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Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia 10-Q 2012 Table of Contents
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark one)
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2012 OR
For the transition period from to Commission file number 001-15395
MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(Registrants telephone number, including area code) (212) 827-8000 (Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No ¨ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ¨ No x
Table of ContentsMartha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Index to Form 10-Q
Table of Contents
MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA, INC. Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Table of ContentsMARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA, INC. Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited, in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Table of ContentsMARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA, INC. Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (unaudited, in thousands)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
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Table of ContentsMARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA, INC. Consolidated Statement of Shareholders Equity For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2012 (unaudited, in thousands)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Table of ContentsMARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA, INC. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited, in thousands)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Table of ContentsMartha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited) 1. General Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, is herein referred to as we, us, our, or the Company. The information included in the foregoing interim consolidated financial statements is unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, all of which are of a normal recurring nature and necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations for the interim periods presented, have been reflected therein. The results of operations for interim periods do not necessarily indicate the results to be expected for the entire year. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements included in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) with respect to the Companys fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 (the 2011 Form 10-K) which may be accessed through the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Management does not expect such differences to have a material effect on the Companys consolidated financial statements. 2. Significant Accounting Policies Recent accounting standards In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2011-05, Comprehensive Income: Presentation of Comprehensive Income, (ASU 2011-05) which amended ASC 220, Presentation of Comprehensive Income. In accordance with the new guidance, an entity is no longer permitted to present comprehensive income in its consolidated statements of stockholders equity. Instead, entities are required to present components of comprehensive income in either one continuous financial statement with two sections, net income and comprehensive income, or in two separate but consecutive statements. The guidance, which must be applied retroactively, was effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2012. The adoption of ASU 2011-05 concerns disclosure only and had no impact on the Companys consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement: Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs, (ASU 2011-04) which amended ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. This amendment is intended to result in convergence between GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards requirements for measurement of and disclosures about fair value. This amendment clarifies the application of existing fair value measurements and disclosures, and changes certain principles or requirements for fair value measurements and disclosures. ASU 2011-04 was effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2012. The adoption of ASU 2011-04 did not have an impact on the Companys consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The Companys other significant accounting policies are discussed in detail in its 2011 Form 10-K.
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Table of Contents3. Fair Value Measurements The Company categorizes its assets and liabilities measured at fair value into a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used in pricing the asset or liability. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are:
The following tables present the Companys assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
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Table of Contents
The Company has no liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis The Companys non-financial assets, such as goodwill, intangible assets and property and equipment, are measured at fair value when there is an indicator of impairment and are recorded at fair value only when an impairment charge is recognized. Such impairment charges incorporate fair value measurements based on level 3 inputs. 4. Credit Facilities During February 2012, the Company increased its line of credit with Bank of America to $25.0 million, incorporating the previous $5.0 million line. Borrowings under this line of credit are available for investment opportunities, working capital, and the issuance of letters of credit. The annual interest rate on outstanding amounts is equal to a floating rate of 1-month LIBOR Daily Floating Rate plus 1.85%. The unused commitment fee is equal to 0.25%. The terms of the line of credit require the Company to be in compliance with certain financial and other covenants, with which the Company was compliant as of March 31, 2012. A summary of the most significant financial covenants is as follows:
The loan agreement also contains a variety of other customary affirmative and negative covenants. The loan agreement expires February 14, 2013 at which time any outstanding amounts borrowed under the agreement are then due and payable. The Company had no outstanding borrowings under this line of credit or its predecessor as of March 31, 2012 or December 31, 2011, but had outstanding letters of credit of $2.6 million on both dates.
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Table of Contents5. Other Income On March 30, 2012 the Company sold its cost-based investment in Ziplist for $0.8 million in cash. The carrying value of the investment had been written down to zero as of December 31, 2011, when the Company concluded that the investment was substantially impaired. Accordingly, the Company recorded a gain of $0.8 million in connection with the sale transaction in the first quarter of 2012, which represents cash received in excess of carrying value. 6. Income taxes The Company follows ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (ASC 740). Under the asset and liability method of ASC 740, deferred assets and liabilities are recognized for the future costs and benefits attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. The Company periodically reviews the requirements for a valuation allowance and makes adjustments to such allowance when changes in circumstances result in changes in the Companys judgment about the future realization of deferred tax assets. ASC 740 places more emphasis on historical information, such as the Companys cumulative operating results and its current year results than it places on estimates of future taxable income. Therefore, the Company added $1.7 million to its valuation allowance in the three months ended March 31, 2012, resulting in a cumulative balance of $85.6 million as of March 31, 2012. In addition, the Company recorded $0.4 million of tax expense during the three months ended March 31, 2012 which is primarily attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of past acquisitions of certain indefinite-lived intangible assets and their respective tax bases, which resulted in a net deferred tax liability of $6.2 million at March 31, 2012. The Company intends to maintain a valuation allowance until evidence would support the conclusion that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset could be realized. ASC 740 further establishes guidance on the accounting for uncertain tax positions. As of March 31, 2012, the Company had an ASC 740 liability balance of $0.08 million, of which $0.06 million represented unrecognized tax benefits, which if recognized at some point in the future would favorably impact the effective tax rate, and $0.02 million represented interest. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations by tax authorities for the years before 2005 and state examinations for the years before 2003. The Company anticipates that as a result of audit settlements and expirations of statutes of limitation over the next twelve months, the liability will be reduced, including cash payments of approximately $0.01 million. 7. Other Production, distribution and editorial expenses; selling and promotion expenses; and general and administrative expenses are all presented exclusive of depreciation and amortization, which are shown separately within Operating Costs and Expenses. Certain prior year financial information has been reclassified to conform to the 2012 financial statement presentation. For the three months ended March 31, 2011, approximately $1.1 million of certain facilities costs related to the Companys television production studio have been reclassified from general and administrative costs to production, distribution and editorial costs on the consolidated statements of operations. 8. Industry Segments The Company is an integrated media and merchandising company providing consumers with inspiring lifestyle content and programming, and well-designed, high-quality products. The Companys business segments are Publishing, Broadcasting and Merchandising. The Publishing segment primarily consists of the Companys operations related to its magazines and books, as well as its digital operations which includes the content-driven website, www.marthastewart.com. The Broadcasting segment primarily consists of the Companys television production operations and its satellite radio operations. The Martha Stewart Show season currently airing on Hallmark Channel began September 26, 2011 and is scheduled to end in September 2012. The Merchandising segment consists of the Companys operations related to the design of merchandise and related promotional and packaging materials that are licensed to and distributed by its retail and manufacturing partners.
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Table of ContentsThe accounting policies for the Companys business segments are discussed in further detail in the 2011 Form 10-K. Segment information for the quarters ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 is as follows:
9. Related Party Transactions On March 30, 2012, the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Martha Stewart dated April 1, 2009 was extended to June 30, 2012, from March 31, 2012, to allow for additional time to negotiate a new agreement. The remaining terms of the agreement are unaffected and continue in full force and effect. 10. Legal Matters On April 14, 2012, a class action lawsuit, titled Hutt v. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. et al, was filed against the Company and each of its directors in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. The suit alleges that the board of directors breached its fiduciary duties in respect of the proxy statement disclosure regarding a proposal to reserve additional shares under the Companys Omnibus Stock and Option Compensation Plan. The complaint seeks injunctive relief and damages. The Company removed the case to the United States District Court in the Southern District of New York. The Company believes the claim is without merit and plans to vigorously defend against it. There have been no material developments in the lawsuit filed against the Company by Macys Inc. and Macys Merchandising Group, Inc. The Company is party to legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including product liability claims for which the Company is indemnified by its licensees. None of these proceedings is deemed material. 11. Subsequent Events On April 2, 2012, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Services Agreement with Mr. Koppelman, which agreement amends a services agreement between the Company and Mr. Koppelman, dated July 26, 2011. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Services Agreement, Mr. Koppelman will continue to serve on the board of directors (the Board) and as Non-Executive Chairman until the 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company (the Annual Meeting), but will not stand for re-election as a director at the Annual Meeting. He will, however, continue to serve as an advisor to the Board until the expiration of the agreement on December 31, 2012. For his services, Mr. Koppelman will receive a cash payment of $7,500 and shares of the Companys Class A common stock valued at $2,500 on or about June 30, 2012. On the date of the Annual Meeting, 15,151 restricted stock units awarded to Mr. Koppelman in September 2011 will be forfeited, but will be replaced by an identical award, which award will vest and be settled on September 15, 2012. All of Mr. Koppelmans other equity-based awards will remain outstanding following the Annual Meeting in accordance with their terms.
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Table of ContentsITEM 2. MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS. Forward-looking Statements and Risk Factors Unless otherwise noted, we, us, our or the Company refers to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Except for historical information contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this Quarterly Report), the statements in this Quarterly Report are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements represent only our current beliefs regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of our control. These statements often can be identified by terminology such as may, will, should, could, expects, intends, plans, anticipates, believes, estimates, potential or continue or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Our actual results may differ materially from those projected in these statements, and factors that could cause such differences include the following among others:
These and other factors are discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 (the 2011 Form 10-K) under the heading Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Quarterly Report. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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Table of ContentsEXECUTIVE SUMMARY We are an integrated media and merchandising company providing consumers with inspiring lifestyle content and programming, and high-quality, licensed products that we design. We are organized into three business segments: Publishing and Broadcasting representing our media platforms; and Merchandising. Summarized below are our operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011.
We generate revenue from various sources such as advertising customers and licensing partners. Publishing is our largest business segment, accounting for 62% of our total revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2012. The primary source of Publishing segment revenue is advertising from our magazines, which include Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, Everyday Food and Whole Living. Magazine subscriptions, advertising revenue generated from our digital properties, primarily from marthastewart.com, and newsstand sales, along with royalties from our book business, account for most of the balance of Publishing segment revenue. Broadcasting segment revenue is derived primarily from television advertising and license fees from our agreement with Hallmark Channel, as well as satellite radio license fees from our agreement with Sirius XM Radio. Our agreement with Hallmark Channel to televise The Martha Stewart Show concludes with the completion of season 7 in September 2012. While Hallmark Channel retains certain rights to some of our programming other than The Martha Stewart Show (companion programming) through September 2013, we have completed the delivery of all of our companion programming to Hallmark Channel. During early May 2012, we commenced production of two seasons of a new weekly series, Martha Stewarts Cooking School, to be aired on PBS. The show debuts this Fall and will be produced in our studio prior to the end of our studio lease on June 30, 2012. Merchandising segment revenues are generated from the licensing of our trademarks and designs for a variety of products sold at multiple price points through a wide range of distribution channels. Our retail partnerships include our Martha Stewart Living program at The Home Depot and our Martha Stewart Collection at Macys. Pursuant to our commercial agreement with J.C. Penney, we began to provide product design services in January 2012 and we recognized revenues for these services. We have manufacturing partnerships including Avery for our Martha Stewart Home Office line, Wilton Properties Inc. for our Martha Stewart Crafts program and Age Group for our Martha Stewart Pets line, as well as with a variety of manufacturing partnerships to produce products under the Emeril brand. We incur expenses primarily consisting of compensation and related charges across all segments. In addition, we incur expenses related to the physical costs associated with producing magazines (including related direct mail and other marketing expenses), the editorial costs associated with creating content across our media platforms, the technology costs associated with our digital properties and the costs associated with producing our television programming. We also incur general overhead costs, including facilities and related expenses.
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Table of ContentsDetailed segment operating results are summarized below:
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Table of ContentsThree months ended March 31, 2012 Operating Results Compared to Three Months ended March 31, 2011 Operating Results For the three months ended March 31, 2012, total revenues decreased 5%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2011 due to a decline in print advertising revenue and the inclusion in the three months ended March 31, 2011 of the delivery of television companion programming to Hallmark Channel. These declines in revenues were partially offset by an increase in Merchandising segment revenues from new relationships and increased royalties from certain of our existing partners. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, our operating costs and expenses before Corporate expenses decreased 12% from the prior-year period due to the absence of television production costs associated with the companion programming delivered to Hallmark Channel in the three months ended March 31, 2011, as well as the delay of certain editorial and marketing costs in our Publishing segment. Corporate expenses increased 5% in the three months ended March 31, 2012 as compared to the prior-year period, primarily due to higher professional fees. Liquidity During the first three months of 2012, our overall cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments increased $8.9 million from December 31, 2011 due to the positive net cash provided by operating activities. Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $58.4 million and $49.5 million at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively. We had no borrowings against our line of credit as of March 31, 2012 or December 31, 2011.
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Table of ContentsComparison of Three Months Ended March 31, 2012 to Three Months Ended March 31, 2011 PUBLISHING SEGMENT
Publishing segment revenues decreased 11% for the three months ended March 31, 2012, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2011. Print advertising revenue decreased $3.8 million due primarily to a decrease in advertising pages in Martha Stewart Living. Digital advertising revenue decreased $0.4 million due to lower rates, partially offset by an increase in overall advertising volume. Circulation revenue decreased $0.2 million due to lower subscription revenue per copy of Martha Stewart Living. Circulation revenue also declined as a result of lower newsstand sales across each of our titles. Partially offsetting these declines was $1.0 million of revenue included in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the newsstand sales of a special interest publication, Organizing, with no comparable revenue in the prior-year period. Revenue related to our books business increased $0.6 million primarily due to the timing of delivery and acceptance of manuscripts related to our multi-book agreements with Clarkson Potter/Publishers for Martha Stewart books.
Production, distribution and editorial expenses decreased $1.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2011 primarily due to the delay of certain art and editorial story and compensation costs and third-party project expenses to support the print and digital magazines, websites and other digital initiatives. These delayed expenses are expected to be incurred in future periods within 2012. Paper, printing and distribution expenses decreased due to a lower volume of magazine pages produced, partially offset by higher prices overall and costs associated with the Organizing special interest publication. Selling and promotion expenses decreased $1.1 million due to lower subscriber renewal costs and the timing of advertising and newsstand marketing costs, partially offset by higher subscriber acquisition costs.
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Table of ContentsBROADCASTING SEGMENT
Broadcasting segment revenues decreased 31% for the three months ended March 31, 2012, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2011. Advertising revenue decreased $0.3 million due to lower revenue from television integrations and decreased radio advertising. Effective January 1, 2012, our agreement with Sirius XM provides for all radio advertising on the Martha Stewart Living Radio channel to be sold, and retained, by Sirius XM, except for a portion of the radio advertising sold in the fourth quarter of 2012. During the three months ended March 31, 2011, we recognized $0.2 million of radio advertising revenue. These declines in advertising revenue were partially offset by an increase in revenues from season 7 as compared to season 6 of The Martha Stewart Show on Hallmark Channel. Television licensing and other revenue decreased $2.1 million largely due to the delivery of television companion programming to Hallmark Channel in the three months ended March 31, 2011 with no comparable delivery in the three months ended March 31, 2012. Licensing revenue was also impacted by the reduced radio fees from our amended agreement with Sirius XM. Production, distribution and editorial expenses decreased $2.5 million primarily due to the absence of television production costs associated with the delivery of companion programming to Hallmark Channel such as were incurred in the three months ended March 31, 2011. Additionally, television production costs for season 7 of The Martha Stewart Show on Hallmark Channel were lower than television production costs for season 6. Radio production and editorial costs were also lower as the amount of original radio programming on the Martha Stewart Living Radio channel was lower in the three months ended March 31, 2012 than in the three months ended March 31, 2011.
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Table of ContentsMERCHANDISING SEGMENT
Merchandising segment revenues increased 33% for the three months ended March 31, 2012, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2011, primarily due to the contributions from our new merchandising relationship with Avery and increased royalties from certain of our existing partners, as well as the recognition of design fees from our commercial agreement with J.C. Penney. As a result of a decrease in reimbursable services that we provided to our partners for creative services projects, selling and promotion expenses and related other revenue have both declined approximately $0.7 million.
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Table of ContentsCORPORATE
Corporate operating costs and expenses increased 5% for the three months ended March 31, 2012, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2011, primarily due to higher professional fees, principally legal costs. OTHER ITEMS Net gain on sale of cost-based investment. Net gain on the sale of a cost-based investment was $0.8 million for 2012 with no comparable gain in 2011. The gain was related to our sale of Ziplist common stock for cash of $0.8 million. Net Loss. Net loss was $(3.6) million for the three months ended March 31, 2012, compared to net loss of $(7.1) million for the three months ended March 31, 2011, as a result of the factors described above.
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Table of ContentsLiquidity and Capital Resources Overview During the three months ended March 31, 2012, our overall cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments increased $8.9 million from December 31, 2011. The increase was primarily due to the positive net cash provided by operating activities. Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $58.4 million and $49.5 million at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively. During February 2012, we increased our line of credit with Bank of America to $25.0 million, incorporating a previous $5.0 million line. Borrowings under this line of credit are available for investment opportunities, working capital, and the issuance of letters of credit. We believe that our available cash balances and short-term investments, along with our increased line of credit, will be sufficient to meet our cash needs for working capital and capital expenditures for at least the next 12 months. Cash Flows from Operating Activities Our cash inflows from operating activities are generated by our business segments from revenues, as described above, which include cash from advertising and magazine customers and licensing partners. Operating cash outflows generally include employee and related costs, the physical costs associated with producing magazines, the editorial costs associated with creating content across our media platforms, the technology costs associated with our digital properties, the production costs incurred for our television programming and the cash costs of facilities. Cash provided by operating activities was $8.8 million and $2.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2012, cash from operating activities increased, despite our operating loss, as discussed earlier, due to the collection of receivables from advertising, Merchandising segment royalties and television license fees. Cash provided by operating activities was partially offset by cash used to pay certain payroll and related liabilities including severance payments that were expensed in 2011. Cash Flows from Investing Activities Our cash inflows from investing activities generally include proceeds from the sale of short-term investments. Investing cash outflows generally include purchases of short- and long-term investments and additions to property, plant and equipment. Cash used in investing activities was $25.0 million and $1.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. During the first three months of 2012, cash used in investing activities was predominantly for the purchases of short-term corporate obligations, as well as for capital improvements to our information technology infrastructure. Partially offsetting the cash used in investing activities were the sales of short-term investments and the proceeds from the sale of Ziplist common stock for $0.8 million. Cash Flows from Financing Activities Our cash inflows from financing activities generally include proceeds from the exercise of stock options for our Class A Common Stock issued under our equity incentive plans. Cash flows provided by financing activities was $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and cash used in financing activities was $1.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2011. Cash used in financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2011 included principal repayments on outstanding debt. However, in December 2011, we completely repaid all of our bank indebtedness. Debt During February 2012, we increased our line of credit with Bank of America to $25.0 million, incorporating the previous $5.0 million line. Borrowings under this line of credit are available for investment opportunities, working capital, and the issuance of letters of credit. The annual interest rate on outstanding amounts is equal to a floating rate of 1-month LIBOR Daily Floating Rate plus 1.85%. The unused commitment fee is equal to 0.25%. The terms of the line of credit require us to be in compliance with certain financial and other covenants, with which we were compliant as of March 31, 2012.
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Table of ContentsThe loan agreement also contains a variety of other customary affirmative and negative covenants. The loan agreement expires February 14, 2013 at which time any outstanding amounts borrowed under the agreement are then due and payable. We had no outstanding borrowings under this line of credit or its predecessor as of March 31, 2012 or December 31, 2011, but had outstanding letters of credit of $2.6 million on both dates. Seasonality and Quarterly Fluctuations Our businesses can experience fluctuations in quarterly performance. Our Publishing segment results can vary from quarter to quarter due to publication schedules and seasonality of certain types of advertising. In addition, advertising revenue on marthastewart.com and our other websites is tied to traffic, among other key factors, and is typically highest in the fourth quarter of the year. Certain newsstand costs vary from quarter to quarter, particularly newsstand marketing costs associated with the distribution of our magazines. These costs typically have a three-year life cycle, but can vary significantly throughout the term. Advertising revenue from our Broadcasting segment is highly dependent on ratings which fluctuate throughout the television season following general viewer trends. Ratings tend to be highest during the fourth quarter and lowest in the summer months. Certain revenues and costs in our television business also fluctuate based on production and delivery schedules. Revenues from our Merchandising segment can vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to new product launches and the seasonality and performance of certain product lines. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements At March 31, 2012, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4) of Regulation S-K that have had or are likely to have a material current or future effect on our financial statements. As described in the 2011 Form 10-K, we could have indemnification obligations with respect to our officers and directors. Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates General Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in our 2011 Form 10-K. We consider an accounting estimate to be critical if it required assumptions to be made that were uncertain at the time the estimate was made and changes in the estimate or different estimates could have a material effect on our results of operations. These critical estimates include those related to revenue recognition, allowance for doubtful accounts and sales returns, television production costs, valuation of long-lived assets, goodwill and other intangible assets, income taxes, and non-cash equity compensation. We base our estimates on historical experience, current developments and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under these circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about carrying values of assets and liabilities that cannot readily be determined from other sources. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from those estimates. Our critical accounting policies and estimates are discussed in detail in the 2011 Form 10-K, Item 7, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, especially under the heading, Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates. ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK. We are exposed to market rate risk for changes in interest rates as those rates relate to our investment portfolio. The primary objective of our investment activities is to preserve principal while at the same time maximizing yields without significantly increasing risk. We attempt to protect and preserve our invested funds by limiting default, market and reinvestment risk. To achieve this objective, we invest our excess cash in debt instruments of the United States Government and its agencies and in high-quality corporate issuers (including bank instruments and money market funds) and, by internal policy, limit both the term and amount of credit exposure to any one issuer. As of March 31, 2012, net unrealized gains and losses on these investments were not material. For the three months ending March 31, 2012, we recorded approximately $0.2 million in interest income, compared to $0.04 million in prior year. Our future investment income may fluctuate due to changes in interest rates and levels of cash balances, or we may suffer losses in principal if forced to sell securities that have declined in market value due to changes in interest rates before their maturity.
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Table of ContentsITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES. Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, we evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in the Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act)) required by Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b), as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of that date to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms, and include controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in such reports is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Evaluation of Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we have determined that, during the first quarter of fiscal 2012, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. On April 14, 2012, a class action lawsuit, titled Hutt v. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. et al, was filed against us and each of our directors in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. The suit alleges that the board of directors breached its fiduciary duties in respect of the proxy statement disclosure regarding a proposal to reserve additional shares under our Omnibus Stock and Option Compensation Plan. The complaint seeks injunctive relief and damages. We removed the case to the United States District Court in the Southern District of New York. We believe the claim is without merit and plan to vigorously defend against it. There have been no material developments in the lawsuit filed against us by Macys Inc. and Macys Merchandising Group, Inc. We are party to legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including product liability claims for which we are indemnified by our licensees. None of these proceedings is deemed material. ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS There have been no material changes from risk factors as previously disclosed in our 2011 Form 10-K, under the heading Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors.
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Table of ContentsITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS.
The following table provides information about our purchases of our Class A Common Stock during each month of the quarter ended March 31, 2012:
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Table of ContentsITEM 6. EXHIBITS.
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Table of ContentsSIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
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Table of ContentsEXHIBIT INDEX
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