LT
Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. (LTH)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q4 delivered strong growth with revenue up 18.7% to $663.3M, Adjusted EBITDA up 28.5% to $177.0M, and Adjusted EBITDA margin expanding 210 bps to 26.7% on record retention, higher average dues, and robust in‑center spend; comparable center revenue growth accelerated to 13.5% .
- Management raised FY25 guidance vs. the January pre‑announcement: revenue to $2.925–$2.975B (from $2.910–$2.970B), Adjusted EBITDA to $780–$800M (from $760–$780M), and net income to $277–$284M (from $262–$269M), citing stronger early‑2025 dues and retention trends and cost control; interest expense guided to ~$90–$94M and tax rate ~27% .
- Balance sheet and liquidity improved: net debt leverage fell to 2.28x (vs. 3.61x in 2023), liquidity was $619.7M; 2025 plan is to maintain ≤2.25x leverage and ~$1.5B debt, funding growth with operating cash flow and $250–$350M of expected sale‑leasebacks at ~6.5%–7% cap rates per management commentary .
- Strategic catalysts: LT Digital has >1.7M subscribers growing >100k/month, “Lacy” AI companion and an Investor Day targeted for early summer/early August, MIORA longevity offering ramping, and LTH supplements scaling—management expects these asset‑light initiatives to support in‑center growth and brand reach .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Record engagement and retention drove the highest revenue per membership in Life Time’s 32‑year history; CEO: “We exceeded every single financial objective we had set forth” .
- Mix and margin: Adjusted EBITDA grew 28.5% to $177.0M with margin up to 26.7%; net debt leverage improved to 2.28x vs. 3.61x in 2023, with $619.7M of available liquidity at year end .
- In‑center momentum: management highlighted personal training comps nearly tripled YoY in Q4 at comparable clubs, reinforcing ancillary spend strength .
What Went Wrong
- Sequential revenue declined from $693.2M in Q3 to $663.3M in Q4, and memberships fell by 14,440 QoQ to 812,062—consistent with seasonality; G&A also rose 13.1% on higher share‑based comp and benefits .
- GAAP earnings included a $10.3M write‑off of unamortized debt costs tied to Q4 refinancing, pressuring GAAP net income vs. non‑GAAP; Adjusted net income was $60.3M (vs. GAAP $37.2M) .
- Q4 free cash flow was $26.5M (vs. $138.3M in Q3), as higher capex and no Q4 sale‑leaseback proceeds muted FCF despite strong operating cash flow .
Financial Results
Headline P&L and KPIs (USD, unless noted)
Revenue Mix and “Segments”
Cash Flow, Capex, Leverage, Footprint
Estimates vs. Actuals
- Wall Street (S&P Global) quarterly consensus for Q4 2024 and the prior two quarters was unavailable via the S&P Global API at the time of this analysis; therefore beat/miss cannot be determined. S&P Global consensus unavailable.
Guidance Changes
Management also reiterated plans to keep net leverage at or below 2.25x and fund growth with operating cash flow plus sale‑leaseback proceeds .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We exceeded every single financial objective we had set forth… record levels of member engagement… record membership retention, driving the highest revenue per membership we have seen in our 32‑year history.” — Bahram Akradi, CEO .
- “We have continued to expand our operating margins and now expect to achieve adjusted EBITDA margins in excess of 26%.” — Erik Weaver, CFO .
- “We intend to maintain our current debt levels of approximately $1.5 billion… This implies a net debt leverage ratio of less than 2x by the end of this year.” — CEO .
- “We have agreements… about $240–$250 million [of] sale‑leaseback from us for this year… $250–$300–$350 million sale‑leaseback… easily in the expectation for this year.” — CEO .
- “LT Digital… has more than 1.7 million subscribers and it's growing more than 100,000 per month… [We] are about to open our second [MIORA] location next week.” — CEO .
Q&A Highlights
- Funding growth and SLB market: Company expects $250–$350M of sale‑leasebacks in 2025 with long‑standing partners at ~6.5%–7% cap rates; proceeds will be recycled into growth while maintaining ~$1.5B debt and sub‑2.25x leverage .
- Guidance raise rationale: Early 2025 trends—strong average dues, retention, and cost control—drove a lift in EBITDA guidance vs. mid‑January pre‑announce .
- Comps cadence: Management expects Q1 comp to run above the 7%–8% FY guide due to lapping prior initiatives, with normalization into Q2–Q4 .
- Capacity, pricing, enrollment fees: For saturated clubs, pricing/enrollment fees are used to manage demand; the company has systematically repriced legacy customers to rack rate over the past ~18 months, supporting dues growth .
- In‑center and PT momentum: Comparable PT revenue nearly tripled YoY in Q4 comps stores; kids programming and camps remain a key differentiator with record participation .
- AI and Investor Day: Significant AI initiatives under “Lacy” are planned to be showcased at an Investor Day targeted for early summer/early August .
Estimates Context
- Consensus (S&P Global) quarterly EPS/Revenue/EBITDA estimates for Q4 2024 and the prior two quarters could not be retrieved via the S&P Global API at the time of analysis. As a result, we do not present beat/miss determinations versus Wall Street expectations. S&P Global consensus unavailable.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Operating momentum remains robust: comps accelerated to 13.5%, margins expanded to 26.7%, and retention/dues support durable revenue flow‑through .
- De‑risked balance sheet and lower interest burden: net leverage at 2.28x with a path to ≤2.25x; FY25 net interest guided to ~$90–$94M, benefiting from refinancing and debt paydown .
- 2025 outlook raised: revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, and net income all increased vs. January pre‑announcement—near‑term catalyst for sentiment and estimate revisions once Street data is accessible .
- Growth funding intact without over‑levering: $250–$350M expected sale‑leasebacks plus operating cash flow support 10–12 openings in 2025 while holding debt roughly flat at ~$1.5B .
- Asset‑light flywheel emerging: LT Digital (>1.7M subs), LTH supplements, and MIORA longevity offer incremental in‑center and product monetization vectors with limited capital intensity; Investor Day could crystallize medium‑term upside .
- Watch items: seasonal Q4 sequential downtick; elevated share‑based comp contributing to G&A; Q4 FCF moderated absent sale‑leaseback proceeds—monitor capex cadence and SLB execution through 2025 .
Appendix: Additional Context
- Q4 non‑GAAP reconciliation highlights include a $10.3M write‑off of unamortized debt costs tied to Q4 refinancing, impacting GAAP results; Adjusted Net Income was $60.3M and Adjusted Diluted EPS $0.27 .
- 2025 operating assumptions include non‑cash rent expense of $35–$38M, ~27% tax rate, and $58–$62M cash taxes; comparable center revenue growth of 7%–8% .
- Relevant prior‑quarter baselines: Q2 revenue $667.8M, Adj. EBITDA $173.5M; Q3 revenue $693.2M, Adj. EBITDA $180.3M; both delivered strong YoY growth and deleveraging progress .
Sources: LTH Q4/FY24 earnings press release and 8‑K, earnings call transcript, preliminary Q4 release, and relevant Q2/Q3 press releases .