Limelight Networks Reports Record First Quarter Results

Rhea-AI Summary

Limelight Networks reported a strong first quarter of 2022, achieving revenue of $58 million, a 13% increase year over year. The company's gross margin rose to 30.7%, up 630 basis points. Adjusted EBITDA improved to $2 million from a loss of $3.3 million in Q1 2021. Operational improvements led to record traffic, with 17 of the top 20 traffic days occurring this quarter. Limelight is also focused on integrating the Edgecast acquisition, aiming to enhance its edge solutions and client offerings. The outlook for the year remains positive, with anticipated revenue between $240 million and $250 million.

Positive

• Revenue of $58 million, a 13% increase year over year.
• Gross margin increased to 30.7%, up 630 basis points.
• Adjusted EBITDA improved to $2 million from a loss of $3.3 million in Q1 2021.
• Record traffic reported, with 17 of the top 20 traffic days in this quarter.
• 19 of top 20 customers saw revenue growth exceeding 20%.
• Total company pipeline grew over 30% since the beginning of the year.

Negative

• GAAP net loss of $19.2 million, though improved from $25.5 million a year ago.
• Operating loss of $16.97 million compared to $3.44 million in Q1 2021.
• General and administrative expenses rose 73% year over year.

TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Limelight Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: LLNW) (Limelight), a leading provider of content delivery services and AppOps at the edge, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022. Delivering on several key milestones in its 2022 strategic plan, the company reported significant revenue, gross margin, and adjusted EBITDA growth year over year.

“First quarter 2022 results were ahead of plan as we continue building on the momentum established in the second half of 2021. Revenue for the first quarter came in at $58.0 million, up 13% year over year. Gross Margin was 30.7%, up 630 basis points year over year and Adjusted EBITDA was $2 million versus a loss of $3.3 million in the first quarter of 2021,” said Bob Lyons, President, and Chief Executive Officer.

“In the quarter, our operational improvements and renewed client focus have driven record traffic with 17 of Limelight’s top 20 highest historical traffic days landing in the quarter,” said Lyons. “We are proud of achieving the top performance spot in the world for edge CDN networks. This distinction anchors the transformation of Limelight from a media CDN to a leading edge enabled technology solutions company.”

“We continue to execute against our Improve, Expand and Extend strategic framework, and remain confident in our ability to build on this progress,” said Lyons.

Improve: Continued improvement in operational performance and cost structure:

• Client sentiment metric maintained high ratings for the third quarter in a row, across our global top 20.
• Record traffic with 17 of Limelight’s top 20 highest historical traffic days landing in this quarter. Traffic sources were broad-based, spanning streaming, live events, software downloads, and gaming across both large and small clients.
• Year over year cash gross margin expansion of 420 basis points.
• Year over year flowthrough of revenue growth to adjusted EBITDA of 77%.

Expand: Existing client and new logo growth driving meaningful revenue expansion:

• 13% year over year revenue growth with organic growth of 6%.
• 19 of Top 20 Limelight customers grew revenue more than 20%.
• Customer additions were the highest they have been in the previous five quarters. This positive momentum spans both our delivery and AppOps solutions.
• Total company pipeline has grown more than 30% from the beginning of the year, with Layer0 pipeline growing by triple digits.
• Mostly completed the planned rebuild of our sales and marketing teams which should drive momentum in the second half of the year.

Extend: Extension of new growth products:

• Transformational acquisition of Edgecast - a meaningful step toward our strategy to become a leading edge enabled software solutions company.
• With Edgecast, we will be one of the largest and most performant independent edge platforms with a significant increase in scale, security, live events and video capabilities.
• Layer0 contributed $3.8 million in the quarter and is tracking well toward its full year guide of at least $20 million in high growth, high gross margin revenue.
• We strengthened our security capabilities with the launch of Layer0 Security Platform consisting of WAF, DDoS and Bot Management solutions.

First Quarter 2022 Financial Results

• Revenue of $58.0 million, up 13% from the first quarter of 2021.
• GAAP net loss of $19.2 million, or $(0.14) per basic share, an improvement of $6.3 million from the net loss of $25.5 million, or $(0.21) per basic share, in the first quarter of 2021. GAAP net loss included $5.1 million in acquisition and legal related charges in the first quarter of 2022 and restructuring and transition related charges of $11.7 million in the first quarter of 2021.
• Non-GAAP net loss was $5.4 million, or $(0.04) per basic share, an improvement of $5.6 million from the Non-GAAP net loss of $11.0 million, or $(0.09) per basic share, in the first quarter of 2021.
• Adjusted EBITDA was $2.0 million, an improvement of $5.2 million from a loss of $3.3 million in the first quarter of 2021.
• EBITDA was $(10.9) million, an improvement of $6.7 million from $(17.6) million for the first quarter of 2021.
• Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities total $61.9 million at the end of the first quarter 2022.
• Limelight ended the first quarter of 2022 with 556 employees and employee equivalents, up from 552 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, and from 510 at the end of the first quarter of 2021.

Guidance

“Given we anticipate closing the Edgecast acquisition in the next 30-60 days, we are maintaining our full year guidance. We expect to begin working with the Edgecast team on a bottom-up forecast for the remainder of the year immediately after we close and will provide combined guidance for the year as we finish that process,” said Dan Boncel, Chief Financial Officer. “In the short term, we expect second quarter revenue to be consistent with the first. With continued tight management of network and operating expenses, we would expect gross margin and adjusted EBITDA margin to continue its methodical expansion.”

Limelight Networks, Inc.
2022 Guidance
				April 2022
Revenue				$240 to $250 million
GAAP Basic EPS				$(0.27) to $(0.22)
Non-GAAP EPS				$(0.06) to $(0.01)
Adjusted EBITDA				$24 to $28 million
Capital expenditures				$20 to $25 million

Update on Edgecast Transaction and Corporate Rebranding

“Integration planning is well underway,” said Lyons, “We believe the combined company will be uniquely positioned to provide unmatched performance, productivity, and security value at the edge for the outcome buyer. We will do this for a more diversified set of clients with better end-to-end services, a more complete edge solutions platform and an exceptionally scaled global network. We are looking to capture this dynamic as we start a new phase as Edgio.”

Financial Tables

LIMELIGHT NETWORKS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except per share data)
		March 31,				December 31,
		2022				2021
		(Unaudited)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	27,175			$	41,918
Marketable securities			34,751				37,367
Accounts receivable, net			55,040				42,217
Income taxes receivable			63				61
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			16,044				13,036
Total current assets			133,073				134,599
Property and equipment, net			34,792				33,622
Operating lease right of use assets			6,064				6,338
Marketable securities, less current portion			40				40
Deferred income taxes			1,822				1,893
Goodwill			113,463				114,511
Intangible assets, net			13,827				14,613
Other assets			4,779				5,485
Total assets		$	307,860			$	311,101
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		$	15,599			$	11,631
Deferred revenue			2,189				3,266
Operating lease liability obligations			1,754				1,861
Income taxes payable			215				873
Other current liabilities			20,403				19,292
Total current liabilities			40,160				36,923
Convertible senior notes, net			121,991				121,782
Operating lease liability obligations, less current portions			9,209				9,616
Deferred income taxes			303				308
Deferred revenue, less current portion			282				116
Other long-term liabilities			721				777
Total liabilities			172,666				169,522
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 7,500 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding			-				-
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 300,000 shares authorized; 138,178 and 134,337 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively			138				134
Additional paid-in capital			590,249				576,807
Accumulated other comprehensive loss			(9,004	)			(8,345	)
Accumulated deficit			(446,189	)			(427,017	)
Total stockholders' equity			135,194				141,579
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity		$	307,860			$	311,101

LIMELIGHT NETWORKS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,				December 31,				Percent			March 31,				Percent
		2022				2021				Change			2021				Change
Revenue		$	57,959			$	62,885			-8	%		$	51,195			13	%
Cost of revenue:
Cost of services (1)			35,070				35,065			0	%			33,021			6	%
Depreciation - network			5,089				5,215			-2	%			5,679			-10	%
Total cost of revenue			40,159				40,280			0	%			38,700			4	%
Gross profit			17,800				22,605			-21	%			12,495			42	%
Gross profit percentage			30.7	%			35.9	%						24.4	%
Operating expenses:
General and administrative (1)			15,833				9,147			73	%			12,948			22	%
Sales and marketing (1)			7,627				8,141			-6	%			9,835			-22	%
Research & development (1)			9,577				5,149			86	%			6,113			57	%
Depreciation and amortization			1,032				976			6	%			540			91	%
Restructuring charge			698				2,627			NM				6,873			NM
Total operating expenses			34,767				26,040			34	%			36,309			-4	%
Operating loss			(16,967	)			(3,435	)		NM				(23,814	)		NM
Other income (expense):
Interest expense			(1,313	)			(1,346	)		NM				(1,286	)		NM
Interest income			27				30			NM				45			NM
Other, net			(713	)			(243	)		NM				(214	)		NM
Total other expense			(1,999	)			(1,559	)		NM				(1,455	)		NM
Loss before income taxes			(18,966	)			(4,994	)		NM				(25,269	)		NM
Income tax expense			206				435			NM				260			NM
Net loss		$	(19,172	)		$	(5,429	)		NM			$	(25,529	)		NM
Net loss per share:
Basic		$	(0.14	)		$	(0.04	)					$	(0.21	)
Diluted		$	(0.14	)		$	(0.04	)					$	(0.21	)
Weighted average shares used in per share calculation:
Basic			135,528				134,023							124,290
Diluted			135,528				134,023							124,290
(1) Includes share-based compensation (see supplemental table for figures)

LIMELIGHT NETWORKS, INC.
SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL DATA
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,				December 31,				March 31,
		2022				2021				2021
Share-based compensation:
Cost of services		$	408			$	243			$	246
General and administrative			2,103				2,311				6,028
Sales and marketing			1,181				915				563
Research and development			3,320				788				371
Restructuring and transition related charges			-				(254	)			1,354
Total share-based compensation		$	7,012			$	4,003			$	8,562
Depreciation and amortization:
Network-related depreciation		$	5,089			$	5,215			$	5,679
Other depreciation and amortization			246				249				540
Amortization of intangible assets			786				727				-
Total depreciation and amortization		$	6,121			$	6,191			$	6,219
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities:		$	(17,359	)		$	3,499			$	(6,795	)
End of period statistics:
Approximate number of active clients			577				580				527
Number of employees and employee equivalents			556				552				510

LIMELIGHT NETWORKS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,				December 31,				March 31,
		2022				2021				2021
Operating activities
Net loss		$	(19,172	)		$	(5,429	)		$	(25,529	)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			6,121				6,191				6,219
Share-based compensation			7,012				4,003				8,562
Foreign currency remeasurement (gain) loss			242				208				(71	)
Deferred income taxes			(2	)			(216	)			(10	)
Gain on sale of property and equipment			-				(28	)			-
Accounts receivable charges			272				35				466
Amortization of premium on marketable securities			280				282				609
Noncash interest expense			209				207				199
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(13,095	)			3,928				2,059
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			(3,174	)			288				446
Income taxes receivable			(2	)			(51	)			(36	)
Other assets			834				1,944				399
Accounts payable and other current liabilities			3,625				740				5,209
Deferred revenue			(911	)			(5,519	)			(84	)
Income taxes payable			(655	)			435				73
Other long term liabilities			(55	)			326				(3	)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			(18,471	)			7,344				(1,492	)
Investing activities
Purchases of marketable securities			(6,839	)			(17,238	)			(10,874	)
Sale and maturities of marketable securities			9,087				15,760				5,897
Purchases of property and equipment			(5,350	)			(3,901	)			(6,628	)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment			-				28				-
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired			492				-				-
Net cash used in investing activities			(2,610	)			(5,351	)			(11,605	)
Financing activities
Payment of employee tax withholdings related to restricted stock vesting			(1,285	)			(311	)			(671	)
Proceeds from employee stock plans			7,986				725				2,847
Net cash provided by financing activities			6,701				414				2,176
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(363	)			(74	)			(254	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(14,743	)			2,333				(11,175	)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period			41,918				39,585				46,795
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period		$	27,175			$	41,918			$	35,620

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To evaluate our business, we consider and use non-generally accepted accounting principles (Non-GAAP) net income (loss), EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as supplemental measures of operating performance. These measures include the same adjustments that management takes into account when it reviews and assesses operating performance on a period-to-period basis. We consider Non-GAAP net income (loss) to be an important indicator of overall business performance. We define Non-GAAP net income (loss) to be U.S. GAAP net income (loss) adjusted to exclude share-based compensation, non-cash interest expense, restructuring and transition related charges, acquisition and legal related expenses, and amortization of intangible assets. We believe that EBITDA provides a useful metric to investors to compare us with other companies within our industry and across industries. We define EBITDA as U.S. GAAP net income (loss) adjusted to exclude depreciation and amortization, interest expense, interest and other (income) expense, and income tax expense. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA adjusted to exclude share-based compensation, restructuring and transition related charges and acquisition and legal related expenses. We use Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental measure to review and assess operating performance. Our management uses these Non-GAAP financial measures because, collectively, they provide valuable information on the performance of our on-going operations, excluding non-cash charges, taxes and non-core activities (including interest payments related to financing activities). These measures also enable our management to compare the results of our on-going operations from period to period and allow management to review the performance of our on-going operations against our peer companies and against other companies in our industry and adjacent industries. We believe these measures also provide similar insights to investors and enable investors to review our results of operations “through the eyes of management.”

Furthermore, our management uses these Non-GAAP financial measures to assist them in making decisions regarding our strategic priorities and areas for future investment and focus. The terms Non-GAAP net income (loss), EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not defined under U.S. GAAP, and are not measures of operating income, operating performance or liquidity presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our Non-GAAP net income (loss), EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as analytical tools, and when assessing our operating performance, Non-GAAP net income (loss), EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for net income (loss) or other consolidated income statement data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Some of these limitations include, but are not limited to:

• EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect our cash expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
• These measures do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
• Non-GAAP net income (loss) and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the cash requirements necessary for litigation costs, including provision for litigation and litigation expenses;
• These measures do not reflect the interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debt that we may incur;
• These measures do not reflect income taxes or the cash requirements for any tax payments;
• Although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will be replaced sometime in the future, and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements;
• While share-based compensation is a component of operating expense, the impact on our financial statements compared to other companies can vary significantly due to such factors as the assumed life of the options and the assumed volatility of our common stock; and
• Other companies may calculate Non-GAAP net income (loss), EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures.

We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our U.S. GAAP results and using Non-GAAP net income (loss), EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA only as supplemental support for management's analysis of business performance. Non-GAAP net income (loss), EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are calculated as follows for the periods presented in thousands:

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In accordance with the requirements of Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K, we are presenting the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures and reconciling the unaudited Non-GAAP financial metrics to the comparable U.S. GAAP measures. Per share amounts may not foot due to rounding.

LIMELIGHT NETWORKS, INC.
Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP Net Loss to Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss)
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
		Three Months Ended
		March 31, 2022								December 31, 2021								March 31, 2021
		Amount				Per Share				Amount				Per Share				Amount				Per Share
U.S. GAAP net loss		$	(19,172	)		$	(0.14	)		$	(5,429	)		$	(0.04	)		$	(25,529	)		$	(0.21	)
Share-based compensation			7,012				0.05				4,257				0.03				2,644				0.02
Non-cash interest expense			209				0.00				207				0.00				199				0.00
Restructuring and transition related charges			698				0.01				2,627				0.02				11,700				0.09
Acquisition and legal related expenses			5,107				0.04				377				0.00				-				-
Amortization of intangible assets			786				0.01				727				0.01				-				-
Non-GAAP net (loss) income		$	(5,360	)		$	(0.04	)		$	2,766			$	0.02			$	(10,986	)		$	(0.09	)
Weighted average shares used in per share calculation							135,528								134,023								124,290

LIMELIGHT NETWORKS, INC.
Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP Net Loss to EBITDA to Adjusted EBITDA
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
					Three Months Ended
					March 31,				December 31,				March 31,
					2022				2021				2021
U.S. GAAP net loss					$	(19,172	)		$	(5,429	)		$	(25,529	)
Depreciation and amortization						6,121				6,191				6,219
Interest expense						1,313				1,346				1,286
Interest and other (income) expense						686				213				169
Income tax expense						206				435				260
EBITDA					$	(10,846	)		$	2,756			$	(17,595	)
Share-based compensation						7,012				4,257				2,644
Restructuring and transition related charges						698				2,627				11,700
Acquisition and legal related expenses						5,107				377				-
Adjusted EBITDA					$	1,971			$	10,017			$	(3,251	)

For future periods, we are unable to provide a reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) as a result of the uncertainty regarding, and the potential variability of, the amounts of depreciation and amortization, interest expense, interest and other (income) expense and income tax expense, that may be incurred in the future.

Conference Call

At approximately 7:30 a.m. EDT (4:30 a.m. PDT) today, management will host a quarterly conference call for investors. Interested parties can access the call by dialing (844)-200-6205 from the United States or (929)-526-1599 internationally, with access code 088169. The conference call will also be audio cast live from http://www.limelight.com and a replay will be available following the call from the Limelight website.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include, among others, statements regarding our expectations regarding revenue, gross margin, non-GAAP net income (loss), capital expenditures, and our future prospects, areas of investment, and product launches. Our expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from the results or outcomes predicted include, among other things, reduction of demand for our services from new or existing clients, unforeseen changes in our hiring patterns, adverse outcomes in litigation, experiencing expenses that exceed our expectations, and acquisition activities and contributions from acquired businesses. A detailed discussion of these factors and other risks that affect our business is contained in our SEC filings, including our most recent reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, particularly under the heading “Risk Factors.” Copies of these filings are available online on our investor relations website at investors.limelightnetworks.com and on the SEC website at www.SEC.gov. All information provided in this release and in the attachments is as of April 28, 2022, and we undertake no duty to update this information in light of new information or future events, unless required by law.

About Limelight

Limelight (NASDAQ: LLNW) is an industry leader in providing edge-enabled solutions to deliver fast, secure digital experiences on a global scale. We offer powerful tools that optimize, protect, and deliver our clients' valuable digital assets in an increasingly competitive marketplace. From content delivery and AppOps to Jamstack application architecture and web security, we are uniquely positioned to leverage our global private network and client-obsessed experts to help our customers win. The world’s largest brands trust Limelight and we invite you to learn more about us by visiting www.limelight.com, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Copyright (C) 2022 Limelight Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. All product or service names are the property of their respective owners.

Source: Limelight Networks

Ticker Slug:

Ticker: LLNW

Exchange: NASDAQ

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220428005216/en/

Limelight Networks, Inc.

Sameet Sinha, 646-337-8909

ir@llnw.com

Source: Limelight Networks, Inc.

FAQ

What were Limelight Networks' financial results for Q1 2022?

Limelight Networks reported Q1 2022 revenue of $58 million, a 13% increase year over year, along with a gross margin of 30.7%.

How much did Limelight's adjusted EBITDA improve in Q1 2022?

Adjusted EBITDA improved to $2 million in Q1 2022 from a loss of $3.3 million in the same quarter of 2021.

What is Limelight Networks' GAAP net loss for Q1 2022?

Limelight Networks reported a GAAP net loss of $19.2 million for Q1 2022, improved from a net loss of $25.5 million in Q1 2021.

What is Limelight's revenue guidance for the full year 2022?

Limelight Networks expects full-year revenue to be between $240 million and $250 million.

How did Limelight Networks perform compared to its customers in Q1 2022?

19 of Limelight's top 20 customers experienced revenue growth of over 20% in Q1 2022.