Points International Ltd. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2015 Financial Results


- Full Year Revenue of $296.4 million, an increase of 16% year-over-year 
- Full Year Adjusted EBITDA of $11.1 million, an increase of 22% year-over-year 
- Full Year Net Income of $5.2 million, an increase of 10% year-over-year

TORONTO, March 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Points (TSX:PTS) (NASDAQ:PCOM), the global leader in loyalty currency management, today announced results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2015. 

“We are very pleased with our 2015 financial results which were in-line with market guidance and represent both record revenues and Adjusted EBITDA.  In addition to delivering against our financial performance plans, we continue to advance the pace of innovation: we grew our loyalty partner network by 5 new loyalty programs, launched or announced 21 new products, and made meaningful progress in implementing our platform strategy. Importantly, we now have 13 third-party developers using our Loyalty Commerce Platform to offer unique products to the world's largest and most successful loyalty programs. This continued progress will not only benefit our core Buy, Gift and Transfer business, but will also unlock future monetization opportunities,“ commented Points’ CEO, Rob MacLean. 

The Points Loyalty Commerce Platform offers transaction-level access to multiple loyalty currencies and powers innovative products and services that drive increased revenue and member engagement in loyalty programs. The platform delivers a broad range of products and solutions that generate more revenue, broaden redemption opportunities, and deepen member engagement as they transact with their valuable points and miles.

“2015 also represented the first full year of our comprehensive and long-term strategic partnership with United Airlines MileagePlus, one of the world’s leading loyalty programs. Furthermore, we were also successful in signing material contract renewals with a number of our larger principal partners including SouthWest’s Rapid Rewards and Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue.  As a result, we now have multi-year deals in place with key loyalty partners that represent over 75% of current revenue.  Our success in historically growing these relationships gives us confidence in this cash flow for several years to come,“ added MacLean.

“Built off our 2014 PointsHound acquisition, we introduced Points Travel in 2015, the first private label travel eCommerce platform designed specifically for the loyalty industry. To date, we have announced two new deployments with Lufthansa’s Miles & More and La Quinta Inn & Suites, with another large partner now under  contract.  We also announced tangible developments on our Loyalty Wallet initiative, most recently partnering with RBC and Suretap.  With proof of concept established, we look forward to rolling out the functionality more broadly in 2016 and have established a strong pipeline of prospective partners,” continued MacLean.

Full Year 2015 Financial Highlights (All amounts are reported in US dollars)

  • Revenues increased 16% on a year-over-year basis to a record $296.4 million from $255.0 million in 2014, aided by the addition of new loyalty partner relationships over the last twelve months, including the first full year of operating both our United Mileage Plus and Hilton Hhonors principal relationships, and despite the US Airways and American Airlines Buy, Gift and Transfer wind down. 
  • Gross margin1 dollars grew to $42.7 million, an improvement of 8% year-over-year, or approximately 14.4% as a percent of total revenue, down slightly vs 15.6% in 2014, reflecting the relative mix of partner and promotional activity during the year.
  • Total ongoing operating expenses, which consist of employment expenses, marketing, technology, and other operating expenses, were managed effectively, and were approximately $31.6 million in 2015, up 3% over $30.6 million in the prior year period. 
  • Adjusted EBITDA2 totaled a record $11.1 million, up 22% from $9.1 million in 2014, and at the high end of the Company’s guidance range.
  • Net income increased 10% to $5.2 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, compared to net income of $4.7 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, in 2014.
  • As of December 31, 2015, total funds available, comprised of cash and cash equivalents together with restricted cash and amounts with payment processors, was $59.0 million.  Net operating cash, which is defined as total funds available less amounts payable to loyalty program partners, was $9.4 million as of December 31, 2015. The Company remains debt free and is pleased with its overall financial position.

Fourth Quarter 2015 Financial Results
(Unless otherwise stated, all comparisons for the fourth quarter of 2015 are on a year-over-year basis)

  • Revenue increased 24% to $80.2 million from $64.8 million.  Principal revenues totaled $77.0 million, or growth of 25% as compared to $61.8 million. The year-over-year increase in principal revenues was largely driven by solid organic revenue growth reflecting a heavy promotional calendar and focus on automated marketing activities.
  • Gross margin dollars were $10.0 million, or 12% of total revenue, compared to $10.4 million, or 16% of total revenue.  As a percentage of revenue, gross margin reflects the relative mix of partner and promotional activity during the quarter, with a greater percentage of revenue growth coming from lower-margin business due to promotional activities in the fourth quarter.
  • Total ongoing operating expenses, which consist of employment expenses, marketing, technology, and other operating expenses, were approximately $7.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2015, essentially flat when compared to $7.7 million in the prior year period. 
  • Adjusted EBITDA was $2.2 million compared to $2.7 million.  This year-over-year decrease was driven by the slight reduction in gross margin coupled with increased operating expenses.
  • Net income totaled $1.0 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, compared to a net income of $1.5 million, or $0.09 per diluted share.
     

Fourth Quarter 2015 Business Metrics

 Q4/15Q4/14  Q4/15 vs.
Q4/14  
Q3/15  Q4/15 vs.
Q3/15
Total All Channels     
  Points/Miles Transacted (in 000s)    5,879,013   4,574,409   29%  5,432,399   8%
  No. of Points/Miles Transactions581,861529,792 10%594,936 -2%


Outlook

“Looking ahead, we expect 2016 will be a year of continued top-line growth, with much of the progress started in 2015 setting the stage for accelerated growth in 2017 and beyond. We will continue to invest in our platform which opens up three robust opportunities in the short to mid-term, and many more over the long-term. First, we expect increased performance from our core Buy, Gift and Transfer business, comprised of organic growth and progressing our robust new business pipeline. Second, with product/market fit now established, we will accelerate the development of our Points Travel solution, which we believe represents large margin opportunity. Third, we expect our increased platform investments will power distributed loyalty transactions through third party developers and our Points Loyalty Wallet. With recent successes and industry precedents, we are now confident in the product/market fit and we look forward to being appropriately aggressive in providing our network of loyalty and industry partners transactional access to hundreds of millions of customers through our unique, global Loyalty Commerce Platform,” commented MacLean.

The Company is initiating financial guidance for the year ending December 31, 2016, as follows:

“Based on only the current products in market and deals either announced to date or currently in very late development stages, we expect revenue growth to be in the range of 10-20% over 2015. 

While we believe our increasing clarity on product/market fit for our new initiatives merits aggressive investment, we are also committed to maintaining our 8 year track-record of consistent Adjusted EBITDA growth. While we are increasing our total dollar amount of investments year over year in 2016, we are also targeting a minimum 10% growth in Adjusted EBITDA,” concluded MacLean. 

Beginning in 2016, the Company has updated its calculation of Adjusted EBITDA to adjust for the impact of stock based compensation. This decision was made as a result of the Company’s examination of Adjusted EBITDA practices and peer and industry standards.

Share Buyback

Points also announced today that the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") has accepted its notice of intention to make a normal course issuer bid to repurchase up to 764,930 of its common shares (the "Repurchase"), representing approximately 5% of its 15,298,602 common shares issued and outstanding as of February 23, 2016.

The primary purpose of the Repurchase is purchases for cancellation.  Repurchases will be made from time-to-time at Points' discretion, based on ongoing assessments of Points' capital needs, the market price of its common shares, general market conditions and other factors.  Repurchases may be effected through the facilities of the TSX, the NASDAQ Capital Market ("NASDAQ") or other alternative trading systems in the United States and Canada.

All purchases of common shares will be made in accordance with applicable securities laws and stock exchange rules of the United States and Canada.  Repurchases on NASDAQ will be at the market price at the time of purchase in compliance with applicable securities laws of the United States and Repurchases on the TSX will be at the market price at the time of purchase in accordance with the rules and policies of the TSX.  Purchases may also be made through other alternative trading systems in the United States and Canada, or by such other means as may be permitted by the TSX, NASDAQ and applicable law.  As a result of certain rules and policies of the TSX, subject to certain permitted exceptions, the maximum number of shares which can be repurchased per day on the TSX is 1,000 based on 25% of the average daily trading volume on the TSX for the prior six months (being 3,788 shares per day).  Subject to regulatory requirements, the actual number of common shares purchased and the timing of such purchases, if any, will be determined by Points having regard to future price movements and other factors.

The Repurchase will commence on March 9, 2016 and will terminate on March 8, 2017.  Under its previous normal course issuer bid, Points purchased a total of 446,894 common shares with a weighted average price of USD$10.39 per share through the facilities of the TSX, NASDAQ and other alternative trading systems in the United States and Canada.  Points' previous normal course issuer bid commenced on March 9, 2015 and will terminate on March 8, 2016.

Investor Conference Call
Points' conference call with investors will be held today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.  To participate, investors from the US and Canada should dial (877) 407-0784 ten minutes prior to the start time. International callers should dial (201) 689-8560.

In addition, the call is being webcast and can be accessed at the Company's web site: www.points.com and will be archived online upon completion of the call. A telephonic replay of the conference call will also be available until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 16, 2016, by dialing (877) 870-5176 in the U.S. and Canada and (858) 384-5517 internationally and entering the passcode 13630078.

About Points
Points, publicly traded as Points International Ltd. (TSX:PTS) (Nasdaq:PCOM), is the global leader in loyalty currency management. Via a state-of-the-art loyalty commerce platform, Points provides loyalty eCommerce and technology solutions to the world's top brands to enhance their consumer offerings and streamline their back-end operations.

Points' solutions enhance the management and monetization of loyalty currencies ranging from frequent flyer miles and hotel points to retailer and credit card rewards, for more than 50 partners worldwide. Points also manages Points.com, where more than 4 million consumers use the only industry sanctioned loyalty wallet to not only track all of their loyalty programs but also trade, exchange and redeem their miles and points. In addition to these services, Points' unique SaaS products allow merchants and businesses to reward their customers with points and miles from the world's largest loyalty brands.

In 2014, Points acquired PointsHound, a hotel booking engine and loyalty currency aggregator built specifically for frequent travelers. PointsHound enables loyalty program members to earn loyalty points for staying in their favorite hotels and also to earn bonus rewards in the form of airline miles. Members of the free-to-use site have access to over 150,000 hotels worldwide, including boutique and non-chain properties. 

Points has been widely recognized among the loyalty and technology communities alike. The Company was named the 7th largest Canadian software company and the 30th largest Canadian technology company by the 2015 Branham300 list. For more information on Points, please visit www.Points.com, follow us on Twitter (@PointsLoyalty) or read the Points company blog. For more information on PointsHound, please visit www.PointsHound.com.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains or incorporates forward-looking statements within the meaning of United States securities legislation, and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements include, among other things, opportunities for new products and partners and incremental revenue, and our guidance for 2016 with respect to revenue growth and Adjusted EBITDA expectations. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only Points' expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events.

Although Points believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to important risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Certain material assumptions or estimates are applied in making forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. In particular, the financial outlooks herein assume Points will be able to maintain its existing contractual relationships and products, that such products continue to perform in a manner consistent with Points' past experience, that Points will be able to generate new business from our pipeline at expected margins, our in-market and newly launched products and services will perform in a manner consistent with the Company's past experience and we will be able to contain costs. Our ability to convert our pipeline of prospective partners and product launches is subject to significant risk and there can be no assurance that we will launch new partners or new products with existing partners as expected or planned nor can there be any assurance that Points will be successful in maintaining its existing contractual relationships or maintaining existing products with existing partners.  Other important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include the risk factors discussed in Points' annual information form, Form-40-F, annual and interim management's discussion and analysis, and annual and interim financial statements and the notes thereto. These documents are available at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date of this release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as required by law, Points does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made or incorporated in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

1 Gross margin is defined as total revenues less the direct cost of principal revenues. Gross margin is considered by Management to be an integral measure of financial performance and represents the amount of revenues retained by the Corporation after incurring direct costs. However, gross margin is not a recognized measure of profitability under IFRS.

2 Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and foreign exchange) is considered by Management to be a useful supplemental measure when assessing financial performance. Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA is an important indicator of the Corporation's ability to generate liquidity through operating cash flow to fund future capital expenditures and working capital needs. However, Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under IFRS and should not be considered a substitute for Net Income, which we believe to be the most directly comparable IFRS measure.

Points International Ltd.

Key Financial Measures and Schedule of Non-GAAP Reconciliations

Gross Margin Information3

Expressed in thousands of United States dollars     
  For the three months ended 

For the twelve months ended
 

 
   December 31,  
2015
  December 31,  
2014
   December 31,  
2015
  December 31,
2014
Total Revenue
Direct cost of principal revenue
 

 
$

  80,228
70,264
 $

64,841
54,447
  $

  296,376
253,710
 $

254,989
215,333
 
Gross Margin $  9,964 $10,394  $  42,666 $39,656 
Gross Margin %  12% 16%  14% 16%


Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA4

      
Expressed in thousands of United States dollars       
    
 For the three months endedFor the twelve months ended 
   December 31,  
2015
  December 31,  
2014
  December 31,  
2015
  December 31,
2014
 
      
Net Income$ 961   $1,468 $ 5,165   $ 4,684   
Interest and other income  -   -   -    (5)  
Income tax expense  451   583   2,474    2,088   
Depreciation and Amortization  895   581   3,546    2,150   
Foreign Exchange loss (gain)  (117)  54   (131)   138   
      
Adjusted EBITDA$ 2,190   $2,686 $ 11,054   $ 9,055    


3 Gross Margin is defined as total revenues less the direct cost of principal revenues. Gross Margin is considered by Management to be an integral measure of financial performance and represents the amount of revenues retained by the Corporation after incurring direct costs. However, gross margin is not a recognized measure of profitability under IFRS.

 

4 Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings before income tax expense, interest and other income, depreciation and amortization, and foreign exchange) is considered by Management to be a useful supplemental measure when assessing financial performance. Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA is an important indicator of the Corporation's ability to generate liquidity through operating cash flow to fund future capital expenditures and working capital needs. However, Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under IFRS and should not be considered a substitute for Net Income, which we believe to be the most directly comparable IFRS measure.

 

Points International Ltd.
Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

Expressed in thousands of United States dollars

As at December 31  2015  2014  
 

ASSETS
  

 
  
Current assets    
Cash and cash equivalents $  51,364  $36,868  
Restricted cash  1,000  1,573  
Funds receivable from payment processors  6,588  6,691  
Accounts receivable  2,988  2,305  
Prepaid expenses and other assets  1,256  1,134  
Total current assets    63,196  48,571  
Non-current assets    
Property and equipment  1,466  1,856  
Intangible assets  18,616  18,320  
Goodwill  7,130  7,130  
Deferred tax assets  1,755  3,492  
Long-term investment  5,000  5,000  
Other assets  2,765  692  
Total non-current assets    36,732  36,490  
Total assets $   99,928 $85,061  
LIABILITIES   
Current liabilities   
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $  5,808 $6,260 
Payable to loyalty program partners  49,526  36,030 
Current portion of other liabilities  1,852  1,285 
Total current liabilities    57,186  43,575 
    
Non-current liabilities   
Deferred tax liabilities    425   - 
Other liabilities  122  269 
Total non-current liabilities    547  269 
    
Total liabilities $  57,733 $43,844 
    
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY   
Share capital  59,293  61,084 
Contributed surplus  9,859  11,985 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss  (624) (354)
Accumulated deficit  (26,333) (31,498)
Total shareholders’ equity $  42,195 $41,217 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $  99,928 $85,061 


Points International Ltd.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

Expressed in thousands of United States dollars, except per share amounts
(Amounts for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 are unaudited)

 For the three months
ended
For the twelve months
ended
 
 

 
December 31, 2015December 31, 2014December 31, 2015December 31, 2014 
REVENUE     
Principal
$
77,045
 $
61,829
 $
283,409
 $
244,686
  
Other partner revenue 3,143  2,979  12,871  10,211  
Interest 40  33  96  92  
              
Total Revenue$80,228   $64,841 $ 296,376  $254,989  
 

EXPENSES
     
Direct cost of principal revenue 70,264  54,447  253,710  215,333  
Employment costs 5,220  5,289  22,699  22,529  
Marketing and communications 531  330  1,704  1,379  
Technology services 355  276  1,343  1,083  
Depreciation and amortization 895  581  3,546  2,150  
Foreign exchange (gain) loss (117) 54  (131) 138  
Operating expenses 1,668  1,813  5,866  5,610  
Total Expenses$  78,816   $62,790 $ 288,737  $248,222  
      
OPERATING INCOME $  1,412 $2,051 $  7,639 $6,767  
      
Interest and other income -  -  -  (5) 
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES$ 1,412 $2,051 $   7,639 $6,772  
      
Income tax expense 451  583  2,474  2,088  
NET INCOME$   961 $1,468 $   5,165 $4,684  
      
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS     
Items that will subsequently be reclassified to profit or loss:
Loss on foreign exchange derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, net of income tax recovery of $111 and $476, respectively, for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2015  (2014: recovery of $89 and $206)
 (307) (248) (1,320) (573) 
Reclassification to net income of loss on foreign exchange derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, net of income tax recovery of $82 and 378, respectively, for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2015 (2014 – recovery of $43 and $203)  

229
  

120
   

1,050
  

564
  
Other comprehensive loss for the period, net of income tax$ (78)$(128)$(270)$(9) 
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME $  883 $1,340 $  4,895 $4,675  
              
EARNINGS PER SHARE             
Basic earnings per share$ 0.06 $ 0.10 $ 0.33 $ 0.30  
Diluted earnings per share$ 0.06 $ 0.09 $0.33 $ 0.30  


Points International Ltd.
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity    

 Attributable to equity holders of the Company
Expressed in thousands of United States dollars except number of shares

 
  Share CapitalContributed SurplusAccumulated other comprehensive loss Accumulated deficitTotal shareholders’ equity 
 Number of SharesAmount     
        
Balance at December 31, 2014 15,649,085 $ 61,084 $ 11,985 $  (354)$ (31,498)$   41,217  
Net income  -  -  -  -  5,165  5,165  
Other comprehensive loss -  -  -  (270) -  (270) 
Total comprehensive income -  -  -  (270) 5,165  4,895  
Effect of share option compensation plan -  -  934  -  -  934  
Effect of RSU and PSU compensation plan -  -  654  -  -  654  
Share issuances – share options 96,411  615  (338) -  -  277  
Share issuances – RSUs -  513  (513) -  -  -  
Share capital held in trust -  (1,215  ) -  -  -  (1,215) 
Shares repurchased   (439,094) (1,704) (2,863) -  -  (4,567) 
Balance at December 31, 2015 15,306,402 $ 59,293 $  9,859 $  (624)$ (26,333)$  42,195  
        
Balance at December 31, 201315,359,903$58,693 $10,381 $(345)$(36,182)$32,547  
Net income- -  -  -  4,684  4,684  
Other comprehensive loss- -  -  (9) -  (9) 
Total comprehensive income- -  -  (9) 4,684  4,675  
Effect of share option compensation plan- -  852  -  -  852  
Effect of RSU and PSU compensation plan- -  969  -  -  969  
Share issuances - share options50,789 242  (125) -  -  117  
Share issuances - RSUs- 92  (92) -  -  -  
Share capital held in trust- (731) -  -  -  (731) 
Shares issued for acquisition of Crew238,393 2,788  -  -  -  2,788  
Balance at December 31, 201415,649,085$61,084 $11,985 $(354)$(31,498)$41,217  


Points International Ltd.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Expressed in thousands of United States dollars
(Amounts for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 are unaudited)

 

 
For the three months
ended
For the twelve months
ended
 December 31, 2015December 31, 2014December 31, 2015December 31, 2014 
 

Cash flows from operating activities
 

 
  

  
Net income for the period$  961 $1,468 $  5,165 $4,684  
Adjustments for:             
Depreciation of property and equipment 231  237  1,037  990  
Amortization of intangible assets 664  344  2,509  1,160  
Unrealized foreign exchange gain (226) (569) (949) (1,045) 
Equity-settled share-based payment transactions 6  497  1,588  1,821  
Deferred income tax expense 804  390  2,261  1,864  
Unrealized net (gain) loss on derivative contracts designated as cash flow hedges (107) (174) (368) (12) 
Changes in non-cash balances related to operations,  exclusive of effects of business combination 11,531  (6,279) 10,689  (17,081) 
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities$13,864 $(4,086)$21,932 $(7,619) 
      
Cash flows from investing activities     
Acquisition of property and equipment (115) (255) (647) (754) 
Additions to intangible assets (842) (710) (2,805) (1,894) 
Long-term investment -  -  -  (1,500) 
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired -  (14,500) -  (16,011) 
Changes in restricted cash 280  -  530  -  
Net cash used in investing activities$  (677)$(15,465)$  (2,922)$(20,159) 
      
Cash flows from financing activities      
Proceeds from exercise of share options 5  5  277  117  
Shares repurchased (902) -  (4,567) -  
Purchases of share capital held in trust -  -  (1,215) (731) 
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities$  (897)$5 $  (5,505)$(614) 
      
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents$  12,290   $(19,546)$  13,505   $(28,392) 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period$  38,847   $55,832 $  36,868 $64,188  
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash held 227  582  991  1,072  
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period$  51,364   $36,868 $51,364   $36,868  
              
Interest Received$34 $34 $89 $98  
Interest Paid -  -  -  -  
              
Taxes Received -  -  31  -  
Taxes Paid$(9)$(4)$(435)$(7) 
              

Amounts paid and received for interest were reflected as operating cash flows in the consolidated statements of cash flows.


            

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