EXL Reports 2024 Second Quarter Results

Rhea-AI Summary

EXL reported strong Q2 2024 results with revenue of $448.4 million, up 10.7% year-over-year. Adjusted diluted EPS increased 10.8% to $0.40. The company raised its full-year 2024 guidance, now expecting revenue between $1.805 billion and $1.830 billion, representing 11% to 12% growth. Adjusted diluted EPS is projected to be $1.59 to $1.62, up 11% to 13% from 2023.

Key highlights include winning 23 new clients, establishing a strategic collaboration with NVIDIA for AI applications, and acquiring ITI Data. EXL's data analytics and digital operations segments showed accelerated growth. The company maintains a positive outlook for the second half of 2024, driven by its data and AI-led strategy.

Positive

• Revenue increased 10.7% year-over-year to $448.4 million
• Adjusted diluted EPS grew 10.8% to $0.40
• Full-year 2024 revenue guidance raised to $1.805-$1.830 billion (11-12% growth)
• Won 23 new clients in Q2 2024
• Strategic collaboration established with NVIDIA for AI applications
• Acquisition of ITI Data expected to add $7-$9 million in revenue for remainder of 2024

Negative

• GAAP diluted EPS decreased 4.1% year-over-year to $0.28
• Operating income margin declined to 13.7% from 16.0% in Q2 2023
• Gross margin slightly decreased to 37.1% from 37.5% in Q2 2023

Financial Analyst

EXL's Q2 2024 results demonstrate robust growth and strategic execution. Revenue increased 10.7% year-over-year to $448.4 million, surpassing expectations. The company's focus on data analytics and AI-driven solutions is paying off, with both segments showing accelerated growth.

Key financial highlights include:

• Adjusted diluted EPS of $0.40, up 10.8% year-over-year
• Operating income margin at 13.7%, down from 16.0% in Q2 2023
• Adjusted operating income margin at 19.8%, relatively stable compared to 20.0% in Q2 2023

The slight decline in operating margin warrants attention, potentially indicating increased costs or investments. However, the stability in adjusted operating margin suggests effective cost management.

EXL's revised full-year guidance is particularly noteworthy. The company now expects revenue between $1.805 billion and $1.830 billion, representing 11% to 12% growth. This upward revision, coupled with the maintained EPS guidance, indicates confidence in the company's growth trajectory and ability to manage costs effectively.

The acquisition of ITI Data, while modest in immediate revenue impact ($7 million to $9 million for the remainder of 2024), strategically enhances EXL's capabilities in data management for key industries. This move aligns well with the company's data and AI-led strategy.

Overall, EXL's Q2 results and outlook paint a picture of a company successfully navigating the evolving landscape of data analytics and digital solutions, positioning itself for sustained growth.

Tech Expert

EXL's Q2 results underscore the company's strategic pivot towards data analytics and AI-driven solutions. The establishment of a strategic collaboration with NVIDIA is a significant development that merits attention. This partnership aims to create domain-trained, enterprise-wide data and AI applications across various industries, including insurance, healthcare and banking.

The collaboration with NVIDIA, a leader in AI hardware and software, positions EXL at the forefront of AI innovation in business services. This move could potentially:

• Accelerate EXL's AI capabilities, enabling more sophisticated and efficient solutions for clients
• Enhance EXL's competitive edge in the rapidly evolving AI-driven business services market
• Open up new revenue streams through the development of industry-specific AI applications

The acquisition of ITI Data further reinforces EXL's commitment to strengthening its data management capabilities. While the immediate financial impact is modest, the strategic value lies in expanding EXL's expertise in handling complex data for major financial and healthcare institutions.

The company's focus on winning new clients (23 in Q2, with 13 in analytics) indicates strong market demand for its services. The higher proportion of new analytics clients aligns with the company's strategic direction and suggests potential for continued growth in this high-value segment.

As EXL continues to invest in AI and data analytics capabilities, it will be important to monitor how these investments translate into revenue growth and margin expansion in the coming quarters. The company's ability to integrate these new technologies and acquisitions efficiently will be key to maintaining its growth trajectory and competitive position in the market.

2024 Second Quarter Revenue of $448.4 Million, up 10.7% year-over-year

Q2 Diluted EPS (GAAP) of $0.28, down 4.1% from $0.29 in Q2 of 2023

Q2 Adjusted Diluted EPS (Non-GAAP) ^{(1) (2)} of $0.40, up 10.8% from $0.36 in Q2 of 2023

NEW YORK, Aug. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ExlService Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXLS), a leading data analytics and digital operations and solutions company, today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Rohit Kapoor, chairman and chief executive officer, said, “We are pleased with our second quarter results. We delivered both revenue and adjusted diluted EPS growth of 11%. The ongoing execution of our data and AI-led strategy enabled us to accelerate our growth rates across both our data analytics and digital operations and solutions businesses during the quarter as we continue our momentum heading into the second half of 2024.”

Maurizio Nicolelli, chief financial officer, said, “Based on our current visibility for the remainder of the year and the ITI Data acquisition, we are raising the full-year guidance range for revenue. We now expect revenue to be in the range of $1.805 billion to $1.830 billion, up from our prior guidance of $1.790 billion to $1.820 billion. This represents 11% to 12% year-over-year growth on both a reported and constant currency basis. We now expect our adjusted diluted earnings per share for 2024 to be in the range of $1.59 to $1.62, up from our prior guidance of $1.58 to $1.62, representing growth of 11% to 13% over the prior year.”

____________________
(1) Prior period information has been adjusted to reflect the 5-for-1 forward stock split of our common stock effected in August 2023. See Note 19 – Capital Structure to consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, for further details.

(2) Reconciliations of adjusted (non-GAAP) financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures, where applicable, are included at the end of this release under “Reconciliation of Adjusted Financial Measures to GAAP Measures.” These non-GAAP measures, including adjusted diluted EPS and constant currency measures, are not measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Financial Highlights: Second Quarter 2024

• Revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 increased to $448.4 million compared to $405.0 million for the second quarter of 2023, an increase of 10.7% on a reported basis and 10.8% on a constant currency basis. Revenue increased by 2.7% sequentially on a reported basis and 2.8% on a constant currency basis, from the first quarter of 2024.
  

		Revenue									Gross Margin
		Three months ended									Three months ended
Reportable Segments		June 30, 2024			June 30, 2023			March 31, 2024			June 30, 2024			June 30, 2023			March 31, 2024
		(dollars in millions)
Insurance		$	149.3		$	128.5		$	145.1		36.0	%		34.4	%		36.4	%
Healthcare			28.1			27.2			26.3		33.1	%		35.4	%		34.0	%
Emerging Business			77.2			67.1			74.4		41.6	%		43.7	%		44.9	%
Analytics			193.8			182.2			190.7		36.7	%		37.7	%		35.6	%
Revenues, net		$	448.4		$	405.0		$	436.5		37.1	%		37.5	%		37.4	%

• Operating income margin for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, was 13.7%, compared to 16.0% for the second quarter of 2023 and 14.1% for the first quarter of 2024. Adjusted operating income margin for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, was 19.8%, compared to 20.0% for the second quarter of 2023 and 18.9% for the first quarter of 2024.
  
• Diluted earnings per share for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, was $0.28, compared to $0.29, both, for the second quarter of 2023 and first quarter of 2024. Adjusted diluted earnings per share for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, was $0.40, compared to $0.36 for the second quarter of 2023 and $0.38 for the first quarter of 2024.
  

Business Highlights: Second Quarter 2024

• Won 23 new clients in the second quarter of 2024, with 10 clients in digital operations and solutions business and 13 clients in analytics.
• Established a strategic collaboration with NVIDIA to create domain-trained, enterprise-wide data and AI applications for insurance, healthcare, banking, retail and other industries.
• Announced the acquisition of ITI Data, a data management solutions firm that works with the world’s largest banks, financial services and healthcare companies. This acquisition is expected to add $7 million to $9 million in revenue for the remainder of 2024 and be neutral to adjusted diluted EPS.
• EXL celebrated its 25th anniversary, marking the event by ringing the opening bell at Nasdaq.

2024 Guidance
Based on current visibility, and a U.S. dollar to Indian rupee exchange rate of 83.5, U.K. pound sterling to U.S. dollar exchange rate of 1.27, U.S. dollar to the Philippine peso exchange rate of 58.5 and all other currencies at current exchange rates, we are providing the following guidance for the full year 2024:

• Revenue of $1.805 billion to $1.830 billion, representing an increase of 11% to 12% on both a reported and constant currency basis from 2023.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.59 to $1.62, representing an increase of 11% to 13% from 2023.
  

Conference Call

ExlService Holdings, Inc. will host a conference call on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at 10:00 A.M. ET to discuss the Company’s quarterly operating and financial results. The conference call will be available live via the internet by accessing the investor relations section of EXL’s website at ir.exlservice.com, where an accompanying investor-friendly spreadsheet of historical operating and financial data can also be accessed. Please access the website at least fifteen minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software.

Please note that there is a new system to access the live call-in order to ask questions. To join the live call, please register here. A dial-in and unique PIN will be provided to join the call. For those who cannot access the live broadcast, a replay will be available on the EXL website ir.exlservice.com for a period of twelve months.

About ExlService Holdings, Inc.

EXL (Nasdaq: EXLS) is a leading data analytics and digital operations and solutions company. We partner with clients using a data and AI-led approach to reinvent business models, drive better business outcomes and unlock growth with speed. EXL harnesses the power of data, analytics, AI, and deep industry knowledge to transform operations for the world’s leading corporations in industries including insurance, healthcare, banking and financial services, media and retail, among others. EXL was founded in 1999 with the core values of innovation, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect. We are headquartered in New York and have more than 55,000 employees spanning six continents. For more information, visit www.exlservice.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You should not place undue reliance on those statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to EXL's operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond EXL’s control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning EXL’s possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of its business strategy. These statements may include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. These statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of management's experience in the industry as well as its perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. You should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although EXL believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect EXL’s actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors, which include our ability to maintain and grow client demand, our ability to hire and retain sufficiently trained employees, and our ability to accurately estimate and/or manage costs, rising interest rates, rising inflation, recessionary economic trends, and ability to successfully integrate strategic acquisitions, are discussed in more detail in EXL’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including EXL’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made herein, or elsewhere, speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties come up from time to time, and it is impossible to predict these events or how they may affect EXL. EXL has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof, except as required by applicable law.

EXLSERVICE HOLDINGS, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED) (In thousands, except per share amount and share count)
	Three months ended June 30,								Six months ended June 30,
		2024				2023				2024				2023
Revenues, net	$	448,366			$	404,996			$	884,873			$	805,639
Cost of revenues (1)		282,106				253,220				555,530				504,689
Gross profit (1)		166,260				151,776				329,343				300,950
Operating expenses:
General and administrative expenses		56,457				45,605				109,700				92,351
Selling and marketing expenses		35,444				28,238				71,414				57,731
Depreciation and amortization expense		12,910				13,122				25,256				26,609
Total operating expenses		104,811				86,965				206,370				176,691
Income from operations		61,449				64,811				122,973				124,259
Foreign exchange gain, net		36				324				395				429
Interest expense		(5,328	)			(3,240	)			(8,619	)			(6,625	)
Other income, net		3,550				2,661				7,502				5,816
Income before income tax expense and earnings from equity affiliates		59,707				64,556				122,251				123,879
Income tax expense		13,873				15,554				27,626				23,612
Income before earnings from equity affiliates		45,834				49,002				94,625				100,267
Gain/(loss) from equity-method investment		(9	)			66				(37	)			132
Net income attributable to ExlService Holdings, Inc. stockholders	$	45,825			$	49,068			$	94,588			$	100,399
Earnings per share attributable to ExlService Holdings, Inc. stockholders:
Basic	$	0.28			$	0.29			$	0.58			$	0.60
Diluted	$	0.28			$	0.29			$	0.57			$	0.59
Weighted-average number of shares used in computing earnings per share attributable to ExlService Holdings, Inc. stockholders:
Basic		162,794,138				166,776,770				163,938,263				166,986,130
Diluted		163,961,754				168,442,245				165,344,304				169,047,775

⁽¹⁾ Exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense.

EXLSERVICE HOLDINGS, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) (In thousands, except per share amount and share count)
	As of
	June 30, 2024				December 31, 2023
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	115,303			$	136,953
Short-term investments		160,833				153,881
Restricted cash		6,351				4,062
Accounts receivable, net		327,613				308,108
Other current assets		93,612				76,669
Total current assets		703,712				679,673
Property and equipment, net		103,478				100,373
Operating lease right-of-use assets		72,822				64,856
Deferred tax assets, net		100,993				82,927
Goodwill		405,581				405,639
Other intangible assets, net		44,003				50,164
Long-term investments		19,239				8,816
Other assets		53,939				49,524
Total assets	$	1,503,767			$	1,441,972
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	2,996			$	5,055
Current portion of long-term borrowings		75,000				65,000
Deferred revenue		15,406				12,318
Accrued employee costs		80,443				117,137
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		97,613				114,113
Current portion of operating lease liabilities		15,404				12,780
Total current liabilities		286,862				326,403
Long-term borrowings, less current portion		260,000				135,000
Operating lease liabilities, less current portion		64,412				58,175
Deferred tax liabilities, net		2,271				1,495
Other non-current liabilities		37,616				31,462
Total liabilities		651,161				552,535
Commitments and contingencies
ExlService Holdings, Inc. Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 15,000,000 shares authorized, none issued		—				—
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 400,000,000 shares authorized, 204,783,113 shares issued and 162,176,382 shares outstanding as of June 30, 2024 and 203,410,038 shares issued and 165,277,880 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2023		204				203
Additional paid-in capital		520,922				508,028
Retained earnings		1,178,251				1,083,663
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(136,108	)			(127,040	)
Total including shares held in treasury		1,563,269				1,464,854
Less: 42,606,731 shares as of June 30, 2024 and 38,132,158 shares as of December 31, 2023, held in treasury, at cost		(710,663	)			(575,417	)
Total stockholders’ equity		852,606				889,437
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	1,503,767			$	1,441,972

EXLSERVICE HOLDINGS, INC.
Reconciliation of Adjusted Financial Measures to GAAP Measures

In addition to its reported operating results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), EXL has included in this release certain financial measures that are considered non-GAAP financial measures, including the following:

1. Adjusted operating income and adjusted operating income margin;
2. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin;
3. Adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share; and
4. Revenue growth on constant currency basis.

These non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles, should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Accordingly, the financial results calculated in accordance with GAAP and reconciliations from those financial statements should be carefully evaluated. EXL believes that providing these non-GAAP financial measures may help investors better understand EXL’s underlying financial performance. Management also believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when read in conjunction with EXL’s reported results, can provide useful supplemental information for investors analyzing period-to-period comparisons of the Company’s results and comparisons of the Company’s results with the results of other companies. Additionally, management considers some of these non-GAAP financial measures to determine variable compensation of its employees. The Company believes that it is unreasonably difficult to provide its earnings per share financial guidance in accordance with GAAP, or a qualitative reconciliation thereof, for a number of reasons, including, without limitation, the Company’s inability to predict its future stock-based compensation expense under ASC Topic 718, the amortization of intangibles associated with future acquisitions and the currency fluctuations and associated tax effects. As such, the Company presents guidance with respect to adjusted diluted earnings per share. The Company also incurs significant non-cash charges for depreciation that may not be indicative of the Company’s ability to generate cash flow.

EXL non-GAAP financial measures exclude, where applicable, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, restructuring costs, litigation settlement costs and associated legal fees, effects of termination of leases, certain defined social security contributions, allowance for certain material expected credit losses, other acquisition-related expenses or benefits and effect of any non-recurring tax adjustments. Acquisition-related expenses or benefits include, changes in the fair value of contingent consideration, external deal costs, integration expenses, direct and incremental travel costs and non-recurring benefits or losses. Our adjusted net income and adjusted diluted EPS also excludes the effects of income tax on the above pre-tax items, as applicable. The effects of income tax of each item is calculated by applying the statutory rate of the local tax regulations in the jurisdiction in which the item was incurred.

A limitation of using non-GAAP financial measures versus financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP is that non-GAAP financial measures do not reflect all of the amounts associated with our operating results as determined in accordance with GAAP and exclude costs that are recurring, namely stock-based compensation and amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets. EXL compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from non-GAAP financial measures to allow investors to evaluate such non-GAAP financial measures.

EXL’s primary exchange rate exposure is with the Indian rupee, the Philippine peso, the U.K. pound sterling and the South African rand. The average exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against the Indian rupee increased from 82.20 during the quarter ended June 30, 2023 to 83.42 during the quarter ended June 30, 2024, representing a depreciation of 1.5% against the U.S. dollar. The average exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against the Philippine peso increased from 55.58 during the quarter ended June 30, 2023 to 58.29 during the quarter ended June 30, 2024, representing a depreciation of 4.9% against the U.S. dollar. The average exchange rate of the U.K. pound sterling against the U.S. dollar increased from 1.25 during the quarter ended June 30, 2023 to 1.26 during the quarter ended June 30, 2024, representing an appreciation of 0.8% against the U.S. dollar. The average exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against the South African rand decreased from 19.02 during the quarter ended June 30, 2023 to 18.53 during the quarter ended June 30, 2024, representing an appreciation of 2.6% against the U.S. dollar.

The following table shows the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2023, and the three months ended March 31, 2024:

Reconciliation of Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted EBITDA (Amounts in thousands)
	Three months ended
	June 30,								March 31,
		2024				2023				2024
Net Income (GAAP)	$	45,825			$	49,068			$	48,763
add: Income tax expense		13,873				15,554				13,753
add/(subtract): Foreign exchange gain, net, interest expense, gain/(loss) from equity-method investment and other income/(loss), net		1,751				189				(992	)
Income from operations (GAAP)	$	61,449			$	64,811			$	61,524
add: Stock-based compensation expense		18,095				11,511				17,852
add: Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles		3,077				4,204				3,080
add: Restructuring and litigation settlement costs (a)		6,174				—				—
add: Other expenses (b)		—				578				—
Adjusted operating income (Non-GAAP)	$	88,795			$	81,104			$	82,456
Adjusted operating income margin as a % of Revenue (Non-GAAP)		19.8	%			20.0	%			18.9	%
add: Depreciation on long-lived assets		9,833				8,289				9,266
Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP)	$	98,628			$	89,393			$	91,722
Adjusted EBITDA margin as a % of revenue (Non-GAAP)		22.0	%			22.1	%			21.0	%

(a) To exclude effects of employee severance costs and outplacement support costs of $4,762 and litigation settlement costs and associated legal fees of $1,412 during the three months ended June 30, 2024.

(b) To exclude effects of lease termination of $578 during the three months ended June 30, 2023.

Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share (Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
	Three months ended
	June 30,								March 31,
		2024				2023				2024
Net income (GAAP)	$	45,825			$	49,068			$	48,763
add: Stock-based compensation expense		18,095				11,511				17,852
add: Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles		3,077				4,204				3,080
add: Restructuring and litigation settlement costs (a)		6,174				—				—
add: Other expenses (b)		—				578				—
subtract: Changes in fair value of contingent consideration		—				—				(589	)
subtract: Tax impact on stock-based compensation expense (c)		(4,619	)			(2,789	)			(5,358	)
subtract: Tax impact on amortization of acquisition-related intangibles		(765	)			(1,036	)			(766	)
subtract: Tax impact on restructuring and litigation settlement costs		(1,588	)			—				—
subtract: Tax impact on other expenses		—				(145	)			—
add: Tax impact on changes in fair value of contingent consideration		—				—				151
Adjusted net income (Non-GAAP)	$	66,199			$	61,391			$	63,133
Adjusted diluted earnings per share (Non-GAAP)	$	0.40			$	0.36			$	0.38

(a) To exclude effects of employee severance costs and outplacement support costs of $4,762 and litigation settlement costs and associated legal fees of $1,412 during the three months ended June 30, 2024.

(b) To exclude effects of lease termination of $578 during the three months ended June 30, 2023.

(c) Tax impact includes $18 and $190 during the three months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 respectively, and $7,523 during the three months ended March 31, 2024, related to discrete benefits recognized in income tax expense in accordance with ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation.

Contacts:
Investor Relations
John Kristoff
Vice President, Investor Relations
+1 212 209 4613
ir@exlservice.com

Media - US
Keith Little
Assistant Vice President, Media Relations
+1 703 598 0980
media.relations@exlservice.com

FAQ

What was EXL's revenue for Q2 2024?

EXL's revenue for Q2 2024 was $448.4 million, representing a 10.7% increase year-over-year.

How did EXL's adjusted diluted EPS change in Q2 2024 compared to Q2 2023?

EXL's adjusted diluted EPS increased by 10.8% to $0.40 in Q2 2024, compared to $0.36 in Q2 2023.

What is EXL's updated revenue guidance for full-year 2024?

EXL raised its full-year 2024 revenue guidance to a range of $1.805 billion to $1.830 billion, representing 11% to 12% year-over-year growth.

How many new clients did EXL win in Q2 2024?

EXL won 23 new clients in Q2 2024, with 10 in digital operations and solutions and 13 in analytics.

What strategic collaboration did EXL announce in Q2 2024?

EXL announced a strategic collaboration with NVIDIA to create domain-trained, enterprise-wide data and AI applications for various industries.