SP
Surgery Partners, Inc. (SGRY)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q1 2025 revenue was $776.0M (+8.2% y/y) and Adjusted EBITDA was $103.9M; management reaffirmed FY25 guidance of $3.30–$3.45B revenue and $555–$565M Adjusted EBITDA .
- Same‑facility revenue grew 5.2% on 6.5% case growth and a 1.2% decline in revenue per case, reflecting mix (higher GI volumes and de novo ramp) that pressured rate; management expects more balanced rate/volume through the year .
- Liquidity remains solid with $229.3M cash and $388.9M revolver capacity; CFO reiterated no need to access debt/equity markets over the next five years to fund M&A under the long‑term plan .
- Results versus estimates: modest revenue miss ($777.1M est.* vs $776.0M actual) and EPS miss ($0.054 est.* vs $0.04 actual), while FY25 guide was maintained; narrative catalysts include orthopedics growth, rev‑cycle improvement (DSO −2 days q/q), and tariff/macro exposure viewed as limited .
- Strategic update: Board concluded Bain Capital discussions in June and reaffirmed confidence in standalone growth; FY25 guidance reiterated post‑Q1 .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Volume strength across core specialties; consolidated cases rose to 160,300 (+4.5% y/y in consolidated facilities) and same‑facility cases +6.5% .
- Orthopedics momentum: 29,000 orthopedic cases (+3.4% y/y) with total joints +22% y/y; 68 surgical robots deployed to support higher acuity growth .
- Rev‑cycle execution improving: days sales outstanding decreased by 2 days q/q; denials trends stabilized/improved after prior tightening by payers .
What Went Wrong
- Rate pressure: same‑facility revenue per case declined 1.2% on mix (higher GI volumes and de novo ramp), driving Adjusted EBITDA margin to 13.4% vs 16.7% in Q3 and 18.9% in Q4 .
- Operating cash flow seasonality and timing: Q1 operating cash flow was $6.0M vs $40.7M y/y due to working capital timing and doubled NCI distributions (~$62–63M) early in the quarter .
- Transaction/integration costs remained elevated ($24.7M) on 2024/early‑2025 deal activity, weighing on GAAP results (net loss attributable of $(37.7)M; GAAP EPS $(0.30)) .
Financial Results
Consolidated P&L and Margins (chronological: Q3 2024 → Q4 2024 → Q1 2025)
KPIs and Operating Metrics
Results vs. S&P Global Consensus (Select Metrics)
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO: “Strong start to 2025… positioned to continue delivering industry leading earnings growth in 2025 and beyond.”
- CFO: “Results… aligned with our internal expectations and give us increased confidence in reaffirming our guidance… sufficient liquidity… without having to access incremental capital… over the next five years.”
- On mix: “Volume growth in GI… resulted in rate pressure in our same‑facility rate metric… expect full‑year 2025 same‑facility growth to be at or above the high end of our growth algorithm target.”
- On rev‑cycle: “We are seeing incremental improvements… DSO decreasing 2 days from the fourth quarter… denials did not adversely change… now seeing more positive trends.”
- On tariffs: “We don’t have material exposure in the near to midterm to any tariff‑related price increases.”
Q&A Highlights
- Utilization and pricing: Rate headwind driven by GI/de novo mix; management expects balance later in 2025; payer mix remained strong commercially with no adverse changes .
- Free cash flow seasonality: Q1 weaker on timing and double distributions; interest swap expired and replaced by cap (SOFR differential ~220 bps headwind vs prior swap) .
- Labor/professional fees: Elevated professional fees aligned with expectations due to acquisitions; anesthesia availability/cost not a major headwind .
- M&A and de novos: 5 acquisitions YTD (mostly ASCs) and ~10 de novos under construction; de novos often unconsolidated initially, ramp to breakeven within ~6–12 months .
- Leverage/governance: Path to mid‑3x credit agreement leverage over time; special committee process regarding Bain proposal not impacting M&A pipeline .
Estimates Context
- Q1 2025 revenue modest miss: $777.1M est.* vs $776.0M actual; Q1 EPS miss: $0.054 est.* vs $0.04 actual .
- Prior quarter beat: Q4 2024 revenue $828.1M est.* vs $864.4M actual; EPS $0.377 est.* vs $0.44 actual .
- Note: Company reports Adjusted EBITDA ($103.9M) which is not directly comparable to S&P Global “EBITDA” definitions; use revenue and EPS for estimate benchmarking .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Mix‑driven rate pressure is transitory; underlying volume growth remains robust across GI and MSK, with total joints +22% y/y and continued physician recruiting momentum—a setup for margin normalization in 2H25 .
- Rev‑cycle standardization is yielding measurable cash conversion gains (DSO −2 days); expect further benefits as integrations complete in 1H25 .
- Liquidity and capital structure are supportive of ongoing M&A without external financing under the plan; credit‑agreement leverage expected to trend down through 2025 despite near‑term uptick from acquisitions .
- Tariff and regulatory headwinds are limited; management frames site neutrality as a potential tailwind for ASC migration, with Medicaid/state exposure <5% of revenue .
- Near‑term trading: modest Q1 revenue/EPS miss vs consensus*, but reaffirmed FY25 guide and constructive call tone may temper downside; watch Q2 mix/rate trajectory and cash flow normalization post Q1 seasonality .
- Medium‑term thesis: de novo pipeline (higher‑acuity), orthopedics expansion, procurement/operations scale, and rev‑cycle standardization underpin multi‑year margin expansion and cash generation .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*