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ISC Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results; Strong Volumes Continue in the Saskatchewan Land Registry

REGINA, Saskatchewan, Nov. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — November 5, 2024 – Information Services Corporation (TSX:ISV) (“ISC” or the “Company”) today reported on the Company’s financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

Capitalized terms that are used but not defined in this news release have the meaning ascribed to those terms in Management’s Discussion & Analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.

2024 Third Quarter Highlights

Financial Position as at September 30, 2024

Events

Commenting on ISC’s results, Shawn Peters, President and CEO stated, “Similar to the first and second quarters for the year, the third quarter of 2024 delivered excellent results with revenue up 12 per cent and adjusted EBITDA up 18 per cent, compared to the third quarter of 2023. The diversified nature of our business is clearly a major strength for us based on these results.” Peters continued, “Given our performance for the year to date, we have re-iterated our guidance for 2024, which means that we expect to post our highest annual revenue and adjusted EBITDA upon completion of the year and since going public in 2013.”

Summary of 2024 Third Quarter Consolidated Financial Results

     
(thousands of CAD;
except earnings per share, adjusted earnings per share
and where noted)
Three Months
Ended September 30, 2024
  Three Months
Ended September 30, 2023
 
Revenue    
Registry Operations $31,860   $27,419  
Services   25,562     25,551  
Technology Solutions
Corporate and other
  3,508
2
    1,635
5
 
Total Revenue $60,932   $54,610  
Expenses $49,707   $43,334  
Adjusted EBITDA1 $22,706   $19,209  
Adjusted EBITDA margin1   37.3%     35.2%  
Net income $4,203   $4,234  
Adjusted net income1 $11,035   $8,357  
Earnings per share (basic) $ 0.23   $0.24  
Earnings per share (diluted) $ 0.23   $0.23  
Adjusted earnings per share (basic)1 $ 0.61   $0.47  
Adjusted earnings per share (diluted)1 $ 0.60   $0.46  
Adjusted free cash flow1 $15,941   $14,444  
1Adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share, basic, adjusted earnings per share, diluted, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted free cash flow are not recognized as measures under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore, they may not be comparable to similar measures reported by other companies; refer to Section 8.8 “Non-IFRS financial measures” in the MD&A. Refer to section 2 “Consolidated Financial Analysis” in the MD&A for a reconciliation of adjusted net income and adjusted EBITDA to net income. Refer to section 6.1 “Cash flow” in the MD&A for a reconciliation of adjusted free cash flow to net cash flow provided by operating activities. See also a description of these non-IFRS measures and reconciliations of adjusted net income and adjusted EBITDA to net income and adjusted free cash flow to net cash flow provided by operating activities presented in the section of this news release titled “Non-IFRS Performance Measures”.
         

2024 Third Quarter Results of Operations

Outlook
The following section includes forward-looking information, including statements related to our strategy, future results, including revenue and adjusted EBITDA, segment performance, expenses, operating costs and capital expenditures, the industries in which we operate, economic activity, growth opportunities, investments and business development opportunities. Refer to “Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information” in Management’s Discussion & Analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.

The Bank of Canada has now lowered its key interest rate three times in 2024 with market expectations of further cuts into next year. Strong activity in the Saskatchewan real estate market is expected to continue in the near term, despite inventory challenges in lower-value homes. We continue to monitor interest rates and other economic conditions which can impact real estate activity. Factors such as strong population growth and improved market confidence create an environment for heightened real estate activity, most notably benefitting the Saskatchewan Land Registry. In addition, the realization of a full year of fee adjustments will continue to support strong revenue in the Saskatchewan Registries division of the Registry Operations segment.

Services will continue to be a significant part of our organic growth. The current trend of enhanced due diligence in an environment of increased regulatory oversight is expected to continue and positively impact the Regulatory Solutions division. Furthermore, the decline in used car values, which worsens the loan-to-value of the vehicle and reduces any equity debtors may have in their existing vehicle(s), coupled with current mortgage, rental and inflationary pressures is expected to negatively impact consumers’ disposable income as well as lead to increased assignment levels in our Recovery Solutions division for the next two years.

The key drivers of expenses in adjusted EBITDA in 2024 are expected to be wages and salaries and cost of goods sold. Furthermore, as a result of the Extension Agreement, the Company has additional operating costs associated with the enhancement of the Saskatchewan Registries and increased interest expense arising from additional borrowings, which are excluded from adjusted EBITDA. Our capital expenditures are expected to increase because of the enhancement of the Saskatchewan Registries but will remain immaterial overall.

In February, we provided our annual guidance that forecasted meaningful organic growth in 2024 for revenue and adjusted EBITDA. In light of the strong performance to date in 2024 and the view that market trends will continue to be in our favour, we are re-iterating our annual guidance for 2024 with revenue expected to be within a range of $240.0 million to $250.0 million and adjusted EBITDA to be within a range of $83.0 million to $91.0 million.

Note to Readers
The Board of Directors (“Board”) carries out its responsibility for review of this disclosure primarily through the Audit Committee, which is comprised exclusively of independent directors. The Audit Committee reviews and approves the fiscal year-end Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) and financial statements and recommends both to the Board for approval. The interim financial statements and MD&A are reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee.

This news release provides a general summary of ISC’s results for the quarters ended September 30, 2024, and 2023. Readers are encouraged to download the Company’s complete financial disclosures. Links to ISC’s financial statements and related notes and MD&A for the period are available on our website in the Investor Relations section at ww.isc.ca.

Copies can also be obtained SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca by searching Information Services Corporation’s profile or by contacting Information Services Corporation at investor.relations@isc.ca.

All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

Conference Call and Webcast
We will hold an investor conference call on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. ET to discuss the results. Those joining the call on a listen-only basis are encouraged to join the live audio webcast which will be available on our website at company.isc.ca/investor-relations/events. Participants who wish to ask a question on the live call may do so through the ISC website or by registering through the following live call URL: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI0ab31dca78164eebb5d1a27f40af3107

Once registered, participants will receive the dial-in numbers and their unique PIN number. When dialing in, participants will input their PIN and be placed into the call. The audio file with a replay of the webcast will be available about 24 hours after the event on our website at the link above. We invite media to attend on a listen-only basis.

About ISC
Headquartered in Canada, ISC is a leading provider of registry and information management services for public data and records. Throughout our history, we have delivered value to our clients by providing solutions to manage, secure and administer information through our Registry Operations, Services and Technology Solutions segments. ISC is focused on sustaining its core business while pursuing new growth opportunities. The Class A Shares of ISC trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ISV.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws including, without limitation, those contained in the “Outlook” section hereof and statements related to the industries in which we operate, growth opportunities and our future financial position and results of operations. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s plans or expectations include risks relating to changes in the condition of the economy, including those arising from public health concerns, reliance on key customers and licences, dependence on key projects and clients, securing new business and fixed-price contracts, identification of viable growth opportunities, implementation of our growth strategy, competition and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company including those detailed in ISC’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023 and ISC’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements and Notes and Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, copies of which are filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

The forward-looking information in this release is made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities laws, ISC assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances.

Non-IFRS Performance Measures
Included within this news release are certain measures that have not been prepared in accordance with IFRS, such as adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share, basic, adjusted earnings per share, diluted, EBITDA, EBITDA margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow. These measures are provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing further understanding of our financial performance from management’s perspective, to provide investors with supplemental measures of our operating performance and, thus, highlight trends in our core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures.

Management also uses non-IFRS measures to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, prepare annual operating budgets and assess our ability to meet future capital expenditure and working capital requirements.

Accordingly, these non-IFRS measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our financial information reported under IFRS. Such measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.

Non-IFRS
performance
measure
Why we use it How we calculate it Most comparable
IFRS financial
measure
Adjusted net income

Adjusted earnings per share, basic

Adjusted earnings per share, diluted

  • To evaluate performance and profitability while excluding non-operational and share-based volatility.
  • We believe that certain investors and analysts will use adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per share to evaluate performance while excluding items that management believes do not contribute to our ongoing operations.
Adjusted net income:
Net income
add
Share-based compensation expense, acquisitions, integration and other costs, effective interest component of interest expense, debt finance costs expensed to professional and consulting, amortization of the intangible asset associated with the right to manage and operate the Saskatchewan Registries, amortization of registry enhancements, interest on the vendor concession liability and the tax effect of these adjustments at ISC’s statutory tax rate.
Adjusted earnings per share, basic:
Adjusted net income divided by weighted average number of common shares outstanding
Adjusted earnings per share, diluted:
Adjusted net income divided by diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding
Net income

Earnings per share, basic

Earnings per share, diluted

EBITDA

EBITDA margin

  • To evaluate performance and profitability of segments and subsidiaries as well as the conversion of revenue.
  • We believe that certain investors and analysts use EBITDA to measure our ability to service debt and meet other performance obligations.
EBITDA:
Net income
  add (remove)
Depreciation and amortization, net finance expense, income tax expense
EBITDA margin:
EBITDA
  divided by
Total revenue
Net income
Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA margin

  • To evaluate performance and profitability of segments and subsidiaries as well as the conversion of revenue while excluding non-operational and share-based volatility. 
  • We believe that certain investors and analysts use adjusted EBITDA to measure our ability to service debt and meet other performance obligations. 
  • Adjusted EBITDA is also used as a component of determining short-term incentive compensation for employees.
Adjusted EBITDA:
EBITDA
  add (remove)
share-based compensation expense, acquisition, integration and other costs, gain/loss on disposal of assets and asset impairment charges if significant
Adjusted EBITDA margin:
Adjusted EBITDA
  divided by
Total revenue
Net income
Free cash flow
  • To show cash available for debt repayment and reinvestment into the Company on a levered basis.
  • We believe that certain investors and analysts use this measure to value a business and its underlying assets.
  • Free cash flow is also used as a component of determining short-term incentive compensation for employees.
Net cash flow provided by operating activities
  deduct (add)
Net change in non-cash working capital, cash additions to property, plant and equipment, cash additions to intangible assets, interest received and paid as well as interest paid on lease obligations and principal repayments on lease obligations
Net cash flow provided by operating activities
Adjusted free cash flow
  • To show cash available for debt repayment and reinvestment into the Company on a levered basis from continuing operations while excluding non-operational and share-based volatility.
  • We believe that certain investors and analysts use this measure to value a business and its underlying assets based on continuing operations while excluding short term non-operational items.
Free cash flow
  deduct (add)
Share-based compensation expense, acquisition, integration and other costs and registry enhancement capital expenditures
Net cash flow provided by operating activities

The following presents a reconciliation of adjusted net income to net income, a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to EBITDA to net income and a reconciliation of adjusted free cash flow to free cash flow to net cash flow from operating activities:

Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income to Net Income

               
    Three Months Ended September 30,
    Pre-tax Tax1 After-tax
(thousands of CAD)     2024     2023     2024     2023     2024     2023  
Adjusted net income $ 15,222   $ 11,754   $ (4,187 ) $ (3,397 ) $ 11,035   $ 8,357  
Add (subtract):            
Share-based compensation expense   (3,192 )   (1,513 )   862     409     (2,330 )   (1,104 )
Acquisition, integration and other costs   (1,472 )   (796 )   397     215     (1,075 )   (581 )
Effective interest component of interest expense   (66 )   (64 )   18     17     (48 )   (47 )
Interest on vendor concession liability   (2,315 )   (1,733 )   625     468     (1,690 )   (1,265 )
Amortization of right to manage and operate the Saskatchewan Registries   (2,314 )   (1,543 )   625     417     (1,689 )   (1,126 )
Net income   $ 5,863   $ 6,105   $ (1,660 ) $ (1,871 ) $ 4,203   $ 4,234  
1Calculated at ISC’s statutory tax rate of 27.0 per cent.
                                       

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to EBITDA to Net Income

  Three Months Ended September 30, 
(thousands of CAD)   2024     2023  
Adjusted EBITDA $ 22,706   $ 19,209  
Add (subtract):    
Share-based compensation expense   (3,192 )   (1,513 )
Acquisition, integration and other costs   (1,472 )   (796 )
EBITDA1 $ 18,042   $ 16,900  
Add (subtract):    
Depreciation and amortization   (6,817 )   (5,624 )
Net finance expense   (5,362 )   (5,171 )
Income tax expense   (1,660 )   (1,871 )
Net income $ 4,203   $ 4,234  
EBITDA margin (% of revenue)1   29.6%     30.9%  
Adjusted EBITDA margin (% of revenue)   37.3%     35.2%  
1EBITDA and EBITDA margin are not recognized as measures under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore, they may not be comparable to similar measures reported by other companies; refer to Section 8.8 “Non-IFRS financial measures” for a discussion on why we use these measures, the calculation of them and their most directly comparable IFRS financial measure.  
             

Reconciliation of Adjusted Free Cash Flow to Free Cash Flow to Net Cash Flow Provided by Operating Activities

       
Three Months Ended September 30,
(thousands of CAD)   2024     2023  
Adjusted free cash flow $ 15,941   $ 14,444  
Add (subtract):    
Share-based compensation expense   (3,192 )   (1,513 )
Acquisition, integration and other costs   (1,472 )   (796 )
Registry enhancement capital expenditures   (1,241 )   (157 )
Free cash flow,1 $ 10,036   $ 11,978  
Add (subtract):    
Cash additions to property, plant and equipment   119     71  
Cash additions to intangible assets   1,786     382  
Interest received   (229 )   (347 )
Interest paid   3,123     2,498  
Interest paid on lease obligations   117     88  
Principal repayment on lease obligations   706     579  
Net change in non-cash working capital2   (1,447 )   (676 )
Net cash flow provided by operating activities $ 14,211   $ 14,573  
1Free cash flow is not recognized as a measure under IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures reported by other companies; refer to Section 8.8 “Non-IFRS financial measures” for a discussion on why we use these measures, the calculation of them and their most directly comparable IFRS financial measure.
2Refer to Note 17 to the Financial Statements for reconciliation.      
             

Investor Contact
Jonathan Hackshaw
Senior Director, Investor Relations & Capital Markets
Toll Free: 1-855-341-8363 in North America or 1-306-798-1137
investor.relations@isc.ca

Media Contact
Jodi Bosnjak
External Communications Specialist
Toll Free: 1-855-341-8363 in North America or 1-306-798-1137
corp.communications@isc.ca


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