ACI Worldwide, Inc. Reports Financial Results for the
Quarter Ended September 30, 2023
Q3 2023 HIGHLIGHTS
•Total revenue grew 21%1
•Total recurring revenue grew 10%1
•Net income of $38 million grew 64%
•Total EBITDA grew 147% to $103 million1
•Reiterating guidance for full-year 2023
Miami, FL — November 2, 2023 — ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a global leader in mission-critical, real-time payments software, announced financial results today for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
"We are pleased to report solid third quarter results," said Thomas Warsop, President and CEO of ACI Worldwide. "Operational focus helped us exceed our overall financial targets. Our Bank segment continues to show encouraging trends, including 13% adjusted recurring revenue growth, and our Biller segment has materially accelerated as a result of new customer onboarding and our interchange improvement program. Further, we were able to sign some new contracts in our pipeline earlier than planned, which reduces risk in achieving our full-year expectations. Given our predictable renewal calendar, as well as newly signed customers scheduled for implementation, we are confident in reiterating guidance for this year, as well as for our revenue growth target of 7-9% in 2024."
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
In Q3 2023, total revenue was $363 million, up 21% compared to the same period in 2022. Recurring revenue in Q3 grew 10% versus last year. Net income in the quarter was $38 million, up from $23 million last year. Total adjusted EBITDA in the quarter was $103 million, up 147% from Q3 2022. Percentage change comparisons are adjusted for FX and the Corporate Online Banking divestiture1.
•Bank segment total revenue increased 42% while Bank segment recurring revenue, consisting of maintenance and SaaS revenue, grew 13% and Bank segment adjusted EBITDA doubled to $91 million versus Q3 2022, after adjusting for FX and the divestiture1. As previously discussed, the timing of larger license renewal events is heavily weighted to the back half of 2023.
•Merchant segment revenue and Merchant segment adjusted EBITDA were flat versus Q3 2022, adjusted for FX.
•Biller segment revenue increased 11% and Biller segment adjusted EBITDA increased 48% versus Q3 2022, driven by new customer onboarding and progress with our interchange improvement program.
ACI ended the quarter with $140 million in cash on hand and a debt balance of $1 billion, which represents a net debt leverage ratio of 2.4x, down from 2.9x last quarter. The company did not repurchase any shares in the quarter and has $200 million available on the share repurchase authorization.
REITERATING 2023 GUIDANCE
For the full year of 2023, the company expects revenue growth to be in the mid-single digits on a constant currency and divestiture-adjusted basis, or in the range of $1.436 billion to $1.466 billion. The company expects adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $380 million to $395 million with net adjusted EBITDA margin expansion. This excludes one-time charges related to the move of the company's European data centers to the public cloud and one-time costs to implement certain efficiency strategies.
1 Adjusted for foreign currency fluctuations and the divestiture of Corporate Online Banking in September 2022
CONFERENCE CALL TO DISCUSS FINANCIAL RESULTS
Today, management will host a conference call at 8:30 am ET to discuss these results. Interested persons may access a real-time audio broadcast of the teleconference at http://investor.aciworldwide.com/ or use the following number for dial-in participation: toll-free 1 (888) 660-6377; and conference code 3153574. A call replay will be available for two weeks on (855) 859-2056 for US/Canada callers and +1 (404) 537-3406 for international participants.
About ACI Worldwide
ACI Worldwide is a global leader in mission-critical, real-time payments software. Our proven, secure and scalable software solutions enable leading corporations, fintechs, and financial disruptors to process and manage digital payments, power omni-commerce payments, present and process bill payments, and manage fraud and risk. We combine our global footprint with a local presence to drive the real-time digital transformation of payments and commerce.
ACI, ACI Worldwide, ACI Payments, Inc., ACI Pay, Speedpay and all ACI product/solution names are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACI Worldwide, Inc., or one of its subsidiaries, in the United States, other countries or both. Other parties' trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.
For more information contact:
Investor Relations:
John Kraft
SVP, Head of Strategy and Finance
239-403-4627 / john.kraft@aciworldwide.com
To supplement our financial results presented on a GAAP basis, we use the non-GAAP measures indicated in the tables, which exclude significant transaction-related expenses, as well as other significant non-cash expenses such as depreciation, amortization, and stock-based compensation, that we believe are helpful in understanding our past financial performance and our future results. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to our GAAP results and are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. Management generally compensates for limitations in the use of non-GAAP financial measures by relying on comparable GAAP financial measures and providing investors with a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures only in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP.
We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way to view aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business. Certain non-GAAP measures include:
•Adjusted EBITDA: net income (loss) plus income tax expense (benefit), net interest income (expense), net other income (expense), depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation, as well as significant transaction-related expenses. Adjusted EBITDA should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, net income (loss).
•Net Adjusted EBITDA Margin: Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue net of pass-through interchange revenue. Net Adjusted EBITDA Margin should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, net income (loss).
•Diluted EPS adjusted for non-cash and significant transaction related items: diluted EPS plus tax effected significant transaction related items, amortization of acquired intangibles and software, and non-cash stock-based compensation. Diluted EPS adjusted for non-cash and significant transaction related items should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, diluted EPS.
•Recurring Revenue: revenue from software as a service and platform as a service fees and maintenance fees. Recurring revenue should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, total revenue.
•ARR: New annual recurring revenue expected to be generated from new accounts, new applications, and add-on sales bookings contracts signed in the period.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Generally, forward-looking statements do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and may include words or phrases such as “believes,” “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” and words and phrases of similar impact. The forward-looking statements are made pursuant to safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to: (i) our signing of some new contracts in our pipeline earlier than planned, which reduces risk in achieving our full year expectations, (ii) given our predictable renewal calendar, as well as newly signed customers scheduled for implementation, we are confident in reiterating guidance for this year, as well as for our revenue growth target of 7-9% in 2024, and (iii) our expectations for full year 2023 revenue and adjusted EBITDA financial guidance.
All of the foregoing forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by the risk factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such factors include, but are not limited to, increased competition, business interruptions or failure of our information technology and communication systems, security breaches or viruses, our ability to attract and retain senior management personnel and skilled technical employees, future acquisitions, strategic partnerships and investments, divestitures and other restructuring activities, implementation and success of our strategy, impact if we convert some or all on-premise licenses from fixed-term to subscription model, anti-takeover provisions, exposure to credit or operating risks arising from certain payment funding methods, customer reluctance to switch to a new vendor, our ability to adequately defend our intellectual property, litigation, consent orders and other compliance agreements, our offshore software development activities, risks from operating internationally, including fluctuations in currency exchange rates, events in eastern Europe, adverse changes in the global economy, compliance of our products with applicable legislation, governmental regulations and industry standards, the complexity of our products and services and the risk that they may contain hidden defects, complex regulations applicable to our payments business, our compliance with privacy and cybersecurity regulations, our involvement in investigations, lawsuits and other expense and time-consuming legal proceedings, exposure to unknown tax liabilities, changes in tax laws and regulations, consolidations and failures in the financial services industry, volatility in our stock price, demand for our products, failure to obtain renewals of customer contracts or to obtain such renewals on favorable terms, delay or cancellation of customer projects or inaccurate project completion estimates, impairment of our goodwill or intangible assets, the accuracy of management’s backlog estimates, the cyclical nature of our revenue and earnings and the accuracy of forecasts due to the concentration of revenue-generating activity during the final weeks of each quarter, restrictions and other financial covenants in our debt agreements, our existing levels of debt, events outside of our control including natural disasters, wars, and outbreaks of disease, and revenues or revenue mix. For a detailed discussion of these risk factors, parties that are relying on the forward-looking statements should review our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
ACI WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(unaudited and in thousands)
September 30, 2023
December 31, 2022
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
$
139,520
$
124,981
Receivables, net of allowances
370,766
403,781
Settlement assets
649,494
540,667
Prepaid expenses
32,176
28,010
Other current assets
34,754
17,366
Total current assets
1,226,710
1,114,805
Noncurrent assets
Accrued receivables, net
279,303
297,818
Property and equipment, net
41,098
52,499
Operating lease right-of-use assets
33,609
40,031
Software, net
105,324
129,109
Goodwill
1,226,026
1,226,026
Intangible assets, net
203,137
228,698
Deferred income taxes, net
75,448
53,738
Other noncurrent assets
64,173
67,171
TOTAL ASSETS
$
3,254,828
$
3,209,895
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities
Accounts payable
$
40,951
$
47,997
Settlement liabilities
648,956
539,087
Employee compensation
42,025
45,289
Current portion of long-term debt
74,350
65,521
Deferred revenue
61,438
58,303
Other current liabilities
77,910
102,645
Total current liabilities
945,630
858,842
Noncurrent liabilities
Deferred revenue
23,107
23,233
Long-term debt
987,221
1,024,351
Deferred income taxes, net
33,687
40,371
Operating lease liabilities
28,657
33,910
Other noncurrent liabilities
25,491
36,001
Total liabilities
2,043,793
2,016,708
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock
—
—
Common stock
702
702
Additional paid-in capital
708,506
702,458
Retained earnings
1,272,351
1,273,458
Treasury stock
(653,162)
(665,771)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
(117,362)
(117,660)
Total stockholders’ equity
1,211,035
1,193,187
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
$
3,254,828
$
3,209,895
ACI WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(unaudited and in thousands, except per share amounts)
Three Months Ended September 30,
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023
2022
2023
2022
Revenues
Software as a service and platform as a service
$
211,369
$
195,540
$
625,975
$
597,080
License
79,679
43,661
142,681
168,260
Maintenance
51,942
49,163
153,436
151,143
Services
20,025
18,227
53,924
53,613
Total revenues
363,015
306,591
976,016
970,096
Operating expenses
Cost of revenue (1)
177,625
171,753
537,522
517,372
Research and development
33,739
35,899
106,122
114,348
Selling and marketing
29,442
32,794
98,166
102,793
General and administrative
29,821
30,516
92,675
84,753
Depreciation and amortization
30,464
32,140
93,439
95,218
Total operating expenses
301,091
303,102
927,924
914,484
Operating income
61,924
3,489
48,092
55,612
Other income (expense)
Interest expense
(19,840)
(14,336)
(58,641)
(37,014)
Interest income
3,495
2,995
10,458
9,205
Other, net
1,084
41,545
(6,403)
45,801
Total other income (expense)
(15,261)
30,204
(54,586)
17,992
Income (loss) before income taxes
46,663
33,693
(6,494)
73,604
Income tax expense (benefit)
8,752
10,576
(5,387)
21,655
Net income (loss)
$
37,911
$
23,117
$
(1,107)
$
51,949
Income (loss) per common share
Basic
$
0.35
$
0.20
$
(0.01)
$
0.45
Diluted
$
0.35
$
0.20
$
(0.01)
$
0.45
Weighted average common shares outstanding
Basic
108,667
113,812
108,428
114,584
Diluted
108,933
114,348
108,428
115,211
(1) The cost of revenue excludes charges for depreciation but includes amortization of purchased and developed software for resale.
ACI WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(unaudited and in thousands)
Three Months Ended September 30,
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023
2022
2023
2022
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)
$
37,911
$
23,117
$
(1,107)
$
51,949
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation
5,631
6,044
18,722
17,052
Amortization
24,832
26,096
74,716
78,817
Amortization of operating lease right-of-use assets
2,699
2,807
9,190
8,296
Amortization of deferred debt issuance costs
923
1,136
3,415
3,435
Deferred income taxes
(2,566)
(2,674)
(25,207)
(9,059)
Stock-based compensation expense
6,822
7,126
17,537
21,884
Gain on divestiture
—
(38,452)
—
(38,452)
Other
1,857
1,359
2,168
2,483
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Receivables
(39,844)
19,807
42,012
5,767
Accounts payable
(5,244)
(1,728)
(7,198)
(3,047)
Accrued employee compensation
1,749
6,329
(2,879)
(3,872)
Deferred revenue
(8,296)
(11,899)
4,404
(6,367)
Other current and noncurrent assets and liabilities
(1,208)
(4,865)
(52,999)
(26,920)
Net cash flows from operating activities
25,266
34,203
82,774
101,966
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment
(3,380)
(4,466)
(7,956)
(8,123)
Purchases of software and distribution rights
(7,550)
(7,656)
(22,571)
(18,394)
Proceeds from divestiture
—
100,139
—
100,139
Net cash flows from investing activities
(10,930)
88,017
(30,527)
73,622
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock
696
839
2,122
2,801
Proceeds from exercises of stock options
263
395
3,132
1,792
Repurchase of stock-based compensation awards for tax withholdings
(883)
(18)
(4,203)
(5,820)
Repurchases of common stock
—
(28,227)
—
(90,934)
Proceeds from revolving credit facility
20,000
25,000
75,000
85,000
Repayment of revolving credit facility
(6,000)
(55,000)
(51,000)
(75,000)
Repayment of term portion of credit agreement
(19,475)
(49,606)
(53,556)
(70,825)
Payments on or proceeds from other debt, net
(643)
(737)
(12,473)
(10,106)
Payments for debt issuance costs
—
—
(2,160)
—
Net increase (decrease) in settlement assets and liabilities
19,452
24,659
(4,635)
20,084
Net cash flows from financing activities
13,410
(82,695)
(47,773)
(143,008)
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash
(1,039)
1,002
4,388
(60)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
26,707
40,527
8,862
32,520
Cash and cash equivalents, including settlement deposits, beginning of period
196,827
176,135
214,672
184,142
Cash and cash equivalents, including settlement deposits, end of period
$
223,534
$
216,662
$
223,534
$
216,662
Reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents to the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Cash and cash equivalents
$
139,520
$
134,799
$
139,520
$
134,799
Settlement deposits
84,014
81,863
84,014
81,863
Total cash and cash equivalents
$
223,534
$
216,662
$
223,534
$
216,662
Three Months Ended September 30,
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Adjusted EBITDA (millions)
2023
2022
2023
2022
Net income (loss)
$
37.9
$
23.1
$
(1.1)
$
51.9
Plus:
Income tax expense (benefit)
8.7
10.6
(5.4)
21.7
Net interest expense
16.4
11.3
48.2
27.8
Net other income (expense)
(1.1)
(41.4)
6.4
(45.8)
Depreciation expense
5.6
6.0
18.7
17.1
Amortization expense
24.8
26.1
74.7
78.8
Non-cash stock-based compensation expense
6.8
7.1
17.5
21.9
Adjusted EBITDA before significant transaction-related expenses
$
99.1
$
42.8
$
159.0
$
173.4
Significant transaction-related expenses:
Cost reduction strategies
3.8
—
19.7
—
European datacenter migration
0.4
1.7
2.6
3.4
Other
0.1
1.2
4.4
2.6
Adjusted EBITDA
$
103.4
$
45.7
$
185.7
$
179.4
Revenue, net of interchange:
Revenue
$
363.0
$
306.6
$
976.0
$
970.1
Interchange
102.7
98.4
315.0
295.4
Revenue, net of interchange
$
260.3
$
208.2
$
661.0
$
674.7
Net Adjusted EBITDA Margin
40
%
22
%
28
%
27
%
Three Months Ended September 30,
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Segment Information (millions)
2023
2022
2023
2022
Revenue
Banks
$
155.7
$
117.5
$
361.2
$
391.6
Merchants
36.3
35.6
107.6
113.1
Billers
171.0
153.5
507.2
465.4
Total
$
363.0
$
306.6
$
976.0
$
970.1
Recurring Revenue
Banks
$
58.2
$
57.3
$
171.2
$
179.3
Merchants
34.1
33.8
101.0
103.5
Billers
171.0
153.6
507.2
465.4
Total
$
263.3
$
244.7
$
779.4
$
748.2
Segment Adjusted EBITDA
Banks
$
91.0
$
49.8
$
167.3
$
184.7
Merchants
10.3
9.8
26.8
32.2
Billers
39.2
26.3
100.1
81.0
Three Months Ended September 30,
2023
2022
EPS Impact of Non-cash and Significant Transaction-related Items (millions)
EPS Impact
$ in Millions (Net of Tax)
EPS Impact
$ in Millions (Net of Tax)
GAAP net income (loss)
$
0.35
$
37.9
$
0.20
$
23.1
Adjusted for:
Gain on divestiture
—
—
(0.26)
(29.2)
Significant transaction-related expenses
0.03
3.3
0.02
2.2
Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles
0.06
6.4
0.06
6.7
Amortization of acquisition-related software
0.03
3.8
0.04
4.5
Non-cash stock-based compensation
0.05
5.2
0.05
5.4
Total adjustments
$
0.17
$
18.7
$
(0.09)
$
(10.4)
Diluted EPS adjusted for non-cash and significant transaction-related items
$
0.52
$
56.6
$
0.11
$
12.7
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023
2022
EPS Impact of Non-cash and Significant Transaction-related Items (millions)
EPS Impact
$ in Millions (Net of Tax)
EPS Impact
$ in Millions (Net of Tax)
GAAP net income (loss)
$
(0.01)
$
(1.1)
$
0.45
$
51.9
Adjusted for:
Gain on divestiture
—
—
(0.25)
(29.2)
Significant transaction-related expenses
0.19
20.4
0.04
4.7
Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles
0.18
19.3
0.18
20.6
Amortization of acquisition-related software
0.11
12.0
0.12
14.1
Non-cash stock-based compensation
0.12
13.3
0.14
16.6
Total adjustments
$
0.60
$
65.0
$
0.23
$
26.8
Diluted EPS adjusted for non-cash and significant transaction-related items