Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions.  Legal Statement.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy

Markets
Published

Carrols Restaurant Group Falls Short on Higher Costs

Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: TAST) announced second-quarter 2017 results on Tuesday morning, showcasing big improvements in comparable-restaurant sales and the fruits of acquisitions over the past year.

But with profits under pressure, shares of the country's largest Burger King franchisee fell around 4.7% when all was said and done today. Let's take a deeper look at what Carrols Restaurant Group accomplished over the past few months, as well as what investors can expect from the company going forward.

Carrols Restaurant Group results: The raw numbers

What happened with Carrols Restaurant Group this quarter

  • Sales growth was driven by Carrols' acquisition of 104 restaurants over the past year, as well as a 4.6% increase in comparable-restaurant sales.
  • Comparable sales growth was driven by a combination of demand for premium products, value offerings, and limited-time promotions.
  • On an adjusted (non-GAAP) basis, which excludes items like acquisition expenses, Carrols' net income was $6.6 million, or $0.14 per share, down from $8 million, or $0.18 per share in the same year-ago period.
  • Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) declined 1.4% year over year to $27.5 million.
  • Profitability was impacted by higher wage rates, higher beef costs, and higher levels of promotional discounts.
  • For perspective -- and though we don't lend much credence to Wall Street's expectations -- consensus estimates predicted adjusted earnings of $0.20 per share on lower revenue of $275.5 million.
  • In June, Carrols closed on a $75 million add-on offering of 8% senior secured lien notes due 2022, providing flexibility for future strategic restaurant acquisitions.

What management had to say

Carrols Restaurant Group CEO Daniel Accordino elaborated:

Looking forward 

More specifically, Carrols now expects total restaurant sales in 2017 of $1.05 billion to $1.07 billion (up from $1.03 billion to $1.06 billion previously), assuming 2% to 3% growth in comparable-restaurant sales. Carrols also reiterated its outlook for 2017 adjusted EBITDA of $90 million to $95 million.

All things considered, this was a decent quarter despite headwinds holding back Carrols' bottom line. If Carrols can sustain its sales momentum in today's difficult restaurant environment, however, it should be nicely poised to emerge stronger when that environment eventually takes a turn for the better.

10 stocks we like better than Carrols Restaurant GroupWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Carrols Restaurant Group wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of August 1, 2017

Steve Symington has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Carrols Restaurant Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.