Korn Ferry Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2025 Results of Operations

Rhea-AI Summary

Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY) reported Q1 FY'25 results with fee revenue of $674.9 million, down 3% year-over-year. Net income was $62.6 million, with diluted earnings per share of $1.17. Key highlights include:

- Executive Search fee revenue grew 2% year-over-year
- Consulting and Digital fee revenue remained flat
- Operating income increased to $76.1 million, with margin up 320bps to 11.3%
- Adjusted EBITDA rose to $111.2 million, with margin up 280bps to 16.5%
- Company repurchased 351,250 shares for $23.5 million
- Declared quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share

CEO Gary Burnison noted the company's balanced approach and diversified strategy, with topline 30% higher than pre-pandemic levels and improved profitability.

Positive

• Executive Search fee revenue grew 2% year-over-year (3% at constant currency)
• Operating income increased to $76.1 million, with margin up 320bps to 11.3%
• Adjusted EBITDA rose to $111.2 million, with margin up 280bps to 16.5%
• Subscription & License fee revenue in Digital segment increased 5% year-over-year
• Company repurchased 351,250 shares for $23.5 million
• Declared quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, more than double year-over-year

Negative

• Overall fee revenue decreased 3% year-over-year to $674.9 million
• Professional Search & Interim fee revenue declined 14% due to lower demand
• RPO fee revenue decreased 8% due to moderation in hiring volume
• Ending number of consultants decreased across all segments compared to previous year

Insights

Financial Analyst

Korn Ferry's Q1 FY'25 results show resilience in a challenging market. Despite a 3% year-over-year decrease in fee revenue to $674.9 million, the company demonstrated improved profitability. The 320bps increase in operating margin to 11.3% and 280bps rise in Adjusted EBITDA margin to 16.5% are particularly noteworthy. This marks the fifth consecutive quarter of sequential improvement in profitability.

The company's diversified strategy is paying off, with Executive Search growing 2% year-over-year, while Consulting and Digital remained stable. The 5% increase in subscription and license fee revenue in the Digital segment is a positive indicator of recurring revenue growth. However, the decline in Professional Search & Interim and RPO segments due to current economic conditions warrants attention.

Korn Ferry's strong cash position is evident from its continued share repurchases and increased dividend. The twofold increase in quarterly dividend year-over-year signals management's confidence in the company's financial health and future prospects.

Market Research Analyst

Korn Ferry's Q1 results reflect the current state of the global job market. The growth in Executive Search amid overall revenue decline suggests a shift in hiring patterns, with companies focusing on high-level positions while being cautious about broader recruitment. The stability in Consulting and Digital segments indicates that organizations are still investing in strategic workforce planning and digital transformation despite economic uncertainties.

The decline in Professional Search & Interim and RPO segments aligns with the broader trend of slowing job markets in many economies. However, the increase in RPO new business ($103.6 million vs $48.2 million year-over-year) suggests potential future growth as companies prepare for eventual market recovery.

The company's improved profitability metrics, despite revenue challenges, demonstrate effective cost management and operational efficiency. This positions Korn Ferry well to capitalize on market recovery when it occurs. The positive outlook for Q2 FY'25, with expected fee revenue between $655 million and $685 million, indicates cautious optimism about near-term market conditions.

Highlights

• Korn Ferry reports Q1 FY'25 fee revenue of $674.9 million, a year-over-year decrease of 3% (down 2% on a constant currency basis).
  • Executive Search fee revenue grew 2% year-over-year (up 3% at constant currency).
  • Fee revenue for Consulting and Digital was flat year-over-year (up 1% and 2%, respectively, at constant currency), continuing to demonstrate stability in a challenging market.
• Net income attributable to Korn Ferry was $62.6 million, while diluted and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $1.17 and $1.18 in Q1 FY'25, respectively.
• Operating income was $76.1 million and Adjusted EBITDA was $111.2 million.
• Operating margin increased 320bps year-over-year to 11.3%. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 16.5%, a 280bps increase compared to the year-ago quarter, and our fifth consecutive quarter of sequential improvement.
• The Company repurchased 351,250 shares of stock during the quarter for $23.5 million.
• Declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share on September 4, 2024, which is payable on October 15, 2024 to stockholders of record on September 19, 2024.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY), a global organizational consulting firm, today announced first quarter fee revenue of $674.9 million. In addition, first quarter diluted earnings per share was $1.17 and adjusted diluted earnings per share was $1.18.

“I am pleased with our first quarter results, as we generated $675 million in fee revenue,” said Gary D. Burnison. “Earnings and profitability increased year over year as we delivered $111 million of Adjusted EBITDA, at a 16.5% margin, which is our fifth consecutive quarter of profitability improvement.

“Our sustained success stems from a balanced approach – from our colleagues and IP to our diversified strategy and broad offerings. As a result, our topline is more than 30 percent higher than before the pandemic, with even greater profitability. During the quarter, Consulting and Digital maintained their positive momentum, with improved growth in Executive Search and stable trends across Professional Search permanent placement and RPO. We are also confident about the future, as evidenced by our capital allocation, which not only included share buybacks but also more than a twofold increase in our quarterly dividend year over year. Moving forward, we will continue to transform the business to enable our clients to Be More Than.”

Selected Financial Results (dollars in millions, except per share amounts) (a)
	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Fee revenue	$	674.9			$	699.2
Total revenue	$	682.8			$	706.3
Operating income	$	76.1			$	56.8
Operating margin		11.3	%			8.1	%
Net income attributable to Korn Ferry	$	62.6			$	46.6
Basic earnings per share	$	1.19			$	0.89
Diluted earnings per share	$	1.17			$	0.89
Adjusted Results (b):	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Adjusted EBITDA	$	111.2			$	95.7
Adjusted EBITDA margin		16.5	%			13.7	%
Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry	$	63.1			$	51.5
Adjusted basic earnings per share	$	1.20			$	0.99
Adjusted diluted earnings per share	$	1.18			$	0.99

(a)		Numbers may not total due to rounding.
(b)		Adjusted EBITDA refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, further adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right-of-use assets and restructuring charges, net when applicable. Adjusted results on a consolidated basis are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following, as applicable (see attached reconciliations):

	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Integration/acquisition costs	$	1.1			$	4.1
Impairment of fixed assets	$	—			$	0.1
Impairment of right-of-use assets	$	—			$	1.6
Restructuring charges, net	$	—			$	0.4

The Company reported fee revenue in Q1 FY'25 of $674.9 million, a decrease of 3% (down 2% on a constant currency basis) compared to Q1 FY'24. The decrease in fee revenue was primarily due to lower fee revenues in Professional Search & Interim and RPO driven by a decline in demand due to the current economic environment, partially offset by an increase in Executive Search fee revenue.

Operating income was $76.1 million (at an operating margin of 11.3%) in Q1 FY'25, compared to $56.8 million (at an operating margin of 8.1%) in the year-ago quarter, an increase of 320bps. Net income attributable to Korn Ferry was $62.6 million in Q1 FY'25, compared to $46.6 million in Q1 FY'24. Adjusted EBITDA was $111.2 million in Q1 FY'25 compared to $95.7 million in Q1 FY'24. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 16.5% in Q1 FY'25, an increase of 280bps.

Operating income, margin, and net income attributable to Korn Ferry increased as a result of strong cost management, coupled with the lower cost of services expense compared to the year-ago quarter. These decreases in expenses were partially offset by the decrease in fee revenue discussed above.

Adjusted EBITDA and margin increased due to the same factors above but excluded integration/acquisition costs.

Results by Line of Business Selected Consulting Data (dollars in millions) (a)
	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Fee revenue	$	167.9			$	168.1
Total revenue	$	170.8			$	170.8
Ending number of consultants and execution staff (b)		1,663				1,855
Hours worked in thousands (c)		395				427
Average bill rate (d)	$	425			$	394
Adjusted Results (e):	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Adjusted EBITDA	$	29.3			$	25.2
Adjusted EBITDA margin		17.5	%			15.0	%

(a)		Numbers may not total due to rounding.
(b)		Represents number of employees originating, delivering and executing consulting services.
(c)		The number of hours worked by consultant and execution staff during the period.
(d)		The amount of fee revenue divided by the number of hours worked by consultants and execution staff.
(e)		Adjusted results exclude the following:

	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Impairment of right-of-use assets	$	—			$	0.6
Restructuring charges, net	$	—			$	0.2

Fee revenue was $167.9 million in Q1 FY'25 compared to $168.1 million in Q1 FY'24, essentially flat (up 1% on a constant currency basis) compared to Q1 FY'24.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 16.3% compared to Q1 FY'24 to $29.3 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin in the quarter increased year-over-year by 250bps to 17.5%. These increases resulted primarily from higher average bill rates and greater consultant and execution staff productivity.

Selected Digital Data (dollars in millions) (a)
	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Fee revenue	$	88.2			$	88.0
Total revenue	$	88.2			$	88.0
Ending number of consultants		259				336
Subscription & License fee revenue	$	34.1			$	32.5
Adjusted Results:	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Adjusted EBITDA	$	26.6			$	24.3
Adjusted EBITDA margin		30.2	%			27.6	%

(a)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.

Fee revenue was $88.2 million in Q1 FY'25 compared to $88.0 million in Q1 FY'24, essentially flat year-over-year and up 2% on a constant currency basis. Subscription and license fee revenue in the quarter increased 5% year-over-year.

Adjusted EBITDA was $26.6 million in Q1 FY'25 compared to $24.3 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin in the quarter increased year-over-year by 260bps to 30.2%. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin was mainly due to improved consultant productivity and strong cost management.

Selected Executive Search Data (a) (dollars in millions) (b)
	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Fee revenue	$	208.6			$	205.2
Total revenue	$	210.4			$	207.6
Ending number of consultants		559				612
Average number of consultants		551				607
Engagements billed		3,448				3,633
New engagements (c)		1,556				1,549
Adjusted Results (d):	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Adjusted EBITDA	$	49.4			$	42.5
Adjusted EBITDA margin		23.7	%			20.7	%

(a)		Executive Search is the sum of the individual Executive Search Reporting Segments described in our annual and quarterly reporting on Forms 10-K and 10-Q and is presented on a consolidated basis as it is consistent with the Company’s discussion of its Lines of Business, and financial metrics used by the Company’s investor base.
(b)		Numbers may not total due to rounding.
(c)		Represents new engagements opened in the respective period.
(d)		Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following:

	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Impairment of fixed assets	$	—			$	0.1
Impairment of right-of-use assets	$	—			$	0.9
Restructuring charges, net	$	—			$	0.2

Fee revenue was $208.6 million in Q1 FY'25, an increase of $3.4 million or 2% compared to Q1 FY'24 (up 3% on a constant currency basis). The increase in fee revenue was primarily driven by a 4% increase in the number of engagements billed in our North America region.

Adjusted EBITDA was $49.4 million in Q1 FY'25 compared to $42.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased by 300bps to 23.7% in Q1 FY'25. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin was primarily due to higher consultant productivity and strong cost management.

Selected Professional Search & Interim Data (dollars in millions) (a)
	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Fee revenue	$	121.7			$	142.2
Total revenue	$	122.7			$	143.1
Permanent Placement:
Fee revenue	$	52.2			$	58.3
Engagements billed		1,820				2,209
New engagements (b)		972				1,235
Ending number of consultants		319				405
Interim:
Fee revenue	$	69.5			$	83.9
Average bill rate (c)	$	133			$	122
Average weekly billable consultants (d)		1,068				1,485
Adjusted Results (e):	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Adjusted EBITDA	$	25.7			$	24.3
Adjusted EBITDA margin		21.1	%			17.1	%

(a)		Numbers may not total due to rounding.
(b)		Represents new engagements opened in the respective period.
(c)		Fee revenue from interim divided by the number of hours worked by consultants.
(d)		The number of billable consultants based on a weekly average in the respective period.
(e)		Adjusted results exclude the following:

	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Integration/acquisition costs	$	1.1			$	4.0

Fee revenue was $121.7 million in Q1 FY'25, a decrease of 14% in both actual and constant currency compared to the year-ago quarter, due primarily to lower demand in the current economic environment.

Adjusted EBITDA was $25.7 million in Q1 FY'25 compared to $24.3 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased year-over-year by 400bps to 21.1%. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin was primarily due to a higher average bill rate in Interim, increased consultant productivity in Permanent Placement and strong cost management.

Selected Recruitment Process Outsourcing ("RPO") Data (dollars in millions) (a)
	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Fee revenue	$	88.5			$	95.7
Total revenue	$	90.7			$	96.8
Remaining revenue under contract (b)	$	656.1			$	679.8
RPO new business (c)	$	103.6			$	48.2
Adjusted Results (d):	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Adjusted EBITDA	$	12.5			$	10.5
Adjusted EBITDA margin		14.1	%			10.9	%

(a)		Numbers may not total due to rounding.
(b)		Estimated fee revenue associated with signed contracts for which revenue has not yet been recognized.
(c)		Estimated total value of a contract at the point of execution of the contract.
(d)		Adjusted results exclude the following:

	First Quarter
	FY’25				FY’24
Impairment of right-of-use assets	$	—			$	0.1

Fee revenue was $88.5 million in Q1 FY'25, a decrease of $7.2 million or 8% (down 7% on a constant currency basis) compared to the year-ago quarter. RPO fee revenue decreased due to moderation in the hiring volume in the existing base of clients due to the current economic environment.

Adjusted EBITDA was $12.5 million in Q1 FY'25 compared to $10.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased 320bps to 14.1% in Q1 FY'25. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin both resulted from greater execution staff productivity and strong cost management.

Outlook

Assuming worldwide geopolitical conditions, economic conditions, financial markets and foreign exchange rates remain steady, on a consolidated basis:

• Q2 FY’25 fee revenue is expected to be in the range of $655 million and $685 million; and
• Q2 FY’25 diluted earnings per share is expected to range between $1.11 to $1.23.

On a consolidated adjusted basis:

• Q2 FY’25 adjusted diluted earnings per share is expected to be in the range from $1.14 to $1.26.

	Q2 FY’25 Earnings Per Share Outlook
	Low				High
Consolidated diluted earnings per share	$	1.11			$	1.23
Integration/acquisition costs		0.03				0.03
Consolidated adjusted diluted earnings per share(1)	$	1.14			$	1.26

(1)

Consolidated adjusted diluted earnings per share is a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the items listed in the table.

Earnings Conference Call Webcast

The earnings conference call will be held today at 12:00 PM (EDT) and hosted by CEO Gary Burnison, CFO Robert Rozek, SVP Business Development & Analytics Gregg Kvochak and VP Investor Relations Tiffany Louder. The conference call will be webcast and available online at ir.kornferry.com. We will also post to the investor relations section of our website earnings slides, which will accompany our webcast, and other important information, and encourage you to review the information that we make available on our website.

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. We help clients synchronize strategy and talent to drive superior performance. We work with organizations to design their structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people to bring their strategy to life. And we advise them on how to reward, develop, and motivate their people. Visit kornferry.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release and our conference call that relate to our outlook, projections, goals, strategies, future plans and expectations, including statements relating to expected demand for and relevance of our products and services, expected results of our business diversification strategy, and other statements of future events or conditions are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “goals”, “estimates”, “guidance”, “may”, “should”, “could”, “will” or “likely”, and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Such statements are based on current expectations; actual results in future periods may differ materially from those currently expected or desired because of a number of risks and uncertainties that are beyond the control of Korn Ferry. The potential risks and uncertainties include those relating to global and local political and or economic developments in or affecting countries where we have operations, such as inflation, interest rates, global slowdowns, or recessions, competition, geopolitical tensions, shifts in global trade patterns, changes in demand for our services as a result of automation, dependence on and costs of attracting and retaining qualified and experienced consultants, impact of inflationary pressures on our profitability, our ability to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retaining key employees, maintaining our brand name and professional reputation, potential legal liability and regulatory developments, portability of client relationships, consolidation of or within the industries we serve, changes and developments in government laws and regulations, evolving investor and customer expectations with regard to environmental, social and governance matters, currency fluctuations in our international operations, risks related to growth, alignment of our cost structure, including as a result of recent workforce, real estate, and other restructuring initiatives, restrictions imposed by off-limits agreements, reliance on information processing systems, cyber security vulnerabilities or events, changes to data security, data privacy, and data protection laws, dependence on third parties for the execution of critical functions, limited protection of our intellectual property ("IP"), our ability to enhance, develop and respond to new technology, including artificial intelligence, our ability to successfully recover from a disaster or other business continuity problems, employment liability risk, an impairment in the carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets, treaties, or regulations on our business and our Company, deferred tax assets that we may not be able to use, our ability to develop new products and services, changes in our accounting estimates and assumptions, the utilization and billing rates of our consultants, seasonality, the expansion of social media platforms, the ability to effect acquisitions and integrate acquired businesses, resulting organizational changes, our indebtedness, and those relating to the ultimate magnitude and duration of any pandemic or outbreaks. For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties that could cause differences from our expectations, please refer to Korn Ferry’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Korn Ferry disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial information calculated other than in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”). In particular, it includes:

• Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry, adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right-of-use assets and restructuring charges, net of income tax effect;
• Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share, adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right-of-use assets and restructuring charges, net of income tax effect;
• Constant currency (calculated using a quarterly average) percentages that represent the percentage change that would have resulted had exchange rates in the prior period been the same as those in effect in the current period; and
• Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA, which is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, further adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right-of-use assets and restructuring charges, net when applicable, and Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA margin.

This non-GAAP disclosure has limitations as an analytical tool, should not be viewed as a substitute for financial information determined in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP, nor is it necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies.

Management believes the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures in this press release provides meaningful supplemental information regarding Korn Ferry’s performance by excluding certain charges that may not be indicative of Korn Ferry’s ongoing operating results. These non-GAAP financial measures are performance measures and are not indicative of the liquidity of Korn Ferry. These charges, which are described in the footnotes in the attached reconciliations, represent 1) costs we incurred to acquire and integrate a portion of our Professional Search & Interim business, 2) impairment of fixed assets associated with the decision to terminate and sublease some of our offices, 3) impairment of right-of-use assets due to the decision to terminate and sublease some of our offices and 4) restructuring charges, net to realign our workforce with the Company's business needs and objectives. The use of non-GAAP financial measures facilitates comparisons to Korn Ferry’s historical performance. Korn Ferry includes non-GAAP financial measures because management believes they are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its evaluation of Korn Ferry’s ongoing operations and financial and operational decision-making. Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry, adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share and Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA, exclude certain charges that management does not consider on-going in nature and allows management and investors to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company’s operating results. Management further believes that Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors because it is frequently used by investors and other interested parties to measure operating performance among companies with different capital structures, effective tax rates and tax attributes and capitalized asset values, all of which can vary substantially from company to company. In the case of constant currency percentages, management believes the presentation of such information provides useful supplemental information regarding Korn Ferry's performance as excluding the impact of exchange rate changes on Korn Ferry's financial performance allows investors to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company’s operating results, to better identify operating trends that may otherwise be masked or distorted by exchange rate changes and to perform related trend analysis, and provides a higher degree of transparency of information used by management in its evaluation of Korn Ferry's ongoing operations and financial and operational decision-making.

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (in thousands, except per share amounts)
	Three Months Ended July 31,
		2024				2023
	(unaudited)
Fee revenue	$	674,946			$	699,189
Reimbursed out-of-pocket engagement expenses		7,815				7,073
Total revenue		682,761				706,262
Compensation and benefits		451,775				479,881
General and administrative expenses		59,999				65,917
Reimbursed expenses		7,815				7,073
Cost of services		67,544				77,190
Depreciation and amortization		19,578				19,012
Restructuring charges, net		—				421
Total operating expenses		606,711				649,494
Operating income		76,050				56,768
Other income, net		14,505				13,577
Interest expense, net		(3,945	)			(4,740	)
Income before provision for income taxes		86,610				65,605
Income tax provision		22,354				18,420
Net income		64,256				47,185
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest		(1,652	)			(580	)
Net income attributable to Korn Ferry	$	62,604			$	46,605
Earnings per common share attributable to Korn Ferry:
Basic	$	1.19			$	0.89
Diluted	$	1.17			$	0.89
Weighted-average common shares outstanding:
Basic		51,950				50,934
Diluted		52,745				51,082
Cash dividends declared per share:	$	0.37			$	0.18

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL SUMMARY BY REPORTING SEGMENT (dollars in thousands) (unaudited)
	Three Months Ended July 31,
		2024				2023			% Change
Fee revenue:
Consulting	$	167,870			$	168,088			(0.1	%)
Digital		88,180				87,986			0.2	%
Executive Search:
North America		134,752				127,498			5.7	%
EMEA		45,981				46,776			(1.7	%)
Asia Pacific		20,579				24,539			(16.1	%)
Latin America		7,323				6,421			14.0	%
Total Executive Search (a)		208,635				205,234			1.7	%
Professional Search & Interim		121,741				142,179			(14.4	%)
RPO		88,520				95,702			(7.5	%)
Total fee revenue		674,946				699,189			(3.5	%)
Reimbursed out-of-pocket engagement expenses		7,815				7,073			10.5	%
Total revenue	$	682,761			$	706,262			(3.3	%)

(a)		Total Executive Search is the sum of the individual Executive Search Reporting Segments and is presented on a consolidated basis as it is consistent with the Company’s discussion of its Lines of Business, and financial metrics used by the Company’s investor base.

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands, except per share amounts)
	July 31, 2024				April 30, 2024 (1)
	(unaudited)
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$	633,376			$	941,005
Marketable securities		40,626				42,742
Receivables due from clients, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $46,714 and $44,192 at July 31, 2024 and April 30, 2024, respectively		573,019				541,014
Income taxes and other receivables		49,606				40,696
Unearned compensation		62,375				59,247
Prepaid expenses and other assets		56,479				49,456
Total current assets		1,415,481				1,674,160
Marketable securities, non-current		231,195				211,681
Property and equipment, net		159,522				161,849
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net		155,881				160,464
Cash surrender value of company-owned life insurance policies, net of loans		234,725				218,977
Deferred income taxes		124,180				133,564
Goodwill		908,485				908,376
Intangible assets, net		82,606				88,833
Unearned compensation, non-current		113,171				99,913
Investments and other assets		22,323				21,052
Total assets	$	3,447,569			$	3,678,869
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Accounts payable	$	49,611			$	50,112
Income taxes payable		23,775				24,076
Compensation and benefits payable		270,897				525,466
Operating lease liability, current		35,931				36,073
Other accrued liabilities		277,804				298,792
Total current liabilities		658,018				934,519
Deferred compensation and other retirement plans		469,583				440,396
Operating lease liability, non-current		137,218				143,507
Long-term debt		397,140				396,946
Deferred tax liabilities		4,173				4,540
Other liabilities		22,195				21,636
Total liabilities		1,688,327				1,941,544
Stockholders' equity
Common stock: $0.01 par value, 150,000 shares authorized, 78,210 and 77,460 shares issued and 52,154 and 51,983 shares outstanding at July 31, 2024 and April 30, 2024, respectively		390,053				414,885
Retained earnings		1,468,648				1,425,844
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net		(104,860	)			(107,671	)
Total Korn Ferry stockholders' equity		1,753,841				1,733,058
Noncontrolling interest		5,401				4,267
Total stockholders' equity		1,759,242				1,737,325
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	3,447,569			$	3,678,869

(1)

Information is derived from audited financial statements included in Form 10-K.

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited)
	Three Months Ended July 31,
		2024				2023
Net income attributable to Korn Ferry	$	62,604			$	46,605
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest		1,652				580
Net income		64,256				47,185
Income tax provision		22,354				18,420
Income before provision for income taxes		86,610				65,605
Other income, net		(14,505	)			(13,577	)
Interest expense, net		3,945				4,740
Operating income		76,050				56,768
Depreciation and amortization		19,578				19,012
Other income, net		14,505				13,577
Integration/acquisition costs (1)		1,076				4,128
Impairment of fixed assets (2)		—				123
Impairment of right-of-use assets (3)		—				1,629
Restructuring charges, net (4)		—				421
Adjusted EBITDA	$	111,209			$	95,658
Operating margin		11.3	%			8.1	%
Depreciation and amortization		2.9	%			2.7	%
Other income, net		2.1	%			2.0	%
Integration/acquisition costs (1)		0.2	%			0.6	%
Impairment of fixed assets (2)		—	%			—	%
Impairment of right-of-use assets (3)		—	%			0.2	%
Restructuring charges, net (4)		—	%			0.1	%
Adjusted EBITDA margin		16.5	%			13.7	%
Net income attributable to Korn Ferry	$	62,604			$	46,605
Integration/acquisition costs (1)		1,076				4,128
Impairment of fixed assets (2)		—				123
Impairment of right-of-use assets (3)		—				1,629
Restructuring charges, net (4)		—				421
Tax effect on the adjusted items (5)		(560	)			(1,419	)
Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry	$	63,120			$	51,487
Basic earnings per common share	$	1.19			$	0.89
Integration/acquisition costs (1)		0.02				0.08
Impairment of fixed assets (2)		—				—
Impairment of right-of-use assets (3)		—				0.03
Restructuring charges, net (4)		—				0.01
Tax effect on the adjusted items (5)		(0.01	)			(0.02	)
Adjusted basic earnings per share	$	1.20			$	0.99
Diluted earnings per common share	$	1.17			$	0.89
Integration/acquisition costs (1)		0.02				0.08
Impairment of fixed assets (2)		—				—
Impairment of right-of-use assets (3)		—				0.03
Restructuring charges, net (4)		—				0.01
Tax effect on the adjusted items (5)		(0.01	)			(0.02	)
Adjusted diluted earnings per share	$	1.18			$	0.99

Explanation of Non-GAAP Adjustments
(1)		Costs associated with previous acquisitions, such as legal and professional fees, retention awards and the on-going integration expenses.
(2)		Costs associated with impairment of fixed assets (i.e. leasehold improvements) due to terminating and deciding to sublease some of our offices.
(3)		Costs associated with impairment of right-of-use assets due to terminating and deciding to sublease some of our offices.
(4)		Restructuring charges we incurred to realign our workforce with business needs and objectives due to shifts in global trade lanes and persistent inflationary pressures.
(5)		Tax effect on integration/acquisition costs, impairment of fixed assets and right-of-use assets, and restructuring charges, net.

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES - CONTINUED (unaudited)
	Three Months Ended July 31,
	2024															2023
	Fee revenue				Total revenue				Adjusted EBITDA				Adjusted EBITDA margin			Fee revenue				Total revenue				Adjusted EBITDA				Adjusted EBITDA margin
	(dollars in thousands)
Consulting	$	167,870			$	170,767			$	29,294			17.5	%		$	168,088			$	170,793			$	25,180			15.0	%
Digital		88,180				88,211				26,623			30.2	%			87,986				88,012				24,325			27.6	%
Executive Search:
North America		134,752				136,087				35,098			26.0	%			127,498				129,413				28,756			22.6	%
EMEA		45,981				46,276				7,265			15.8	%			46,776				47,135				5,638			12.1	%
Asia Pacific		20,579				20,704				4,218			20.5	%			24,539				24,610				6,315			25.7	%
Latin America		7,323				7,326				2,798			38.2	%			6,421				6,422				1,741			27.1	%
Total Executive Search		208,635				210,393				49,379			23.7	%			205,234				207,580				42,450			20.7	%
Professional Search & Interim		121,741				122,730				25,706			21.1	%			142,179				143,069				24,329			17.1	%
RPO		88,520				90,660				12,494			14.1	%			95,702				96,808				10,471			10.9	%
Corporate		—				—				(32,287	)						—				—				(31,097	)
Consolidated	$	674,946			$	682,761			$	111,209			16.5	%		$	699,189			$	706,262			$	95,658			13.7	%

 

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Investor Relations: Tiffany Louder, (214) 310-8407

Media: Dan Gugler, (310) 226-2645

Source: Korn Ferry

FAQ

What was Korn Ferry's (KFY) fee revenue for Q1 FY'25?

Korn Ferry reported fee revenue of $674.9 million for Q1 FY'25, which represents a 3% decrease year-over-year.

How did Korn Ferry's (KFY) Executive Search segment perform in Q1 FY'25?

Korn Ferry's Executive Search segment grew 2% year-over-year (3% at constant currency) with fee revenue of $208.6 million in Q1 FY'25.

What was Korn Ferry's (KFY) Adjusted EBITDA and margin for Q1 FY'25?

Korn Ferry's Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 FY'25 was $111.2 million, with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 16.5%, representing a 280bps increase year-over-year.

How much did Korn Ferry (KFY) spend on share repurchases in Q1 FY'25?

Korn Ferry repurchased 351,250 shares for $23.5 million during Q1 FY'25.

What is Korn Ferry's (KFY) quarterly dividend for Q1 FY'25?

Korn Ferry declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, payable on October 15, 2024, to stockholders of record on September 19, 2024.