Fully reporting with SEC. 16.6, million shares outstanding as of May 13,
1999. Recently 4 million share ,were converted from outstanding Preferred
issue. Cash as March 31, 1999 - $362K. Long term debt - 1.3 million. Book value
- $6.8 million (includes $1.7 million goodwill). The book value minus the
goodwill equals .30 or .40, including the goodwill. Employees - 303.
Shareholders - 3709. Management controls - 2.7 million shares. Federal net
operating loss carry forwardNOL $45,000,000.00 extremely
valuable!!!!!
We had anticipated a loss for the first quarter. The companys gross
profit as a percentage of net sales increased to 35% from 23% in the first
quarter of 1998 as a result of increase higher margin sales, the disposal and
discontinuance of lower margin product lines and the reduction during 1998 of
manufacturing overhead costs. Cash used in operations for the first quarter of
1999 fell to only $151K from $1.3 million in the first quarter of 1998.
In pursuing its strategy of disposing of non-core, lower margin product
lines and seeking to acquire new telecommunications end-user products, during
the first quarter of 1999, the Company sold substantially all the assets of its
HyComp, Inc. subsidiary and acquired a 41 % ownership interest in Digital
Transmission Systems, Inc., a provider of wireless voice and data transmission
products which compliments the Companys existing base wireline
transmission product line. The sale of HyComp completes the Companys exit
from the commercial circuits business.
Carmine T. Oliva, MicroTels Chairman and CEO commented, Despite
our anticipated loss in the first quarter of 1999, which was exaggerated by
discretionary onetime non cash charges of $830,000, we are pleased that our
efforts during 1998 to eliminate lower margin product lines and reduce
manufacturing overhead costs have resulted in substantially improved gross
profit margins and a 58% decrease in loss from operations compared with the
same quarter of 1998. We expect the remainder of 1999 to be similarly improved
over 1998 leading to full-year profitability.
On June 1, 1999, MicroTel International Inc. announced that its CXR, S.A.
subsidiary located in-Paris has been appointed master distributor for France
for Praxton Inc., the Campbell, California - based provider of integrated
business communications solutions.
Under the terms of the agreement, CXR, S.A. will be the master distributor
for Praxtons PHONE DATA EXCHANGE - PDX(TM) system, an integrated business
communications solution designed to combine voice, data, messaging and Internet
access generally known as convergence into one
easy-to-manage product thereby consolidating the number of communications links
required and reducing costs.
PDX(TM) also enables PBX functionality, as well as enabling shared network
access for LAN users and remote workers. Aimed at small and medium-sized
businesses, as well as remote branch offices, PDX(TM) is an entry-level
convergence product ideally suited to resellers wanting to address the
burgeoning Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) convergence market.
Opportunities for VARs in the voice and data integration market are
huge, especially in the SME sector, explained Jacques Moisset, president
of CXR, S.A.
The Praxton agreement will enable us to address these opportunities
and further underlies CXRs commitment to offer state-of-the-art
communications solutions. The PDX(TM) product is an exciting addition to the
product portfolio of our Networking Division, which has been concentrating on
data-voice integration solutions for more than four years.
According to MicroTechs management this actual agreement would be
worth at least $1.5 million in revenues for 1999.
MicroTech International would be classified as a cyclical stock. The company
sells product to corporations.
Note: First quarter was a loss! According to management it is always a loss.
Budgets are formed during the 1st quarter and then spending occurs during the
second quarter. The third quarter is somewhat slowdue to summer vacations
and corporate closing for vacation. The fourth quarter is usually very good
because the companies must spend the monies that have not been spent during the
year.
Our initial recommendation was made on May 3 at .375/share. Because of the
conversion of a preferred issue into common shares, there has been excessive
pressure on the share price. It currently trades at .26. We believe that this
price being 33% below the first recommendation offers a great averaging down
opportunity for current shareholders and a great price for new investors. We
rate MCTL with a strong buy recommendation! Based upon the current share price
of .26, it is easy to conclude the MCTLC is only trading at an estimated PE of
3.7x 99 earnings. MCTLC will grow by at least 12 to 15 percent during 99 over
98 sales. If we assign a PE value based upon growth rate, then a share
valuation of estimated .84 to $1.05 would surface. This, of course is very
conservative. At present MCTLC has an estimated PSR of .10. This number, of
course, is extremely low and could easily be at least one times sales and still
be very undervalued (note: many internet issues have PSR in the hundreds and PE
values in the hundreds or none at all!!! Food for thought.
Concerning Book value: Could easily trade at 4 to 5 times the stated value.
We believe that for .26 an investor is buying a great turnaround candidate
with huge upside potential with very limited risk! This is a real company --
many internet situations that are trading at 100x MCTLCs price will never
achieve the revenue and earnings that MCTLC will probably deliver this year!
This company is trading at its 52-week low as well as 5-year low, has book
value, large revenue base when one considers the price, limited debt, new
products, large NOL, limited exposure, a technology company and totally
underfollowed. We think that this situation should be considered as a CORE
HOLDINGS for mini-micro-cap risk investors looking for discounted value with
very low downsider. We intend to monitor MCTL for percentage gain performance.
Mike Chesler - broker - 1-800-890-1629.Website: www.microtelinternational.com
Note: We intend to monitor a second position of MCTL in our portfolio for
percentage gain performance. When one considers the downside risk with the
upside potential, you have to play! It is in our opinion that this situation
has turned the corner - management has cut costs, introduced new products,
discontinued losing operations, increased margins, converted a potential
liability into equity and currently is involved in cutting-edge technology. Our
numbers and stock price could turn out to be very conservative, thereby
yielding even greater share appreciation during the next 12 months.
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