Opera Reports First Quarter Results Ahead of Expectations, Raises Full Year Outlook
- First quarter revenue of $101.9 million, a 17% year-over-year growth
- Adjusted EBITDA at $24.9 million, a 24% margin
- Company raised full-year revenue guidance to 16% year-over-year growth at a 24% adjusted EBITDA margin
- 304 million MAUs in the first quarter of 2024
- Advertising revenue grew 21% year-over-year, representing 58% of total revenue
- Search revenue grew 14% year-over-year
- Opera GX gaming browser had 29.5 million MAUs across PC and mobile
- Google extended search agreement through 2025 on current terms
- Strong operating cash flow of $31.0 million
- Cash position of $91.3 million at quarter end
- None.
Insights
Opera Limited's first quarter results show a commendable year-over-year revenue growth of
Given the strength in operating cash flow, which has enabled both the payment of dividends and investment in new equipment, it's evident Opera is managing to balance shareholder returns with strategic growth investments. The cash position at quarter's end, complemented by valuable stakes in other ventures like OPay, positions Opera for solid financial footing and potential future expansion.
For retail investors, Opera's upward adjustment of its full-year revenue outlook and its ongoing commitment to growth and profitability are promising indicators, especially in light of the extended search agreement with Google. However, the noted decrease in free cash flow and net income warrants attention, as it could signal larger capital outlays that may affect future dividends or investments.
The tech landscape is continuously evolving with artificial intelligence (AI) at its forefront and Opera's 'high pace of innovation' is evidence of its commitment to staying competitive. The integration of generative AI features into their Opera One browser could be a game-changer, drawing in tech-savvy users looking for advanced capabilities. Furthermore, Opera's proactive adaptation to the Digital Markets Act, leading to a surge in iOS users in the EU, shows strategic maneuvering within regulatory frameworks to capture a larger market share.
Opera's AI data cluster in Iceland represents not just a significant capital investment but also a strategic move to enhance the company's AI capabilities – a critical area of tech innovation. For investors, such forward-looking initiatives may translate into sustained long-term growth, especially as Opera targets high-ARPU users in affluent markets. While these investments may put pressure on short-term financials, as reflected by the dip in net income, they are likely to bolster the company's competitive edge in the long run.
The strategic focus on high-ARPU users in regions like North America, Europe and Latin America is a noteworthy approach by Opera. By tailoring their services to these demographics, Opera is not only boosting their ARPU but also building a user base that is more attractive to advertisers. The gaming browser Opera GX's steady increase in MAUs is an indication of successful market penetration within a niche yet lucrative segment.
Investors should also consider the company's search revenue, which grew by
First quarter revenue of
First quarter adjusted EBITDA at
High pace of innovation with continuous AI feature drops and taking advantage of our new AI data cluster in
Company increases full-year revenue guidance to
First Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights | ||||||||||||
Three Months Ended March 31, | Year-over-year | |||||||||||
(In thousands, except percentages and per share amounts, unaudited) | 2023 | 2024 | % change | |||||||||
Revenue | $ | 87,051 | $ | 101,871 | 17 | % | ||||||
Net income | $ | 15,478 | $ | 14,839 | (4) | % | ||||||
Margin | 17.8 | % | 14.6 | % | ||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA (1) | $ | 21,738 | $ | 24,913 | 15 | % | ||||||
Margin | 25.0 | % | 24.5 | % | ||||||||
Diluted earnings per ADS (2) | $ | 0.17 | $ | 0.17 | (2) | % | ||||||
Net cash flow from operating activities | $ | 25,727 | $ | 31,022 | 21 | % | ||||||
Free cash flow from operations (1) | $ | 23,318 | $ | 8,290 | (64) | % |
(1) | See "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" and "Reconciliations of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" sections below for explanations and reconciliations of non-IFRS financial measures. |
(2) | Opera Limited has American depositary shares (ADSs) listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, each representing two ordinary shares in the company. |
"We are off to a strong start to the year with revenue and profitability coming in ahead of expectations. We are able to drive this outperformance by focusing on innovating new features that are valued by users, globally," said co-CEO Lin Song.
"I am particularly proud of our ability to move rapidly in the area of generative AI, with our feature drops now allowing our users to run large language models locally on their own machines as an integrated experience in Opera One. As evidenced by the strong user growth of Opera GX as well as the significant lift in new iOS users in the EU following the Digital Markets Act, Opera's consumer awareness continues to grow among high-ARPU users that are increasingly looking for a differentiated alternative to system default browsers," continued Mr. Song.
First Quarter and Recent Business Highlights
- Advertising revenue grew
21% year-over-year. Advertising represented58% of total revenue. This revenue category benefitted from solid monetization performance of our browsers, as well as the expansion of our Opera Ads platform. - Search revenue grew
14% year-over-year. The growth in search revenue continues to be driven by our focus on users with the highest monetization potential. - Opera had 304 million monthly active users (MAUs) in the first quarter of 2024, with continued growth in high-ARPU users in
North America ,Europe andLatin America , offset by ongoing declines of low-ARPU users in other emerging markets. - In the first quarter of 2024, annualized ARPU was
, an increase of$1.34 24% versus the first quarter of 2023. - The Opera GX gaming browser had 29.5 million MAUs across PC and mobile in the quarter, up
6% from 27.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. - Google exercised its option to extend our search agreement through 2025 on current terms.
- Opera paid a semi-annual dividend of
per ADS, translating to a total of$0.40 at the January record date. The dividend cash distribution was$35.0 million , while the remaining$9.9 million was offset against our receivable from the sale of Star X.$25.1 million - Strong operating cash flow of
funded both the cash dividend to public shareholders and the$31.0 million in equipment purchases, predominantly related to our new AI data cluster in$20.2 million Iceland . Opera had cash at quarter end, as well as a remaining$91.3 million receivable due from the sale of our prior stake in Star X, and our stake in OPay with an estimated value of$7.8 million following our adjusted fair value estimate.$253.3 million
Business Outlook
"I am very pleased with the opening trajectory of 2024, and while it has only been two months since we issued our original guidance for the year, we are cautiously raising the lower end of our revenue guidance, expecting
"We continue to operate a healthy business that combines growth, profitability and cash generation. This allows us to continuously invest in both product R&D and marketing, in sum supporting a continued strong trajectory and our ability to seize Opera's opportunities in a rapidly evolving landscape. We are excited about the days to come," continued Mr. Jacobsen.
For the full year of 2024, Opera now guides revenue to be
For the second quarter, we guide revenue of
First Quarter 2024 Financial Results
All comparisons in this section are relative to the first quarter of 2023 unless otherwise stated.
Revenue increased by
- Advertising revenue increased by
21% to .$58.6 million - Search revenue increased by
14% to .$43.1 million - Technology licensing and other revenue was
.$0.1 million
Operating expenses increased by
- Combined technology and platform fees, content cost and cost of inventory sold were
, or$24.0 million 24% of revenue. - Personnel expenses, including share-based remuneration, were
. This expense consists of cash-based compensation expense of$18.9 million , a$16.3 million 5% increase year-over-year, and share-based remuneration expense of . Share-based remuneration includes grants made by Opera's majority shareholder, which represents an expense in the P&L even though Opera has no obligation in connection with these grants, and the grants do not represent dilution for Opera's shareholders.$2.6 million - Marketing and distribution expenses were
, an increase of$29.5 million 21% . - Depreciation and amortization expenses were
, a$3.1 million 9% decrease. - All other operating expenses were
, a$7.2 million 16% decrease driven by a reduction in credit loss expense.
Operating profit was
Net finance loss was
Income tax expense was
Net income was
Basic earnings per ADS was
Adjusted EBITDA was
Operating cash flow was
We have posted Opera's unaudited financial results by quarter since 2019 at https://investor.opera.com/financial-information/quarterly-results.
Conference Call
Opera's management will host a conference call to discuss the first quarter 2024 financial results on Thursday, April 25th at 8:00 am Eastern Time (EDT). Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers:
International: +1 785-424-1062
Confirmation Code: OPRAQ124
A live webcast of the conference call will be posted at https://investor.opera.com.
Non-IFRS Financial Measures
We collect and analyze operating and financial data to evaluate the health of our business and assess our performance. In addition to revenue, net income (loss), net cash flow from operating activities and other financial measures under IFRS Accounting Standards, we use adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow from operations to evaluate our business. We use these non-IFRS financial measures for financial and operational decision-making and as means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. We believe adjusted EBITDA provides meaningful supplemental information regarding our financial performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of recurring core business operating results, and that free cash flow from operations provides useful information regarding our liquidity, including ability to generate cash from business operations that is available for acquisitions and other investments, and for distributions to our shareholders.
We define adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) excluding (i) profit (loss) from discontinued operations, (ii) income tax (expense) benefit, (iii) net finance income (expense), (iv) share of net income (loss) of equity-accounted investees, (v) impairment of equity-accounted investees, (vi) fair value gain (loss) on investments, (vii) depreciation and amortization, (viii) impairment of non-financial assets, (ix) share-based remuneration, (x) non-recurring expenses, and (xi) other operating income.
We define free cash flow from operations as net cash flows from (used in) operating activities less (i) purchases of fixed and intangible assets, (ii) development expenditure and (iii) payment of lease liabilities.
We believe adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow from operations are useful to investors both because (1) they allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision-making and (2) they are used by our institutional investors and the analyst community to help them analyze the health of our business. However, these non-IFRS financial measures should not be considered substitutes for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards. Our calculations of adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow from operations may differ from similarly-titled non-IFRS measures, if any, reported by our peers. In addition, the non-IFRS financial measures may be limited in their usefulness because they do not present the full economic effects of certain items of income, expenses and cash flows. We compensate for these limitations by providing reconciliations of our non-IFRS financial measures to the most closely related financial measures in IFRS Accounting Standards. We encourage investors and others to review our financial information in its entirety, not to rely on any single financial measure and to view adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow from operations in conjunction with net income (loss) and net cash flow from operating activities.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements, including statements relating to the Company's future financial and operating results, are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the
About Opera
Opera is a user-centric and innovative software company focused on enabling the best possible internet browsing experience across all devices. Hundreds of millions use the Opera web browsers for their unique and secure features on their mobile phones and desktop computers. Founded in 1995, and headquartered in
Opera Limited | ||||||||
Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||||
Revenue | $ | 87,051 | $ | 101,871 | ||||
Other operating income | 129 | 343 | ||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
Technology and platform fees | (841) | (3,763) | ||||||
Content cost | (889) | (970) | ||||||
Cost of inventory sold | (15,165) | (19,285) | ||||||
Personnel expenses including share-based remuneration | (20,053) | (18,924) | ||||||
Marketing and distribution expenses | (24,396) | (29,466) | ||||||
Credit loss expense | (2,399) | 63 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization | (3,380) | (3,072) | ||||||
Other operating expenses | (6,107) | (7,224) | ||||||
Total operating expenses | (73,230) | (82,640) | ||||||
Operating profit | 13,950 | 19,575 | ||||||
Net finance income (expense): | ||||||||
Finance income | 5,362 | 863 | ||||||
Finance expense | (372) | (142) | ||||||
Net foreign exchange gain (loss) | (193) | (827) | ||||||
Net finance income (expense) | 4,797 | (106) | ||||||
Income before income taxes | 18,747 | 19,468 | ||||||
Income tax expense | (3,269) | (4,629) | ||||||
Net income attributable to owners of the parent | $ | 15,478 | $ | 14,839 | ||||
Weighted-average number of shares outstanding: | ||||||||
Basic, ADS equivalent | 89.79 | 88.45 | ||||||
Diluted, ADS equivalent | 90.64 | 89.24 | ||||||
Basic, ordinary shares | 179.57 | 176.91 | ||||||
Diluted, ordinary shares | 181.28 | 178.49 | ||||||
Earnings per ADS and per ordinary share: | ||||||||
Basic earnings per ADS | $ | 0.17 | $ | 0.17 | ||||
Diluted earnings per ADS | $ | 0.17 | $ | 0.17 | ||||
Basic earnings per ordinary share | $ | 0.09 | $ | 0.08 | ||||
Diluted earnings per ordinary share | $ | 0.09 | $ | 0.08 |
Opera Limited | ||||||||
Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||||
Net income | $ | 15,478 | $ | 14,839 | ||||
Other comprehensive income (loss): | ||||||||
Items that may be reclassified to the statement of operations in subsequent periods (net of tax): | ||||||||
Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations | 52 | (246) | ||||||
Other comprehensive income (loss) | 52 | (246) | ||||||
Total comprehensive income attributable to owners of the parent | $ | 15,530 | $ | 14,593 |
Opera Limited | ||||||||
As of December 31, | As of March 31, | |||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||||
Assets: | ||||||||
Property and equipment | $ | 16,074 | $ | 36,781 | ||||
Goodwill | 429,856 | 429,794 | ||||||
Intangible assets | 99,070 | 98,696 | ||||||
Investment in OPay | 253,300 | 253,300 | ||||||
Other non-current investments and financial assets | 3,049 | 3,062 | ||||||
Deferred tax assets | 1,133 | 1,161 | ||||||
Total non-current assets | 802,482 | 822,794 | ||||||
Trade receivables | 69,382 | 62,450 | ||||||
Current receivables from sale of investments | 32,797 | 7,751 | ||||||
Other current receivables | 7,760 | 6,422 | ||||||
Prepayments | 4,660 | 7,228 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | 93,863 | 91,338 | ||||||
Total current assets | 208,461 | 175,190 | ||||||
Total assets | $ | 1,010,943 | $ | 997,984 | ||||
Equity: | ||||||||
Share capital | $ | 18 | $ | 18 | ||||
Other paid in capital | 717,610 | 682,603 | ||||||
Treasury shares | (238,815) | (238,815) | ||||||
Retained earnings | 445,164 | 462,724 | ||||||
Foreign currency translation reserve | (4,127) | (4,373) | ||||||
Total equity attributable to owners of the parent | 919,850 | 902,157 | ||||||
Liabilities: | ||||||||
Non-current lease liabilities and other loans | 6,776 | 6,942 | ||||||
Deferred tax liabilities | 2,813 | 5,369 | ||||||
Other non-current liabilities | 94 | 85 | ||||||
Total non-current liabilities | 9,682 | 12,396 | ||||||
Trade and other payables | 52,247 | 52,716 | ||||||
Deferred revenue | 10,272 | 7,703 | ||||||
Current lease liabilities and other loans | 3,770 | 3,781 | ||||||
Income tax payable | 1,838 | 5,269 | ||||||
Other current liabilities | 13,285 | 13,962 | ||||||
Total current liabilities | 81,411 | 83,431 | ||||||
Total liabilities | 91,093 | 95,827 | ||||||
Total equity and liabilities | $ | 1,010,943 | $ | 997,984 |
Opera Limited | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For the three months ended March 31, 2023: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of shares | Equity attributable to owners of the parent | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ordinary shares | ADS equivalent | Share capital | Other paid in capital | Treasury shares | Retained earnings | Foreign currency translation reserve | Total equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of January 1, 2023 | 178,430,242 | 89,215,121 | $ | 18 | $ | 824,832 | $ | (206,514) | $ | 273,263 | $ | (3,385) | $ | 888,213 | ||||||||||||||||||
Net income | - | - | - | - | - | 15,478 | - | 15,478 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other comprehensive income | - | - | - | - | - | - | 52 | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Share-based remuneration, net of tax | - | - | - | - | - | 3,433 | - | 3,433 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of shares upon exercise of RSUs and options | 1,994,576 | 997,288 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends | - | - | - | (71,256) | - | - | - | (71,256) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Acquisition of treasury shares | (740,324) | (370,162) | - | - | (2,464) | - | - | (2,464) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of March 31, 2023 | 179,684,494 | 89,842,247 | $ | 18 | $ | 753,576 | $ | (208,978) | $ | 292,174 | $ | (3,334) | $ | 833,455 |
For the three months ended March 31, 2024: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of shares | Equity attributable to owners of the parent | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ordinary shares | ADS equivalent | Share capital | Other paid in capital | Treasury shares | Retained earnings | Foreign currency translation reserve | Total equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of January 1, 2024 | 175,036,568 | 87,518,284 | $ | 18 | $ | 717,610 | $ | (238,815) | $ | 445,164 | $ | (4,127) | $ | 919,850 | ||||||||||||||||||
Net income | - | - | - | - | - | 14,839 | - | 14,839 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other comprehensive loss | - | - | - | - | - | - | (246) | (246) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Share-based remuneration, net of tax | - | - | - | - | - | 2,722 | - | 2,722 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of shares upon exercise of RSUs and options | 1,871,328 | 935,664 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends | - | - | - | (35,007) | - | - | - | (35,007) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of March 31, 2024 | 176,907,896 | 88,453,948 | $ | 18 | $ | 682,603 | $ | (238,815) | $ | 462,724 | $ | (4,373) | $ | 902,157 |
Opera Limited | ||||||||
Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: | ||||||||
Income before income taxes | $ | 18,747 | $ | 19,468 | ||||
Adjustments to reconcile profit (loss) before income taxes to net cash flow: | ||||||||
Share-based payment expense | 3,433 | 2,158 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 3,380 | 3,072 | ||||||
Net finance (income) expense | (4,797) | 106 | ||||||
Other adjustments | (334) | (577) | ||||||
Changes in working capital: | ||||||||
Change in trade and other receivables | 6,341 | 8,291 | ||||||
Change in prepayments | (10) | 97 | ||||||
Change in inventories | (451) | - | ||||||
Change in trade and other payables | (4,076) | 470 | ||||||
Change in deferred revenue | 5,976 | (2,569) | ||||||
Change in other liabilities | (2,327) | 669 | ||||||
Income taxes (paid) received | (154) | (162) | ||||||
Net cash flow from operating activities | 25,727 | 31,022 | ||||||
Cash flows from investing activities: | ||||||||
Purchase of equipment | (318) | (20,234) | ||||||
Development expenditure | (1,066) | (1,390) | ||||||
Net sale (purchase) of listed equity instruments | 23,414 | - | ||||||
Interest income received | 554 | 775 | ||||||
Net cash flow from (used in) investing activities | 22,583 | (20,849) | ||||||
Cash flows from financing activities: | ||||||||
Acquisition of treasury shares | (2,464) | - | ||||||
Dividends paid | (12,273) | (9,874) | ||||||
Interests on loans and borrowings | (71) | (142) | ||||||
Repayment of loans and borrowings | (72) | (111) | ||||||
Payment of lease liabilities | (1,025) | (1,108) | ||||||
Net cash flow used in financing activities | (15,905) | (11,235) | ||||||
Net change in cash and cash equivalents | 32,405 | (1,062) | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | 52,414 | 93,863 | ||||||
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | 23 | (1,462) | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | $ | 84,843 | $ | 91,338 |
Opera Limited | ||||||||
Revenue | ||||||||
The table below specifies the amounts of the different types of revenue: | ||||||||
Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||||
Advertising | $ | 48,519 | $ | 58,648 | ||||
Search | 37,788 | 43,139 | ||||||
Technology licensing and other revenue | 744 | 84 | ||||||
Total revenue | $ | 87,051 | $ | 101,871 |
Personnel Expenses Including Share-based Remuneration | ||||||||
The table below specifies the amounts of personnel expenses including share-based remuneration: | ||||||||
Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||||
Personnel expenses, excluding share-based remuneration | $ | 15,516 | $ | 16,314 | ||||
Share-based remuneration, including related social security costs (1) | 4,537 | 2,610 | ||||||
Total personnel expenses including share-based remuneration | $ | 20,053 | $ | 18,924 |
(1) | Kunlun, the ultimate parent of Opera, has made equity grants to employees of Opera as compensation for services these employees provide to Opera. Opera does not have any obligation to settle the awards granted by Kunlun and such grants do not lead to dilution for Opera's shareholders. Within the share-based remuneration expense recognized by Opera for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2024, |
Other Operating Expenses | ||||||||
The table below specifies the nature of other operating expenses: | ||||||||
Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||||
Hosting | $ | 2,484 | $ | 3,008 | ||||
Audit, legal and other advisory services | 1,243 | 1,600 | ||||||
Software license fees | 553 | 1,241 | ||||||
Rent and other office expenses | 619 | 596 | ||||||
Travel | 428 | 430 | ||||||
Other | 780 | 348 | ||||||
Total other operating expenses | $ | 6,107 | $ | 7,224 |
Opera Limited | ||||||||
The table below reconciles net income (loss) to adjusted EBITDA: | ||||||||
Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||||
Net income | $ | 15,478 | $ | 14,839 | ||||
Add (deduct): | ||||||||
Income tax expense (benefit) | 3,269 | 4,629 | ||||||
Net finance expense (income) | (4,797) | 106 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 3,380 | 3,072 | ||||||
Share-based remuneration, including related social security costs | 4,537 | 2,610 | ||||||
Other operating income | (129) | (343) | ||||||
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 21,738 | $ | 24,913 |
The table below reconciles net cash flow from operating activities to free cash flow from operations: | ||||||||
Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
2023 | 2024 | |||||||
Net cash flow from operating activities | $ | 25,727 | $ | 31,022 | ||||
Deduct: | ||||||||
Purchase of equipment | (318) | (20,234) | ||||||
Development expenditure | (1,066) | (1,390) | ||||||
Payment of lease liabilities | (1,025) | (1,108) | ||||||
Free cash flow from operations | $ | 23,318 | $ | 8,290 |
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SOURCE Opera Limited
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