Ableauctions Reports One Of Its Strongest
Quarters, Posting Solid Gains
And Raising Outlook
FIFE, WASHINGTON - November 14, 2003 - Ableauctions.com Inc. (AMEX:AAC) (the "Company") today announced the results of operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2003, posting one of its strongest quarters to date.
For the third quarter, the Company reported revenue of $235,700 and net income of $40,902, compared to revenue of $96,621 during the same period in 2002 (and $163,645 in the last quarter), and net loss of $457,322 during the same period in 2002 (and net income of $32,531 in the last quarter).
The increase in revenue and profitability is attributed to the growth of the Company's business and its acquisition of Rapidfusion Technologies Inc. on September 1, 2003. The Company expects revenue to grow in the fourth quarter as it adds revenue streams and continues to:
(a) Deploy its technology and related services to auction houses, enabling them to broadcast auctions over the Internet (www.ableauctions.com/technology);
(b) Broadcast its clients auctions on eBay Live Auctions through its wholly owned subsidiary iCollector.com Technologies Ltd. and providing them with related auction services (www.icollectorlive.com/services.aspx);
(c) Operate its liquidation stores and sell inventory it owns through live and simultaneously broadcast auctions over the Internet; and
(d) Sell and support its Point-Of-Sale (POS) software and build, support and maintain auction websites, custom hardware and network configurations through its newly acquired subsidiary Rapidfusion Technologies Inc. (www.rapidfusion.com/technology).
The gross profit margin for the quarter was 55% compared to 76% in the last quarter, and 70% for the same period in 2002. Gross profit margins vary considerably from each revenue stream and as the Company defines additional revenue streams, the gross profit margin is expected to stabilize around 40%, reflecting the weighted average of all revenue streams.
The Company increased shareholder's equity, defined as the value of our assets minus our liabilities, to $4,515,297 (from $1,969,889 as of June 30, 2003) and increased its cash reserves to $3,304,169 (from $814,163 as of June 30, 2003), primarily as a result of the private placement of our securities and the exercise of stock options.
With the objective of further expanding, the Company is currently negotiating the potential acquisition of an auction service provider and a liquidator. The Company believes these acquisitions, if they are made, will enhance its operations significantly. The Company is also in the process of finalizing auction-broadcasting agreements with various prominent auction houses, details of which the Company expects to announce as and when the agreements are signed and approved.
About Ableauctions.com
Ableauctions.com is a high-tech auctioneer that conducts auctions live and simultaneously broadcasts them over the Internet. With the experience of 3,000 auctions, the Company has developed its own technology to broadcast auctions over the Internet (www.ableauctions.com/technology) and currently provides the technology and related services to auction houses, enabling them to broadcast auctions over the Internet. For a comprehensive Corporate Update and prior releases, visit www.ableauctions.com. For more information, contact Investor Relations at investorrelations@ableauctions.com.
About iCollector.com
iCollector.com is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ableauctions and is the independent connection to the world's auction houses. Founded in 1994, it was the first company dedicated to trading antiques, fine art and premium collectibles on the Internet. Today iCollector.com represents some of the world's leading auction houses. Since January 2001, its alliance with eBay Live Auctions has resulted in hundreds of Live Auctions being broadcast in real-time, directly to the salesroom as the auction happens, selling tens of thousands of lots to many thousands of users online. With its unparalleled understanding and expertise in this sector, iCollector can help you to maximize your opportunities to find, buy or sell art, antiques and collectibles online.