Planet Fitness, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2016 Results

Posted: October 27, 2016 in Chains

Planet Fitness

NEWINGTON, N.H. – Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: PLNT) reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2016 and announced it is pursuing an increase in the size of its credit facilities and considering paying a one-time dividend.

Third Quarter Fiscal 2016 Highlights

Total revenue increased from the prior year period by 26.4% to $87.0 million.
System-wide same store sales increased 10.0% compared to the prior year period.
Net income was $14.9 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, compared to net income of $0.7 million, or $0.04 per diluted share in the prior year period.
Adjusted net income(1) increased 51.7% to $15.9 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, compared to $10.5 million in the prior year period.
Adjusted EBITDA(1) increased 33.5% to $35.4 million from $26.5 million in the prior year period.
37 new Planet Fitness franchise stores were opened during the period, bringing system-wide total stores to 1,242 at September 30, 2016.

(1) Adjusted net income and adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. For reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted net income to U.S. GAAP (“GAAP”) net income see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” accompanying this release.

“Our business continues to get stronger,” commented Christopher Rondeau, Chief Executive Officer. “Third quarter system-wide same store sales increased 10% as a growing number of casual and first time gym users are joining Planet Fitness. The combination of our affordable, non-intimidating fitness offering and increased national and local advertising spend, which continues to increase with each incremental new join, is fueling greater brand awareness in all markets and membership growth across the store base. Our formula for expanding Planet Fitness’ market share, enriching members’ lives and delivering strong returns to our franchisees has been working. At the same time, our business model has consistently generated double digit earnings growth and strong free cash flow, providing the company a great foundation for driving significant long-term shareholder value.” Mr. Rondeau continued, “based on our performance and more importantly, the long runway for growth ahead of us, we are also announcing that we are seeking to amend our credit facilities to, among other things, increase the size of our term loan. Proceeds from the incremental borrowings, plus cash on our balance sheet, will enable us to consider a special cash dividend to holders of our Class A common stock and other equivalent payments, including payments to unit holders of Pla-Fit Holdings, LLC, of up to approximately $280 million.”

Operating Results for the Third Quarter Ended September 30, 2016

For the third quarter of 2016, total revenue increased $18.2 million or 26.4% to $87.0 million from $68.8 million in the prior year period. By segment:

Franchise segment revenue, which includes commission income, increased $7.4 million or 37.5% to $27.2 million from $19.8 million in the prior year period;
Corporate-owned stores segment revenue increased $1.5 million or 6.1% to $26.7 million from $25.2 million in the prior year period; and
Equipment segment revenue increased $9.2 million or 38.7% to $33.1 million from $23.9 million in the prior year period. This increase was driven by equipment sales to new franchisee-owned stores related to more new equipment sales compared to the prior year period and an increase in replacement equipment sales to existing franchisee-owned stores.

System-wide same store sales increased 10.0% compared to the prior year period. By segment, franchisee-owned same store sales increased 10.3% and corporate-owned same store sales increased 5.4%.

For the third quarter of 2016, net income was $14.9 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, compared to net income of $0.7 million, or $0.04 per diluted share in the prior year period. Adjusted net income increased 51.7% to $15.9 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, from $10.5 million, in the prior year period. Adjusted net income has been adjusted to reflect a normalized federal income tax rate of 39.5% for the current year period and 39.4% for the comparable prior year period and excludes certain non-cash and other items that we do not consider in the evaluation of ongoing operational performance (see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”).

Adjusted EBITDA, which is defined as net income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for the impact of certain non-cash and other items that we do not consider in the evaluation of ongoing operational performance (see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”), increased 33.5% to $35.4 million from $26.5 million in the prior year period.

Segment EBITDA represents our Total Segment EBITDA broken down by the Company’s reportable segments. Total Segment EBITDA is equal to EBITDA, which is defined as net income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”).

Franchise segment EBITDA increased $7.3 million or 47.2% to $22.8 million compared to the prior year period, driven by royalties from new franchised stores opened since September 30, 2015 as well as higher same store sales;
Corporate-owned stores segment EBITDA increased $1.3 million or 14.0% to $10.6 million compared to the prior year period, driven primarily by higher revenue related to the increase in same store sales; and
Equipment segment EBITDA increased by $2.2 million or 45.7% to $7.2 million compared to the prior year period, driven by higher equipment sales to new franchisee-owned stores related to more new equipment sales compared to the prior year period and an increase in replacement equipment sales to existing franchisee-owned stores.

Amendment to Existing Credit Facilities

The Company is seeking to amend its senior secured credit facilities to allow for, among other things, incremental term loan borrowings of approximately $230 million. In connection with this potential amendment, the Company is considering paying a special cash dividend to holders of our Class A common stock and other equivalent payments, including payments to unit holders of Pla-Fit Holdings, LLC, of up to approximately $280 million in the aggregate with the proceeds from the additional borrowings and available cash. The specific timing and amount of any such amendment or dividend and equivalent payments, if any, has not been determined and there can be no assurance that such amendment will be consummated on the terms anticipated or at all or that, even if the amendment is consummated, any dividend or equivalent payments will be declared and paid. The payment of a dividend and any equivalent payments is subject to consideration of various factors by the Company’s board of directors, including, among other things, the Company’s financial position, alternative uses of cash, and other business and legal requirements.

2016 Outlook

For the year ending December 31, 2016, the Company now expects:

Total revenue between $373 million and $378 million;
System-wide same store sales growth in the high-single digit range;
Adjusted net income of $65 million to $66 million, or $0.66 to $0.67 per diluted share.

Presentation of Financial Measures

Planet Fitness, Inc. (the “Company”) was formed in March 2015 for the purpose of facilitating the initial public offering (the “IPO”) and related transactions that occurred in August 2015, and in order to carry on the business of Pla-Fit Holdings, LLC (“Pla-Fit Holdings”) and its subsidiaries. As the sole managing member of Pla-Fit Holdings, the Company operates and controls all of the business and affairs of Pla-Fit Holdings, and through Pla-Fit Holdings, conducts its business. As a result, the Company consolidates Pla-Fit Holdings’ financial results and reports a non-controlling interest related to the portion of Pla-Fit Holdings not owned by the Company. The financial results in periods prior to the IPO and recapitalization transactions are of Pla-Fit Holdings, as the predecessor to the Company for accounting and reporting purposes. Accordingly, these historical results do not purport to reflect what the results of operations of the Company or Pla-Fit Holdings would have been had the IPO and related recapitalization transactions occurred prior to August 2015.

The financial information presented in this release includes non-GAAP financial measures such as EBITDA, Total Segment EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net income and Adjusted net income per share, diluted to provide measures that we believe are useful to investors in evaluating the Company’s performance. These non-GAAP financial measures presented in this release are supplemental measures of the Company’s performance that are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with GAAP. These financial measures should not be considered as substitutes for GAAP financial measures such as net income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. In addition, in the future, the Company may incur expenses or charges such as those added back to calculate Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net income and Adjusted net income per share, diluted. The Company’s presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net income and Adjusted net income per share, diluted should not be construed as an inference that the Company’s future results will be unaffected by similar amounts or other unusual or nonrecurring items. See the tables at the end of this press release for a reconciliation of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Total Segment EBITDA, Adjusted net income, and Adjusted net income per share, diluted, to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

The non-GAAP financial measures used in our full-year outlook will differ from net income and net income per share, diluted, determined in accordance with GAAP in ways similar to those described in the reconciliations at the end of this press release. We do not provide guidance for net income or net income per share, diluted, determined in accordance with GAAP or a reconciliation of guidance for Adjusted net income and Adjusted net income per share, diluted, to the most directly comparable GAAP measure because we are not able to predict with reasonable certainty the amount or nature of all items that will be included in our net income and net income per share, diluted, for the remainder of 2016. These items are uncertain, depend on many factors and could have a material impact on our net income and net income per share, diluted, for fiscal 2016.

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