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Michaels has tepid return to public markets

By WTOP Staff

ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Michaels had a tepid return to the stock market Friday, its shares going back and forth between small gains and declines.

The arts and crafts store operator’s shares closed up 2 cents to $17.02 in trading on the Nasdaq, after falling as much as 2 percent earlier.

The lackluster response shows investors are wary of retailing and the fragmented $30 billion arts and crafts industry. The last IPO from a major retailer was The Container Store Group Inc., which made its debut in November. Its shares have fallen 20 percent since then and closed at $29 Friday.

The IPO comes amid a market rush. It’s the third-busiest week for IPOs since 2000, according to IPO investment adviser Renaissance Capital.

Michaels Cos. Inc., which also runs the Aaron Brothers chain, priced an initial public offering of 27.8 million shares at $17 each, at the low end of its predicted range.

The Irving, Texas, company raised $472 million from the offering.

Private equity firms Bain Capital LLC and The Blackstone Group LP bought Michaels in a $6 billion leveraged buyout in 2006.

Michaels’ IPO was delayed two years after its then-CEO John Menzer resigned after a stroke.

Michaels, which was in a sweet spot during the Great Recession when homemade goods gained new currency as people tried to save money, has faced increasingly tough competition. That’s coming from discounters — Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for example, recently brought back its fabric offerings — and online king Amazon.com.

Michaels has been late to the online party, launching its e-commerce business only this year.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Chuck Rubin, who was appointed CEO of Michaels in March 2013, dismissed the market’s response. He said he’s focusing on long-term opportunities, and that investors will be rewarded.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” he added.

While there’s not a lot of data available on the arts and crafts market, he said Michaels’ sales have been growing faster than the industry’s annual rate of low-single-digit increases, and it’s been taking market share away from other traditional chains, though he declined to give names.

Rubin shrugged off competition from Amazon, saying e-commerce is not as much of a threat as it is to other industries.

“When you sell pieces and parts, we know customers want to come to the brick and mortar stores to see how things come together,” he said.

He also noted the average price for an arts and crafts item is $3. “There’s no easy showrooming in this industry,” he added.

The big opportunity is personalization and taking advantage of social media sites like Pinterest, he says. Michaels wants to focus not only on the crafts enthusiasts but novices as well. Last year, more than 800,000 customers took classes at Michaels stores.

The company, founded in 1973 with one small store in Dallas, said in a regulatory filing that North America could potentially grow to 1,500 Michaels stores. It currently operates 1,263 Michaels stores and 118 Aaron Brothers stores.

Its original debut as a public company came in 2001 on the New York Stock Exchange. It’s using the same ticker “MIK,” but is now trading on the Nasdaq.

For its latest fiscal year, which ended on Feb. 1, sales rose nearly 4 percent to $4.6 billion. Net income rose to $243 million from $200 million.

The arts and crafts chain plans to use the IPO’s proceeds to pay down its debt. It had $3.7 billion of debt as of May 3.

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AP Business Reporter Michelle Chapman contributed to this report in New York.

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Follow Anne D’Innocenzio at http://www.Twitter.com/adinnocenzio

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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