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FairPoint Communications Reports 2016 Third Quarter Results
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FairPoint Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:FRP) (“FairPoint” or the “Company”), a leading communications provider, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2016. As previously announced, the Company will hold a conference call and simultaneous webcast to discuss its results today at 8:30 a.m. (EDT). “We remain focused on improving our customers’ experience and our third quarter results show continued progress in our efforts to transform revenue while mitigating losses in legacy products,” said Paul H. Sunu, Chief Executive Officer. “Total revenue was up slightly from the second quarter and growth revenue contributed 31.7% of that total. In addition, expenses remained well managed to continue to deliver solid profitability.” “Efforts continue to harden our network and evolve our product and service offering to provide effective communications solutions.” Sunu continued. “Our investments to extend our fiber footprint and upgrade network equipment to provide faster broadband speeds are increasing service reliability, reducing churn and better positioning us to compete for residential broadband customers. In addition, we continue to develop new products and capabilities to more effectively serve small and medium sized businesses which are an important element of many of our markets.” Operating Highlights The Company executed well through the peak summer storm season as improved operational performance reduced overtime expense by approximately 9% versus last year's third quarter. Strategic investments in the network continued during the quarter, which strengthened service reliability and helped solidify the Company’s competitive position. The Company is focused on driving growth revenue2 as a critical component of its continued revenue transformation. In the third quarter of 2016, the Company generated growth revenue of $65.6 million or 31.7% of total revenue. Broadband revenue grew quarter over quarter driven by seasonal reconnects, rate increases and existing customer speed upgrades. Network investments and targeted marketing efforts stimulated demand in the quarter. In the third quarter of 2016, Ethernet services revenue was $24.9 million, or 12.0% of total revenue as compared to $24.8 million or 11.2% of total revenue in the third quarter of 2015, as Ethernet circuits grew 9.5% year-over-year. Growth in the Company's Ethernet products is expected to continue based on demand from customers such as regional banks, healthcare networks and wireless carriers, although the commoditization of Ethernet services will continue to pressure average revenue per unit over time. The Company continues to drive growth in advanced services including hosted services revenue. The acquisition of Communication Technologies, Inc. (CTI), a Maine-based value added reseller of unified communications, data networking and cabling infrastructure solutions, in July is an example of the Company’s efforts to acquire capabilities that accelerate its product development pipeline to better serve business customers’ advanced services needs. While still a relatively small part of total revenue, these growth-related revenues provide state of the art services to a growing customer base. As of September 30, 2016, FairPoint had 2,649 employees, a decrease of 79 employees versus a year ago. Financial Highlights Third Quarter 2016 as compared to Second Quarter 2016 Revenue increased $0.5 million during the third quarter of 2016 to $207.1 million. The following strategic revenue categorization2 is presented to provide visibility into revenue trends for the Company as a result of product and service evolution within our industry as well as the Company's efforts to continue to transform revenue to more sustainable growth products. We intend to present this strategic revenue categorization each quarter.
The following traditional categorization of revenue is presented to provide reporting continuity.
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation and amortization, decreased $15.0 million to $74.2 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $89.3 million in the second quarter of 2016 primarily resulting from lower OPEB expense. Adjusted Operating Expenses1 were $143.3 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $143.5 million in the second quarter of 2016. Lower operating taxes and marketing expense were partially offset by higher building-related expense and seasonally higher employee costs in the quarter. Net income was $40.2 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $29.3 million in the second quarter of 2016. The change was primarily due to lower OPEB expense partially offset by higher income tax expense. Adjusted EBITDA increased $0.8 million to $63.9 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $63.1 million in the second quarter of 2016. The increase was driven by higher revenue and favorable Adjusted Operating Expenses. Capital expenditures were $30.2 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $26.8 million in the second quarter of 2016. The increase was primarily due to the timing of planned capital projects. Cash was $33.1 million as of September 30, 2016 compared to $41.1 million as of June 30, 2016. The decrease was primarily due to the scheduled timing of the semi-annual interest payment on the Company's senior notes. Total gross debt outstanding was $917.6 million as of September 30, 2016, after the regularly scheduled principal payment of $1.6 million on the term loan made during the third quarter of 2016, as compared to $919.2 million as of June 30, 2016. The Company's $75.0 million revolving credit facility was undrawn, with $60.2 million available for borrowing after applying $14.8 million of outstanding letters of credit. Net cash provided by operating activities was $26.1 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $46.4 million in the second quarter of 2016. The decrease was primarily due to the semi-annual interest payment on the Company's senior notes and increased pension contributions compared to the second quarter. Unlevered Free Cash Flow was $24.4 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $31.5 million in the second quarter of 2016. Unlevered Free Cash Flow was lower in the third quarter of 2016 primarily due to higher pension contributions, capital expenditures and OPEB payments, partially offset by higher Adjusted EBITDA. Third Quarter 2016 as compared to Third Quarter 2015 Revenue was $207.1 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $221.6 million a year earlier. Strategic revenue categorization:
The following traditional categorization of revenue is presented to provide reporting continuity.
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation and amortization, decreased $18.6 million to $74.2 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $92.8 million in the third quarter of 2015 primarily due to lower OPEB expense, lower employee expenses and lower bad debt expense partially offset by increased pension expense. Adjusted Operating Expenses were $143.3 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $154.9 million in the third quarter of 2015. The decrease was primarily the result of lower employee costs, lower network costs and lower bad debt expense partially offset by higher operating taxes. Lower employee costs primarily resulted from lower salary costs due to fewer headcount, a lower bonus accrual and lower overtime expense. The third quarter of 2015 included an operating tax settlement. Net income was $40.2 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $53.1 million in the third quarter of 2015. The change was primarily due to higher income tax expense partially offset by higher operating income. Net income was positive in the third quarter of 2016 and 2015 largely due to the non-cash GAAP treatment for the change in the liability of the OPEB plan due to the elimination of post-employment health benefits for active represented employees. The impact of this treatment will continue through 2016, but we do not expect that it will impact our cash income taxes or change our accumulated federal net operating loss carryforwards. Adjusted EBITDA was $63.9 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $66.7 million a year earlier. The decrease is due to lower revenue partially offset by operating expense savings. Capital expenditures were $30.2 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $28.2 million a year earlier. Net cash provided by operating activities was $26.1 million in the third quarter of 2016 compared to $37.9 million in the third quarter of 2015. The decrease was primarily due to the CAF Phase II transitional funding in the third quarter of 2015 as well as higher pension contributions in the third quarter of 2016. Unlevered Free Cash Flow of $24.4 million in the third quarter of 2016 decreased $8.7 million compared to $33.1 million in the third quarter of 2015. The decrease was due to higher pension contributions, lower Adjusted EBITDA and higher capital expenditures. 2016 Guidance For full year 2016, the Company expects to generate $110 million to $120 million of Unlevered Free Cash Flow. In addition, Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be $245 million to $255 million, annual capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $115 million and aggregate annual cash pension contributions and cash OPEB payments are expected to be approximately $22 million for full year 2016. We expect our aggregate cash pension contributions and cash OPEB payments to be approximately $24 million for full year 2017. The Company is not able to provide a reconciliation of its forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP measures because the Company does not forecast certain items used to prepare net income in accordance with GAAP. Quarterly Report The information in this press release should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and footnotes contained in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2016, which will be filed with the SEC no later than November 9, 2016. The Company's results for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 are subject to the completion of such quarterly report. Conference Call Information As previously announced, FairPoint will hold a conference call and simultaneous webcast to discuss its third quarter 2016 results today at 8:30 a.m. (EDT). A live broadcast of the earnings conference call will be available online at www.fairpoint.com/investors. An online replay will be available shortly thereafter. As an alternative to the webcast, participants can also call (877) 527-1570 (US/Canada) or (615) 247-0090 (international) and enter passcode 1772148 when prompted. The title of the call is the Third Quarter 2016 FairPoint Communications, Inc. Earnings Conference Call. A telephonic replay will be available for anyone unable to participate in the live call. To access the replay, call (855) 859-2056 (US/Canada) or (404) 537-3406 (international) and enter the passcode 1772148 when prompted. The recording will be available from Wednesday, November 2, 2016, at 12:30 p.m. (EDT) through Wednesday, November 9, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. (EDT). Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, including but not limited to Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA minus Estimated Avoided Costs, Unlevered Free Cash Flow and Unlevered Free Cash Flow minus Estimated Avoided Costs, Adjusted Operating Expenses, Adjusted Operating Expenses plus Estimated Avoided Costs and the adjustments to the most directly comparable GAAP measure used to determine the non-GAAP measures. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA provides a useful measure of covenant compliance, Unlevered Free Cash Flow may be useful to investors in assessing the Company's ability to generate cash and meet its debt service requirements and Adjusted Operating Expenses may be useful to investors in understanding period-to-period operating performance. The maintenance covenants contained in the Company's credit facility are based on Consolidated EBITDA, which is consistent with the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA included in the attachments to this press release. For purposes of calculating Adjusted EBITDA (in accordance with the definition of Consolidated EBITDA in our credit agreement), costs, expenses and charges related to the renegotiation of labor contracts including, but not limited to, expenses for third-party vendors and losses related to disruption of operations (including any associated penalties under service level agreements and regulatory performance plans) are permitted to be excluded from the calculation. We believe this includes, among others, the costs paid to third-parties for the contingent workforce and service quality penalties due to the disruption of operations. On October 17, 2014, two of our labor unions in northern New England initiated a work stoppage and returned to work on February 25, 2015. As a result, significant union employee and vehicle and other related expenses related to northern New England were not incurred between October 17, 2014 and February 24, 2015 (the "work stoppage period"). Therefore, to assist in the evaluation of the Company's operating performance without the impact of the work stoppage, we estimated the union employee and vehicle and other related expenses using historical data for the work stoppage period by quarter that we believe would have been incurred absent the work stoppage ("Estimated Avoided Costs"). Estimated Avoided Costs is a pro forma estimate only. Actual costs absent the strike may have been different. In the first quarter of 2015, had our incumbent workforce been in place, actual labor costs during the work stoppage period may have been higher than the $27 million recorded as Estimated Avoided Costs due to significant winter storm activity that increased our service demands; however, those incremental storm-related costs would have been an allowed add back to Adjusted EBITDA under the credit agreement. Estimated employee expenses avoided during the work stoppage period include salaries and wages, bonus, overtime, capitalized labor, benefits, payroll taxes, travel expenses and other employee related costs based on a trailing 12-month average calculated per striking employee per day during the work stoppage period less any actual expense incurred. Estimated vehicle fuel and maintenance expense savings, which resulted from the contingent workforce utilizing their own vehicles, for the work stoppage period were estimated based on a trailing 12-month average of historical costs less actual expense incurred. "Adjusted EBITDA minus Estimated Avoided Costs", "Unlevered Free Cash Flow minus Estimated Avoided Costs" and "Adjusted Operating Expenses plus Estimated Avoided Costs" may be useful to investors in understanding our operating performance without the impact of the two unions' work stoppage. The Company believes that the non-GAAP measures may be useful to investors in understanding period-to-period operating performance and in identifying historical and prospective trends that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on GAAP financial measures. In addition, the non-GAAP measures are useful for investors because they enable them to view performance in a manner similar to the method used by the Company’s management. However, the non-GAAP financial measures, as used herein, are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Furthermore, these non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation from, or as an alternative to, net income or loss, operating income, cash flow or other combined income or cash flow data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Because of these limitations, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA minus Estimated Avoided Costs, Unlevered Free Cash Flow, Unlevered Free Cash Flow minus Estimated Avoided Costs, Adjusted Operating Expenses, Adjusted Operating Expenses plus Estimated Avoided Costs and related ratios should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to invest in business growth or reduce indebtedness. The Company compensates for these limitations by relying primarily on its GAAP results and using the non-GAAP measures only supplementally. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA minus Estimated Avoided Costs, Unlevered Free Cash Flow and Unlevered Free Cash Flow minus Estimated Avoided Costs to net income is contained in the attachments to this press release. About FairPoint Communications, Inc. FairPoint Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:FRP) provides advanced data, voice and video technologies to single and multi-site businesses, public and private institutions, consumers, wireless companies and wholesale re-sellers in 17 states. Leveraging an owned, fiber-based Ethernet network — with more than 21,000 route miles of fiber, including approximately 17,000 route miles of fiber in northern New England — FairPoint has the network coverage, scalable bandwidth and transport capacity to support enhanced applications, including the next generation of mobile and cloud-based communications, such as small cell wireless backhaul technology, voice over IP, data center colocation services, managed services and disaster recovery. For more information, visit www.FairPoint.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements Some statements herein or discussed on our earnings conference call are known as “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements contained herein that are not historical facts. When used herein, the words “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates”, "should", "could", "may", "will" and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Because these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results, events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other factors, including the risk factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and the factors discussed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2016. You should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are based on the information currently available to us and speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in expectations or otherwise. However, your attention is directed to any further disclosures made on related subjects in the Company's subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Certain information contained herein or discussed on our earnings conference call may constitute guidance as to projected financial results and the Company's future performance that represent management's estimates as of the date hereof. This guidance, which consists of forward-looking statements, is prepared by the Company's management and is qualified by, and subject to, certain assumptions. Guidance is not prepared with a view toward compliance with published guidelines of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and neither the Company's independent registered public accounting firm nor any other independent expert or outside party compiles or examines the guidance and, accordingly, no such person expresses any opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto. Guidance is based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while presented with numerical specificity, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Company's control and are based upon specific assumptions with respect to future business decisions, some of which will change. Management generally states possible outcomes as high and low ranges which are intended to provide a sensitivity analysis as variables are changed but are not intended to represent actual results, which could fall outside of the suggested ranges. The principal reason that the Company releases this data is to provide a basis for management to discuss the Company's business outlook with analysts and investors. The Company does not accept any responsibility for any projections or reports published by any such outside analysts or investors. Guidance is necessarily speculative in nature and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions of the guidance furnished by us will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results. Accordingly, the Company's guidance is only an estimate of what management believes is realizable as of the date hereof. Actual results will vary from the guidance and the variations may be material. Investors should also recognize that the reliability of any forecasted financial data diminishes the farther in the future that the data is forecast. In light of the foregoing, investors are urged to put the guidance in context and not to place undue reliance on it.
(1) We receive certain federal and state government funding that we classify as regulatory funding including: CAF Phase II support effective January 1, 2015 to build and operate broadband services; CAF Phase II transition funding (scheduled to phase down over three-years); CAF Phase I frozen support (for Kansas and Colorado in 2015 and until a reverse auction is conducted); CAF funding under the CAF/ICC Order; and universal service fund support from certain states in which we operate. Investor Relations Contact: Paul Taaffe (704) 227-3623 [email protected] Media Contact: Angelynne Beaudry (207) 535-4129 [email protected] |
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