Deluxe Reports Fourth Quarter 2018 Financial Results

ST. PAUL, Minn. - January 24, 2019 - Deluxe Corporation, which provides small businesses and financial institutions with products and services to drive customer revenue, announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2018. Key financial highlights for the fourth quarter include:

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Revenue was within the Company’s outlook range of $522 to $532 million and GAAP diluted earnings per share was at the high end of the outlook range of $1.32 to $1.39. During the quarter, the Company recognized non-GAAP adjustments of $0.15 per share. Of this amount, charges for restructuring, integration and CEO transition costs totaled $0.16 per share, and the company recorded a benefit of $0.01 per share related to federal tax reform. Adjusted diluted EPS was at the high end of the outlook range as the business segments performed well against expectations, the income tax rate was favorable and expense management initiatives continued.

Barry McCarthy, president and CEO

“I am honored to join Deluxe at this critical moment in the Company’s history,” said Barry McCarthy, president and CEO of Deluxe. “Our strong fourth quarter performance and record full year revenue reflect the solid foundation from which we will accelerate our ongoing transformation to a technology-enabled solutions provider. Looking ahead, I will continue my deep dive into the business as we refine our strategic plan while remaining focused on driving long-term revenue growth and enhancing shareholder value.”

Fourth Quarter 2018 Highlights

• Revenue increased 6% year-over-year. Financial Services revenue increased 15% compared to the prior year and includes the results of the REMITCO acquisition which closed in August 2018. Small Business Services revenue grew 3.6% and includes the results of several small tuck-in acquisitions.
• Revenue from marketing solutions and other services (MOS) increased 20.1% year-over-year and grew to 45.4% of total revenue in the quarter.
• Gross margin was 59.0% of revenue, compared to 61.4% in the fourth quarter of 2017. The impact to margin from product and service mix, acquisitions and increased delivery and material costs this year was only partially offset by previous price increases and continued improvements in manufacturing productivity.
• Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense as a percent of revenue was 41.2% in the quarter compared to 40.6% last year. SG&A expense dollars increased $15.2 million compared to last year as continued cost reduction initiatives and gains from asset sales of $2.8 million within Small Business Services were more than offset by additional SG&A expense from acquisitions, a favorable legal settlement in the prior year, costs related to the CEO transition process this year and higher average commissions in Small Business Services.
• Operating income decreased $11.5 million year-over-year. Adjusted operating income decreased $6.2 million year-over-year primarily from the continuing decline in check and forms usage, partially offset by previous price increases and continued cost reduction initiatives.
• Diluted EPS decreased $0.36 per share year-over-year and included aggregate non-GAAP charges of $0.15 per share. Adjusted diluted EPS increased 10.0% year-over-year. A lower income tax rate in 2018, primarily due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and lower shares outstanding contributed to the increase in adjusted EPS and were partially offset by the continuing secular decline in check and forms usage.

Segment Highlights

Small Business Services

• Revenue of $334.0 million was in line with our expectations and increased 3.6% year-over-year due primarily to increased MOS revenue and benefits from previous price increases, partially offset by the decline in check and forms usage.
• Operating income of $56.0 million decreased $5.9 million compared to last year. Adjusted operating income decreased $2.0 million and adjusted operating margin decreased 1.3 points year-over-year. This decrease was due to the secular decline in check and forms usage, partially offset by previous price increases and continued cost reductions.

Financial Services

• Revenue of $160.2 million was in line with our expectations and increased 15.0% year-over-year driven by the acquisition of REMITCO in August 2018 and increased Treasury Management revenue, partially offset by the secular decline in check usage.
• Operating income of $20.4 million decreased $4.6 million compared to last year. Adjusted operating income decreased $3.2 million and adjusted operating margin decreased 4.6 points year-over-year. This decrease was due primarily to the check decline, a favorable legal settlement in the prior year and higher delivery rates, partially offset by continued benefits of cost reductions.

Direct Checks

• Revenue of $30.5 million was slightly better than our expectations and declined 8.1% year-over-year due primarily to the secular decline in check usage.
• Operating income of $10.1 million decreased $1.0 million and operating margin decreased 0.3 points year-over-year. This decrease in operating income was due primarily to lower order volume, partly offset by cost reductions.

Other Highlights

• Cash provided by operating activities for 2018 was $339.3 million, an increase of $0.9 million compared to 2017.
• The Company repurchased $80.0 million of common stock in open market transactions during the fourth quarter, bringing the full year stock repurchase total to $200.0 million.
• At the end of the fourth quarter, the Company had $911.9 million of total debt outstanding, $910.0 million of which was outstanding under the revolving credit facility.
• On January 22, 2019, the Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share on all outstanding shares of the Company. The dividend will be payable on March 4, 2019 to all shareholders of record at the close of business on February 19, 2019.
• On January 22, 2019, the existing credit facility was expanded by $200.0 million, bringing the total availability under the credit facility to $1.150 billion.

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Source: Deluxe Corporation

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of Printing Impressions.