Ebix Provides a Strategic Update


JOHNS CREEK, Ga., July 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ebix, Inc. (NASDAQ: Ebix), a leading international supplier of On-Demand software and E-commerce services to the insurance, financial, healthcare, and e-learning industries, today provided a strategic update, detailing the multiple paths it is pursuing to achieve the stated aspirational goal of being a debt-free company in 2023.

The Company declared a multi-pronged plan towards achieving the aspirational goal –

  • The Company announced that it is progressing forward diligently with its plan to complete an initial public offering (IPO) of its EbixCash subsidiary in India. In accordance with the directions and regulations of the Indian regulators, EbixCash intends to announce a IPO listing date publicly as soon as it has the requisite approvals in place.
  • Ebix also announced that it is in advanced stages of a part-asset sale exercise, with multiple bidding parties, with potential proceeds from the asset sale, being sufficient to repay 100% of its bank debt. The Company announced that this prospective asset sale of a unit of its business, is intended to be a liability free transaction for the successful bidder. Ebix also conveyed that it has received bids from a mix of strategic and financial bidders who have already completed substantial due diligence.

Ebix’s independent Strategic Investment Committee, created by the Ebix Board, reserves the right to utilize one or both of the following options and/or any other strategic option that may present itself, with the aim of repaying Ebix’s bank debt in full in 2023 and maximizing shareholder value.

Investment Advisory

Ebix reminds investors that its EbixCash subsidiary is subject to a variety of annual regulatory audits each year; that its independent Board and audit committee is comprised of respected leaders in the accounting, regulatory and banking sectors; and its annual financial audit is completed by two separate independent auditors, one of whom is a renowned international name.

The Company has recently filed the EbixCash financial addendum document in line with the regulatory guidance from Indian regulators, stating its payment solutions revenues on a net basis. This has resulted in ensuring that the subject matter of a “short” report issued almost 12 months back, has become numerically immaterial for the prospective EbixCash investor (less than 2% of EbixCash revenues and less than 0.1% of EbixCash income as stated in the addendum filed). In any case, this short report’s dissemination in India was banned by an Indian session court, after a review of the false claims in this report.

About Ebix, Inc.

With approximately 200 offices across 6 continents, Ebix, Inc., (NASDAQ: EBIX) endeavors to provide on-demand software and e-commerce services to the insurance, financial services, travel, healthcare and e-learning industries. In the Insurance sector, Ebix’s main focus is to develop and deploy a wide variety of insurance and reinsurance exchanges on an on-demand basis, while also, providing Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS") enterprise solutions in the area of CRM, front-end & back-end systems, outsourced administration and risk compliance services, around the world.

With a "Phygital” strategy that combines over 650,000 physical distribution outlets in many Southeast Asian Nations (“ASEAN”) countries, to an Omni-channel online digital platform, the Company’s EbixCash Financial exchange portfolio of software and services encompasses domestic and international money remittance, foreign exchange (Forex), travel, pre-paid gift cards, utility payments, lending and wealth management across 75+ countries including India. EbixCash’s Forex operations is a leader in India’s airport Forex business, with operations in approximately 20 international airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata, combined conducting over $4.8 billion in gross transaction value per year (pre-COVID-19). EbixCash’s inward remittance business in India processed approximately $5 billion in gross annual remittance volume (pre-COVID-19) and is the clear market leader. EbixCash, through its travel portfolio of Via and Mercury, is also one of Southeast Asia’s leading travel exchanges with over 517,000 agents and approximately 17,900 registered corporate clients, combined having processed an estimated $2.5 billion in gross merchandise value per year (pre-COVID-19). EbixCash's financial technologies business offers software solutions at the enterprise level for banks, asset and wealth management companies and trust companies within India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The EbixCash's e-learning solutions are provided to schools across the breadth of India via high quality 2-D and 3-D animation and multimedia learning. EbixCash's business process outsourcing services provide information technology and call center services to a variety of industries.

Through its various SaaS-based software platforms, Ebix employs thousands of domain-specific technology professionals to provide products, support and consultancy to thousands of customers on six continents. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.ebix.com

CONTACT:

Satish Sapru

satish.sapru@Ebix.com or +91 99990 13426

Darren Joseph

IR@ebix.com or +1 678 281 2027

David Collins or Chris Eddy, Catalyst Global

ebix@catalyst-ir.com or + 1 212-924-9800

SAFE HARBOR REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

As used herein, the terms “Ebix,” “the Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Ebix, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries as a combined entity, except where it is clear that the terms mean only Ebix, Inc.

The information contained in this Press Release contains forward-looking statements and information within the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This information includes assumptions made by, and information currently available to management, including statements regarding future economic performance and financial condition, liquidity and capital resources, acceptance of the Company’s products by the market, and management’s plans and objectives. In addition, certain statements included in this and our future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in press releases, and in oral and written statements made by us or with our approval, which are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Words such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “seeks,” “plan,” “project,” “continue,” “predict,” “will,” and other words or expressions of similar meaning are intended by the Company to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are found at various places throughout this report and in the documents incorporated herein by reference. These statements are based on our current expectations about future events or results and information that is currently available to us, involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, and speak only as of the date on which such statements are made.

Our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference, include, but are not limited to those discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and subsequent reports filed with the SEC, as well as: the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 global pandemic, the willingness of independent insurance agencies to outsource their computer and other processing needs to third parties; pricing and other competitive pressures and the Company’s ability to gain or maintain share of sales as a result of actions by competitors and others; changes in estimates in critical accounting judgments; changes in or failure to comply with laws and regulations, including accounting standards, taxation requirements (including tax rate changes, new tax laws and revised tax interpretations) in domestic or foreign jurisdictions; exchange rate fluctuations and other risks associated with investments and operations in foreign countries (particularly in India, Australia and Asia, Latin America and Europe wherein we have significant and/or growing operations); fluctuations in the equity markets, including market disruptions and significant interest rate fluctuations, which may impede our access to, or increase the cost of, external financing; ability to secure additional financing to support capital requirements; credit facility provisions that could materially restrict our business; costs and effects of litigation, investigations or similar matters that could affect our business, operating results and financial condition; and international conflict, including terrorist acts and wars.

Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any such factors, or to publicly announce the results of, or changes to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events, developments, changed circumstances, or for any other reason. Readers should carefully review the disclosures and the risk factors described in the documents we file from time to time with the SEC, including future reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K, and any amendments thereto.

You may obtain our SEC filings at our website, www.ebix.com under the “Investor Information” section, or over the Internet at the SEC’s web site, www.sec.gov

Disclaimer:

EbixCash Limited is proposing, subject to receipt of requisite approvals, market conditions and other considerations, to make an initial public offer of its equity shares and has filed a draft red herring prospectus (“DRHP”) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. The DRHP is available on the website of the SEBI at www.sebi.gov.in in as well as on the websites of the book running lead managers, Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Limited at www.motilaloswalgroup.com, Equirus Capital Private Limited at www.equirus.com, ICICI Securities Limited at www.icicisecurities.com, SBI Capital Markets Limited at www.sbicaps.com and YES Securities (India) Limited at www.yesinvest.in, respectively, and the websites of the stock exchange(s) at www.bseindia.com and www.nseindia.com, respectively. Investors should note that investment in equity shares involves a high degree of risk and for details relating to such risk, see "Risk Factors" of the RHP, when available. Potential investors should not rely on the DRHP for any investment decision.