Gross Profit Performance Leads to 22.2% Increase in Operating Income
Third Quarter Ended December 31,
2018
Nine Months Ended December 31, 2018
HERNDON, Va., Feb. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ePlus inc. (PLUS), a leading provider of technology solutions, today announced financial results for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2018.
Management Comment
“Third quarter operating income increased 22.2%, driven by an 8.1% increase in gross profit and gross margin expansion of 170 basis points,†said Mark Marron, president and chief executive officer. “We experienced a favorable mix of products and services in high growth areas of the market such as digital, cloud and security solutions areas, and managed our cost structure, while continuing to invest to support future growth. Our strategy to specialize in those solutions that are critical to our customers’ needs has yielded positive results. Adjusted gross billings of security solutions increased by 23.6% in the third quarter from year-ago levels and represented 19.9% of our adjusted gross billings for the trailing twelve months. We expect security to remain a strong driver of growth.
“In mid-January, we completed the acquisition of SLAIT Consulting, LLC, which extends our geographic reach and deepens our presence in central and Tidewater Virginia, a fast-growing corridor in the mid-Atlantic. The acquisition has added to our portfolio of service offerings, especially in security consulting and security managed services, and has brought additional helpdesk services. SLAIT also has broadened our customer roster to include the Commonwealth of Virginia and 5 out of 7 of its top public universities, a multinational IT services provider, and several enterprise healthcare organizations. We are pleased to welcome SLAIT to the team,†Mr. Marron noted.
Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2019 Results
For the third quarter ended December 31, 2018 as compared to the third quarter of the prior fiscal year:
Consolidated net sales increased 0.4% to $345.7 million, from $344.2 million.
Technology segment net sales increased 0.8% to $334.7 million, from $332.1 million.
Adjusted gross billings increased 2.8% to $478.4 million. Adjusted gross billings are technology segment net sales adjusted to exclude the costs incurred of applicable third-party maintenance, software assurance and subscription/SaaS licenses, and services.
Financing segment net sales decreased 10.0% to $11.0 million, from $12.2 million, due to a decrease in post contract earnings from a large sale of off-lease assets in last year’s quarter.
Consolidated gross profit increased 8.1% to $82.9 million, from $76.7 million. Consolidated gross margin improved 170 basis points to 24.0%, compared with 22.3% last year, due to a shift in mix towards third-party maintenance, software assurance and subscription/SaaS licenses, and services. Also contributing were higher product margins and service revenues.
Operating expenses increased 4.3% to $62.9 million, from $60.3 million, primarily due to an increase in variable compensation from the increase in gross profit.
Consolidated operating income increased 22.2% to $20.0 million.
Other income of $0.7 million includes $0.9 million as a distribution from the Cyberco Holdings bankruptcy offset by $0.2 million of foreign currency losses.
Our effective tax rate for the current quarter was 28.3%, compared with 4.2% in the prior year quarter, when we recognized an estimated tax benefit of $5.7 million, related to the provisional adjustment of our deferred tax balance to reflect the new corporate tax rate as well as an adjustment of our tax provision from the beginning of our fiscal year to the new blended rate as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Net earnings decreased 4.6% to $14.9 million.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 17.7% to $25.6 million, from $21.7 million.
Diluted earnings per share was $1.10, compared with $1.11 in the prior year quarter. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share was $1.29, compared with $1.10 last year. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share is based on net earnings calculated in accordance with GAAP, adjusted to exclude other income (expense), share based compensation, and acquisition and integration expenses, and the related tax effects, and an adjustment to our tax expense in the prior year assuming a 21% U.S. federal statutory income tax rate for U.S. operations.
Fiscal Year to Date Results
For the nine months ended December 31, 2018 as compared to the nine months of the prior fiscal year:
Consolidated net sales decreased 3.8% to $1,047.2 million, from $1,088.9 million.
Technology segment net sales decreased 3.5% to $1,016.3 million, from $1,053.6 million.
Adjusted gross billings decreased 0.7% to $1,446.6 million. Adjusted gross billings are technology segment net sales adjusted to exclude the costs incurred of applicable third-party maintenance, software assurance and subscription/SaaS licenses, and services.
Financing segment net sales decreased 12.5% to $30.9 million, from $35.3 million due to a decrease in post contract earnings from the early termination of several large leases, and the sale of off lease assets in last year’s period.
Consolidated gross profit increased 3.0% to $249.1 million, from $241.9 million. Consolidated gross margin improved 160 basis points to 23.8%, compared with 22.2% last year, due to a shift in mix towards third-party maintenance, software assurance and subscription/SaaS licenses, and services. Also contributing were higher product margins and service revenues.
Operating expenses increased 4.5% to $184.1 million, from $176.1 million, due in part to an increase in variable compensation and the expenses associated with the acquisition of IDS in September 2017. Our headcount decreased to 1,265, or 1.5% from 1,284 as of December 31, 2017.
Consolidated operating income decreased 1.0% to $65.1 million.
Our effective tax rate for the first nine months of fiscal year 2019 was 27.3%, compared with 29.7% in the prior year.
Net earnings rose 4.1% to $48.1 million.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 1.7% to $80.8 million, from $79.4 million.
Diluted earnings per share was $3.54, compared with $3.30 in the prior year. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share was $4.10, compared with $3.98 last year. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share is based on net earnings calculated in accordance with GAAP, adjusted to exclude other income (expense), share based compensation, and acquisition and integration expenses, and the related tax effects, and an adjustment to our tax expense in the prior year assuming a 21% U.S. statutory income tax rate for U.S. operations.
Balance Sheet Highlights
As of December 31, 2018, ePlus had cash and cash equivalents of $84.3 million, compared with $118.2 million as of March 31, 2018. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents was primarily due to increases in working capital in the technology segment, investments in our financing portfolio, and share repurchases. Total stockholders' equity was $409.2 million, compared with $372.6 million as of March 31, 2018. Total shares outstanding were 13.6 million and 13.8 million on December 31, 2018 and March 31, 2018, respectively.
Summary and Outlook
“Third quarter results represented a strong showing across our organization, underscoring our ability to capture demand from mid-market and enterprise customers for complex solutions and services. By investing in top-notch technical talent, we have become a provider of choice for cloud implementation, digital transformation and managing cybersecurity risk amongst a diversified and growing customer base.â€
“The SLAIT acquisition fulfilled several of our strategic acquisition goals, including geographic expansion, the addition of potential cross-sell and up-sell opportunities between our customer sets, and a focus on services and security. With annual revenues of approximately $100 million, SLAIT brings a complementary customer base, additional service offerings and a group of highly-skilled leadership, sales, and engineering professionals,†Mr. Marron concluded.
The SLAIT Acquisition
On January 22nd, ePlus announced its subsidiary, ePlus Technology, inc. acquired SLAIT Consulting, LLC, a mid-Atlantic IT services provider with emphasis on the SLED and healthcare verticals. SLAIT builds on ePlus’ security consulting and managed services capabilities and in the areas of GRC (governance, risk management and compliance), as well as staffing, bespoke managed services, and sales of IT products, maintenance, and software. SLAIT is headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA, with locations in Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC.
Commenting on the acquisition, Elaine Marion, chief financial officer noted, “As with our other acquisitions, we expect an increase in amortization costs related to the SLAIT acquisition once we finalize our purchase accounting. Therefore, we do not expect the acquisition to be accretive on a GAAP basis for the next several quarters.â€
Other Corporate Developments/Recognitions
Conference Call Information
ePlus will hold a conference call and webcast at 4:30 p.m. ET on February 6, 2019:
| Date: | Wednesday, February 6, 2019 |
| Time: | 4:30 p.m. ET |
| Live Call: | (877) 870-9226, domestic, (973) 890-8320, international |
| Replay: | (855) 859-2056, domestic, (404) 537-3406, international |
| Passcode: | 6857789 (live and replay) |
| Webcast: | http://www.eplus.com/investors (live and replay) |
The replay of this webcast will be available approximately two hours after the call and be available through February 13, 2019.
About ePlus inc.
ePlus is a leading consultative technology solutions provider that helps customers imagine, implement, and achieve more from their technology. With the highest certifications from top technology partners and expertise in key technologies from data center to security, cloud, and collaboration, ePlus transforms IT from a cost center to a business enabler. Founded in 1990, ePlus has more than 1,500 associates serving a diverse set of customers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pac. The Company is headquartered at 13595 Dulles Technology Drive, Herndon, VA, 20171. For more information, visit www.eplus.com, call 888-482-1122, or email [email protected]. Connect with ePlus on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ePlusinc and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ePlus.
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Forward-looking statements