OREANDA-NEWS. The Descartes Systems Group Inc. (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX) announced its financial results for its fiscal 2017 second quarter (Q2FY17) ended July 31, 2016. All financial results referenced are in United States (US) currency and, unless otherwise indicated, are determined in accordance with US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

“This was another quarter of superior financial performance for Descartes, with record revenues and cash provided by our operations,” said Edward J. Ryan, Descartes’ CEO. “We believe that Descartes’ strong and growing margins demonstrate the leverage in our business model and Global Logistics Network to efficiently deliver quality services to our global client base. Descartes is a solid platform for continued growth and acquisitions, with the capital capacity and opportunities to continue or accelerate our pace of profitable growth.”

Q2FY17 Financial Results
As described in more detail below, key financial highlights for Descartes in Q2FY17 included:

  • Revenues of $50.5 million, up 12% from $45.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 (Q2FY16) and up 3% from $48.9 million in the previous quarter (Q1FY17);
  • Revenues were comprised of license revenues of $1.9 million and services revenues (non-license) of $48.6 million. Services revenues were up 14% from $42.8 million in Q2FY16 and up 2% from $47.5 million in Q1FY17. Services revenues comprised 96% of total revenues for the quarter;
  • Cash provided by operating activities of $16.6 million, up 30% from $12.8 million in Q2FY16 and up 4% from $15.9 million in Q1FY17;
  • Net income of $5.8 million, up 14% from $5.1 million in Q2FY16 and down from $6.0 million in Q1FY17. Net income as a percentage of revenues was 11%, compared to 11% in Q2FY16 and 12% in Q1FY17;
  • Earnings per share on a diluted basis of $0.08, up 14% from $0.07 in Q2FY16 consistent with Q1FY17; and
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $17.2 million, up 18% from $14.6 million in Q2FY16 and up 4% from $16.6 million in Q1FY17. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues was 34%, up from 32% in Q2FY16 and consistent with Q1FY17.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues are non-GAAP financial measures provided as a complement to financial results presented in accordance with GAAP. We define Adjusted EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation (for which we include related fees and taxes) and other charges (for which we include restructuring charges and acquisition-related expenses). These items are considered by management to be outside Descartes' ongoing operational results. We define Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues as the quotient, expressed as a percentage, from dividing Adjusted EBITDA for a period by revenues for the corresponding period. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues to net income determined in accordance with GAAP is provided later in this release.

The following table summarizes Descartes' results in the categories specified below over the past 5 fiscal quarters (unaudited; dollar amounts, other than per share amounts, in millions):

  Q2
FY17		 Q1
FY17		 Q4
FY16		 Q3
FY16		 Q2
FY16
Revenues   50.5     48.9     48.0     47.4     45.2  
Services revenues   48.6     47.5     46.3     45.5     42.8  
Gross margin   73 %   72 %   72 %   72 %   70 %
Cash provided by operating activities   16.6     15.9     16.2     13.4     12.8  
Net income   5.8     6.0     5.4     5.2     5.1  
Net income as a % of revenues   11 %   12 %   11 %   11 %   11 %
Earnings per diluted share   0.08     0.08     0.07     0.07     0.07  
Adjusted EBITDA   17.2     16.6     16.3     15.8     14.6  
Adjusted EBITDA as a % of revenues   34 %   34 %   34 %   33 %   32 %
       

Year-to-Date Financial Results

As described in more detail below, key financial highlights for Descartes’ six-month period ended July 31, 2016 (1HFY17) included:

  • Revenues of $99.4 million, up 11% from $89.6 million in the same period a year ago (1HFY16);
  • Revenues were comprised of license revenues of $3.3 million and services revenues (non-license) of $96.1 million. Services revenues were up 14% from $84.5 million in 1HFY16. Services revenues comprised 97% of total revenues for 1HFY17;
  • Cash provided by operating activities of $32.5 million, up 32% from $24.6 million in 1HFY16;
  • Net income of $11.8 million, up 18% from $10.0 million in 1HFY16. Net income as a percentage of revenues was 12%, up from 11% in 1HFY16;
  • Earnings per share on a diluted basis of $0.15, up 15% from $0.13 in 1HFY16; and
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $33.8 million, up 17% from $28.8 million in 1HFY16. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues was 34%, up from 32% in 1HFY16.

The following table summarizes Descartes’ results in the categories specified below over 1HFY17 and 1HFY16 (unaudited, dollar amounts in millions):

  1HFY17 1HFY16
Revenues   99.4     89.6  
Services revenues   96.1     84.5  
Gross margin   72 %   70 %
Cash provided by operating activities   32.5     24.6  
Net income   11.8     10.0  
Net income as a % of revenues   12 %   11 %
Earnings per diluted share   0.15     0.13  
Adjusted EBITDA   33.8     28.8  
Adjusted EBITDA as a % of revenues   34 %   32 %
             

Cash Position
At July 31, 2016, Descartes had $69.6 million in cash. Cash has increased $14.0 million in Q2FY17 and $32.4 million in 1HFY17 primarily due to strong cash flow provided by operating activities.

The table set forth below provides a summary of cash flows for Q2FY17 and 1HFY17 in millions of dollars:

  Q2FY17 1HFY17
Cash provided by operating activities   16.6     32.5  
Purchase of marketable securities   -     (0.2 )
Sale of marketable securities   3.4     6.1  
Additions to property and equipment   (1.7 )   (3.0 )
Acquisition of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired   (0.3 )   (10.6 )
Proceeds from borrowing on credit facility   -     10.8  
Credit facility repayments   (2.4 )   (2.4 )
Payment of debt issuance costs   (0.3 )   (0.9 )
Issuance of common shares, net of issuance costs     0.1       -  
Effect of foreign exchange rate on cash   (1.4 )   0.1  
Net change in cash   14.0     32.4  
Cash, beginning of period     55.6       37.2  
Cash, end of period   69.6     69.6  
             

Conference Call
Members of Descartes' executive management team will host a conference call to discuss the company's financial results at 8:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, September 8. Designated numbers are +1 888 465-5079 for North America and +1 416 216-4169 for international, using Passcode 7064637#.

The company will simultaneously conduct an audio webcast on the Descartes Web site at www.descartes.com/descartes/investor-relations. Phone conference dial-in or webcast log-in is required approximately 10 minutes beforehand.

Replays of the conference call will be available following the call from 11:00 a.m. ET, and until September 15, 2016, by dialing +1 888 843-7419 or +1 630 652-3042 followed by Passcode 7064637#. An archived replay of the webcast will be available at www.descartes.com/descartes/investor-relations.

About Descartes
Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, performance and security of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, cloud-based solutions to route, schedule, track and measure delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world's largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relates to Descartes' growth in margins; continued growth and acquisitions; rate of profitable growth; demand for Descartes' solutions; growth of Descartes' Global Logistics Network; and other matters. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions including the following: global shipment volumes continuing to increase at levels consistent with the average growth rates of the global economy; countries continuing to implement and enforce existing and additional customs and security regulations relating to the provision of electronic information for imports and exports; countries continuing to implement and enforce existing and additional trade restrictions and sanctioned party lists with respect to doing business with certain countries, organizations, entities and individuals; Descartes' continued operation of a secure and reliable business network; the stability of general economic and market conditions, currency exchange rates, and interest rates; equity and debt markets continuing to provide Descartes with access to capital; Descartes' continued ability to identify and source attractive and executable business combination opportunities; Descartes' ability to develop solutions that keep pace with the continuing changes in technology, and our continued compliance with third party intellectual property rights. These assumptions may prove to be inaccurate. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Descartes, or developments in Descartes' business or industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, Descartes' ability to successfully execute on acquisitions and to integrate acquired businesses and assets, and to predict expenses associated with and revenues from acquisitions; the ability to attract and retain key personnel and the ability to manage the departure of key personnel and the transition of our executive management team; changes in trade or transportation regulations that currently require customers to use services such as those offered by Descartes; the impact on Descartes' business of the global economic downturn; departures of key customers; the impact of foreign currency exchange rates; Descartes' ability to retain or obtain sufficient capital in addition to its debt facility to execute on its business strategy, including its acquisition strategy; disruptions in the movement of freight; the potential for future goodwill or intangible asset impairment as a result of other-than-temporary decreases in Descartes' market capitalization; and other factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada, including Descartes' most recently filed Management's Discussion and Analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures - Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues

We prepare and release quarterly unaudited and annual audited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. We also disclose and discuss certain non-GAAP financial information, used to evaluate our performance, in this and other earnings releases and investor conference calls as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP. We believe that current shareholders and potential investors in our company use non-GAAP financial measures, such as Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues, in making investment decisions about our company and measuring our operational results.

The term “Adjusted EBITDA” refers to a financial measure that we define as earnings before certain charges that management considers to be non-operating expenses and which consist of interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation (for which we include related fees and taxes) and other charges (for which we include restructuring charges and acquisition-related expenses). Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues divides Adjusted EBITDA for a period by the revenues for the corresponding period and expresses the quotient as a percentage.

Management considers these non-operating expenses to be outside the scope of Descartes’ ongoing operations and the related expenses are not used by management to measure operations. Accordingly, these expenses are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA, which we reference to both measure our operations and as a basis of comparison of our operations from period-to-period. Management believes that investors and financial analysts measure our business on the same basis, and we are providing the Adjusted EBITDA financial metric to assist in this evaluation and to provide a higher level of transparency into how we measure our own business. However, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues are non-GAAP financial measures and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues should not be construed as a substitute for net income determined in accordance with GAAP or other non-GAAP measures that may be used by other companies, such as EBITDA. The use of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues does have limitations. In particular, we have completed nine acquisitions since the beginning of fiscal 2015, and may complete additional acquisitions in the future that will result in acquisition-related expenses and restructuring charges. As these acquisition-related expenses and restructuring charges may continue as we pursue our consolidation strategy, some investors may consider these charges and expenses as a recurring part of operations rather than expenses that are not part of operations.

The table below reconciles Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues to net income reported in our unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations for Q2FY17, Q1FY17, Q4FY16, Q3FY16 and Q2FY16, which we believe is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

(US dollars in millions) Q2FY17 Q1FY17 Q4FY16 Q3FY16 Q2FY16
Net income, as reported on Consolidated Statements of Operations   5.8     6.0     5.4     5.2     5.1  
Adjustments to reconcile to Adjusted EBITDA:          
Interest expense   0.2     0.1     0.1     0.1     0.1  
Investment income   (0.8 )   (0.5 )   -     -     (0.1 )
Income tax expense   2.0     1.9     1.4     1.9     1.8  
Depreciation expense   0.9     0.7     1.1     0.8     0.8  
Amortization of intangible assets   7.6     7.2     7.3     6.9     6.0  
Stock-based compensation and related taxes   0.7     0.5     0.4     0.5     0.5  
Acquisition-related expenses   0.8     0.7     0.6     0.4     0.4  
Adjusted EBITDA   17.2     16.6     16.3     15.8     14.6  
           
Revenues   50.5     48.9     48.0     47.4     45.2  
Net income as % of revenues   11 %   12 %   11 %   11 %   11 %
Adjusted EBITDA as % of revenues   34 %   34 %   34 %   33 %   32 %