John Q. Hammons Hotels, Inc. Reports RevPAR up 3.0% for the First Quarter of 2003
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.--John Q. Hammons Hotels, Inc. JQH today reported on its first quarter 2003 results. First Quarter Results: Basic and diluted earnings per share for the three months ended April 4, 2003 were $0.04, compared to basic and diluted earnings per share of $0.05 for the same period in 2002. Net income was $0.2 million for the 2003 and 2002 first quarters. Total revenues for the 2003 first quarter were $110.1 million, an increase of $2.
Total earnings before interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, minority interest and extraordinary item (EBITDA) were $30.7 million for the 2003 first quarter, down 1.3% compared to the 2002 first quarter EBITDA of $31.1 million. The decrease was primarily attributable to a significant increase in property insurance and worker's compensation costs, as well as smaller increases in a number of general, administrative and sales expenses.
Our Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR), once again above industry levels, was $63.69 for the 2003 first quarter, up 3.0% compared to prior year's level of $61.86, while the industry's RevPAR was down 1.6% as reported by Smith Travel Research. Our RevPAR results for the 2002 period are more than 37% higher than the hotel industry's RevPAR of $46.35.
Chairman Comments
"Our quality hotels in strategic secondary and tertiary markets continue to help insulate us from severe downturns in the economy," stated Mr. John Q. Hammons, chairman and chief executive officer. "Although we are pleased with our continued RevPAR performance in relation to the industry, we will continue to strive toward improved margins and operational efficiencies."
Financing Activities
The current portion of long-term debt as of April 4, 2003 ($13.8 million) is attributable to principal amortization on various individual hotel mortgages and includes a $6.4 million mortgage (Springdale Hampton Inn), which matures in the fourth quarter of 2003. We intend to refinance that debt prior to maturity. We anticipate that the absence of any significant short-term maturities will allow us to continue to reduce debt and strengthen our balance sheet.
Capital Investments
We believe the quality of our assets is an important factor to the success of our company, and we have continued to invest in our properties even throughout this difficult time for our industry. In the first quarter of 2003, we spent approximately $3.1 million in capital improvements, compared to approximately $4.7 million (approximately $1.3 million of which was related to correcting moisture related issues) in the first quarter of 2002.
Operations Outlook
We forecast that our second quarter 2003 year-over-year RevPAR comparisons will remain comparable to last year's levels. We expect second quarter 2003 revenues and EBITDA to be slightly below the 2002 second quarter. EBITDA continues to be slightly depressed due to increased property insurance and worker's compensation costs discussed earlier. We expect to continue our cash generation and will maintain our focus on operational efficiencies.
We are a leading independent owner and manager of affordable upscale, full-service hotels located primarily in key secondary markets. We own 47 hotels located in 20 states, containing 11,629 guest rooms or suites, and we manage 10 additional hotels located in six states, containing 2,375 guest rooms or suites. The majority of these 57 hotels operate under the Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn and Marriott trade names. Most of our hotels are located near a state capitol, university, convention center, corporate headquarters, office park or other stable demand generator. A copy of this press release announcing our earnings, as well as other statistical information, will be available in the Investor Relations section of our Web site at
NOTE - FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, regarding, among other things, our operations outlook, business strategy, prospects and financial position. These statements contain the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "may," "will," and similar words. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others:
- General economic conditions, including the duration and severity of the current economic slowdown and the pace at which the lodging industry adjusts to the continuing war on terrorism;
- The impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) or any other serious communicable diseases on travel, particularly if cases significantly increase or spread beyond the currently affected areas;
- Competition;
- Changes in operating costs, particularly energy and labor costs;
- Unexpected events, such as the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks;
- Risks of hotel operations, such as hotel room supply exceeding demand, increased energy and other travel costs, and general industry downturns;
- Seasonality of the hotel business;
- Cyclical over-building in the hotel and leisure industry;
- Requirements of franchise agreements, including the right of some franchisors to immediately terminate their respective agreements if we breach certain provisions; and
- Costs of complying with applicable state and federal regulations.
These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating any forward-looking statements contained in this press release. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward- looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
JOHN Q. HAMMONS HOTELS, INC.
AND COMPANIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(000'S omitted, except share data)
Three Months Ended (a)
Apr. 4, Mar. 29,
2003 2002
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REVENUES:
Rooms $67,403 $65,490
Food and beverage 29,139 29,287
Meeting room rental, related party management
fee and other 13,588 12,652
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Total revenues 110,130 107,429
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Direct operating costs and expenses:
Rooms 16,280 16,056
Food and beverage 21,906 22,155
Other 692 709
General, administrative, sales and management
expenses 36,075 33,009
Repairs and maintenance 4,453 4,355
Depreciation and amortization 12,481 12,992
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Total operating costs 91,887 89,276
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INCOME FROM OPERATIONS 18,243 18,153
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other income 175
Interest expense and amortization of deferred
financing fees, net of interest income (17,433) (16,998)
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INCOME BEFORE MINORITY INTEREST, PROVISION FOR
INCOME TAXES 985 1,155
Minority interest in earnings of partnership (748) (877)
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INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES 237 278
Provision for income taxes (30) (30)
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NET INCOME ALLOCABLE TO THE COMPANY $207 $248
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BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Net earnings allocable to Company $0.04 $0.05
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BASIC WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING 5,083,829 5,076,279
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DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Net earnings allocable to Company $0.04 $0.05
=========== ==========
DILUTED WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING 5,151,081 5,108,791
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0
JOHN Q. HAMMONS HOTELS, INC.
AND COMPANIES
(Amounts in thousands except earnings per share and operating data)
Three Months Ended
Apr. 4, Mar. 29,
2003 2002
Reconciliation of Income from Operations to
EBITDA:
Income from Operations $18,243 $18,153
Depreciation and Amortization 12,481 12,992
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EBITDA (a) $30,724 $31,145
========= =========
EBITDA Margin (% of Total Revenue) 27.9% 29.0%
(a) EBITDA is defined as income before interest expense, income tax
expense, depreciation and amortization, minority interest and other
income. Management considers EBITDA to be one measure of operating
performance for the Company before debt service that provides a
relevant basis for comparison, and EBITDA is presented to assist
investors in analyzing the performance of the Company. This
information should not be considered as an alternative to any measure
of performance as promulgated under accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States, nor should it be considered as an
indicator of the overall financial performance of the Company. The
Company's calculation of EBITDA may be different from the calculation
used by other companies and, therefore, comparability may be limited.
Three Months Ended
Apr. 4, Mar. 29,
2003 2002
Total Owned Hotels:
Occupancy 62.8% 62.4%
Average Room Rate $101.42 $99.12
RevPAR (Room Revenue per available room) $63.69 $61.86
Apr. 4, Jan. 3,
2003 2003
Selected Balance Sheet Data
Current Assets $69,152 $52,020
Total Assets $868,735 $859,972
Current Liabilities Excluding Debt $50,428 $40,789
Current Portion of Debt $13,768 $13,683
Total Debt Including Current Portion $804,422 $806,342
Total Cash and Equivalents, Restricted Cash and
Marketable Securities $53,075 $35,358
Net Debt $751,347 $770,984