NEW YORK, March 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) today reported results for the fourth quarter and full year 2020 driven by the strong recovery of the Asian box office, which offered an encouraging sign of continued demand for The IMAX Experience® around the world.   

Results for the fourth quarter reflect the strong performance of the IMAX network in China and Japan, where local language releases recorded robust box office at near pre-pandemic levels, tapping into pent-up demand for big screen experiences. Additionally, fourth quarter results benefitted from the Company's continued growth in its global network, demonstrating strong exhibitor and consumer demand for The IMAX Experience®.  IMAX installed 33 systems and signed 11 agreements in the fourth quarter, ending the year with 527 systems in backlog.

"As the world's only global blockbuster entertainment platform, we are encouraged to see that audiences are eager to return to the movies where the virus is under control and they feel safe, and this promising trend is reflected in our consistent financial improvement since the start of the pandemic," said IMAX CEO, Richard L. Gelfond. "IMAX continues to lead the recovery of the movie industry in markets like China and Japan as audiences seek out The IMAX Experience®, driving record-breaking performances among local language films, gaining market share, and growing our relationships with local exhibitors, studios, and filmmakers."

"Given strong demand for The IMAX Experience in Asia, the extremely promising pipeline of Hollywood blockbusters, and the accelerating pace of vaccinations in North America and Europe, we remain confident and optimistic that the global film industry is poised for a strong and sustainable recovery in the second half of 2021."

"As we manage through the pandemic, IMAX continues to benefit from its strong, differentiated business model and unique position in the entertainment ecosystem. Our global footprint offers access to open markets and thriving local language film industries. Our premium experience and strong brand help ensure that our passionate, engaged fans will be among the first to return to theaters. Finally, our asset-light, flexible model enables us to manage costs, capitalize on opportunities in this dynamic environment, and generate the improving financial results we posted in the fourth quarter."

IMAX reported fourth quarter 2020 revenues of $56.0 million, gross margin of $20.3 million, and a net (loss) attributable to common shareholders of ($21.2) million, or ($0.36) per diluted share, and operating cash inflows of $7.8 million.

IMAX achieved positive EBITDA per Credit Facility⁽¹⁾ and free cash flow for the first time since the first quarter of 2020, despite capacity limitations and continued delays in the Hollywood film slate. The Company has posted sequential quarterly improvement in EBITDA, cash flow, revenue, and box office since the global impact of the pandemic first took hold in the second quarter of 2020. As a result, the Company continued to strengthen its balance sheet, ending the year with $317 million in cash and cash equivalents, up from $305 million at the close of the third quarter.

IMAX results reflect the COVID-19 related partial closure of the Company's network as well as the inclusion of a number of notable non-cash items, including: a valuation allowance to reduce the value of deferred tax assets of $4.9 million or $0.08 per share; a $3.0 million provision for current expected credit losses reflecting a reduction in the credit quality of the theater receivables balances and the heightened collection risk associated with certain movie studios in foreign markets; and, a $2.9 million write-down of excess and obsolete inventory. The company also recorded a $4.1 million charge associated with the final judgement in a legal matter and received $1.9 million of COVID-19 government relief benefits.

Fourth Quarter and December Year-to-Date Financial Highlights

Fourth Quarter and December Year-to-Date Segment Results⁽¹⁾

IMAX Technology Network

• IMAX Technology Network revenues decreased 59.1% to $17.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $43.3 million in the prior-year period. The partial closure of the Company's network through the quarter and the release of fewer films, both a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, drove the decline in gross box office and revenue.
• Gross margin for the IMAX Technology Network declined 70.2% to $7.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. The decline was driven by lower segment revenue and ongoing fixed costs associated with the installed IMAX network.

IMAX Technology Sales and Maintenance

• IMAX Technology Sales and Maintenance revenues decreased 52.9% to $36.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared with $77.3 million in the prior year period. The decline in revenue was the result of installing 12 fewer sales-type-lease and 5 fewer hybrid systems in the quarter.
• Total gross margin for IMAX Technology Sales and Maintenance was $13.6 million compared to $39.5 million in the prior year period. The decrease in gross margin was the result of lower sales activity and revenue in the quarter.

Cash Balances and Outstanding Debt

Total cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2020 were $317 million. Total debt, excluding deferred financing fees, was $306 million as of December 31, 2020.

Share Count and Capital Return

The weighted average diluted shares outstanding at the end of the fourth quarter of 2020 declined 4.4% to 58.9 million, compared to 61.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, due primarily to share repurchase activity during the twelve-month period. During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company did not repurchase any stock. A total of $89.4 million remains available under the Company's outstanding share repurchase authorization, which was extended in June 2020 and now expires in June 2021.

Supplemental Materials

For more information about the Company's results, please refer to the IMAX Investor Relations website located at investors.imax.com.

Investor Relations Website and Social Media

On a weekly basis, the Company posts quarter-to-date box office results on the IMAX Investor Relations website located at investors.imax.com. The Company expects to provide such updates on Friday of each week, although the Company may change this timing without notice. Results will be displayed with a one-week lag.

The Company may post additional information on the Company's corporate and Investor Relations website which may be material to investors. Accordingly, investors, media and others interested in the Company should monitor the Company's website in addition to the Company's press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts, for additional information about the Company

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call today at 4:30PM ET to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2020 financial results. This call is being webcast by PGI and can be accessed at investors.imax.com. To access the call via telephone, interested parties in the US and Canada should dial (800) 437-2398 approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the call begins. Other international callers should dial (647) 792-1240. The conference ID for the call is 3139582. A replay of the call will be available via webcast at investors.imax.com or via telephone by dialing (888) 203-1112 (US and Canada), or (647) 436-0148 (international). The Conference ID for the telephone replay is 3139582.

About IMAX Corporation 

IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theaters to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of December 31, 2020, there were 1,650 IMAX theater systems (1,562 commercial multiplexes, 12 commercial destinations, 76 institutional) operating in 84 countries and territories. Shares of IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "1970."

IMAX®, IMAX® Dome, IMAX® 3D, IMAX® 3D Dome, Experience It In IMAX®, The IMAX Experience®, An IMAX Experience®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, IMAX DMR®, DMR®, IMAX nXos® and Films to the Fullest^®, are trademarks and trade names of the Company or its subsidiaries that are registered or otherwise protected under laws of various jurisdictions. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/imax), Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

For additional information please contact:

Forward-Looking Statements

This earnings release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Important factors that could affect these statements include, but are not limited to, references to business and technology strategies and measures to implement strategies, competitive strengths, goals, expansion and growth of business, operations and technology, future capital expenditures (including the amount and nature thereof), plans and references to the future success of IMAX Corporation together with its consolidated subsidiaries (the "Company") and expectations regarding the Company's future operating, financial and technological results. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform with the expectations and predictions of the Company is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, financial conditions and results of operations and on the businesses of our customers and exhibitor partners; risks associated with investments and operations in foreign jurisdictions and any future international expansion, including those related to economic, political and regulatory policies of local governments and laws and policies of the United States and Canada; risks related to the Company's growth and operations in China; the performance of IMAX DMR^® films; the signing of IMAX Theater System agreements; conditions, changes and developments in the commercial exhibition industry and broader entertainment industry, including both the in-home and out-of-home entertainment markets; risks related to currency fluctuations; the potential impact of increased competition in the markets within which the Company operates, including competitive actions by other companies; the failure to respond to change and advancements in entertainment technology; risks relating to consolidation among commercial exhibitors and movie studios; risks related to new business initiatives that may be presented to and pursued by the Company; risks related to cyber-security and data privacy; risks related to the Company's inability to protect the Company's intellectual property; general economic, market or business conditions; the failure to convert IMAX Theater System backlog into revenue; changes in laws or regulations; the failure to fully realize the projected cost savings and benefits from any of the Company's restructuring initiatives; assumptions related to the foregoing; other risks outlined in our periodic filings with the SEC; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this earnings release are qualified by these cautionary statements, and actual results or anticipated developments by the Company may not be realized, and even if substantially realized, may not have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These factors, other risks and uncertainties and financial details are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Primary Reporting Groups

The Company has the following reportable segments: (i) IMAX DMR; (ii) Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements; (iii) IMAX Systems, (iv) IMAX Maintenance; (v) Other Theater Business; (vi) New Business Initiatives; (vii) Film Distribution; and (viii) Film Post-Production. The Company organizes its reportable segments into the following four categories, identified by the nature of the product sold or service provided:

 

 

 

 

 

IMAX CORPORATION
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(in thousands of U.S. dollars)

In this release, the Company presents adjusted net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders and adjusted net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders per diluted share, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and free cash flow as supplemental measures of the Company's performance, which are not recognized under U.S. GAAP. Adjusted net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders and adjusted net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders per basic and diluted share exclude, where applicable: (i) share-based compensation; (ii) COVID-19 government relief benefits, (iii) legal judgment and arbitration awards; (iv) exit costs, restructuring charges and associated impairments, (v) gain (loss) in the fair value of investments, as well as the related tax impact of these adjustments, and (vi) income taxes resulting from management's decision to no longer indefinitely reinvest the historical earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries.

The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are important supplemental measures that allow management and users of the Company's financial statements to view operating trends and analyze controllable operating performance on a comparable basis between periods without the after-tax impact of share-based compensation and certain unusual items included in net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders. Although share-based compensation is an important aspect of the Company's employee and executive compensation packages, it is a non-cash expense and is excluded from certain internal business performance measures.

A reconciliation from net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders and the associated per share amounts to adjusted net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders and adjusted net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders per diluted share is presented in the table below. Net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders and the associated per share amounts are the most directly comparable GAAP measures because they reflect the earnings relevant to the Company's shareholders, rather than the earnings attributable to non-controlling interests. Accordingly, beginning in the first quarter of 2020, the Company updated its reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to reflect this approach.

In addition to the non-GAAP financial measures discussed above, management also uses "EBITDA," as such term is defined in the Credit Agreement, and which is referred to herein as "Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility." As allowed by the Credit Agreement, Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility includes adjustments in addition to the exclusion of interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility measure is presented to allow a more comprehensive analysis of the Company's operating performance and to provide additional information with respect to the Company's compliance against its Credit Agreement requirements when applicable. In addition, the Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility presents relevant and useful information widely used by analysts, investors and other interested parties in the Company's industry to evaluate, assess and benchmark the Company's results.

EBITDA is defined as net income or loss excluding (i) interest expense, net of interest income; (ii) income tax expense or benefit; and (iii) depreciation and amortization, including film asset amortization. Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility is defined as EBITDA excluding: (i) share-based and other non-cash compensation; (ii) gain or loss in fair value of investments; (iii) write-downs, net of recoveries, including asset impairments and credit loss expense; (iv) legal judgment and arbitration award; (v) gain or loss from equity accounted investments; and (vi) exit costs, restructuring charges and associated impairments.

A reconciliation of net loss attributable to common shareholders, which is the most directly comparable GAAP measure, to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility is presented in the table below. Net loss attributable to common shareholders is the most directly comparable GAAP measure because it reflects the earnings relevant to the Company's shareholders, rather than the earnings attributable to non-controlling interests. Accordingly, beginning in the first quarter of 2020, the Company updated its reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to reflect this approach.

Free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities minus cash used in investing activities (from the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows). Cash provided by operating activities consist of net (loss) income, plus depreciation and amortization, plus the change in deferred income taxes, plus other non-cash items, plus changes in working capital, less investment in film assets, plus other changes in operating assets and liabilities. Cash used in investing activities includes capital expenditures, acquisitions and other cash used in investing activities. Management views free cash flow, a non-GAAP measure, as a measure of the Company's after-tax cash flow available to reduce debt, add to cash balances, and fund other financing activities. Free cash flow does not represent residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. A reconciliation of cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow is presented below.

These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled amounts reported by other companies. Additionally, the non-GAAP financial measures used by the Company should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, the comparable GAAP amounts.

 

 

 

 

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SOURCE IMAX Corporation