MGM Resorts International Reports Strong First Quarter Financial And Operating Results

LAS VEGAS, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) ("MGM Resorts" or the "Company") today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Key achievements include:

• Wholly owned domestic resorts Adjusted Property EBITDA increased by 24%;
• Highest margins since 2007 for Adjusted Property EBITDA at wholly owned domestic resorts;
• Las Vegas Strip REVPAR increased by 8%;
• Profit Growth Plan contributed approximately $54 million of Adjusted Property EBITDA growth at wholly owned domestic resorts;
• MGM Growth Properties ("MGP") completed its $1.2 billion initial public offering, successfully highlighting the significant value in the Company's premier real estate assets;
• CityCenter sold The Shops at Crystals for $1.1 billion, resulting in a $540 million distribution to MGM Resorts; and
• Completed the opening of The Park, an outdoor pedestrian area with dining and entertainment, and the T-Mobile Arena, a 20,000-seat theater venue, both on the Las Vegas Strip.

"MGM Resorts delivered an exceptional quarter, generating strong financial results while completing significant strategic achievements," said Jim Murren, Chairman & CEO of MGM Resorts. "Our wholly owned domestic resorts reported the strongest Adjusted Property EBITDA since 2007, as well as an impressive 524 basis point increase in Adjusted Property EBITDA margins, demonstrating the strength of our operations and success of our Profit Growth Plan. Our recent landmark accomplishments, including the completion of MGP's initial public offering and its concurrent debt financings, as well as the sale of CityCenter's The Shops at Crystals, underscore our ability to deliver significant shareholder value and drive sustainable, long-term growth for our company."

Key results for the first quarter of 2016 include:

• Net revenue at the Company's wholly owned domestic resorts increased 3% compared to the prior year quarter, or 4% excluding Circus Circus Reno, Railroad Pass, and the Company's properties in Jean Nevada, which were sold during 2015;
• Rooms revenue at wholly owned domestic resorts increased 7%, with an 8% increase in REVPAR⁽¹⁾ at the Company's Las Vegas Strip resorts, compared to the prior year quarter;
• The Company's wholly owned domestic resorts earned Adjusted Property EBITDA⁽²⁾ of $485 million, a 24% increase compared to the prior year quarter;
• Wholly owned domestic resorts Adjusted Property EBITDA margin was 30%, a 524 basis point increase compared to the prior year quarter;
• MGM China's net revenue of $469 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $114 million, a decrease of 26% and 23%, respectively, compared to the prior year quarter; and
• CityCenter Adjusted EBITDA related to resort operations of $92 million, a 30% increase compared to the prior year quarter.

First Quarter Consolidated Results

Diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2016 was $0.12, compared to diluted earnings per share of $0.33 in the prior year quarter. Current quarter net income was impacted by an increase in the effective tax rate from a benefit of 36% in the prior year quarter to a provision of 19% in the current year quarter primarily as a result of a decrease in the amount of foreign tax credits that we expect to benefit in 2016. The prior year quarter benefited from a $0.09 per share gain related to CityCenter's final resolution of its construction litigation and remaining settlements.

The following table lists certain other items that affect the comparability of the current and prior year quarterly results (approximate EPS impact shown, net of tax, per share; negative amounts represent charges to income):

Wholly Owned Domestic Resorts

Casino revenue related to wholly owned domestic resorts increased 4%, excluding the operations sold during 2015, compared to the prior year quarter, due primarily to an increase in table games revenue. Table games hold percentage in the first quarter of 2016 was 22.4% compared to 20.1% in the prior year quarter, while table games volume decreased 6% compared to the prior year quarter. Slots revenue increased 2%, excluding the operations sold during 2015, compared to the prior year quarter.

Rooms revenue increased 7%, with an increase in Las Vegas Strip REVPAR of 8%. The following table shows key hotel statistics for the Company's Las Vegas Strip resorts:

Wholly owned domestic resorts Adjusted Property EBITDA was $485 million in the first quarter of 2016, a 24% increase compared to the prior year quarter, and was positively affected by approximately $54 million of incremental Adjusted Property EBITDA as a result of the Company's Profit Growth Plan initiatives. Operating income for the Company's wholly owned domestic resorts increased 33% for the first quarter of 2016 compared to the prior year quarter.

Corporate Expense

Corporate expense was $71 million, an increase of $21 million compared to the prior year quarter. The current year quarter included $7 million of costs incurred to implement initiatives related to the Profit Growth Plan and $7 million of costs incurred in connection with the MGM Growth Properties transactions.

MGM China

Key first quarter results for MGM China include:

• Net revenue of $469 million, a 26% decrease compared to the prior year quarter;
• Main floor table games revenue decreased 8% compared to the prior year quarter;
• VIP table games revenue decreased 41% due to a decrease in turnover of 34% compared to the prior year quarter, and hold percentage decreased to 3.0% in the current year quarter, compared to 3.3% in the prior year quarter;
• Adjusted EBITDA of $114 million, a 23% decrease compared to the prior year quarter, including $8 million of license fee expense in the current year quarter and $11 million in the prior year quarter;
• Adjusted EBITDA margin increased by 77 basis points compared to the prior year quarter to 24% as a result of an increase in main floor table games mix and continuous efforts to reduce costs; and
• Operating income of $47 million, compared to operating income of $72 million in the prior year quarter.

Unconsolidated Affiliates

The following table summarizes information related to the Company's share of income (loss) from unconsolidated affiliates:

On April 14, 2016, CityCenter Holdings, LLC ("CityCenter") closed the sale of The Shops at Crystals ("Crystals") for approximately $1.1 billion. CityCenter previously announced a $1.08 billion distribution consisting of a $990 million special distribution in connection with the sale and a $90 million distribution as part of its annual distribution policy.  On May 4, 2016, the Company received $540 million, its 50% share of the distributions.

CityCenter's results for the first quarter of 2016 included $61 million of accelerated depreciation associated with the April 2016 closure of the Zarkana theatre, and an $18 million charge related to obligations in connection with the sale of Crystals. Results for the first quarter of 2015 included a $160 million gain related to the final resolution of its construction litigation and remaining settlements. Excluding the impact of these items, the Company's income from unconsolidated affiliates related to CityCenter was $31 million for the first quarter of 2016, compared to $22 million in the prior year quarter.

Results for CityCenter for the first quarter of 2016 include the following (see schedules accompanying this release for further detail on CityCenter's first quarter results):

• Net revenue from resort operations of $302 million, a 6% increase compared to the prior year quarter;
• Adjusted EBITDA from resort operations of $92 million, an increase of 30% compared to the prior year quarter; this was positively affected by approximately $10 million of incremental Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Profit Growth Plan initiatives;
• Adjusted EBITDA at Aria of $81 million increased by 33% compared to the prior year quarter;
• Aria's table games volume increased 5% and table games hold percentage was 23.8%, compared to 24.3% in the prior year quarter;
• Record REVPAR at Aria of $230, a 5% increase compared to the prior year quarter; and
• Record REVPAR at Vdara of $190, a 10% increase compared to the prior year quarter, and a 16% increase in Adjusted EBITDA compared to the prior year quarter.

CityCenter reported an operating loss of $27 million, including $61 million of accelerated depreciation as discussed above, for the first quarter of 2016, compared to operating income of $176 million in the prior year quarter, as a result of the factors described above.

The Company's income from unconsolidated affiliates related to Borgata for the first quarter of 2016 increased 63%, compared to the prior year quarter, due to higher casino revenue as well as lower property tax expense due to the application of credits from a prior tax court judgment to Borgata's first quarter property tax payment.

MGM Growth Properties

"This was an exciting quarter for MGM Resorts, in part because of the successful initial public offering of MGM Growth Properties," said Mr. Murren. "Not only did the offering price at the top of the price range, it was the largest IPO in 2016 to-date. Importantly, this transaction provided MGM Resorts' shareholders with numerous strategic and financial benefits, including enhancements to our balance sheet."

On April 25, 2016, MGP, a subsidiary of the Company, completed its initial public offering of 57,500,000 Class A shares (inclusive of the full exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase 7,500,000 Class A shares) at a price to the public of $21.00 per share (the "IPO") for proceeds of approximately $1.1 billion, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. The proceeds of the IPO were used by MGP to purchase operating partnership units in the operating partnership that holds the real estate associated with Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, New York-New York, Luxor, Monte Carlo, Excalibur, The Park, MGM Grand Detroit, Beau Rivage and Gold Strike Tunica. A subsidiary of MGP is the general partner of the operating partnership.

The Company will continue to hold a controlling interest in MGP through its ownership of MGP's Class B share. In addition, certain of the Company's subsidiaries will directly hold a majority economic interest in, and will participate in distributions made by, the operating partnership, through their ownership of approximately 73% of the partnership units of the operating partnership.

In connection with the transactions described above, the operating partnership assumed approximately $4 billion of bridge facility indebtedness from the Company, which was repaid by the operating partnership with the proceeds of the IPO and concurrent bank and bond debt financing transactions.

Financial Position

The Company's cash balance at March 31, 2016 was $1.7 billion, which included $595 million at MGM China. At March 31, 2016, the Company had $2.7 billion of borrowings outstanding under its $3.9 billion senior secured credit facility, $1.6 billion outstanding under the MGM China credit facility and $250 million outstanding under the MGM National Harbor credit facility.

In connection with the MGP IPO and related transactions, the Company entered into an amended and restated senior secured facility comprised of a $1.25 billion revolving facility and a $250 million term loan A facility. After giving effect to the repayment of its 6.875% senior notes at maturity in April 2016, the pending redemption of the Company's 10% senior notes due 2016 and its 7.5% senior notes due 2016, and the amendment and restatement of the senior secured credit facility, the Company had approximately $12.3 billion principal amount of indebtedness outstanding, including $250 million outstanding under its senior secured credit facility, $250 million outstanding under the MGM National Harbor facility, $3.2 billion of indebtedness at MGP, and $1.6 billion at MGM China.

"We continue to make significant progress in improving our balance sheet through our strong performance in the first quarter and the continued execution of our strategic plan," said Dan D'Arrigo, Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer of MGM Resorts International. "We remain committed to strengthening our financial flexibility, as highlighted by Moody's in its recent two-notch upgrade of MGM Resorts International's corporate family rating, bringing us closer to our goal of returning to investment grade."

Conference Call Details

MGM Resorts will host a conference call at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time today which will include a brief discussion of these results followed by a question and answer period. The call will be accessible via the Internet through www.mgmresorts.com under the Investors section or by calling 1-888-317-6003 for domestic callers and 1-412-317-6061 for international callers. The conference call access code is 6743176. A replay of the call will be available through Friday, May 13, 2016. The replay may be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 or 1-412-317-0088. The replay access code is 10085058. The call will be archived at www.mgmresorts.com. In addition, MGM Resorts will post supplemental slides today on its website at www.mgmresorts.investorroom.com for reference during its May 5, 2016 earnings call.

About MGM Resorts International

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company is in the process of developing MGM National Harbor in Maryland and MGM Springfield in Massachusetts. MGM Resorts controls, and holds a 73 percent economic interest in the operating partnership of MGM Growth Properties LLC (NYSE: MGP), a premier triple-net lease real estate investment trust engaged in the acquisition, ownership and leasing of large-scale destination entertainment and leisure resorts. The Company also owns 51 percent of MGM China Holdings Limited (HK: 2282), which owns the MGM Macau resort and casino and is developing a gaming resort in Cotai, and 50 percent of CityCenter in Las Vegas, which features ARIA Resort & Casino. MGM Resorts is a FORTUNE Magazine World's Most Admired Company. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

Statements in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve risks and/or uncertainties, including those described in the Company's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company has based forward-looking statements on management's current expectations and assumptions and not on historical facts. Examples of these statements include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to generate future cash flow growth and to execute on future development and other projects, such as the Profit Growth Plan, the expected results of the Profit Growth Plan, the realization of any benefits from the MGP transactions and the Company's ability to execute its strategic plan and improve its financial flexibility. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements include effects of economic conditions and market conditions in the markets in which the Company operates and competition with other destination travel locations throughout the United States and the world, the design, timing and costs of expansion projects, risks relating to international operations, permits, licenses, financings, approvals and other contingencies in connection with growth in new or existing jurisdictions and additional risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports (including all amendments to those reports). In providing forward-looking statements, the Company is not undertaking any duty or obligation to update these statements publicly as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. If the Company updates one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those other forward-looking statements.