Jose Carlos Alcantara
Analyst · Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Please go ahead
Thank you, Marcelo. We continue to see strong results from our cost efficiency program. This important reductions in payroll and G&A in the quarter. These factors drove margin expansion and should enable greater leverage of our operating model once the environment improves. During the quarter, consolidated G&A fell 100 basis points at a percentage of sales and was 5.8% lower year-over-year on a constant currency basis. This reflects efficiencies from our reorganization plan and certain non-recurring expenses in the prior year quarter. These factors more than offset the inflation driven growth of Argentina based corporate expenses. As Sergio mentioned, we're on track to deliver on our targeted 10% G&A reduction in absolute terms by the end of this year. Please turn to Slide 9. On a constant currency basis, our consolidated adjusted EBITDA grew 34.7% in the period. However this growth was offset by the impact of currency translation mainly in Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela. As a result, as reported adjusted EBITDA fell 0.6% in the quarter. Excluding Venezuela consolidated adjusted EBITD declined 3.7% but increased 14.2% in constant currency terms. The adjusted EBTIDA margin grew by about 50 basis points to 5.9% in the second quarter. Efficiencies and G&A expenses, payroll and a positive variance in other operating income more than offset higher food and paper costs in occupancy and other operating expenses as a percentage of revenues. I'm particularly pleased with the payroll efficiencies we are seeing which are a direct benefit of technology upgrades and other actions we have implemented to improve the efficiency of our restaurants. Please turn to Slide 10. Expansion in the consolidated adjusted EBITDA margin was supported by margin growth in NOLAD and in the Caribbean division, partially offset by margin contraction in Brazil and SLAD and the devaluations in Brazilian Reais and the Argentina Peso respectively. In Brazil the adjusted EBITDA margin, contracted by about 130 basis points to 9.9%. This reflects higher Food and Paper cost and occupancy and other operating expenses, which offset efficiencies in the payroll and other operating income as a percentage of revenues. Greater Food and Paper costs reflect the higher foreign exchange rate at which our exposure to the imported Food and Paper were hedged at the end of last year, as well as certain input cost pressures. The NOLAD's adjusted EBITDA margin expansion continued its positive trend in the second quarter, increasing about 100 basis points to 8.9%. The result was underpinned by efficiencies in G&A expenses as a percentage of revenues. In the SLAD division, the adjusted EBITDA division contracted by 120 basis points to 8.2%. This was due to higher Food and Paper and occupancy and other operating expenses with efficiencies in payroll costs and G&A providing a partial offset. The Caribbean division, excluding Venezuela, achieved adjusted EBITDA margin expansion of 60 basis points to 4.6%. The result was helped by efficiencies in occupancy and other operating expenses along with payroll as a percentage of revenues. Our full year plan includes EBITDA margin expansion of 200 to 250 basis points by the end of 2017. We established this target at a time when the market consensus expected the resumption of growth earlier than has not for seen. Despite this, through the first half of this year, we achieved 120 basis points of margin expansion. While we remain focused on managing our costs and lowering our expenses, our ability to achieve our expansion targets is also a function of improved top line performance. As Sergio mentioned we are focused on multiple initiatives to bring customers into our restaurants more often and we expect to see additional traction with the rebound in consumer spending. On slide 11, you can see our non-operating results for the quarter included a $15.5 million foreign currency exchange gain. This compares to a gain of $3.7 million last year. Stronger sequential Brazilian Reais appreciation this year combined with an increased Brazilian Reais drove the increase over last year’s results. Net interest expense rose $2.9 million to $20.8 million. This was due mainly to interest payments on the loan agreements signed in March 2016 which offset lower interest expenses on the remainder of the 2016 notes. Net income for the3 quarter totaled $43.4 million up from net income of $7 million in the prior year quarter. The improvement reflects stronger operating results, along with a positive variance in foreign exchange result. This was offset partially by a higher net interest expense and negative variation in income tax expense. Operating results in the second quarter included $50 million of proceeds from the company’s asset monetization initiatives. Please turn to Slide 12 for an update on our debt metrics. Our strategy to reduce overall debt level is on track. Proceeds from asset monetization initiative, a focus on cash flow improvement and a temporary reduction in capital expenditures are all being used to lower total debt levels. As a reminder, the primarily objective of our asset monetization initiative is to reduce debt. As quarter end exchange rates, we are within the range. As of June 30, 2016, our net-debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio was 2.3 times which says within our target range. The improvement from 2.5 times at the end of the first quarter primarily reflects the successful $80 million tender of our U.S. 2022 bonds. As planned this long term debt reduction was funded with proceeds from our asset monetization initiative. The outstanding balance of our 2023 bonds is $394 million. The master franchise agreement with McDonald's requires the company to maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.50x, as well as a maximum leverage ratio of 4.25x. As of June 30, 2016 the company’s fixed charge coverage ratio was at 1.64x and its leverage ratio was at 4.4x. McDonald's Corporation recently granted an extension of the limited waiver through and including June 30, 2016, during which time, the Company is not required to comply with the leverage ratio set forth in the MFA. It should be noted that as of June 30, the company had both the remaining portion of the BR bond outstanding and the new loan agreement the proceeds of which were used to refinance the bond. Less than two weeks after the end of the quarter on July 15, 2016 we repaid the outstanding portion of the 2106 BR bond thereby reducing gross debt by 201 million Reais. On a pro forma basis this would have brought the MSA leverage ratio back into compliance all else being equal. When we first communicated our three-year strategic plan our goal was to provide our shareholders with a clear long-term vision for where we believe we can take the business. Our focus is on the elements of our business that we can most control or influence but we’re not immune to external factors that can also impact our progress and our results in the short term. I will now hand the call back to Sergio.