Attached files

file filename
8-K - TOWERSTREAM CORPv215070_8k.htm
Towerstream Reports Fourth Quarter and 2010 Year End Results

MIDDLETOWN, R.I., March 17, 2011 – Towerstream (NASDAQ: TWER), a leading 4G service provider delivering high-speed wireless Internet access to businesses in 11 major metropolitan areas in the U.S., announced results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2010.

Fourth Quarter Operating Highlights

 
·
Revenues increased 7% to $5.5 million during the fourth quarter 2010 compared to the third quarter 2010 and increased 35% compared to the same period last year
 
·
Gross margin remained strong at 75% during the fourth quarter 2010
 
·
Adjusted Market EBITDA profitability increased to $2.9 million in the fourth quarter 2010 as compared to $2.7 million for the third quarter 2010 and $2.0 million for the fourth quarter 2009
 
·
Adjusted EBITDA profitability, excluding non-recurring expenses of $0.3 million, increased to $0.7 million for the fourth quarter 2010 compared to $0.4 million for the third quarter 2010 and an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.2 million for the fourth quarter 2009
 
·
Customer churn for the fourth quarter 2010 was 1.36% compared to 1.60% during the third quarter 2010 and 1.43% during the fourth quarter 2009
 
·
Acquisition of Pipeline Wireless completed in December 2010 which increased  the customer base in the Boston market by 32% and the market’s annual revenue base by 29%

Management Comments

“We are pleased to report another quarter of strong revenue growth and improved Adjusted EBITDA profitability,” stated Jeff Thompson, Chief Executive Officer.  “We completed our second acquisition in December 2010 and believe there will be additional acquisition opportunities in 2011.”

“We have seen a significant increase in interest in our carrier class Wifi network in Manhattan,” added Mr. Thompson. “We are working diligently to complete construction of the network by the middle of the year.”

“Adjusted EBITDA profitability, excluding non-recurring expenses, increased from approximately $414,000 in the third quarter to approximately $706,000 in the fourth quarter,” stated Joseph Hernon, Chief Financial Officer. “ARPU for new customers increased to $661 per month after averaging $540 per month over the past seven quarters during the long economic recession.  In addition, customer upgrades increased by more than 80% during the second half of 2010 as compared to the same period in 2009.  We are hopeful that the strong improvement in these key operating metrics signal increased confidence levels by our business customers and that these trends will continue in 2011.”

 
Page 1 of 11

 

Selected Financial Data and Key Operating Metrics
(All dollars are in thousands except ARPU)
 
   
(Unaudited)
 
   
Three months ended
 
   
12/31/2010
   
9/30/2010
   
12/31/2009
 
Selected Financial Data
                 
Revenues
  $ 5,452     $ 5,080     $ 4,042  
Gross margin
    75 %     75 %     75 %
Depreciation and amortization
    1,658       1,557       1,070  
Core operating expenses (1)( 3)
    3,842       3,681       3,520  
Operating loss (1)
    (1,403 )     (1,409 )     (1,566 )
Net loss (1)
    (1,378 )     (1,387 )     (1,972 )
Adjusted EBITDA (3)
    374       382       (263 )
Adjusted EBITDA excluding non-recurring
    706       414       (174 )
expenses(2)(3)
                       
Capital expenditures
  $ 1,457     $ 1,051     $ 1,165  
                         
Key Operating Metrics
                       
Churn rate (3)
    1.36 %     1.60 %     1.43 %
ARPU (3)
  $ 682     $ 669     $ 715  
ARPU of new customers (3)
    661       543       561  
                         
   
(Audited)
 
   
Years ended
 
   
12/31/2010
           
12/31/2009
 
Selected Financial Data
                       
Revenues
  $ 19,646             $ 14,915  
Gross margin
    75 %             75 %
Depreciation and amortization
    5,770               4,035  
Core operating expenses (1)(3)
    15,036               14,622  
Operating loss (1)
    (6,048 )             (7,432 )
Net loss (1)
    (5,603 )             (8,625 )
Adjusted EBITDA (3)
    568               (2,537 )
Adjusted EBITDA excluding non-recurring
    1,327               (2,352 )
expenses(2)(3)
                       
Capital expenditures
  $ 5,660             $ 4,848  
                         
Key Operating Metrics
                       
Churn rate (3)
    1.35 %             1.67 %
ARPU (3)
  $ 682             $ 715  
ARPU of new customers (3)
    561               546  
 
(1)
Includes stock-based compensation of $94, $220 and $227, respectively and $772 and $803, respectively.
(2)
Excludes non-recurring expenses of $332, $32 and $89, respectively and $759 and $185 respectively.
(3)
See Non-GAAP Measures below for a definition and reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA, and definitions of Core Operating Expenses, Churn, ARPU and ARPU of new customers.
 
 
Page 2 of 11

 
 
Operating Outlook and Guidance

 
·
Revenues for the first quarter 2011 are expected to range between $5.9 million to $6.1 million.

 
·
Adjusted EBITDA profitability is expected to range between $0.7 million to $0.8 million.  The modest increase compared to the fourth quarter 2010 reflects professional services costs associated with being a public company and payroll tax expenses which are significantly higher in the first quarter compared to other quarters.

Non-GAAP Measures

The terms “Adjusted EBITDA,” “Churn,” “Churn rate,” ”ARPU,” and “Market Cash Flow” are measurements used by Towerstream to monitor business performance and are not recognized measures under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).  Accordingly, investors are cautioned in using or relying upon these measures as alternatives to recognized GAAP measures.  Our methods of calculating these measures may differ from other issuers and, accordingly, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

We focus on Adjusted EBITDA as a principal indicator of the operating performance of our business.  EBITDA represents net income (loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization.  We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization expenses, excluding, when applicable, stock-based compensation, other non-operating income or expenses as well as gain or loss on (i) disposal of property and equipment, (ii) derivative instruments, and (iii) business acquisitions.  Adjusted Market EBITDA also excludes corporate overhead expenses and other centralized costs.  We believe that Adjusted Market EBITDA trends are insightful indicators of our markets’ relative performance, and whether our markets are able to produce sufficient market cash flow to fund working capital and capital expenditure needs.

The term “Core Operating Expenses” includes customer support services, sales and marketing, and general and administrative expenses, and excludes cost of revenues, depreciation and amortization.

The terms “Churn” and “Churn rate” refer to the percent of revenue lost on a monthly basis from customers disconnecting from our network or reducing the amount of their bandwidth.  The term “ARPU” refers to the monthly average revenue per user, or customer, being generated from those customers under contract at the end of each indicated period.  We calculate ARPU by dividing our monthly recurring revenue (“MRR”) at the end of a period by the number of customers generating that MRR.  ARPU of new customers is calculated in the same manner but only includes new customers who entered into contracts during the indicated period. Market Cash Flow represents the amount of cash generated in a market after deducting a market’s direct operating expenses from that market’s revenues.  Market Cash Flow does not include (i) centralized costs which support all markets collectively or (ii) any network related capital expenditures incurred in a market.

 
Page 3 of 11

 

The Non-GAAP measure, Adjusted EBITDA, excluding non-recurring expenses, has been reconciled to Net loss as follows:

(All dollars are in thousands)

   
Three months ended
 
   
12/31/2010
   
9/30/2010
   
12/31/2009
 
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP to GAAP:
                 
Adjusted EBITDA, excluding non-recurring expenses
  $ 706     $ 414     $ (174 )
Depreciation and amortization
    (1,658 )     (1,557 )     (1,070 )
Non-recurring expenses, primarily acquisition-related
    (332 )     (32 )     (89 )
Stock-based compensation
    (94 )     (220 )     (227 )
Loss on property and equipment
    (25 )     (14 )     (7 )
Interest expense
    (1 )     -       (187 )
Loss on derivative financial instruments
    -       -       (219 )
Interest income
    3       1       1  
Other income (expense), net
    23       21       -  
Net loss
  $ (1,378 )   $ (1,387 )   $ (1,972 )
   
 
Years ended
 
   
12/31/2010
           
12/31/2009
 
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP to GAAP:
                       
Adjusted EBITDA, excluding non-recurring expenses
  $ 1,327             $ (2,352 )
Depreciation and amortization
    (5,770 )             (4,035 )
Stock-based compensation
    (772 )             (803 )
Non-recurring expenses, primarily acquisition-related
    (759 )             (185 )
Loss on property and equipment
    (74 )             (58 )
Interest expense
    (1 )             (740 )
Loss on derivative financial instruments
    -               (479 )
Interest income
    4               27  
Other income (expense), net
    86               -  
Gain on business acquisition
    356               -  
Net loss
  $ (5,603 )           $ (8,625 )
 
 
Page 4 of 11

 
 
Summary Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(All dollars are in thousands except per share amounts)

Statement of Operations
 
(Unaudited)
   
(Audited)
 
   
Three months ended December 31,
   
Years ended December 31,
 
   
2010
   
2009
   
2010
   
2009
 
                         
Revenues
  $ 5,452     $ 4,042     $ 19,646     $ 14,915  
                                 
Operating Expenses
                               
Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation)
    1,355       1,018       4,888       3,690  
Depreciation and amortization
    1,658       1,070       5,770       4,035  
Customer support services
    663       555       2,550       2,133  
Sales and marketing
    1,255       1,205       5,088       5,546  
General and administrative
    1,924       1,760       7,398       6,943  
Total Operating Expenses
    6,855       5,608       25,694       22,347  
Operating Loss
    (1,403 )     (1,566 )     (6,048 )     (7,432 )
Other Income (Expense)
                               
Interest income
    3       1       4       27  
Interest expense
    (1 )     (187 )     (1 )     (740 )
Gain on business acquisition
    -       -       356       -  
Loss on derivative financial instruments
    -       (219 )     -       (479 )
Other income (expense), net
    23       (1 )     86       (1 )
Total Other Income (Expense)
    25       (406 )     445       (1,193 )
Net Loss
  $ (1,378 )   $ (1,972 )   $ (5,603 )   $ (8,625 )
                                 
Net loss per common share
  $ (0.04 )   $ (0.06 )   $ (0.16 )   $ (0.25 )
Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic and diluted
    37,891       34,634       35,627       34,607  

Analysis of Fourth Quarter Results of Operations

Revenues for the fourth quarter 2010 increased 7% from the third quarter 2010 and increased 35% compared to the fourth quarter 2009. These increases were driven by 48% growth in our customer base from approximately 1,900 customers at the end of the fourth quarter 2009 to approximately 2,800 at the end of the fourth quarter 2010.

ARPU of new customers increased 22% in the fourth quarter 2010 compared to the third quarter 2010 and increased 18% compared to the fourth quarter 2009. ARPU of all customers in the fourth quarter 2010 increased 2% compared to the third quarter 2010 and decreased 5% compared to the fourth quarter 2009. During most of 2010, the impact of the long economic recession caused many of our prospective customers to continue to either delay their buying decision or to purchase lower bandwidth services than normal.  In addition, general pricing levels for Internet services declined modestly during the year. During the fourth quarter 2010, customers began to increase their bandwidth purchases which resulted in a 24% increase in ARPU of new customers compared to the average for the first three quarters of the year.  In addition, customer upgrades to higher bandwidth, which also increases ARPU, increased by more than 80% during the second half of 2010 as compared to the same period in 2009.

 
Page 5 of 11

 
 
Depreciation and amortization expenses increased 7% in the fourth quarter 2010 compared to the third quarter 2010 and increased 55% compared to the fourth quarter 2009.  The increases are consistent with a higher base of depreciable assets primarily related to our network and customer premise equipment.  Amortization expense totaled approximately $370,000 in the fourth quarter 2010 primarily associated with customer contracts acquired through the acquisition of Sparkplug Chicago in April 2010.

Customer support expenses increased 4% in the fourth quarter 2010 compared to the third quarter 2010 and increased 19% compared to the fourth quarter 2009. The increase compared to the fourth quarter 2009 reflected staffing additions and other costs incurred to support a customer base which increased 48% over the one year period.

Sales and marketing expenses decreased 2% in the fourth quarter 2010 compared to the third quarter 2010 and increased 4% compared to the fourth quarter 2009. The year-over-year increase related to higher commissions earned.

General and administrative expenses increased 9% in the fourth quarter 2010 compared to both the third quarter 2010 and the fourth quarter 2009, respectively. The comparative increase is attributable to higher professional services costs in the fourth quarter 2010, primarily related to the Pipeline acquisition.

Net loss decreased less than 1% in the fourth quarter 2010 compared to the third quarter 2010 and decreased 30% compared to the fourth quarter 2009. The year-over-year improvement primarily related to a 35% increase in revenues partially offset by a 22% increase in operating expenses.

Capital expenditures totaled $1.5 million for the fourth quarter 2010 as compared to $1.1 million for the third quarter 2010 and $1.2 million for the fourth quarter 2009. The comparative increase can be attributed to an increase in point-to-point sales and upgrades during the second half of 2010.  Equipment and installation costs for these customers are significantly higher than for midrange and multi-point customers, however, the recurring revenues are higher and these businesses generally remain a customer for a longer period of time.

 
Page 6 of 11

 

Balance Sheet (Audited)
 
Years ended December 31,
 
   
2010
   
2009
 
Assets
           
Current Assets
           
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 23,173     $ 14,041  
Other
    856       661  
Total Current Assets
    24,029       14,702  
                 
Property and equipment, net
    15,266       13,635  
                 
Other assets
    5,295       1,166  
                 
Total Assets
    44,590       29,503  
                 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
               
Current Liabilities
               
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
    2,506       2,142  
Deferred revenues and other
    1,339       1,108  
Total Current Liabilities
    3,845       3,250  
                 
Long-Term Liabilities
    724       842  
Total Liabilities
    4,569       4,092  
                 
Stockholders’ Equity
               
Common stock
    42       35  
Additional paid-in-capital
    75,333       55,127  
Accumulated deficit
    (35,354 )     (29,751 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity
    40,021       25,411  
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
  $ 44,590     $ 29,503  
 
 
Page 7 of 11

 
 
Statement of Cash Flows  (Audited)
 
Years ended December 31,
 
   
2010
   
2009
 
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
           
Net loss
  $ (5,603 )   $ (8,625 )
Non-cash adjustments:
               
Depreciation & amortization
    5,770       4,035  
Stock-based compensation
    772       803  
Gain on business acquisition
    (356 )     -  
Other
    149       1,079  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
    (139 )     (272 )
Net Cash Provided By (Used In) Operating Activities
    593       (2,980 )
                 
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
               
Acquisitions of property and equipment
    (5,660 )     (4,848 )
Acquisition of Sparkplug Chicago, Inc.
    (1,170 )     -  
Acquisition of Pipeline Wireless, LLC
    (1,580 )     -  
Other
    (3 )     (96 )
Net Cash Used In Investing Activities
    (8,413 )     (4,944 )
                 
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
               
Repayment of capital leases
    (7 )     (25 )
Repayment of short-term debt
    -       (2,750 )
Net proceeds from sale of common stock
    16,958       -  
Other
    1       -  
Net Cash Provided By (Used In) Financing Activities
    16,952       (2,775 )
                 
Net Increase (Decrease) In Cash and Cash Equivalents
    9,132       (10,699 )
Cash and Cash Equivalents – Beginning
    14,041       24,740  
Cash and Cash Equivalents – Ending
  $ 23,173     $ 14,041  

Market data for the three months ended December 31, 2010
(All dollars are in thousands)

Market
 
Revenues
   
Cost of
Revenues(1)
   
Gross Margin(1)
   
Operating Costs
   
Adjusted Market EBITDA
 
New York
  $ 1,494     $ 322     $ 1,172       78 %   $ 274     $ 898  
Boston
    1,243       208       1,035       83 %     184       851  
Los Angeles
    909       184       725       80 %     257       468  
Chicago
    762       256       506       66 %     174       332  
San Francisco
    331       68       263       79 %     123       140  
Miami
    290       80       210       72 %     104       106  
Providence/Newport
    120       40       80       67 %     26       54  
Seattle
    133       55       78       59 %     32       46  
Dallas-Fort Worth
    141       64       77       55 %     51       26  
Nashville
    19       7       12       63 %     5       7  
Philadelphia
    10       12       (2 )     0 %     39       (41 )
Total
  $ 5,452     $ 1,296     $ 4,156       76 %   $ 1,269     $ 2,887  
 
 
Page 8 of 11

 

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure to GAAP Financial Measure
 
                                                 
Adjusted market EBITDA
                                          $ 2,887  
Centralized costs (1)
                                            (708
)
Corporate expenses
                                            (1,830
)
Depreciation and amortization
                                            (1,658
)
Stock-based compensation
                                            (94
)
Other income (expense)
                                            25  
Net loss
                                          $ (1,378
)

Market data for the three months ended December 31, 2009
 
Market
 
Revenues
   
Cost of
Revenues(1)
   
Gross Margin(1)
   
Operating Costs
   
Adjusted Market EBITDA
 
New York
  $ 1,353     $ 247     $ 1,106       82 %   $ 295     $ 811  
Boston
    1,018       163       855       84 %     153       702  
Los Angeles
    585       104       481       82 %     264       217  
San Francisco
    273       68       205       75 %     77       128  
Providence/Newport
    135       38       97       72 %     42       55  
Chicago
    275       131       144       52 %     104       40  
Miami
    179       67       112       63 %     72       40  
Seattle
    115       54       61       53 %     29       32  
Dallas-Fort Worth
    109       84       25       23 %     62       (37 )
Total
  $ 4,042     $ 956     $ 3,086       76 %   $ 1,098     $ 1,988  

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure to GAAP Financial Measure
 
                                                 
Adjusted market EBITDA
                                          $ 1,988  
Centralized costs (1)
                                            (724
)
Corporate expenses
                                            (1,533
)
Depreciation
                                            (1,070
)
Stock-based compensation
                                            (227
)
Other income (expense)
                                            (406
)
Net loss
                                          $ (1,972
)

Market data for the year ended December 31, 2010
(All dollars are in thousands)
 
Market
 
Revenues
   
Cost of
Revenues(1)
   
Gross Margin(1)
   
Operating Costs
   
Adjusted Market EBITDA
 
New York
  $ 5,783     $ 1,161     $ 4,622       80 %   $ 1,187     $ 3,435  
Boston
    4,510       729       3,781       84 %     689       3,092  
Los Angeles
    3,178       612       2,566       81 %     1,098       1,468  
Chicago
    2,453       799       1,654       67 %     604       1,050  
San Francisco
    1,161       246       915       79 %     362       553  
Miami
    987       317       670       68 %     361       309  
Providence/Newport
    495       162       333       67 %     112       221  
Seattle
    510       217       293       57 %     127       166  
Nashville
    59       29       30       51 %     18       12  
Dallas-Fort Worth
    493       315       178       36 %     226       (48 )
Philadelphia
    17       54       (37 )     0 %     184       (221 )
Total
  $ 19,646     $ 4,641     $ 15,005       76 %   $ 4,968     $ 10,037  
 
 
Page 9 of 11

 
 
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure to GAAP Financial Measure
 
                                                 
Adjusted market EBITDA
                                          $ 10,037  
Centralized costs (1)
                                            (2,917
)
Corporate expenses
                                            (6,626
)
Depreciation and amortization
                                            (5,770
)
Stock-based compensation
                                            (772
)
Other income (expense)
                                            445  
Net loss
                                          $ (5,603
)

Market data for the year ended December 31, 2009
 
Market
 
Revenues
   
Cost of
Revenues(1)
   
Gross Margin(1)
   
Operating Costs
   
Adjusted Market EBITDA
 
New York
  $ 5,218     $ 929     $ 4,289       82 %   $ 1,247     $ 3,042  
Boston
    3,983       656       3,327       84 %     735       2,592  
Los Angeles
    1,930       340       1,590       82 %     1,043       547  
San Francisco
    984       218       766       78 %     414       352  
Providence/Newport
    530       151       379       72 %     200       179  
Chicago
    951       391       560       59 %     460       100  
Miami
    590       259       331       56 %     382       (51 )
Seattle
    431       233       198       46 %     259       (61 )
Dallas-Fort Worth
    298       261       37       12 %     404       (367 )
Total
  $ 14,915     $ 3,438     $ 11,477       77 %   $ 5,144     $ 6,333  
 

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure to GAAP Financial Measure
 
                                                 
Adjusted market EBITDA
                                          $ 6,333  
Centralized costs (1)
                                            (2,787
)
Corporate expenses
                                            (6,140
)
Depreciation
                                            (4,035
)
Stock-based compensation
                                            (803
)
Other income (expense)
                                            (1,193
)
Net loss
                                          $ (8,625
)
 
(1)
Certain expenses are reported as Cost of Revenues for financial statement purposes but are included in Centralized costs in the Market Data table because they are not specific to any market.  These costs totaled $59 and $62 respectively for the three months ended December 31, 2010 and 2009 and $247 and $252 respectively for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009.

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call led by President and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Thompson, and Chief Financial Officer, Joseph Hernon, will be held on March 17, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. ET to review our financial results and provide an update on current business developments.

Interested parties may participate in the conference by dialing 877-664-7392 or 678-894-3061 (for international callers). A telephonic replay of the conference may be accessed approximately two hours after the call through March 24, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. ET by dialing 800-642-1687 or 706-645-9291 (for international callers) using pass code 48863608.

The call will also be webcast and can be accessed in a listen-only mode on the Company’s website at http://ir.towerstream.com/eventdetail.cfm?eventid=93590.

 
Page 10 of 11

 

About Towerstream Corporation

Towerstream is a leading 4G service provider in the U.S., delivering high-speed wireless Internet access to businesses.  Founded in 2000, the Company has established networks in 11 markets including New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay area, Miami, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Nashville and the greater Providence area where the Company is based.  For more information, visit our website at www.towerstream.com or follow us on Twitter @Towerstream. The Towerstream Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6570.

Towerstream’s wireless broadband solution network delivers high-speed Internet access supporting VoIP, bandwidth on demand, wireless redundancy, VPNs, disaster recovery, bundled data, and video services, and can be delivered in days.  Unlike cable Internet and DSL, Towerstream connections are symmetrical, which means that the upload and download speeds are identical.  This creates a more stable connection, suitable for VoIP and web hosting, as well as many other business applications. Companies utilizing multiple appliances simultaneously, such as streaming video and VoIP, can prioritize their bandwidth to secure mission-critical activities.  All of Towerstream’s products are backed by its Service Level Agreement (SLA) and the ability to be up and running within a week.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements contained in this press release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable federal securities laws, including, without limitation, anything relating or referring to future financial results and plans for future business development activities, and are thus prospective.  Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified based on current expectations.  Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.  Consequently, future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein.  The Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

INVESTOR CONTACT:
Terry McGovern
Vision Advisors
415-902-3001
mcgovern@visionadvisors.net

MEDIA CONTACT:
Matt Calderone
LaunchSquad Public Relations
212-564-3665
towerstream@launchsquad.com
 
 
Page 11 of 11