Shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. BR went up 3.6% on Aug 7 after the company reported better-than-expected fourth quarter fiscal 2015 results.
The company’s adjusted earnings of $1.40 per share (excluding acquisition and amortization related expenses) surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.38. Also, earnings were up from $1.17 per share reported in the year-ago quarter.
Quarter Details
Broadridge’s fourth-quarter revenues of $929.6 million increased 4.9% from the year-ago quarter and also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $928 million. Year over year, revenues were driven by recurring fee revenues (up 7% year over year), which also include contribution from Net New Business, internal growth and acquisitions related synergies. However, recurring revenues from closed sales during the quarter were $39 million, down 41% on a year-over-year basis.
Moreover, revenues from the Investor Communication Solutions segment (82% of total revenue) increased 6.7% from the year-ago quarter to $765.8 million. The improvement was attributable to higher recurring revenues from new business, higher event-driven fee and acquisitions in fiscal 2015.
The Global Technology and Operations segment (19% of total revenue) reported revenues of $177.6 million, up 3.9% from the year-ago quarter. The increase was driven by higher Net New Business.
During the quarter, Broadridge completed the acquisition of Fiduciary Services and Competitive Intelligence, a unit of Thomson Reuters Corporation’s TRI Lipper division. The acquisition is likely to enhance its portfolio of enterprise data and analytics solutions for mutual fund manufacturers, ETF issuers and fund administrators as well as expand its global reach.
Broadridge’s gross margin expanded 251 basis points on a year-over-year basis to 40.3% primarily due to a higher revenue base. The company’s adjusted earnings before interests and taxes (EBIT) margin expanded from 24.1% to 28.4% in the reported quarter. The year-over-year increase can be attributed to lower selling, general and administrative expenses (down 160 bps) as a percentage of revenues.
The company reported adjusted net income of $171.5 million or $1.40 per share, up from $144.6 million or $1.17 per share reported in the year-ago quarter.
Broadridge exited the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $324.1 million compared with $310.1 million in the previous quarter. Long-term debt on the balance sheet totaled $689.4 million.
During the quarter, Broadridge repurchased 2.2 million shares and declared a dividend of approximately 30 cents per share. The dividend is payable on Oct 1, 2015 and represents an increase of 11% in the annual dividend amount.
Fiscal 2016 Guidance
Broadridge provided its 2016 outlook. It projects fiscal 2016 revenue growth within 8% to 10%, while recurring revenue growth is expected in the range of 10% to 12%. The company expects recurring revenues from closed sales to be the key growth driver. Recurring revenues from closed sales are forecast in the range of $120 million to $160 million. Adjusted operating income margin is expected to be approximately 18.4%.
Adjusted earnings are expected to increase in the range of 8% to 12%. Management expects free cash flow to range within $350 million to $400 million.
Our Take
Broadridge reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. Also, the year-over-year comparisons on both counts were favorable driven by higher recurring revenues, contribution from Net New Business, internal growth and acquisitions related synergies. The company also provided encouraging fiscal 2016 outlook.
We remain optimistic about Broadridge’s strategic acquisitions, product launches, share repurchase program and dividend paying initiatives. We also believe the company’s close association with Accenture ACN will be beneficial over the long term. However, competition from DST Systems Inc. DST and pricing pressure remain headwinds.
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Currently, Broadridge has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
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