Hawaiian Telcom Reports Third Quarter 2014 Results


Achieved Consumer Revenue Growth of 5.2 percent

Strong Hawaiian Telcom TV subscriber growth of more than 2,600

Delivered Business Data Revenue Growth of 3.0 percent

Joined New Trans-Pacific Submarine Cable Consortium

HONOLULU, Nov. 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc. (Nasdaq:HCOM) reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30. The highlights are as follows:

  • Revenue totaled $97.3 million, consistent with the same period a year ago, resulting in Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $29.0 million.
  • Generated net income of $1.5 million, or $0.13 per diluted share for the quarter, compared to $2.1 million, or $0.18 per diluted share in the same period a year ago. Excluding one-time costs relating to Tropical Storm Iselle recorded in the third quarter 2014, net income for the quarter would have been consistent with the prior year.
  • Consumer revenue increased 5.2 percent year-over-year to $37.1 million, the best quarterly growth performance since Hawaiian Telcom TV was launched, as revenue growth in video and high-speed Internet (HSI) services more than offset declines from legacy services.
  • Added over 2,600 Hawaiian Telcom TV subscribers during the third quarter, ending the quarter with approximately 25,800 subscribers resulting in penetration of 17.0 percent of households enabled.
  • Enabled 10,000 households in the quarter, increasing the reach of our next-generation fiber network to 152,000 households.
  • Added over 900 HSI subscribers, the strongest quarterly performance of the year, ending the quarter with approximately 112,700 subscribers. HSI average revenue per user (ARPU) grew 7 percent year-over-year.
  • Business data revenue increased 3.0 percent year-over-year to $6.5 million, driven by growth in switched Ethernet, IP-VPN and dedicated Internet access revenues.
  • Participating in a landmark project to build and operate the first submarine cable directly connecting Indonesia and the United States, providing the Company with new growth opportunities and securing low cost network capacity.

"Hawaiian Telcom's continued investment in its next-generation fiber network, innovative new products, and strong execution by our dedicated employees have resulted in consistent financial performance and strong results in our strategic growth services," said Eric K. Yeaman, Hawaiian Telcom's president and CEO. "We have been working very hard to transform our business, and the industry-leading growth in our consumer channel this quarter, the highest in our history as a standalone company, demonstrates that the investments we are making in strategic growth areas are yielding positive results and generating strong momentum for the future.

"Our investment in Fiber-to-the-Tower (FTTT) projects and the demand for network capacity in the form of special access circuits drove sequential growth in the wholesale channel for the first time in almost two years, so we are seeing positive results there as well. We furthered our strategy to invest in our network and systems during the quarter with our participation in a consortium to build and operate a new trans-Pacific submarine cable system. This investment not only enables us to cost-effectively meet our future bandwidth growth requirements, but it also provides us with a unique opportunity to participate in the growing demand for trans-Pacific bandwidth.

"Our investments are transforming the Company and successfully repositioning us for the future. I am pleased with the progress we are making in executing our strategic plan, and confident about the Company's growth prospects and our ability to drive long-term value for our shareholders," concluded Yeaman.

Third Quarter 2014 Results

Third quarter revenue was $97.3 million, compared to $97.7 million in the third quarter of 2013. Revenue growth in the quarter, driven by video, HSI, and $2.2 million of net incremental data center colocation revenue from SystemMetrics, was offset by a $2.4 million decrease in equipment and managed services revenue, related to lower customer premise equipment sales, and a 5.7 percent decline in voice access lines. Adjusted EBITDA was $29.0 million, a decrease of $1.0 million year-over-year, primarily due to increased direct cost of services related to video.

The Company generated net income of $1.5 million, or $0.13 per diluted share for the quarter, compared to $2.1 million, or $0.18 per diluted share in the same period a year ago. Excluding one-time costs relating to Tropical Storm Iselle recorded in the third quarter 2014, net income for the quarter would have been consistent with the prior year.

Consumer Revenue

Third quarter consumer revenue totaled $37.1 million, up 5.2 percent year-over-year primarily driven by revenue growth from two of the Company's key strategic services, Hawaiian Telcom TV and HSI services. The reach and awareness for Hawaiian Telcom TV is steadily increasing, giving the Company positive momentum and positioning it to drive further growth in video and HSI services.

Video revenue grew to $6.5 million for the quarter, up from $3.7 million in the same period a year ago, driven by the addition of approximately 10,000 subscribers for a total of approximately 25,800 subscribers at the end of the third quarter. Hawaiian Telcom TV average revenue per user (ARPU) was up approximately 5.7 percent year-over-year and 5.9 percent when compared to the second quarter 2014. During the quarter, 10,000 additional households were enabled, increasing the total number of households enabled to 152,000 with over 53 percent of those households capable of connecting directly to the Company's next-generation fiber network. Hawaiian Telcom TV penetration of households enabled was approximately 17.0 percent at the end of the third quarter. 

Consumer HSI revenue also was up from the same period a year ago led by a 2.2 percent year-over-year increase in consumer HSI subscribers to approximately 92,300 and a 9.5 percent increase in consumer HSI ARPU. As of September 30, 2014, approximately 53 percent of all video subscribers had triple-play bundles and approximately 92 percent had double- or triple-play bundles. Revenue increases from video and HSI were partially offset by legacy revenue declines related to consumer voice access and long distance line losses of 8.6 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively.

Business Revenue

Third quarter business revenue totaled $41.7 million, down $1.0 million from the same period a year ago, primarily due to a $2.4 million year-over-year decrease in equipment and managed services revenue, mostly related to a $2.3 million sale of equipment to a large Hawaiʻi-based public school in the third quarter of 2013. Additionally, the year-over-year decline in legacy business access and long distance revenues contributed to the decline in business revenue. These decreases were largely offset by $2.2 million of incremental net revenue added as a result of the SystemMetrics acquisition and a 3.0 percent year-over-year increase in business data revenue driven by higher demand for IP-based data services.

Wholesale Revenue

Third quarter wholesale revenue totaled $15.8 million, down $0.7 million from the same period a year ago. Wholesale carrier data revenue declined $0.4 million year-over-year to $14.4 million, mainly due to certain wireless carriers disconnecting lower bandwidth legacy circuits, which were replaced with new, more efficient fiber-based, higher bandwidth Ethernet circuits. Switched carrier access revenue declined $0.2 million year-over-year to $1.4 million, equally attributable to the overall decline in voice access lines and minutes of use and the impact of intercarrier compensation reform.

Operating Expenses, Capital Expenditures and Liquidity

Operating expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, non-cash stock compensation, SystemMetrics earn-out and other one-time charges, including costs relating to Tropical Storm Iselle, increased 0.9 percent to $68.3 million, primarily due to increased direct cost of services related to video and incremental costs related to the SystemMetrics' operations, partially offset by decreased cost of goods related to lower levels of equipment sales.

Capital expenditures totaled $76.5 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2014, up from $69.8 million for the nine-month period a year ago primarily due to the success-based spending to support the growth of Hawaiian Telcom TV fiber-to-the-premise subscribers, success-based spending related to the fiber-to-the-tower initiative and costs associated with consolidating and virtualizing internal data centers.  Overall, total capital expenditures for 2014 are expected to be in the high-$90 million range.

At the end of third quarter 2014, the Company had $31.7 million in cash and cash equivalents compared to $49.6 million at the end of 2013. The use of cash is primarily related to higher levels of expansion related and success-based capital expenditures, as well as temporary uses of working capital. Net Debt(2) was $261.3 million, resulting in a Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratio as of September 30, 2014 of 2.22x.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2014 results at 9:00 a.m. (Hawaiʻi Time), or 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Monday, November 10, 2014.

To access the call, participants should dial (877) 280-4961 (US/Canada), or (857) 244-7318 (International) ten minutes prior to the start of the call and enter passcode 37732925.

A live webcast of the conference call, including a slide presentation, will be available from the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.hawaiiantel.com. The webcast will be archived at the same location. 

A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available one hour after the conclusion of the call until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) November 17, 2014. Access the replay by dialing (888) 286-8010 and entering passcode 97352426. Alternatively, the replay can be accessed by dialing (617) 801-6888 and entering passcode 97352426. 

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures 

This press release contains information about adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Adjusted EBITDA) and Net Debt. These are non-GAAP financial measures used by Hawaiian Telcom management when evaluating results of operations. Management believes these measures also provide users of the financial statements with additional and useful comparisons of current results of operations with past and future periods. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as being more important than comparable GAAP measures. Detailed reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA and Net Debt to comparable GAAP financial measures have been included in the tables distributed with this release and are available in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.hawaiiantel.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, this release includes certain statements and predictions that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, any statement, projection or estimate that includes or references the words "believes", "anticipates", "intends", "expected", or any similar expression falls within the safe harbor of forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those indicated or suggested by any such forward-looking statement for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, Hawaiian Telcom's ability to maintain, or expand its market position in communications services, including voice, video, Internet, data, wireless, and advanced communication and network services; general economic trends affecting the purchase or supply of communication services; world and national events that may affect the ability to provide services; changes in the regulatory environment; any rulings, orders or decrees that may be issued by any court or arbitrator; restrictions imposed under various credit facilities and debt instruments; work stoppages caused by labor disputes; and Hawaiian Telcom's ability to develop and launch new products and services. More information on potential risks and uncertainties is available in recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Hawaiian Telcom's 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The information contained in this release is as of November 10, 2014. It is anticipated that subsequent events and developments may cause estimates to change, and the Company undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements.

About Hawaiian Telcom

Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc., headquartered in Honolulu, is Hawaiʻi's leading provider of integrated communications, data center and entertainment solutions for business and residential customers. With roots in Hawaiʻi beginning in 1883, the Company offers a full range of services including voice, video, Internet, data solutions, managed services, data center services including colocation and virtual private cloud, and other cloud-based services, and wireless supported by the reach and reliability of its network and Hawaiʻi's only 24/7 state-of-the-art network operations center. With employees statewide sharing a commitment to innovation and a passion for delivering superior service, Hawaiian Telcom provides an Always OnSM customer experience. For more information, visit www.hawaiiantel.com.

The Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=10087

(1) Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA plus non-cash stock compensation, SystemMetrics earn-out and other non-recurring costs not expected to occur regularly in the ordinary course of business. EBITDA is defined as net income plus interest expense (net of interest income and other), income taxes, depreciation and amortization and gain on sale of property. The Company believes both of these non-GAAP measures, Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA, are meaningful performance measures for investors because they are used by our Board and management to evaluate performance, enhance comparability between periods and make operating decisions. Our use of Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies in the telecommunications industry. A detailed reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA to comparable GAAP financial measures has been included in the tables distributed with this release.

(2) Net Debt provides a useful measure of liquidity and financial health. The Company defines Net Debt as the sum of the face amount of short-term and long-term debt and unamortized premium and/or discount, offset by cash and cash equivalents. A detailed reconciliation of Net Debt has been included in the tables distributed with this release.

 
Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Income
(Unaudited, dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
         
   Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended 
   September 30,   September 30, 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
         
 Operating revenues   $ 97,252  $ 97,682  $ 291,109  $ 290,643
         
 Operating expenses:         
 Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)   42,621  41,829  124,858  122,073
 Selling, general and administrative   28,294  27,965  86,280  84,860
 Gain on sale of property   --   --   --   (6,546)
 Depreciation and amortization   19,717  19,974  57,321  58,532
       --   
 Total operating expenses   90,632  89,768  268,459  258,919
         
 Operating income   6,620  7,914  22,650  31,724
         
 Other income (expense):         
 Interest expense   (4,103)  (4,089)  (12,401)  (14,712)
 Loss on early extinguishment of debt   --   --   --   (3,660)
 Interest income and other   13  7  27  28
         
 Total other expense   (4,090)  (4,082)  (12,374)  (18,344)
         
 Income before income tax provision   2,530  3,832  10,276  13,380
         
 Income tax provision   1,014  1,771  4,155  5,521
         
 Net income   $ 1,516  $ 2,061  $ 6,121  $ 7,859
         
 Net income per common share --         
 Basic   $ 0.14  $ 0.20  $ 0.58  $ 0.76
 Diluted   $ 0.13  $ 0.18  $ 0.54  $ 0.71
         
 Weighted average shares used to compute net income per common share --     
 Basic   10,586,690  10,337,488  10,567,036  10,321,905
 Diluted   11,311,691  11,206,159  11,329,328  11,096,177
 
Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Unaudited, dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
     
   September 30,   December 31, 
   2014   2013 
     
 Assets     
     
 Current assets     
 Cash and cash equivalents   $ 31,693  $ 49,551
 Receivables, net   33,378  34,521
 Material and supplies   10,146  15,939
 Prepaid expenses   4,779  3,724
 Deferred income taxes   7,968  8,146
 Other current assets   3,218  2,851
 Total current assets   91,182  114,732
 Property, plant and equipment, net   553,467  524,375
 Intangible assets, net   38,051  40,225
 Goodwill   12,104  12,104
 Deferred income taxes   70,765  75,274
 Other assets   9,935  11,305
     
 Total assets   $ 775,504  $ 778,015
     
 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity   
     
 Current liabilities     
 Current portion of long-term debt   $ 3,000  $ 3,000
 Accounts payable   45,378  40,228
 Accrued expenses   15,877  18,787
 Advance billings and customer deposits   16,072  16,122
 Other current liabilities   7,222  6,412
 Total current liabilities   87,549  84,549
 Long-term debt   289,985  291,679
 Employee benefit obligations   69,966  80,321
 Other liabilities   6,949  8,454
 Total liabilities   454,449  465,003
     
 Stockholders' equity     
Common stock, par value of $0.01 per share, 245,000,000 shares authorized and 10,587,105 and 10,495,856 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively   106  105
 Additional paid-in capital   169,913  167,869
 Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (4,839)  (4,716)
 Retained earnings   155,875  149,754
 Total stockholders' equity   321,055  313,012
     
 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity   $ 775,504  $ 778,015
 
 
Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited, dollars in thousands)
     
   Nine Months Ended 
   September 30, 
   2014   2013 
     
 Cash flows from operating activities:   
 Net income   $ 6,121  $ 7,859
 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities 
 Depreciation and amortization   57,321  58,532
 Loss on early extinguishment of debt   --   3,660
 Gain on sale of property   --   (6,546)
 Employee retirement benefits   (10,557)  (10,324)
 Provision for uncollectibles   2,493  2,003
 Stock based compensation   3,066  1,886
 Deferred income taxes   4,770  6,018
 Changes in operating assets and liabilities:   
 Receivables   (1,350)  (4,142)
 Material and supplies   (685)  (3,916)
 Prepaid expenses and other current assets   (1,421)  (1,064)
 Accounts payable and accrued expenses   1,296  (2,064)
 Advance billings and customer deposits   (50)  323
 Other current liabilities   (568)  106
 Other   1,380  2,446
 Net cash provided by operating activities   61,816  54,777
     
 Cash flows from investing activities:   
 Capital expenditures   (76,474)  (69,809)
 Acquisitions   --   (11,858)
 Proceeds on sale of property   --   13,118
 Net cash used in investing activities   (76,474)  (68,549)
     
 Cash flows from financing activities:   
 Repayment of capital lease and installment financing   (2,014)  (406)
 Repayment of debt including premium   (2,250)  (302,333)
 Proceeds from installment financing   2,085  -- 
 Proceeds from borrowing   --   298,500
 Loan refinancing costs   --   (3,442)
 Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards   (1,021)  (426)
 Net cash used in financing activities   (3,200)  (8,107)
     
 Net change in cash and cash equivalents   (17,858)  (21,879)
 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period   49,551  66,993
     
 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period   $ 31,693  $ 45,114
     
 Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:   
 Interest paid, net of amounts capitalized   $ 11,033  $ 14,416
 
 
Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
Revenue by Category and Channel
(Unaudited, dollars in thousands)
         
For Three Months        
         
   Three Months Ended     
   September 30,   Change 
   2014   2013   Amount   Percentage 
         
 Telecommunications         
 Local voice services   $ 32,668  $ 34,665  $ (1,997) -5.8%
 Network access services         
 Business data   6,470  6,282  188 3.0%
 Wholesale carrier data   14,416  14,850  (434) -2.9%
 Subscriber line access charge   8,786  9,442  (656) -6.9%
 Switched carrier access   1,401  1,623  (222) -13.7%
   31,073  32,197  (1,124) -3.5%
 Long distance services   5,554  6,091  (537) -8.8%
 High-Speed Internet   10,909  9,999  910 9.1%
 Video   6,531  3,717  2,814 75.7%
 Equipment and managed services   4,818  7,228  (2,410) -33.3%
 Wireless   515  676  (161) -23.8%
 Other   2,699  3,109  (410) -13.2%
   94,767  97,682  (2,915) -3.0%
 Data center colocation   2,485  --   2,485 NA
   $ 97,252  $ 97,682  $ (430) -0.4%
         
 Channel         
 Business   $ 41,728  $ 42,739  $ (1,011) -2.4%
 Consumer   37,141  35,298  1,843 5.2%
 Wholesale   15,817  16,473  (656) -4.0%
 Other   2,566  3,172  (606) -19.1%
   $ 97,252  $ 97,682  $ (430) -0.4%
       
  For Nine Months      
       
  Nine Months Ended  
   September 30,   Change 
   2014   2013   Amount   Percentage 
         
 Telecommunications         
 Local voice services   $ 98,806  $ 104,896  $ (6,090) -5.8%
 Network access services       
 Business data   19,806  18,885  921 4.9%
 Wholesale carrier data   43,082  45,123  (2,041) -4.5%
 Subscriber line access charge   26,985  28,507  (1,522) -5.3%
 Switched carrier access   4,440  5,125  (685) -13.4%
   94,313  97,640  (3,327) -3.4%
 Long distance services   17,176  18,804  (1,628) -8.7%
 High-Speed Internet   32,206  29,495  2,711 9.2%
 Video   16,759  8,784  7,975 90.8%
 Equipment and managed services   14,030  19,724  (5,694) -28.9%
 Wireless   1,646  2,084  (438) -21.0%
 Other   8,960  9,216  (256) -2.8%
   283,896  290,643  (6,747) -2.3%
 Data center colocation   7,213  --   7,213 NA
   $ 291,109  $ 290,643  $ 466 0.2%
         
 Channel         
 Business   $ 126,308  $ 126,158  $ 150 0.1%
 Consumer   109,312  104,794  4,518 4.3%
 Wholesale   47,523  50,248  (2,725) -5.4%
 Other   7,966  9,443  (1,477) -15.6%
   $ 291,109  $ 290,643  $ 466 0.2%
 
 
Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
Schedule of Adjusted EBITDA Calculation
(Unaudited, dollars in thousands)
           
   Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended  LTM Ended
   September 30,   September 30,  September 30,
   2014   2013   2014   2013   2014 
           
 Net income   $ 1,516  $ 2,061  $ 6,121  $ 7,859  $ 8,750
 Income tax provision   1,014  1,771  4,155  5,521  7,416
 Interest expense and other income and expense, net   4,090  4,082  12,374  18,344  16,531
 Depreciation and amortization   19,717  19,974  57,321  58,532  76,090
 Gain on sale of property   --   --   --   (6,546)  -- 
 EBITDA   26,337  27,888  79,971  83,710  108,787
 Non-cash stock compensation   967  735  3,066  1,886  3,916
 SystemMetrics earn-out   271  --   815  --   815
 Non-recurring costs   402  733  2,046  1,858  2,741
 Severance costs   --   304  --   712  -- 
 Wavecom integration costs   74  341  252  969  626
 Storm Iselle costs   943  --   943  --   943
           
 Adjusted EBITDA   $ 28,994  $ 30,001  $ 87,093  $ 89,135  $ 117,828
 
 
Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
Net Debt to LTM Adjusted EBITDA Ratio
(Unaudited, dollars in thousands)
   
   
 Long-term debt as of September 30, 2014   $ 292,985
 Less cash on hand   (31,693)
 Total Net Debt as of September 30, 2014   $ 261,292
   
 LTM Adjusted EBITDA as of September 30, 2014   $ 117,828
   
 Total Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA  2.22x
 
 
Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc.
Volume Information
(Unaudited)
         
   September 30,   September 30,   Change 
   2014   2013   Number   Percentage 
         
 Voice access lines         
 Residential   173,656  190,013  (16,357) -8.6%
 Business   189,207  194,623  (5,416) -2.8%
 Public   3,954  4,246  (292) -6.9%
   366,817  388,882  (22,065) -5.7%
         
 High-Speed Internet lines         
 Residential   92,265  90,253  2,012 2.2%
 Business   19,552  19,163  389 2.0%
 Wholesale   853  986  (133) -13.5%
   112,670  110,402  2,268 2.1%
         
 Long distance lines         
 Residential   109,702  119,096  (9,394) -7.9%
 Business   78,207  79,320  (1,113) -1.4%
   187,909  198,416  (10,507) -5.3%
         
 Video services         
 Subscribers   25,766  15,796  9,970 63.1%
 Homes Enabled   152,000  111,000  41,000 36.9%
         
         
   September 30,   June 30,   Change 
   2014   2014   Number   Percentage 
         
 Voice access lines         
 Residential   173,656  177,953  (4,297) -2.4%
 Business   189,207  190,754  (1,547) -0.8%
 Public   3,954  4,028  (74) -1.8%
   366,817  372,735  (5,918) -1.6%
         
 High-Speed Internet lines         
 Residential   92,265  91,405  860 0.9%
 Business   19,552  19,465  87 0.4%
 Wholesale   853  866  (13) -1.5%
   112,670  111,736  934 0.8%
         
 Long distance lines         
 Residential   109,702  112,231  (2,529) -2.3%
 Business   78,207  78,522  (315) -0.4%
   187,909  190,753  (2,844) -1.5%
         
 Video services         
 Subscribers   25,766  23,101  2,665 11.5%
 Homes Enabled   152,000  142,000  10,000 7.0%


            

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