The recent volatility in this stock has been incredible.  Up about 75% from its low this week.  Earnings just out, two cents ahead of estimates:
  T&W Reports Strong Third Quarter Results On Increased Lease Originations
  Net Income Increased by 132 Percent on $84 Million in Originations Total Delinquencies Decreased to 4.6 Percent of Portfolio Credit Quality Stable -- Net Charge-Offs Remain Low at 1/2 Percent
  October 30, 1998 08:30 AM 
  TACOMA, Wash., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- T&W Financial Corporation TWFC today announced strong results on increased lease originations for the third quarter and nine months ending September 30, 1998. Net income for the quarter rose 132 percent to $4.5 million, or $0.54 per share, compared with pro forma net income of $2.0 million, or $0.34 per share, for the same quarter last year. Lease originations for the third quarter increased 82 percent to $84.0 million, compared with lease originations of $46.1 million for the same quarter last year. On a sequential basis, the results were as follows: 
                                                   Quarter Ending                                     ($ in millions except per share data)                                    September 30, 1998       June 30, 1998
      Net Income                                $4.5                $4.0     EPS, fully diluted                       $0.54               $0.48     Lease Originations                      $ 84.0              $ 73.4     Total Servicing Portfolio               $476.0              $403.3     Total Delinquencies                       4.6%                6.4%     Net Charge-Offs*                         0.45%               0.53%
      (*Percentage of total servicing portfolio, annualized)
  T&W Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Price said, "Our strong third quarter results reflect the success of our existing origination channels in generating new business as well as significant contributions from our recent joint ventures and cross-marketing opportunities. This increase in business comes from a wide variety of geographically diverse industries spread throughout the U.S. and Canada. T&W remains focused on increasing shareholder value by delivering continued growth in revenues and earnings." 
  "During the quarter, we achieved a significant reduction in delinquencies. We also maintained T&W's charge-offs at 1/2 percent," said Thomas Price, president of T&W. "While we are enjoying rapid business growth, we are adhering to our strict underwriting standards while maintaining centralized credit control at our headquarters in Tacoma. In addition, we have enhanced our information technology to streamline the credit process and meet the needs of our growing lease servicing portfolio," said Mr. Price. 
  For the nine months ending September 30, 1998, net income rose 238 percent to $12.5 million, or $1.48 per share. This compares with pro forma net income of $3.7 million, or $.64 per share, for the same period last year. Lease originations increased to $221 million for the nine-month period, a 129 percent increase from lease originations of $96.4 million for the comparable period last year. 
  All 1997 figures have been presented pro forma to reflect the Company's restructuring to C-Corporation status from its prior structure as multiple pass-through entities. 
  Recent highlights for the Company include: 
  * T&W announced its intention to further capitalize upon the opportunities in the small-ticket equipment lease business in Canada by increasing its ownership in Onset Capital through a proposed acquisition of Accel Financial Group of Vancouver. 
  * Onset Capital established a strategic alliance with Sony of Canada to provide financing to broadcast equipment dealers throughout Canada. 
  * Member Services Company, an affiliate of T&W, continues to be successful in cross-marketing its lease financing through community banks. In Kansas City, Member Services partnered with Bankers' Bank of Kansas to provide commercial and municipal equipment leasing services to client banks throughout Kansas. 
  * T&W is increasing its securitization facility with CIBC Oppenheimer to $200 million from $120 million and secured an additional $75 million securitization facility during the quarter. 
  * The Company expanded into the commercial auto rental and corporate fleet business through a joint venture with Prime One. T&W's partners in this alliance have more than 20 years experience in providing financing options to the commercial auto rental industry. 
  * The Company increased its penetration into the independent grocer market by establishing a joint venture with Commercial Financial Services. T&W partnered with industry experts with 20-plus years of experience in financing this niche business. 
  "As we grow, we will continue to maintain our conservative business posture with generous reserves that match economic conditions," commented Paul B. Luke, senior vice president and director of finance at T&W. 
  "Our recent success in the securitization market is evidence of continued investor confidence in our portfolio quality. We are proud of our excellent reputation with asset-backed securities investors since we began securitizing our leases in 1992. T&W remains cash positive on our securitizations with approximately 45 to 50 percent of our gain on sale received up front in cash," Mr. Luke concluded. 
  Based in Tacoma, Washington, and founded in 1976, T&W Financial Corporation is a specialty commercial finance company. It provides equipment leasing, focusing primarily on the "small-ticket" sector of the market, which are leases less than $250,000. Its customers are small-to medium-sized independent businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada. 
  This release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which reflect the management's view only as of the date hereof. T&W undertakes no obligations to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Readers should also carefully review the risk factors described in documents T&W files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 
                           [financial tables to follow]
                    T & W FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND AFFILIATES                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS                     (In Thousands, Except per share data)                                  (Unaudited)
                                        Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended                                          September 30,        September 30,                                          1998      1997      1998      1997     Income Statement Data:     Revenues:       Lease contract revenue          $ 4,421   $ 3,514   $ 12,975  $ 10,812       Gain on sale of leases           10,725     4,492     25,754     7,940       Fee income                          839       288      1,729       422       Servicing and other income        1,456       168      3,632       906         Total revenues                 17,441     8,462     44,090    20,080
      Expenses:       Interest expense                  2,176     1,912      5,918     5,638       Compensation and related        expenses                         1,992     1,254      4,264     3,240       Amortization of initial direct        costs                            1,274       558      2,938     1,780       Provision for credit losses         883       372      2,311       774       Other general and administrative        expenses                         2,759       765      5,733     1,838         Total expenses                  9,084     4,861     21,164    13,270     Net income                          8,357     3,601     22,926     6,810
      Pro Forma Amounts:       Income before minority interest        and income taxes                 8,357     3,601     22,926     6,810       Minority interest                 1,254       540      3,439     1,022       Income before income taxes        7,103     3,061     19,487     5,788       Provision for income taxes        2,556     1,102      7,015     2,084       Net income                        4,547     1,959     12,472     3,704       Net income per share              $0.54     $0.34      $1.48     $0.64       Weighted average number of shares        of Common Stock and Common        Stock equivalent shares        outstanding                      8,400     5,800      8,400     5,800
                    T & W FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND AFFILIATES                                 FINANCIAL DATA                                  (Unaudited)
                                        September 30, 1998   September 30, 1997     Balance Sheet Data:     Cash and cash equivalents                   $15,971            $9,247     Net investment in leases                    109,101           105,978     Total Assets                                193,122           137,807     Notes payable - recourse                     56,648            24,245     Notes payable - non-recourse                 36,001            70,354     Total Liabilities                           129,490           122,095     Shareholders' Equity                         53,319            15,712     Deferred tax liability (a)                   18,215             4,602     Minority interest (a)                        10,313             2,365     Shareholders' equity (a)                    $53,319            $8,745
      Operating Data:     Lease financing      receivables originated:      Number of contracts                            954               529      Lease originations (b)                     $83,800           $46,100     Leases serviced:      Number of contracts                         10,894             7,584      Portfolio of leases serviced (c)          $476,019          $216,900      Average portfolio yield (d)                  12.8%             12.6%
      Credit quality statistics:      Delinquencies as a percentage      of portfolio of leases serviced      31-60 days                                   2.27%             2.84%      61-90 days                                   0.96%             1.84%      91-120 days                                  0.55%             1.58%      Over 120 days                                0.77%             2.44%        Total                                      4.55%             8.70%      Net charge-offs (e)                          0.45%             0.33%
  (a) -- 1997 figures are pro forma to reflect the Company's restructuring to C-Corporation status from its prior structure as multiple pass-through entities. 
  (b) -- Represents the equipment costs for leases originated during the period. 
  (c) -- Represents the aggregrate of minimum lease payments, under all leases serviced by the company held as direct-financing leases and leases sold to special-purpose entities. 
  (d) -- Represents the average yield recognized during the period for the portfolio of leases serviced. 
  (e) -- Represents charge-offs (reduced by recoveries), divided by the respective periods average net investment, under all leases serviced by the company held as direct-financing leases and leases sold to special purpose entities. 
  SOURCE T&W Financial Corporation   |