PLEASANTON, Calif., Oct. 8, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:HAWK) (Nasdaq:HAWKB) today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 6, 2014.
"Adjusted operating revenue growth was 30% during the third quarter, consistent with the first two fiscal quarters. Revenue growth has continued to be driven by strong sales of open loop gift cards in the U.S., the acquisitions of InteliSpend and Retailo and sales of digital media products in Japan," CEO Bill Tauscher commented. Worldwide load value grew 46%, or 34% excluding acquisitions, and international accounted for 23% of total load value during the third quarter.
CFO Jerry Ulrich added, "Load value growth outpaced adjusted operating revenue growth because of several fast growing programs where the average revenue to load value ratio is lower. While these programs, coupled with changes in product mix, are causing the overall revenue to load value ratio to decline, we're very pleased with the Company's revenue growth rate of 30%. During the quarter we also completed two contract amendments with our open loop gift issuing banks in Australia and Canada that favorably impacted year-to-date pre-tax income by $2.1 million. We had originally expected to complete these amendments during the fourth quarter of 2014."
GAAP financial results for the third quarter of 2014 compared to the third quarter of 2013
- Operating revenues totaled $269.0 million, an increase of 31% from $206.0 million for the quarter ended September 7, 2013. This increase was due to a 28% increase in commissions and fees driven primarily by higher closed loop gift card sales, a 73% increase in program, interchange, marketing and other fees due to strong open loop gift card sales in the U.S., issuing bank contract amendments and the acquisition of InteliSpend, and a 4% increase in product sales. Cardpool revenues grew 34% during the quarter.
- Net income totaled $0.6 million compared to net income of $2.4 million for the quarter ended September 7, 2013. The decline was driven primarily by intangibles asset amortization expense and interest expense related to the InteliSpend and Retailo acquisitions.
- Earnings per diluted share was $0.01 compared to earnings per diluted share of $0.04 for the quarter ended September 7, 2013. Diluted shares outstanding increased 2% to 54.3 million.
Non-GAAP financial results for the third quarter of 2014 compared to the third quarter of 2013 (see Table 2 for Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures)
- Adjusted operating revenues totaled $130.4 million, an increase of 30% from $100.6 million for the quarter ended September 7, 2013.
- Adjusted EBITDA totaled $14.7 million, an increase of 28% from $11.5 million for the quarter ended September 7, 2013.
- Adjusted net income totaled $4.7 million, an increase of 17% from $4.0 million for the quarter ended September 7, 2013 which was less than the Adjusted EBITDA growth rate primarily due to higher interest expense related to debt incurred for acquisitions.
- Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.09, an increase of 13% from $0.08 for the quarter ended September 7, 2013.
Conference Call
The Company will provide additional details on Q3 2014 performance and its outlook for Q4 2014 during a conference call scheduled for Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 6:00 a.m. PDT / 9:00 a.m. EDT. Joining the call will be Blackhawk's CEO, William Tauscher; President, Talbott Roche; and Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, Jerry Ulrich. Participants may listen to a real time audio webcast of the call by visiting the Company's investor relations website located at ir.blackhawknetwork.com. Following the call, an archived webcast will be available on the Company's investor relations website, or the replay can be accessed by dialing (888) 286-8010 and entering the participant passcode 53600356. The replay will be available until Wednesday, October 15, 2014.
About Blackhawk Network
Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. is a prepaid payment network which supports the physical and digital distribution of a variety of prepaid products. Blackhawk Network utilizes proprietary technology to provide consumers a wide selection of gift cards, prepaid telecom handsets, airtime cards and general purpose reloadable cards across a global network totaling over 180,000 stores. Through Blackhawk's digital platform, the Company supports prepaid products and offers across a growing network of digital distribution partners including leading etailers, financial service providers, social apps, mobile wallets and other integrated physical-to-digital channels. Founded in 2001, Blackhawk Network is headquartered in Pleasanton, California, and offers products and services in the United States and 21 other countries. For more information, please visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Blackhawk regards the non-GAAP financial measures provided in this press release as useful measures of the operational and financial performance of its business. Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to Blackhawk's financial results as determined in accordance with GAAP are included at the end of this press release following the accompanying financial data. The use of non-GAAP financial measures has certain limitations as they do not reflect all items of income, expense, or cash flows that affect Blackhawk's financial performance under GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or in isolation from, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP measures may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore comparability may be limited. Blackhawk encourages investors and others to review Blackhawk's financial information in its entirety and not rely on any single financial measure.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are indicated by words or phrases such as "guidance," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "plans," "continuing," "ongoing," and similar words or phrases and the negative of such words and phrases. Forward-looking statements are based on our current plans and expectations and involve risks and uncertainties which are, in many instances, beyond our control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in or contemplated or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include the following: our ability to grow adjusted operating revenues and adjusted net income as anticipated, our ability to grow at historic rates or at all, the consequences should we lose one or more of our top distribution partners or fail to attract new distribution partners to our network or if the financial performance of our distribution partners' businesses decline, our reliance on our content providers, the demand for their products and our exclusivity arrangements with them, our reliance on relationships with card issuing banks, the consequences to our future growth if our distribution partners fail to actively and effectively promote our products and services, the requirement that we comply with applicable laws and regulations, including increasingly stringent money-laundering rules and regulations, risks related to our ongoing relationship with Safeway and other risks and uncertainties described in our reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks and uncertainties set forth in Item 1A under the heading Risk Factors in our recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect developments or information obtained after the date hereof and disclaim any obligation to do so other than as may be required by law.
| BLACKHAWK NETWORK HOLDINGS, INC. | ||||
| CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME | ||||
| (In thousands, except per share amounts) | ||||
| (Unaudited) | ||||
| 12 Weeks Ended | 36 Weeks Ended | |||
|
September 6, 2014 |
September 7, 2013 |
September 6, 2014 |
September 7, 2013 |
|
| OPERATING REVENUES: | ||||
| Commissions and fees | $ 201,888 | $ 158,270 | $ 596,324 | $ 479,564 |
| Program, interchange, marketing and other fees | 43,895 | 25,352 | 119,981 | 78,617 |
| Product sales | 23,244 | 22,374 | 69,781 | 58,727 |
| Total operating revenues | 269,027 | 205,996 | 786,086 | 616,908 |
| OPERATING EXPENSES: | ||||
| Distribution partner commissions | 137,506 | 105,361 | 400,123 | 319,496 |
| Processing and services | 46,715 | 34,927 | 133,654 | 101,321 |
| Sales and marketing | 41,704 | 30,486 | 126,274 | 98,743 |
| Costs of products sold | 21,946 | 21,423 | 66,745 | 55,782 |
| General and administrative | 16,163 | 10,320 | 41,700 | 33,115 |
| Business acquisition expense (benefit) and amortization of acquisition intangibles | 3,330 | (255) | 11,199 | (962) |
| Total operating expenses | 267,364 | 202,262 | 779,695 | 607,495 |
| OPERATING INCOME | 1,663 | 3,734 | 6,391 | 9,413 |
| OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE): | ||||
| Interest income and other income (expense), net | 182 | 59 | 126 | 432 |
| Interest expense | (1,080) | — | (2,081) | — |
| INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAX EXPENSE | 765 | 3,793 | 4,436 | 9,845 |
| INCOME TAX EXPENSE | 352 | 1,544 | 1,844 | 5,332 |
| NET INCOME BEFORE ALLOCATION TO NON-CONTROLLING INTERESTS | 413 | 2,249 | 2,592 | 4,513 |
| Add: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests (net of tax) | 142 | 106 | 238 | 319 |
| NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO BLACKHAWK NETWORK HOLDINGS, INC. | $ 555 | $ 2,355 | $ 2,830 | $ 4,832 |
| EARNINGS PER SHARE: | ||||
| Basic – Class A and Class B | $ 0.01 | $ 0.05 | $ 0.05 | $ 0.09 |
| Diluted – Class A and Class B | $ 0.01 | $ 0.04 | $ 0.05 | $ 0.09 |
| Weighted average shares outstanding—basic | 52,609 | 51,615 | 52,450 | 50,811 |
| Weighted average shares outstanding—diluted | 54,304 | 53,074 | 54,035 | 51,982 |
| BLACKHAWK NETWORK HOLDINGS, INC. | |||
| CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS | |||
| (In thousands) | |||
| (Unaudited) | |||
|
September 6, 2014 |
December 28, 2013 |
September 7, 2013 |
|
| ASSETS | |||
| Current assets: | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ 219,851 | $ 550,380 | $ 103,453 |
| Restricted cash | 5,000 | — | — |
| Overnight cash advances to Safeway | — | — | 9,000 |
| Settlement receivables, net | 272,912 | 813,448 | 167,945 |
| Accounts receivable, net | 125,976 | 126,369 | 91,634 |
| Deferred income taxes | 20,145 | 20,145 | 10,499 |
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 71,802 | 67,474 | 57,674 |
| Total current assets | 715,686 | 1,577,816 | 440,205 |
| Property, equipment and technology, net | 95,368 | 79,663 | 71,384 |
| Intangible assets, net | 85,083 | 98,689 | 22,198 |
| Goodwill | 172,866 | 133,521 | 42,729 |
| Deferred income taxes | 727 | 727 | 983 |
| Other assets | 86,590 | 90,678 | 70,473 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | $ 1,156,320 | $ 1,981,094 | $ 647,972 |
| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | |||
| Current liabilities: | |||
| Settlement payables | $ 472,629 | $ 1,484,047 | $ 351,938 |
| Consumer and customer deposits | 65,607 | 54,915 | 8,670 |
| Accounts payable and accrued operating expenses | 89,633 | 99,499 | 59,448 |
| Current portion of note payable | 8,708 | — | — |
| Note payable to Safeway | 8,473 | — | — |
| Other current liabilities | 49,695 | 81,270 | 41,817 |
| Total current liabilities | 694,745 | 1,719,731 | 461,873 |
| Deferred income taxes | 23,312 | 24,488 | 9,959 |
| Note payable | 165,446 | — | — |
| Other liabilities | 29,115 | 8,711 | 15,986 |
| Total liabilities | 912,618 | 1,752,930 | 487,818 |
| Stockholders' equity: | |||
| Class A common stock | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| Class B common stock | 41 | 41 | 41 |
| Additional paid-in capital | 125,267 | 107,139 | 95,225 |
| Treasury stock | (508) | (126) | (50) |
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (7,556) | (2,873) | (2,930) |
| Retained earnings | 119,730 | 116,975 | 67,713 |
| Total Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. equity | 236,987 | 221,168 | 160,010 |
| Non-controlling interests | 6,715 | 6,996 | 144 |
| Total stockholders' equity | 243,702 | 228,164 | 160,154 |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | $ 1,156,320 | $ 1,981,094 | $ 647,972 |
| BLACKHAWK NETWORK HOLDINGS, INC. | ||||
| CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS | ||||
| (In thousands) | ||||
| (Unaudited) | ||||
| 36 Weeks Ended | ||||
| September 6, 2014 | September 7, 2013 | |||
| OPERATING ACTIVITIES: | ||||
| Net income before allocation to non-controlling interests | $ 2,592 | $ 4,513 | ||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 32,153 | 16,963 | ||
| Program development cost amortization | 17,779 | 13,259 | ||
| Provision for doubtful accounts and sales adjustments | 2,678 | 2,764 | ||
| Employee stock-based compensation expense | 9,769 | 5,279 | ||
| Distribution partner mark-to-market expense | (88) | 6,961 | ||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | — | (1,255) | ||
| Reversal of reserve for patent litigation | (3,852) | — | ||
| Excess tax benefit from stock-based awards | (1,364) | (588) | ||
| Other | 1,174 | 80 | ||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||
| Settlement receivables | 535,183 | 338,568 | ||
| Settlement payables | (1,006,128) | (877,287) | ||
| Accounts receivable, current and long-term | 8,721 | 15,132 | ||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 1,450 | (4,624) | ||
| Other assets | (21,466) | (19,894) | ||
| Consumer and customer deposits | 6,542 | (294) | ||
| Accounts payable and accrued operating expenses | (13,345) | (4,767) | ||
| Other current and long-term liabilities | (12,733) | (16,803) | ||
| Income taxes, net | (22,474) | (15,596) | ||
| Net cash used in operating activities | (463,409) | (537,589) | ||
| INVESTING ACTIVITIES: | ||||
| Change in overnight cash advances to Safeway | — | 486,000 | ||
| Expenditures for property, equipment and technology | (25,960) | (21,349) | ||
| Business acquisitions, net of cash received | (16,710) | — | ||
| Payment for working capital adjustment for business acquisitions, net | (1,366) | — | ||
| Cash received for assumption of liabilities from prior business acquisition | 3,917 | — | ||
| Change in restricted cash | (5,000) | 8,968 | ||
| Other | — | (250) | ||
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | (45,119) | 473,369 | ||
| FINANCING ACTIVITIES: | ||||
| Proceeds from issuance of note payable | 175,000 | — | ||
| Payments of costs for issuance of note payable | (2,451) | — | ||
| Proceeds from note payable to Safeway | 8,473 | — | ||
| Repayment of debt assumed in business acquisition | (7,474) | — | ||
| Payments for acquisition liability | — | (2,281) | ||
| Payments for initial public offering costs | — | (4,694) | ||
| Reimbursements for initial public offering costs | — | 5,540 | ||
| Proceeds from issuance of common stock from exercise of employee stock options and employee stock purchase plans | 5,895 | 359 | ||
| Excess tax benefit from stock-based awards | 1,364 | 588 | ||
| Other | (778) | (872) | ||
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | 180,029 | (1,360) | ||
| EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS | (2,030) | (3,632) | ||
| DECREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS | (330,529) | (69,212) | ||
| CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS—Beginning of year | 550,380 | 172,665 | ||
| CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS—End of period | $ 219,851 | $ 103,453 | ||
| Noncash investing and financing activities: | ||||
| Financing of business acquisition with stock | $ 1,595 | $ — | ||
| Financing of business acquisition with contingent consideration | $ 24,100 | $ — | ||
| BLACKHAWK NETWORK HOLDINGS, INC. | ||||
| SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION | ||||
| (In thousands except percentages, average transaction value and per share amounts) | ||||
| (Unaudited) | ||||
| TABLE 1: OTHER OPERATIONAL DATA | ||||
| 12 Weeks Ended | 36 Weeks Ended | |||
|
September 6, 2014 |
September 7, 2013 |
September 6, 2014 |
September 7, 2013 |
|
| Load value | $ 2,514,561 | $ 1,727,753 | $ 7,321,923 | $ 5,256,978 |
| Commissions and fees as a % of load value | 8.0 % | 9.2 % | 8.1 % | 9.1 % |
| Distribution partner commissions paid as a % of commissions and fees | 68.1 % | 66.6 % | 67.1 % | 66.6 % |
| Number of load transactions | 52,380 | 40,929 | 154,556 | 124,375 |
| Average load transaction value | $ 48.01 | $ 42.21 | $ 47.37 | $ 42.27 |
| TABLE 2: RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES | ||||
| 12 Weeks Ended | 36 Weeks Ended | |||
|
September 6, 2014 |
September 7, 2013 |
September 6, 2014 |
September 7, 2013 |
|
| Adjusted operating revenues: | ||||
| Total operating revenues | $ 269,027 | $ 205,996 | $ 786,086 | $ 616,908 |
| Issuing bank contract amendment | (1,093) | — | — | — |
| Distribution partner commissions | (137,506) | (105,361) | (400,123) | (319,496) |
| Adjusted operating revenues | $ 130,428 | $ 100,635 | $ 385,963 | $ 297,412 |
| Adjusted EBITDA: | ||||
| Net income before allocation to non-controlling interests | $ 413 | $ 2,249 | $ 2,592 | $ 4,513 |
| Interest income and other income (expense), net | (182) | (59) | (126) | (432) |
| Interest expense | 1,080 | — | 2,081 | — |
| Income tax expense | 352 | 1,544 | 1,844 | 5,332 |
| Depreciation and amortization | 10,465 | 6,312 | 32,153 | 16,963 |
| EBITDA | 12,128 | 10,046 | 38,544 | 26,376 |
| Adjustments to EBITDA: | ||||
| Employee stock-based compensation | 3,679 | 1,817 | 9,769 | 5,279 |
| Distribution partner mark-to-market expense | — | (34) | (88) | 6,961 |
| Issuing bank contract amendment adjustment | (1,093) | — | — | — |
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | — | (352) | — | (1,255) |
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ 14,714 | $ 11,477 | $ 48,225 | $ 37,361 |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin: | ||||
| Total operating revenues | $ 269,027 | $ 205,996 | $ 786,086 | $ 616,908 |
| Operating income | $ 1,663 | $ 3,734 | $ 6,391 | $ 9,413 |
| Operating margin | 0.6 % | 1.8 % | 0.8 % | 1.5 % |
| Adjusted operating revenues | $ 130,428 | $ 100,635 | $ 385,963 | $ 297,412 |
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ 14,714 | $ 11,477 | $ 48,225 | $ 37,361 |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin | 11.3 % | 11.4 % | 12.5 % | 12.6 % |
| Adjusted net income: | ||||
| Income before income tax expense | $ 765 | $ 3,793 | $ 4,436 | $ 9,845 |
| Employee stock-based compensation | 3,679 | 1,817 | 9,769 | 5,279 |
| Distribution partner mark-to-market expense | — | (34) | (88) | 6,961 |
| Issuing bank contract amendment adjustment | (1,093) | — | — | — |
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | — | (352) | — | (1,255) |
| Amortization of intangibles | 4,085 | 1,206 | 14,202 | 2,284 |
| Adjusted income before income tax expense | 7,436 | 6,430 | 28,319 | 23,114 |
| Income tax expense | 352 | 1,544 | 1,844 | 5,332 |
| Tax expense on adjustments | 2,538 | 987 | 9,020 | 3,398 |
| Adjusted income tax expense | 2,890 | 2,531 | 10,864 | 8,730 |
| Adjusted net income before allocation to non-controlling interests | 4,546 | 3,899 | 17,455 | 14,384 |
| Add: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests (net of tax) | 142 | 106 | 238 | 319 |
| Adjusted net income attributable to Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. | $ 4,688 | $ 4,005 | $ 17,693 | $ 14,703 |
| Adjusted EPS: | ||||
| Net income attributable to Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. | $ 555 | $ 2,355 | $ 2,830 | $ 4,832 |
| Income allocated to participating securities | (1) | (14) | (47) | (151) |
| Net income available for common shareholders | $ 554 | $ 2,341 | $ 2,783 | $ 4,681 |
| Diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 54,304 | 53,074 | 54,035 | 51,982 |
| Diluted earnings per share | $ 0.01 | $ 0.04 | $ 0.05 | $ 0.09 |
| Adjusted net income attributable to Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. | $ 4,688 | $ 4,005 | $ 17,693 | $ 14,703 |
| Adjusted income attributable to participating securities | (7) | (24) | (74) | (312) |
| Adjusted net income available for common shareholders | $ 4,681 | $ 3,981 | $ 17,619 | $ 14,391 |
| Diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 54,304 | 53,074 | 54,035 | 51,982 |
| Adjusted diluted earnings per share | $ 0.09 | $ 0.08 | $ 0.33 | $ 0.28 |
| TABLE 3: RECONCILIATION OF GAAP CASH FLOW TO FREE CASH FLOW | ||||
| A significant portion of gift card sales occurs in late December of each year as a result of the holiday selling season. The timing of December holiday sales, cash inflows from our distribution partners and cash outflows to our content providers results in significant but temporary increases in our Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, Overnight cash advances to Safeway, Settlement receivables and Settlement payables balances at the end of each fiscal year relative to normal daily balances. As a result, the year over year comparison of cash generated by operating activities and total changes in cash can vary significantly. In light of this effect on interim periods, set forth below is a calculation of "free cash flow" which we calculate as the net cash flow from operating activities adjusted to exclude the impact from changes in Settlement payables and Settlement receivables, less expenditures for property, equipment and technology. Cash from the sale of prepaid products is held for a short period of time and then remitted, less our commissions, to our content providers, and is significantly impacted by the portion of gift card sales that occur in late December. Because this cash flow is temporary and highly seasonal, it is not available for other uses, and it is therefore excluded from our calculation of free cash flow. Free cash flow provides information regarding the cash that our business generates in interim periods without the fluctuations resulting from the timing of cash inflows and outflows from gift card sales in late December, which we believe is useful to understanding our business. | ||||
| 36 Weeks Ended | ||||
| September 6, 2014 | September 7, 2013 | |||
| Net cash flow used in operating activities, as reported | $ (463,409) | $ (537,589) | ||
| Decrease in settlement payables, net of settlement receivables | 470,945 | 538,719 | ||
| Net cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted | 7,536 | 1,130 | ||
| Expenditures for property, equipment and technology | (25,960) | (21,349) | ||
| Free cash flow | $ (18,424) | $ (20,219) | ||