UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
_________________
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): March 18, 2005
Friedman's Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Delaware 0-22356 58-20583
(State or Other Jurisdiction (Commission File (IRS Employer
of Incorporation) Number) Identification No.)
171 Crossroads Parkway
Savannah, Georgia 31422
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(912) 233-9333
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of
the following provisions:
|_| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
(17 CFR 230.425)
|_| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
(17 CFR 240.14a-12)
|_| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
|_| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
As previously reported, on January 14, 2005, Friedman's Inc. (the
"Company") and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Debtors") filed
voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of title 11 of the United
States Code (the "Bankruptcy Code") in the United States Bankruptcy Court for
the Southern District of Georgia, located in Savannah (the "Bankruptcy Court")
(Case No. 05-40129). On March 18, 2005, the Company filed its monthly
consolidated operating report, as required by the Bankruptcy Code, for the
period January 14, 2005 through January 29, 2005 (the "Operating Report") with
the Bankruptcy Court, the text of which in included as Exhibit 99.1 to this
Current Report on Form 8-K.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Financial and Operating Data
The Company cautions investors and potential investors not to place
undue reliance on the information contained in the Operating Report. The
Operating Report contains financial information that has not been audited or
reviewed by independent accountants and may be subject to future
reconciliation and adjustments. The Operating Report is in a format agreed to
between the Debtors and the Office of the United States Trustee and should not
be used for investment purposes. The Operating Report contains information for
periods different from those required in the Company's reports pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), and that information
might not be indicative of the Company's financial condition or operating
results for the period that would be reflected in the Company's financial
statements or in its reports pursuant to the Exchange Act. Results set forth
in the Operating Report should not be viewed as indicative of future results.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements included in this Current Report on Form 8-K
and in the Operating Report, particularly those anticipating future financial
performance, business prospects, growth and operating strategies and similar
matters, are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and
uncertainties. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe
harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of future performance and a variety of factors could cause the
Company's actual results to differ materially from the anticipated or expected
results expressed in these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes
no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements and the Company's liquidity, capital resources, and
results of operations are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties,
including but not limited to, the following: the ability of the Company to
operate as a going concern; the ability of the Company to continue to obtain
use of cash collateral and/or debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing pursuant to
the terms of such agreements; court approval of the motions prosecuted by the
Company from time to time; the ability of the Company to develop, prosecute,
confirm and consummate one or more plans of reorganization with respect to the
chapter 11 case; risks associated with third parties seeking and obtaining
court approval to terminate or shorten the exclusivity period for the Company
to propose and confirm one or more plans of reorganization, for the
appointment of a chapter 11 trustee or to convert the cases to chapter 7
cases; the ability of the Company to obtain trade credit, and shipments and
terms with vendors and service providers for current orders; the Company's
ability to maintain contracts that are critical to its operations; potential
adverse developments with respect to the Company's liquidity and/or results of
operations; competitive pressures from other retailers; trends in the economy
as a whole which may affect consumer confidence and consumer demand for the
types of goods sold by the Company; the ability of the Company to attract,
retain and compensate key executives and associates; the ability of the
Company to attract and retain customers; potential adverse publicity; the
final results of the audit including the review of the calculation of our
allowance for doubtful accounts; the results of the SEC and United States
Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York investigations; the
results of various litigation; the effect of the restatement on our credit
facilities, including funding availability thereunder and our relationship
with our lenders; the effect of the restatement on our future earnings,
including any adjustments to previously announced earnings forecasts; and
other risks factors identified from time to time in our SEC reports,
including, but not limited to, the report on Form 10-K for the year ended
September 28, 2002.
Similarly, these and other factors, including the terms of any
reorganization plan ultimately confirmed, can affect the value of our various
pre-petition liabilities, common stock and/or other equity securities. No
assurance can be given as to what values, if any, will be ascribed in the
bankruptcy proceedings to each of these constituencies. A plan of
reorganization could result in holders of the Company's common stock receiving
no distribution on account of their interest and cancellation of their
interests. As described in the Company's public statements in response to the
request submitted to the United States Trustee for the appointment of a
statutory equity committee, holders of the Company's common stock (both Series
A and Series B common stock) and other equity interests (such as options and
warrants) should assume that they could receive little or no value as part of
a plan of reorganization. In addition, under certain conditions specified
under the Bankruptcy Code, a plan of reorganization may be confirmed
notwithstanding its rejection by an impaired class of creditors or equity
holders and notwithstanding the fact that equity holders do not receive or
retain property on account of their equity interests under the plan. In light
of the foregoing, the Company considers the value of the common stock to be
highly speculative and cautions equity holders that the stock may ultimately
be determined to have no value. Accordingly, the Company urges that
appropriate caution be exercised with respect to existing and future
investments in the Company's common stock or any claims relating to
pre-petition liabilities and/or other interests in the Company such as
warrants convertible into equity interests.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(c) Exhibits.
Exhibit
Number Description
------- -----------
Exhibit 99.1 Monthly Operating Report for the period January 14, 2005
through January 29, 2005
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
FRIEDMAN'S INC.
Date: March 18, 2005 By: /s/ Ken Maher
------------------------
Ken Maher
Chief Financial Officer
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
Number Description
------ -----------
Exhibit 99.1 Monthly Operating Report for the period January 14, 2005
through January 29, 2005