DI
DocGo Inc. (DCGO)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q4 2024 revenue fell to $120.8M, down 39% y/y on accelerated migrant program wind-down; adjusted EBITDA was $1.1M and GAAP net loss was $7.6M. Gross margin held at 30.8% (vs 31.2% y/y), showing resilience despite mix-shift and higher SG&A .
- Management cut 2025 adjusted EBITDA margin guidance to ~5% from 8–10% prior, while maintaining revenue guidance at $410–$450M; gross margin expected “in line or slightly better” than 2024. This margin reset is the key stock-reaction catalyst near term .
- Executing pivot to payer/provider mobile health: >700k lives assigned for care gap closure, NPS 86, expanding into PCP, mobile mammography, and VA subcontract work; acquired PTI Health to add mobile phlebotomy .
- Near-term headwinds: Q4 adjusted EBITDA ~$10M below implied November guidance, including $9M revenue shortfall (migrant wind-down), $3.2M unexpected self-insured costs, and ~$1.5M incremental investments in care gap growth .
- Cash collections tailwind: year-end migrant AR ~$150M with ~$30M related payables; CFO expects operating cash flow to be “significantly higher” in 2025 than $70.3M in 2024 as receivables convert .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Payer/provider momentum: >700k lives assigned and NPS 86; management highlighted strong demand and pipeline expansions (PCP, transition of care, mobile clinics), signaling durable growth vectors .
- Segment margins: Mobile Health adjusted gross margin improved y/y to 35.9% in Q4; Transportation subcontractor cost issues abated exiting Q4, supporting margin recovery into 2025 .
- Cash and liquidity: Year-end cash and restricted cash reached ~$107.3M; AR declined y/y to $210.9M with DSO improving to 125 days, setting up for stronger 2025 operating cash flow .
What Went Wrong
- Guidance miss: Q4 adjusted EBITDA ~$10M below implied November guidance; $9M revenue shortfall tied to faster migrant wind-down, plus $3.2M unforeseen captive insurance costs and ~$1.5M growth investments compressed profitability .
- SG&A deleverage: SG&A rose to 39.7% of revenue (from 27.6% y/y) amid revenue decline and deliberate investment to support next-leg growth, pausing prior sequential cost reductions .
- Transportation margin pressure: Segment adjusted gross margin fell to 30.1% y/y (from 37.4%) due to residual subcontractor costs and lack of prior-year one-time benefits; mix normalization weighed on consolidated margins .
Financial Results
Segment breakdown:
KPIs:
Notes: Quarterly EPS per share was not disclosed in the Q4 press release/8‑K; we attempted to retrieve via S&P Global but could not due to API limits. See Estimates Context.
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We are thrilled with both the progress and the results of these programs… but these investments also come with a near-term impact on profitability.” – CEO Lee Bienstock .
- “Total revenue for the fourth quarter… was $120.8 million… The entirety of the year-over-year revenue decline related to migrant projects.” – CFO Norman Rosenberg .
- “Adjusted EBITDA… fell short by about $10 million… Revenues were about $9 million… shortfall entirely attributable to migrant-related revenues… $3.2 million of unanticipated [self-insured] expenses.” – CFO .
- “We continue to expect full year revenues in the range of $410 million to $450 million… [and] EBITDA margins… mid-single digits [in 2025].” – CFO .
- “A major payer… wants to expand into PCP services… another [West Coast] customer… expand transition of care… chronic care… A major payer in New York… expanding assigned patient list to 40–50k unengaged members.” – CEO .
Q&A Highlights
- Base vs migrant mix: Management kept FY25 revenue guidance, but indicated migrant revenues could be below $50M, offset by base business growth; 27 municipal deals, 29 health systems, >120 payer/provider deals in pipeline; ~10% more deals closed vs November .
- Margin reset rationale: Investments in tech stack, LPN training, and business development; measured approach to cost-cutting retaining growth-critical overhead; captive insurance savings carry variability .
- Segment and pipeline conversion: Transportation expected to ramp sequentially through 2025 with new hospital systems; municipal “Project Prime” producing VA subcontract wins and smoothing RFP lumpiness .
- Quant specifics: Migrant revenue ~$55M in Q4; FY migrant ~$370M; base business achieved $240–$260M range in FY24 .
- Subcontractor cost trajectory: From >40% at peak to ~24% company-wide; expected <20% in Q1 2025 .
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus estimates for Q4 2024 and FY 2024 EPS/revenue were unavailable at time of analysis due to API rate limits; we attempted retrieval via GetEstimates but could not complete. As a result, consensus beat/miss comparisons are not included. Values would ordinarily be retrieved from S&P Global.
- Results fell materially below the company’s own implied November guidance (adjusted EBITDA ~-$10M vs prior implication), driven by accelerated migrant wind-down and unexpected self-insured costs .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- The quarter reflects a deliberate investment phase as DCGO pivots from migrant work to scalable payer/provider mobile health; expect near-term margin pressure but improving unit economics with automation and clinician training .
- Bold: 2025 EBITDA margin guidance cut to ~5% (from 8–10%) is the key negative surprise; stock may reset on profitability expectations even as revenue guide holds .
- Pipeline credibility: Multi-vertical backlog (municipal/payer/hospital) with new VA subcontract wins and regional transport expansions underpins FY25 revenue maintenance and medium-term growth trajectory .
- Segment mix: Mobile Health adjusted gross margin improved y/y; Transportation margin headwinds easing as subcontractors roll off, supporting margin normalization in 2025 .
- Liquidity and cash dynamics: Year-end cash ~$107M; improved DSO and ~$150M migrant AR (net ~$120M when offsetting payables) suggest a meaningful operating cash flow tailwind in 2025 .
- Execution watch items: SG&A trajectory (management expects dollar declines to resume in Q1 2025), pace of care gap closures (run-rate scaling to >2,000/week exit-2025), and transport contract ramps .
- With consensus estimates unavailable, anchor trading decisions on margin guidance reset, cash collection cadence, and evidence of pipeline conversion (press releases on contract wins and VA/program expansions) .