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EI

EBIX INC (EBIX)·Q1 2023 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q1 2023 revenue was $242.8M, down 4.9% YoY on lower prepaid card sales; ex-prepaid, revenue grew 17.6% YoY, and constant currency would have added ~$19M (to $261.7M) .
  • GAAP diluted EPS fell to $0.23 (from $0.62 in Q1’22) as interest expense rose by $12.0M YoY and FX losses increased, offsetting higher operating income; non-GAAP EPS was $0.49 .
  • Operating performance remained resilient: GAAP operating income rose 1% YoY to $30.5M and 2% sequentially vs. Q4’22; RCS revenue grew 13.9% YoY, while Insurance Exchanges declined 3% and EbixCash declined 20% (ex-prepaid EbixCash +32% YoY) .
  • Management emphasized deleveraging as a key 2023 catalyst, targeting a “debt-free Ebix” via the EbixCash IPO and strategic carve-outs; Q2 2023 diluted shares expected ~30.9M .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

  • What Went Well

    • Strong ex-prepaid momentum and broad-based growth: “Our worldwide revenues excluding pre-paid cards grew 17.6% year-over-year in Q1 2023… YOY growth in 9 of the 11 geographies” .
    • Operating resilience: GAAP operating income increased to $30.5M (+1% YoY; +2.4% QoQ), helped by lower services/G&A costs vs. Q4’22; non-GAAP operating income was $34.8M (+3% YoY) .
    • Efficiency on core mix: “GAAP operating income, excluding the low margin pre-paid cards business was a healthy 28% - quite close to the Company’s operating income goal of 30% or above” .
  • What Went Wrong

    • Headline revenue declined 4.9% YoY to $242.8M on lower prepaid card sales and seasonal CME normalization; EbixCash total revenue fell 20% YoY (though ex-prepaid +32% YoY) .
    • Earnings pressure from non-operating items: GAAP EPS dropped to $0.23 due to $14.1M higher non-operating costs, including +$12.0M interest expense and ~$2.1M FX differential loss YoY; GAAP net income fell to $7.1M (vs. $19.2M) .
    • Elevated G&A YoY: G&A expense rose to $37.5M (from $26.9M in Q1’22), even as it declined sequentially vs. Q4’22; insurance revenues declined 3% YoY (currency headwind, tough Australia comp) .

Financial Results

MetricQ3 2022Q4 2022Q1 2023
Revenues ($M)$257.9 $255.2 $242.8
Revenues (constant currency, $M)$274.8 $279.0 $261.7
GAAP Operating Income ($M)$30.4 $29.8 $30.5
GAAP Net Income ($M)$18.3 $7.9 $7.1
GAAP Diluted EPS ($)$0.59 $0.26 $0.23
Non-GAAP Diluted EPS ($)$0.71 $0.36 $0.49
Cash from Operations ($M)$23.6 $32.5 $7.2

Segment/channel breakdown (Q1 2023 vs Q1 2022)

Channel ($000s)Q1 2022Q1 2023YoY
EbixCash Exchanges$224,152 $179,430 -20.0%
Insurance Exchanges$43,764 $42,436 -3.0%
RCS$18,337 $20,895 +13.9%
Total Revenue$286,253 $242,736 -15.2%
Total Revenue ex Prepaid Cards$99,764 $117,348 +17.6%

Select KPIs and disclosures

KPIQ1 2023
Exchanges as % of revenue94%
Adjusted EBITDA proxy (EBITDA + SBC)$36.1M; ~30.8% of revenue ex-prepaid (management framing)
Q2 2023 expected diluted shares~30.9M
Liquidity (cash, cash equivalents, ST investments, restricted cash)$108.9M at 3/31/23

Notes: Q3’22 press text cites non-GAAP EPS $0.70 while the reconciliation table shows $0.71; we reference the table value .

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Diluted share countQ2 2023NA~30.9M diluted sharesNew disclosure
Revenue/EPS/margins2023NANot providedNA (no formal guidance)
Strategic leverage plan2023NA“Aspirational goal of a debt-free Ebix in 2023” via EbixCash IPO and carve-outsNew strategic target

No other formal quantitative guidance (revenue, margin, OpEx, tax) was issued in the Q1 2023 materials .

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

(Transcript retrieval was unavailable due to a database issue; themes inferred from company press materials for Q3’22, Q4’22, and Q1’23.)

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q-2: Q3’22)Previous Mentions (Q-1: Q4’22)Current Period (Q1’23)Trend
Debt/interest costs & refinancingPursuing avenues incl. advisor engagement, IPO, financing options Working with Board/advisors; facility extended to May 23, 2023 Non-operating costs (debt/advisory) hampering results; target “debt-free” in 2023 via IPO/carve-outs Intensifying deleveraging focus
FX headwinds“Largest negative quarterly impact in 5+ years” Significant negative impact; constant-currency growth remained positive Constant currency revenue would have been +$19M in Q1 Persistent headwind; moderating
Prepaid card mix effectStrong growth lowered gross margin mix Mix and costs pressured margins Lower prepaid sales drove headline revenue decline; ex-prepaid growth robust Mix shifts remain pivotal
Travel/Forex rebound+145% YoY (travel + forex/outward remittance combined) Continued YoY strength in travel/forex Noted in ex-prepaid EbixCash +32% YoY Recovery sustained
Insurance exchanges-2% YoY (slightly higher CC) Flat for FY’22 -3% YoY (currency, tough Australia comp) Stable-to-soft

Management Commentary

  • CEO Robin Raina: “Our operating results in Q1 2023 are encouraging… Revenues excluding pre-paid cards grew 17.6% YoY… GAAP operating income, excluding the low margin pre-paid cards business was a healthy 28%” .
  • CEO Robin Raina on leverage: “Non-operating costs like the costs of debt and the advisory costs… continue to hamper our overall financial results… we are looking forward to the EbixCash IPO… and strategic carve-out alternatives with the stated goal of not having a debt overhang beyond 2023” .
  • CFO Amit Kumar Garg: “In Q1 2023, EBITDA plus noncash stock compensation added to $36.1M… approximately 30.8% of our worldwide revenues excluding pre-paid cards… we made cumulative payments of $41M… [and] had… $108.9M” of cash, cash equivalents, ST investments and restricted cash at 3/31/23 .

Q&A Highlights

  • The Q1 2023 earnings call transcript could not be retrieved due to a database inconsistency; Q&A highlights and any verbal guidance clarifications were therefore unavailable to extract.

Estimates Context

  • Wall Street consensus (S&P Global) for Q1 2023 EPS and revenue was unavailable via our connector due to a missing CIQ mapping for EBIX, so estimate comparisons are not included. If required, we can update this section once S&P Global mappings are resolved.

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Mix matters: headline revenue fell 4.9% YoY to $242.8M, but ex-prepaid revenue grew 17.6% YoY and constant currency would have added ~$19M; investors should focus on ex-prepaid/constant-currency trajectories .
  • Operating engine intact: GAAP operating income rose to $30.5M despite macro/mix headwinds; sequential improvement vs. Q4’22 indicates cost control progress .
  • Non-operating drag the key overhang: $12.0M higher YoY interest expense and FX losses drove GAAP EPS to $0.23; deleveraging is the primary earnings unlock .
  • EbixCash IPO and carve-outs are the near-term catalysts to reduce debt and interest burden; management’s “debt-free in 2023” aspiration is central to the equity narrative .
  • Segment watch: RCS remains a bright spot (+13.9% YoY); Insurance Exchanges softness (-3% YoY) appears largely currency/comp-related; monitor ex-prepaid EbixCash (+32% YoY) to gauge core momentum .
  • Liquidity and cash generation: $7.2M operating cash flow in Q1 amid $41M of mandatory outflows; $108.9M liquidity (cash, ST investments, restricted) provides runway while strategic actions progress .
  • Next quarter share count (~30.9M diluted) and any updates on refinancing/IPO timing will be key trading catalysts .

Citations: Q1 2023 8-K and Exhibit 99.1 press release ; Q4 2022 8-K and press release ; Q3 2022 8-K and press release .