21.6 % for the fiscal third quarter of 2008.

Net income for the fiscal third quarter of 2009 was $5.7 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, as compared to net income of $6.2 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, in the fiscal third quarter of 2008. Included in fiscal third quarter 2008 results were asset impairment charges of $0.05 per diluted share after tax.

Schedule II of this earnings release reconciles the impact on the net income and diluted earnings per share as reported on a GAAP basis in the fiscal third quarter of 2009 and 2008 to adjusted amounts excluding certain acquisition costs.

Outlook

Since the end of the fiscal third quarter 2009, the Company opened the last two of the 15 company-owned restaurants planned for fiscal 2009. One new franchised restaurant scheduled to open in mid December is expected to be the last of five new franchised restaurant openings during fiscal 2009.

The Company continues to expect that guest counts will be negative for the full fiscal year 2009. In addition to the general macroeconomic pressures, the extent of the traffic declines have also been impacted by prior-year marketing activities, which create more difficult comparisons during certain periods. As a result of the impact of deleveraging on restaurant margins from decreased restaurant sales and the year-over-year cost pressures from select food and minimum wage increases, as well as some recent advertising expenses, the Company expects restaurant-level operating margins could decline by 150 to 160 basis points for the fiscal year 2009. For every 10 basis point change in restaurant level operating profit during fiscal year 2009, diluted earnings per share are estimated to be impacted by approximately $0.04.

Investor Conference Call and Webcast

Red Robin will host an investor conference call to discuss its third quarter 2009 results today at 5:00 p.m. ET. The conference call number is (888) 417-8516. To access the webcast, please visit www.redrobin.com and select the "Investors" link from the menu. The quarterly financial information that the Company intends to discuss during the conference call is included in this press release and will be available on the "Investors" link of the Company's website at www.redrobin.com prior to the conference call.

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB)

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (www.redrobin.com), a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., serves up wholesome, fun, feel-good experiences in a family-friendly environment. Red Robin(R) restaurants are famous for serving more than two dozen insanely delicious, high-quality gourmet burgers in a variety of recipes with Bottomless Steak Fries(R), as well as salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts, and signature Mad Mixology(R) Beverages. There are more than 430 Red Robin(R) restaurants located across the United States and Canada, including company-owned locations and those operating under franchise agreements.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain information and statements contained in this press release, including those under the heading "Outlook," are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements which are other than statements of historical facts. These statements may be identified, without limitation, by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believe," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "will" or comparable terms or the negative thereof. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof. Such statements speak only as of the date hereof and we undertake no obligation to update any such statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date hereof. These statements are based on assumptions believed by us to be reasonable, and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the downturn in general economic conditions including severe volatility in financial markets and decreasing consumer confidence, resulting in changes in consumer preferences, or consumer discretionary spending; potential fluctuation in our quarterly operating results due to economic conditions, seasonality and other factors; changes in availability of capital or credit facility borrowings to us and to our franchisees; the adequacy of cash flows generated by our business to fund operations and growth opportunities; our ability to achieve and manage our planned expansion, including both in new markets and existing markets; changes in the cost and availability of building materials and restaurant supplies; the concentration of our restaurants in the Western United States and the associated disproportionate impact of macroeconomic factors; changes in the availability and costs of food; changes in labor and energy costs and changes in the ability of our vendors to meet our supply requirements; labor shortages, particularly in new markets; the effectiveness of our initiative to normalize new restaurant operations; lack of awareness of our brand in new markets; the effectiveness of our advertising strategy; higher percentage of operating weeks from non-comparable restaurants; concentration of less mature restaurants in the comparable restaurant base which impacts profitability; the ability of our franchisees to open and manage new restaurants; the effect of increased competition in the casual dining market and discounting by competitors; health concerns about our food products and food preparation; our ability to protect our intellectual property and proprietary information; the impact of federal, state or local government regulations relating to our team members or the sale of food or alcoholic beverages; our franchisees' adherence to our practices, policies and procedures; and other risk factors described from time to time in the Company's 10-Q and 10-K filings with the SEC.

RESTAURANT UNIT DATA

The following table details restaurant unit data for company-owned and franchise locations for the periods indicated.

                                                Twelve Weeks Ended                Forty Weeks Ended
                                                October 4, 2009  October 5, 2008  October 4, 2009  October 5, 2008
    Company-owned:
    Beginning of period                         304              281              294              249
    Opened during period                        -                10               13               27
    Acquired during period                      -                -                1                15
    Closed during period                        -                -                (4      )        -
    End of period                               304              291              304              291
    Franchised:
    Beginning of period                         131              123              129              135
    Opened during period                        1                3                4                7
    Sold or closed during period                -                -                (1      )        (16     )
    End of period                               132              126              132              126
    Total number of Red Robin(R) restaurants    436              417              436              417

On December 31, 2008, the Company acquired a restaurant that was managed by the Company under a management agreement with a franchisee since May 2008.

RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands, except share amounts)
(Unaudited)
                                                                      October 4,         December 28,
                                                                      2009               2008
Assets:
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents                                             $    8,860         $    11,158
Accounts receivable, net                                                   7,944              5,611
Inventories                                                                13,739             13,123
Prepaid expenses and other current assets                                  7,714              9,032
Income tax receivable                                                      1,120              6,208
Deferred tax asset                                                         6,502              3,366
Restricted current assets--marketing funds                                 1,132              1,590
Total current assets                                                  $    47,011        $    50,088
Property and equipment, net                                                434,965            442,012
Goodwill                                                                   61,769             60,982
Intangible assets, net                                                     49,478             51,990
Other assets, net                                                          3,728              4,665
Total assets                                                          $    596,951       $    609,737
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Current Liabilities:
Trade accounts payable                                                $    9,742         $    11,966
Construction related payables                                              2,485              9,747
Accrued payroll and payroll related liabilities                            26,082             25,489
Unearned revenue                                                           8,649              11,997
Accrued liabilities                                                        22,476             20,385
Accrued liabilities--marketing funds                                       1,132              1,590
Current portion of term loan notes payable                                 18,739             10,313
Current portion of long-term debt and capital lease obligations            654                696
Total current liabilities                                             $    89,959        $    92,183
Deferred rent                                                              30,017             26,790
Long-term portion of term loan notes payable                               103,954            122,687
Other long-term debt and capital lease obligations                         74,239             88,876
Other non-current liabilities                                              10,167             10,293
Total liabilities                                                     $    308,336       $    340,829
Stockholders' Equity:
Common stock; $0.001 par value: 30,000,000 shares authorized;
17,072,249
and 16,954,205 shares issued; 15,579,969 and 15,461,925 shares             17                 17
outstanding
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value: 3,000,000 shares authorized; no
shares
issued and outstanding                                                     -                  -
Treasury stock, 1,492,280 shares, at cost                                  (50,125 )          (50,125 )
Paid-in capital                                                            169,612            165,932
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax                           (1,563  )          (1,622  )
Retained earnings                                                          170,674            154,706
Total stockholders' equity                                                 288,615            268,908
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity                            $    596,951       $    609,737
RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
                                                    Twelve Weeks Ended            Forty Weeks Ended
                                                    October 4,     October 5,     October 4,     October 5,
                                                    2009           2008           2009           2008
Revenues:
Restaurant revenue                                  $     183,878  $     205,286  $     648,436  $   659,086
Franchise royalties and fees                              3,035          3,299          10,265       11,367
Rent revenue                                              34             53             147          166
Total revenues                                            186,947        208,638        658,848      670,619
Costs and expenses:
Restaurant operating costs:
Cost of sales                                             42,961         48,705         156,472      156,558
Labor (includes $126, $298, $1,249 and $961 of
stock-based compensation, respectively)                   64,113         68,300         224,063      222,395
Operating                                                 31,950         36,236         106,976      113,139
Occupancy                                                 14,434         13,977         47,836       43,195
Depreciation and amortization                             13,112         12,248         43,815       38,777
General and administrative (includes $600,
$1,886, $4,942, and $4,400 of stock-based
compensation, respectively)                               12,109         15,659         51,080       52,588
Pre-opening costs                                         125            2,661          3,263        7,265
Asset impairment charge                                   -              928            -            928
Reacquired franchise and other acquisition costs          -              -              -            451
Total costs and expenses                                  178,804        198,714        633,505      635,296
Income from operations                                    8,143          9,924          25,343       35,323
Other expense (income):
Interest expense, net                                     1,321          2,045          4,994        6,104
Other                                                     10             7              29           (18     )
Total other expenses                                      1,331          2,052          5,023        6,086
Income before income taxes                                6,812          7,872          20,320       29,237
Provision for income taxes                                1,110          1,698          4,352        7,894
Net income                                          $     5,702    $     6,174    $     15,968   $   21,343
Earnings per share:
Basic                                               $     0.37     $     0.40     $     1.04     $   1.32
Diluted                                             $     0.37     $     0.40     $     1.03     $   1.31
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic                                                     15,408         15,303         15,379       16,113
Diluted                                                   15,535         15,415         15,488       16,251
RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
                                                                        Forty Weeks Ended
                                                                        October 4,          October 5,
                                                                        2009                2008
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net income                                                              $    15,968         $    21,343
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by
operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization                                                43,815              38,777
Stock-based compensation expense                                             6,191               5,361
Asset impairment charge                                                      -                   928
Restaurant closure costs                                                     598                 -
Other, net                                                                   (3,557   )          231
Changes in operating assets and liabilities                                  3,495               219
Cash provided by operating activities                                        66,510              66,859
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Changes in marketing fund restricted cash                                    -                   81
Acquisition of franchise restaurants, net of cash acquired of $0 and         (1,248   )          (30,389 )
$55, respectively
Purchases of property and equipment                                          (40,776  )          (65,223 )
Cash used in investing activities                                            (42,024  )          (95,531 )
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of long-term debt                                                 147,900             155,900
Payments of long-term debt                                                   (171,815 )          (85,387 )
Purchase of treasury stock                                                   -                   (50,042 )
Payment for tender offer for stock options                                   (3,498   )          -
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase          937                 1,456
plan
Excess tax benefit related to exercise of stock options                      155                 278
Payments of other debt and capital lease obligations                         (463     )          (414    )
Cash provided (used) by financing activities                                 (26,784  )          21,791
Net change in cash and cash equivalents                                      (2,298   )          (6,881  )
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period                               11,158              12,914
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period                                $    8,860          $    6,033
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:
Income taxes paid                                                       $    2,103          $    4,216
Interest paid, net of amounts capitalized                                    5,089               5,959
Supplemental Disclosure of Non-Cash Items:
Capital lease obligations incurred for equipment purchases                   -                   156
Unrealized gain on cash flow hedge, net of tax                               53                  356

Schedule I

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Restaurant-Level Operating Profit to Income from Operations and Net Income (In thousands, except percentages)

The Company defines restaurant-level operating profit to be restaurant revenues minus restaurant-level operating costs, excluding restaurant closures and impairment costs in the event closure or impairment charges are incurred. It does not include general and administrative costs, depreciation and amortization, pre-opening costs and costs associated with the tender offer of stock options attributed to non-restaurant employees. The Company believes that restaurant-level operating profit is an important measure of financial performance because it is widely regarded in the restaurant industry as a useful metric by which to evaluate restaurant-level operating efficiency and performance. The Company excludes restaurant closure costs as they do not represent a component of the efficiency of continuing operations. Restaurant impairment costs are excluded, because, similar to depreciation and amortization, they represent a non-cash charge for the Company's investment in its restaurants and not a component of the efficiency of restaurant operations. Restaurant-level operating profit is not a measurement determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and should not be considered in isolation, or as an alternative, to income from operations or net income as indicators of financial performance. Restaurant-level operating profit as presented may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. The table below sets forth certain unaudited information for the 12 and 40 weeks ended October 4, 2009 and October 5, 2008, expressed as a percentage of total revenues, except for the components of restaurant operating costs, which are expressed as a percentage of restaurant revenues.

                                                    Twelve Weeks Ended                            Forty Weeks Ended
                                                    October 4, 2009        October 5, 2008        October 4, 2009        October 5, 2008
Restaurant revenues                                 $   183,878  98.4 %    $   205,286  98.4 %    $   648,436  98.4 %    $   659,086  98.3 %
Restaurant operating costs:
Cost of sales                                           42,961   23.4          48,705   23.7          156,472  24.1          156,558  23.8
Labor                                                   64,113   34.9          68,300   33.3          223,177  34.4          222,395  33.7
Operating                                               31,950   17.4          36,236   17.7          106,976  16.5          113,139  17.2
Occupancy                                               14,434   7.8           13,977   6.8           47,836   7.4           43,195   6.6
Tender offer stock-based compensation expense           -        -             -        -             886      0.2           -        -
Restaurant-level operating profit                       30,420   16.5          38,068   18.5          113,089  17.4          123,799  18.8
Add - other revenues                                    3,069    1.6           3,352    1.6           10,412   1.6           11,533   1.7
Deduct - other operating:
Depreciation and amortization                           13,112   7.0           12,248   5.9           43,815   6.7           38,777   5.8
General and administrative                              12,109   6.5           15,659   7.5           47,366   7.2           52,588   7.8
Pre-opening costs                                       125      0.1           2,661    1.3           3,263    0.5           7,265    1.1
Tender offer stock-based compensation expense           -        -             -        -             3,116    0.5           -        -
Asset impairment charge                                 -        -             928      0.4           -        -             928      0.1
Restaurant closure costs                                -        -             -        -             598      0.1           -        -
Reacquired franchise and other acquisition costs        -        -             -        -             -        -             451      0.1
Total other operating                                   25,346   13.6          31,496   15.1          98,158   15.0          100,009  14.9
Income from operations                                  8,143    4.4           9,924    4.8           25,343   3.8           35,323   5.3
Total other expenses, net                               1,331    0.7           2,052    1.0           5,023    0.8           6,086    0.9
Provision for income taxes                              1,110    0.6           1,698    0.8           4,352    0.7           7,894    1.2
Total other                                             2,441    1.3           3,750    1.8           9,375    1.5           13,980   2.1
Net income                                          $   5,702    3.1  %    $   6,174    3.0  %    $   15,968   2.3  %    $   21,343   3.2  %

Certain percentage amounts in the table above do not sum due to rounding as well as the fact that restaurant operating costs are expressed as a percentage of restaurant revenues, as opposed to total revenues.

Schedule II

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Results to GAAP Results (In thousands, except per share amounts and percentages)

In addition to the results provided in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") throughout this press release, the Company has provided non-GAAP measurements which present the 12 and 40 weeks ended October 4, 2009 year-over-year change in net income and diluted net income per share, for the tender offer for certain stock options and costs associated with the closure of four restaurants during 2009, and the reacquired franchise costs and other acquisition costs, and acquisition related integration-related costs incurred during the 12 and 40 weeks ended October 5, 2008. The non-GAAP measurements are intended to supplement the presentation of the Company's financial results in accordance with GAAP. The Company believes that the presentation of these items provides additional information to facilitate the comparison of past and present financial results.

                                                           Twelve Weeks Ended                          Year Over Year
                                                                                                       Percentage Change
                                                           October 4, 2009       October 5, 2008
                                                           Net         Diluted   Net         Diluted   Net        Diluted
                                                           Income      EPS       Income      EPS       Income     EPS
Reported                                                   $   5,702   $   0.37  $   6,174   $   0.40  -7.6  %    -7.5  %
After-tax impact of :
Asset impairment charges                                       -           -         728         0.05
Acquisition-related integration costs                          -           -         7           -
                                                               -           -         735         0.05
Adjusted                                                   $   5,702   $   0.37  $   6,909   $   0.45  -17.5 %    -17.8 %
                                                           Forty Weeks Ended                           Year Over Year
                                                                                                       Percentage Change
                                                           October 4, 2009       October 5, 2008
                                                           Net         Diluted   Net         Diluted   Net        Diluted
                                                           Income      EPS       Income      EPS       Income     EPS
Reported                                                   $   15,968  $   1.03  $   21,343  $   1.31  -25.2 %    -21.4 %
After-tax impact of :
Cash tender offer                                              3,145       0.20      -           -
Asset impairment charges                                       -           -         677         0.04
Restaurant closure costs                                       470         0.03      -           -
Reacquired franchise rights and other acquisition costs        -           -         329         0.02
Acquisition-related integration costs                          -           -         192         0.01
                                                               3,615       0.23      1,198       0.07
Adjusted                                                   $   19,583  $   1.26  $   22,541  $   1.38  -13.1 %    -8.5  %

SOURCE: Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.

ICR 
Don Duffy/Raphael Gross 
203-682-8200
For full details on Red Robin Gourmet (RRGB) click here. Red Robin Gourmet (RRGB) has Short Term PowerRatings of 4. Details on Red Robin Gourmet (RRGB) Short Term PowerRatings is available at This Link.

    


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