NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — (NASDAQ: STGW) – Stagwell Inc. (“Stagwell”) today announced financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023.
SECOND QUARTER AND SIX MONTHS HIGHLIGHTS:
- Q2 revenue of $632 million, a decrease of 6% versus the prior year period; YTD revenue of $1,255 million, a decrease of 5% versus the prior year period
- Q2 net revenue of $539 million, a decrease of 3% versus the prior period; YTD net revenue of $1,061 million, a decrease of 2% versus the prior year period
- Q2 organic net revenue declined 5% versus the prior year period and 4% ex-Advocacy; YTD organic net revenue declined 4% versus the prior year period and 3% ex-Advocacy. This follows 16% organic net revenue growth in 2022
- Q2 net loss of $10 million versus net income of $25 million in the prior year period; YTD net loss of $15 million versus net income of $58 million in the prior year period
- Q2 net loss attributable to Stagwell Inc. common shareholders of $5 million versus net income of $10 million in the prior year period; YTD net loss attributable to Stagwell Inc. common shareholders of $4 million versus net income of $23 million in the prior year period
- Q2 Adjusted EBITDA of $91 million, a decrease of 18% versus the prior year period; YTD Adjusted EBITDA of $163 million, a decrease of 23% versus the prior year period
- Q2 Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 17% on net revenue; YTD Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 15% on net revenue
- Q2 loss per share attribute to Stagwell Inc. common shareholders of $0.04
- Q2 Adjusted earnings per share attributable to Stagwell Inc. common shareholders of $0.16; YTD Adjusted earnings per share of $0.29
- Q2 net new business of $75 million; YTD net new business of $128 million
“Stagwell posted sequential quarter-over-quarter improvements in revenue, EBITDA and margin, and our new business wins hit a quarter billion dollars in the last 12 months as they accelerated to record levels,” said Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO of Stagwell. “We remain bullish about H2 2023 and 2024 and we expect to see significant growth across all metrics throughout the rest of the year,” he added. “It is clear, however, that our industry is facing headwinds caused by economic uncertainty and especially tech client reorganizations, the effects of which we believe are temporary.”
“We are beginning to see a return to a more normal business environment, and the emergence of Generative AI is providing a runway for future work that we believe will explode in the next 12 to 18 months,” Penn said. “We are already in the market with Generative AI products, and our Stagwell Marketing Cloud Group revenue was nearly $50 million this quarter as we push the frontiers of technology in marketing AI and AR.”
Frank Lanuto, Chief Financial Officer, commented: “Management responded appropriately, adjusting costs to align with our revenue structure as we continue to strengthen our balance sheet, cash flow generation, and initiatives to centralize our shared service platform, all of which will result in stronger margins over the next couple of quarters. We believe we are coming off the bottom of an economic and political cycle.”
Financial Outlook
2023 financial guidance is as follows:
- Organic Net Revenue growth of 0% – 2%
- Adjusted EBITDA of $410 million – $440 million
- Free Cash Flow Conversion of 50% – 60%
- Adjusted EPS of $0.76 – $0.85
- Guidance assumes no impact from foreign exchange, acquisitions or dispositions.
* The Company has excluded a quantitative reconciliation with respect to the Company’s 2023 guidance under the “unreasonable efforts” exception in item 10(e)(1)(i)(B) of Regulation S-K. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for additional information.
Video Webcast
Management will host a video webcast on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. (ET) to discuss results for Stagwell Inc. for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023. The video webcast will be accessible at https://stgw.io/Q2Earnings. An investor presentation has been posted on our website at www.stagwellglobal.com and may be referred to during the webcast.
A recording of the webcast will be accessible one hour after the webcast and available for ninety days at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Stagwell Inc.
Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Contacts
For Investors:
Ben Allanson
Ir@stagwellglobal.com
For Press:
Beth Sidhu
Pr@stagwellglobal.com
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to its reported results, Stagwell Inc. has included in this earnings release certain financial results that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defines as “non-GAAP Financial Measures.” Management believes that such non-GAAP financial measures, when read in conjunction with the Company’s reported results, can provide useful supplemental information for investors analyzing period to period comparisons of the Company’s results. Such non-GAAP financial measures include the following:
(1) Organic Revenue: “Organic revenue growth” and “organic revenue decline” refer to the positive or negative results, respectively, of subtracting both the foreign exchange and acquisition (disposition) components from total revenue growth. The acquisition (disposition) component is calculated by aggregating prior period revenue for any acquired businesses, less the prior period revenue of any businesses that were disposed of during the current period. The organic revenue growth (decline) component reflects the constant currency impact of (a) the change in revenue of the partner firms that the Company has held throughout each of the comparable periods presented, and (b) “non-GAAP acquisitions (dispositions), net”. Non-GAAP acquisitions (dispositions), net consists of (i) for acquisitions during the current year, the revenue effect from such acquisition as if the acquisition had been owned during the equivalent period in the prior year and (ii) for acquisitions during the previous year, the revenue effect from such acquisitions as if they had been owned during that entire year (or same period as the current reportable period), taking into account their respective pre-acquisition revenues for the applicable periods, and (iii) for dispositions, the revenue effect from such disposition as if they had been disposed of during the equivalent period in the prior year.
(2) Net New Business: Estimate of annualized revenue for new wins less annualized revenue for losses incurred in the period.
(3) Adjusted EBITDA: defined as Net income excluding non-operating income or expense to achieve operating income, plus depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, deferred acquisition consideration adjustments, and other items. Other items include restructuring costs, acquisition-related expenses, and non-recurring items.
(4) Adjusted Diluted EPS is defined as (i) Net income (loss) attributable to Stagwell Inc. common shareholders, plus net income attributable to Class C shareholders, excluding amortization expense, impairment and other losses, stock-based compensation, deferred acquisition consideration adjustments, discrete tax items, and other items, divided by (ii) (a) the per weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus (b) the weighted average number of Class C shares outstanding, (if dilutive). Other items includes restructuring costs, acquisition-related expenses, and non-recurring items, and subject to the anti-dilution rules.
(5) Free Cash Flow: defined as Adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures, change in net working capital, cash taxes, interest, and distributions to minority interests, but excludes contingent M&A payments.
(6) Financial Guidance: The Company provides guidance on a non-GAAP basis as it cannot predict certain elements which are included in reported GAAP results.
Included in this earnings release are tables reconciling reported Stagwell Inc. results to arrive at certain of these non-GAAP financial measures.
This document contains forward-looking statements. within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Company’s representatives may also make forward-looking statements orally or in writing from time to time. Statements in this document that are not historical facts, including, statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, future financial performance and future prospects, business and economic trends, potential acquisitions, and estimates of amounts for redeemable noncontrolling interests and deferred acquisition consideration, constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, which are generally denoted by words such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “create,” “estimate,” “expect,” “focus,” “forecast,” “foresee,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “look,” “may,” “opportunity,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” or the negative of such terms or other variations thereof and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of current plans, estimates and projections are subject to change based on a number of factors, including those outlined in this section.
Forward-looking statements in this document are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although the management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The material assumptions upon which such forward-looking statements are based include, among others, assumptions with respect to general business, economic and market conditions, the competitive environment, anticipated and unanticipated tax consequences and anticipated and unanticipated costs. These forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and are subject to change based on a number of factors, including those outlined in this section. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company’s control. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events, if any.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, but are not limited to, the following:
- risks associated with international, national and regional unfavorable economic conditions that could affect the Company or its clients;
- the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic (“COVID-19”), and evolving strains of COVID-19 on the economy and demand for the Company’s services, which may precipitate or exacerbate other risks and uncertainties;
- inflation and actions taken by central banks to counter inflation;
- the Company’s ability to attract new clients and retain existing clients;
- the impact of a reduction in client spending and changes in client advertising, marketing and corporate communications requirements;
- financial failure of the Company’s clients;
- the Company’s ability to retain and attract key employees;
- the Company’s ability to compete in the markets in which it operates;
- the Company’s ability to achieve its cost saving initiatives;
- the Company’s implementation of strategic initiatives;
- the Company’s ability to remain in compliance with its debt agreements and the Company’s ability to finance its contingent payment obligations when due and payable, including but not limited to those relating to redeemable noncontrolling interests and deferred acquisition consideration;
- the Company’s ability to manage its growth effectively, including the successful completion and integration of acquisitions that complement and expand the Company’s business capabilities;
- the Company’s ability to develop products incorporating new technologies, including augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, and realize benefits from such products;
- an inability to realize expected benefits of the combination of the Company’s business with the business of MDC Partners Inc. (the “Transactions”) and other completed, pending, or contemplated acquisitions;
- adverse tax consequences in connection with the Transactions for the Company, its operations and its shareholders, that may differ from the expectations of the Company, including that future changes in tax law, potential increases to corporate tax rates in the United States and disagreements with the tax authorities on the Company’s determination of value and computations of its attributes may result in increased tax costs;
- the occurrence of material Canadian federal income tax (including material “emigration tax”) as a result of the Transactions;
- the Company’s unremediated material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and its ability to establish and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting;
- the Company’s ability to protect client data from security incidents or cyberattacks;
- economic disruptions resulting from war and other geopolitical tensions (such as the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine), terrorist activities and natural disasters;
- stock price volatility; and
- foreign currency fluctuations.
Investors should carefully consider these risk factors, other risk factors described herein, and the additional risk factors outlined in more detail in our 2022 Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 6, 2023, and accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, under the caption “Risk Factors,” and in the Company’s other SEC filings.
