Aci Worldwide, Inc.NASDAQ: ACIW

ACI Worldwide, Inc. Reports Financial Results for the Quarter and Full Year Ended December 31, 2023

· Issued by ACI Worldwide, Inc. via Business Wire

Q4 2023 HIGHLIGHTS

  • Total revenue of $477 million grew 5%1
  • Total recurring revenue grew 7%1
  • Net income of $123 million grew 36%
  • Total EBITDA of $210 million grew 8%
  • Cash flow from operating activities of $86 million grew 107%
  • Repurchased 1 million shares for $28 million
  • Expect 7-9% revenue growth in 2024

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a global leader in mission-critical, real-time payments software, announced financial results today for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023.

"2023 was another year of progress for ACI, with steady revenue growth and improving margins,” said Thomas Warsop, president and CEO of ACI Worldwide. “In the Bank segment, we saw particular strength in our real-time payments and anti-fraud product lines, and our Bank recurring revenue continues to accelerate, which positions us very well for 2024 and beyond. Our Biller business is also performing well as we benefit from new customer onboarding and interchange improvement efforts put in place last year.”

“We are also pleased to welcome two new members to our already-strong board of directors: Katrinka McCallum, who spent many years at SaaS software company Red Hat; and Juan Benitez, the former President of GoFundMe and GM of Braintree Payments,” Warsop added. “Katrinka and Juan will provide great support as we expand our SaaS businesses and use of artificial intelligence, things both of them have overseen before. Looking forward, our pipeline is strong, and we are focused and optimistic about our growth acceleration.”

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

In Q4 2023, revenue was $477 million, up 5% from Q4 2022. Recurring revenue of $275 million in Q4 was up 7% from Q4 20221. Net income was $123 million versus $90 million in Q4 2022. Adjusted EBITDA in Q4 2023 was $210 million, up 8% from Q4 2022. Cash flow from operating activities in Q4 2023 was $86 million, up 107% compared to Q4 2022.

  • Bank segment revenue increased 3% in Q4 2023, while Bank segment recurring revenue, consisting of maintenance and SaaS revenue, grew 8%, and Bank segment adjusted EBITDA grew 1% versus Q4 20221.
  • Merchant segment revenue improved throughout the year, as expected, growing 4% in Q4 20231. Merchant segment adjusted EBITDA increased 2% versus Q4 20221.
  • Biller segment revenue increased 9% in Q4 2023. Biller segment adjusted EBITDA increased 60% versus Q4 2022, driven by new customer onboarding and progress with our interchange improvement program.

Full-year 2023 total revenue was $1.45 billion, up 5% from 2022 adjusted for FX and the divestiture1. Recurring revenue of $1.1 billion in 2023 was up 8% from 20221. Net income was $122 million in 2023. After adjusting for the gain on the divestiture of our Corporate Online Banking business, this was a 7% increase from 2022. Total adjusted EBITDA in 2023 was $395 million compared to $373 million in 2022, up 10%1. Cash flow from operating activities in 2023 was $169 million, up 18% compared to 2022.

ACI ended 2023 with $164 million in cash on hand and a debt balance of $1 billion, which represents a net debt leverage ratio of 2.2x, down from 2.4x last quarter. For 2023, the company repurchased approximately 1 million shares for $28 million in capital and repurchased an additional 2 million shares for $62 million in capital year-to-date in 2024. The company has $110 million remaining available on the share repurchase authorization.

2024 GUIDANCE

For the full year of 2024, we expect revenue growth to be in the 7% to 9% range on a constant currency basis, or in the range of $1.547 billion to $1.576 billion. We expect adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $418 million to $428 million with net adjusted EBITDA margin expansion. For Q1 2024, we expect revenue to be between $300 million and $310 million and adjusted EBITDA of $25 million to $30 million. This excludes one-time costs to implement certain efficiency strategies.

1 Adjusted for foreign currency fluctuations and the divestiture of Corporate Online Banking in September 2022

CONFERENCE CALL TO DISCUSS FINANCIAL RESULTS

Today, management will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss these results. Interested persons may access a real-time audio broadcast of the teleconference at http://investor.aciworldwide.com/ or use the following number for dial-in participation: toll-free 1 (800) 715-9871 and conference code 3153574.

About ACI Worldwide

ACI Worldwide is a global leader in mission-critical, real-time payments software. Our proven, secure and scalable software solutions enable leading corporations, fintechs, and financial disruptors to process and manage digital payments, power omni-commerce payments, present and process bill payments, and manage fraud and risk. We combine our global footprint with a local presence to drive the real-time digital transformation of payments and commerce.

© Copyright ACI Worldwide, Inc. 2024.

ACI, ACI Worldwide, ACI Payments, Inc., ACI Pay, Speedpay and all ACI product/solution names are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACI Worldwide, Inc., or one of its subsidiaries, in the United States, other countries or both. Other parties' trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.

For more information contact:

To supplement our financial results presented on a GAAP basis, we use the non-GAAP measures indicated in the tables, which exclude significant transaction-related expenses, as well as other significant non-cash expenses such as depreciation, amortization, and stock-based compensation, that we believe are helpful in understanding our past financial performance and our future results. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to our GAAP results and are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. Management generally compensates for limitations in the use of non-GAAP financial measures by relying on comparable GAAP financial measures and providing investors with a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures only in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP.

We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way to view aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business. Certain non-GAAP measures include:

  • Adjusted EBITDA: net income (loss) plus income tax expense (benefit), net interest income (expense), net other income (expense), depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation, as well as significant transaction-related expenses. Adjusted EBITDA should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, net income (loss).
  • Net Adjusted EBITDA Margin: Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue net of pass-through interchange revenue. Net Adjusted EBITDA Margin should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, net income (loss).
  • Diluted EPS adjusted for non-cash and significant transaction related items: diluted EPS plus tax effected significant transaction related items, amortization of acquired intangibles and software, and non-cash stock-based compensation. Diluted EPS adjusted for non-cash and significant transaction related items should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, diluted EPS.
  • Recurring Revenue: revenue from software as a service and platform as a service fees and maintenance fees. Recurring revenue should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, total revenue.
  • ARR: New annual recurring revenue expected to be generated from new accounts, new applications, and add-on sales bookings contracts signed in the period.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Generally, forward-looking statements do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and may include words or phrases such as “believes,” “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” and words and phrases of similar impact. The forward-looking statements are made pursuant to safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to: (i) our positioning for 2024 and beyond, (ii) benefits from new customer onboarding and interchange improvement efforts put in place last year, (iii) new board members providing great support as we expand our SaaS businesses and use of artificial intelligence, (iv) our pipeline strength and focus and optimism about our growth acceleration, and (v) statements regarding Q1 2024 and full year 2024 revenue and adjusted EBITDA financial guidance.

All of the foregoing forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by the risk factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such factors include, but are not limited to, increased competition, business interruptions or failure of our information technology and communication systems, security breaches or viruses, our ability to attract and retain senior management personnel and skilled technical employees, future acquisitions, strategic partnerships and investments, divestitures and other restructuring activities, implementation and success of our strategy, impact if we convert some or all on-premise licenses from fixed-term to subscription model, anti-takeover provisions, exposure to credit or operating risks arising from certain payment funding methods, customer reluctance to switch to a new vendor, our ability to adequately defend our intellectual property, litigation, consent orders and other compliance agreements, our offshore software development activities, risks from operating internationally, including fluctuations in currency exchange rates, events in eastern Europe and the Middle East, adverse changes in the global economy, compliance of our products with applicable legislation, governmental regulations and industry standards, the complexity of our products and services and the risk that they may contain hidden defects, complex regulations applicable to our payments business, our compliance with privacy and cybersecurity regulations, exposure to unknown tax liabilities, changes in tax laws and regulations, consolidations and failures in the financial services industry, volatility in our stock price, demand for our products, failure to obtain renewals of customer contracts or to obtain such renewals on favorable terms, delay or cancellation of customer projects or inaccurate project completion estimates, impairment of our goodwill or intangible assets, the accuracy of management’s backlog estimates, the cyclical nature of our revenue and earnings and the accuracy of forecasts due to the concentration of revenue-generating activity during the final weeks of each quarter, restrictions and other financial covenants in our debt agreements, our existing levels of debt, events outside of our control including natural disasters, wars, and outbreaks of disease, and revenues or revenue mix. For a detailed discussion of these risk factors, parties that are relying on the forward-looking statements should review our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

ACI WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(unaudited and in thousands)

 

December 31,

2023

2022

ASSETS

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$

164,239

$

124,981

Receivables, net of allowances

452,337

403,781

Settlement assets

723,039

540,667

Prepaid expenses

31,479

28,010

Other current assets

35,551

17,366

Total current assets

1,406,645

1,114,805

Noncurrent assets

Accrued receivables, net

313,983

297,818

Property and equipment, net

37,856

52,499

Operating lease right-of-use assets

34,338

40,031

Software, net

108,418

129,109

Goodwill

1,226,026

1,226,026

Intangible assets, net

195,646

228,698

Deferred income taxes, net

58,499

53,738

Other noncurrent assets

63,328

67,171

TOTAL ASSETS

$

3,444,739

$

3,209,895

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities

Accounts payable

$

45,964

$

47,997

Settlement liabilities

721,164

539,087

Employee compensation

53,892

45,289

Current portion of long-term debt

74,405

65,521

Deferred revenue

59,580

58,303

Other current liabilities

82,244

102,645

Total current liabilities

1,037,249

858,842

Noncurrent liabilities

Deferred revenue

24,780

23,233

Long-term debt

963,599

1,024,351

Deferred income taxes, net

40,735

40,371

Operating lease liabilities

29,074

33,910

Other noncurrent liabilities

25,005

36,001

Total liabilities

2,120,442

2,016,708

Stockholders’ equity

Preferred stock

—

—

Common stock

702

702

Additional paid-in capital

712,994

702,458

Retained earnings

1,394,967

1,273,458

Treasury stock

(674,896

)

(665,771

)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(109,470

)

(117,660

)

Total stockholders’ equity

1,324,297

1,193,187

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

$

3,444,739

$

3,209,895

 

ACI WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(unaudited and in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

Three Months Ended December 31,

Years Ended December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Revenues

Software as a service and platform as a service

$

223,172

$

205,800

$

849,147

$

802,880

License

178,543

179,874

321,224

348,134

Maintenance

51,632

48,902

205,068

200,045

Services

23,216

17,229

77,140

70,842

Total revenues

476,563

451,805

1,452,579

1,421,901

Operating expenses

Cost of revenue (1)

181,689

178,699

719,211

696,071

Research and development

34,636

31,963

140,758

146,311

Selling and marketing

34,473

32,019

132,639

134,812

General and administrative

24,515

29,441

117,190

114,194

Depreciation and amortization

28,934

31,460

122,373

126,678

Total operating expenses

304,247

303,582

1,232,171

1,218,066

Operating income

172,316

148,223

220,408

203,835

Other income (expense)

Interest expense

(19,845

)

(16,179

)

(78,486

)

(53,193

)

Interest income

3,757

3,342

14,215

12,547

Other, net

(2,107

)

(2,355

)

(8,510

)

43,446

Total other income (expense)

(18,195

)

(15,192

)

(72,781

)

2,800

Income before income taxes

154,121

133,031

147,627

206,635

Income tax expense

31,505

42,803

26,118

64,458

Net income

$

122,616

$

90,228

$

121,509

$

142,177

Income per common share

Basic

$

1.13

$

0.81

$

1.12

$

1.25

Diluted

$

1.12

$

0.81

$

1.12

$

1.24

Weighted average common shares outstanding

Basic

108,703

111,077

108,497

113,700

Diluted

109,147

111,354

108,857

114,238

(1) The cost of revenue excludes charges for depreciation but includes amortization of purchased and developed software for resale.

 

ACI WORLDWIDE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(unaudited and in thousands)

 

Three Months Ended December 31,

Years Ended December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income

$

122,616

$

90,228

$

121,509

$

142,177

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows from operating activities:

Depreciation

5,017

6,129

23,739

23,181

Amortization

23,918

25,330

98,634

104,147

Amortization of operating lease right-of-use assets

2,430

2,740

11,620

11,036

Amortization of deferred debt issuance costs

908

1,126

4,323

4,561

Deferred income taxes

21,122

10,662

(4,085

)

1,603

Stock-based compensation expense

7,010

7,869

24,547

29,753

Gain on divestiture

—

—

—

(38,452

)

Other

(247

)

545

1,921

3,028

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of impact of divestiture:

Receivables

(105,010

)

(137,961

)

(62,998

)

(132,194

)

Accounts payable

3,423

10,777

(3,775

)

7,730

Accrued employee compensation

11,025

711

8,146

(3,161

)

Deferred revenue

(1,699

)

3,390

2,705

(2,977

)

Other current and noncurrent assets and liabilities

(4,770

)

19,869

(57,769

)

(7,051

)

Net cash flows from operating activities

85,743

41,415

168,517

143,381

Cash flows from investing activities:

Purchases of property and equipment

(968

)

(4,980

)

(8,924

)

(13,103

)

Purchases of software and distribution rights

(6,282

)

(8,396

)

(28,853

)

(26,790

)

Proceeds from divestiture

—

—

—

100,139

Net cash flows from investing activities

(7,250

)

(13,376

)

(37,777

)

60,246

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

697

780

2,819

3,581

Proceeds from exercises of stock options

3,594

2,792

6,726

4,584

Repurchase of stock-based compensation awards for tax withholdings

(946

)

(1,163

)

(5,149

)

(6,983

)

Repurchases of common stock

(27,587

)

(115,603

)

(27,587

)

(206,537

)

Proceeds from revolving credit facility

59,000

95,000

134,000

180,000

Repayment of revolving credit facility

(64,000

)

—

(115,000

)

(75,000

)

Repayment of term portion of credit agreement

(19,475

)

(14,606

)

(73,031

)

(85,431

)

Payments on or proceeds from other debt, net

(4,293

)

(2,017

)

(16,766

)

(12,123

)

Payments for debt issuance costs

—

—

(2,160

)

—

Net increase (decrease) in settlement assets and liabilities

(10,769

)

6,765

(15,404

)

26,849

Net cash flows from financing activities

(63,779

)

(28,052

)

(111,552

)

(171,060

)

Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash

573

(1,977

)

4,961

(2,037

)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

15,287

(1,990

)

24,149

30,530

Cash and cash equivalents, including settlement deposits, beginning of period

223,534

216,662

214,672

184,142

Cash and cash equivalents, including settlement deposits, end of period

$

238,821

$

214,672

$

238,821

$

214,672

Reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents to the Consolidated Balance Sheets

Cash and cash equivalents

$

164,239

$

124,981

$

164,239

$

124,981

Settlement deposits

74,582

89,691

74,582

89,691

Total cash and cash equivalents

$

238,821

$

214,672

$

238,821

$

214,672

Adjusted EBITDA (millions)

Three Months Ended December 31,

Years Ended December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Net income

$

122.6

$

90.2

$

121.5

$

142.2

Plus:

Income tax expense (benefit)

31.5

42.8

26.1

64.5

Net interest expense

16.1

12.8

64.3

40.6

Net other (income) expense

2.1

2.4

8.5

(43.4

)

Depreciation expense

5.0

6.1

23.7

23.2

Amortization expense

23.9

25.3

98.6

104.1

Non-cash stock-based compensation expense

7.0

7.9

24.5

29.8

Adjusted EBITDA before significant transaction-related expenses

$

208.2

$

187.5

$

367.2

$

361.0

Significant transaction-related expenses:

CEO transition

—

3.6

—

3.6

Cost reduction strategies

1.3

—

21.0

—

European datacenter migration

0.2

2.4

2.8

5.8

Other

—

0.4

4.4

3.0

Adjusted EBITDA

$

209.7

$

193.9

$

395.4

$

373.4

Revenue, net of interchange:

Revenue

$

476.6

$

451.8

$

1,452.6

$

1,421.9

Interchange

106.1

111.2

421.1

406.6

Revenue, net of interchange

$

370.5

$

340.6

$

1,031.5

$

1,015.3

Net adjusted EBITDA Margin

57

%

57

%

38

%

37

%

Segment Information (millions)

Three Months Ended December 31,

Years Ended December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Revenue

Banks

$

254.9

$

247.0

$

616.1

$

638.6

Merchants

43.0

40.8

150.6

153.9

Billers

178.7

164.0

685.9

629.4

Total

$

476.6

$

451.8

$

1,452.6

$

1,421.9

Recurring revenue

Banks

$

58.2

$

53.6

$

229.4

$

232.9

Merchants

37.9

37.1

138.9

140.6

Billers

178.7

164.0

685.9

629.4

Total

$

274.8

$

254.7

$

1,054.2

$

1,002.9

Segment adjusted EBITDA

Banks

$

188.2

$

186.3

$

355.5

$

371.0

Merchants

17.5

16.8

44.3

49.0

Billers

42.2

26.4

142.3

107.4

EPS Impact of Non-cash and Significant Transaction-related Items (millions)

Three Months Ended December 31,

2023

2022

EPS Impact

$ in Millions (Net of Tax)

EPS Impact

$ in Millions (Net of Tax)

GAAP net income

$

1.12

$

122.6

$

0.81

$

90.2

Adjusted for:

Significant transaction-related expenses

0.01

1.1

0.04

4.9

Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles

0.06

6.4

0.06

6.4

Amortization of acquisition-related software

0.03

3.5

0.04

4.5

Non-cash stock-based compensation

0.05

5.3

0.05

6.0

Total adjustments

$

0.15

$

16.3

$

0.19

$

21.8

Diluted EPS adjusted for non-cash and significant transaction-related items

$

1.27

$

138.9

$

1.00

$

112.0

EPS Impact of Non-cash and Significant Transaction-related Items (millions)

Years Ended Years Ended December 31,

2023

2022

EPS Impact

$ in Millions (Net of Tax)

EPS Impact

$ in Millions (Net of Tax)

GAAP net income

$

1.12

$

121.5

$

1.24

$

142.2

Adjusted for:

Gain on divestiture

—

—

(0.26

)

(29.2

)

Significant transaction-related expenses

0.19

21.1

0.08

9.6

Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles

0.24

25.7

0.24

27.0

Amortization of acquisition-related software

0.14

15.5

0.16

18.6

Non-cash stock-based compensation

0.17

18.7

0.20

22.6

Total adjustments

$

0.74

$

81.0

$

0.42

$

48.6

Diluted EPS adjusted for non-cash and significant transaction-related items

$

1.86

$

202.5

$

1.66

$

190.8

Recurring Revenue (millions)

Three Months Ended December 31,

Years Ended December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

SaaS and PaaS fees

$

223.2

$

205.8

$

849.1

$

802.9

Maintenance fees

51.6

48.9

205.1

200.0

Recurring revenue

$

274.8

$

254.7

$

1,054.2

$

1,002.9

New Bookings (millions)

Three Months Ended December 31,

Years Ended December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Annual recurring revenue (ARR) bookings

$

28.8

$

40.2

$

73.5

$

109.7

License and services bookings

106.5

91.8

239.2

204.7

Investor Relations John Kraft SVP, Head of Strategy and Finance 239-403-4627 / john.kraft@aciworldwide.com

Source: ACI Worldwide