Total portfolio generated positive Hotel EBITDA each month during the first quarter - Monthly cash burn below low end of guidance - Open hotel occupancy of 46.4%
RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE: RLJ) yesterday reported results for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
First Quarter Highlights
- Repaid $200.0 million on Revolving Credit Facility
- Sold one non-core hotel for a gain of $1.1 million
- 97 hotels open during the first quarter, representing 96% of the portfolio
- Total portfolio achieved 43.0% occupancy and open hotels achieved 46.4% occupancy
- Total revenue of $119.6 million
- Net loss of ($79.1) million
- Net loss per share of ($0.51)
- Adjusted EBITDA of $3.6 million
- Adjusted FFO per diluted common share and unit of ($0.18)
- Continued to maintain a strong balance sheet with approximately $648.0 million of unrestricted cash and over $1.0 billion of liquidity
“We are encouraged by the acceleration in lodging demand that we saw throughout the first quarter and are pleased to see the relative outperformance of our portfolio unfold, as we had expected,” commented Leslie D. Hale, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our portfolio’s favorable positioning with respect to our brands, product type and geographic footprint allowed us to gain significant market share during the first quarter and enabled us to achieve positive corporate EBITDA for the first time since the pandemic unfolded. The strong start to the year has increased our confidence in the strength of the lodging recovery. Against this improving backdrop we are well positioned to unlock our embedded growth catalysts and to outperform throughout the recovery and beyond.”
| Financial and Operating Highlights ($ in thousands, except ADR, RevPAR, and per share amounts) (unaudited) | ||||||
| For the three months ended March 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | ||||
| Operational Overview: (1) | ||||||
| Pro forma ADR | $118.63 | $176.81 | (32.9)% | |||
| Pro forma Occupancy | 43.0% | 60.5% | (29.0)% | |||
| Pro forma RevPAR | $50.99 | $107.04 | (52.4)% | |||
| Financial Overview: | ||||||
| Total Revenues | $119,552 | $265,481 | (55.0)% | |||
| Pro forma Hotel Revenue | $119,525 | $264,589 | (54.8)% | |||
| Net Loss | ($79,117) | ($30,829) | (156.6)% | |||
| Pro forma Hotel EBITDA | $11,462 | $51,019 | (77.5)% | |||
| Adjusted EBITDA (2) | $3,592 | $41,417 | (91.3)% | |||
| Adjusted FFO | ($29,767) | $16,870 | (276.4)% | |||
| Adjusted FFO Per Diluted Common Share and Unit | ($0.18) | $0.10 | (280.0)% | |||
| Note: |
| (1) Pro forma statistics reflect the Company's 101 hotel portfolio as of March 31, 2021. |
| (2) Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, included $0.7 million and ($0.2) million, respectively, from sold hotels. |
Operating and Cash Burn Update
The Company's first quarter operations benefited from significant growth in demand as a result of increased vaccine distribution, easing of government restrictions and pent up leisure demand. These improving trends, combined with our hotels continuing to operate under stringent cost containment initiatives, led to the Company’s entire portfolio achieving positive Hotel EBITDA during the first quarter.
The improvement in hotel-level cash flows lowered the Company’s average monthly burn rate for the three-months ended March 31, 2021 to approximately $14.0 million (excluding capital investments), which was 30% below the low end of the Company’s prior estimated range of $20.0 million to $24.0 million.
For the second quarter of 2021, the Company estimates that average monthly cash burn will be approximately $16.0 million to $20.0 million (excluding capital investments). The current range is inclusive of hotel-level operating shortfalls, taxes and insurance, corporate-level cash general & administrative expenses and other corporate-level outflows, including interest and scheduled principal payments on the Company's outstanding debt as well as common and preferred dividends. The Company's cash burn during the second quarter will include $14.0 million in semi-annual interest payments that are due in June, on its senior notes.
Update on Hotel Reopenings
As of March 31, 2021, the Company had 97 hotels open, representing 96% of the Company's portfolio, and subsequently reopened one hotel in April 2021. The Company will continue to evaluate market conditions with respect to reopening the remaining three suspended hotels, of which two are located in New York City and one in San Francisco. All open hotels continue to operate under aggressive operating cost containment plans, including reduced staffing, minimizing non-essential amenities and services, and modified food and beverage offerings.
Dispositions
As previously disclosed, the Company closed on the sale of the 112-room Courtyard Houston Sugarland on January 21, 2021 for approximately $4.4 million and recorded a net gain on sale of approximately $1.1 million.
During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company entered into purchase and sale agreements to sell two non-core hotel properties and recorded impairment losses of $5.9 million on these two hotels. The sales of these two hotel properties are expected to close during the second quarter of 2021.
Balance Sheet
During the first quarter, the Company repaid $200.0 million on its Revolving Credit Facility resulting in $200.0 million outstanding as of March 31, 2021. As of March 31, 2021, the Company had $647.8 million of unrestricted cash on its balance sheet, $400.0 million available under its Revolving Credit Facility, over $1.0 billion of total liquidity, no debt maturities until 2022, and $2.4 billion of debt outstanding.
Dividends
The Company’s Board of Trustees declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.01 per common share of beneficial interest in the first quarter. The dividend was paid on April 15, 2021 to shareholders of record as of March 31, 2021.
The Company's Board of Trustees declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.4875 on the Company’s Series A Preferred Shares. The dividend was paid on April 30, 2021 to shareholders of record as of March 31, 2021.
2021 Outlook
Given the continued uncertainties related to the pandemic and its impact on travel, the Company is unable to provide a future outlook at this time.
RLJ Lodging Trust is a self-advised, publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns primarily premium-branded, high-margin, focused-service and compact full-service hotels. The Company's portfolio consists of 101 hotels with approximately 22,400 rooms, located in 23 states and the District of Columbia and an ownership interest in one unconsolidated hotel with 171 rooms.
RLJ Lodging Trust Non-GAAP and Accounting Commentary
Non-Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“Non-GAAP”) Financial Measures
The Company considers the following non-GAAP financial measures useful to investors as key supplemental measures of its performance: (1) FFO, (2) Adjusted FFO, (3) EBITDA, (4) EBITDAre, (5) Adjusted EBITDA, (6) Hotel EBITDA, and (7) Hotel EBITDA Margin. These Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered along with, but not as alternatives to, net income or loss as a measure of its operating performance. FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA, EBITDAre, Adjusted EBITDA, Hotel EBITDA, and Hotel EBITDA Margin as calculated by the Company, may not be comparable to other companies that do not define such terms exactly as the Company.
Funds From Operations (“FFO”)
The Company calculates Funds from Operations ("FFO") in accordance with standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or NAREIT, which defines FFO as net income or loss (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains or losses from sales of real estate, impairment, the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles, plus depreciation and amortization, and adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, most real estate industry investors consider FFO to be helpful in evaluating a real estate company’s operations. The Company believes that the presentation of FFO provides useful information to investors regarding the Company’s operating performance and can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods and between real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), even though FFO does not represent an amount that accrues directly to common shareholders.
The Company’s calculation of FFO may not be comparable to measures calculated by other companies who do not use the NAREIT definition of FFO or do not calculate FFO per diluted share in accordance with NAREIT guidance. Additionally, FFO may not be helpful when comparing the Company to non-REITs. The Company presents FFO attributable to common shareholders, which includes unitholders of limited partnership interest (“OP units”) in RLJ Lodging Trust, L.P., the Company’s operating partnership, because the OP units are redeemable for common shares of the Company. The Company believes it is meaningful for the investor to understand FFO attributable to all common shares and OP units.
EBITDA and EBITDAre
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization ("EBITDA") is defined as net income or loss excluding: (1) interest expense; (2) provision for income taxes, including income taxes applicable to sales of assets; and (3) depreciation and amortization. The Company considers EBITDA useful to investors in evaluating and facilitating comparisons of its operating performance between periods and between REITs by removing the impact of its capital structure (primarily interest expense) and asset base (primarily depreciation and amortization) from its operating results. In addition, EBITDA is used as one measure in determining the value of hotel acquisitions and dispositions.
In addition to EBITDA, the Company presents EBITDAre in accordance with NAREIT guidelines, which defines EBITDAre as net income or loss (calculated in accordance with GAAP) excluding interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense, gains or losses from sales of real estate, impairment, and adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. The Company believes that the presentation of EBITDAre provides useful information to investors regarding the Company's operating performance and can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods and between REITs.
Adjustments to FFO, EBITDA and EBITDAre
The Company adjusts FFO, EBITDA, and EBITDAre for certain items that the Company considers either outside the normal course of operations or extraordinary. The Company believes that Adjusted FFO, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDAre provide useful supplemental information to investors regarding its ongoing operating performance that, when considered with net income or loss, FFO, EBITDA, and EBITDAre, is beneficial to an investor’s understanding of its operating performance. The Company adjusts FFO, EBITDA, and EBITDAre for the following items:
- Transaction Costs: the Company excludes transaction costs expensed during the period
- Non-Cash Expenses: the Company excludes the effect of certain non-cash items such as the amortization of share-based compensation, non-cash income taxes, and unrealized gains and loss related to interest rate hedges
- Other Non-Operational Expenses: the Company excludes the effect of certain non-operational expenses representing income and expenses outside the normal course of operations
Hotel EBITDA and Hotel EBITDA Margin
With respect to Consolidated Hotel EBITDA, the Company believes that excluding the effect of corporate-level expenses and certain non-cash items provides a more complete understanding of the operating results over which individual hotels and operators have direct control. The Company believes property-level results provide investors with supplemental information about the ongoing operational performance of the Company’s hotels and the effectiveness of third-party management companies.
Pro forma Consolidated Hotel EBITDA includes prior ownership information provided by the sellers of the hotels for periods prior to our acquisition of the hotels, which has not been audited and excludes results from sold hotels as applicable. Pro forma Hotel EBITDA and Pro forma Hotel EBITDA Margin exclude the results of any non-comparable hotels that were under renovation. The following is a summary of pro forma hotel adjustments:
Pro forma adjustments: Sold hotels
For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, pro forma adjustments included the following sold hotels:
- Residence Inn Houston Sugarland sold in December 2020
- Courtyard Houston Sugarland sold in January 2021
| RLJ Lodging Trust Consolidated Balance Sheets (Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data) (unaudited) | ||||||||
| March 31, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | |||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Investment in hotel properties, net | $ | 4,442,945 | $ | 4,486,416 | ||||
| Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures | 6,665 | 6,798 | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 647,844 | 899,813 | ||||||
| Restricted cash reserves | 33,391 | 34,977 | ||||||
| Hotel and other receivables, net of allowance of $253 and $292, respectively | 19,054 | 13,346 | ||||||
| Lease right-of-use assets | 141,660 | 142,989 | ||||||
| Prepaid expense and other assets | 37,004 | 32,833 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 5,328,563 | $ | 5,617,172 | ||||
| Liabilities and Equity | ||||||||
| Debt, net | $ | 2,377,981 | $ | 2,587,731 | ||||
| Accounts payable and other liabilities | 159,538 | 172,325 | ||||||
| Advance deposits and deferred revenue | 28,211 | 32,177 | ||||||
| Lease liabilities | 121,954 | 122,593 | ||||||
| Accrued interest | 13,288 | 6,206 | ||||||
| Distributions payable | 8,383 | 8,752 | ||||||
| Total liabilities | 2,709,355 | 2,929,784 | ||||||
| Equity | ||||||||
| Shareholders’ equity: | ||||||||
| Preferred shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized | ||||||||
| Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Shares, $0.01 par value, 12,950,000 shares authorized; 12,879,475 shares issued and outstanding, liquidation value of $328,266, at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 | 366,936 | 366,936 | ||||||
| Common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value, 450,000,000 shares authorized; 164,918,126 and 165,002,752 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively | 1,649 | 1,650 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 3,078,824 | 3,077,142 | ||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (52,330 | ) | (69,050 | ) | ||||
| Distributions in excess of net earnings | (795,706 | ) | (710,161 | ) | ||||
| Total shareholders’ equity | 2,599,373 | 2,666,517 | ||||||
| Noncontrolling interest: | ||||||||
| Noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint ventures | 12,365 | 13,002 | ||||||
| Noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership | 7,470 | 7,869 | ||||||
| Total noncontrolling interest | 19,835 | 20,871 | ||||||
| Total equity | 2,619,208 | 2,687,388 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and equity | $ | 5,328,563 | $ | 5,617,172 | ||||
| Note: |
| The corresponding notes to the consolidated financial statements can be found in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. |
| RLJ Lodging Trust Consolidated Statements of Operations (Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data) (unaudited) | ||||||||
| For the three months ended March 31, | ||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Revenues | ||||||||
| Operating revenues | ||||||||
| Room revenue | $ | 102,772 | $ | 218,892 | ||||
| Food and beverage revenue | 6,242 | 30,767 | ||||||
| Other revenue | 10,538 | 15,822 | ||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 119,552 | $ | 265,481 | ||||
| Expenses | ||||||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||
| Room expense | 29,427 | 63,753 | ||||||
| Food and beverage expense | 4,556 | 26,381 | ||||||
| Management and franchise fee expense | 5,361 | 17,144 | ||||||
| Other operating expense | 49,120 | 80,957 | ||||||
| Total property operating expenses | 88,464 | 188,235 | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 46,943 | 49,173 | ||||||
| Impairment losses | 5,946 | — | ||||||
| Property tax, insurance and other | 20,081 | 28,692 | ||||||
| General and administrative | 10,800 | 11,769 | ||||||
| Transaction costs | 60 | 10 | ||||||
| Total operating expenses | 172,294 | 277,879 | ||||||
| Other income | 465 | 579 | ||||||
| Interest income | 384 | 2,966 | ||||||
| Interest expense | (27,895 | ) | (23,813 | ) | ||||
| Gain on sale of hotel properties, net | 1,083 | 102 | ||||||
| Loss before equity in (loss) income from unconsolidated joint ventures | (78,705 | ) | (32,564 | ) | ||||
| Equity in (loss) income from unconsolidated joint ventures | (298 | ) | 585 | |||||
| Loss before income tax (expense) benefit | (79,003 | ) | (31,979 | ) | ||||
| Income tax (expense) benefit | (114 | ) | 1,150 | |||||
| Net loss | (79,117 | ) | (30,829 | ) | ||||
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests: | ||||||||
| Noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint ventures | 736 | 1,313 | ||||||
| Noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership | 396 | 192 | ||||||
| Net loss attributable to RLJ | (77,985 | ) | (29,324 | ) | ||||
| Preferred dividends | (6,279 | ) | (6,279 | ) | ||||
| Net loss attributable to common shareholders | $ | (84,264 | ) | $ | (35,603 | ) | ||
| Basic and diluted per common share data: | ||||||||
| Net loss per share attributable to common shareholders | $ | (0.51 | ) | $ | (0.21 | ) | ||
| Weighted-average number of common shares | 163,826,009 | 167,149,733 | ||||||
| Note: |
| The Statements of Comprehensive Income and corresponding notes to the consolidated financial statements can be found in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. |
| RLJ Lodging Trust Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures (Amounts in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) | ||||||||
| Funds from Operations (FFO) Attributable to Common Shareholders and Unit holders | ||||||||
| For the three months ended March 31, | ||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Net loss | $ | (79,117 | ) | $ | (30,829 | ) | ||
| Preferred dividends | (6,279 | ) | (6,279 | ) | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 46,943 | 49,173 | ||||||
| Gain on sale of hotel properties, net | (1,083 | ) | (102 | ) | ||||
| Impairment losses | 5,946 | — | ||||||
| Noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint ventures | 736 | 1,313 | ||||||
| Adjustments related to consolidated joint ventures (1) | (75 | ) | (75 | ) | ||||
| Adjustments related to unconsolidated joint ventures (2) | 294 | 494 | ||||||
| FFO | (32,635 | ) | 13,695 | |||||
| Transaction costs | 60 | 10 | ||||||
| Amortization of share-based compensation | 2,752 | 2,696 | ||||||
| Non-cash income tax benefit | — | (1,242 | ) | |||||
| Unrealized loss on discontinued cash flow hedges | — | 1,557 | ||||||
| Other expenses (3) | 56 | 154 | ||||||
| Adjusted FFO | $ | (29,767 | ) | $ | 16,870 | |||
| Adjusted FFO per common share and unit-basic | $ | (0.18 | ) | $ | 0.10 | |||
| Adjusted FFO per common share and unit-diluted | $ | (0.18 | ) | $ | 0.10 | |||
| Basic weighted-average common shares and units outstanding (4) | 164,598 | 167,922 | ||||||
| Diluted weighted-average common shares and units outstanding (4) | 164,598 | 167,922 | ||||||
| Note: |
| (1) Includes depreciation and amortization expense allocated to the noncontrolling interest in the consolidated joint ventures. |
| (2) Includes our ownership interest in the depreciation and amortization expense of the unconsolidated joint ventures. |
| (3) Represents income and expenses outside of the normal course of operations. |
| (4) Includes 0.8 million weighted-average operating partnership units for the three month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. |
| RLJ Lodging Trust Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures (Amounts in thousands) (unaudited) | ||||||||
| Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) | ||||||||
| For the three months ended March 31, | ||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Net loss | $ | (79,117 | ) | $ | (30,829 | ) | ||
| Depreciation and amortization | 46,943 | 49,173 | ||||||
| Interest expense, net of interest income | 27,511 | 20,847 | ||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 114 | (1,150 | ) | |||||
| Adjustments related to unconsolidated joint ventures (1) | 410 | 618 | ||||||
| EBITDA | (4,139 | ) | 38,659 | |||||
| Gain on sale of hotel properties, net | (1,083 | ) | (102 | ) | ||||
| Impairment losses | 5,946 | — | ||||||
| EBITDAre | 724 | 38,557 | ||||||
| Transaction costs | 60 | 10 | ||||||
| Amortization of share-based compensation | 2,752 | 2,696 | ||||||
| Other expenses (2) | 56 | 154 | ||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | 3,592 | 41,417 | ||||||
| General and administrative (3) | 8,048 | 9,073 | ||||||
| Other corporate adjustments (4) | 513 | 305 | ||||||
| Consolidated Hotel EBITDA | 12,153 | 50,795 | ||||||
| Pro forma adjustments - income from sold hotels | (691 | ) | 224 | |||||
| Pro forma Hotel EBITDA | $ | 11,462 | $ | 51,019 | ||||
| Note: |
| (1) Includes our ownership interest in the interest, depreciation, and amortization expense of the unconsolidated joint ventures. |
| (2) Represents income and expenses outside of the normal course of operations. |
| (3) Excludes amortization of share-based compensation reflected in Adjusted EBITDA. |
| (4) Other corporate adjustments include property-level adjustments and certain revenues and expenses at corporate entities. These items include interest income, amortization of deferred management fees, key money amortization, ground rent amortization, legal fees, revenues and expenses associated with non-hotel properties, income (loss) from unconsolidated entities, internal lease rent expense, and other items. |
| RLJ Lodging Trust Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures (Amounts in thousands) (unaudited) | ||||||||
| Pro forma Hotel EBITDA Margin | ||||||||
| For the three months ended March 31, | ||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Total revenue | $ | 119,552 | $ | 265,481 | ||||
| Pro forma adjustments - revenue from sold hotels | (7 | ) | (864 | ) | ||||
| Other corporate adjustments / non-hotel revenue | (20 | ) | (28 | ) | ||||
| Pro forma Hotel Revenue | $ | 119,525 | $ | 264,589 | ||||
| Pro forma Hotel EBITDA | $ | 11,462 | $ | 51,019 | ||||
| Pro forma Hotel EBITDA Margin | 9.6 | % | 19.3 | % | ||||
| RLJ Lodging Trust Consolidated Debt Summary (Amounts in thousands) (unaudited) | |||||||||||||
| Loan | Base Term (Years) | Maturity (incl. extensions) | Floating / Fixed | Interest Rate (1) | Balance as of March 31, 2021 (2) | ||||||||
| Secured Debt | |||||||||||||
| Mortgage loan - 1 hotel | 10 | Jun 2022 | Fixed | 5.25 | % | $ | 29,880 | ||||||
| Mortgage loan - 2 hotels | 10 | Oct 2022 | Fixed | 4.95 | % | 54,206 | |||||||
| Mortgage loan - 1 hotel | 10 | Oct 2022 | Fixed | 4.95 | % | 31,158 | |||||||
| Mortgage loan - 1 hotel | 10 | Oct 2022 | Fixed | 4.94 | % | 27,522 | |||||||
| Mortgage loan - 7 hotels | 3 | Apr 2024 | Floating (3) | 3.30 | % | 200,000 | |||||||
| Mortgage loan - 3 hotels | 5 | Apr 2026 | Floating (3)(5) | 3.00 | % | 96,000 | |||||||
| Mortgage loan - 4 hotels | 5 | Apr 2026 | Floating | 1.71 | % | 85,000 | |||||||
| Weighted Average / Secured Total | 3.45 | % | $ | 523,765 | |||||||||
| Unsecured Debt | |||||||||||||
| Revolver (4) | 4 | May 2025 | Floating (3) | 4.39 | % | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
| $150 Million Term Loan Maturing 2022 | 7 | Jan 2022 | Floating (3) | 4.03 | % | 141,525 | |||||||
| $400 Million Term Loan Maturing 2023 | 5 | Jan 2023 | Floating (3) | 4.73 | % | 400,000 | |||||||
| $225 Million Term Loan Maturing 2023 | 5 | Jan 2023 | Floating (3) | 4.73 | % | 225,000 | |||||||
| $400 Million Term Loan Maturing 2025 | 5 | May 2025 | Floating (3) | 3.92 | % | 400,000 | |||||||
| Senior Unsecured Notes | 10 | Jun 2025 | Fixed | 6.00 | % | 474,888 | |||||||
| Weighted Average / Unsecured Total | 4.79 | % | $ | 1,841,413 | |||||||||
| Weighted Average / Gross Total | 4.49 | % | $ | 2,365,178 | |||||||||
| Note: |
| (1) Interest rates as of March 31, 2021. |
| (2) Excludes the impact of fair value adjustments and deferred financing costs. |
| (3) The floating interest rate is hedged with an interest rate swap. |
| (4) As of March 31, 2021, there was $400.0 million of borrowing capacity on the Revolver, which is charged an unused commitment fee of 0.25% annually. |
| (5) Reflects an interest rate swap of $57.5 million on the $96.0 million mortgage loan. |