Marriott International reports Q2 2014 results

0a11_2897
0a11_2897
Avatar of Linda Hohnholz
Written by Linda Hohnholz

Marriott International, Inc today reported second quarter 2014 results.

Marriott International, Inc today reported second quarter 2014 results.

Second quarter 2014 net income totaled $192 million, a 7 percent increase compared to second quarter 2013 net income. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) totaled $0.64, a 12 percent increase from diluted EPS in the year-ago quarter. Second quarter 2014 results reflect a $15 million pretax ($9 million after-tax and $0.03 per diluted share) impairment charge, an $11 million pretax ($7 million after-tax and $0.02 per diluted share) litigation reserve and a $7 million pretax ($5 million after-tax and $0.02 per diluted share) unfavorable foreign exchange impact related to Venezuelan currency devaluation. Excluding these items, second quarter adjusted net income totaled $213 million and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.71. On April 29, 2014, the company forecasted second quarter diluted EPS of $0.63 to $0.68, which did not include the three items discussed above. See page A-11 for the adjusted EPS calculation.

Arne M. Sorenson, president and chief executive officer of Marriott International, said, “Results in the quarter exceeded our expectations as worldwide RevPAR increased nearly 6 percent. In North America, strong transient demand drove RevPAR higher and room rates rose nearly 4 percent.

“With strong franchisee and owner demand for our brands, we are on pace to have another record development year in 2014 with contracts for roughly 295 hotels with nearly 46,000 rooms already signed, or nearly a dozen hotels per week, and well ahead of our 2013 first half signings pace. At the end of the second quarter, our development pipeline reached a record 215,000 rooms.

“We were pleased to announce a few weeks ago that the 3,400-room Atlantis, Paradise Island will be joining the Autograph Collection later this year, further accelerating our growth in the luxury and lifestyle space. The Autograph Collection is just one brand in our luxury and lifestyle portfolio (The Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, EDITION, JW Marriott Hotels, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, Protea Fire & Ice Hotels and Moxy Hotels) catering to next generation travelers, a fast growing customer segment. Representing nearly 30 percent of our current development pipeline, we expect to increase our room distribution of these luxury and lifestyle brands by 50 percent over the next few years.

“We are bullish on the remainder of 2014. The strong RevPAR growth in the second quarter combined with very strong group bookings for the third quarter give us the confidence to increase our full year 2014 North American and worldwide RevPAR growth guidance to 5 to 7 percent. We are also increasing our expectations for gross room additions to 7 percent, 6 percent net, based on strong development interest in our brands. Through the first two quarters, we have returned $766 million to our shareholders through dividends and share repurchases and are on pace to return $1.35 billion to $1.6 billion to shareholders for the full year.”

For the 2014 second quarter, RevPAR for worldwide comparable systemwide properties increased 5.8 percent (a 5.9 percent increase using actual dollars).

In North America, comparable systemwide RevPAR increased 6.0 percent in the second quarter of 2014, including a 3.7 percent increase in average daily rate. RevPAR for comparable systemwide North American full-service hotels (including Marriott Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance Hotels, Gaylord Hotels and Autograph Collection Hotels) increased 5.3 percent with a 3.5 percent increase in average daily rate. RevPAR for comparable systemwide North American limited-service hotels (including Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites and Fairfield Inn & Suites) increased 6.8 percent in the second quarter with a 4.1 percent increase in average daily rate.

Excluding Venezuela, international comparable systemwide RevPAR rose 4.6 percent (a 5.1 percent increase using actual dollars) in the second quarter.

Marriott added 162 new properties (18,729 rooms) to its worldwide lodging portfolio in the 2014 second quarter, including 113 properties (10,016 rooms) related to the Protea transaction. Nine properties (1,134 rooms) exited the system during the quarter. At quarter-end, the company’s lodging group encompassed 4,087 properties and timeshare resorts for a total of nearly 697,000 rooms.

The company’s worldwide development pipeline increased to roughly 1,300 properties with nearly 215,000 rooms at quarter-end, including 213 properties with more than 30,000 rooms approved for development, but not yet subject to signed contracts.

MARRIOTT REVENUES totaled nearly $3.5 billion in the 2014 second quarter compared to revenues of approximately $3.3 billion for the second quarter of 2013. Base management and franchise fees totaled $370 million compared to $343 million in the year-ago quarter, an increase of 8 percent. The year-over-year increase largely reflects higher RevPAR and new unit growth.

Second quarter worldwide incentive management fees increased 28 percent to $82 million primarily due to strong RevPAR and unit growth, as well as favorable timing of fee recognition. The company anticipates that incentive management fee revenue will increase at a high teens rate for full year 2014. In the second quarter, 40 percent of worldwide company-managed hotels earned incentive management fees compared to 34 percent in the year-ago quarter.

Worldwide comparable company-operated house profit margins increased 80 basis points in the second quarter with improvement in both room rates and productivity. House profit margins for comparable company-operated properties outside North America increased 30 basis points and North American comparable company-operated house profit margins increased 110 basis points from the year-ago quarter.

Owned, leased and other revenue, net of direct expenses, totaled $70 million, compared to $65 million in the year-ago quarter. Improved results reflected strong performance at several leased hotels, the addition of a property the company acquired in the fourth quarter of 2013, the impact of the Protea portfolio acquired at the beginning of the quarter and higher residential and credit card branding fees, partially offset by $13 million of lower termination fees. Results for the second quarter of 2013 included $4 million of expenses related to international lease terminations.

DEPRECIATION, AMORTIZATION, and OTHER expense totaled $47 million in the 2014 second quarter compared to $33 million in the year-ago quarter. The increase in expense largely reflects a $15 million impairment charge resulting from the reallocation of costs between the Miami EDITION hotel and the Miami EDITION residences. The estimated cost of the total Miami EDITION project, which includes both the hotel and residences, remains unchanged from last quarter. Prior year results included a $5 million impairment of deferred contract acquisition cost.

GENERAL, ADMINISTRATIVE and OTHER expenses for the 2014 second quarter totaled $159 million, a 1 percent decline compared to the year-ago quarter. Expenses for the quarter included a $7 million foreign exchange loss associated with the Venezuelan Bolivar. Expenses in the second quarter of 2013 included a $5 million performance cure payment.

On April 29, the company estimated general and administrative expenses for the second quarter would total $165 million to $170 million. Actual expenses in the quarter were below the range largely due to lower than expected spending, some of which was favorable timing, and lower bad debt expenses, partially offset by the foreign exchange impact discussed above.

GAINS AND OTHER INCOME totaled $3 million in the quarter compared to $10 million in the year-ago quarter. In the 2013 second quarter, the company recorded an $8 million gain on the sale of an investment in equity securities.

EQUITY LOSSES increased $6 million in the second quarter to an $8 million dollar loss largely due to an $11 million litigation reserve.

Adjusted Earnings before Interest Expense, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA)
Adjusted EBITDA totaled $408 million in the 2014 second quarter, a 10 percent increase over 2013 second quarter adjusted EBITDA of $372 million. See page A-8 for the EBITDA calculation.

BALANCE SHEET
At the end of the second quarter, total debt was $3,404 million and cash balances totaled $192 million, compared to $3,199 million in debt and $126 million of cash at year-end 2013.

COMMON STOCK
Weighted average fully diluted shares outstanding used to calculate diluted EPS totaled 298.7 million in the 2014 second quarter, compared to 314.0 million in the year-ago quarter.

The company repurchased 5.0 million shares of common stock in the second quarter at a cost of $300 million. Year-to-date, Marriott repurchased 12.8 million shares of its stock for $706 million. The remaining share authorization as of July 29, 2014, totaled 26.5 million shares.

OUTLOOK
For the 2014 third quarter, the company expects comparable systemwide RevPAR on a constant dollar basis will increase 6 to 8 percent in North America, 4 to 6 percent outside North America and 5.5 to 7.5 percent worldwide.

The company expects full year 2014 comparable systemwide RevPAR on a constant dollar basis will increase 5 to 7 percent in North America, 4 to 6 percent outside North America and 5 to 7 percent worldwide. On April 29, 2014, the company forecasted worldwide and North American RevPAR growth of 4.5 to 6.5 percent for full year 2014.

The company anticipates gross room additions of 7 percent worldwide for the full year 2014 including the 10,016 rooms associated with the Protea acquisition. Net of deletions, the company expects its portfolio of rooms will increase by approximately 6 percent by year-end 2014.

The company assumes full year fee revenue could total $1,685 million to $1,725 million, growth of 9 to 12 percent over 2013 fee revenue of $1,543 million.

For 2014, the company anticipates general, administrative and other expenses will total $640 million to $650 million, flat to down 1 percent compared to 2013 expenses of $649 million.

Given these assumptions, 2014 diluted EPS could total $2.40 to $2.51, a 20 to 25 percent increase year-over-year. This full year EPS outlook reflects reported second quarter results, including the $0.07 of unfavorable adjustments in the quarter.

Third Quarter 2014
Full Year 2014

Total fee revenue
$425 million to $435 million
$1,685 million to $1,725 million

Owned, leased and other revenue, net of direct expenses
Approx. $50 million
Approx. $235 million

Depreciation and amortization
Approx. $30 million
Approx. $145 million

General, administrative and other expenses
$160 million to $165 million
$640 million to $650 million

Operating income
$280 million to $295 million
$1,125 million to $1,175 million

Gains and other income
Approx. $0 million
Approx. $5 million

Net interest expense1
Approx. $25 million
Approx. $95 million

Equity in earnings (losses)
Approx. $0 million
Approx. $(10) million

Earnings per share
$0.59 to $0.63
$2.40 to $2.51

Tax rate

32.0 percent

1 Net of interest income

The company expects investment spending in 2014 will total approximately $800 million to $1.0 billion, including approximately $150 million for maintenance capital spending and $193 million associated with the Protea transaction. Investment spending also includes other capital expenditures (including property acquisitions), new mezzanine financing and mortgage notes, contract acquisition costs, and equity and other investments. Assuming this level of investment spending, approximately $1.35 billion to $1.6 billion could be returned to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends.

Based upon the assumptions above, the company expects full year 2014 adjusted EBITDA will total $1,465 million to $1,515 million, an 11 to 14 percent increase over the 2013 full year adjusted EBITDA of $1,325 million. See page A-9 for the adjusted EBITDA calculation.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) will conduct its quarterly earnings review for the investment community and news media on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (ET).

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...