Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Announces Third Quarter Results and Successful Introduction of New Services

VANCOUVER - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated, the world's largest auctioneer of industrial equipment, announces net earnings for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 of $49.9 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, and adjusted net earnings of $46.9 million, or $0.44 per diluted share. This compares to net earnings of $52.1 million and adjusted net earnings of $51.4 million, or $0.48 per diluted share for the nine months ended September 30, 2010, representing a 9% decrease in adjusted net earnings. Adjusted net earnings is a non-GAAP financial measure and is defined below. The Company's auction revenues for the first nine months of 2011 grew 5% to $282.7 million compared to $269.1 million for the same period in 2010. The Company conducted 157 unreserved industrial auctions in 13 countries throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Central America and Australia during the first nine months of 2011. All dollar amounts in this release are presented in U.S. dollars.

Quarterly dividend

The Company also announces the declaration of its quarterly cash dividend of $0.1125 per common share payable on December 9, 2011 to shareholders of record on November 18, 2011.

Gross auction proceeds and auction revenues

For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, gross auction proceeds were $2.7 billion, 8% higher than the first nine months of 2010. Gross auction proceeds is a non-GAAP financial measure and is defined below. The Company's auction revenue rate (auction revenues as a percentage of gross auction proceeds) was 10.57% during the first nine months of 2011 compared to 10.85% in the first nine months of 2010. The Company's at risk business, comprised of guarantee and purchase contracts, represented 35% of gross auction proceeds in the first nine months of 2011 (first nine months of 2010 - 22%).

The Company achieved gross auction proceeds of $673 million for the third quarter of 2011, representing a 10% decrease compared to the third quarter of 2010. Auction revenues were $79.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2011, compared to $82.2 million for the third quarter of 2010, a decrease of 3%. The Company's auction revenue rate was 11.84% for the third quarter of 2011 and 10.95% for the third quarter of 2010. The Company's revised fee structure, which came into effect on July 1, 2011, contributed $9 million to auction revenues during the quarter.

Net earnings for the quarter

Net earnings and adjusted net earnings for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 were $6.5 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, which is a 51% decrease compared to net earnings and adjusted net earnings of $13.4 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, for the three months ended September 30, 2010.

Online bidding statistics

Ritchie Bros. sold over $770 million of equipment, trucks and other assets to online bidders during the first nine months of 2011, representing a 24% increase compared to the same period in 2010 (first nine months of 2010 - $620 million). Internet bidders comprised approximately 50% of the total bidder registrations at Ritchie Bros. industrial auctions in the first nine months of 2011. Since launching its real-time online bidding service in 2002, the Company has now sold over $4.9 billion worth of trucks, equipment, and other assets to online bidders, confirming Ritchie Bros.' position as the world's largest seller of used equipment and trucks to online buyers.

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