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8-K - 8-K - Restaurant Brands International Limited Partnershipqsp201912318kform.htm


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Restaurant Brands International Inc. Reports Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2019 Results
RBI delivers consolidated system-wide sales growth of 10% in Q4 and over 8% in 2019
More than 27,000 restaurants now open globally following 1,342 net restaurant openings in 2019
BURGER KING® delivers over 9% system-wide sales growth and adds over 1,000 net new restaurants in 2019
POPEYES® delivers transformational system-wide sales growth of over 42% in Q4 boosted by the Chicken Sandwich
TIM HORTONS® announces plan to reignite growth in Canada by focusing on its fundamentals and founding values
 
Toronto, Ontario – February 10, 2020 – Restaurant Brands International Inc. (TSX/NYSE: QSR, TSX: QSP) today reported financial results for the full year and fourth quarter ended December 31, 2019.
 
Jose Cil, Chief Executive Officer of Restaurant Brands International Inc. ("RBI") commented, “We have three iconic restaurant brands that are together growing rapidly around the world. Last year, we shared a long-term aspiration to build the most loved restaurant brands in the world and have more than 40,000 restaurants open within 8-10 years. I'm proud that our 2019 results have us solidly on track."

“Burger King delivered its strongest year of restaurant growth in the last two decades.  Popeyes launched an iconic Chicken Sandwich that has proven to be a game changer for the brand in every way.  At Tim Hortons, our performance did not reflect the incredible power of our brand and it is clear that we have a large opportunity to refocus on our founding values and what has made us famous with our guests over the years, which will be the basis for our plan in 2020."

2019 Growth and Profitability Highlights:

System-wide Sales Growth of 8.3%
Net Restaurant Growth of 5.2%
Diluted EPS of $2.37 versus $2.42 in prior year
Adjusted Diluted EPS of $2.72 versus $2.63 in prior year
Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders and Noncontrolling Interests of $1,109 million versus $1,143 million in prior year
Adjusted EBITDA of $2,304 million increased 6.5% organically versus the prior year
Net cash provided by operating activities of $1,476 million and Free Cash Flow of $1,414 million

Dividend Update:

RBI announced that its board of directors declared a dividend of $0.52 per common share and partnership exchangeable unit of Restaurant Brands International Limited Partnership (“RBI LP”) for Q1 of 2020
In connection with the declared dividend, RBI also announced that it is targeting a total of $2.08 in dividends per common share and partnership exchangeable unit of RBI LP for 2020



1




Consolidated Operational Highlights
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
 
(unaudited)
 
(unaudited)
System-wide Sales Growth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    TH
 
(2.9
)%
 
 
2.4
%
 
 
(0.3
)%
 
 
2.4
%
    BK
 
8.4
 %
 
 
8.4
%
 
 
9.3
 %
 
 
8.9
%
    PLK
 
42.3
 %
 
 
6.3
%
 
 
18.5
 %
 
 
8.9
%
Consolidated
 
9.9
 %
 
 
6.8
%
 
 
8.3
 %
 
 
7.4
%
System-wide Sales (in US$ millions)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    TH
$
1,679
 
$
1,727
 
$
6,716
 
$
6,869
    BK
$
5,905
 
$
5,528
 
$
22,921
 
$
21,624
    PLK
$
1,327
 
$
934
 
$
4,397
 
$
3,732
Consolidated
$
8,911
 
$
8,189
 
$
34,034
 
$
32,225
Net Restaurant Growth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    TH
 
1.8
 %
 
 
2.1
%
 
 
1.8
 %
 
 
2.1
%
    BK
 
5.9
 %
 
 
6.1
%
 
 
5.9
 %
 
 
6.1
%
    PLK
 
6.9
 %
 
 
7.3
%
 
 
6.9
 %
 
 
7.3
%
Consolidated
 
5.2
 %
 
 
5.5
%
 
 
5.2
 %
 
 
5.5
%
System Restaurant Count at Period End
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    TH
 
4,932
 
 
4,846
 
 
4,932
 
 
4,846
    BK
 
18,838
 
 
17,796
 
 
18,838
 
 
17,796
    PLK
 
3,316
 
 
3,102
 
 
3,316
 
 
3,102
Consolidated
 
27,086
 
 
25,744
 
 
27,086
 
 
25,744
Comparable Sales
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    TH
 
(4.3
)%
 
 
1.9
%
 
 
(1.5
)%
 
 
0.6
%
    BK
 
2.8
 %
 
 
1.7
%
 
 
3.4
 %
 
 
2.0
%
    PLK
 
34.4
 %
 
 
0.1
%
 
 
12.1
 %
 
 
1.6
%

Note: System-wide sales growth and comparable sales are calculated on a constant currency basis and include sales at franchise restaurants and company-owned restaurants. System-wide sales are driven by sales at franchised restaurants, as approximately 100% of current restaurants are franchised. We do not record franchise sales as revenues; however, our franchise revenues include royalties based on a percentage of franchise sales.








2




Consolidated Financial Highlights

 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in US$ millions, except per share data)
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
 
(unaudited)
 
(unaudited)
Total Revenues
$
1,479

 
$
1,385

 
$
5,603

 
$
5,357

Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders and Noncontrolling Interests
$
255

 
$
301

 
$
1,109

 
$
1,143

Diluted Earnings per Share
$
0.54

 
$
0.64

 
$
2.37

 
$
2.42

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TH Adjusted EBITDA(1)
$
297

 
$
297

 
$
1,122

 
$
1,127

BK Adjusted EBITDA(1)
$
266

 
$
247

 
$
994

 
$
928

PLK Adjusted EBITDA(1)
$
59

 
$
37

 
$
188

 
$
157

Adjusted EBITDA(2)
$
622

 
$
581

 
$
2,304

 
$
2,212

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Adjusted Net Income(2)
$
351

 
$
318

 
$
1,274

 
$
1,242

Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share(2)
$
0.75

 
$
0.68

 
$
2.72

 
$
2.63

 
As of December 31,
 
2019
 
2018
 
(unaudited)
LTM Free Cash Flow(2)
$
1,414

 
$
1,079

Net Debt
$
10,763

 
$
11,372

Net Leverage(2)
4.7x

 
5.1x



(1)
TH Adjusted EBITDA, BK Adjusted EBITDA, and PLK Adjusted EBITDA are our measures of segment profitability.
(2)
Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share, LTM Free Cash Flow, and Net Leverage are non-GAAP financial measures. Please refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for further detail.

Effective January 1, 2019, we adopted the new lease accounting standard ("New Standard"). Our consolidated financial statements for 2019 reflect the application of the New Standard, while our consolidated financial statements for 2018 were prepared under the guidance of the previously applicable lease accounting standard (“Previous Standard”).

The year-over-year change in Total Revenues on a GAAP basis was primarily driven by system-wide sales growth, the impact of the New Standard on franchise and property revenues and an increase in supply chain sales, which include sales of products, supplies and restaurant equipment, as well as sales to retailers, partially offset by FX movements.

The decrease in Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders and Noncontrolling Interests for the full year and fourth quarter was primarily driven by an increase in income tax expense, the change in other operating expenses (income), net (driven by FX) and loss on early extinguishment of debt, partially offset by growth in segment income.

The year-over year change in Adjusted EBITDA on an organic basis was primarily driven by system-wide sales growth.



3




TH Segment Results
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in US$ millions)
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
 
(unaudited)
 
(unaudited)
System-wide Sales Growth
 
(2.9
)%
 
 
2.4
%
 
 
(0.3
)%
 
 
2.4
%
System-wide Sales
$
1,679

 
$
1,727

 
$
6,716

 
$
6,869

Comparable Sales
 
(4.3
)%
 
 
1.9
%
 
 
(1.5
)%
 
 
0.6
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net Restaurant Growth
 
1.8
 %
 
 
2.1
%
 
 
1.8
 %
 
 
2.1
%
System Restaurant Count at Period End
 
4,932

 
 
4,846

 
 
4,932

 
 
4,846

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sales
$
586

 
$
574

 
$
2,204

 
$
2,201

Franchise and Property Revenues
$
286

 
$
278

 
$
1,140

 
$
1,091

Total Revenues
$
872

 
$
852

 
$
3,344

 
$
3,292

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cost of Sales
$
444

 
$
438

 
$
1,677

 
$
1,688

Franchise and Property Expenses
$
90

 
$
69

 
$
358

 
$
279

Segment SG&A
$
73

 
$
76

 
$
309

 
$
314

Segment Depreciation and Amortization
$
26

 
$
24

 
$
106

 
$
102

Adjusted EBITDA(1)(3)
$
297

 
$
297

 
$
1,122

 
$
1,127


(3)
TH Adjusted EBITDA includes $5 million of cash distributions received from equity method investments for each of the three months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. TH Adjusted EBITDA includes $16 million and $15 million of cash distributions received from equity method investments for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

For the full year and fourth quarter, system-wide sales growth was primarily driven by a decrease in comparable sales of (1.5)% and (4.3)%, respectively, including Canada comparable sales of (1.4)% and (4.6)% for the same periods, partially offset by net restaurant growth of 1.8%.

The year-over-year change in Total Revenues on a GAAP basis was primarily driven by the impact of the New Standard on franchise and property revenues and supply chain sales, which include sales of products, supplies and restaurant equipment, as well as sales to retailers, partially offset by FX movements. On an organic basis, the year-over-year change in Total Revenues was primarily driven by supply chain sales.

The year-over-year change in Adjusted EBITDA on a GAAP and on an organic basis was primarily driven by supply chain and was offset by FX movements on a GAAP basis.




4




BK Segment Results
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in US$ millions)
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
 
(unaudited)
 
(unaudited)
System-wide Sales Growth
 
8.4
%
 
 
8.4
%
 
 
9.3
%
 
 
8.9
%
System-wide Sales
$
5,905

 
$
5,528

 
$
22,921

 
$
21,624

Comparable Sales
 
2.8
%
 
 
1.7
%
 
 
3.4
%
 
 
2.0
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net Restaurant Growth
 
5.9
%
 
 
6.1
%
 
 
5.9
%
 
 
6.1
%
System Restaurant Count at Period End
 
18,838

 
 
17,796

 
 
18,838

 
 
17,796

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sales
$
19

 
$
19

 
$
76

 
$
75

Franchise and Property Revenues
$
443

 
$
408

 
$
1,701

 
$
1,576

Total Revenues
$
462

 
$
427

 
$
1,777

 
$
1,651

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cost of Sales
$
18

 
$
17

 
$
71

 
$
67

Franchise and Property Expenses
$
44

 
$
34

 
$
168

 
$
131

Segment SG&A
$
151

 
$
144

 
$
600

 
$
577

Segment Depreciation and Amortization
$
12

 
$
12

 
$
49

 
$
48

Adjusted EBITDA(1)(4)
$
266

 
$
247

 
$
994

 
$
928


(4)
BK Adjusted EBITDA includes $4 million of cash distributions received from equity method investments for each of the three months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. BK Adjusted EBITDA includes $6 million and $5 million of cash distributions received from equity method investments for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

For the full year and fourth quarter, global system-wide sales growth included system-wide sales growth in the US of 2.7% and 1.4%, respectively, and system-wide sales growth in the rest of the world of 15.3% and 14.5%, respectively. For the full year and fourth quarter, net restaurant growth was 5.9%, while global comparable sales grew 3.4% and 2.8%, respectively, including US comparable sales growth of 1.7% and 0.6%, respectively.

The year-over-year change in Total Revenues on a GAAP basis was primarily driven by system-wide sales growth and the impact of the New Standard on franchise and property revenues, partially offset by FX movements. On an organic basis, the year-over-year change in Total Revenues was primarily driven by system-wide sales growth.

The year-over-year change in Adjusted EBITDA on a GAAP and on an organic basis was primarily driven by system-wide sales growth. This was partially offset by FX movements on a GAAP basis.





5




PLK Segment Results

 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in US$ millions)
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
 
(unaudited)
 
(unaudited)
System-wide Sales Growth
 
42.3
%
 
 
6.3
%
 
 
18.5
%
 
 
8.9
%
System-wide Sales
$
1,327

 
$
934

 
$
4,397

 
$
3,732

Comparable Sales
 
34.4
%
 
 
0.1
%
 
 
12.1
%
 
 
1.6
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net Restaurant Growth
 
6.9
%
 
 
7.3
%
 
 
6.9
%
 
 
7.3
%
System Restaurant Count at Period End
 
3,316

 
 
3,102

 
 
3,316

 
 
3,102

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sales
$
22

 
$
19

 
$
82

 
$
79

Franchise and Property Revenues
$
123

 
$
87

 
$
400

 
$
335

Total Revenues
$
145

 
$
106

 
$
482

 
$
414

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cost of Sales
$
17

 
$
15

 
$
65

 
$
63

Franchise and Property Expenses
$
5

 
$
5

 
$
14

 
$
12

Segment SG&A
$
66

 
$
52

 
$
225

 
$
193

Segment Depreciation and Amortization
$
3

 
$
2

 
$
11

 
$
10

Adjusted EBITDA(1)
$
59

 
$
37

 
$
188

 
$
157


For the full year and fourth quarter, system-wide sales growth was primarily driven by comparable sales growth and net restaurant growth of 6.9%. For the full year and fourth quarter, comparable sales were 12.1% and 34.4%, respectively, including US comparable sales of 13.0% and 37.9%, respectively.

The year-over-year change in Total Revenues on a GAAP and on an organic basis was primarily driven by system-wide sales growth.

The year-over-year change in Adjusted EBITDA on a GAAP and on an organic basis was primarily driven by system-wide sales growth.
























6




Cash and Liquidity

As of December 31, 2019, total debt was $12.3 billion, and net debt (total debt less cash and cash equivalents of $1.5 billion) was $10.8 billion, and net leverage was 4.7x. In the fourth quarter, we took advantage of favorable market conditions to refinance our Term Loan B and issue a New Second Lien Note with a favorable reduction to our overall cost of capital and extension of our debt maturity profile. The RBI board of directors has declared a dividend of $0.52 per common share and partnership exchangeable unit of RBI LP for the first quarter of 2020. The dividend will be payable on April 3, 2020 to shareholders and unitholders of record at the close of business on March 16, 2020. In connection with the declared dividend, RBI also announced that it is targeting a total of $2.08 in dividends per common share and partnership exchangeable unit of RBI LP for 2020.

Investor Conference Call
 
We will host an investor conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, February 10, 2020, to review financial results for the full year and fourth quarter ended December 31, 2019. The earnings call will be broadcast live via our investor relations website at http://investor.rbi.com and a replay will be available for 30 days following the release. The dial-in number is (877) 317-6711 for U.S. callers, (866) 450-4696 for Canadian callers, and (412) 317-5475 for callers from other countries.

Contacts

Investors: investor@rbi.com
Media: media@rbi.com
 
About Restaurant Brands International Inc.
 
Restaurant Brands International Inc. (“RBI”) is one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies with more than $34 billion in system-wide sales and over 27,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories. RBI owns three of the world’s most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – TIM HORTONS®, BURGER KING®, and POPEYES®. These independently operated brands have been serving their respective guests, franchisees and communities for over 45 years. To learn more about RBI, please visit the company’s website at www.rbi.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, which reflect management's current beliefs and expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include statements about our expectations regarding our long-term restaurant growth goal and our progress toward that goal, our future plans with respect to our brands and our total dividend target for 2020. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from RBI’s expectations are detailed in filings of RBI with the Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities, such as its annual and quarterly reports and current reports on Form 8-K, and include the following: risks related to RBI’s ability to successfully implement its domestic and international growth strategy and risks related to its international operations; risks related to RBI’s ability to compete domestically and internationally in an intensely competitive industry; risks related to technology; and changes in applicable tax laws or interpretations thereof. Other than as required under U.S. federal securities laws or Canadian securities laws, we do not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or circumstances, change in expectations or otherwise.






7




RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(In millions of U.S. dollars, except per share data)
(Unaudited)


 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sales
$
627

 
$
612

 
$
2,362

 
$
2,355

Franchise and property revenues
852

 
773

 
3,241

 
3,002

Total revenues
1,479

 
1,385

 
5,603

 
5,357

Operating costs and expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cost of sales
479

 
470

 
1,813

 
1,818

Franchise and property expenses
139

 
108

 
540

 
422

Selling, general and administrative expenses
316

 
297

 
1,264

 
1,214

(Income) loss from equity method investments

 
(5
)
 
(11
)
 
(22
)
Other operating expenses (income), net
34

 
(1
)
 
(10
)
 
8

Total operating costs and expenses
968

 
869

 
3,596

 
3,440

Income from operations
511

 
516

 
2,007

 
1,917

Interest expense, net
126

 
130

 
532

 
535

Loss on early extinguishment of debt
19

 

 
23

 

Income before income taxes
366

 
386

 
1,452

 
1,382

Income tax expense
109

 
85

 
341

 
238

Net income
257

 
301

 
1,111

 
1,144

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
92

 
138

 
468

 
532

Net income attributable to common shareholders
$
165

 
$
163

 
$
643

 
$
612

Earnings per common share:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
$
0.55

 
$
0.65

 
$
2.40

 
$
2.46

Diluted
$
0.54

 
$
0.64

 
$
2.37

 
$
2.42

Weighted average shares outstanding:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
298

 
251

 
268

 
249

Diluted
469

 
469

 
469

 
473

Cash dividends declared per common share
$
0.50

 
$
0.45

 
$
2.00

 
$
1.80





8




RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In millions of U.S. dollars, except share data)
(Unaudited)
 
As of
 
December 31, 2019
 
December 31, 2018
ASSETS
 
 
 
Current assets:
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
$
1,533

 
$
913

Accounts and notes receivable, net of allowance of $13 and $14, respectively
527

 
452

Inventories, net
84

 
75

Prepaids and other current assets
52

 
60

Total current assets
2,196

 
1,500

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $746 and $704, respectively
2,007

 
1,996

Operating lease assets, net
1,176

 

Intangible assets, net
10,563

 
10,463

Goodwill
5,651

 
5,486

Net investment in property leased to franchisees
48

 
54

Other assets, net
719

 
642

Total assets
$
22,360

 
$
20,141

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
 
 
 
Current liabilities:
 
 
 
Accounts and drafts payable
$
644

 
$
513

Other accrued liabilities
790

 
637

Gift card liability
168

 
167

Current portion of long term debt and finance leases
101

 
91

Total current liabilities
1,703

 
1,408

Term debt, net of current portion
11,759

 
11,823

Finance leases, net of current portion
288

 
226

Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion
1,089

 

Other liabilities, net
1,698

 
1,547

Deferred income taxes, net
1,564

 
1,519

Total liabilities
18,101

 
16,523

Commitments and contingencies
 
 
 
Shareholders’ equity:
 
 
 
Common shares, no par value; unlimited shares authorized at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018; 298,281,081 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2019; 251,532,493 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2018
2,478

 
1,737

Retained earnings
775

 
674

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
(763
)
 
(800
)
Total Restaurant Brands International Inc. shareholders’ equity
2,490

 
1,611

Noncontrolling interests
1,769

 
2,007

Total shareholders’ equity
4,259

 
3,618

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
$
22,360

 
$
20,141


9




RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In millions of U.S. dollars)
(Unaudited)
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
 
2019
 
2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
 
 
 
Net income
$
1,111

 
$
1,144

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
 
 
 
Depreciation and amortization
185

 
180

Premiums paid and non-cash loss on early extinguishment of debt
16

 

Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt issuance discount
29

 
29

(Income) loss from equity method investments
(11
)
 
(22
)
Loss (gain) on remeasurement of foreign denominated transactions
(14
)
 
(33
)
Net (gains) losses on derivatives
(49
)
 
(40
)
Share-based compensation expense
68

 
48

Deferred income taxes
58

 
29

Other
6

 
5

Changes in current assets and liabilities, excluding acquisitions and dispositions:
 
 
 
Accounts and notes receivable
(53
)
 
19

Inventories and prepaids and other current assets
(15
)
 
(7
)
Accounts and drafts payable
112

 
41

Other accrued liabilities and gift card liability
(51
)
 
(219
)
Tenant inducements paid to franchisees
(54
)
 
(52
)
Other long-term assets and liabilities
138

 
43

Net cash provided by operating activities
1,476

 
1,165

Cash flows from investing activities:
 
 
 
Payments for property and equipment
(62
)
 
(86
)
Proceeds from disposal of assets, restaurant closures and refranchisings
8

 
8

Settlement/sale of derivatives, net
24

 
17

Other investing activities, net

 
17

Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities
(30
)
 
(44
)
Cash flows from financing activities:
 
 
 
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt
2,250

 
75

Repayments of long-term debt and finance leases
(2,266
)
 
(74
)
Payments in connection with redemption of preferred shares

 
(60
)
Payment of financing costs
(50
)
 
(3
)
Payment of dividends on common and preferred shares and distributions on Partnership exchangeable units
(901
)
 
(728
)
Repurchase of Partnership exchangeable units

 
(561
)
Proceeds from stock option exercises
102

 
61

Proceeds from derivatives
23

 

Other financing activities, net

 
5

Net cash used for financing activities
(842
)
 
(1,285
)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents
16

 
(20
)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
620

 
(184
)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
913

 
1,097

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
$
1,533

 
$
913

Supplemental cash flow disclosures:
 
 
 
Interest paid
$
584

 
$
561

Income taxes paid
$
248

 
$
433


10




RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Key Operating Metrics
 
We evaluate our restaurants and assess our business based on the following operating metrics.

System-wide sales growth refers to the percentage change in sales at all franchise and company-owned restaurants in one period from the same period in the prior year. Comparable sales refers to the percentage change in restaurant sales in one period from the same prior year period for restaurants that have been open for 13 months or longer for TH and BK and 17 months or longer for PLK. System-wide sales growth and comparable sales are measured on a constant currency basis, which means that results exclude the effect of foreign currency translation and are calculated by translating prior year results at current year monthly average exchange rates. We analyze key operating metrics on a constant currency basis as this helps identify underlying business trends, without distortion from the effects of currency movements.

System-wide sales represent sales at all franchise restaurants and company-owned restaurants. We do not record franchise sales as revenues; however, our franchise revenues include royalties based on a percentage of franchise sales.

Net restaurant growth refers to the net increase in restaurant count (openings, net of closures) over a trailing twelve month period, divided by the restaurant count at the beginning of the trailing twelve month period.



11




 
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
KPIs by Market
 
2019
 
 
2018
 
 
2019
 
 
2018
 
(unaudited)
 
(unaudited)
System-wide Sales Growth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TH - Canada
 
(3.3
)%
 
 
2.2
 %
 
 
(0.4
)%
 
 
2.4
 %
TH - Rest of World
 
(0.1
)%
 
 
3.6
 %
 
 
0.5
 %
 
 
1.9
 %
TH - Global
 
(2.9
)%
 
 
2.4
 %
 
 
(0.3
)%
 
 
2.4
 %
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BK - US
 
1.4
 %
 
 
3.0
 %
 
 
2.7
 %
 
 
3.3
 %
BK - Rest of World
 
14.5
 %
 
 
13.5
 %
 
 
15.3
 %
 
 
14.2
 %
BK - Global
 
8.4
 %
 
 
8.4
 %
 
 
9.3
 %
 
 
8.9
 %
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PLK - US
 
45.0
 %
 
 
5.0
 %
 
 
18.4
 %
 
 
7.0
 %
PLK - Rest of World
 
25.2
 %
 
 
14.7
 %
 
 
19.1
 %
 
 
22.0
 %
PLK - Global
 
42.3
 %
 
 
6.3
 %
 
 
18.5
 %
 
 
8.9
 %
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
System-wide Sales (in US$ millions)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TH - Canada
$
1,457
 
$
1,505
 
$
5,856
 
$
6,014
TH - Rest of World
$
222
 
$
222
 
$
860
 
$
855
TH - Global
$
1,679
 
$
1,727
 
$
6,716
 
$
6,869
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BK - US
$
2,565
 
$
2,529
 
$
10,204
 
$
9,939
BK - Rest of World
$
3,340
 
$
2,999
 
$
12,717
 
$
11,685
BK - Global
$
5,905
 
$
5,528
 
$
22,921
 
$
21,624
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PLK - US
$
1,164
 
$
802
 
$
3,812
 
$
3,221
PLK - Rest of World
$
163
 
$
132
 
$
585
 
$
511
PLK - Global
$
1,327
 
$
934
 
$
4,397
 
$
3,732
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Comparable Sales
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TH - Canada
 
(4.6
)%
 
 
2.2
 %
 
 
(1.4
)%
 
 
0.9
 %
TH - Rest of World
 
(2.5
)%
 
 
 %
 
 
(2.1
)%
 
 
(1.8
)%
TH - Global
 
(4.3
)%
 
 
1.9
 %
 
 
(1.5
)%
 
 
0.6
 %
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BK - US
 
0.6
 %
 
 
0.8
 %
 
 
1.7
 %
 
 
1.4
 %
BK - Rest of World
 
4.7
 %
 
 
2.4
 %
 
 
4.9
 %
 
 
2.5
 %
BK - Global
 
2.8
 %
 
 
1.7
 %
 
 
3.4
 %
 
 
2.0
 %
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PLK - US
 
37.9
 %
 
 
(0.1
)%
 
 
13.0
 %
 
 
0.9
 %
PLK - Rest of World
 
10.3
 %
 
 
1.4
 %
 
 
5.7
 %
 
 
7.1
 %
PLK - Global
 
34.4
 %
 
 
0.1
 %
 
 
12.1
 %
 
 
1.6
 %
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

12




 
As of December 31,
KPIs by Market
2019
 
2018
 
(unaudited)
Net Restaurant Growth
 
 
 
TH - Canada
1.5
%
 
1.1
%
TH - Rest of World
3.0
%
 
6.7
%
TH - Global
1.8
%
 
2.1
%
 
 
 
 
BK - US
0.2
%
 
1.4
%
BK - Rest of World
9.8
%
 
9.7
%
BK - Global
5.9
%
 
6.1
%
 
 
 
 
PLK - US
5.5
%
 
6.1
%
PLK - Rest of World
11.3
%
 
11.0
%
PLK - Global
6.9
%
 
7.3
%
 
 
 
 
Restaurant Count
 
 
 
TH - Canada
4,014

 
3,955

TH - Rest of World
918

 
891

TH - Global
4,932

 
4,846

 
 
 
 
BK - US
7,346

 
7,330

BK - Rest of World
11,492

 
10,466

BK - Global
18,838

 
17,796

 
 
 
 
PLK - US
2,476

 
2,347

PLK - Rest of World
840

 
755

PLK - Global
3,316

 
3,102

 
 
 
 

13




RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Supplemental Disclosure
(Unaudited)

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in US$ millions)
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Segment SG&A TH(1)
$
73

 
$
76

 
$
309

 
$
314

Segment SG&A BK(1)
151

 
144

 
600

 
577

Segment SG&A PLK(1)
66

 
53

 
225

 
193

Share-based compensation and non-cash incentive compensation expense
12

 
10

 
74

 
55

Depreciation and amortization(2)
5

 
4

 
19

 
20

PLK Transaction costs

 

 

 
10

Corporate restructuring and tax advisory fees
9

 
6

 
31

 
25

Office centralization and relocation costs

 
4

 
6

 
20

Selling, general and administrative expenses
$
316

 
$
297

 
$
1,264

 
$
1,214


(1)
Segment SG&A includes segment selling expenses and segment general and administrative expenses and excludes share-based compensation and non-cash incentive compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, PLK transaction costs, corporate restructuring and tax advisory fees, and office centralization and relocation costs.
(2)
Segment depreciation and amortization reflects depreciation and amortization included in the respective segment cost of sales and the respective segment franchise and property expenses. Depreciation and amortization included in selling, general and administrative expenses reflects all other depreciation and amortization.


Other Operating Expenses (Income), net

 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in US$ millions)
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Net losses (gains) on disposal of assets, restaurant closures, and refranchisings(3)
$
8

 
$
2

 
$
7

 
$
19

Litigation settlements and reserves, net
1

 
12

 
2

 
11

Net losses (gains) on foreign exchange(4)
23

 
(14
)
 
(15
)
 
(33
)
Other, net
2

 
(1
)
 
(4
)
 
11

Other operating expenses (income), net
$
34

 
$
(1
)
 
$
(10
)
 
$
8


(3)
Net losses (gains) on disposal of assets, restaurant closures, and refranchisings represent sales of properties and other costs related to restaurant closures and refranchisings. Gains and losses recognized in the current period may reflect certain costs related to closures and refranchisings that occurred in previous periods.
(4)
Net losses (gains) on foreign exchange is primarily related to revaluation of foreign denominated assets and liabilities.




14




RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
(Unaudited)

Below, we define the non-GAAP financial measures, provide a reconciliation of each non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), and discuss the reasons why we believe this information is useful to management and may be useful to investors. These measures do not have standardized meanings under GAAP and may differ from similarly captioned measures of other companies in our industry.

Non-GAAP Measures

To supplement our condensed consolidated financial statements presented on a GAAP basis, RBI reports the following non-GAAP financial measures: EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, LTM Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share (“Adjusted Diluted EPS”), Organic revenue growth, Organic Adjusted EBITDA growth, Free Cash Flow, Unlevered Free Cash Flow, and Net Leverage. We believe that these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in assessing our operating performance or liquidity, as it provides them with the same tools that management uses to evaluate our performance and is responsive to questions we receive from both investors and analysts. By disclosing these non-GAAP measures, we intend to provide investors with a consistent comparison of our operating results and trends for the periods presented.

EBITDA is defined as earnings (net income or loss) before interest expense, net, loss on early extinguishment of debt, income tax (benefit) expense, and depreciation and amortization and is used by management to measure operating performance of the business. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA excluding the non-cash impact of share-based compensation and non-cash incentive compensation expense and (income) loss from equity method investments, net of cash distributions received from equity method investments, as well as other operating expenses (income), net. Other specifically identified costs associated with non-recurring projects are also excluded from Adjusted EBITDA, including PLK transaction costs associated with the acquisition of Popeyes, corporate restructuring and tax advisory fees, and office centralization and relocation costs. Adjusted EBITDA is used by management to measure operating performance of the business, excluding these non-cash and other specifically identified items that management believes are not relevant to management’s assessment of operating performance or the performance of an acquired business. Adjusted EBITDA, as defined above, also represents our measure of segment income for each of our three operating segments.

Adjusted Net Income is defined as net income excluding (i) franchise agreement amortization as a result of acquisition accounting, (ii) amortization of deferred financing costs and debt issuance discount, (iii) loss on early extinguishment of debt and interest expense, which represents non-cash interest expense related to losses reclassified from accumulated comprehensive income (loss) into interest expense in connection with interest rate swaps de-designated in May 2015 and November 2019, (iv) (income) loss from equity method investments, net of cash distributions received from equity method investments, (v) other operating expenses (income), net, and (vi) other specifically identified costs associated with non-recurring projects.

Adjusted Diluted EPS is calculated by dividing Adjusted Net Income by the weighted average diluted shares outstanding of RBI during the reporting period. Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted EPS are used by management to evaluate the operating performance of the business, excluding certain non-cash and other specifically identified items that management believes are not relevant to management’s assessment of operating performance or the performance of an acquired business.

LTM Adjusted EBITDA is defined as Adjusted EBITDA for the last twelve month period to the date reported.

Net Leverage is defined as net debt (total debt less cash and cash equivalents) divided by LTM Adjusted EBITDA. Net Leverage is a performance measure that we believe provides investors a more complete understanding of our leverage position and borrowing capacity after factoring in cash and cash equivalents that eventually could be used to repay outstanding debt.

Revenue growth and Adjusted EBITDA growth, on an organic basis, are non-GAAP measures that exclude the impact of FX movements. Management believes that organic growth is an important metric for measuring the operating

15




performance of our business as it helps identify underlying business trends, without distortion from the effects of FX movements. We calculate the impact of FX movements by translating prior year results at current year monthly average exchange rates. Additionally, for comparability purposes, we are calculating organic growth under Previous Standard for both periods presented.

Free Cash Flow is the total of Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities minus Payments for property and equipment. Free Cash Flow is a liquidity measure used by management as one factor in determining the amount of cash that is available for working capital needs or other uses of cash, however, it does not represent residual cash flows available for discretionary expenditures. Commencing in the first quarter of 2019, we changed our calculation of Free Cash Flow to be defined as Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities minus Payments for property and equipment, as management believes that the other components of Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities that were previously included in the definition (such as restaurant closures/refranchisings and settlement of derivatives) are not core to the business and are subject to significant quarterly fluctuations.

Unlevered Free Cash Flow is the total of net cash provided by operating activities minus payments for property and equipment plus interest paid. Unlevered Free Cash Flow is a liquidity measure used by management as one factor in determining the amount of cash that is available for working capital needs or other uses of cash, however, it does not represent residual cash flows available for discretionary expenditures. 2018 Unlevered Free Cash Flow includes an adjustment for the Part VI.1 Tax Payment made in Q1’18, which was a one-time preferred redemption tax paid as part of a make-whole agreement triggered by the early redemption of preferred shares.




16




RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Organic Growth in Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA
Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2019
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Impact of
 
Impact of FX
 
 
 
 
 
 
Actual
 
Q4 '19 vs. Q4 '18
 
New Standard
 
Movements
 
Organic Growth
(in US$ millions)
 
Q4 '19
 
Q4 '18
 
$
 
%
 
$
 
$
 
$
 
%
Revenue
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TH
 
$
872

 
$
852

 
$
20

 
2.4
 %
 
$
20

 
$

 
$

 
(0.1
)%
BK
 
$
462

 
$
427

 
$
35

 
8.4
 %
 
$
10

 
$
(4
)
 
$
29

 
7.1
 %
PLK
 
$
145

 
$
106

 
$
39

 
35.8
 %
 
$
1

 
$

 
$
38

 
35.5
 %
Total Revenues
 
$
1,479

 
$
1,385

 
$
94

 
6.8
 %
 
$
31

 
$
(4
)
 
$
67

 
4.9
 %
Adjusted EBITDA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TH
 
$
297

 
$
297

 
$

 
(0.1
)%
 
$

 
$

 
$

 
(0.2
)%
BK
 
$
266

 
$
247

 
$
19

 
7.7
 %
 
$

 
$
(3
)
 
$
22

 
9.2
 %
PLK
 
$
59

 
$
37

 
$
22

 
62.4
 %
 
$

 
$

 
$
22

 
62.7
 %
Adjusted EBITDA
 
$
622

 
$
581

 
$
41

 
7.2
 %
 
$

 
$
(3
)
 
$
44

 
7.8
 %

Note: Percentage changes may not recalculate due to rounding.

The change in Adjusted EBITDA during the three months ended December 31, 2019 compared to the three months
ended December 31, 2018 includes a decrease of $4 million related to the temporary mismatch between advertising
fund revenues and expenses which had a negative impact of approximately (0.7%) on the organic Adjusted EBITDA
growth rate.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Impact of
 
Impact of FX
 
 
 
 
 
 
Actual
 
2019 vs. 2018
 
New Standard
 
Movements
 
Organic Growth
(in US$ millions)
 
2019
 
2018
 
$
 
%
 
$
 
$
 
$
 
%
Revenue
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TH
 
$
3,344

 
$
3,292

 
$
52

 
1.6
 %
 
$
85

 
$
(66
)
 
$
33

 
1.0
%
BK
 
$
1,777

 
$
1,651

 
$
126

 
7.7
 %
 
$
43

 
$
(30
)
 
$
113

 
7.0
%
PLK
 
$
482

 
$
414

 
$
68

 
16.4
 %
 
$
2

 
$
(1
)
 
$
67

 
16.2
%
Total Revenues
 
$
5,603

 
$
5,357

 
$
246

 
4.6
 %
 
$
130

 
$
(97
)
 
$
213

 
4.0
%
Adjusted EBITDA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TH
 
$
1,122

 
$
1,127

 
$
(5
)
 
(0.5
)%
 
$

 
$
(22
)
 
$
17

 
1.5
%
BK
 
$
994

 
$
928

 
$
66

 
7.1
 %
 
$

 
$
(26
)
 
$
92

 
10.2
%
PLK
 
$
188

 
$
157

 
$
31

 
20.2
 %
 
$

 
$
(1
)
 
$
32

 
20.7
%
Adjusted EBITDA
 
$
2,304

 
$
2,212

 
$
92

 
4.2
 %
 
$

 
$
(49
)
 
$
141

 
6.5
%

Note: Percentage changes may not recalculate due to rounding.

The change in Adjusted EBITDA during the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 compared to the twelve months
ended December 31, 2018 includes a decrease of $12 million related to the temporary mismatch between advertising
fund revenues and expenses which had a negative impact of approximately (0.6%) on the organic Adjusted EBITDA
growth rate.


17




RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income
(Unaudited)
 
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
(in US$ millions)
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Segment income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TH
 
$
297

 
$
297

 
$
1,122

 
$
1,127

BK
 
266

 
247

 
994

 
928

PLK
 
59

 
37

 
188

 
157

Adjusted EBITDA
 
622

 
581

 
2,304

 
2,212

Share-based compensation and non-cash incentive compensation expense(1)
 
12

 
10

 
74

 
55

PLK Transaction costs(2)
 

 

 

 
10

Corporate restructuring and tax advisory fees(3)
 
9

 
6

 
31

 
25

Office centralization and relocation costs(4)
 

 
4

 
6

 
20

Impact of equity method investments(5)
 
10

 
3

 
11

 
(3
)
Other operating expenses (income), net
 
34

 
(1
)
 
(10
)
 
8

EBITDA
 
557

 
559

 
2,192

 
2,097

Depreciation and amortization
 
46

 
43

 
185

 
180

Income from operations
 
511

 
516

 
2,007

 
1,917

Interest expense, net
 
126

 
130

 
532

 
535

Loss on early extinguishment of debt
 
19

 

 
23

 

Income tax expense(6)(7)
 
109

 
85

 
341

 
238

Net income
 
$
257

 
$
301

 
$
1,111

 
$
1,144


 
Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted EPS
(Unaudited)
 
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
(in US$ millions, except per share data)
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Net income
 
$
257

 
$
301

 
$
1,111

 
$
1,144

Income tax expense(6)(7)
 
109

 
85

 
341

 
238

Income before income taxes
 
366

 
386

 
1,452

 
1,382

Adjustments:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Franchise agreement amortization
 
8

 
8

 
31

 
31

Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt issuance discount
 
7

 
7

 
29

 
29

Interest expense and loss on extinguished debt(8)
 
24

 
3

 
37

 
12

PLK Transaction costs(2)
 

 

 

 
10

Corporate restructuring and tax advisory fees(3)
 
9

 
6

 
31

 
25

Office centralization and relocation costs(4)
 

 
4

 
6

 
20

Impact of equity method investments(5)
 
10

 
3

 
11

 
(3
)
Other operating expenses (income), net
 
34

 
(1
)
 
(10
)
 
8

Total adjustments
 
92

 
30

 
135

 
132

Adjusted income before income taxes
 
458

 
416

 
1,587

 
1,514

Adjusted income tax expense(6)(7)(9)
 
107

 
98

 
313

 
272

Adjusted net income
 
$
351

 
$
318

 
$
1,274

 
$
1,242

Adjusted diluted earnings per share
 
$
0.75

 
$
0.68

 
$
2.72

 
$
2.63

Weighted average diluted shares outstanding
 
469

 
469

 
469

 
473




18




RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Reconciliation of Net Leverage, Free Cash Flow and Unlevered Free Cash Flow
(Unaudited)
 
 
As of December 31,
(in US$ millions, except ratio)
 
2019
 
2018
Term debt, net of current portion
 
$
11,759

 
$
11,823

Finance leases, net of current portion
 
288

 
226

Current portion of long term debt and finance leases
 
101

 
91

Unamortized deferred financing costs and deferred issue discount
 
148

 
145

Total debt
 
$
12,296

 
$
12,285

 
 
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
 
$
1,533

 
$
913

Net debt
 
10,763

 
11,372

LTM adjusted EBITDA
 
2,304

 
2,212

Net leverage
 
4.7x

 
5.1x


 
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(in US$ millions)
 
2019
 
2018
Net cash provided by operating activities
 
$
1,476

 
$
1,165

Payments for property and equipment
 
(62
)
 
(86
)
Free cash flow
 
$
1,414

 
$
1,079


 
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
(in US$ millions)
 
2019
 
2019
 
2019
Calculation:
 
A
 
B
 
A - B
Net cash provided by operating activities
 
$
1,476

 
$
911

 
$
565

Payments for property and equipment
 
(62
)
 
(32
)
 
(30
)
Free cash flow
 
$
1,414

 
$
879

 
$
535


 
 
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
 
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
(in US$ millions)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
 
$
1,476

 
$
1,165

 
$
1,391

 
$
1,250

 
$
1,211

Payments for property and equipment
 
(62
)
 
(86
)
 
(37
)
 
(34
)
 
(115
)
Interest paid
 
584

 
561

 
447

 
407

 
408

Part VI.1 Tax Payment
 

 
277

 

 

 

Unlevered Free Cash Flow
 
$
1,998

 
$
1,917

 
$
1,801

 
$
1,623

 
$
1,504

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


19




Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Footnotes to Reconciliation Tables
 

(1)
Represents share-based compensation expense associated with equity awards for the periods indicated; also
includes the portion of annual non-cash incentive compensation expense that eligible employees elected to
receive or are expected to elect to receive as common equity in lieu of their 2018 and 2019 cash bonus,
respectively.

(2)
In connection with the acquisition of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., we incurred certain non-recurring selling,
general and administrative expenses primarily consisting of professional fees and compensation related
expenses.

(3)
Costs arising primarily from professional advisory and consulting services associated with corporate restructuring
initiatives related to the interpretation and implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was enacted on
December 22, 2017, including final, proposed and temporary Treasury regulations issued in 2018 and 2019.

(4)
In connection with the centralization and relocation of our Canadian and U.S. restaurant support centers to new
offices in Toronto, Ontario, and Miami, Florida, respectively, we incurred certain non-operational expenses consisting primarily of duplicate rent expense, moving costs, and relocation-driven compensation expenses.

(5)
Represents (i) (income) loss from equity method investments and (ii) cash distributions received from our equity
method investments. Cash distributions received from our equity method investments are included in segment
income.

(6)
The effective tax rate for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 reflects a $37 million income tax expense provision adjustment related to a prior restructuring transaction not applicable to ongoing operations which increased our effective tax rate by 2.5% during the twelve months ended December 31, 2019. The effective tax rate for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019 also reflects a $16 million income tax expense provision adjustment related to revaluing our Swiss net deferred tax liabilities due to Swiss tax reform which increased our effective tax rate by 4.3% and 1.1% during the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019, respectively. Adjusted income tax expense excludes the impact of these adjustments.

(7)
The effective tax rate was reduced by 0.1% and 0.2% for the three months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and our adjusted effective tax rate was reduced by 0.1% and 0.2% for the three months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, as a result of benefits from stock option exercises. The effective tax rate was reduced by 2.2% and 5.0% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and our adjusted effective tax rate was reduced by 2.0% and 4.6% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, as a result of benefits from stock option exercises.

(8)
Represents loss on early extinguishment of debt and interest expense, which represents non-cash interest expense related to losses reclassified from accumulated comprehensive income (loss) into interest expense in connection with interest rate swaps de-designated in May 2015 and November 2019.

(9)
Adjusted income tax expense includes the tax impact of the non-GAAP adjustments and is calculated using our
statutory tax rate in the jurisdiction in which the costs were incurred.



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