IRVING, Texas, Feb. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blucora, Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOR), a leading provider of tax-smart financial solutions that empower people’s goals, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2019.
2019 Highlights and Recent DevelopmentsIncreased total revenue by 28% year-over-year (y/y), including addition of 1st Global since May 6Achieved record advisory net flows at Avantax of approximately $1 billionRecorded 22nd consecutive year of revenue growth at TaxAct, growing 12% year-over-yearCompleted $28 million of a $100 million share repurchase program, supported by strong cash flow generationCompleted acquisition of 1st Global, adding significant scale, complementary capabilities and high recurring revenueAchieved $6.5 million in synergies related to 1st Global in 2019, more than double original estimate“Blucora’s fourth quarter results cap a year of strong financial performance, strengthening our platform, and investing for future growth,” said Chris Walters, Blucora’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “While we have made good progress on many fronts, I’m even more excited about the growth opportunities we see ahead.”Summary Financial Performance: Q4 and Full Year 2019
($ in millions except per share amounts)(1) Includes noncontrolling interest redemption impacts of $(0.05) and (0.13) for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2018, respectively.
(2) See reconciliations of all non-GAAP to GAAP measures presented in this release in the tables below.2019 Results vs. Prior GuidanceTax Season Update“We’re excited to have a significantly improved experience for TaxAct customers this tax season,” Walters continued. “Customers filing with TaxAct this year will experience a much easier and more enjoyable tax filing process, with several benefits to make the experience even more rewarding. A few highlights for this season include:My Tax Plan: a new feature which creates a custom plan for each user to save more on taxes next year. It is personalized to the customer’s tax situation, provides specific savings amounts, and includes a downloadable “checklist” of actions to save. We believe this is a significant and differentiated benefit to customers;Pro Tips: a visually enticing way to reveal lesser-known tax advantages, customized for the individual filer, that help customers get a bigger refund this year and for years to come.We also brought back some more of our most popular features, like our $100,000 accuracy guarantee, and an enhanced personalized Deduction Maximizer, which checks if customers have included every available deduction.”“Based on early tax season data, we continue to expect first-half 2020 tax preparation revenue growth of approximately 3%-5% versus the comparable period last year, adjusted for the removal of SimpleTax, with segment margin in the range of 56.7%-57.7%.”First Quarter OutlookFor the first quarter of 2020, the Company expects revenues to be between $271.0 million and $281.5 million, GAAP net income attributable to Blucora, Inc. to be between $31.5 million and $34.5 million, or $0.64 to $0.70 per diluted share, Adjusted EBITDA to be between $85.0 million and $91.0 million, and Non-GAAP net income to be between $74.5 million and $80.5 million, or $1.52 to $1.64 per diluted share.Conference Call and WebcastA conference call and live webcast will be held today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time during which the Company will further discuss fourth quarter and full year results, its outlook for the first quarter, its tax season update, and other business matters. We will also provide the prepared remarks for the conference call along with supplemental financial information to our results on the Investor Relations section of the Blucora corporate website at http://www.blucora.com prior to the call. The supplemental financial information has also been filed with the SEC on Form 8-K. A replay of the call will be available on our website.About Blucora®Blucora, Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOR) is on the forefront of financial technology, pioneering tax-smart financial solutions that empower people’s goals. Blucora operates in two segments including wealth management, through its Avantax Wealth Management business (formerly operating under the HD Vest and 1st Global brands), the No. 1 tax-focused broker-dealer, with $71 billion in total client assets as of December 31, 2019, and tax preparation, through its TaxAct business, a market leader in tax preparation software with approximately 3 million consumer and professional users. With integrated tax and wealth management, Blucora is uniquely positioned to provide better long-term outcomes for customers with holistic, tax-advantaged solutions. For more information on Blucora, visit www.blucora.com.Source: BlucoraBlucora Contact:
Bill Michalek (972) 870-6463
VP, Investor RelationsThis release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. When used in this release, terms such as “believes,” “estimates,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “may,” “forecasts,” “projects” and similar expressions and variations as they relate to the Company or its management are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations due to various risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to: our ability to effectively implement our future business plans and growth strategy; our ability to effectively compete within our industry; our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and leadership, advisors, clients and customers; our ability to execute upon the contemplated strategic and performance initiatives and to successfully integrate acquired businesses or assets and realize the anticipated benefits thereof; the availability of financing and our ability to meet our current and future debt service obligations and comply with our debt covenants; our ability to generate strong investment performance for our customers and the impact of the financial markets on our customers’ portfolios; political and economic conditions and events that directly or indirectly impact the wealth management and tax preparation industries; our ability to successfully make technology enhancements and introduce new and improve on existing products and services; our expectations concerning the revenues we generate from fees associated with the financial products that we distribute; our ability to manage leadership and employee transitions; risks related to goodwill and other intangible asset impairment; our ability to comply with regulations (or interpretations thereof) applicable to the wealth management and tax preparation industries, including increased costs associated with or reductions in revenue resulting from new or changing regulations or interpretations of existing regulations; risks associated with our business being subject to enhanced regulatory scrutiny; our ability to comply with laws and regulations regarding privacy and protection of data; cybersecurity risks; our ability to develop and maintain our relationships with third party partners; the seasonality of our business; legal proceedings risks, including litigation and regulatory proceedings; our assessments and estimates that determine our effective tax rate; the impact of new or changing tax legislation; our ability to develop, establish and maintain strong brands; and our ability to protect our intellectual property. A more detailed description of these and certain other factors that could affect actual results is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as may be required by law. In addition, the Company has not filed its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. As a result, all financial results described in this earnings release should be considered preliminary, and are subject to change to reflect the completion of our audit and any necessary adjustments or changes in accounting estimates that are identified prior to the time the Company files the Form 10-K.
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Preliminary Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
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Preliminary Segment Information
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Preliminary Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation for Forward-Looking Guidance (1)
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