ORLANDO, Fla. – February 27, 2018 – Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: VAC) today reported fourth quarter and full year 2017 financial results and provided guidance for the full year 2018.

Due to the change in the company’s financial reporting calendar in 2017, financial results for the fourth quarter of 2017 were negatively impacted by twenty fewer days of operations than the prior year fourth quarter. Prior year results have not been restated for the change in the reporting calendar.

Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2017 Results:

• Full year net income was $227 million, compared to $137 million in 2016, an increase of 65 percent. Fully diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) was $8.18, compared to $4.83 in 2016, an increase of 69 percent. Net income in the fourth quarter of 2017 was $108 million, or $3.95 fully diluted EPS.
• Full year adjusted net income was $160 million, compared to $134 million in 2016, an increase of 19 percent. Adjusted fully diluted EPS was $5.78 compared to $4.73 in 2016, an increase of 22 percent. Adjusted net income in the fourth quarter of 2017 was $43 million, or $1.56 adjusted fully diluted EPS.
• Full year adjusted EBITDA totaled $280 million, an increase of $19 million, or 7 percent, year-over-year. Adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2017 totaled $66 million.
• Total full year company contract sales were $803 million, an increase of $79 million, or 11 percent, compared to the prior year. Contract sales in the company’s key North America segment were $729 million, an increase of $83 million, or 13 percent, compared to the prior year. The company estimates Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria (the “2017 Hurricanes”) negatively impacted contract sales by approximately $20 million in 2017. Excluding that impact, total company and North America contract sales would have increased 14 percent and 16 percent, respectively.
  • Total company and North America contract sales in the fourth quarter of 2017 were $201 million and $181 million, respectively. The company estimates the 2017 Hurricanes negatively impacted contract sales by approximately $8 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. Adjusting for that impact, as well as the impact of the change in the company’s financial reporting calendar, total company and North America contract sales would have increased 9 percent and 11 percent, respectively, compared to the prior year period.
• Full year North America VPG totaled $3,565, a 3 percent increase from 2016. Tours increased 12 percent year-over-year. North America VPG in the fourth quarter of 2017 totaled $3,518.
• The company generated net cash provided by operating activities of $142 million and adjusted free cash flow of $253 million, nearly $30 million above the high end of the company’s previous guidance range.
• During 2017, the company returned $126 million to its shareholders through the repurchase of 0.8 million shares for $88 million and $38 million in dividends paid.
• The company recorded a benefit in its provision for income taxes of $65 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 related to the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
• The company entered into a capital efficient arrangement with a third party to purchase an operating property located in San Francisco, California that the company expects to re-brand as a Marriott Vacation Club Pulse property in 2019.
• In February 2018, the company amended certain agreements with Marriott International. The company expects these amendments to provide immediate annualized financial benefits of $3 million resulting from a reduced annual royalty fee plus $15 million to $17 million of benefits from increased annual co-marketing funds associated with Marriott International’s new credit card arrangements and reduced costs of Marriott Rewards points under the company’s existing agreements with Marriott International from planned system-wide reductions in the rates Marriott International charges its loyalty program partners. Finally, the amendments provide for significantly expanded marketing opportunities with Marriott International.
• Effective January 1, 2018, the company adopted Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), which supersedes most existing revenue recognition guidance.

Non-GAAP financial measures, such as adjusted net income, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted fully diluted earnings per share, adjusted free cash flow, and adjusted development margin are reconciled and adjustments are shown and described in further detail on pages A-1 through A-17 of the Financial Schedules that follow.

“I am very pleased with how we closed out 2017, with contract sales and adjusted EBITDA in line with our previous guidance, and adjusted free cash flow of $253 million,” said Stephen P. Weisz, president and chief executive officer. “I am even more excited about what lies ahead for Marriott Vacations Worldwide as we continue to expand our portfolio of resorts. We are also very optimistic about recent enhancements to some of our agreements with Marriott International, which expanded our great partnership with Marriott and provide immediate benefits to our financial results and significantly enhanced rights to expand our call transfer, digital marketing, and linkage arrangements with Marriott. We expect that these expanded opportunities will provide significant contributions to our growth going forward.”

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

On December 31, 2017, cash and cash equivalents totaled $409 million. Since the beginning of the year, real estate inventory balances increased by $3 million to $712 million, including $379 million of finished goods, $2 million of work-in-progress, and $330 million of land and infrastructure. The company had $1,095 million in debt outstanding, net of unamortized debt issue costs, at the end of the fourth quarter, an increase of $358 million from year-end 2016, consisting primarily of $835 million of debt related to our securitized notes receivable and $193 million of convertible notes.

As of December 31, 2017, the company had approximately $245 million in available capacity under its revolving credit facility after taking into account outstanding letters of credit, and approximately $151 million of gross vacation ownership notes receivable eligible for securitization under its warehouse credit facility

Fiscal Year Change

The table below shows the number of days for each reporting period in 2017 and 2016:

	2017	2016
First Quarter	91 days	84 days
Second Quarter	91 days	84 days
Third Quarter	92 days	84 days
Fourth Quarter	92 days	112 days
Full Year	366 days	364 days

Impact of Amended Agreements with Marriott International

In February 2018, the company and Marriott International amended several of the agreements governing their ongoing relationship, including the agreements relating to the company’s license arrangements with Marriott International and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and its participation in the Marriott Rewards program. The company agreed to a limited exception to its exclusive rights with respect to access to the Marriott Rewards program and member lists and Marriott International’s reservation system and marriott.com website in exchange for the following:

• $3 million reduction in its annual royalty fee;
• $15 million to $17 million of benefits from increased annual co-marketing funds associated with Marriott International’s new credit card arrangements and reduced costs of Marriott Rewards points under the company’s existing agreements with Marriott International resulting from planned system-wide reductions in the rates Marriott International charges its loyalty program partners;
• the exclusive right to market the company’s products (e.g., linkage opportunities) at 14 full service Marriott International and former Starwood hotel brands, subject to a limited exception for the St. Regis, Westin, and Sheraton brands;
• the exclusive right to be the timeshare partner for call transfer activities for all Marriott and, beginning in the second quarter of 2018, all former Starwood reservation call centers, as well as an extension of the term of our long-term call transfer arrangement with the potential for further extension;
• the exclusive right to be the timeshare partner for certain digital marketing programs with respect to Marriott International’s digital lodging platforms, including marriott.com;
• the ability to market to Marriott International’s combined loyalty program members upon consolidation of the Marriott and Starwood loyalty programs.

Impact of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted on December 22, 2017, includes a number of complex provisions, which the company is currently reviewing. However, the company expects future earnings to be positively impacted largely due to the reduction of the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. This rate reduction had a significant impact on the company’s income taxes for 2017, including an estimated $65 million one-time impact from the revaluation of certain deferred tax assets and liabilities to reflect the new lower rate.

Impact of Accounting Changes

The company adopted ASC 606, on a retrospective basis, at the beginning of 2018. The core principle of ASC 606 is that an entity shall recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard also contains significant new disclosure requirements regarding the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers.

Following the adoption of ASC 606, recognition of revenue from the sale of vacation ownership products that is deemed collectible will be deferred from the point in time at which the statutory rescission period expires to closing, when control of the vacation ownership product is transferred to the customer. In addition, the company will align its assessment of collectibility of the transaction price for sales of vacation ownership products with its credit granting policies. The company has elected the practical expedient to expense all marketing and sales costs as they are incurred. Its consolidated cost reimbursements revenues and cost reimbursements expenses will increase significantly, as all costs reimbursed to it by property owners’ associations will be reported on a gross basis. In connection with the adoption of ASC 606, the company will also reclassify certain revenues and expenses.

Summary Estimated Financial Impact of the Adoption of ASC 606 on 2017 Financial Results

$ in millions, except per share amounts	2017 As Reported	Adjustments	2017 As Adjusted
Net income	$227	$9	$235
Fully diluted EPS	$8.18	$0.31	$8.49
Net cash provided by operating activities	$142	–	$142
Adjusted net income	$160	$9	$169
Adjusted fully diluted EPS	$5.78	$0.31	$6.09
Adjusted EBITDA	$280	$14	$294
Adjusted free cash flow	$253	–	$253
Contract sales growth	11%	–	11%

Summary Estimated Financial Impact of the Adoption of ASC 606, amendments to certain agreements with Marriott International, and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (included in the company’s 2018 Outlook below)

$ in millions, except per share amounts	ASC 606 Adjustments	Amended Agreements and Other Changes in Marriott International Arrangements	Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 20171
Net income	($4) to ($3)	($9) to ($10)	($29) to ($32)
Net cash provided by operating activities	$– to $–	($9) to ($10)	($47) to ($51)
Adjusted net income	($4) to ($3)	($9) to ($10)	($29) to ($32)
Adjusted EBITDA	($5) to ($4)	($11) to ($12)	$– to $–
Adjusted free cash flow	$– to $–	($9) to ($10)	($47) to ($51)

¹ While a portion of the benefit to net cash provided by operating activities and adjusted free cash flow in 2018 from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 will be realized after 2018, roughly half of the total 2018 benefit relates to the timing of taking advantage of certain tax credits.

2018 Outlook

Pages A-1 through A-17 of the Financial Schedules reconcile the non-GAAP financial measures set forth below to the following full year 2018 expected GAAP results:

Net income	$182 million to $193 million
Fully diluted EPS	$6.61 to $7.01
Net cash provided by operating activities	$180 million to $205 million
Adjusted net income	$184 million to $195 million
Adjusted fully diluted EPS	$6.69 to $7.09
Adjusted EBITDA	$310 million to $325 million
Adjusted free cash flow	$185 million to $215 million
Contract sales growth	7% to 12%

Fourth Quarter 2017 Earnings Conference Call

The company will hold a conference call at 10:00 a.m. ET today to discuss these results and the guidance for full year 2018. Participants may access the call by dialing 877-407-8289 or 201-689-8341 for international callers. Alive webcast of the call will also be available in the Investor Relations section of the company’s website at www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com.

An audio replay of the conference call will be available for seven days and can be accessed at 877-660-6853 or 201-612-7415 for international callers. The conference ID for the recording is 13676613. The webcast will also be available on the company’s website.

About Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation is a leading global pure-play vacation ownership company, offering a diverse portfolio of quality products, programs and management expertise with over 65 resorts. Its brands include Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Grand Residences by Marriott. Since entering the industry in 1984 as part of Marriott International, Inc., the company earned its position as a leader and innovator in vacation ownership products. The company preserves high standards of excellence in serving its customers, investors and associates while maintaining a long-term relationship with Marriott International. For more information, please visit www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com.

Note on forward-looking statements: This press release and accompanying schedules contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements about the impact of The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the amendments to the agreements with Marriott International and the adoption of ASC 606, future operating results, estimates, and assumptions, and similar statements concerning anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. The company cautions you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including volatility in the economy and the credit markets, supply and demand changes for vacation ownership and residential products, competitive conditions, the availability of capital to finance growth, and other matters referred to under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in the company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and in subsequent SEC filings, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied in this press release. These statements are made as of February 27, 2018 and the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

###

See Below Link for Full Press Release

Download PDF