Revenue Growth of 6%, Led by 42% Growth in Advocacy
Net Loss Attributable to Stagwell Inc. Common Shareholders of $3 million
Adjusted EBITDA of $86 million; Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 16%
EPS of $(0.03); Adjusted EPS of $0.14
Announces Record Net New Business Led by Largest New Business Win
Net New Business of $113 million in Q2; LTM Net New Business of $324 million
Reaffirm Guidance for 2024 of Organic Net Revenue Growth of 5% to 7%; Adjusted EBITDA of $400 million to $450 million; Free Cash Flow Conversion of ~50%
New York, NY, August 1, 2024 (NASDAQ: STGW) – Stagwell Inc. (“Stagwell”) today announced financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024.
SECOND QUARTER RESULTS:
- Q2 Revenue of $671 million, an increase of 6% versus the prior year period; H1 Revenue of $1.3 billion, an increase of 7% versus the prior year period
- Q2 Net Loss attributable to Stagwell Inc. Common Shareholders of $3 million versus $3 million in the prior year period; H1 Net Loss attributable to Stagwell Inc. Common Shareholders of $4 million versus Income of $2 million in the prior year period
- Q2 Adjusted EBITDA of $86 million, a decrease of 6% versus the prior year period; H1 Adjusted EBITDA of $176 million, an increase of 8% versus the prior year period
- Q2 Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 16% on net revenue; H1 Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 16% on net revenue.
- Q2 Earnings Per Share Attributable to Stagwell Inc. Common Shareholders of $(0.03) versus $(0.03) in the prior year period; H1 Earnings Per Share Attributable to Stagwell Inc. Common Shareholders of $(0.04) versus $(0.01) in the prior year period.
- Q2 Adjusted Earnings Per Share attributable to Stagwell Inc. Common Shareholders of $0.14 versus $0.18 in the prior year period; H1 Adjusted Earnings Per Share attributable to Stagwell Inc. Common Shareholders of $0.30 versus $0.31 in the prior year period.
- Net new business wins of $113 million in the second quarter, last twelve-month net new business wins of $324 million.
- Q2 Net Revenue of $554 million, an increase of 2% versus the prior year period; H1 Net Revenue of $1.1 billion, an increase of 2% versus the prior year period
- Q2 Organic Net Revenue increased 1.2% versus the prior year period; H1 Organic Net Revenue increased 1.5% versus the prior year period
Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, said, “Stagwell delivered solid results this quarter with record-smashing net new business wins of $113 million, bringing our last twelve-month net new business figure to $324 million. Success for the year continues to build, with new business wins from General Motors, Macy’s, Target, and Zales just coming online to bolster H2. Additionally, the momentum is continuing, with wins already coming in Q3, and an active political season that has been energized even further by recent developments.
We are at a critical inflection point as we grow our capabilities, enabling us to land $20 to $40 million remits, while expanding our AI deployments, Stagwell Marketing Cloud capabilities, and our global reach. We are seeing these strategies come together now to set the stage for a strong H2 and 2025,” added Penn.
Frank Lanuto, Chief Financial Officer, commented: “Driven by record-breaking net new business and strong growth in Creativity & Communications, Advocacy, and Performance Media & Data, Stagwell delivered solid second quarter revenue of $671 million, a 6% increase over the prior year. While improving our comp-to-net revenue ratio, we invested in initiatives to build and convert our revenue pipeline into new business, including the successful SPORT BEACH activation at Cannes. The multiple $10 million-plus wins in Q2 and early Q3 confirm our growth strategy and bolster our confidence in our full-year guidance.”
Financial Outlook
2024 financial guidance is reiterated as follows:
- Organic Net Revenue growth of 5% to 7%
- Organic Net Revenue excluding Advocacy growth of 4% to 5%
- Adjusted EBITDA of $400 million to $450 million
- Free Cash Flow Conversion of approximately 50%
- Adjusted EPS of $0.75 – $0.88
- Guidance assumes no impact from foreign exchange, acquisitions or dispositions.
| * The Company has excluded a quantitative reconciliation with respect to the Company’s 2024 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 Thursday, August 1, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. (ET) to discuss results for Stagwell Inc. for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024. The video webcast will be accessible at https://stgw.io/Earnings. 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 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” reflects the year-over-year change in the Company’s reported net revenue attributable to the Company’s management of the entities it owns. We calculate organic net revenue growth (decline) by subtracting the net impact of acquisitions (divestitures) and the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations from the aggregate year-over-year increase or decrease in the Company’s reported net revenue. The net impact of acquisitions (divestitures) reflects the year-over-year change in the Company’s reported net revenue attributable to the impact of all individual entities that were acquired or divested in the current and prior year. We calculate impact of an acquisition as follows: (a) for an entity acquired during the current year, we present the entity’s prior year net revenue for the same period during which we owned it in the current year as impact of the acquisition in the current year; and (b) for an entity acquired in the prior year, we present the entity’s prior year net revenue for the period during which we did not own the entity in the prior year as impact of the acquisition in the current year. We calculate impact of a divestiture as follows: (a) for a divestiture in the current year, we present the entity’s prior year net revenue for the same period during which we no longer owned it in the current year as impact of the divestiture in the current year; and (b) for a divestiture in the prior year, we present the entity’s prior year net revenue for the period during which we owned it in the prior year as impact of the divestiture in the current year. We calculate the impact of any acquisition or divestiture without adjusting for foreign currency exchange fluctuations. The impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations reflects the year-over-year change in the Company’s reported net revenue attributable to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. We calculate the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations for the portion of the reporting period in which we recognized revenue from a foreign entity in both the current year and the prior year. The impact is calculated as the difference between (1) reported prior period net revenue (converted to U.S. dollars at historical foreign currency exchange rates) and (2) prior period net revenue converted to U.S. dollars at current period foreign exchange rates.
(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. Free Cash Flow Conversion is the percentage of adjusted EBITDA.
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, growth, and future prospects, the Company’s strategy, business and economic trends and growth, technological leadership and differentiation, potential and completed acquisitions, anticipated operating efficiencies and synergies 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 “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “create,” “develop,” “estimate,” “expect,” “focus,” “forecast,” “foresee,” “future,” “goal,” “guidance,” “in development,” “intend,” “likely,” “look,” “maintain,” “may,” “ongoing,” “opportunity,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “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
- 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;
- the Company’s ability to identify, complete and integrate acquisitions that complement and expand the Company’s business capabilities, to identify and complete divestitures and to achieve the anticipated benefits therefrom;
- the Company’s ability to develop products incorporating new technologies, including augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, and realize benefits from such products;
- the Company’s use of artificial intelligence, including generative artificial intelligence;
- adverse tax consequences for the Company, its operations and its stockholders, that may differ from the expectations of the Company, including that future changes in tax laws, potential increases to corporate tax rates in the United States and disagreements with tax authorities on the Company’s determinations that may result in increased tax costs;
- adverse tax consequences in connection with the Transactions, including the incurrence of material Canadian federal income tax (including material “emigration tax”);
- 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, including the risk that the Company’s internal controls will fail to detect misstatements in its financial statements;
- the Company’s ability to accurately forecast its future financial performance and provide accurate guidance;
- 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 conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in Israel and Gaza), 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 2023 Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 11, 2024, and accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, under the caption “Risk Factors,” and in the Company’s other SEC filings.
