PARSIPPANY, N.J., October 30, 2018 – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) today announced results for the three months ended September 30, 2018. Highlights include:
Revenues increased 74% compared with third quarter 2017, to $604 million.
Net income was $58 million for the third quarter; adjusted net income was $85 million, a 39% increase over the prior-year quarter.
Diluted earnings per share were $0.58 and adjusted diluted EPS were $0.85.
Further adjusted diluted EPS (calculated as if our spin-off and our acquisition and integration of La Quinta had occurred on January 1) were $0.93.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 34% compared with the prior-year quarter, to $166 million, and grew 7% in constant currency and excluding our 2018 acquisitions and divestitures.
Further adjusted EBITDA was $177 million, compared to our projection of $166 to $176 million.
Global RevPAR increased 9% year-over-year and 4% in constant currency and excluding our 2018 acquisitions and divestitures.
System-wide rooms grew 13% year-over-year, and 3% excluding our 2018 acquisitions and divestitures.
“We delivered strong results in the third quarter, highlighted by organic and acquisition-related growth in both global RevPAR and our system size,” said Geoffrey A. Ballotti, chief executive officer. “In addition, we made significant progress in the integration of the La Quinta brand, continued to strengthen the quality of our hotel network, and began to see the favorable impact of the ‘By Wyndham’ endorsement of our global brands.”
Revenues were $604 million, compared with $347 million in the third quarter of 2017. Results reflect $238 million of incremental revenues from La Quinta. Excluding the impact from the acquisition of La Quinta, revenues increased 5% primarily due to 4% higher royalties and franchise fees, as well as higher license and other fees.
Net income was $58 million, or $0.58 per diluted share, unchanged from the third quarter of 2017. Third quarter 2018 results include separation-related and transaction-related costs.
Adjusted net income was $85 million, or $0.85 per diluted share, compared with $61 million, or $0.61 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2017. Third quarter earnings benefited from our revenue growth and a lower effective tax rate, partially offset by higher interest and depreciation and amortization expense. Full reconciliations of GAAP results to our non-GAAP adjusted measures for all reported periods appear in the tables to this press release.
Third quarter adjusted EBITDA was $166 million, compared with $124 million in the third quarter of 2017. Results reflect approximately $39 million of adjusted EBITDA from La Quinta and exceeded the Company’s projection of $155 million to $163 million of adjusted EBITDA. Excluding the impact from 2018 acquisitions and divestitures, adjusted EBITDA increased 7% in constant currency, primarily reflecting the growth in revenues, partially offset by $7 million due to the timing of marketing expenses.
The Company estimates that, if it had fully integrated La Quinta prior to July, its further adjusted EBITDA in the third quarter would have been $177 million, and its further adjusted diluted earnings per share would have been $0.93. See Tables 5 and 6 for additional information.
As of September 30, 2018, the Company’s hotel system consisted of more than 9,000 properties and over 798,000 rooms, a 13% increase compared with the third quarter of 2017. Room count is up 3% year-over-year excluding our 2018 acquisitions and divestitures, and is up 2% year-over-year further excluding the October 2017 acquisition of AmericInn. Our development pipeline increased to nearly 1,400 hotels and over 176,000 rooms, a 20% year-over-year room increase, including over 24,000 La Quinta pipeline rooms and the removal of 2,000 Knights Inn pipeline rooms. Approximately 54% of our pipeline is international and 71% is new construction.
Business Segment Discussion
The following discussion of third quarter operating results focuses on revenue and adjusted EBITDA for each of our segments. The Company’s calculation of adjusted EBITDA now excludes the currency effects of highly inflationary countries.
Hotel Franchising
Revenues increased 35% compared to third quarter 2017, including $72 million of incremental revenues from La Quinta. Excluding the impact of the acquisition of La Quinta, revenues increased 7% primarily due to 6% higher royalties and franchise fees and $16 million of higher license and other fees. The increase in license and other fees primarily represented incremental license fees from Wyndham Destinations. Adjusted EBITDA grew 35% to $178 million, including $35 million of incremental adjusted EBITDA from the acquisition of La Quinta. Excluding the impact from La Quinta, adjusted EBITDA grew 8%, reflecting the growth in revenues, partially offset by the timing of marketing expenses.
Hotel Management
Revenues increased $163 million compared to the prior-year period, reflecting $166 million of incremental revenues from La Quinta (including $154 million of cost-reimbursement revenues). Excluding the impact from the acquisition of La Quinta, revenues declined $3 million. Adjusted EBITDA increased $4 million compared to the prior-year quarter, reflecting $4 million of adjusted EBITDA from La Quinta.
Other Items
Share Repurchases – The Company repurchased approximately 778,000 shares of its common stock for $44 million in the third quarter.
La Quinta Integration – As of September 30, 2018, as planned, the Company has completed substantially all of its planned integration actions other than in the areas of information technology and loyalty, and has terminated approximately 60% of the employees ultimately expected to leave the Company in conjunction with the integration.
Outlook
The Company provided the following outlook, which assumes that its spin-off and the acquisition and integration of La Quinta had all been completed on January 1, 2018, for full-year 2018:
Further adjusted revenues of $2.06 billion to $2.11 billion.
Further adjusted net income of $300 million to $315 million.
Further adjusted EBITDA of $594 million to $605 million.
Further adjusted diluted EPS of $2.99 to $3.13, based on a further adjusted diluted share count of 100.3 million, which excludes future share repurchases.
Rooms growth of 11% to 13%, or 2% to 4% excluding our 2018 acquisitions and divestitures.
Constant currency RevPAR growth of 7% to 8%, or approximately 3% excluding our 2018 acquisitions and divestitures.
More detailed projections are available in Table 6 of this press release. In determining further adjusted metrics, the Company excludes certain items which are otherwise included in determining the comparable GAAP financial measures, as described in Tables 5 and 6 of this press release. The Company is providing an outlook for net income, EBITDA and EPS only on a non-GAAP basis because it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the occurrence or amount of these adjustments or other potential adjustments that may arise in the future.
Conference Call Information
Wyndham Hotels will hold a conference call with investors to discuss the Company’s results and outlook on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Listeners can access the webcast live through the Company’s website at www.investor.wyndhamhotels.com. The conference call may also be accessed by dialing 877-876-9174 and providing the passcode “Wyndham”. Listeners are urged to call at least five minutes prior to the scheduled start time. An archive of this webcast will be available on the website for approximately 90 days beginning at noon ET on October 30, 2018. A telephone replay will be available for approximately ten days beginning at noon ET on October 30, 2018 at 800-695-1624.
Presentation of Financial Information
Financial information discussed in this press release includes non-GAAP measures, which include or exclude certain items. These non-GAAP measures differ from reported GAAP results and are intended to illustrate what management believes are relevant period-over-period comparisons and are helpful to investors as an additional tool for further understanding and assessing the Company’s ongoing operating performance. Exclusion of items in the Company’s non-GAAP presentation should not be considered an inference that these items are unusual, infrequent or non-recurring. Full reconciliations of GAAP results to the comparable non-GAAP measures for the reported periods appear in the financial tables section of this press release.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company, with more than 9,000 hotels across more than 80 countries on six continents. Through its network of over 798,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in both the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 20 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel Inn & Suites®, La Quinta®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, The Trademark Collection®, and Wyndham®. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is also a leading provider of hotel management services, with more than 400 properties under management. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers over 59 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, condominiums and holiday homes globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include those that convey management’s expectations as to the future based on plans, estimates and projections at the time Wyndham Hotels makes the statements and may be identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “goal,” “future,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “target,” “estimate” and similar words or expressions, including the negative version of such words and expressions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Wyndham Hotels to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include statements related to the Company’s revenues, earnings, cash flow and other financial and operating measures.
You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include without limitation general economic conditions, the performance of the financial and credit markets, the economic environment for the hospitality industry, the impact of war, terrorist activity or political strife, operating risks associated with the hotel business, risks related to our spin-off as a newly independent company, uncertainties related to our ability to obtain financing or the terms of such financing, unanticipated developments related to the impact of the spin-off on our relationships with our customers, suppliers, employees and others with whom we have relationships, unanticipated developments resulting from possible disruption to our operations resulting from the spinoff, risks related to our acquisition of the La Quinta hotel franchising and hotel management business, including our ability to achieve expected benefits associated with the transaction, as well as those other risks and uncertainties described in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in Wyndham Hotels’ Registration Statement on Form 10, in this press release and in Wyndham Hotels’ other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Wyndham Hotels undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise.
Revenues increased 35% compared to third quarter 2017, including $72 million of incremental revenues from La Quinta. Excluding the impact of the acquisition of La Quinta, revenues increased 7% primarily due to 6% higher royalties and franchise fees and $16 million of higher license and other fees. The increase in license and other fees primarily represented incremental license fees from Wyndham Destinations. Adjusted EBITDA grew 35% to $178 million, including $35 million of incremental adjusted EBITDA from the acquisition of La Quinta. Excluding the impact from La Quinta, adjusted EBITDA grew 8%, reflecting the growth in revenues, partially offset by the timing of marketing expenses.
Revenues increased $163 million compared to the prior-year period, reflecting $166 million of incremental revenues from La Quinta (including $154 million of cost-reimbursement revenues). Excluding the impact from the acquisition of La Quinta, revenues declined $3 million. Adjusted EBITDA increased $4 million compared to the prior-year quarter, reflecting $4 million of adjusted EBITDA from La Quinta.
