Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. - Quarter Report: 2014 September (Form 10-Q)

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2014

OR

☐    TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                             to

Commission File Number 001-36603

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LIBERTY TRIPADVISOR HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

12300 Liberty Boulevard, Englewood, Colorado 80112

(Address, including zip code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (720) 875‑5200

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒   No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ☒   No ☐ 

 Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non‑accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b‑2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Yes     No ☒

The number of outstanding shares of Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. common stock as of October 31, 2014 was:

 

 

 

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Table of Contents 

 

 

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LIBERTY TRIPADVISOR HOLDINGS, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(unaudited)

 

          (continued)

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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LIBERTY TRIPADVISOR HOLDINGS, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Continued)

(unaudited)

 

 

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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LIBERTY TRIPADVISOR HOLDINGS, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(unaudited)

 

 

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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LIBERTY TRIPADVISOR HOLDINGS, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)

(unaudited)

 

 

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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LIBERTY TRIPADVISOR HOLDINGS, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(unaudited)

 

 

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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LIBERTY TRIPADVISOR HOLDINGS, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Equity

Nine months ended September 30, 2014

(unaudited)

 

 

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

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(1) Basis of Presentation

During October 2013, the Board of Directors of Liberty Interactive Corporation and its subsidiaries (“Liberty”) authorized a plan to distribute to the stockholders of Liberty’s Liberty Ventures common stock shares of a wholly‑owned subsidiary, Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. (“TripCo” or the “Company”) (the “Trip Spin‑Off”). TripCo holds the subsidiaries TripAdvisor, Inc. (“TripAdvisor”) and BuySeasons, Inc., which includes the retail businesses of BuyCostumes.com and Celebrate Express (“BuySeasons”), both of which operate as stand‑alone operating entities. Both TripAdvisor and BuySeasons have more revenue in the third quarter, based on a higher travel research period and the Halloween period, respectively, as compared to the other quarters of the year. The Trip Spin-Off was completed on August 27, 2014 and effected as a pro‑rata dividend of shares of TripCo to the stockholders of Series A and Series B Liberty Ventures common stock of Liberty.

These financial statements have been prepared on a combined basis and represent a combination of the historical financial information of TripAdvisor, an equity method affiliate from December 20, 2011 through December 11, 2012 and a consolidated company since December 11, 2012, and the historical financial information for BuySeasons.  Financial statements for periods prior to the Trip Spin-Off were prepared as discussed above but are referred to as consolidated in this Form 10-Q. The Trip Spin-Off has been accounted for at historical cost due to the pro rata nature of the distribution.

The accompanying (a) condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2013, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and (b) the interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10‑Q and Article 10 of Regulation S‑X as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results for such periods have been included. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes for the year ended December 31, 2013 as presented in Amendment No. 4 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on August 11, 2014 (the “Registration Statement”).

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Company considers (i) revenue recognition, (ii) recoverability of intangible assets and goodwill, (iii) recoverability and useful lives of long‑lived assets, (iv) accounting for income taxes and (v) stock‑based compensation to be its most significant estimates.

In May 2014, the FASB issued new accounting guidance on revenue from contracts with customers.  The new guidance requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The updated guidance will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in GAAP when it becomes effective and permits the use of either a retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016.  The Company has not yet selected a transition method and is currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have its financial statements and related disclosures.

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Spin‑Off of TripCo from Liberty Interactive Corporation

Following the Trip Spin‑Off, Liberty and TripCo operate as separate, publicly traded companies, and neither has any stock ownership, beneficial or otherwise, in the other. In connection with the Trip Spin‑Off, TripCo entered into certain agreements, including the reorganization agreement, the services agreement, the facilities sharing agreement and the tax sharing agreement, with Liberty and/or Liberty Media Corporation (“Liberty Media”) (or certain of their subsidiaries) in order to govern certain of the ongoing relationships between the companies after the Trip Spin‑Off and to provide for an orderly transition.

The reorganization agreement provides for, among other things, the principal corporate transactions (including the internal restructuring) required to effect the Trip Spin‑Off, certain conditions to the Trip Spin‑Off and provisions governing the relationship between TripCo and Liberty with respect to and resulting from the Trip Spin‑Off.

Pursuant to the services agreement, Liberty Media provides TripCo with general and administrative services including legal, tax, accounting, treasury and investor relations support. TripCo will reimburse Liberty Media for direct, out‑of‑pocket expenses incurred by Liberty Media in providing these services and TripCo will pay a services fee to Liberty Media under the services agreement that will be subject to adjustment semi‑annually. Liberty Media and TripCo will evaluate all charges for reasonableness semi‑annually and make adjustments to these charges.

Under the facilities sharing agreement, TripCo will share office space with Liberty and Liberty Media and related amenities at Liberty Media’s corporate headquarters

The tax sharing agreement provides for the allocation and indemnification of tax liabilities and benefits between Liberty and TripCo and other agreements related to tax matters. Pursuant to the tax sharing agreement, TripCo has agreed to indemnify Liberty, subject to certain limited exceptions, for losses and taxes resulting from the Trip Spin-Off to the extent such losses or taxes result primarily from, individually or in the aggregate, the breach of certain restrictive covenants made by TripCo (applicable to actions or failures to act by TripCo and its subsidiaries following the completion of the Trip Spin-Off).

In October 2014, the IRS completed its examination of the Trip Spin-Off and notified Liberty that it agreed with the nontaxable characterization of the transaction. Liberty expects to execute a Closing Agreement with the IRS documenting this conclusion after Liberty’s 2014 tax year ends on December 31, 2014.

Acquisitions

During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, TripAdvisor completed four acquisitions for total cash consideration of $284 million, net of cash acquired. The total cash consideration is subject to adjustment based on the finalization of working capital adjustments and amounts retained with payment subject to certain indemnification obligations by the respective sellers. TripAdvisor acquired Vacation Home Rentals, a U.S.-based vacation rental website featuring properties around the world; London-based Tripbod, a travel community that helps connect travelers to local experts to deliver travelers relevant recommendations for trip planning; Lafourchette, a provider of an online and mobile reservations platform for restaurants in Europe; and Viator a platform for researching and booking destination activities around the world.

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The following table presents the purchase price allocations initially recorded on our condensed consolidated balance sheet for all 2014 acquisitions (in millions):

 

 

The purchase price allocation of these acquisitions are preliminary and subject to revision as more information becomes available and final valuations are available, but in any case will not be revised beyond 12 months after the acquisition date. The goodwill represents the excess value over both tangible and intangible assets acquired. The goodwill in these transactions is primarily attributable to expected operational synergies, potential new and expanded business relationships and user bases, the assembled workforces, and the future development initiatives of the assembled workforces. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the operating results of all acquired businesses from the date of acquisition. Pro-forma results of operations for all of these acquisitions have not been presented as the financial impact to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, both individually and in the aggregate are not material.

(2) Stock-Based Compensation

Liberty Incentive Plans

In connection with the Trip Spin-Off in August 2014, all outstanding restricted shares, stock options and stock appreciation rights (collectively, “Awards”) with respect to Liberty Ventures common stock (“Liberty Ventures Award”) were adjusted pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the incentive plans under which the equity awards were granted, such that a holder of a Liberty Ventures Award received:

The exercise prices and number of shares subject to the adjusted Liberty Ventures Award and the TripCo Award were determined based on 1) the exercise prices and number of shares subject to the Liberty Ventures Award, 2) the pre-distribution trading price of Liberty Ventures common stock and 3) the post-distribution trading prices of Liberty Ventures common stock and TripCo common stock, such that all of the pre-distribution intrinsic value of the Liberty Ventures Award was allocated between the adjusted Liberty Ventures Award and the TripCo Award.

Following the Trip Spin-Off, employees of Liberty hold Awards in both Liberty Ventures common stock and TripCo common stock.  The compensation expense relating to employees of Liberty is recorded at Liberty. Therefore, compensation expense related to options resulting from the Trip Spin-Off will not be recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

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Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings-Outstanding Awards

The following table presents the number and weighted average exercise price (“WAEP”) of the Awards to purchase TripCo common stock granted to certain officers, employees and directors of Liberty.

 

There were 44 thousand shares of Series B options issued as part of the Trip Spin-Off with a WAEP of $11.21. There was no other activity during the period related to the Series B options.

Included in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations are the following amounts of stock‑based compensation, the majority of which relates to TripAdvisor as discussed below:

 

 

TripAdvisor Equity Grant Awards

The following table presents the number and weighted average exercise price (“WAEP”) of the Awards to purchase TripAdvisor common stock granted to certain officers, employees and directors of TripAdvisor.

 

 

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As of September 30, 2014, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested TripAdvisor stock options was approximately $93 million and will be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2.8 years. The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was $71 million and $45 million, respectively.

Additionally, during the nine months ended September 30, 2014, TripAdvisor granted 618 thousand service based RSUs under their 2011 Incentive Plan for which the fair value was measured based on the quoted price of TripAdvisor common stock at the date of grant. The weighted average grant date fair value for RSU’s granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 was $96.15 per share. As of September 30, 2014, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to TripAdvisor RSUs was approximately $57 million and will be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 3 years.

 

(3) Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share

Basic earnings (loss) per common share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing net earnings (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS presents the dilutive effect on a per share basis of potential common shares as if they had been converted at the beginning of the periods presented.

The Company issued 73,685,924 common shares, which is the aggregate number of shares of Series A and Series B common stock outstanding upon the completion of the Trip Spin-Off on August 27, 2014.  The same number of shares is being used for both basic and diluted earnings per share for all periods prior to the date of the Trip Spin-Off as no Company equity awards were outstanding prior to the Trip Spin-Off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(4) Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

For assets and liabilities required to be reported at fair value, GAAP provides a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. Level 1 inputs are quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date. Level 2 inputs are inputs, other than quoted market prices included within Level 1, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability. The Company does not have any recurring assets or liabilities measured at fair value that would be considered Level 3.

The Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value are as follows:

 

 

The fair value of Level 2 marketable securities and available‑for‑sale securities were obtained from pricing sources for identical or comparable instruments, rather than direct observations of quoted prices in active markets.

Other Financial Instruments

Other financial instruments not measured at fair value on a recurring basis include trade receivables, related party receivables, trade payables, accrued and other current liabilities. The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short maturity of these instruments as reported on our condensed consolidated balance sheets.

(5) Debt

Outstanding debt at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 is summarized as follows:

 

 

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TripAdvisor Term Loan Facility Due 2016 and Revolving Credit Facility

On December 20, 2011, TripAdvisor entered into a Credit Agreement, which provides $600 million of borrowing including:

As of September 30, 2014, the Term Loan and loans under the Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at LIBOR plus 150 basis points, or the Eurocurrency Spread, or the alternate base rate (“ABR”) plus 50 basis points, and undrawn amounts are currently subject to a commitment fee of 22.5 basis points.

As of September 30, 2014, TripAdvisor used a one‑month interest period Eurocurrency Spread which is approximately 1.7% per annum. Interest is payable on a monthly basis while TripAdvisor is borrowing under the one‑month interest rate period. The current interest rates are based on current assumptions, leverage and LIBOR rates and do not take into account that rates will reset periodically.

The Term Loan principal is currently payable in quarterly installments on the last day of each calendar quarter equal to 2.5% of the original principal amount, with the balance due on the final maturity date. Principal payments aggregating  $30 million were made during the nine months ended September 30, 2014.  

The Revolving Credit Facility includes $40 million of borrowing capacity available for letters of credit and $40 million for borrowings on same‑day notice. As of September 30, 2014, there were no outstanding borrowings under the TripAdvisor Revolving Credit Facility.

As of September 30, 2014, TripAdvisor was in compliance with all of its debt covenants.

BuySeasons Debt

See note 6 for a discussion regarding the significant items related to BuySeasons debt obligations.

TripCo Debt

On August 21, 2014, a wholly owned subsidiary of TripCo, entered into two margin loan agreements which aggregated total borrowings of $400 million. Prior to the Trip Spin-Off, approximately $348 million of such amount was distributed to Liberty. Common Stock and Class B Common Stock of TripAdvisor were pledged as collateral pursuant to these agreements. Each agreement contains language that indicates that the Company, as borrower and transferor of underlying shares as collateral, has the right to exercise all voting, consensual and other powers of ownership pertaining to the transferred shares for all purposes, provided that Liberty agrees that it will not vote the shares in any manner that would reasonably be expected to give rise to transfer or certain other restrictions. Similarly, the loan agreements indicate that no lender party shall have any voting rights with respect to the shares transferred, except to the extent that a lender party buys any shares in a sale or other disposition made pursuant to the terms of the loan agreements. The agreements also contain certain restrictions related to additional indebtedness. Interest on the margin loans will accrue at a rate of 3.65% plus LIBOR for six months and 3.25% thereafter to be paid in kind or cash at the election of TripCo. The

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Company expects that interest on the loan will be paid in kind and added to the principal amount on the loan. The term of the loan is three years and the maturity date is August 22, 2017.

 

As of September 30, 2014, the values of shares pledged as collateral pursuant to the remaining margin loan agreements are as follows:

 

The outstanding margin loans contain various affirmative and negative covenants that restrict the activities of the borrower. The loan agreements do not include any financial covenants.

 

Fair Value

Due to the variable rate nature, TripCo believes that the carrying amount of its debt approximated fair value at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013.

(6) Related Party Transactions

During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the promissory note agreement between Liberty and BuySeasons, as borrower, was amended to increase the total borrowing capacity from $30 million to $50 million. The interest rate on this loan was 6.25%. During August 2014, prior to completion of the Trip Spin-Off, Liberty forgave the balance of $46 million pursuant to the BuySeasons note.

Additionally, income taxes payable of $29 million due to Liberty was forgiven upon completion of the Trip Spin-Off and have been reflected as contributed capital in the consolidated statement of equity.  

(7) Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

On June 20, 2013, TripAdvisor entered into an additional lease to move its headquarters to Needham, Massachusetts in 2015. TripAdvisor is the deemed owner (for accounting purposes only) of the new building during the construction period under build to suit lease accounting. As building construction began in the fourth quarter of 2013, TripAdvisor recorded project construction costs incurred by the landlord as an asset and a corresponding long term liability in “Property and equipment, at cost” and “Other liabilities,” respectively, in TripAdvisor’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. The asset and corresponding long term liability will increase as additional building costs are incurred by the landlord during the construction period. At the completion of construction of the new building (estimated to be May 2015), the lease will be evaluated to determine whether or not it meets the criteria for “sale‑leaseback” treatment. From the beginning of construction through September 30, 2014 approximately $50 million of these non-cash costs have been capitalized.

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Litigation

In the ordinary course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries are parties to legal proceedings and claims involving alleged infringement of third‑party intellectual property rights, defamation, and other claims. Although it is reasonably possible that the Company may incur losses upon conclusion of such matters, an estimate of any loss or range of loss cannot be made. In the opinion of management, it is expected that amounts, if any, which may be required to satisfy such contingencies will not be material in relation to the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.

(8) Segment Information

TripCo, through its ownership interests in subsidiaries and other companies, is primarily engaged in the on‑line commerce industries. TripCo identifies its reportable segments as (A) those consolidated companies that represent 10% or more of its consolidated annual revenue, annual Adjusted OIBDA or total assets and (B) those equity method affiliates whose share of earnings represent 10% or more of TripCo’s annual pre‑tax earnings.

TripCo evaluates performance and makes decisions about allocating resources to its operating segments based on financial measures such as revenue, Adjusted OIBDA, gross margin, average sales price per unit, number of units shipped and revenue or sales per customer equivalent. In addition, TripCo reviews nonfinancial measures such as unique website visitors, conversion rates and active customers, as appropriate.

TripCo defines Adjusted OIBDA as revenue less cost of sales, operating expenses, and selling, general and administrative expenses (excluding stock‑based compensation). TripCo believes this measure is an important indicator of the operational strength and performance of its businesses, including each business’s ability to service debt and fund capital expenditures. In addition, this measure allows management to view operating results and perform analytical comparisons and benchmarking between businesses and identify strategies to improve performance. This measure of performance excludes depreciation and amortization, stock‑based compensation, separately reported litigation settlements and restructuring and impairment charges that are included in the measurement of operating income pursuant to GAAP. Accordingly, Adjusted OIBDA should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, operating income, net income, cash flow provided by operating activities and other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. TripCo generally accounts for intersegment sales and transfers as if the sales or transfers were to third parties, that is, at current prices.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2014, TripCo has identified the following consolidated company as its reportable segment:

TripCo’s operating segments are strategic business units that offer different products and services. They are managed separately because each segment requires different technologies, distribution channels and marketing strategies. The accounting policies of the segments that are also consolidated companies are the same as those described in the Company’s summary of significant accounting policies included in the financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2013,  2012 and 2011 included in the Registration Statement.

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Performance Measures

 

 

 

Other Information

 

 

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The following table provides a reconciliation of segment Adjusted OIBDA to earnings (loss) before income taxes: