EX-99.1 2 cmw2469a.htm PRESS RELEASE

THE MARCUS CORPORATION REPORTS INCREASED SECOND QUARTER
REVENUES AND EARNINGS

Earnings double due to development and real estate gains

Milwaukee, Wis., December 19, 2006….. The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS) today reported increased revenues, operating income, earnings from continuing operations and net earnings for the second quarter ended November 23, 2006.

Second Quarter Fiscal 2007 Highlights

  Total revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2007 were $70,605,000, a 5.3% increase from revenues of $67,025,000 for the second quarter of the prior year.
  Earnings from continuing operations increased 124% to $10,263,000 or $0.33 per diluted share for the second quarter of fiscal 2007, from earnings from continuing operations of $4,581,000 or $0.15 per diluted share for the second quarter of fiscal 2006.
  Net earnings were $10,091,000 or $0.33 per diluted share for the second quarter of fiscal 2007, a 100% increase from net earnings of $5,044,000 or $0.16 per diluted share for the same period in the prior year.
  Operating income increased 2.0% to $8,467,000 for the second quarter of fiscal 2007, from operating income of $8,299,000 for the comparable prior period.
  Earnings from continuing operations and net earnings include pre-tax gains on the disposition of property, equipment and other assets of $8,582,000, related to the sale of surplus movie theatre and restaurant properties and development gains on the sale of units at the company’s condominium hotel project in Las Vegas.
  Last year’s net earnings included $463,000 of earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes, consisting primarily of additional gains on the sale of the company’s discontinued limited-service lodging division. Results from the company’s former limited-service lodging division, Miramonte Resort and vacation ownership development have been classified as discontinued operations in accordance with current accounting pronouncements.

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First Half Fiscal 2007 Highlights

  Total revenues for the first half of fiscal 2007 were $164,012,000, a 7.0% increase from revenues of $153,270,000 for the same period in the prior year.
  Earnings from continuing operations increased 41.3% to $23,971,000 or $0.78 per diluted share for the first half of fiscal 2007, from earnings from continuing operations of $16,960,000 or $0.55 per diluted share for the first half of fiscal 2006.
  Net earnings were $23,798,000 or $0.77 per diluted share for the first half of fiscal 2007, a 15.9% increase from net earnings of $20,533,000 or $0.67 per diluted share for the comparable prior period.
  Operating income was $29,649,000 for the first half of fiscal 2007, a 10.7% increase from operating income of $26,786,000 for the same period in the prior year.

“Marcus Hotels and Resorts continued to report strong operating results, benefiting from investments in both new and existing properties and from the positive trends in the lodging industry. Revenues and operating income for Marcus Theatres increased for the first half of the fiscal year, but were lower for the second quarter due to weaker film product than in the second quarter of last year. Overall, our results benefited from gains on real estate investments, once again highlighting the significant underlying value of these assets on our balance sheet,” said Stephen H. Marcus, chairman and chief executive officer of The Marcus Corporation.

Marcus Hotels and Resorts

For Marcus Hotels and Resorts, revenue per available room (RevPAR) for comparable properties increased 7.8% in the second quarter and 7.5% for the first half of the fiscal year. Both revenues and operating income increased in the second quarter, despite over $700,000 of preopening expenses for The Platinum Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas, the Skirvin Hilton hotel in Oklahoma City, Okla. and the Wyndham Milwaukee Center hotel.

“The Platinum Hotel & Spa opened in late October, and we are now working on closing the purchases of the individual units. We recorded a pre-tax development gain of approximately $1.4 million on the project in the second quarter and expect that our total pre-tax gain from this project may approach $7 million by the time all units have closed. We also acquired the interest of a joint-venture partner, increasing our ownership of the public space to 90%. The Platinum is only the second condominium hotel project to open in Las Vegas. As a nongaming, nonsmoking full-service property, we believe The Platinum is uniquely positioned as a refreshing alternative to the many large casino developments in the city,” said Marcus.

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“Marcus Hotels and Resorts added two new management contracts in the second quarter. In October, we signed an agreement to manage Brynwood Country Club in Milwaukee, Wis., and in November, we assumed management of Resort Suites, a four-star destination resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. The new properties leverage our golf course and upscale resort management experience and are excellent additions to our portfolio,” said Marcus.

He noted that construction is continuing on the Skirvin Hilton hotel in Oklahoma City, which is expected to open in February 2007. “In the meantime, our current-year earnings are benefiting from a lower effective tax rate resulting from anticipated historic tax credits related to the extensive renovation of this very special property,” Marcus said.

“We also continue to invest in our existing properties. The renovation and repositioning of the Wyndham Milwaukee Center is nearly completed. We have created a trendy, upscale environment for this property, which will be further defined by the change to the luxury InterContinental brand in the next few weeks. At the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, we recently opened an exciting new restaurant named the “Mason Street Grill” and have opened our expanded conference facilities at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wis.,” said Marcus.

“These and other investments in our hotel properties further enhance our reputation as a leading hotel management company and are expected to contribute to the future growth and profitability of the division,” he added.

Marcus Theatres

“While the fall quarter is historically not as strong as the summer, movies such as The Departed, Open Season, Borat and Casino Royale performed very well in the second quarter. However, this film slate did not surpass the outstanding performance of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Chicken Little for this same period last year. On the positive side, both revenues and operating income are up for the first six months of the fiscal year, due to the strong first-quarter performance of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” said Marcus.

“The holiday season is traditionally strong for the motion picture business and there are a number of potentially solid hits in the pipeline. These include Eragon and The Pursuit of Happyness which opened well this past weekend and will be followed quickly by films such as We Are Marshall, Night at the Museum, Rocky Balboa and Dreamgirls. Last year’s holiday season included the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film as well as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and King Kong, three of the six top-performing films of our fiscal year, so comparisons may be difficult. Looking ahead, the extended film line-up for spring continues to look very good and we will end this fiscal year with the May openings of Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third and Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End,” he added.

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“We opened two new theatres in Wisconsin on November 17, a 13-screen theatre in Sturtevant (Racine) that includes our seventh signature UltraScreen® and a 12-screen theatre in Green Bay. Both theatres have been enthusiastically received by local audiences and offer the latest in amenities and technology. In addition, construction continues on the Majestic, our new flagship theatre in Brookfield, Wis., that will be an entertainment destination including traditional theatres, two UltraScreens, a multi-use venue, restaurants and a cocktail lounge. The Majestic is scheduled to open in spring 2007,” said Marcus.

He noted that the gains on sale of real estate in the second quarter include a pre-tax gain of over $5 million on the sale of the company’s Westown Cinema in Waukesha, Wis. The Westown will remain open until shortly before the opening of the nearby Majestic theatre.

Summary

“We are pleased with our improved financial results for the first half of the fiscal year. Looking ahead, ongoing investments in both new and existing properties, as well as the pursuit of additional hotel management contracts, will continue to be a primary focus in building value for our shareholders,” said Marcus.

Conference Call and Webcast

Marcus Corporation management will host a conference call today, December 19, 2006, at 3:00 p.m. Central/4:00 p.m. Eastern time to discuss the second quarter results. Interested parties can listen to the call live on the Internet through the investor relations section of the company’s Web site: www.marcuscorp.com, or by dialing 1-913-981-4903. Listeners should dial in to the call at least 5 — 10 minutes prior to the start of the call or should go to the Web site at least 15 minutes prior to the call to download and install any necessary audio software. The call will be available for telephone replay through Tuesday, December 26, 2006 by dialing 1-888-203-1112 and entering the passcode 2954341. The Webcast of the conference call will be archived on the company’s Web site until the next earnings release.

About The Marcus Corporation

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., The Marcus Corporation is a leader in the lodging and entertainment industries. The Marcus Corporation’s movie theatre division, Marcus Theatres®, owns or manages 508 screens at 43 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio, and one family entertainment center in Wisconsin. The company’s lodging division, Marcus Hotels and Resorts, owns or manages 17 hotels, resorts and other properties in Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, California, Minnesota, Texas and Arizona, with one additional property under development. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.marcuscorp.com.

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Certain matters discussed in this press release are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may generally be identified as such because the context of such statements will include words such as we “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect” or words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expected, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) the availability, in terms of both quantity and audience appeal, of motion pictures for our theatre division, as well as other industry dynamics such as the maintenance of a suitable window between the date such motion pictures are released in theatres and the date they are released to other distribution channels; (2) the effects of increasing depreciation expenses and preopening and start-up costs due to the capital intensive nature of our businesses; (3) the effects of adverse economic conditions in our markets, particularly with respect to our hotels and resorts division; (4) the effects of adverse weather conditions, particularly during the winter in the Midwest and in our other markets; (5) the effects on our occupancy and room rates from the relative industry supply of available rooms at comparable lodging facilities in our markets; (6) the effects of competitive conditions in our markets; (7) our ability to identify properties to acquire, develop and/or manage and continuing availability of funds for such development; and (8) the adverse impact on business and consumer spending on travel, leisure and entertainment resulting from terrorist attacks in the United States, the United States’ responses thereto and subsequent hostilities. Shareholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this press release and we undertake no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.











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THE MARCUS CORPORATION
Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Unaudited)

(in thousands, except per share data)

13 Weeks Ended
26 Weeks Ended
Nov. 23, 2006
Nov. 24, 2005
Nov. 23, 2006
Nov. 24, 2005
Revenues:                    
    Rooms and telephone   $ 23,546   $ 20,321   $ 50,121   $ 43,607  
    Theatre admissions    17,772    19,119    47,716    47,866  
    Theatre concessions    8,733    8,995    23,635    22,651  
    Food and beverage    12,117    10,727    23,806    21,501  
    Other revenues    8,437    7,863    18,734    17,645  




Total revenues    70,605    67,025    164,012    153,270  

Costs and expenses:
  
    Rooms and telephone    8,059    6,959    16,296    14,472  
    Theatre operations    14,608    15,351    38,020    37,314  
    Theatre concessions    1,924    1,954    5,228    4,896  
    Food and beverage    8,716    7,847    17,178    16,034  
    Advertising and marketing    4,860    4,244    9,581    8,549  
    Administrative    7,981    7,443    16,242    14,900  
    Depreciation and amortization    6,303    6,579    12,708    13,060  
    Rent    814    914    1,678    1,838  
    Property taxes    2,730    2,651    5,247    5,191  
    Preopening expenses    931    28    1,206    364  
    Other operating expenses    5,212    4,756    10,979    9,866  




Total costs and expenses    62,138    58,726    134,363    126,484  





Operating income
    8,467    8,299    29,649    26,786  

Other income (expense):
  
    Investment income    661    2,140    1,457    4,117  
    Interest expense    (3,191 )  (3,593 )  (6,477 )  (7,331 )
    Gain on disposition of property,  
        equipment and other assets    8,582    239    8,569    3,222  
    Equity losses from unconsolidated  
        joint ventures, net    (1,102 )  (444 )  (1,399 )  (777 )




     4,950    (1,658 )  2,150    (769 )




Earnings from continuing operations  
    before income taxes    13,417    6,641    31,799    26,017  
Income taxes    3,154    2,060    7,828    9,057  




Earnings from continuing operations    10,263    4,581    23,971    16,960  

Discontinued operations:
  
    Loss from discontinued operations,  
        net of income taxes    (185 )  (90 )  (209 )  (716 )
    Gain on sale of discontinued operations,  
        net of income taxes    13    553    36    4,289  




     (172 )  463    (173 )  3,573  





Net earnings
   $ 10,091   $ 5,044   $ 23,798   $ 20,533  





Earnings per share - basic:
  
    Continuing operations   $ 0.34   $ 0.15   $ 0.79   $ 0.56  
    Discontinued operations    (0.01 )  0.02    (0.01 )  0.12  




    Net earnings per share   $ 0.33   $ 0.17   $ 0.78   $ 0.68  





Earnings per share - diluted:
  
    Continuing operations   $ 0.33   $ 0.15   $ 0.78   $ 0.55  
    Discontinued operations    --    0.01    (0.01 )  0.12  




    Net earnings per share   $ 0.33   $ 0.16   $ 0.77   $ 0.67  





Weighted average shares outstanding:
  
    Basic    30,354    30,337    30,317    30,318  
    Diluted    30,805    30,703    30,750    30,694  

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THE MARCUS CORPORATION
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)
November 23, 2006

(Audited)
May 25, 2006

Assets:            
      Cash and cash equivalents   $ 11,507   $ 34,528  
      Cash held by intermediaries    11,760    1,752  
      Accounts and notes receivable    17,634    17,691  
      Refundable income taxes    --    216  
      Deferred income taxes    6,118    5,898  
      Condominium units held for sale    76,413    --  
      Other current assets    19,368    11,273  
      Assets of discontinued operations    1,729    7,545  
      Property and equipment - net    481,168    450,529  
      Other assets    52,878    57,802  



Total Assets
   $ 678,575   $ 587,234  



Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity:
  
      Accounts and notes payable   $ 14,363   $ 19,899  
      Income taxes    1,896    --  
      Taxes other than income taxes    11,684    11,064  
      Other current liabilities    21,611    22,331  
      Current maturities of long-term debt    117,233    53,402  
      Liabilities of discontinued operations    2,649    1,998  
      Long-term debt    131,363    123,110  
      Deferred income taxes    29,993    27,946  
      Deferred compensation and other    29,263    26,161  
      Shareholders’ equity    318,520    301,323  



Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
   $ 678,575   $ 587,234  


THE MARCUS CORPORATION
Business Segment Information (Unaudited)

(in thousands)

Theatres
Hotels/
Resorts

Corporate
Items

Continuing
Operations
Total

Discontinued
Operations

Total
13 Weeks Ended November 23, 2006                            
Revenues   $ 28,039   $ 42,254   $ 312   $ 70,605   $ 9   $ 70,614  
Operating income (loss)    4,751    6,116    (2,400 )  8,467    73    8,540  
Depreciation and amortization    2,788    3,338    177    6,303    --    6,303  

13 Weeks Ended November 24, 2005
  
Revenues   $ 29,714   $ 36,974   $ 337   $ 67,025   $ 1,654   $ 68,679  
Operating income (loss)    5,143    5,561    (2,405 )  8,299    (122 )  8,177  
Depreciation and amortization    3,100    3,207    272    6,579    52    6,631  

26 Weeks Ended November 23, 2006
  
Revenues   $ 74,517   $ 88,865   $ 630   $ 164,012   $ 3,690   $ 167,702  
Operating income (loss)    17,008    17,152    (4,511 )  29,649    12    29,661  
Depreciation and amortization    5,636    6,657    415    12,708    12    12,720  

26 Weeks Ended November 24, 2005
  
Revenues   $ 73,968   $ 78,616   $ 686   $ 153,270   $ 3,930   $ 157,200  
Operating income (loss)    16,826    14,183    (4,223 )  26,786    (1,329 )  25,457  
Depreciation and amortization    6,267    6,221    572    13,060    107    13,167  

Corporate items include amounts not allocable to the business segments. Corporate revenues consist principally of rent and the corporate operating loss includes general corporate expenses. Corporate information technology costs and accounting shared services costs are allocated to the business segments based upon several factors, including actual usage and segment revenues.

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