Marriott International Reports Fourth Quarter Results !

Marriott International Reports Fourth Quarter Results



February 11, 2010



The following information was released to the media today







Marriott International today reported fourth quarter and full year 2009 results.



FOURTH QUARTER 2009 RESULTS



Fourth quarter 2009 adjusted income from continuing operations attributable to Marriott totaled $118 million, a 2 percent decline over the year-ago quarter, and adjusted diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) from continuing operations attributable to Marriott shareholders totaled $0.32, down 3 percent. On October 8, 2009, the company forecasted fourth quarter adjusted diluted EPS of $0.20 to $0.23.



Reported income from continuing operations attributable to Marriott was $106 million in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to a reported loss from continuing operations attributable to Marriott of $10 million in the year-ago quarter. Reported diluted EPS from continuing operations attributable to Marriott shareholders was $0.28 in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to reported diluted losses per share from continuing operations attributable to Marriott shareholders of $0.03 in the fourth quarter of 2008.



Adjusted results for the 2009 fourth quarter exclude $19 million pretax ($12 million after-tax and $0.03 per diluted share) of restructuring costs and other charges. Restructuring charges totaled $7 million pretax and included severance and facilities exit costs. Other charges totaled $12 million pretax and primarily included $11 million of charges against lodging assets and $3 million of reserves for Timeshare contract cancellations, offset by the $2 million favorable impact of the revaluation of Timeshare note residuals. Of the total restructuring costs and other charges in the fourth quarter, cash payments are expected to be $6 million. See the table on page A-15 of the accompanying schedules for the detail of these charges and their placement on the Consolidated Statements of Income.



Adjusted results for the 2008 fourth quarter exclude $192 million pretax ($124 million after-tax and $0.35 per diluted share) of restructuring costs and other charges, $152 million of which were non-cash, as well as $7 million of charges ($0.02 per diluted share) in the provision for income taxes.



J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International, said, “While the global business climate remained difficult, fourth quarter results exceeded our expectations. We grew our system, reduced total debt, and continued to improve efficiencies worldwide.



“In the fourth quarter, leisure travelers responded to aggressive marketing campaigns and special offers and, even adjusting for easier year-over-year comparisons, business travel showed signs of improvement, particularly in international markets. With solid cost controls, we translated the stronger-than-expected occupancy to better-than-expected incentive fee revenue. Demand for timeshare intervals improved modestly from third quarter levels which, combined with a successful note sale and reductions in investment spending, allowed the timeshare business to generate over $150 million of cash flow after investing activities for full year 2009.



“We are pleased that we remain an investment grade company. For the full year, we reduced investment spending by two-thirds and we were able to lower total debt by nearly $800 million.



“We opened over 38,000 rooms during 2009 and we’re thrilled to have two new exciting brands, EDITION and the Autograph Collection, opening their first hotels in 2010 with more expected to come. Our global development pipeline totals nearly 100,000 rooms. Our efforts have positioned us quite well for future earnings growth.”



Revenue per available room (REVPAR) for the company’s worldwide comparable company-operated properties declined 12.2 percent (12.4 percent using constant dollars) in the 2009 fourth quarter and REVPAR for the company’s worldwide comparable systemwide properties declined 12.3 percent (12.5 percent using constant dollars).



Outside North America, the fourth quarter included the months from September to December in both years. International comparable company-operated REVPAR declined 11.1 percent (11.7 percent using constant dollars), including an 11.6 percent decline in average daily rate (12.2 percent using constant dollars) in the fourth quarter of 2009.



In North America, comparable company-operated REVPAR declined 13.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. REVPAR at the company’s comparable company-operated North American full-service and luxury hotels (including Marriott Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton and Renaissance Hotels & Resorts) was down 11.8 percent with an 11.0 percent decline in average daily rate.



Marriott’s 2009 fiscal year ended on January 1, 2010 and included 52 weeks compared to 53 weeks in fiscal 2008. Similarly, the fourth quarter ended on January 1, 2010 and included 16 weeks compared to 17 weeks in the 2008 fiscal quarter. Key lodging statistics are included in the schedules accompanying the press release beginning on page A-7. While fiscal fourth quarter REVPAR statistics for North America are included, they are not comparable due to differences in the length and seasonality of the reporting periods. As a result, the company has also provided North American and worldwide REVPAR statistics adjusted for the shift in the fiscal calendar.



On a calendar quarter basis, which includes the months of October, November and December, North American comparable company-operated REVPAR declined 10.7 percent while worldwide comparable company-operated REVPAR declined 10.1 percent (10.8 percent using constant dollars).



Marriott added 65 new properties (10,626 rooms) to its worldwide lodging portfolio in the 2009 fourth quarter, including 45 limited-service hotels in North America. Seven properties (1,635 rooms) exited the system during the quarter. Rooms converted from competitor hotels accounted for nearly 18 percent of gross room additions during the quarter. At year-end, the company’s lodging group encompassed 3,420 properties and timeshare resorts for a total of over 595,000 rooms.



The company’s worldwide pipeline of hotels under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development totaled nearly 100,000 rooms at year-end. Nearly 35 percent of these development pipeline rooms are Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, EDITION or Autograph rooms, of which nearly 75 percent are located outside North America.



Reported results for the 2009 fourth quarter, the adjusted results and the associated reconciliations are shown on pages A-1, A-13, A-15, and A-19 of the accompanying schedules. The following paragraphs reflect adjusted results where indicated.



MARRIOTT REVENUES totaled approximately $3.4 billion in the 2009 fourth quarter compared to $3.8 billion for the fourth quarter of 2008. Base management and franchise fees declined 12 percent to $282 million reflecting lower REVPAR, offset in part by fees from new hotels. Fourth quarter incentive management fees declined 28 percent to $59 million. The percentage of company-managed hotels earning incentive management fees decreased to 22 percent in the 2009 fourth quarter compared to 39 percent in the year-ago quarter. Approximately 70 percent of incentive management fees came from hotels outside North America in the 2009 quarter compared to 55 percent in the 2008 quarter.



Worldwide comparable company-operated house profit margins declined 260 basis points in the fourth quarter reflecting the weak REVPAR environment, offset in part by significant cost reductions from productivity improvements, lower management wages and procurement savings through volume discounts and compliance. House profit margins for comparable company-operated properties outside North America declined 100 basis points and North American comparable company-operated house profit margins declined 360 basis points from the year-ago quarter.



Owned, leased, corporate housing and other revenue, net of direct expenses, declined $23 million in the 2009 fourth quarter, to $22 million, primarily reflecting the impact of lower operating results in owned and leased hotels and lower termination fees and other income, partially offset by an increase in branding fee revenue.



Fourth quarter adjusted Timeshare segment contract sales declined 7 percent to $203 million excluding a $28 million allowance for fractional and residential contract cancellations recorded in the quarter. In the prior year’s quarter, adjusted Timeshare segment contract sales totaled $218 million excluding a $115 million allowance for contract cancellations.



In the fourth quarter, adjusted timeshare sales and services revenue declined 3 percent to $375 million and, net of expenses, totaled $72 million for the quarter, a $62 million increase from the 2008 adjusted fourth quarter. Development revenue, net of expense, benefited from higher closing efficiency and cost savings. Financing revenue, net of expense, increased largely as a result of a $38 million note sale gain recorded in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to the absence of a note sale in the fourth quarter of 2008, and cost savings, partially offset by lower interest income.



Adjusted Timeshare segment results, which includes Timeshare sales and services revenue, net of direct expenses, as well as base management fees, equity earnings, gains and other income, noncontrolling interest and general, administrative and other expenses associated with the timeshare business, totaled $62 million in the 2009 fourth quarter compared to a loss of $2 million in the prior year quarter.



ADJUSTED GENERAL, ADMINISTRATIVE and OTHER expenses for the 2009 fourth quarter declined 13 percent to $207 million, compared to $238 million in the year-ago quarter. The 2009 fourth quarter benefited from cost savings throughout the organization, as well as $3 million in foreign exchange gains and the $3 million reversal of a loan loss reserve partially offset by $12 million of accruals and reserves related to the performance of 12 hotels and $8 million of lower capitalized development costs. The 2009 quarter also included a $21 million unfavorable impact associated with deferred compensation compared to the 2008 quarter (offset by a similar decrease in the provision for taxes). Excluding the impact of deferred compensation, adjusted general administrative and other expenses declined 20 percent in the fourth quarter, as shown on page A-19 of the accompanying schedules.



GAINS AND OTHER INCOME totaled $4 million and included a $3 million gain on the sale of investments and $1 million of net gains on the sale of real estate. The prior year’s fourth quarter adjusted gains and other income totaled $28 million and included a $28 million gain on the extinguishment of debt and $7 million of gains on the sale of real estate offset by a $4 million loss on the sale of an investment and $3 million unfavorable impact of preferred returns from joint venture investments and other income.



INTEREST EXPENSE decreased $16 million in the fourth quarter primarily due to lower interest rates and lower debt balances.



ADJUSTED EQUITY IN (LOSSES) EARNINGS totaled a $10 million loss in the quarter compared to $5 million in earnings in the year-ago quarter. The $15 million decline reflected lower operating results in two joint ventures.



ADJUSTED INCOME TAXES

The adjusted provision for taxes in the fourth quarter of 2009 reflected a $21 million favorable impact associated with deferred compensation (offset by a similar unfavorable impact in general, administrative and other expenses) compared with the 2008 fourth quarter.



FULL YEAR 2009 RESULTS



For the full year 2009, adjusted income from continuing operations attributable to Marriott totaled $342 million, a decline of 38 percent, and adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations attributable to Marriott shareholders was $0.93, a decline of 38 percent.



The reported loss from continuing operations attributable to Marriott was $346 million for full year 2009 compared to reported income from continuing operations attributable to Marriott of $359 million a year ago. Reported diluted losses per share from continuing operations attributable to Marriott was $0.97 for 2009 compared to reported diluted EPS from continuing operations attributable to Marriott of $0.97 for 2008.



Adjusted income from continuing operations attributable to Marriott and adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations attributable to Marriott shareholders for 2009 exclude the $213 million pretax ($130 million after-tax and $0.37 per diluted share) restructuring costs and other charges, $182 million of which were non-cash, as well as $752 million pretax ($502 million after-tax and $1.41 per diluted share) of primarily non-cash Timeshare impairment charges. See the table on pages A-15 and A-16 of the accompanying schedules for the detail of these charges and their placement on the Consolidated Statements of Income. Adjusted results for full year 2009 also exclude the $56 million ($0.16 per diluted share) impact of non-cash charges in the provision for income taxes.



Adjusted income from continuing operations attributable to Marriott and adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations attributable to Marriott shareholders for 2008 exclude the $192 million pretax ($124 million after-tax and $0.33 per diluted share) restructuring costs and other charges. Adjusted results for full year 2008 also exclude the $72 million ($0.19 per diluted share) impact of charges, $67 million of which were non-cash, included in the tax provision.



REVPAR for the company’s worldwide comparable company-operated properties declined 20.0 percent (18.3 percent using constant dollars) in 2009. REVPAR for the company’s worldwide comparable systemwide properties declined 18.4 percent (17.3 percent using constant dollars) in 2009.



International comparable company-operated REVPAR for 2009 declined 23.5 percent (18.0 percent using constant dollars), including a 17.8 percent decline in average daily rate (11.9 percent using constant dollars).



In North America, comparable company-operated REVPAR declined 18.5 percent in 2009. REVPAR at the company’s comparable company-operated North American full-service and luxury hotels (including Marriott Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton and Renaissance Hotels & Resorts) was down 17.8 percent with an average daily rate decline of 12.2 percent.



Reported results for full year 2009, the adjusted results and the associated reconciliations are shown on pages A-2, A-14, A-15, A-16, and A-19 of the accompanying schedules. The following paragraphs reflect adjusted results where indicated.



MARRIOTT REVENUES totaled $10.9 billion in 2009 compared to $12.9 billion in 2008. Total fees in 2009 were $1,084 million, a decrease of 22 percent from the prior year. Base management and franchise fees declined $156 million in 2009, reflecting the decline in worldwide REVPAR offset in part by unit growth across the system. Incentive management fees declined 50 percent reflecting lower property-level margins due to worldwide REVPAR declines, partially offset by strong cost controls. For full year 2009, 25 percent of company-operated hotels earned incentive management fees compared to 56 percent in the prior year. Approximately two-thirds of incentive management fees came from hotels outside North America in 2009 compared to 49 percent in 2008.



Owned, leased, corporate housing and other revenue, net of direct expenses, totaled $68 million in 2009 compared to $137 million in 2008. Results were primarily impacted by lower operating results at owned and leased properties, the conversion of some owned properties to management agreements, and lower termination fees, partially offset by higher branding fees and a transaction cancellation fee.



Reflecting weak demand, adjusted Timeshare segment contract sales in 2009 declined 37 percent to $748 million, excluding allowances for anticipated contract cancellations of $83 million in 2009 and $115 million in 2008.



Adjusted Timeshare sales and services revenue declined 23 percent to $1,147 million in 2009 and adjusted Timeshare sales and services revenue, net of direct expenses, totaled $106 million in 2009, a decrease of 28 percent. Development revenue, net of expense, declined in 2009 reflecting soft demand, partially offset by favorable reportability and reduced marketing and sales costs. Services revenue, net of expense, also declined largely reflecting lower rental revenues and higher carry costs on unsold units. Financing revenue, net of expense, increased in 2009 reflecting a $9 million increase in note sale gains and cost savings, partially offset by lower interest income. Timeshare direct expenses in 2008 included a $22 million impairment charge at a fractional and residential joint venture project referred to below.



Adjusted Timeshare segment results, which includes timeshare sales and services revenue, net of direct expenses, as well as base management fees, equity earnings, gains and other income, noncontrolling interest and general, administrative and other expenses associated with the timeshare business, totaled $87 million in 2009 compared to $121 million in the prior year. The segment results for 2008 reflected a net $10 million pretax impairment charge for a fractional and residential consolidated joint venture project, adjusting the carrying value of the real estate to its estimated fair market value. The $10 million charge in 2008 included a $22 million negative adjustment in timeshare direct expenses partially offset by a $12 million pretax ($8 million after-tax) benefit associated with the joint venture partner’s share, which is reflected in net losses attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax.



The Timeshare segment also generated over $150 million of pretax cash flow in 2009.



ADJUSTED GENERAL, ADMINISTRATIVE and OTHER expenses decreased $127 million to $622 million in 2009 reflecting cost savings and lower incentive compensation, partially offset by the $43 million unfavorable impact associated with deferred compensation compared to 2008 (offset by a similar decrease in the provision for taxes) and $12 million of accruals and reserves related to the performance of 12 hotels. Excluding the impact of deferred compensation, adjusted general, administrative and other expenses declined 22 percent in 2009, as shown on page A-19 of the accompanying schedules.



GAINS AND OTHER INCOME totaled $31 million in 2009 and included a $21 million gain on the extinguishment of debt, net gains of $10 million from the sale of real estate, a $3 million gain on the sale of investments and $2 million of preferred returns from joint venture investments, partially offset by a $5 million impairment charge on an investment. Adjusted gains and other income of $47 million in 2008 included gains of $14 million from the sale of real estate, a $28 million gain on the extinguishment of debt, $6 million of preferred returns from several joint venture investments and other income and $3 million of gains on the sale of the company’s interests in two joint ventures, partially offset by a $4 million loss on the sale of an investment.



INTEREST EXPENSE declined 28 percent in 2009 partially due to lower interest rates, repayment of debt and the repurchase of Senior Notes.



ADJUSTED EQUITY IN (LOSSES) EARNINGS totaled a $27 million loss in 2009 compared to $31 million of earnings in 2008. Losses in 2009 primarily reflected losses in five joint ventures and the impairment of one investment. Earnings in 2008 primarily reflected a $15 million gain on the sale of a joint venture’s assets, insurance proceeds of $5 million received through a joint venture and $11 million of earnings from joint ventures.



ADJUSTED INCOME TAXES

The adjusted provision for taxes reflected a $43 million favorable impact associated with deferred compensation (offset by a similar unfavorable impact in general, administrative and other expenses) compared to 2008.



NET LOSSES ATTRIBUTABLE TO NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS, NET OF TAX decreased $8 million in 2009 to $7 million. The decrease largely reflected the adjustment of the carrying value of a fractional and residential project in 2008. Since the project is a consolidated joint venture, the partner’s share of the adjustment was an $8 million after-tax benefit to noncontrolling interests in 2008.



ADJUSTED EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA totaled $898 million in 2009, a 31 percent decline from 2008 adjusted EBITDA of $1,298 million.



BALANCE SHEET

At year-end 2009, total debt was $2,298 million and cash balances totaled $115 million, compared to $3,095 million in debt and $134 million of cash at year-end 2008. The company repurchased $119 million of its Senior Notes in 2009. At year-end 2009, Marriott had borrowings of $425 million under its $2.4 billion bank revolver.



COMMON STOCK

Weighted average fully diluted shares outstanding used to calculate adjusted diluted earnings per share amounts totaled 372.2 million in the 2009 fourth quarter compared to 363.1 million in the year-ago quarter.



On November 5, 2009, the Board of Directors declared a stock dividend payable on December 3, 2009, to shareholders of record on November 19, 2009. For periods prior to the stock dividend, all share and per share data in our financial statements have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock dividend.



On February 4, 2010, the Board of Directors declared the issuance of a $0.04 per share cash dividend payable on April 9, 2010 to shareholders of record on February 19, 2010.



The remaining share repurchase authorization, as of January 1, 2010, totaled 21.3 million shares. No share repurchases are planned for 2010.



IMPACT OF ACCOUNTING CHANGES

The company adopted ASU Nos. 2009-16 and 2009-17 (formerly referred to as FAS 166 and 167) at the beginning of 2010, which requires consolidating previously sold Timeshare notes and will impact the ongoing accounting for those notes. With the consolidation of the existing portfolio of sold loans on the first day of 2010, the company expects assets to increase by approximately $1,010 million, liabilities to increase by approximately $1,115 million, and shareholders’ equity to decline by approximately $105 million. No change in cash flow from the business is anticipated as a result of the accounting changes. Adjusted pretax earnings for fiscal 2009 would have been $1 million lower had the accounting change occurred at the beginning of 2009. See the tables on page A-22, A-23, A-24, A-25 and A-26 of the accompanying schedules for 2009 quarterly and full year Timeshare segment results adjusted as if the accounting changes had been made on the first day of fiscal 2009.



OUTLOOK

While Marriott typically provides a range of guidance for future performance, the current global economic and financial climate continues to make predictions very difficult. Therefore, the company is unable to give guidance. Instead, the company is providing the following assumptions for the 2010 first quarter and full year which it is using for internal planning purposes.



FIRST QUARTER 2010

For the first quarter, the company assumes worldwide comparable systemwide hotel REVPAR declines 5 to 7 percent on a constant dollar basis. For North American comparable systemwide hotels, the company assumes REVPAR declines of 7 to 8 percent and for comparable systemwide hotels outside North America, REVPAR could decline 2 to 3 percent on a constant dollar basis.



Given these REVPAR assumptions, total fee revenue could be $235 million to $245 million. Owned, leased, corporate housing and other revenue, net of direct expenses, could total approximately $5 million.



In the 2010 first quarter, the company assumes Timeshare contract sales total $165 million to $175 million and Timeshare sales and services revenue, net of direct expenses, total approximately $35 million to $45 million including the impact of ASU Nos. 2009-16 and 2009-17. With these assumptions, Timeshare segment results for the first quarter could total $30 million to $40 million.



The company anticipates that general, administrative and other expenses could total about $130 million to $140 million in the first quarter 2010, roughly flat from the adjusted 2009 first quarter amount. The company also assumes net interest expense of approximately $40 million in the quarter, reflecting the impact of ASU Nos. 2009-16 and 2009-17, as well as continued debt reduction.



Based upon the above assumptions and a 36.5 percent tax rate, diluted EPS from continuing operations attributable to Marriott shareholders for the 2010 first quarter could total $0.15 to $0.21.



FULL YEAR 2010

For full year 2010, the company expects hotel occupancies to improve, although the pace of such improvement is difficult to predict. The company continues to expect that both domestic and international comparable systemwide REVPAR comparisons to the prior year will turn positive sometime in 2010. For worldwide comparable systemwide hotels, the company assumes full year 2010 REVPAR will be down 2 percent to up 2 percent on a constant dollar basis with performance strengthening over the year. North American comparable systemwide REVPAR could be flat to down 3 percent in 2010, while REVPAR at comparable systemwide hotels outside North America could be flat to up 5 percent.



The company expects to open 25,000 to 30,000 rooms in 2010 as most hotels expected to open are already under construction or undergoing conversion from other brands. Given these assumptions, full year 2010 fee revenue could total $1,080 million to $1,120 million. The company expects that incentive management fees in 2010 would largely derive from international markets. Owned, leased, corporate housing and other, net of direct expense, could total $65 million to $70 million. The company continues to estimate that, on a full-year basis, one point of worldwide systemwide REVPAR impacts total fees by approximately $10 million to $15 million pretax and owned, leased, corporate housing and other revenue, net of direct expense, by roughly $4 million pretax.



For its timeshare business, the company assumes 2010 timeshare contract sales could be slightly higher than 2009 levels. Including the impact of the accounting changes under this scenario Timeshare sales and services revenue, net of direct expenses, could total $170 million to $180 million. Timeshare segment results for 2010 could total $145 million to $155 million and the segment’s net cash flow could total $175 million to $200 million.



The company expects its 2010 general, administrative and other expenses to total $635 million to $645 million reflecting modest salary increases and assumes interest expense to total $165 million to $170 million for the full year.



While the company cannot forecast results with any certainty, based upon the above assumptions, EBITDA could total $910 million to $970 million and diluted EPS from continuing operations for 2010 could total $0.82 to $0.94. Assuming the investment spending levels below, adjusted total debt, net of cash, could decline $400 million to $500 million by year end 2010.



The company expects investment spending in 2010 will total approximately $500 million, including capital expenditures totaling $150 million to $200 million, of which maintenance capital spending could total $50 million. Investment spending will also include new mezzanine financing and mortgage loans, contract acquisition costs, and equity and other investments. The investment in net timeshare development is not included above as the company expects cost of goods sold in the timeshare business will exceed timeshare inventory spending in 2010.