Rogers Communications Reports Fourth Quarter 2015 Results
- Rogers 3.0 plan delivers solid financial and operating metrics for the fourth quarter
- Continued revenue growth of 3% driven by growth of 4% in Wireless, our largest segment representing approximately 60% of total revenue and adjusted operating profit
- Wireless adjusted operating profit growth of 4%; Wireless postpaid net additions of 31,000, an improvement of 89,000 year on year, on an 11 basis point improvement in churn
- Postpaid ARPA up 4% with strong growth in Share Everything customers, up 63%
- Internet net additions of 16,000, an improvement of 20,000 year on year; Internet revenue up 10%
- Strong operating fundamentals delivered operating cash flow and free cash flow of $950 million and $274 million, respectively
- Customer complaints as reported by the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) declined faster than key competitors', down 26% in 2015 and down 50% over the past two years
- Met 2015 guidance and announced our 2016 outlook, with continued growth in operating revenue and adjusted operating profit as well as a declining capital expenditure profile expected to drive higher free cash flow
TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2016 /CNW/ - Rogers Communications Inc., a leading diversified Canadian communications and media company, today announced its unaudited financial and operating results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2015.
Consolidated Financial Highlights
| Three months ended December 31 | |||
| (In millions of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts, unaudited) | 2015 | 2014 | |
| Operating revenue | 3,452 | 3,366 | |
| As adjusted 1: | |||
| Operating profit | 1,226 | 1,233 | |
| Net income | 331 | 355 | |
| Basic earnings per share | $ 0.64 | $ 0.69 | |
| Net income | 299 | 297 | |
| Basic earnings per share | $ 0.58 | $ 0.58 | |
| Free cash flow 1 | 274 | 275 | |
| Cash provided by operating activities | 950 | 1,031 | |
| 1 | Adjusted amounts and free cash flow are non-GAAP measures and should not be considered as a substitute or alternative for GAAP measures. These are not defined terms under IFRS and do not have standard meanings, so may not be a reliable way to compare us to other companies. See "Non-GAAP Measures" for information about these measures, including how we calculate them. |
"Overall, we delivered steady results in a fiercely competitive quarter, including strong results in Wireless and Internet, where we maintained momentum in subscriber and financial metrics. We continued to make strong progress on postpaid churn thanks to the success of our customer propositions and customer experience improvements. Whilst we are making good progress, we aren't resting on our laurels, and we recognize there is more work to do," said Guy Laurence, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rogers Communications. "We delivered on our full-year guidance and our strategy continues to gain traction in the market. We enter 2016 with an outlook of continued growth and remain focused on delivering year two of Rogers 3.0."
Key Quarterly Financial Highlights
Higher operating revenue
Consolidated revenue increased 3% this quarter, reflecting revenue growth of 4% in Wireless and 3% in Media and decreases of 2% in each of Cable and Business Solutions. Wireless revenue increased as a result of higher network revenue from the continued adoption of higher-postpaid-ARPA-generating Rogers Share Everything plans and increased device revenue. Cable revenue decreased due to the continued decline in Television and Phone revenue, partially offset by continued Internet revenue growth. Media revenue increased primarily as a result of growth at Sportsnet and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Lower adjusted operating profit
The 1% decline in consolidated adjusted operating profit this quarter largely reflects the flow-through of the revenue changes discussed above as well as a decline in Media adjusted operating profit as our traditional media businesses are facing pressures with the changing advertising landscape. We recently announced some job cuts affecting conventional TV, radio, publishing, and some back-office positions in order to address these pressures.
Higher net income and lower adjusted net income
Net income increased this quarter primarily as a result of lower restructuring, acquisition and other costs, lower finance costs, and lower income taxes, partially offset by higher depreciation and amortization, while adjusted net income decreased this quarter as this measure excludes restructuring, acquisition and other costs.
Substantial free cash flow affords financial flexibility
In the fourth quarter, we continued to generate substantial cash flow from operating activities and free cash flow of $950 million and $274 million, respectively. Our solid financial results enabled us to continue to make investments in our network and still return substantial capital to shareholders. We paid $247 million in dividends this quarter, which represents a 5% increase from the same quarter last year.
Met 2015 Guidance
The following table outlines guidance ranges that we had previously provided and our actual results and achievements for the selected full year 2015 financial metrics:
| 2015 | 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| (In millions of dollars) | Guidance | Actual | Achievement | ||||||||||||||||||
| Consolidated Guidance 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating profit 2 | 5,020 | to | 5,175 | 5,032 | √ | ||||||||||||||||
| Additions to property, plant and equipment 3 | 2,350 | to | 2,450 | 2,440 | √ | ||||||||||||||||
| Free cash flow 2 | 1,525 | to | 1,675 | 1,676 | ☆ | ||||||||||||||||
| Achieved √ | Exceeded ☆ | |
| 1 | The preceding table outlines guidance ranges for selected full-year 2015 consolidated financial metrics provided in our January 29, 2015 earnings release and subsequently updated on July 23, 2015 to increase our free cash flow guidance by $175 million, which reflected the value of tax loss carry forwards acquired as part of the Mobilicity transaction that closed on July 2, 2015. |
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| 2 | Adjusted operating profit and free cash flow are non-GAAP measures and should not be considered as a substitute or alternative for GAAP measures. These are not defined terms under IFRS and do not have standard meanings, so may not be a reliable way to compare us to other companies. See "Non-GAAP Measures" for information about these measures, including how we calculate them. |
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| 3 | Includes additions to property, plant and equipment for the Wireless, Cable, Business Solutions, Media, and Corporate segments and does not include expenditures on spectrum licences. |
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2016 Outlook
We expect steady growth in operating revenue and adjusted operating profit and lower additions to property, plant and equipment to drive higher free cash flow. We expect to have the financial flexibility to maintain our network advantages, to begin reducing debt, and to continue to return cash to shareholders.
| 2015 | 2016 Guidance | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (In millions of dollars, except percentages) | Actual | Ranges 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Consolidated Guidance | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating revenue | 13,414 | Increase of 1% | to | 3% | ||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating profit 2 | 5,032 | Increase of 1% | to | 3% | ||||||||||||||||||
| Additions to property, plant and equipment 3 | 2,440 | 2,300 | to | 2,400 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Free cash flow 2 | 1,676 | Increase of 1% | to | 3% | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Guidance ranges presented as percentages reflect percentage increases over 2015 actual results. |
| 2 | Adjusted operating profit and free cash flow are non-GAAP measures and should not be considered as a substitute or alternative for GAAP measures. These are not defined terms under IFRS and do not have standard meanings, so may not be a reliable way to compare us to other companies. See "Non-GAAP Measures" for information about these measures, including how we calculate them. |
| 3 | Includes additions to property, plant and equipment for the Wireless, Cable, Business Solutions, Media, and Corporate segments but does not include expenditures for spectrum licences. |
The above table outlines guidance ranges for selected full year 2016 consolidated financial metrics. These ranges take into consideration our current outlook and our actual results for 2015. The purpose of the financial outlook is to assist investors, shareholders, and others in understanding certain financial metrics relating to expected 2016 financial results for evaluating the performance of our business. This information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Information about our guidance, including the various assumptions underlying it, is forward-looking and should be read in conjunction with "About Forward-Looking Information" and the related disclosure and information about various economic, competitive, and regulatory assumptions, factors, and risks that may cause our actual future financial and operating results to differ from what we currently expect.
We provide annual guidance ranges on a consolidated full-year basis, which are consistent with annual full-year Board-approved plans. Any updates to our full-year financial guidance over the course of the year would only be made to the consolidated guidance ranges that appear above.
Rogers 3.0
Our Rogers 3.0 plan is a multi-year plan intended to:
- re-accelerate revenue growth in a sustainable way; and
- continue the company's track record of translating revenue into strong margins, robust free cash flow, and a solid return on assets, ultimately increasing returns to shareholders.
There are a number of opportunities we expect will help drive improved performance going forward, including:
- further improving the customer experience;
- maintaining leadership and momentum in Wireless;
- strengthening our Cable proposition; and
- driving growth in the business market.
Improving the Customer Experience
In 2015, we made key strides in our continuous pursuit to improve the customer experience. Rogers showed the biggest improvement amongst our primary competitors in reducing customer complaints, which were down 26% for the period August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015 and down 50% over the past two years. We believe our improvements to the customer experience were key drivers in lowering Wireless postpaid churn this quarter, despite the heightened competitive activity and the impact of the "double cohort". We also reduced the number of times our customers contacted us by 12.7% in 2015. We are committed to enhancing our self-serve options, which we expect will further decrease the need for customers to reach out and drive cost savings. During the quarter, we were also the first communications provider in the world to introduce customer care on Facebook Messenger.
Additionally in 2015, Ookla, a global leader in broadband speed testing, named Rogers as both Canada's Fastest ISP and Canada's Fastest Mobile Network. We believe this confirms how our network investments are also driving high quality customer experiences.
Maintaining Leadership and Momentum in Wireless
As part of Rogers 3.0, we first focused on our largest business, Wireless. Our compelling value propositions, leading content, and best-in-class network have attracted and helped us retain higher-value customers. We achieved 106,000 Wireless net postpaid additions in 2015, up from marginal net losses in the prior year.
We expect lower overall additions to property, plant and equipment in 2016 following our acquisitions and deployment of premium spectrum in 2015 and improved capital efficiency, including leveraging better pricing, in part due to our unique strategic partnership with Vodafone in Canada.
Strengthening Our Cable Proposition
We enter 2016 with an improved outlook for Cable with:
- the strong popularity of IGNITE Internet and the planned offering of IGNITE Gigabit to our entire footprint by the end of 2016, ahead of our competitors; and
- enhanced video offerings including an improved legacy user interface, 4K TV, and the launch of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).
IGNITE Internet
We announced plans to deliver gigabit Internet speeds to our entire cable footprint of over four million homes by the end of 2016 at an incremental in-year capital cost of less than $50 per home. We will increase capacity as the demand for speed grows with further annual success-based capital investments, positioning us well to earn attractive returns on investment for our shareholders.
Launch of 4K TV
In 2015, we made the largest commitment to live sports broadcasting in 4K in North America, rolling out our new NextBox 4K set-top box and announcing more than 100 live sporting events to be televised in 4K. This month, we delivered the world's first NBA and NHL games in 4K.
Driving Growth in the Business Market
We believe Rogers is currently under-indexed in this growing market. In 2015, we established a solid foundation for a plan to capture market share through next-generation technology offerings. We also introduced the first in a series of leapfrog technologies with the launch of a managed Wi-Fi service, as well as a set of new, cloud-managed cybersecurity services so businesses of all sizes can run their networks in a safe and secure environment. It will take time to educate and penetrate the market on these new offerings, but we look forward to the contribution from this longer-term growth opportunity.
About non-GAAP measures
This earnings release contains non-GAAP measures such as adjusted operating profit, adjusted operating profit margin, adjusted net income, free cash flow, adjusted net debt, adjusted net debt / adjusted operating profit, and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share. These are non-GAAP measures and should not be considered as a substitute or alternative for GAAP measures. These are not defined terms under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and do not have standard meanings, so may not be a reliable way to compare us to other companies. See "Non-GAAP Measures" in this earnings release for information about these measures, including how we calculate them.
About Rogers
Rogers Communications is a leading diversified public Canadian communications and media company. We are Canada's largest provider of wireless communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable television, high-speed Internet and telephony services to consumers and businesses. Through Rogers Media, we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, sports entertainment, and digital media. Our stock is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit rogers.com.
Information on or connected to our website is not part of or incorporated into this earnings release.
Quarterly Investment Community Teleconference
The fourth quarter 2015 results teleconference with the investment community will be held on:
- January 27, 2016
- 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time
- webcast available at rogers.com/webcast
- media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis
A rebroadcast will be available at rogers.com/investors on the Events and Presentations page for at least two weeks following the teleconference. Additionally, investors should note that from time to time, Rogers' management presents at brokerage-sponsored investor conferences. Most often, but not always, these conferences are webcast by the hosting brokerage firm, and when they are webcast, links are made available on Rogers' website at rogers.com/events and are placed there generally at least two days before the conference.
For More Information
You can find additional information relating to us on our website (rogers.com/investors) and on SEDAR (sedar.com), on EDGAR (sec.gov), or by e-mailing your request to [email protected]. Information on or connected to these and other websites referenced in this earnings release is not part of, or incorporated into, this earnings release.
You can also go to rogers.com/investors for information about our governance practices, corporate social responsibility reporting, a glossary of communications and media industry terms, and additional information about our business.
About this Earnings Release
This earnings release contains important information about our business and our performance for the three months ended December 31, 2015, as well as forward-looking information about future periods. This earnings release should be used as preparation for reading our forthcoming MD&A and Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2015 in respect of such annual financial statements, which we intend to file with securities regulators in Canada and the US in the next few weeks. These statements will be made available on the rogers.com/investors, sedar.com, and sec.gov websites or mailed upon request.
The financial information contained in this earnings release is prepared using International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. This earnings release should be read in conjunction with our 2014 Annual Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) and our 2014 Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, our 2015 First, Second, and Third Quarter MD&A and Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, and our other recent filings with Canadian and US securities regulatory authorities, which are available on SEDAR at sedar.com or EDGAR at sec.gov, respectively.
All dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated and are unaudited. All percentage changes are calculated using the rounded numbers as they appear in the tables. Information is current as of January 26, 2016 and was approved by the Audit and Risk Committee of the Rogers Communications Inc. Board of Directors (the Board) on that date. This earnings release includes forward-looking statements and assumptions. See "About Forward-Looking Information" for more information.
We, us, our, Rogers, Rogers Communications, and the Company refer to Rogers Communications Inc. and our subsidiaries. RCI refers to the legal entity Rogers Communications Inc., not including our subsidiaries.
In this earnings release, this quarter refers to the three months ended December 31, 2015, and year to date refers to the twelve months ended December 31, 2015. All results commentary is compared to the equivalent periods in 2014 or as at December 31, 2014, unless otherwise indicated.
Four Business Segments
We report our results of operations in four segments. Each segment and the nature of its business are as follows:
| Segment | Principal activities | |||
| Wireless | Wireless telecommunications operations for Canadian consumers and businesses. | |||
| Cable | Cable telecommunications operations, including Internet, television, and telephony (phone) services for Canadian consumers and businesses. | |||
| Business Solutions |
Network connectivity through our fibre network and data centre assets to support a range of voice, data, networking, hosting, and cloud-based services for small, medium, and large Canadian businesses, governments, and on a wholesale basis to other telecommunications providers. | |||
| Media | A diversified portfolio of media properties, including television and radio broadcasting, specialty channels, multi-platform shopping, publishing, sports media and entertainment, and digital media. |
During the year, Wireless, Cable, and Business Solutions were operated by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Rogers Communications Partnership (RCP), and certain of our other wholly-owned subsidiaries. Media is operated by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Rogers Media Inc., and its subsidiaries.
On January 1, 2016, Fido Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of RCI, transferred its partnership interest in RCP to Rogers Cable and Data Centres Inc. (RCDCI), a subsidiary of RCI, leaving RCDCI as the sole partner of RCP, thereby causing RCP to cease to exist. RCDCI became the owner of all the assets and assumed all the liabilities previously held by RCP. Subsequent to the reorganization, RCDCI changed its name to Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (RCCI).
Summary of Consolidated Financial Results
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | |||||||
| (In millions of dollars, except margins and per share amounts) | 2015 | 2014 | % Chg | 2015 | 2014 | % Chg | ||
| Operating revenue | ||||||||
| Wireless | 1,981 | 1,898 | 4 | 7,651 | 7,305 | 5 | ||
| Cable | 855 | 871 | (2) | 3,465 | 3,467 | - | ||
| Business Solutions | 95 | 97 | (2) | 377 | 382 | (1) | ||
| Media | 560 | 544 | 3 | 2,079 | 1,826 | 14 | ||
| Corporate items and intercompany eliminations | (39) | (44) | (11) | (158) | (130) | 22 | ||
| Operating revenue | 3,452 | 3,366 | 3 | 13,414 | 12,850 | 4 | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | ||||||||
| Wireless | 754 | 725 | 4 | 3,239 | 3,246 | - | ||
| Cable | 426 | 424 | - | 1,658 | 1,665 | - | ||
| Business Solutions | 30 | 34 | (12) | 116 | 122 | (5) | ||
| Media | 56 | 78 | (28) | 172 | 131 | 31 | ||
| Corporate items and intercompany eliminations | (40) | (28) | 43 | (153) | (145) | 6 | ||
| Adjusted operating profit 1 | 1,226 | 1,233 | (1) | 5,032 | 5,019 | - | ||
| Adjusted operating profit margin 1 | 35.5% | 36.6% | (1.1 pts) | 37.5% | 39.1% | (1.6 pts) | ||
| Net income | 299 | 297 | 1 | 1,381 | 1,341 | 3 | ||
| Basic earnings per share | $ 0.58 | $ 0.58 | - | $ 2.68 | $ 2.60 | 3 | ||
| Adjusted net income 1 | 331 | 355 | (7) | 1,490 | 1,532 | (3) | ||
| Adjusted basic earnings per share 1 | $ 0.64 | $ 0.69 | (7) | $ 2.89 | $ 2.97 | (3) | ||
| Additions to property, plant and equipment | 773 | 664 | 16 | 2,440 | 2,366 | 3 | ||
| Free cash flow 1 | 274 | 275 | - | 1,676 | 1,437 | 17 | ||
| Cash provided by operating activities | 950 | 1,031 | (8) | 3,747 | 3,698 | 1 | ||
| 1 | Adjusted operating profit, adjusted operating profit margin, adjusted net income, adjusted basic earnings per share, and free cash flow are non-GAAP measures and should not be considered as a substitute or alternative for GAAP measures. These are not defined terms under IFRS and do not have standard meanings, so may not be a reliable way to compare us to other companies. See "Non-GAAP Measures" for information about these measures, including how we calculate them. |
Results of our Business Segments
WIRELESS
Wireless Financial Results
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | |||||||
| (In millions of dollars, except margins) | 2015 1 | 2014 | % Chg | 2015 1 | 2014 | % Chg | ||
| Operating revenue | ||||||||
| Network revenue | 1,747 | 1,701 | 3 | 6,902 | 6,743 | 2 | ||
| Equipment sales | 234 | 197 | 19 | 749 | 562 | 33 | ||
| Operating revenue | 1,981 | 1,898 | 4 | 7,651 | 7,305 | 5 | ||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||
| Cost of equipment 2 | 569 | 497 | 14 | 1,845 | 1,488 | 24 | ||
| Other operating expenses | 658 | 676 | (3) | 2,567 | 2,571 | - | ||
| Operating expenses | 1,227 | 1,173 | 5 | 4,412 | 4,059 | 9 | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | 754 | 725 | 4 | 3,239 | 3,246 | - | ||
| Adjusted operating profit margin as a % of network revenue | 43.2% | 42.6% | 0.6 pts | 46.9% | 48.1% | (1.2 pts) | ||
| Additions to property, plant and equipment | 235 | 258 | (9) | 866 | 978 | (11) | ||
| 1 | The operating results of Mobilicity are included in the Wireless results of operations from the date of acquisition on July 2, 2015. |
| 2 | Includes the cost of equipment sales and direct channel subsidies. |
Wireless Subscriber Results 1
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | |||||||
| (In thousands, except churn, ARPA, and ARPU) | 2015 | 2014 | Chg | 2015 | 2014 | Chg | ||
| Postpaid | ||||||||
| Gross additions | 365 | 297 | 68 | 1,354 | 1,238 | 116 | ||
| Net additions (losses) | 31 | (58) | 89 | 106 | (1) | 107 | ||
| Total postpaid subscribers 2,3 | 8,271 | 8,073 | 198 | 8,271 | 8,073 | 198 | ||
| Churn (monthly) | 1.35% | 1.46% | (0.11 pts) | 1.27% | 1.27% | - | ||
| ARPA (monthly) | $ 112.07 | $ 107.95 | $ 4.12 | $ 110.74 | $ 106.41 | $ 4.33 | ||
| Prepaid | ||||||||
| Gross additions | 179 | 138 | 41 | 677 | 507 | 170 | ||
| Net additions (losses) | 27 | 11 | 16 | 75 | (52) | 127 | ||
| Total prepaid subscribers 3,4 | 1,606 | 1,377 | 229 | 1,606 | 1,377 | 229 | ||
| Churn (monthly) | 3.17% | 3.09% | 0.08 pts | 3.45% | 3.42% | 0.03 pts | ||
| Blended ARPU (monthly) | $ 59.16 | $ 59.86 | ($ 0.70) | $ 59.71 | $ 59.41 | $ 0.30 | ||
| 1 | Subscriber counts, subscriber churn, postpaid ARPA, and blended ARPU are key performance indicators. See "Key Performance Indicators". |
| 2 | Effective January 1, 2015 and on a prospective basis, our Wireless postpaid subscriber results included Wireless Home Phone subscribers resulting in a base adjustment of approximately 92,000 cumulative subscribers, which are not included in net additions, but do appear in the ending total balance for December 31, 2015. |
| 3 | As at end of period. |
| 4 | On July 2, 2015, we acquired approximately 154,000 Wireless prepaid subscribers as a result of our acquisition of Mobilicity, which are not included in net additions, but do appear in the ending total balance for December 31, 2015. |
Network revenue
The 3% increase in network revenue this quarter was a result of:
- the continued adoption of customer-friendly Rogers Share Everything plans, which generate higher postpaid ARPA, bundle in various calling features and long distance, provide the ability to pool data usage across multiple devices, and grant access to our other offerings, such as Roam Like Home, Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE, Spotify, shomi, and Texture by Next Issue;
- an adjustment pertaining to the anticipated usage of our loyalty programs; and
- our acquisition of Mobilicity; partially offset by
- a 9% decrease in roaming revenue this quarter as a result of changes to roaming plans, including the introduction of Roam Like Home in the US, Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America, and Europe, which simplify the customer experience and provide greater value to the customer. We believe roaming revenue was also impacted by lower outbound customer travel volumes, which we believe to be connected to the depreciation of the Canadian dollar.
The 4% increase in postpaid ARPA this quarter was a result of the continued adoption of Rogers Share Everything plans relative to the number of subscriber accounts as customers increasingly utilize the advantages of premium offerings and access their shareable plans with multiple devices on the same account.
The 1% decrease in blended ARPU this quarter was a result of:
- the inclusion of lower-blended-ARPU-generating Wireless Home Phone subscribers in our postpaid base; and
- the impact of expanding our lower-blended-ARPU-generating prepaid subscriber base relative to our total subscriber base as a result of our acquisition of Mobilicity and the general increase in prepaid net additions; partially offset by
- increased network revenue as discussed above.
Excluding the impact of roaming revenue and the addition of Mobilicity and Wireless Home Phone subscribers, blended ARPU would have increased by 2% this quarter.
We believe the increases in gross and net additions to our postpaid subscriber base and lower postpaid churn this quarter were results of our strategic focus on enhancing the customer experience by providing higher-value offerings, such as our new Share Everything plans, and improving our customer service. Significantly, this was achieved during the industry's "double cohort" period and with heightened competitive activity.
The "double cohort" refers to the greater-than-usual number of subscriber contracts that ended as both three-year and two-year contracts expired near the same time. This industry-wide impact commenced late in the second quarter of 2015 and will generally result in subscribers being on shorter-term contracts than in the past.
Equipment sales
The 19% increase in revenue from equipment sales this quarter was a result of:
- a greater number of gross additions with device activations by new subscribers;
- a 1% increase in device upgrades by existing subscribers; and
- increases in equipment sales prices.
Operating expenses
The 14% increase in the cost of equipment sales this quarter was a result of:
- a shift in the product mix of device sales and upgrades towards higher-cost smartphones; and
- increased equipment sales volumes from our higher gross additions and higher upgrades this quarter.
Total customer retention spending (primarily consisting of subsidies on handset upgrades) was 3% lower this quarter as a result of:
- improvements in our sales channels resulting in lower commissions; partially offset by
- increased device upgrades by existing subscribers as discussed above; and
- increased subsidy rates provided on higher-cost smartphones.
Other operating expenses (excluding retention spending) increased this quarter as a result of higher service costs and incremental expenses resulting from our acquisition of Mobilicity, partially offset by efficiency gains and improvements in cost management.
Adjusted operating profit
The 4% increase in adjusted operating profit this quarter was a result of network revenue growth, partially offset by the increased net subsidies associated with higher gross additions and higher-cost smartphones.
CABLE
Cable Financial Results
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | |||||||
| (In millions of dollars, except margins) | 2015 1 | 2014 | % Chg | 2015 1 | 2014 | % Chg | ||
| Operating revenue | ||||||||
| Internet | 348 | 317 | 10 | 1,343 | 1,245 | 8 | ||
| Television | 403 | 433 | (7) | 1,669 | 1,734 | (4) | ||
| Phone | 102 | 118 | (14) | 445 | 478 | (7) | ||
| Service revenue | 853 | 868 | (2) | 3,457 | 3,457 | - | ||
| Equipment sales | 2 | 3 | (33) | 8 | 10 | (20) | ||
| Operating revenue | 855 | 871 | (2) | 3,465 | 3,467 | - | ||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||
| Cost of equipment | 2 | 2 | - | 4 | 6 | (33) | ||
| Other operating expenses | 427 | 445 | (4) | 1,803 | 1,796 | - | ||
| Operating expenses | 429 | 447 | (4) | 1,807 | 1,802 | - | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | 426 | 424 | - | 1,658 | 1,665 | - | ||
| Adjusted operating profit margin | 49.8% | 48.7% | 1.1 pts | 47.8% | 48.0% | (0.2 pts) | ||
| Additions to property, plant and equipment | 308 | 291 | 6 | 1,030 | 1,055 | (2) | ||
| 1 | The operating results of Source Cable Ltd. (Source Cable) are included in the Cable results of operations from the date of acquisition on November 4, 2014. |
Cable Subscriber Results 1
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | |||||||
| (In thousands) | 2015 | 2014 | Chg | 2015 | 2014 | Chg | ||
| Internet | ||||||||
| Net additions (losses) | 16 | (4) | 20 | 37 | 34 | 3 | ||
| Total Internet subscribers 2,3 | 2,048 | 2,011 | 37 | 2,048 | 2,011 | 37 | ||
| Television | ||||||||
| Net losses | (24) | (36) | 12 | (128) | (119) | (9) | ||
| Total television subscribers 2,3 | 1,896 | 2,024 | (128) | 1,896 | 2,024 | (128) | ||
| Phone | ||||||||
| Net losses | (15) | (18) | 3 | (60) | (14) | (46) | ||
| Total phone subscribers 2,3 | 1,090 | 1,150 | (60) | 1,090 | 1,150 | (60) | ||
| Cable homes passed 2,3 | 4,153 | 4,068 | 85 | 4,153 | 4,068 | 85 | ||
| Total service units 4 | ||||||||
| Net losses | (23) | (58) | 35 | (151) | (99) | (52) | ||
| Total service units 2,3 | 5,034 | 5,185 | (151) | 5,034 | 5,185 | (151) | ||
| 1 | Subscriber counts are key performance indicators. See "Key Performance Indicators". |
| 2 | On November 4, 2014, we acquired approximately 16,000 Internet subscribers, 16,000 Television subscribers and 11,000 Phone subscribers from our acquisition of Source Cable, which are not included in net additions, but do appear in the ending total balance for December 31, 2014. The acquisition also increased homes passed by 26,000. |
| 3 | As at end of period. |
| 4 | Includes Internet, Television, and Phone subscribers. |
Operating revenue
The 2% decrease in operating revenue this quarter was primarily a result of:
- Television and Phone subscriber losses over the past year; and
- more promotional pricing provided to subscribers; partially offset by
- the movement of Internet customers to higher speed and usage tiers, combined with a higher subscriber base for our Internet products; and
- the impact of pricing changes implemented over the past year.
Internet revenue
The 10% increase in Internet revenue this quarter was a result of:
- general movement of customers to higher speed and usage tiers of our IGNITE broadband Internet offerings that provide subscribers with broader choices of speed and data usage and incorporate bundled, value-added content;
- a larger Internet subscriber base; and
- the impact of changes in Internet service pricing; partially offset by
- a decline in additional usage-based revenue as portions of the subscriber base move to the higher-value, unlimited usage plans.
Television revenue
The 7% decrease in Television revenue this quarter was a result of:
- the decline in Television subscribers over the past year primarily associated with the changing television consumption environment; and
- more promotional pricing provided to subscribers; partially offset by
- the impact of pricing changes implemented over the past year.
Phone revenue
The 14% decrease in Phone revenue this quarter was a result of:
- a smaller subscriber base; and
- more promotional pricing provided to subscribers, mainly related to IGNITE multi-product bundles.
Operating expenses
The 4% decrease in operating expenses this quarter was a result of:
- relative shifts in product mix to higher-margin Internet from conventional Television broadcasting; and
- various cost efficiency and productivity initiatives.
Adjusted operating profit
The marginal increase in adjusted operating profit this quarter was a result of the revenue and expense changes discussed above.
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
Business Solutions Financial Results
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | |||||||
| (In millions of dollars, except margins) | 2015 1 | 2014 | % Chg | 2015 1 | 2014 | % Chg | ||
| Operating revenue | ||||||||
| Next generation | 74 | 71 | 4 | 288 | 271 | 6 | ||
| Legacy | 20 | 24 | (17) | 85 | 106 | (20) | ||
| Service revenue | 94 | 95 | (1) | 373 | 377 | (1) | ||
| Equipment sales | 1 | 2 | (50) | 4 | 5 | (20) | ||
| Operating revenue | 95 | 97 | (2) | 377 | 382 | (1) | ||
| Operating expenses | 65 | 63 | 3 | 261 | 260 | - | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | 30 | 34 | (12) | 116 | 122 | (5) | ||
| Adjusted operating profit margin | 31.6% | 35.1% | (3.5 pts) | 30.8% | 31.9% | (1.1 pts) | ||
| Additions to property, plant and equipment | 65 | 53 | 23 | 187 | 146 | 28 | ||
| 1 | The operating results of Internetworking Atlantic Inc. are included in the Business Solutions results of operations from the date of acquisition on November 30, 2015. |
Operating revenue
The 1% decrease in service revenue this quarter was a result of:
- the continued decline in our legacy and off-net voice business, a trend we expect to continue as we focus the business on next generation on-net and near-net opportunities and customers move to more advanced and cost-effective IP-based services and solutions; partially offset by
- the continued execution of our plan to grow higher-margin, next generation on-net and near-net IP-based services revenue.
Next generation services, which include our data centre operations, represented 79% (2014 - 75%) of total service revenue in the quarter.
Operating expenses
The 3% increase in operating expenses this quarter was a result of higher service costs.
Adjusted operating profit
The 12% decrease in adjusted operating profit this quarter was a result of the revenue and expense changes discussed above.
Other Business Solutions developments
On November 30, 2015, we acquired 100% of the common shares of Internetworking Atlantic Inc. (IAI) for $6 million. IAI provides enhanced technology solutions and services for business and public sector clients in Atlantic Canada. The acquisition of IAI will enable us to offer greater local expertise in the areas of cloud computing, data centre services, fibre networking, and professional services.
MEDIA
Media Financial Results
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | ||||||
| (In millions of dollars, except margins) | 2015 | 2014 | % Chg | 2015 | 2014 | % Chg | |
| Operating revenue | 560 | 544 | 3 | 2,079 | 1,826 | 14 | |
| Operating expenses | 504 | 466 | 8 | 1,907 | 1,695 | 13 | |
| Adjusted operating profit | 56 | 78 | (28) | 172 | 131 | 31 | |
| Adjusted operating profit margin | 10.0% | 14.3% | (4.3 pts) | 8.3% | 7.2% | 1.1 pts | |
| Additions to property, plant and equipment | 28 | 28 | - | 60 | 94 | (36) | |
Operating revenue
The 3% increase in operating revenue this quarter was a result of:
- higher subscription and advertising revenue generated by our Sportsnet properties; and
- higher Toronto Blue Jays game day and merchandise revenue as a result of the postseason; partially offset by
- continued softness in conventional broadcast TV and print advertising; and
- lower merchandise sales at The Shopping Channel (TSC).
Operating expenses
The 8% increase in operating expenses this quarter was a result of:
- higher sports-related programming and production costs;
- higher costs related to the Toronto Blue Jays as a result of the postseason; partially offset by
- lower conventional broadcast TV programming costs;
- lower publishing costs; and
- operating efficiencies realized across various Media divisions.
Adjusted operating profit
The 28% decrease in adjusted operating profit this quarter was a result of the revenue and expense changes described above, mainly from conventional areas of TV and publishing.
ADDITIONS TO PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | |||||||
| (In millions of dollars, except capital intensity) | 2015 | 2014 | % Chg | 2015 | 2014 | % Chg | ||
| Additions to property, plant and equipment | ||||||||
| Wireless | 235 | 258 | (9) | 866 | 978 | (11) | ||
| Cable | 308 | 291 | 6 | 1,030 | 1,055 | (2) | ||
| Business Solutions | 65 | 53 | 23 | 187 | 146 | 28 | ||
| Media | 28 | 28 | - | 60 | 94 | (36) | ||
| Corporate | 137 | 34 | n/m | 297 | 93 | n/m | ||
| Total additions to property, plant and equipment 1 | 773 | 664 | 16 | 2,440 | 2,366 | 3 | ||
| Capital intensity 2 | 22.4% | 19.7% | 2.7 pts | 18.2% | 18.4% | (0.2 pts) | ||
| 1 | Additions to property, plant and equipment do not include expenditures on spectrum licences. |
| 2 | Capital intensity is a key performance indicator. See "Key Performance Indicators". |
| n/m - not meaningful | |
Wireless
The decrease in additions to property, plant and equipment in Wireless this quarter was a result of lower expenditures on our wireless network, partially offset by higher software and information technology costs required to activate the spectrum we acquired in previous quarters. Deployment of our LTE network has reached approximately 93% of Canada's population as at December 31, 2015 (December 31, 2014 - 84%).
Cable
The increase in additions to property, plant and equipment in Cable this quarter was a result of greater investment in information technology infrastructure to further improve the reliability and quality of the network and to improve the capacity of our Internet platform to deliver gigabit Internet speeds as well as higher purchases of our next generation NextBox digital set-top boxes. We also continued to expand our bandwidth towards the development of our next-generation IP-based video service and digital television guides.
Business Solutions
The increase in additions to property, plant and equipment in Business Solutions this quarter was a result of data centre investments and network expansion to reach additional customers and sites.
Media
The additions to property, plant and equipment in Media were stable this quarter and reflect investments in conventional television, radio, digital assets, and at TSC. In the fourth quarter last year, investments were made to our broadcast facilities, IT infrastructure, and digital assets.
Corporate
The increase in additions to property, plant and equipment in Corporate this quarter was a result of higher spending on premise improvements at our various offices as well as higher information technology costs.
Capital Intensity
Capital intensity increased this quarter as a result of higher additions to property, plant and equipment as described above relative to the increase in revenue described previously in this earnings release.
Key Performance Indicators
We measure the success of our strategy using a number of key performance indicators that are defined and discussed in our 2014 Annual MD&A and this earnings release. We believe these key performance indicators allow us to appropriately measure our performance against our operating strategy as well as against the results of our peers and competitors. The following key performance indicators are not measurements in accordance with IFRS and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or any other measure of performance under IFRS. They include:
- Subscriber counts;
- Subscriber churn;
- Postpaid average revenue per account (ARPA)
- Average revenue per user (ARPU); and
- Capital intensity.
Commencing in the first quarter of 2015, we began disclosing postpaid ARPA as one of our key performance indicators.
Postpaid average revenue per account - Wireless
Postpaid ARPA helps us identify trends and measure our success in attracting and retaining multiple-device accounts. A single Wireless postpaid account typically provides subscribers with the advantage of allowing for the pooling of plan attributes across multiple devices and on a single bill. Each Wireless postpaid account is represented by an identifiable billing account number. A single Wireless postpaid account may include more than one identifiable telephone number and receive monthly Wireless services for a variety of connected devices including smartphones, basic phones, tablets, and other devices. Wireless postpaid accounts under our various brand names are considered separate accounts. We calculate Wireless postpaid ARPA by dividing total Wireless postpaid network revenue (monthly) by the average number of Wireless postpaid accounts for the same time period.
Non-GAAP Measures
We use the following non-GAAP measures. These are reviewed regularly by management and our Board of Directors in assessing our performance and making decisions regarding the ongoing operations of our business and its ability to generate cash flows. Some or all of these measures may also be used by investors, lending institutions, and credit rating agencies as indicators of our operating performance, of our ability to incur and service debt, and as measurements to value companies in the telecommunications sector. These are not recognized measures under GAAP and do not have standard meanings under IFRS, so may not be a reliable way to compare us to other companies.
| Non-GAAP measure |
Why we use it | How we calculate it | Most comparable IFRS financial measure |
| Adjusted operating profit and related margin |
|
Adjusted operating profit: Net income add (deduct) income taxes, other expense (income), finance costs, restructuring, acquisition and other, depreciation and amortization, stock- based compensation, and impairment of assets. Adjusted operating profit margin: Adjusted operating profit divided by Operating revenue (network revenue for Wireless). |
Net income |
| Adjusted net income Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share |
|
Adjusted net income: Net income add (deduct) stock-based compensation, restructuring, acquisition and other, impairment of assets, (gain) on sale of investments, (gain) on acquisitions, loss on non-controlling interest purchase obligations, loss on repayment of long-term debt, and income tax adjustments on these items, including adjustments as a result of legislative changes. Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share: Adjusted net income divided by basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding. |
Net income Basic and diluted earnings per share |
| Free cash flow |
|
Adjusted operating profit deduct additions to property, plant and equipment, interest on borrowings net of capitalized interest, and cash income taxes. |
Cash provided by operating activities |
| Adjusted net debt |
|
Total long-term debt add (deduct) current portion of long-term debt, deferred transaction costs and discounts, net debt derivative (assets) liabilities, credit risk adjustment related to net debt derivatives, bank advances (cash and cash equivalents), and short-term borrowings. |
Long-term debt |
| Adjusted net debt / adjusted operating profit |
|
Adjusted net debt (defined above) divided by 12 months trailing adjusted operating profit (defined above). |
Long-term debt divided by net income |
| Reconciliation of adjusted operating profit | ||||||
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | |||||
| (In millions of dollars) | 2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | ||
| Net income | 299 | 297 | 1,381 | 1,341 | ||
| Add (deduct): | ||||||
| Income taxes | 112 | 129 | 466 | 506 | ||
| Other expense (income) | 4 | (10) | (32) | 1 | ||
| Finance costs | 192 | 202 | 774 | 817 | ||
| Restructuring, acquisition and other | 23 | 43 | 111 | 173 | ||
| Depreciation and amortization | 580 | 560 | 2,277 | 2,144 | ||
| Stock-based compensation | 16 | 12 | 55 | 37 | ||
| Adjusted operating profit | 1,226 | 1,233 | 5,032 | 5,019 | ||
| Reconciliation of adjusted net income | ||||||
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | |||||
| (In millions of dollars) | 2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | ||
| Net income | 299 | 297 | 1,381 | 1,341 | ||
| Add (deduct): | ||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 16 | 12 | 55 | 37 | ||
| Restructuring, acquisition and other | 23 | 43 | 111 | 173 | ||
| Gain on acquisition of Mobilicity | - | - | (102) | - | ||
| Loss on non-controlling interest purchase obligation | - | - | 72 | - | ||
| Loss on repayment of long-term debt | - | - | 7 | 29 | ||
| Income tax impact of above items | (7) | (11) | (40) | (62) | ||
| Income tax adjustment, legislative tax change | - | 14 | 6 | 14 | ||
| Adjusted net income | 331 | 355 | 1,490 | 1,532 | ||
| Reconciliation of adjusted earnings per share | ||||||
| (In millions of dollars, except per share amounts; | Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | ||||
| number of shares outstanding in millions) | 2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | ||
| Adjusted basic earnings per share: | ||||||
| Adjusted net income | 331 | 355 | 1,490 | 1,532 | ||
| Divided by: weighted average number of shares outstanding | 515 | 515 | 515 | 515 | ||
| Adjusted basic earnings per share | $ 0.64 | $ 0.69 | $ 2.89 | $ 2.97 | ||
| Adjusted diluted earnings per share: | ||||||
| Adjusted net income | 331 | 355 | 1,490 | 1,532 | ||
| Divided by: diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding | 517 | 517 | 517 | 517 | ||
| Adjusted diluted earnings per share | $ 0.64 | $ 0.69 | $ 2.88 | $ 2.96 | ||
| Reconciliation of free cash flow | ||||||
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | |||||
| (In millions of dollars) | 2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | ||
| Cash provided by operating activities | 950 | 1,031 | 3,747 | 3,698 | ||
| Add (deduct): | ||||||
| Additions to property, plant and equipment | (773) | (664) | (2,440) | (2,366) | ||
| Interest on borrowings, net of capitalized interest | (185) | (192) | (732) | (756) | ||
| Restructuring, acquisition and other | 23 | 43 | 111 | 173 | ||
| Interest paid | 133 | 130 | 771 | 778 | ||
| Change in non-cash working capital | 187 | (4) | 302 | (11) | ||
| Other adjustments | (61) | (69) | (83) | (79) | ||
| Free cash flow | 274 | 275 | 1,676 | 1,437 | ||
| Reconciliation of adjusted net debt and adjusted net debt / adjusted operating profit 1 | ||||||
| As at December 31 |
As at December 31 |
|||||
| (In millions of dollars) | 2015 | 2014 | ||||
| Current portion of long-term debt | 1,000 | 963 | ||||
| Long-term debt | 15,870 | 13,824 | ||||
| Deferred transaction costs and discounts | 111 | 108 | ||||
| 16,981 | 14,895 | |||||
| Add (deduct): | ||||||
| Net debt derivative assets | (2,028) | (846) | ||||
| Credit risk adjustment related to net debt derivatives | (152) | (39) | ||||
| Short-term borrowings | 800 | 842 | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | (11) | (176) | ||||
| Adjusted net debt | 15,590 | 14,676 | ||||
| As at December 31 |
As at December 31 |
|||||
| (In millions of dollars, except ratios) | 2015 | 2014 | ||||
| Adjusted net debt / adjusted operating profit | ||||||
| Adjusted net debt | 15,590 | 14,676 | ||||
| Divided by: trailing 12 month adjusted operating profit | 5,032 | 5,019 | ||||
| Adjusted net debt / adjusted operating profit | 3.1 | 2.9 | ||||
| 1 | Effective September 30, 2015, we have retrospectively amended our calculation of adjusted net debt to value the net debt derivatives without adjustment for credit risk. For accounting purposes in accordance with IFRS, we recognize the fair values of our debt derivatives using an estimated credit-adjusted mark-to-market valuation by discounting cash flows to the measurement date. For purposes of calculating adjusted net debt and adjusted net debt / adjusted operating profit, we believe including debt derivatives valued without adjustment for credit risk is commonly used to evaluate debt leverage and for market valuation and transactional purposes. |
Supplementary Information
Rogers Communications Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(In millions of dollars, except per share amounts, unaudited)
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | ||||||
| 2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | ||||
| Operating revenue | 3,452 | 3,366 | 13,414 | 12,850 | |||
| Operating expenses: | |||||||
| Operating costs | 2,242 | 2,145 | 8,437 | 7,868 | |||
| Depreciation and amortization | 580 | 560 | 2,277 | 2,144 | |||
| Restructuring, acquisition and other | 23 | 43 | 111 | 173 | |||
| Finance costs | 192 | 202 | 774 | 817 | |||
| Other expense (income) | 4 | (10) | (32) | 1 | |||
| Income before income taxes | 411 | 426 | 1,847 | 1,847 | |||
| Income taxes | 112 | 129 | 466 | 506 | |||
| Net income | 299 | 297 | 1,381 | 1,341 | |||
| Earnings per share: | |||||||
| Basic | $ 0.58 | $ 0.58 | $ 2.68 | $ 2.60 | |||
| Diluted | $ 0.58 | $ 0.57 | $ 2.67 | $ 2.56 | |||
Rogers Communications Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
(In millions of dollars, except per share amounts, unaudited)
| As at December 31 |
As at December 31 |
||||||||||
| 2015 | 2014 | ||||||||||
| Assets | |||||||||||
| Current assets: | |||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 11 | 176 | |||||||||
| Accounts receivable | 1,792 | 1,591 | |||||||||
| Inventories | 318 | 251 | |||||||||
| Other current assets | 303 | 191 | |||||||||
| Current portion of derivative instruments | 198 | 136 | |||||||||
| Total current assets | 2,622 | 2,345 | |||||||||
| Property, plant and equipment | 10,997 | 10,655 | |||||||||
| Intangible assets | 7,243 | 6,588 | |||||||||
| Investments | 2,271 | 1,898 | |||||||||
| Derivative instruments | 1,992 | 788 | |||||||||
| Other long-term assets | 150 | 356 | |||||||||
| Deferred tax assets | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Goodwill | 3,891 | 3,883 | |||||||||
| Total assets | 29,175 | 26,522 | |||||||||
| Liabilities and shareholders' equity | |||||||||||
| Current liabilities: | |||||||||||
| Short-term borrowings | 800 | 842 | |||||||||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | 2,708 | 2,578 | |||||||||
| Income tax payable | 96 | 47 | |||||||||
| Current portion of provisions | 10 | 7 | |||||||||
| Unearned revenue | 388 | 443 | |||||||||
| Current portion of long-term debt | 1,000 | 963 | |||||||||
| Current portion of derivative instruments | 15 | 40 | |||||||||
| Total current liabilities | 5,017 | 4,920 | |||||||||
| Provisions | 50 | 55 | |||||||||
| Long-term debt | 15,870 | 13,824 | |||||||||
| Derivative instruments | 95 | 11 | |||||||||
| Other long-term liabilities | 455 | 462 | |||||||||
| Deferred tax liabilities | 1,943 | 1,769 | |||||||||
| Total liabilities | 23,430 | 21,041 | |||||||||
| Shareholders' equity | 5,745 | 5,481 | |||||||||
| Total liabilities and shareholders' equity | 29,175 | 26,522 | |||||||||
Rogers Communications Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In millions of dollars, except per share amounts, unaudited)
| Three months ended December 31 | Twelve months ended December 31 | ||||||
| 2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | ||||
| Operating activities: | |||||||
| Net income for the period | 299 | 297 | 1,381 | 1,341 | |||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by | |||||||
| operating activities: | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 580 | 560 | 2,277 | 2,144 | |||
| Program rights amortization | 21 | 19 | 87 | 66 | |||
| Finance costs | 192 | 202 | 774 | 817 | |||
| Income taxes | 112 | 129 | 466 | 506 | |||
| Stock-based compensation | 16 | 12 | 55 | 37 | |||
| Post-employment benefits contributions, net of expense | 31 | 15 | (16) | (34) | |||
| Gain on acquisition of Mobilicity | - | - | (102) | - | |||
| Other | 13 | 25 | 82 | 48 | |||
| Cash provided by operating activities before changes in | |||||||
| non-cash working capital, income taxes paid, and interest paid | 1,264 | 1,259 | 5,004 | 4,925 | |||
| Change in non-cash operating working capital items | (187) | 4 | (302) | 11 | |||
| Cash provided by operating activities before income taxes | |||||||
| received (paid) and interest paid | 1,077 | 1,263 | 4,702 | 4,936 | |||
| Income taxes received (paid) | 6 | (102) | (184) | (460) | |||
| Interest paid | (133) | (130) | (771) | (778) | |||
| Cash provided by operating activities | 950 | 1,031 | 3,747 | 3,698 | |||
| Investing activities: | |||||||
| Additions to property, plant and equipment | (773) | (664) | (2,440) | (2,366) | |||
| Additions to program rights | (27) | (96) | (64) | (231) | |||
| Changes in non-cash working capital related to property, | |||||||
| plant and equipment and intangible assets | 167 | 204 | (116) | 153 | |||
| Acquisitions and other strategic transactions, net of cash | |||||||
| acquired | (5) | (155) | (1,077) | (3,456) | |||
| Other | (32) | (67) | (70) | (51) | |||
| Cash used in investing activities | (670) | (778) | (3,767) | (5,951) | |||
| Financing activities: | |||||||
| Proceeds received on short-term borrowings | 22 | 55 | 294 | 276 | |||
| Repayment of short-term borrowings | (81) | - | (336) | (84) | |||
| Issuance of long-term debt | 2,522 | 530 | 7,338 | 3,412 | |||
| Repayment of long-term debt | (2,440) | (530) | (6,584) | (2,551) | |||
| Proceeds on settlement of debt derivatives and forward | |||||||
| contracts | - | - | 1,059 | 2,150 | |||
| Payments on settlement of debt derivatives, forward | |||||||
| contracts, and bond forwards | (25) | - | (930) | (2,115) | |||
| Transaction costs incurred | (9) | - | (9) | (30) | |||
| Dividends paid | (247) | (236) | (977) | (930) | |||
| Cash (used in) provided by financing activities | (258) | (181) | (145) | 128 | |||
| Change in cash and cash equivalents | 22 | 72 | (165) | (2,125) | |||
| (Bank advances) cash and cash equivalents, beginning | |||||||
| of period | (11) | 104 | 176 | 2,301 | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents, end of period | 11 | 176 | 11 | 176 | |||
About Forward-Looking Information
This earnings release includes "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking information"), and assumptions about, among other things, our business, operations, and financial performance and condition approved by our management on the date of this earnings release. This forward-looking information and these assumptions include, but are not limited to, statements about our objectives and strategies to achieve those objectives, and about our beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates, or intentions.
Forward-looking information
- typically includes words like could, expect, may, anticipate, assume, believe, intend, estimate, plan, project, guidance, outlook, and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking information includes them;
- includes conclusions, forecasts, and projections based on our current objectives and strategies and on estimates, expectations, assumptions, and other factors, most of which are confidential and proprietary and that we believe to have been reasonable at the time they were applied but may prove to be incorrect; and
- was approved by our management on the date of this earnings release.
Our forward-looking information includes forecasts and projections related to the following items, among others:
- revenue;
- adjusted operating profit;
- additions to property, plant and equipment;
- cash income tax payments;
- free cash flow;
- dividend payments;
- the growth of new products and services;
- expected growth in subscribers and the services to which they subscribe;
- the cost of acquiring subscribers and deployment of new services;
- continued cost reductions and efficiency improvements; and
- all other statements that are not historical facts.
Specific forward-looking information included or incorporated in this document include, but is not limited to, our information and statements under "2016 Outlook" relating to our 2016 consolidated guidance on operating revenue, adjusted operating profit, additions to property, plant and equipment, and free cash flow. All other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements.
We base our conclusions, forecasts, and projections on the following factors, among others:
- general economic and industry growth rates;
- currency exchange rates and interest rates;
- product pricing levels and competitive intensity;
- subscriber growth;
- pricing, usage and churn rates;
- changes in government regulation;
- technology deployment;
- availability of devices;
- timing of new product launches;
- content and equipment costs;
- the integration of acquisitions; and
- industry structure and stability.
Except as otherwise indicated, this earnings release and our forward-looking information do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any dispositions, monetizations, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations, or other transactions that may be considered, announced or may occur after the date the statement containing the forward-looking information is made.
Risks and uncertainties
Actual events and results can be substantially different from what is expressed or implied by forward-looking information as a result of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, including but not limited to:
- regulatory changes;
- technological change;
- economic conditions;
- unanticipated changes in content or equipment costs;
- changing conditions in the communications, entertainment, and information industries;
- the integration of acquisitions;
- litigation and tax matters;
- the level of competitive intensity;
- the emergence of new opportunities; and
- new interpretations and new accounting standards from accounting standards bodies.
These factors can also affect our objectives, strategies, and intentions. Many of these factors are beyond our control or our current expectations or knowledge. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties, or other factors materialize, our objectives, strategies, or intentions change, or any other factors or assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, our actual results and our plans could vary significantly from what we currently foresee.
Accordingly, we warn investors to exercise caution when considering statements containing forward-looking information and caution them that it would be unreasonable to rely on such statements as creating legal rights regarding our future results or plans. We are under no obligation (and we expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter any statements containing forward-looking information or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. All of the forward-looking information in this earnings release is qualified by the cautionary statements herein.
Key assumptions underlying our 2016 guidance
Our 2016 guidance ranges under "2016 Outlook" are based on many assumptions including, but not limited to, the following material assumptions:
- Continued intense competition in all segments in which we operate.
- A substantial portion of our US dollar-denominated expenditures has been hedged at an average exchange rate of $1.22/US$.
- Key interest rates will remain relatively stable throughout 2016.
- No significant additional regulatory developments, shifts in economic conditions, or macro changes in the competitive environment affecting our business activities will occur. We note that regulatory decisions expected during 2016 could materially alter underlying assumptions around our Wireless, Cable, Business Solutions, and/or Media results in the current and future years, the impacts of which are currently unknown and not factored into our guidance.
- The CRTC decision to require distributors to offer a basic entry-level television package capped at $25 per month, as well as channels above the basic tier on an "à la carte" basis or in smaller, reasonably priced packages by March 1, 2016, and both "à la carte" and in smaller, reasonably priced packages by December 1, 2016, is not expected to materially impact our Cable operating revenue.
- Wireless customers will continue to adopt, and upgrade to, higher-value smartphones and a similar proportion of customers will remain on term contracts.
- Overall wireless market penetration in Canada is expected to grow in 2016 at a similar rate as in 2015.
- Continued subscriber growth in Wireless and Cable Internet; moderating net losses in Cable Television and Home Phone subscribers.
- In Business Solutions, continued declines in our legacy and off-net business, and the continued execution of our plan to grow higher margin-next generation IP- and cloud-based services.
- In Media, continued growth in Sportsnet and declines in our traditional media businesses.
- With respect to additions to property, plant and equipment:
- We expect to complete our analog-to-digital conversion during the first quarter of 2016.
- We can offer IGNITE Gigabit Internet services in 2016 using available spectrum capacity on our fibre-coaxial network at an incremental capital cost of less than $50 per home. We will increase capacity as the demand for speed grows with further annual success-based capital investments.
- We have rolled out LTE across the majority of our coverage area as well as deployed newly-acquired 700 MHz and AWS-1 spectrum.
- We made significant investments in our IPTV technology and legacy set-top boxes to bridge the customer experience pre-IPTV, thus gaining measurable unit cost efficiencies.
Before making an investment decision
Before making any investment decisions and for a detailed discussion of the risks, uncertainties and environment associated with our business, fully review the sections "Regulation in Our Industry" and "Governance and Risk Management" in our 2014 Annual MD&A, as well as our various other filings with Canadian and US securities regulators, which can be found at sedar.com and sec.gov, respectively.
SOURCE Rogers Communications Canada Inc. - English
Investment community contact
Amy Schwalm
416.704.9057
[email protected]
Media contact
Terrie Tweddle
416.935.4727
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