BGC Raises Outlook for Stand-alone Revenues and Earnings for FY2007
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BGC, a leading inter-dealer broker providing integrated voice and
electronic services to wholesale fixed income, interest rate, foreign
exchange and derivatives markets worldwide, and eSpeed, Inc. (NASDAQ:
ESPD), a leading developer of electronic marketplaces and related
trading technology for the global capital markets, today raised their
outlook for BGC as a stand-alone company and for the combined company
for the full year 2007.
eSpeed and BGC announced on May 29, 2007, that they plan to merge, and
that the combined company will be named "BGC
Partners, Inc.”
BGC’s pro-forma stand-alone projected revenues
for the full year 2007 are now expected to be in excess of $950 million,
up from its previous outlook of more than $900 million. BGC’s
stand alone pre-tax income is now expected to be in excess of $100
million, up from its previous outlook of revenues in excess of $93
million.1
The 2007 projected pro-forma revenues for the combined company are now
expected to be approximately $1.05 billion, compared to the previous
outlook of approximately $1.0 billion. This combined company outlook
includes a revenue reduction of approximately $58 million due to amounts
that have historically been associated with inter-company revenue
sharing transactions, which will be eliminated subsequent to the merger.
"Because of BGC’s
breadth, we benefited tremendously from high volume and volatility
across our geographic and product categories,”
said Lee M. Amaitis, who is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BGC
and Vice Chairman of eSpeed, and who will become co-Chief Executive
Officer of BGC Partners Inc. after the completion of the planned merger. "BGC’s
stand-alone third quarter 2007 revenues are expected to be up over 25
percent compared to the third quarter of 2006, and this includes
expected year-over-year growth of over 50% in both our Credit and
Foreign Exchange businesses.”
Howard W. Lutnick, who is Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and
President of eSpeed, and who will become Chairman and co- Chief
Executive Officer of the combined company, added, "These
extraordinary preliminary results demonstrate BGC’s
continued top-line revenue and profit growth. The strong third quarter
preliminary numbers also underscore the logic of eSpeed’s
highly accretive acquisition of BGC.”
As a result of their outlook revision, BGC and eSpeed are re-evaluating
their previous 2008 guidance for the combined company. The companies
expect to raise their full year 2008 revenue and earnings outlook when
eSpeed announces its third quarter 2007 results in a press release
scheduled for 4:30 PM EST on November 7, 2007, and on an earnings
conference call, which is scheduled for November 8, 2007 at 8:30 AM EST.
The previous 2008 outlook for the combined company had included revenues
in excess of $1.1 billion; pre-tax profit margin of approximately 13%;
and an effective tax rate of no higher than 27%, after the effects of
the net operating loss carry forwards. The combined company’s
revenue outlook had reflected a revenue reduction of approximately $61
million, due to amounts that have historically been associated with
inter-company revenue sharing transactions that would be eliminated
subsequent to the merger.
About BGC
BGC is a leading inter-dealer broker, providing integrated voice and
electronic execution and other brokerage services to banks, brokerage
houses and investment banks for a broad range of global financial
products including fixed income securities, foreign exchange, equity
derivatives, credit derivatives, futures, structured products and other
instruments. This is complemented by market data products for selected
financial instruments. Named after fixed income trading innovator B.
Gerald Cantor, BGC has offices in London, New York, Copenhagen,
Istanbul, Milan, Nyon, Paris, Mexico City, Toronto, Hong Kong, Seoul,
Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Beijing (representative office). To learn
more, please visit www.bgcpartners.com.
About eSpeed, Inc.
eSpeed, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESPD) is a leader in developing and deploying
electronic marketplaces and related trading technology that offers
traders access to the most liquid, efficient and neutral financial
markets in the world. eSpeed operates multiple buyer, multiple seller
real-time electronic marketplaces for the global capital markets,
including the world's largest government bond markets and other fixed
income and foreign exchange marketplaces. eSpeed's suite of marketplace
tools provides end-to-end transaction solutions for the purchase and
sale of financial products over eSpeed's global private network or via
the Internet. eSpeed's neutral platform, reliable network,
straight-through processing and superior products make it the trusted
source for electronic trading at the world's largest fixed income and
foreign exchange trading firms and major exchanges. To learn more,
please visit www.espeed.com.
On May 29, 2007, eSpeed announced that it had entered into an Agreement
and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 29, 2007 with BGC Partners, Inc. ("BGC
Partners”); Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. ("Cantor”);
BGC Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership; BGC Global Holdings,
L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership; and BGC Holdings,
L.P., a Delaware limited partnership pursuant to which eSpeed will
acquire BGC Partners through a merger of BGC Partners with and into
eSpeed. For more information, see eSpeed’s
Report on Form 8-K dated May 29, 2007.
Important Information
In connection with the proposed Merger, the Company intends to file a
proxy statement and related materials with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC”)
for the meeting of stockholders to vote on the proposed Merger. BECAUSE
THOSE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, HOLDERS OF THE
COMPANY’S COMMON STOCK ARE URGED TO READ THEM
CAREFULLY, IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. When filed with the SEC,
the proxy statement and related materials will be available for free
(along with any other documents and reports filed by the Company with
the SEC) at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov,
and at the Company’s website, www.espeed.com.
Participant Information
The Company and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be
participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s
stockholders in connection with the proposed Merger. Certain information
regarding the participants and their interests in the solicitation are
set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2006, which was filed with
the SEC on August 23, 2007, and will be set forth in the proxy statement
for the Company’s meeting of stockholders to
vote on the proposed Merger. Stockholders may obtain additional
information regarding the proposed Merger by reading the proxy statement
and the related materials relating to the proposed Merger, if and when
they become available.
Discussion of Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this release contains 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. Such statements are based upon current expectations that
involve risks and uncertainties. Any statements contained herein that
are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be
forward-looking statements. For example, words such as "may,” "will,” "should,” "estimates,” "predicts,” "potential,” "continue,” "strategy,” "believes,” "anticipates,” "plans,” "expects,” "intends”
and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements.
The actual results of eSpeed, BGC or the combined company in the merger ("we”,
"our” or the "combined
company”) and the outcome and timing of
certain events may differ significantly from the expectations discussed
in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or
contribute to such a discrepancy for eSpeed, BGC and/or the combined
company include, but are not limited to, the combined company’s
relationship with Cantor and its affiliates and any related conflicts of
interests, competition for and retention of brokers and other managers
and key employees, pricing and commissions and market position with
respect to any of our products, and that of the combined company’s
respective competitors, the effect of industry concentration and
consolidation, and market conditions, including trading volume and
volatility, as well as economic or geopolitical conditions or
uncertainties. Results may also be impacted by the extensive regulation
of our respective businesses and risks relating to compliance matters,
as well as factors related to specific transactions or series of
transactions, including credit, performance and unmatched principal risk
as well as counterparty failure. Factors may also include the costs and
expenses of developing, maintaining and protecting intellectual
property, including judgments or settlements paid or received in
connection with intellectual property or employment or other litigation
and their related costs, and certain financial risks, including the
possibility of future losses and negative cash flow from operations,
risks of obtaining financing and risks of the resulting leverage, as
well as interest and currency rate fluctuations.
Discrepancies may also result from such factors as the ability to enter
new markets or develop new products, trading desks, marketplaces or
services and to induce customers to use these products, trading desks,
marketplaces or services, to secure and maintain market share, to enter
into marketing and strategic alliances, and other transactions,
including acquisitions, dispositions, reorganizations, partnering
opportunities, and joint ventures, and the integration of any completed
transactions, to hire new personnel, to expand the use of technology for
screen-assisted, voice-assisted and fully electronic trading and to
effectively manage any growth that may be achieved. Results are also
subject to risks relating to the proposed merger and separation of the
BGC businesses and the relationship between the various entities,
financial reporting, accounting and internal control factors, including
identification of any material weaknesses in our internal controls, our
ability to prepare historical and pro forma financial statements and
reports in a timely manner, and other factors, including those that are
discussed under "Risk Factors”
in each of eSpeed’s Annual Report on Form
10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2006, which was filed with the
SEC on August 23, 2007 and BGC’s Registration
Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on February 8, 2007
(Registration No. 333-140531) to the extent applicable.
We believe that all forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable
assumptions when made. However, we caution that it is impossible to
predict actual results or outcomes or the effects of risks,
uncertainties or other factors on anticipated results or outcomes and
that accordingly you should not place undue reliance on these
statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date when
made and we undertake no obligation to update these statements in light
of subsequent events or developments.
1 The non-GAAP outlook for BGC reflects the
effects of the full formation and final separation from Cantor and
excludes any costs which may be associated with the formation,
separation and merger (including, without limitation, redemption of
partnership interests) as well as any one time (i) compensation and (ii)
other accounting charges associated with transactions to facilitate
repayment of loans to executive officers, exchangeability of BGC
Holdings units and other structuring features of the formation,
separation and merger.