e425
FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 425 UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AND
DEEMED FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 14A-12 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FILER: WESTCORP AND WFS FINANCIAL INC
SUBJECT COMPANIES: WESTCORP AND WFS FINANCIAL INC
COMMISSION FILE NO: 001-09910
000-26458
DATE: September 13, 2005
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>>OPERATOR: I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE WACHOVIA
INVESTOR CONFERENCE CALL. ALL LINES HAVE BEEN PLACED ON MUTE TO
PREVENT ANY BACKGROUND NOISE. AFTER THE SPEAKERS REMARKS,
THERE WILL BE A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD. IF YOU WOULD LIKE
TO ASK A QUESTION DURING THIS TIME, SIMPLY PRESS STAR AND THE NUMBER
ONE ON YOUR TELEPHONE KEYPAD. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
WITHDRAW YOUR QUESTION, PRESS THE POUND KEY. THANK YOU. AT
THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO TURN THE CALL OVER TO MISS LEHMAN.
MAAM, YOU MAY BEGIN THE CONFERENCE.
>>ALICE LEHMAN: THANK YOU, OPERATOR, AND THANKS FOR JOINING OUR
CALL THIS MORNING. THIS IS ALICE LEHMAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF
INVESTOR RELATIONS. WE HOPE BY NOW YOU HAVE RECEIVED OUR PRESS
RELEASE ANNOUNCING WACHOVIAS AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE THE FINANCIAL
SERVICES FIRM WESTCORP AND THE REMAINING PUBLICLY-HELD SHARES OF
ITS MAJORITY-OWNED DEALER FINANCIAL SERVICES SUBSIDIARY. IF YOU
HAVENT, ITS AVAILABLE ON OUR INVESTOR RELATIONS WEBSITE AT
WWW.WACHOVIA.COM/INVESTOR. IN ADDITION TO THIS TELECONFERENCE, THIS
CALL IS AVAILABLE THROUGH A LISTEN-ONLY LIVE AUDIO WEBCAST.
REPLAYS OF THE TELECONFERENCE WILL BE AVAILABLE BY ABOUT 11:00
A.M. TODAY AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 5:00 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY,
OCTOBER 12th. THE REPLAY PHONE NUMBER IS 1-706-645-9291. THE
ACCESS CODE IS 9489475.
ON THE CALL WITH US TODAY ARE BEN
JENKINS, PRESIDENT OF OUR GENERAL BANK, DON TRUSLOW, OUR CHIEF
RISK OFFICER, TOM WURTZ, OUR TREASURER AND TOM WOLFE, CEO ALONG
WITH ERNEST RADY.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
MADE DURING THIS CALL ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES.
FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE WACHOVIAS RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY
FROM ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE SET FORTH IN WACHOVIAS
PUBLIC REPORTS FILED WITH THE SEC INCLUDING WACHOVIAS CURRENT
REPORT ON FORM 8K FILED TODAY. THE SUBJECT MATTER DISCUSSED IN
THIS INVESTOR PRESENTATION WILL BE ADDRESSED IN A PROXY
STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS TO BE FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION. WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE, WE URGE YOU TO
READ IT BECAUSE IT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
INFORMATION REGARDING THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROXY SOLICITATION
IS CONTAINED IN OUR ANNUAL PROXY MATERIAL FILED WITH THE SEC.
THAT DOCUMENT AND OTHER SEC FILINGS CAN BE OBTAINED FOR FREE AT
THE SECS WEBSITE AND FROM WACHOVIA, WESTCORP AND WFS FINANCIAL
INC. WE WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS AT THE END OF
TODAYS PRESENTATION. LET ME REMIND YOU NOW THAT WHEN YOU ASK
QUESTIONS, PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND YOUR FIRMS NAME. WE
REQUEST THAT YOU LIMIT YOUR QUESTIONS TO NO MORE THAN TWO. AND
NOW, LET ME TURN THIS OVER TO BEN JENKINS, PRESIDENT OF OUR
GENERAL BANK.
>>BEN JENKINS: THANKS, ALICE, AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYBODY,
AND THANKS AGAIN FOR JOINING US ON SHORT NOTICE. I THINK I
SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE UP FRONT THAT THE DEAL SIZE HERE MIGHT NOT
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REQUIRE A PHONE CALL BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT TALKED MUCH ABOUT
OUR DEALER FINANCIAL SERVICES BUSINESS, WE THOUGHT TODAYS CALL
MADE A LOT OF SENSE. AND AS ALICE SAID, WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO
ANNOUNCE TODAY WACHOVIAS EXPANSION OF OUR DEALER FINANCIAL
SERVICES GROUP INTO A NATIONAL BUSINESS AS WE JOIN FORCES WITH
THE CALIFORNIA-BASED WESTCORP AND WFS FINANCIAL.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE FIRST SLIDE OF THE DECK THAT I HOPE YOU
HAVE, WE BELIEVE THE RATIONALE FOR THIS VENTURE IS VERY SOUND.
THE COMBINATION CREATES A NATIONAL AUTO LOAN ORIGINATION
PRESENCE AS THE NINTH LARGEST PLAYER IN THE NUMBER TWO CONSUMER
FINANCE INDUSTRY IN THIS COUNTRY. LAST YEAR, OVER $500 BILLION
WORTH OF AUTO LOANS AND LEASES WERE ORIGINATED AND WE BELIEVE
THAT THIS HIGHLY FRAGMENTED MARKET IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING
FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE WHICH PROVIDES A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE COMBINED ORGANIZATION TO GAIN MARKET SHARE AND GENERATE SOME
VERY ATTRACTIVE RETURNS. WACHOVIA WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM FURTHER
DIVERSIFICATION OF OUR BALANCE SHEET INTO HIGHER-YIELDING, HIGHER
ROE ASSETS. AND ON TOP OF THAT, IT PROVIDES WACHOVIA AN ENTRY INTO
THE VERY ATTRACTIVE CALIFORNIA BANKING MARKET BY ADDING WESTERN
FINANCIAL BANK, WHICH HAS 19 RETAIL BANK BRANCHES IN ORANGE COUNTY
AND IN THE SURROUNDING AREA, AND IN A FEW MINUTES, I WILL PROVIDE MORE
DETAILS ON THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THIS TRANSACTION CREATES.
AFTER OVER 6400 MAN HOURS OF DUE DILIGENCE, INCLUDING 4,000 ON
LOCATION IN CALIFORNIA, WE FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THIS TRANSACTION
PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
PRESENTING MINIMAL RISK OR DISRUPTION TO OUR EXISTING FRANCHISE.
IN KEEPING WITH OUR STATED ACQUISITION GUIDANCE, THIS
TRANSACTION GENERATES IMMEDIATE CASH ACCRETION AND IS ACCRETIVE
TO GAAP EARNINGS IN YEAR TWO WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, IT WELL
EXCEEDS OUR 15% INTERNAL RETURN HURDLE RATE. I SHOULD NOTE THAT WE
HAVE NOT INCLUDED REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR UNDERLYING
FINANCIAL ASSUMPTIONS FOR THIS DEAL, BUT WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT
THAT WE HAVE TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE THE
HIGHLY-COMPLIMENTARY STRENGTHS OF THESE TWO COMPANIES AS WE
APPROACH THE AUTO FINANCE INDUSTRY WITH A DUAL COMMITMENT TO
CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE AND THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF FINANCIAL
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
BY UTILIZING EACH COMPANYS STRENGTHS, WE BELIEVE THAT OVER
TIME, WE WILL BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE UP TO $125 MILLION OF
ADDITIONAL ANNUAL REVENUE SYNERGIES THAT, AGAIN, WERE NOT
CAPTURED IN OUR FINANCIAL ASSUMPTIONS. WELL ALSO GENERATE
FUNDING SYNERGIES BY LEVERAGING WACHOVIAS VERY ATTRACTIVE
EXCESS DEPOSIT BASE. ADDITIONALLY, WELL REALIZE SOME MODEST
COST SAVINGS THROUGH THINGS LIKE LEVERAGING SYSTEMS AND BACK
OFFICE SUPPORT. AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE WE COMPLETED A VERY
THOROUGH DUE DILIGENCE EFFORT AND WERE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE
FOUND. WESTCORP HAS A LONG TRACK RECORD OF GENERATING EXCELLENT
RETURNS BY LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY AND A STRONG PROPRIETARY CREDIT
SCORING MODEL WHICH IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE. WE ALSO FEEL GOOD THAT
WEVE TAKEN A CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE
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CREDIT CYCLE. WEVE DONE THIS BY FACTORING IN SIGNIFICANT
ECONOMIC SHOCKS AND RESULTING INCREASES IN CREDIT LOSSES TO OUR
FINANCIAL ASSUMPTIONS FOR THIS DEAL AND WE BELIEVE THE RISK
REWARD TRADEOFF IS VERY FAVORABLE. IF YOU WILL TURN TO SLIDE
TWO, LETS TAKE A LOOK AT THE SPECIFICS OF THE TRANSACTION. THE
DEAL REPRESENTS $3.42 BILLION IN STOCK FOR WESTCORP AND $490
MILLION IN STOCK FOR THE 16% PUBLIC MINORITY INTEREST IN WFS
FINANCIAL. THE EXCHANGE RATIO IS 1.275 WACHOVIA SHARES FOR EACH
WESTCORP SHARE EQUIVALENT TO $64 PER SHARE AND 1.466 WACHOVIA
SHARES FOR EACH WFS FINANCIAL SHARE, WHICH EQUATES THEN TO
$73.60 PER SHARE. I SHOULD NOTE THAT THIS EXCHANGE RATIO AND
THESE VALUES PER SHARE ARE BASED ON WACHOVIAS SEPTEMBER 9th
FIVE-DAY AVERAGE MOVING PRICE PER SHARE OF $50.20. WE EXPECT TO
CLOSE THE TRANSACTION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2006 SUBJECT TO
REGULATORY APPROVALS AND APPROVAL BY WESTCORP AND WFS FINANCIAL
SHAREHOLDERS. WE ARE PLEASED TO NOTE THAT ERNEST RADY, CHAIRMAN
OF WESTCORP, HAS AGREED TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS TRANSACTION.
THE COMBINED AUTOMOBILE FINANCE BUSINESS WILL BE BASED IN
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA. TOM WOLFE, WFS FINANCIAL PRESIDENT AND CEO,
WILL HEAD OUR COMBINED DEALER FINANCIAL SERVICES OPERATIONS AND
WILL REPORT TO CARLOS EVANS, WHO HEADS OUR WHOLESALE BANKING
OPERATIONS. ERNEST RADY, WHO IS WESTCORPS CHAIRMAN, WILL
SERVE AS CHAIRMAN OF BOTH DEALER FINANCIAL SERVICES AND CHAIRMAN
OF OUR CALIFORNIA BANKING OPERATIONS AND ERNEST WILL REPORT TO
ME. NEXT IS SLIDE THREE AND FOR THOSE ON THE CALL WHO DONT
FOLLOW THE AUTOMOBILE FINANCE INDUSTRY CLOSELY, THIS IS A
FINANCIAL SERVICES HOLDING COMPANY THAT PROVIDES AUTOMOBILE
LENDING SERVICES THROUGH ITS SUBSIDIARY, WFS FINANCIAL, AND
RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL BANKING SERVICES THROUGH ITS WHOLLY
OWNED SUBSIDIARY WESTERN FINANCIAL BANK. IT HAS ASSETS OF $16
BILLION, AND AS I SAID, 19 BANK BRANCHES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
WESTCORP IS A NATIONAL LEADER IN AUTOMOBILE FINANCE BUSINESS
WITH A 30 PLUS YEAR TRACK RECORD OF GENERATING EXCEPTIONAL
RETURNS THROUGH ALL ECONOMIC CYCLES. ERNEST AND TOM HAVE BUILT
A COMPANY THAT INCLUDES A $12 BILLION AUTO FINANCE PORTFOLIO
WITH BOTH IMPRESSIVE CREDIT PERFORMANCE AND RISK-ADJUSTED RETURNS.
THEYVE PRODUCED CONSISTENT, HIGH-QUALITY EARNINGS AS
DEMONSTRATED BY A 10-YEAR AND 15-YEAR EPS ANNUAL COMBINED GROWTH
RATE OF OVER 18% AND 15% RESPECTIVELY.
THEIR SEASONED MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS A COMBINED AVERAGE OF 20 PLUS
YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY AND THEY ARE OUTSTANDING. LIKE WACHOVIA,
THEIR TEAM OF DEDICATED EMPLOYEES IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING
EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AS THEY MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR
NETWORK OF 8,500 FRANCHISE AND AUTO DEALERS AS WELL AS THEIR
RESPECTED CUSTOMER BASE. THEY OPERATE A HIGHLY EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION
WHICH IS FOUNDED ON COMMITMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS WELL AS
PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY TO ENSURE THE HIGHEST RETURNS FOR AN
APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF RISK. AND IM PARTICULARLY PROUD AND WERE
PARTICULARLY PROUD TO NOTE THAT THIS IS THE J.D. POWERS NUMBER ONE
NONCAPTIVE COMPANY IN CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY WILL FIT WELL
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WITH WACHOVIAS COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE.
NEXT ON SLIDE FOUR, LETS TAKE A LOOK AT WESTCORPS MARKET POSITION
NATIONWIDE AND ITS IMPRESSIVE. WESTCORP SERVES ITS AUTOMOBILE
FINANCE CLIENTS THROUGH 43 REGIONAL BUSINESS CENTERS IN 26
STATES AND RANKS NUMBER 2 IN THE ATTRACTIVE STATES OF
CALIFORNIA, NEVADA AND WASHINGTON STATE. THEYRE A TOP 10
PLAYER THROUGHOUT THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST AND THEY HAVE A REAL
STRENGTH IN THE HISPANIC MARKETS.
THEIR MODEL OVERLAPS NICELY, I THINK, WITH OUR EXISTING DFS
GROUP WHICH SERVES APPROXIMATELY 2,600 DEALERS IN 15 STATES
ALONG THE EAST COAST. SLIDE 5, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WESTCORPS WESTERN FINANCIAL BANK SERVES
RETAIL, SMALL BUSINESS AND
COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS THROUGH 19 FINANCIAL CENTERS LOCATED IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. WERE PLEASED THAT THIS TRANSACTION WILL
ALSO PROVIDE WACHOVIA THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER THE CALIFORNIA
BANKING MARKET IN A MODEST WAY AND WILL ALLOW US TO OBSERVE AND
LEARN A LOT MORE ABOUT THE MARKETS THERE.
WITH TOTAL DEPOSITS OF APPROXIMATELY $2 BILLION, WESTCORP
CURRENTLY HAS THE 9th LARGEST DEPOSIT MARKET SHARE IN THE VERY
ATTRACTIVE MARKET OF ORANGE COUNTY, AND WE BELIEVE THAT
WACHOVIAS EXCEPTIONAL SALES AND SERVICE MODEL AS WELL AS OUR
BROAD PRODUCT SET WILL PROVIDE AN EVEN BETTER VALUE PROPOSITION
TO WESTCORPS BANKING CUSTOMERS.
SLIDE SIX, AND AGAIN, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT FOLLOW THE
AUTOMOBILE FINANCE INDUSTRY VERY CLOSELY, IT IS THE SECOND LARGEST
CONSUMER FINANCE INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES WITH NEARLY $500
BILLION IN LOANS ORIGINATED LAST YEAR. THERE ARE AROUND 72,000
DEALERS NATIONWIDE THAT HAVE A NEED TO MEET THEIR CUSTOMERS
FINANCING NEEDS EVERY DAY IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
CURRENTLY, CAPTIVE AUTOMOBILE FINANCE COMPANIES ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT
60% OF THE MARKET SHARE OF THE U.S. AUTO FINANCE MARKET. THE
BALANCE OF THE MARKET IS HIGHLY FRAGMENTED WITH NO PLAYER HAVING
MORE THAN A 6% SHARE, BUT WE SEE THIS LANDSCAPE CHANGING PRETTY
SIGNIFICANTLY.
THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE WITH THE RECENT DISRUPTION SURROUNDING
THE CAPTIVE PLAYERS. WE BELIEVE THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT
PRESENTS US WITH A PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE
SHARE IN THIS CONSUMER LOAN MARKET. AN EXAMPLE OF WHY WE
BELIEVE THIS IS TRUE IS THAT IN WACHOVIAS EXISTING AUTO FINANCE
BUSINESS, WHICH SERVES THE VERY COMPETITIVE ULTRA PRIME
MARKETPLACE, JUST SINCE YEAR END, WE HAVE SEEN OUR ORIGINATION
VOLUMES INCREASE BY AROUND 90% WHILE THE SAME TIME, OUR YIELDS
ON THOSE LOANS HAVE RISEN APPROXIMATELY 110 BASIS POINTS. WE
THINK THATS EXCITING ABOUT THE FUTURE.
NEXT IS SLIDE SEVEN, AND AS I MENTIONED, BRINGING TOGETHER
WACHOVIAS DEALER FINANCIAL SERVICES WITH WESTCORP WILL CREATE
THE NINTH LARGEST AUTOMOBILE LOAN ORIGINATOR. TOGETHER, WELL
SERVE 46 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 11,000 DEALERS AND
1.2 MILLION INDIRECT CUSTOMERS. IN THIS BUSINESS, WELL HAVE A
COMBINED CONSUMER LOAN PORTFOLIO OF $19 BILLION AND WITHIN THE
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AUTO PORTFOLIO, 78% WILL REPRESENT PRIME BORROWERS AND 42% WILL
REPRESENT NEW AUTOMOBILE FINANCING. ADDITIONALLY, THERES A $3
BILLION COMMERCIAL LOAN PORTFOLIO REPRESENTED LARGELY BY DEALER
FLOOR PLAN LINES. WE THINK THAT TAKING WACHOVIAS BALANCE SHEET
AND BROADER PRODUCT ARRAY TO WESTCORPS DEALER BASE WILL
PROVIDE US WITH ATTRACTIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE THE FULL
SPECTRUM OF THEIR COMMERCIAL AND THEIR PERSONAL NEEDS.
ADDITIONALLY, WELL TAKE WESTCORPS LENDING MODEL AND PLATFORM
TO OUR EXISTING DEALER BASE WHICH WILL MAKE US AN EVEN MORE
VALUABLE FINANCIAL SERVICES PARTNER TO THOSE DEALERS AND WHILE
WACHOVIA HAS NOT TRADITIONALLY BEEN A PLAYER IN SUBPRIME
LENDING, THIS TRANSACTION WILL PROVIDE A MEASURED ENTRY INTO THE
NEAR PRIME AND SUBPRIME MARKET. WESTCORP HAS SPENT SEVERAL
DECADES STUDYING THE CONSUMER AUTO LENDING MARKET AND HAS TAKEN
THAT VAST WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE TO DEVELOP AND REFINE A HIGHLY
SOPHISTICATED AND VERY IMPRESSIVE PROPRIETARY SCORING MODEL AND
THIS MODEL HAS ENABLED THEM TO DEVELOP A STRONG CAPABILITY IN
SERVING A BROADER SPECTRUM OF THEIR DEALERS CUSTOMERS THAN MOST
OTHER AUTO FINANCE COMPANIES AND THEYVE DONE THIS WHILE AT THE
SAME TIME PRODUCING VERY STRONG CREDIT RESULTS AND THIS GIVES
THEM, WE THINK, A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AND MAKES THEM VERY,
VERY VALUABLE TO THEIR DEALER BASE. SO, AGAIN, WE FEEL THAT
THIS TRANSACTION PROVIDES US A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO REENTER THE
NONPRIME LENDING MARKET IN A CONSERVATIVE AND MEASURED WAY.
WHILE THE COMBINED AUTO PORTFOLIO WILL LOOK MARGINALLY DIFFERENT
FROM WACHOVIAS EXISTING PROFILE, WELL STILL HAVE 94% OF OUR
TOTAL CONSUMER PORTFOLIO REPRESENTED BY PRIME BORROWERS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD HERE THAT WE BELIEVE WEVE TAKEN A
CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO DEFINING A SUBPRIME BORROWER HERE.
WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT PROPRIETARY SCORING MODELS ARE BETTER
PREDICTORS OF RISK THAN SIMPLY USING A FICO SCORE ON A
STAND-ALONE BASIS.
LOOKING NOW ON SLIDE EIGHT, YOULL WORK
THROUGH IT. I THINK YOULL SEE THAT WESTCORP HAS CLEARLY DONE A
GREAT JOB OF MANAGING THE RISK REWARD TRADEOFF IN TERMS OF
GENERATING ATTRACTIVE RETURNS, FOR TAKING AN APPROPRIATE AND
MEASURED LEVEL OF RISK. WE THINK THAT THIS COMBINATION WILL
ENABLE WACHOVIA TO FURTHER GENERATE GROWTH AND ENHANCE OUR
RETURNS WHILE ADDING DIVERSIFICATION TO OUR BUSINESS MIX. BY
ADDING ON THIS HIGHER RISK, HIGHER REWARD COMPONENT COMBINED
WITH OUR HISTORIC STRENGTHS AND WITH RISK MANAGEMENT, WE BELIEVE
THIS IS AN ATTRACTIVE TRANSACTION THAT WILL BENEFIT OUR
SHAREHOLDERS OVER THE LONG-TERM. SO AGAIN, WERE VERY EXCITED
ABOUT THE BUSINESS SYNERGIES THAT EXIST BETWEEN OUR TWO
COMPANIES. WE THINK THAT CULTURALLY, WE HAVE A GREAT
COMBINATION HERE, WHICH REPRESENTS A VERY MODEST RISK AND
ATTRACTIVE RETURNS FOR OUR SHAREHOLDERS. NOW, WHILE THERES
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT WESTCORP IN THE APPENDIX, I DONT
THINK I WILL GO OVER THOSE SLIDES AND WITH THAT, WELL OPEN UP
THIS CALL FOR QUESTIONS.
AS ALICE MENTIONED, IM JOINED TODAY BY DON TRUSLOW, TOM WURTZ,
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AND WE ALSO HAVE CARLOS EVANS WHO HEADS UP OUR WHOLESALE EFFORT
AND BOB McGEE, WHO IS THE CFO OF OUR GENERAL BANK, ALONG WITH
TOM WOLFE AND ERNEST RADY ON THE PHONE FROM THE WEST COAST. WELL
OPEN THE LINES NOW, OPERATOR, FOR QUESTIONS.
>>Operator: AT THIS TIME, IF WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION,
PRESS STAR ONE ON YOUR TELEPHONE KEYPAD. WELL PAUSE FOR JUST A
MOMENT TO COMPILE THE Q&A ROSTER. YOUR FIRST QUESTION COMES
FROM NANCY BUSH OF NAV RESEARCH.
Q. GOOD MORNING. COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU, BEN. COULD YOU
JUST SORT OF ADDRESS THE TIMING HERE OF WHAT YOU BELIEVE THE
CONSUMER IS DOING, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERYTHING THATS HAPPENED IN
THE LAST FEW WEEKS?
THERES A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THE CONSUMER KIND OF ROLLING OVER
AND WHERE YOU THINK AUTO LENDING VOLUMES ARE HEADED IN THE NEAR
TERM.
>>BEN JENKINS: WELL, I HAVE TWO POINTS THERE. WE CONTINUE TO
LIKE CONSUMER BUSINESSES, NANCY. WE CONTINUE TO HAVE CONFIDENCE
IN THE CONSUMER DESPITE ALL OF THE SHORT-TERM BUMPS THAT HAVE
OCCURRED WITH THE KATRINA STORM AND OTHER THINGS, BUT WE LIKE
THE CONSUMER. WE LIKE THAT BUSINESS AND WERE SEEING CONTINUED
STRENGTH IN OUR BUSINESS THERE. WE ALSO THINK TIMING IS VERY
GOOD FOR THIS KIND OF TRANSACTION BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURAL
CHANGES GOING ON IN THE INDUSTRY. THAT IS, THE FACT THAT THE
CAPTIVES ARE SOMEWHAT AWAY FROM THIS BUSINESS NOW AS THEY FOCUS
ON OTHER PARTS OF THEIR BUSINESS AND ITS GIVING US A CHANCE TO
MOVE IN AND WE THINK TAKE VERY PROFITABLE SHARE AWAY. WE THINK
ITS A WONDERFUL TIME TO BE IN THIS BUSINESS.
Q. MY SECOND QUESTION JUST HAS TO DO MORE WITH THE BANK PER SE,
THE 19 BRANCHES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SORT OF WHAT YOU
WOULD CONSIDER THE CORE BANK. I SAW THEY HAVE $2.2 BILLION IN
DEPOSITS. ARE THESE PRIMARILY COMMERCIAL DEPOSITS?
WHAT DOES THE CORE DEPOSIT BASE LOOK LIKE RELATIVE TO SORT OF
THE NON-AUTO PART OF THE BANK?
>>BEN JENKINS: WELL, WE CAN GET TOM OR ERNEST TO SPEAK TO IT
MORE IN DEPTH, BUT IT IS A FOR THE MOST PART, RETAIL SMALL
BUSINESS CUSTOMER BASE, A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY MARKET AND CDs IN
THE DEPOSIT MAKEUP. THEYVE HAD NICE GROWTH. THEY HAVE A GOOD
DEPOSIT MIX PER FINANCIAL CENTER. IT IS SOME COMMERCIAL, BUT
MOSTLY SMALL BUSINESS AND RETAIL.
Q. THE $3.3 BILLION COMMERCIAL LOAN PORTFOLIO THAT YOU
REFERENCED, IS THAT PRIMARILY, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A SMALLER-END
PORTFOLIO, OR HOW WOULD YOU
>>BEN JENKINS: THAT IS A WACHOVIA PORTFOLIO. THATS BASICALLY
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FLOOR PLAN LINES THAT WE HAVE ON OUR BALANCE SHEET RIGHT NOW.
Q. GREAT. THANKS.
>>BEN JENKINS: IT DOES NOT RELATE TO WESTCORP
Q. THANK YOU.
>>Operator: YOUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM PRATT REMANATHAN.
Q. GOOD MORNING. JUST ONE QUESTION. WOULD YOU COMMENT ON WHAT
YOUR PLANS ARE FOR THE WESTERN FINANCIAL DEBENTURES, 9 5/8 OF
2012.
>>BEN JENKINS: LET ME ASK TOM, TOM WURTZ, TO COMMENT ABOUT IT
>>TOM WURTZ: I HAVE TO PLEAD IGNORANCE THAT I DONT THINK WE HAVE
SPECIFIC PLANS.
>>ERNEST RADY: THIS IS ERNEST RADY, THEYRE NONCALLABLE FOR SEVERAL
YEARS. I DONT THINK THERES ANY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ANY CHANGES IN
THEM FOR, I THINK, ITS THREE, FOUR, FIVE YEARS.
Q. THANK YOU.
>>Operator: YOUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM JOHN FROM FOX PITT.
>>BEN JENKINS: HEY JOHN.
Q. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS. IN
TERMS OF THE FUNDING BENEFITS, COULD YOU DRILL DOWN AND GIVE US
A LITTLE MORE DETAIL AND IN TERMS OF THE ONGOING FUNDING OF THIS
BUSINESS, IS MORE OF IT GOING TO BE TAKING PLACE ON
WACHOVIAS BALANCE SHEET, OR IS IT GOING TO BE SPLIT 50/50?
HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
LASTLY, IN TERMS OF BRANCH BUILDING, YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD A FOCUS
IN TEXAS AND IN SOME OF YOUR SOUTHEASTERN MARKETS. DOES THIS
DIVERT ANY ATTENTION AWAY FROM THOSE MARKETS OUT TOWARD
CALIFORNIA?
>>TOM WURTZ: JOHN, IN TERMS OF FUNDING, THERES RELATIVELY MODEST
BENEFIT THAT WE WILL DERIVE SIMPLY FROM HAVING THE HALO EFFECT OF
WACHOVIA IF WE WERE TO USE THE SECURITIZATION MODELS THAT THEYVE USED
IN THE PAST. THAT WOULD TIGHTEN THE SPREADS. THEYVE DONE AS GOOD OF
A JOB AS YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE DONE STRUCTURING THE TRANSACTIONS
GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE COMPANY, BUT THERE WILL BE SOME BENEFIT THERE.
AS WE GET INTO WHAT WE PERCEIVE TO BE A LIKELIHOOD OF A FLAT YIELD
CURVE, IT WOULD BE VERY REASONABLE FOR US TO JETTISON SOME OF OUR
SECURITIES AND ALLOW OUR SOME OF DEPOSITS TO FUND THESE HIGHER-YIELDING
ASSETS SO THAT PROVIDES SOME BENEFITS AS WELL IN TERMS OF FREEING UP
CAPITAL. WHETHER WE CONTINUE TO ACCESS THE SECURITIZATION MARKET OR
NOT STILL REMAINS TO BE SEEN. ONE OF THE THINGS THEYVE DONE
EXCEPTIONALLY WELL IS TIED THEIR
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SECURITIZATION MODEL INTO THEIR PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SO
WE SEE SOME REAL BENEFIT IN MAINTAINING THE DISCIPLINE THAT
THATS CREATED. THEYVE SIMPLY DONE A MARVELOUS JOB OF ALIGNING
WHAT CREATES VALUE WITH THE WAY PEOPLE ARE INCENTED AND THE
ACTUAL INCENTIVES THEY RECEIVE, AND ITS LIKELY THAT MUCH OF
THAT INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BE PRESERVED AND WE WILL SEE IF THERES
WAYS TO LEVERAGE THAT ACROSS OUR OTHER BUSINESSES.
>>BEN JENKINS: JOHN, ON THE BRANCHES, THIS TRANSACTION IS A
LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS THAT WEVE DONE THAT ARE RETAIL
BANK ORIENTED. IN THOSE CASES, YOU WANT TO CONSOLIDATE THE
BRANCHES AND CONSOLIDATE DEPOSIT SYSTEMS AND BRING THEM INTO
YOUR NETWORK PRETTY FAST TO GET THE COST SAVINGS. HERE, THE
COST SYNERGIES DONT REALLY REVOLVE AROUND THE CONSOLIDATION OF
THE BRANCHES. SO WELL TAKE MORE OF A PATIENT VIEW, PROBABLY,
ON THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE SYSTEMS INTO WACHOVIA FOR THE
BRANCHES. WE EXPECT TO TAKE A VERY MEASURED AND STATED APPROACH
TO THIS MARKET. WE THINK WATCHING THESE 19 OPERATE WILL GIVE US
A LOT OF INSIGHT INTO THIS MARKET AND THEN WELL KNOW MORE OF WHAT
WE WANT TO DO WITH THAT. SO WE HAVE NO REAL FIRM PLANS AT THE
MOMENT. I DO THINK THAT GIVEN THE SUCCESS OF OUR DE NOVO EFFORT
IN TEXAS AND IN NEW YORK, ITS NOT UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT
AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE WILL WANT TO DO SOME BUILDING, BUT
WEVE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO UNDERSTAND WHAT AND HOW AND
WHEN AND ALL THAT.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU.
>>ERNEST RADY: THIS IS ERNEST. DO YOU WANT ME TO MAKE A COMMENT?
>>BEN JENKINS: YES, PLEASE, ERNEST. JOIN IN ANY TIME
>>ERNEST RADY: ON THE RETAIL SIDE, ITS A SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE
WESTERN FINANCIAL BANK RETAIL BRANCHES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT WACHOVIA OFFERS, AND IM EXCITED
ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY. ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, WE HAVE AN
EXCELLENT BUSINESS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WHICH WILL BE
AUGMENTED AND ENHANCED BY THE WACHOVIA UMBRELLA. SO THE
COMBINATION OF THE TWO PRODUCES SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR
GROWTH AND ENHANCED EARNINGS.
Q. THANK YOU.
>>Operator: YOUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM JENNIFER THOMPSON OF
OPPENHEIMER & COMPANY.
Q. GOOD MORNING. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD GIVE US MORE
DETAIL ON HOW YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT THE COST SAVINGS. YOU SAID
THEYRE PRETTY MODEST AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE EXPENSE BASE.
COULD YOU GAUGE IT FOR US A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY?
9
>>BEN JENKINS: JENNIFER, THEYRE PROBABLY IN THE 15% RANGE OF
EXPENSES AND ITS
Q. OF THE STAND ALONE.
>>BEN JENKINS: YES, YES. OF THE STAND ALONE.
Q. OKAY, AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU EXPECT THE DEAL TO BE ACCRETIVE
BY 07, CORRECT.
>>TOM WURTZ: ON A GAAP BASIS, IT SHOULD BE ACCRETIVE BY 07, 06.
IT REALLY DEPENDS ON YOUR OUTLOOK FOR CREDIT LOSSES. WEVE BEEN
PRETTY SEVERE IN TERMS OF ASSUMING A INCREASE IN CREDIT LOSSES AND
SOME MARGIN COMPRESSION, SO WE THINK WEVE BEEN APPROPRIATELY
CONSERVATIVE AND IT VERY WELL COULD BE A TAD BETTER THAN THAT.
Q. SO YOURE EXPECTING A LITTLE DILUTION IN 06?
>>TOM WURTZ: VERY, VERY MODEST, IF ANY.
Q. OKAY. AND THEN I GUESS MY FINAL QUESTION IS ON YOUR OUTLOOK
FOR CREDIT QUALITY. YOU SAY YOU SHOCKED IT. I MEAN, CAN YOU
GIVE US JUST YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS ON THE TIMING OF WHEN CREDIT
QUALITY OR WHEN YOUR BUILDING IN CREDIT QUALITY TURNING MORE
SEVERE AND HOW YOU BUILT THAT INTO THE MODEL?
>>DON TRUSLOW: JENNIFER, THIS IS DON TRUSLOW. I THINK WE TOOK
A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE VIEW AND FOR THE FINANCIALS REALLY RIGHT OUT
OF THE BLOCKS SHOCKED THE NEW VINTAGES THAT WERE COMING ON AT AN
8% CUMULATIVE LOSS RATE AND THAT COMPARES WITH A HISTORIC CUMULATIVE
LOSS RATE THAT HAS REALLY NOT BEEN ABOVE 5 OR 6% FOR THE BUSINESS
AND IS ACTUALLY RUNNING NICELY BELOW THAT RIGHT NOW. SO AS TOM SAID,
I THINK WEVE BEEN PRETTY CONSERVATIVE ON THE CONSUMER QUALITY
OUTLOOK FOR FINANCIAL PURPOSES. NOW, I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT, YOU
KNOW, I DONT EXPECT THAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE LOSSES OF THAT
MAGNITUDE OR THAT KIND OF IMPACT ON THE CONSUMER BOOK OF
BUSINESS. BUT YOUVE GOT TO KIND OF STAND BACK AND LOOK AT
WHATS HAPPENING WITH OIL PRICES, THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF
SLOWDOWN AND HOUSING PRICE DEPRECIATION, THE RIPPLE EFFECT FROM
KATRINA AND WE WOULD ANTICIPATE AS WERE LOOKING AT OUR OVERALL
CONSUMER BUSINESS FOR 06 THAT THERES GOT TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF
SOFTENING IN CREDIT QUALITY AND THE CONSUMER BOOK, BUT AGAIN, I
THINK WEVE BEEN VERY CONSERVATIVE HERE IN HOW WE PUT THE
NUMBERS TOGETHER.
>>TOM WURTZ: ITS WORTH MENTIONING THAT IN THE HOURS THAT BEN
DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF ON-SITE DUE DILIGENCE AND MORE EXPANSIVE DUE
DILIGENCE BACK HERE, IN ADDITION TO DONS TEAM DIRECTLY REVIEWING THE
CREDIT, WE ALSO HAD EXPERTS FROM WACHOVIA SECURITIES WHO ARE OUR
ADVISORS AND
10
GOLDMAN SACHS WHO ARE OUR ADVISORS DOING THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT
ANALYSIS ON CREDIT AND EVERYONE TRIANGULATED AROUND A SET OF
ASSUMPTIONS AND THEN WE BUILT SOME LEVEL OF IN CONSERVATIVISM
BEYOND THAT. SO WE THINK WE UNDERSTAND WELL THE CREDIT SIDE.
Q. GREAT. JUST SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR COMMENT, YOU WERE SAYING THE 8%
WAS WHAT YOU GUYS ARE BUILDING IN?
>>DON TRUSLOW: THATS WHAT WE HAVE BUILT INTO THE FINANCIAL NUMBERS.
Q. OKAY.
>>DON TRUSLOW: WHAT THAT IS A CUMULATIVE LOSS RATE ON ALL NEW VINTAGES GOING
FORWARD, AND THAT COMPARES THATS A LOT HIGHER THAN WHAT THE
COMPANY HAS SEEN HISTORICALLY.
>>TOM WURTZ: RIGHT. THE EXISTING VINTAGES WOULD BE ALONG A PATH SIMILAR
TO WHAT THEYVE BEEN EXPERIENCING AND THE COMPANY WOULD HAVE
ANTICIPATED FOR THOSE VINTAGES AND THEYRE WELL INTO THEIR LIFE
AND ITS PRETTY EASY TO OBSERVE THEIR LOSS RATES.
Q. GREAT. THANK YOU.
>>Operator: YOUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM RON MANDLE OF GIC.
Q. HI, FOLKS. I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. ONE IS IN REGARD TO THE
TIER 1 CAPITAL THAT YOU REFER TO. IF YOU COULD ELABORATE
ON WHAT THATS ALL ABOUT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR SHARE
RE-PURCHASES?
>>TOM WURTZ: WE INTEND TO OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS ISSUE SOME TYPE OF
PREFERRED SECURITY. ITS MOST LIKELY GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT
HAS A CONVERSION FEATURE INTO PERPETUAL PREFERRED SO HOPEFULLY,
IT WILL BE A SECURITY THATS TAX DEDUCTIBLE FOR, SAY, FIVE YEARS
AND THEN WOULD CONVERT INTO A PREFERRED SECURITY THAT WOULD BE A
PERPETUAL PREFERRED.
Q. AND THIS ALL MEANS WHAT FOR YOUR SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM?
>>TOM WURTZ: WEVE HAD VERY CLEAR DISCUSSIONS WITH ALL THE RATING
AGENCIES, AND I WOULD EXPECT THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO BE FAIRLY
PROMPT IN PUTTING OUT WRITE-UPS THAT WE DISCUSSED THIS WITH THEM
IN GREAT DETAIL AND OUR REGULATORS AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT OUR
EXISTING PROFILE AND WHAT ADDITIVE RISK THAT THIS INTRODUCES TO OUR
COMPANY, AND WEVE STATED VERY CLEARLY TO THEM THAT ITS OUR INTENTION
TO MAINTAIN THE SAME CAPITAL RATIOS WE HAVE TODAY GOING FORWARD.
SO YOU CAN EXPECT SOMEWHERE AROUND 475, 480 TANGIBLE RATIO, ABOUT A
6% LEVERAGE RATIO AND SOMETHING IN THE 750 TO 775 TIER 1 RATIO.
AND SO CLEARLY, FROM THAT DESCRIPTION I JUST PROVIDED THAT TO THE
EXTENT THAT SOME OF THAT TIER 1 IS PROVIDED BY A NEW SECURITY THAT
WOULD ENABLE YOU TO POTENTIALLY USE THAT
11
FOR SHARE REPURCHASE.
Q. OKAY, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS FOR ERNEST IF
YOU ARE STILL THERE.
>>ERNEST RADY: IM STILL HERE. GOOD MORNING. I HAVENT FALLEN BACK TO
SLEEP YET.
Q. THANKS. I WAS WONDERING ABOUT YOUR THINKING ABOUT THE
TIMING OF THE DEAL AND ALSO IF IM READING THE NUMBERS
CORRECTLY, YOURE GOING TO OWN SOMETHING OVER 10 MILLION SHARES
OF WACHOVIA STOCK. SO WHAT YOURE THINKING WAS ABOUT WACHOVIA
AND TAKING STOCK VERSUS CASH SO THE TIMING AND THE CONSIDERATION
WERE MY QUESTIONS IN THAT REGARD.
>>ERNEST RADY: I WAS ONLY INTERESTED IN TAKING STOCK. GOING FORWARD,
I THINK THE PROSPECTS FOR THE WESTCORP COMBINATION WITH WACHOVIA
ARE EXCELLENT. I THINK IM EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF ALL
THE WESTCORP STOCKHOLDERS THROWING IN THEIR LOT WITH WACHOVIA.
AS FAR AS THE TIMING GOES, I DONT KNOW THAT I CAN COMMENT ON
THE TIMING. I DONT KNOW IF THERES ANY TIMING BETTER THAN
ANOTHER. CERTAINLY THIS IS GOOD TIMING FOR BOTH OF US.
WACHOVIA HAS AN EXCELLENT REPUTATION. ITS EXTREMELY WELL RUN.
THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT THEY BRING TO THE WESTCORP
STOCKHOLDERS AND WESTCORP STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT ARE
SIGNIFICANT. SO I THINK THE TIMING IS EXCELLENT FOR BOTH.
WACHOVIA MADE A VERY GOOD BUY, AND I THINK WESTCORP STOCKHOLDERS
MADE A VERY GOOD MARRIAGE.
Q. THANKS VERY MUCH.
>>Operator: YOUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM BETSY GRACICK OF
MORGAN STANLEY.
Q. HI, THANKS. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ONE WAS JUST A
FOLLOW-UP ON THE RESERVE ANALYSIS THAT YOU WERE DOING AND YOUR
EXPECTATIONS FOR WHAT THE CUMULATIVE LOSS RATE WOULD BE AS YOU BUILT
IT INTO YOUR PURCHASE PRICE. ARE YOU CONSIDERING CHANGING THE
RESERVES TO REFLECT THAT AS YOU CLOSE THE DEAL?
>>DON TRUSLOW: BETSY, THIS IS DON. AS PART OF THE TRANSACTIONS, THE
RESERVES WILL COME OVER AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE MODELED THE
IMPACT ON CHARGE-OFFS, ET CETERA, GOING FORWARD IN THE COMING
YEARS. WE HAVE ALSO BUILT INTO THE FINANCIALS SOME BUILDING OF
THE RESERVE TO REFLECT THE GROWTH IN NEW PAPER THAT WOULD BE
THAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE COMING FROM THE BENEFITS OF THIS
TRANSACTION, BUT IN TERMS OF OVERALL RESERVE PERCENTAGES, WHEN
YOU WHEN YOU ROLL THINGS TO THE TOP OF THE COMPANY, THERES NOT
A BIG MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THIS TRANSACTION.
12
Q. BUT THE 8% CUMULATIVE LOSS EXPECTATION WAS BUILT INTO THE PURCHASE
PRICE. ITS NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO BE BUILT INTO THE ECONOMIC
MODELING GOING FORWARD FOR THE RESERVING?
>> WE WOULD ACTUALLY NEED TO LOOK AT HOW ACTUAL LOSSES TURN OUT
AND BE ABLE TO SUPPORT BASICALLY BUILD THE RESERVE AROUND THE
ACTUAL EXPERIENCE. SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE SAW 8% CUMULATIVE
LOSSES ACTUALLY COME INTO PLAY, THEN YEAH, WE WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST
OUR MODELS TO SOME EXTENT. AGAIN, I THINK WE HAVE TAKEN A
CONSERVATIVE VIEW THERE AND YOU KNOW, WERE NOT ANTICIPATING OUT
OF THE BOX HAVING HAVING TO BUILD RESERVES TO BUILD AN 8%
CUMULATIVE LOSS LEVEL.
Q. WAS IT 6% THAT WESTCORP WAS EXPERIENCING?
>>DON TRUSLOW: I THINK THE HIGHEST IN THE PAST HAS RUN BETWEEN ABOUT 5
AND 6% ON A VINTAGE BASIS, AND RIGHT NOW, I THINK THEYRE RUNNING 3 OR 4%
ON MORE CURRENT VINTAGES. PART OF THAT IS REFLECTIVE NOT ONLY
OF THE MARKET, BUT THEY HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY BEEFED UP AND
INSTALLED A NEW CREDIT SCORECARD WHICH WE HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED
WITH AND VERY IMPRESSED WITH THEIR CREDIT SYSTEMS AND SO THATS
MADE A BIG CONTRIBUTION TO THE IMPROVEMENT IN CREDIT QUALITY AS
WELL.
Q. IM SURE YOU LOOKED AT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO BE
ALLOCATING YOUR CAPITAL. HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THIS OPPORTUNITY AS
OPPOSED TO POTENTIALLY GETTING INTO SUBPRIME CONSUMER AND OTHER
AREAS PERHAPS IN REAL ESTATE SECURED WHERE I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN
FOCUSING?
IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL CONSUMER, YOU KNOW, NOT SUBPRIME.
>>DON TRUSLOW: I GUESS THIS DOES OFFER SOME LEVEL OF DIVERSIFICATION
FOR US. WE FEEL LIKE WEVE GOT A VERY STRONG FRANCHISE IN OUR DEALER
FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, SO THIS ADDS A GOOD BIT OF CAPABILITY
IN TERMS OF PRODUCT OFFERING AND ALLOWS US TO EXPAND MORE
NATIONALLY AS WE GROW THE OVERALL CONSUMER BUSINESS AND AGAIN,
THE MARRIAGE APPEARS TO BE VERY GOOD. THE RETURNS AND THE
QUALITY OF THE OPERATION ARE VERY STRONG AND SO I THINK IT FELT
TO ALL OF US A VERY NATURAL EXTENSION OF OUR CONSUMER
BUSINESSES.
>>TOM WURTZ: AS BEN MENTIONED, ALTHOUGH NOT FACTORED IN EXPLICITLY TO
THE FINANCIALS, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SYNERGIES THROUGH
FLOOR PLAN LENDING TO THEIR DEALERS, THROUGH APPLYING THEIR PRODUCT
SET OVER OUR DEALERS AND OUR PRODUCT SET OVER THEIR
DEALERS PROVIDES A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY, AND I DONT SEE THAT
BEING ONE OF THE SYNERGIES THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE HAD WE
GONE WITH A REAL ESTATE STRATEGY.
Q. OKAY, AND THEN JUST SEPARATELY IN LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF
13
THE PAST PRESS RELEASES ON WESTCORP, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME
DISCUSSION ABOUT THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF
WESTERN FINANCIAL BANK TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE-OWNED STATE
COMMERCIAL BANK. I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND IF THAT
FACTORED IN AT ALL TO THE TIMING HERE AND IF THERE WAS ANY
ISSUES IN THE CONVERSION THAT HAVE BEEN RESOLVED WITH THIS DEAL.
>>ERNEST RADY: THIS IS ERNEST AGAIN. THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD
DID NOT DENY OUR APPLICATION. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN THE PROCESS TOOK
LONGER THAN WE EXPECTED, WE STARTED TO LOOK INTO OUR ALTERNATIVE
TO SEE IF THERE WASNT A BETTER ALTERNATIVE IN CASE WE WERE NOT
APPROVED, OR, IF THERE WAS A BETTER ALTERNATIVE EVEN IF WE
WERE APPROVED AND AS WE BEGAN THE PROCESS, WE DISCOVERED THE
WACHOVIA OPPORTUNITY AND THAT APPEARED TO BE SUPERIOR TO ANY OF
THE OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE AVAILABLE. SO WERE VERY HAPPY
TO BE PART OF THE WACHOVIA TEAM NOW.
>>Operator: YOUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM KEVIN FITZSIMMONS OF
SANDLER ONEILL.
Q. GOOD MORNING. BEN, CAN YOU JUST GIVE US A LITTLE DETAIL ON
HOW YOURE THINKING ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL CHANGE YOURE TALKING
ABOUT WITH THE CAPTIVES AND WHY YOURE CONVINCED ITS MORE OF A
PERMANENT CHANGE TO THE MARKETPLACE AND NOT JUST A TEMPORARILY
ONE THAT COULD TURN AROUND RELATIVELY QUICKLY, AND THEN
SECONDLY, IF YOU COULD ALSO COMMENT ON WHETHER OTHER BIDDERS
WERE INVOLVED IN THIS SITUATION OR IF IT WAS A MORE EXCLUSIVE
DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES. THANKS.
>>BEN JENKINS: LET ME TALK ABOUT THE FIRST PIECE. I DONT KNOW
HOW LONG THE CURRENT SORT OF CHANGE IN STRUCTURAL WILL LAST BUT,
YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST THINK ABOUT THE BIG CAR MANUFACTURERS AND
HOW MUCH WORK AND ATTENTION THEY HAVE TO DO IN THEIR MAIN LINE
BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, ITS CONCEIVABLE THAT THIS WILL NOT BE AN AREA
THAT THEYRE GOING TO DEVOTE A LOT OF TIME TO. THEY HAVE DONE,
IN THE PAST, ENORMOUS SUBSIDIZING OF AUTOMOBILE FINANCING. THEY
NEED THAT EFFORT NOW JUST TO RETOOL MANUFACTURING AND GET THAT
GOING. ITS HARD, I THINK, FOR THEM TO DO BOTH OF THOSE AND THE
MANUFACTURINGS GOING TO TAKE GREATER PROMINENCE. I THINK IT
WILL BE WITH US FOR A WHILE. HOW LONG, I DONT KNOW. BUT WE
INTEND TO BE AGGRESSIVE AND DO A GOOD JOB, FIRST OF ALL, OF
INTEGRATING THESE TWO COMPANIES AND THEN WORK HARD TO BUILD AND
GROW OUR BUSINESS IN A TIME PERIOD THAT WE THINK IS VERY
FAVORABLE FOR THIS BUSINESS.
Q. GREAT.
>>ERNEST RADY: CAN I ADD ONE THING?
THIS IS ERNEST AGAIN. YOU KNOW, WEVE BEEN AT THIS BUSINESS FOR
SOME 30 PLUS YEARS NOW AND ALL DURING THAT TIME, WE HAVE GAINED
14
MARKET SHARE AND THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN UPHEAVALS OF ONE SORT OR
ANOTHER AND THE CURRENT TURBULENCE IN THE MARKETPLACE IS JUST
ANOTHER ISSUE OF THE SAME THING. SO IF WE STICK TO OUR
KNITTING, DO OUR BUSINESS WELL, WE WILL CONTINUE TO GAIN MARKET
SHARE. THERE MAY BE GREATER GROWTH AT SOME TIME THAN OTHERS,
BUT THIS IS A VERY GOOD BUSINESS IF YOU TEND TO IT AND DO IT
WELL. IM VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO GROW THIS
BUSINESS
>>BEN JENKINS: TO UNDERSCORE ERNESTS POINT, WHILE WESTCORP HAS
BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN GROWING OVER 32 YEARS. WACHOVIA HAS BEEN IN THE
AUTOMOBILE DEALER FINANCIAL SERVICES BUSINESS FOR MORE THAN 60
YEARS AND IT HAS BEEN A NICE CORE BUSINESS FOR WACHOVIA AND A
BUSINESS THAT WE LIKE AND A BUSINESS THAT WEVE EXPANDED SO WE
SEE THE COMING TOGETHER OF THESE TWO COMPANIES ALLOWING US TO DO
A LOT MORE IN A BUSINESS THAT WE LIKE WITH A CONSUMER THAT WE
LIKE.
Q. GREAT, THANK YOU AND THEN JUST ON THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER IT WAS
MORE OF A BIDDING OR EXCLUSIVE DISCUSSION.
>>TOM WURTZ: THIS IS TOM WURTZ. I WOULD SAY THAT CLEARLY THE FOLKS FROM
WESTCORP ARE VERY SAVVY BUSINESS PEOPLE AND THEY WOULD REPRESENT
THEIR SHAREHOLDERS THE BEST WAY THEY COULD BY MAKING CERTAIN
THEYRE AWARE OF ALL OF THEIR OPPORTUNITIES.
>>TOM WOLFE: ID SAY WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THEIR ALTERNATIVES AND WE CHOSE
THE WACHOVIA MARRIAGE AS BEING THE BEST.
>>BEN JENKINS: AND WERE VERY GLAD.
>>Operator: YOUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM ED NAJARIAN FROM
MERRILL LYNCH.
Q. MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. THANK YOU.
>>BEN JENKINS: THANK YOU, ED.
>>Operator: YOUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM DENNIS LAPLANTE OF KEEFE BRUYETTE WOOD.
Q. GOOD MORNING. CAN YOU GIVE US SOME SORT OF STRATIFICATION
ON THE BUSINESS?
IM LOOKING AT OVERALL, IT LOOKS LIKE 10% ASSET YIELDS IN THE
AUTO PORTFOLIO WHEN IM LOOKING AT THE WESTCORP NUMBERS, BUT CAN
YOU GIVE US SOME STRATIFICATION ON YIELD AND RATIOS BY SAYING THE
FICO SCORE OF 620 AND UNDER AND 680 AND 680 AND ABOVE OR SOME
SENSE?
>>BEN JENKINS: LET ME GET MAYBE TOM TO RESPOND TO THAT QUESTION
IF HE CAN AND IF HE WILL.
15
>>TOM WOLFE: YOURE REFERRING TO LOSSES AND BEFORE I ANSWER, I WOULD LIKE
TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF ANNUAL LOSS, CUMULATIVE LOSSES SO WE ARE
TALKING THE SAME LANGUAGE.
Q. I WAS THINKING ABOUT IN ANNUAL TERMS RIGHT NOW, IN TERMS OF
WHAT THE CURRENT EXPERIENCE ON YIELDS AND LOSS RATES.
>>TOM WOLFE: THE BEST WAY TO ANSWER IT REALLY IS IN TODAYS ENVIRONMENT,
OUR OVERALL ANNUAL LOSS RATE IS RUNNING AROUND 1.5% FOR OUR ENTIRE BOOK OF
BUSINESS. OBVIOUSLY, AS WE HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT TIERS OF CREDIT,
SO THE 720 PLUS WOULD BE TYPICAL OF RUNNING IN THE, YOU KNOW, 10
TO 20% [BASIS POINTS] RANGE WHERE OUR BOTTOM TIER WOULD RUN AROUND 5, 5.5%. SO
WE CAN PROVIDE MORE DETAIL AFTER THE CALL PROBABLY, BUT TO GET
INTO ALL THE DIFFERENT FICO SCORES RANGES, I DONT HAVE THAT
DATA IN FRONT OF ME.
Q. OKAY. IS THERE A WALK-AWAY PROVISION IN THIS TRANSACTION?
>>TOM WOLFE: YES, THERE IS.
Q. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT IT?
IS IT TIED TO WACHOVIAS PRICE AT ALL?
>> I WILL REFER THIS TO MY ATTORNEY HERE. JUST A SECOND.
>> THERE IS A PROVISION IN THE AGREEMENT, BUT RIGHT NOW, WERE
COMPLETELY FOCUSED ON CONSUMMATING THIS ARRANGEMENT AND WERE
NOT ENVISIONING THAT WOULD KICK IN, BUT YOU KNOW, FROM A
TECHNICAL STANDPOINT THERE IS A WALK-AWAY PROVISION.
>>BEN JENKINS: THERE IS ONE FOR SURE.
Q. BUT NOT TO BE DISCLOSED ON THIS CALL?
>> THATS CORRECT.
Q. OKAY, AND MAYBE A QUESTION FOR TOM WURTZ IF I MAY, RELATED
TO THE BASIS POINT IMPROVEMENT IN TERMS OF FROM AN ASSET
SUBSTITUTION. CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT YOU ARE THINKING
ABOUT AND HOW MUCH OF THAT PORTFOLIO COULD BE BROUGHT ON BALANCE
SHEET?
>>TOM WURTZ: IT REALLY DEPENDS. I WOULD THINK OF THE INCREMENTAL GROWTH
AS BEING BROUGHT ON BALANCE SHEET IN THAT THERES A GOOD DEAL OF
FINANCING FOR MUCH OF THE BOOK OF BUSINESS TODAY. SO I WOULD
THINK MORE LOOKING FORWARD, BUT IF WE GET TO A RELATIVELY FLAT
YIELD CURVE, THEN THERES RELATIVELY MODEST INCENTIVE FOR US TO WANT
TO KEEP SECURITIES ON OUR BOOKS IF THEYRE EARNING 40 OR 50
BASIS POINTS WHEN WE CAN SUBSTITUTE A HIGHER-YIELDING ASSET OR
16
FOR THAT MATTER, IF YOU ARE YIELDING 40 OR 50 BASIS POINTS, THE
VALUE OF THE CAPITAL ALONE IS WORTH 80 BASIS POINTS FROM A SHARE
RE-PURCHASE STANDPOINT. SO I DONT THINK I CAN GIVE YOU A
SPECIFIC ESTIMATE OF HOW THAT WILL MATERIALIZE BUT I THINK WE
FEEL VERY GOOD THAT HAVING ANOTHER SOURCE OF HIGH-YIELDING
ASSETS PROVIDES YOU WITH A FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF MANAGING THE
BALANCE SHEET.
>>ERNEST RADY: IN WAY OF ADDITIONAL COLOR, WESTCORP NEVER HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY OR THE ALTERNATIVE OF KEEPING THE ASSETS ON BALANCE
SHEET BECAUSE OF THE HOLDOVER LIMITATION ON THE OTS CHARTER.
WERE EXCITED ABOUT THE COMBINED FINANCIAL INSTITUTION HAVING
THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE BEST WAY OF FINANCING THE
BUSINESS IN BOTH THE SHORT AND LONG TERM. ITS A SUBSTANTIAL,
ADDITIONAL AND MUCH APPRECIATED FLEXIBILITY.
>>Operator: YOUR NEXT QUESTIONS COME FROM GARY TOWNSEND OF FBR.
Q. HELLO. GOOD MORNING, GENTLEMEN. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DEAL.
>>BEN JENKINS: THANK YOU.
Q. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. MOST BANKS WOULD LOOK AT SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND SAY WHAT A GREAT MARKET TO BE IN. YOU SEEM TO BE
APPROACHING IT WITH A VERY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH, LETS SAY.
WOULD YOU CARE TO COMMENT ON THAT?
>>BEN JENKINS: WELL, I MEAN, I STAND BY WHAT I SAID. I MEAN,
WERE GOING TO TAKE A MEASURED, STEADY LOOK.
Q. HOW LONG MIGHT THAT TAKE?
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE?
>>BEN JENKINS: I DONT. I WOULD SAY BETWEEN NOW AND YEAR END,
WELL HAVE A MUCH BETTER FEEL FOR IT. WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH
WHATS GOING ON IN TEXAS. WERE VERY PLEASED WITH WHATS GOING
ON DE NOVO-WISE IN NEW YORK. I DONT THINK ITS UNREASONABLE AT
ALL TO EXPECT THAT WE WILL BE THINKING ABOUT AND TALKING ABOUT
AND THINKING ABOUT BUILDING AND EXPANDING IN THAT MARKET, BUT WE
JUST HAVE DONE NONE OF THAT AND ARENT IN THE POSITION TO COMMENT.
WE DONT WANT TO DILUTE WHAT IS GOING ON SO WELL IN TEXAS AND SO
WELL IN NEW YORK, SO WE WANT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT AND THATS
WHY I THINK TAKING SOME TIME AND PLANNING IS A GOOD IDEA.
Q. FAIR ENOUGH. AS I UNDERSTOOD YOUR COMMENTS, THEN THE THRIFT
CHARTER GOES AWAY WHEN THIS DEAL IS CONCLUDED?
>>TOM WURTZ: I CANT TELL YOU THE DATE THAT ITS CONCLUDED TO GO AWAY,
BUT CERTAINLY, OVER TIME, IN A RELATIVELY BRIEF TIME, IT WILL BE THE
INTENT TO MERGE INTO WACHOVIA N.A.
17
Q. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>BEN JENKINS: THANK YOU.
>>Operator: WE HAVE REACHED OUR ALLOTTED TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
MR. JENKINS, DO YOU HAVE ANY CLOSING REMARKS?
>>BEN JENKINS: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
LET ME THANK EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US, BEING ON THE CALL TODAY.
AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR FURTHER QUESTIONS, OUR
INVESTOR RELATIONS TEAM IS HERE. THEY WILL BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU
AND SO JUST GIVE THEM A CALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING ON
THE CALL.
>>Operator: THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN TODAYS CONFERENCE
CALL. YOU MAY NOW DISCONNECT.
Forward-Looking Statements
This transcript contains certain 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, including, without limitation, (i) statements relating to the benefits of the proposed
merger between Wachovia and Westcorp (the Westcorp Merger) and Wachovias acquisition, by merger,
of the 16% interest in WFS Financial held by the public (the WFS Financial Merger and, together
with the Westcorp Merger, the Mergers), including future financial and operating results, cost
savings, enhanced revenues and the accretion to reported earnings that may be realized from the
Mergers, (ii) statements regarding certain of Wachovias, Westcorps and/or WFS Financials goals
and expectations with respect to earnings, earnings per share, revenue, expenses and the growth
rate in such items, as well as other measures of economic performance, including statements
relating to estimates of credit quality trends, and (iii) statements preceded by, followed by or
that include the words may, could, should, would, believe, anticipate, estimate,
expect, intend, plan or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current
beliefs and expectations of Wachovias, Westcorps and WFS Financials management and are subject
to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements.
The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from that
expressed in such forward-looking statements: (1) the risk that the businesses of Wachovia,
Westcorp and WFS Financial in connection with the Mergers will not be integrated successfully or
such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; (2) expected
revenue synergies and cost savings from the Mergers may not be fully realized or realized within
the expected time frame; (3) revenues following the Mergers may be lower than expected; (4) deposit
attrition, operating costs, customer loss and business disruption following the Mergers, including,
without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, may be greater than
expected; (5) the ability to obtain governmental approvals of the Mergers on the proposed terms and
schedule; (6) the failure of Westcorps and WFS Financials shareholders to approve the Westcorp
Merger and the WFS Financial Merger, respectively; (7) the strength of the United States economy in
general and the strength of the local economies in which Wachovia, Westcorp and/or WFS Financial
conducts operations may be different than expected resulting in, among other things, a
deterioration in credit quality or a reduced demand for credit, including the resultant effect on
Wachovias, Westcorps and/or WFS Financials loan portfolio and allowance for loan losses; (8) the
effects of, and changes in, trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate
policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; (9) potential or actual
litigation; (10) inflation, interest rate, market and monetary fluctuations; and (11) adverse
conditions in the stock market, the public debt market and other capital markets (including changes
in interest rate
conditions) and the impact of such conditions on Wachovias capital markets and capital management
activities, including, without limitation, Wachovias mergers and acquisition advisory business,
equity and debt underwriting activities, private equity investment activities, derivative
securities activities, investment and wealth management advisory businesses, and brokerage
activities. Additional factors that could cause Wachovias, Westcorps and WFS Financials results
to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in
Wachovias, Westcorps and WFS Financials Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC. All subsequent written and oral
forward-looking statements concerning the proposed Mergers or other matters and attributable to
Wachovia, Westcorp or WFS Financial or any person acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in
their entirety by the cautionary statements above. Wachovia, Westcorp and WFS Financial do not
undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, relating
to the matters discussed in this filing.
Additional Information
The proposed Mergers will be submitted to Westcorps and WFS Financials shareholders for their
consideration. Wachovia will file a registration statement, which will include a proxy
statement/prospectus, Westcorp and WFS Financial will file a proxy statement, and each of Wachovia,
Westcorp and WFS Financial may file other relevant documents concerning the proposed Mergers with
the SEC. Shareholders are urged to read the registration statement and the proxy
statement/prospectus regarding the proposed Mergers when they become available and any other
relevant documents filed with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to those documents,
because they will contain important information. You will be able to obtain a free copy of the
proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Wachovia,
Westcorp and WFS Financial, at the SECs website (http://www.sec.gov). You will also be able to
obtain these documents, free of charge, at Wachovias website (http://www.wachovia.com)
under the tab Inside Wachovia Investor Relations and then under the heading Financial Reports
SEC Filings. Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and the SEC filings that will be
incorporated by reference in the proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained, free of charge,
by directing a request to Wachovia Corporation, Investor Relations, One Wachovia Center, 301 South
College Street, Charlotte, NC 28288-0206, (704)-374-6782; or to Westcorp or WFS Financial, Attn:
Investor Relations, 23 Pasteur, Irvine, CA 92618, (949)-727-1002.
Wachovia, Westcorp and WFS Financial and their respective directors and executive officers, may be
deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Westcorp and/or
WFS Financial in connection with the proposed Mergers. Information about the directors and
executive officers of Wachovia is set forth in the proxy statement for Wachovias 2005 annual
meeting of shareholders, as filed with the SEC on a Schedule 14A on March 14, 2005. Information
about the directors and executive officers of Westcorp is set forth in the proxy statement for
Westcorps 2005 annual meeting of shareholders, as filed with the SEC on a Schedule 14A on March
28, 2005, and information about the directors and executive officers of WFS Financial is set forth
in the proxy statement for WFS Financials 2005 annual meeting of shareholders, as filed with the
SEC on a Schedule 14A on March 28, 2005. Additional information regarding the interests of those
participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction may be obtained by
reading the proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed Mergers when it becomes available.
You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph.