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Bristow Group Inc. (VTOL)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q4 2024 arrived slightly lighter sequentially on revenue yet delivered higher net income and finished FY 2024 above the top end of the recently raised outlook, with Adjusted EBITDA of $236.8M vs $220–$230M guidance; a new capital allocation framework (debt paydown, buybacks, future dividend) is a potential stock catalyst .
  • Offshore Energy Services remained the growth engine (Africa, Americas, Europe contract wins) while Government Services was in transition (IRCG and UKSAR2G start-up costs, supply-chain penalties), setting up cleaner margin realization from 2026 onward .
  • Management affirmed 2025 and 2026 outlook ranges (revenues $1.42–$1.615B for 2025; $1.525–$1.775B for 2026; Adjusted EBITDA $230–$260M for 2025; $275–$335M for 2026), introduced segment-level guidance, and highlighted GBP/USD sensitivity of ~$1.2M per £0.01 move .
  • Liquidity was solid exiting Q4 ($247.5M cash; $311.5M total liquidity) and funding of UKSAR2G/IRCG investments is ~84% complete; the framework targets gross debt near ~$500M by end-2026 and a quarterly dividend beginning Q1 2026 ($0.125/share) alongside a $125M repurchase program .
  • Narrative drivers: OES rates/utilization tightness, government SAR transition timing/supply chain resolution, FX headwinds (strong USD vs GBP/EUR), and capital returns signal improved earnings power from 2026 onward .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Beat the increased FY 2024 outlook: Adjusted EBITDA $236.8M vs $220–$230M, driven by higher ad hoc activity in Brazil/UK and timing of Q4 expenses; total revenues reached $1.416B .
  • OES growth across regions: Africa (+$47.4M), Americas (+$36.1M with Brazil new contracts), Europe (+$29.7M Norway contract); OES Adjusted Operating Income nearly doubled vs 2023 (+$84.0M) .
  • Capital allocation framework announced: pay down debt to ~$500M by end-2026, initiate $125M buyback, start a $0.125 quarterly dividend in Q1 2026; “we must sustain a robust balance sheet… return capital to shareholders…” (CEO) .

What Went Wrong

  • Sequential revenue decline: Q4 total revenues fell $11.6M QoQ on lower utilization, aircraft availability, and unfavorable FX; Adjusted EBITDA down $2.34M QoQ .
  • Government Services margins pressured in 2024 by aircraft availability penalties (UKSAR), IRCG start-up costs, and FX, with Adjusted Operating Income down ~$9.9M YoY .
  • FX headwinds and supply-chain shortages persisted: Q4 other expense included $12.6M FX losses; management expects S-92 supply-chain challenges to continue near-term, delaying full earnings power until 2026+ .

Financial Results

MetricQ2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024
Total Revenues ($USD Millions)$359.749 $365.122 $353.526
Operating Income ($USD Millions)$44.762 $33.213 $31.804
Net Income ($USD Millions)$28.191 $28.279 $31.768
Diluted EPS ($USD)$0.96 $0.95 $1.07
EBITDA ($USD Millions)$63.669 $63.900 $44.581
Adjusted EBITDA ($USD Millions)$70.308 $60.180 $57.840

Full-Year Comparison:

MetricFY 2023FY 2024
Total Revenues ($USD Millions)$1,297.429 $1,415.491
Operating Income ($USD Millions)$60.751 $132.608
Net Income ($USD Millions)$(6.920) $94.870
Adjusted Operating Income ($USD Millions)$145.225 $216.841
EBITDA ($USD Millions)$130.035 $207.931
Adjusted EBITDA ($USD Millions)$170.504 $236.766

Segment Revenues ($USD Thousands):

SegmentQ2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024
Offshore Energy Services$238,491 $240,164 $240,164
Government Services$79,476 $85,346 $82,558
Other Services$30,478 $33,464 $30,804

Key KPIs – Flight Hours by Segment:

SegmentQ2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024
OES – Europe9,826 9,575 9,395
OES – Americas11,028 11,002 10,505
OES – Africa4,594 4,430 4,239
Government Services4,875 5,201 4,242
Other Services3,390 3,569 3,585

Non-GAAP Adjustments (Q4 2024 examples):

  • Special items: PBH amortization $3.727M; insurance claim gain $(4.451)M; other special items $1.320M .
  • FX losses added back in Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation: $12.581M in Q4 .

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Adjusted EBITDAFY 2024$220–$230M $236.8M actual Beat (above high end)
Total RevenuesFY 2024$1,355–$1,410B (operating) $1.415B total revenues Beat (above range midpoint)
Adjusted EBITDAFY 2025$230–$260M (affirmed) $230–$260M Maintained
Total RevenuesFY 2025$1.440–$1.615B (operating) $1.420–$1.615B (total) Maintained (recast presentation)
Adjusted EBITDAFY 2026$275–$335M $275–$335M Maintained
Segment RevenuesFY 2025Not provided by segmentOES $950–$1,060M; Gov’t $350–$425M; Other $120–$130M New (by segment)
Maintenance CapexFY 2025$15–$20M $15–$20M Maintained
Cash InterestFY 2025~$45M ~$45M Maintained
DividendQ1 2026 startNot previously announced$0.125 per share quarterly New (introduced)
Share RepurchaseN/ANot previously announced$125M program New (introduced)
Debt TargetEnd-2026Not previously specified~$500M gross debt target New (introduced)

GBP/USD Sensitivity:

  • Each £0.01 move in GBP/USD impacts 2025E Adjusted EBITDA by ±~$1.2M .

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q-2 and Q-1)Current Period (Q4 2024)Trend
OES utilization and ratesQ2 press release raised 2024/2025 outlook; OES utilization and rates in Americas/Africa drove Q2 strength OES fundamentals constructive; effective utilization near 100% for heavy/super-medium/medium; growth pockets: Nigeria, Brazil (latter half ’25), Suriname; tight supply-demand Strength continuing; tight market supports pricing
Government SAR transitions (IRCG, UKSAR2G)Q3 call: in transition; investments ~60% funded; margins to improve post ramp Operations commenced late 2024; transition through H2’25 (IRCG) and end-2026 (UKSAR2G); full earning power 2026+, cleaner in 2027 Transition year in 2025; earnings power delayed to 2026+
Supply chain (S-92 parts)Q3 call: gearbox life extension helpful but other parts delays persist Continued headwinds expected in 2025; risk to North Sea; availability penalties impacted Gov’t margins in 2024 Gradual improvement; still a headwind
FX (GBP/EUR vs USD)Q3: GBP strength aided Gov’t services revenues; FX swings in other income Strong USD against GBP/EUR pressured reported earnings; GBP/USD sensitivity disclosed Ongoing sensitivity; disclosure improved
Capital allocation (debt, buybacks, dividend)Q3: capital strategy reiterated; returns contemplated post investment phase Formal framework launched; initiate share repurchases opportunistically; dividend Q1’26; pay down to ~$500M gross debt; begin prepayments in Q2’25 Clear execution roadmap; near-term debt reduction, medium-term returns
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)Partnerships and evaluation discussed previously Norway regulatory sandbox with BETA eCTOL in 2025 to test operations; watch Middle East/Africa for earlier adoption Early pilots; optionality building

Management Commentary

  • CEO: “We are pleased to report very strong fourth quarter 2024 financial results, which exceeded the upwardly revised outlook range for Q4 and full year 2024… return capital to shareholders via opportunistic share buybacks and quarterly dividend payments… pay down debt to… ~$500 million gross debt by the end of 2026” .
  • CFO: “Adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $57.8 million… Revenues decreased $11.6 million, primarily due to lower aircraft availability and unfavorable foreign exchange… Operating expenses were $9.6 million lower… partially offset by higher costs related to the commencement of the new Government Services contract” .
  • CEO on OES: “Effective utilization… at or near 100%… tight supply-demand… 2+ year lead times for new aircraft” .
  • CFO on Government Services trajectory: “We expect adjusted operating income margins to return to 2023 levels at a minimum and… increase by ~25% in 2026 relative to 2022” .

Q&A Highlights

  • OES growth pockets and pricing: Nigeria, Brazil (Petrobras and independents), Suriname; pricing stable given tight capacity; new U.S. S-92 contract started in early 2025 .
  • Guidance stance: 2025 affirmed despite transition headwinds and renewal cadence timing (late ’25/’26); more meaningful increases visible in 2026 .
  • Capital allocation execution: Debt prepayments to begin in Q2 2025; buybacks opportunistic; dividend sized to Government Services cash flows, aimed to grow over time .
  • Tariffs/supply chain: Monitoring; fixed/firm prices on H135/AW189 mitigate tariff risks on pending deliveries .
  • AAM pilots: 2025 Norway sandbox with BETA eCTOL; earlier scale adoption could be Middle East/Africa .

Estimates Context

  • Wall Street consensus estimates via S&P Global were unavailable at the time of this analysis due to a SPGI request limit error; therefore, explicit comparisons to consensus EPS/revenue/EBITDA cannot be provided now (Values to be retrieved from S&P Global when available). VTOL did, however, exceed its own increased FY 2024 Adjusted EBITDA outlook ($236.8M vs $220–$230M) and affirmed 2025/2026 ranges .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • The FY beat alongside a formal capital returns framework (buybacks now, dividend from Q1’26) is a constructive catalyst; near-term focus is on execution of debt prepayments beginning Q2’25 and opportunistic repurchases .
  • OES strength is underpinned by near-100% effective utilization, tight fleet supply, and multi-year demand (Nigeria/Brazil/Suriname), supporting rate discipline; watch the back-half ’25 contract cadence .
  • Government Services is mid-transition; margin normalization and earnings power are more visible from 2026 (cleaner by 2027), with FX and availability penalties diminishing as contracts mature .
  • FX sensitivity (GBP/USD ±$1.2M per £0.01) and supply-chain constraints (S-92 components) remain key variables for 2025 reported results; hedging and operational mitigation will be important .
  • Liquidity and balance sheet capacity are robust ($311.5M total liquidity), with 84% of UKSAR2G/IRCG capex funded; gross debt targeted to ~$500M by end-2026 lowers financial risk through cycles .
  • Monitor segment-level 2025 guidance execution and quarterly progress on Gov’t SAR ramp (IRCG bases through H2’25; UKSAR2G through 2026) for signs of margin uplift .
  • AAM is optionality, not core near-term EBIT driver; successful pilots could position VTOL for future diversified revenue streams without near-term capital strain .