PI
P10, Inc. (PX)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Record Q4 revenue of $85.0M, up 35% YoY; Adjusted EBITDA $42.9M (+40% YoY); FRE margin ~50% supported by elevated catch-up fees and direct strategy mix .
- FPAUM reached $25.7B (+10% YoY) with $905M gross fundraising/deployment in Q4 offset by $152M stepdowns/expirations; Bonaccord II closed at $1.6B, driving outsized catch-up fees .
- 2025 guidance: ≥$4B gross fundraising, double-digit revenue growth ex catch-up, core fee rate ~103 bps, FRE margins mid-40s (modestly lower with Qualitas mix), stepdowns/expirations 5–7% of FPAUM .
- Capital return: 815,327 shares repurchased in Q4 at $12.72; new $40M buyback authorization; dividend maintained at $0.035 per share; cash $67.5M, debt $325M, $175M facility availability .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- “P10 delivered record financial performance in the fourth quarter, capping off a remarkable year… We also exceeded our 2024 fundraising guidance by over a billion dollars” .
- FRE margin ~50% in Q4 with Fee-Related Revenue +37% YoY; Fully diluted ANI/share $0.30 (+44% YoY) .
- Strategic progress: Bonaccord II final close at $1.6B; programmatic M&A process and pending Qualitas acquisition to expand EMEA distribution, data, and NAV lending capabilities .
What Went Wrong
- Elevated Q4 catch-up fees (~$18.9M) are episodic and unlikely to repeat; 2025 catch-up fees expected to decline to ~$4–$5M, lowering fee rate to ~103 bps from 2024’s 107 bps ex catch-up .
- Mix shift toward newer, faster-growing strategies and Qualitas will exert modest downward pressure on near-term FRE margins (mid-40s vs ~50% out-year target) .
- Continued stepdowns/expirations expected at 5–7% of FPAUM in 2025, with ~2/3 in 1H25, constraining net FPAUM growth pace .
Financial Results
Margins (explicitly disclosed):
Segment activity and FPAUM composition:
KPIs and balance sheet/capital return:
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO on performance: “P10 delivered record financial performance in the fourth quarter… Our investment strategies carried momentum… achieving $905 million in gross new fee-paying AUM” .
- Margin framework: “We see FRE margins expanding from our current near and intermediate-term target of the mid-40s percent to closer to 50% in the out years” .
- 2025 outlook: “For 2025, we expect gross fundraising of at least $4 billion… We expect double-digit [revenue] growth, excluding direct and secondary catch-up fees” .
- Qualitas synergies: “Real know-how in how to design products and wrappers in Europe… opportunity to combine [their] relationships… with our core credit underwriting expertise [NAV lending]” .
- CFO on catch-up impact: “Direct and secondary catch-up fees incrementally increased ANI per share by around $0.07 per share” .
Q&A Highlights
- Fund priorities: 19 commingled funds planned in 2025, including RCP co-invest, secondaries, primaries; credit strategies; Bonaccord momentum; 4 Qualitas funds post-close .
- SMAs and channels: Focus on SMAs, rated feeder funds, co-mingled single-point offerings under Client Solutions across RIA/HNW/institutional channels; disclosures by product type will be selective .
- M&A pipeline: Programmatic approach with active opportunities in private credit/direct lending/asset-backed; Qualitas expands European opportunities .
- Fee rate normalization: 2024 elevated catch-ups drove 107 bps; 2025 catch-ups ~$4–$5M with core fee rate ~103 bps, consistent with history .
- FRE margin path: Mid-40s near-term with distribution investments and strategy mix; Qualitas modest headwind; longer-term ~50% with operating leverage .
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus estimates for Q4 2024 were unavailable at time of analysis due to data access limits; consequently, explicit vs-consensus comparisons are omitted. Values retrieved from S&P Global were unavailable.
Where estimates may need to adjust:
- Normalize for lower catch-up fees in 2025 (fee rate ~103 bps) and modest margin pressure from Qualitas mix; incorporate ≥$4B fundraising and double-digit revenue growth ex catch-up per guidance .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Q4 strength was partly driven by outsized catch-up fees (Bonaccord II timing), lifting fee rate and margins; expect normalization in 2025 with core fee rate ~103 bps and mid-40s FRE margins .
- Fundraising engine remains robust (FY $3.8B; 2025 ≥$4B), with diversified products across PE, credit, and venture, plus incremental EMEA reach via Qualitas .
- Margin trajectory: near-term mid-40s given mix and investment in distribution; longer-term path to ~50% intact via operating leverage as assets scale .
- Capital return is a tangible support: increased buyback authorization (~$43.5M total available) and steady dividend ($0.035), alongside liquidity ($67.5M cash; $175M undrawn) .
- Watch Q1/Q2 cadence: stepdowns/expirations (5–7% of FPAUM; ~2/3 in 1H25) and timing of closings may drive intra-year variability in revenue and margins .
- Strategic upside: NAV lending in Europe, product wrapper expertise, and data integration from Qualitas can expand distribution and cross-selling; Bonaccord III potential timing discussed as deployment advances .
- Trading implications: Q4 beat on growth KPIs and buyback expansion are positive; near-term margin/fee rate normalization should be anticipated; catalysts include Qualitas close, fundraising updates, and clarity on 2025 catch-up levels .