TTEC Announces Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Third Quarter 2024

Revenue was $529.4 Million, down 12.2 Percent
Operating Income of $12.9 Million or 2.4 Percent of Revenue
(Operating Income of $34.1 Million or 6.4 Percent of Revenue Non-GAAP)
Net Loss of $19.0 Million or negative 3.6 Percent of Revenue
(Net Income of $5.4 Million or 1.0 Percent of Revenue Non-GAAP)
Adjusted EBITDA was $50.3 Million or 9.5 Percent of Revenue
Fully Diluted Net Loss Per Share of $0.40 (Net Income Per Share of $0.11 Non-GAAP)

DENVER, Nov. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TTEC Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTEC), a leading global CX (customer experience) technology and services innovator for AI-enabled CX with solutions from TTEC Engage and TTEC Digital, announced today financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

"We remain focused on executing our diversification strategies, enhancing our portfolio of AI-enabled CX solutions and our operational agility, while working to strengthen our financial performance," commented Ken Tuchman, chief executive officer of TTEC. "The industry dynamics and macroeconomic environment continue to create headwinds as select clients delay decision-making and/or focus on near-term cost savings."

"While taking more time than expected, we are prudently working through various challenges during this transitional year. We are executing against our top strategic priorities alongside taking the necessary profit improvement actions to strengthen our balance sheet and return the company to long-term revenue growth and increased profitability," Tuchman concluded.

THIRD QUARTER 2024 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS           

Revenue        

• Third quarter 2024 GAAP revenue decreased 12.2 percent to $529.4 million compared to $603.0 million in the prior year.
• Foreign exchange had a $0.5 million negative impact on revenue in the third quarter of 2024.

Income (Loss) from Operations

• Third quarter 2024 GAAP income from operations was $12.9 million, or 2.4 percent of revenue, compared to income from operations of $25.4 million, or 4.2 percent of revenue, in the prior year.
• Non-GAAP income from operations, excluding restructuring and impairment charges, equity-based compensation expenses, amortization of purchased intangibles, and other items, was $34.1 million, or 6.4 percent of revenue, compared to $47.3 million, or 7.8 percent, for the prior year.
• Foreign exchange had a $2.6 million positive impact on Non-GAAP income from operations in the third quarter of 2024.

Adjusted EBITDA     

• Third quarter 2024 Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA was $50.3 million, or 9.5 percent of revenue, compared to $63.9 million, or 10.6 percent of revenue, in the prior year.

Net Income (Loss)

• Third quarter 2024 GAAP net loss was $19.0 million, or negative 3.6 percent of revenue, compared to net income of $1.8 million, or 0.3 percent of revenue, in the prior year.
• Non-GAAP net income was $5.4 million, or 1.0 percent of revenue, compared to Non-GAAP net income of $22.9 million, or 3.8 percent of revenue, in the prior year.

Net Income (Loss) Per Share

• Third quarter 2024 GAAP fully diluted net loss per share was $0.40 compared to net income per share of $0.04 in the prior year.
• Non-GAAP fully diluted net income per share was $0.11 compared to Non-GAAP net income per share of $0.48 in the prior year.

CASH FLOW AND BALANCE SHEET 

• Cash flow from operations in the third quarter of 2024 was a negative $91.4 million compared to a negative $31.7 million for the third quarter of 2023.
• Free cash flow in the third quarter of 2024 was a negative $100.2 million compared to a negative $53.5 million in the prior year. The decline was primarily related to the impact of the accounts receivable factoring facility discontinuation in the quarter. This discontinuation negatively impacted our cash flow from operations by $81.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and $101.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. Excluding the factoring facility impact, free cash flow in the third quarter of 2024 was negative $18.4 million. The year-over-year improvement reflects improved working capital conversion and lower capital expenditures, partially offset by lower profitability.
• Capital expenditures in the third quarter of 2024 were $8.8 million compared to $21.8 million for the third quarter of 2023.
• As of September 30, 2024, TTEC had cash and cash equivalents of $96.9 million and debt of $1,028.4 million, resulting in a net debt position of $931.5 million. This compares to a net debt position of $815.7 million for the same period in 2023. The increase in net debt is also primarily explained by the discontinuation of the accounts receivable factoring facility.
• As of September 30, 2024, TTEC's remaining borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility was approximately $140 million compared to $215 million for the same period in 2023.
• On November 4, 2024, the Board of Directors of the Company suspended the Company's semi-annual cash dividend as part of its ongoing shift to prioritize debt reduction associated with strategic acquisitions and other investments in the business. The Board expects to review the dividend suspension in the future to determine, in light of facts and circumstances at that time, whether and when to reinstate a semi-annual cash dividend.

SALE OF MATERIAL ASSET NOT USED IN OPERATIONS

On November 5, 2024, the Company closed the transaction of a real estate asset held for sale in Englewood, Colorado for $45.5 million dollars, subject to customary adjustments. Prior to the COVID pandemic, the building was used as the Company's principal place of business. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale to reduce its outstanding balance under the revolving line of credit.

SEGMENT REPORTING & COMMENTARY

TTEC reports financial results for TTEC Digital and TTEC Engage business segments. Financial highlights for the two business segments are provided below.

TTEC Digital – Design, build and operate tech-enabled, insight-driven CX solutions

• Third quarter 2024 GAAP revenue for TTEC Digital decreased 13.2 percent to $115.7 million from $133.3 million for the year ago period. Income from operations was $7.5 million, or 6.5 percent of revenue, compared to income from operations of $11.9 million, or 8.9 percent of revenue, in the prior year. The year-over-year reduction primarily relates to a large one-time on-premise sale in the prior year period. Excluding on-premise sales, TTEC Digital's professional services and recurring revenue together increased by 5.9 percent year over year in the third quarter. 
• Non-GAAP income from operations was $14.4 million, or 12.5 percent of revenue, compared to Non-GAAP income from operations of $19.4 million, or 14.5 percent of revenue, in the prior year.

TTEC Engage – Digitally-enabled customer care, acquisition, and fraud mitigation services

• Third quarter 2024 GAAP revenue for TTEC Engage decreased 11.9 percent to $413.8 million from $469.7 million for the year ago period. Income from operations was $5.4 million, or 1.3 percent of revenue, compared to income from operations of $13.5 million, or 2.9 percent of revenue, in the prior year.
• Non-GAAP income from operations was $19.7 million, or 4.8 percent of revenue, compared to Non-GAAP income from operations of $27.9 million, or 5.9 percent of revenue, in the prior year.
• Foreign exchange had a $0.6 million negative impact on revenue and a $2.6 million positive impact on income from operations.

BUSINESS OUTLOOK

"We are achieving many of the key objectives that we set forth during this transitional year," commented Kenny Wagers, chief financial officer of TTEC. "In TTEC Digital, we are diversifying our CX technology partnerships and broadening our expertise and capabilities across Contact Center, CRM, AI and analytics solutions. In TTEC Engage, we are launching new client programs across our expanded geographic footprint, working through the previously mentioned headwinds, and executing upon our profit optimization initiatives. 

Wagers continued, "At the company level, we are re-iterating full year 2024 guidance near the lower end of the range that we provided last quarter. At the segment level, the appropriate contribution adjustments were made to reflect our third-quarter actual results and updated fourth-quarter forecasts. As we prepare to transition into 2025, we remain focused on our strategic priorities and resolute in our ability to return TTEC to long-term organic growth and increased profitability."

The Company has not quantitatively reconciled its guidance for Non-GAAP operating income, Non-GAAP operating income margins, Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA, Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA margins, Non-GAAP adjusted tax rate, or Non-GAAP earnings per share to their respective most comparable GAAP measures because certain of the reconciling items that impact these metrics, including restructuring and impairment charges, equity-based compensation expense, changes in acquisition contingent consideration, depreciation and amortization expense, and provision for income taxes are dependent on the timing of future events outside of the Company's control or cannot be reliably predicted. Accordingly, the Company is unable to provide reconciliations to GAAP operating income, operating income margins, EBITDA margins, and diluted earnings per share without unreasonable effort. Please note that the unavailable reconciling items could significantly impact the Company's 2024 financial results as reported under GAAP.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This press release contains a discussion of certain Non-GAAP financial measures that the Company includes to allow investors and analysts to measure, analyze and compare its financial condition and results of operations in a meaningful and consistent manner. A reconciliation of these Non-GAAP financial measures can be found in the tables accompanying this press release.

• GAAP metrics are presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
• Non-GAAP - As reflected in the attached reconciliation table, the definition of Non-GAAP may exclude from operating income, EBITDA, net income and earnings per share restructuring and impairment charges, equity-based compensation expenses, amortization of purchased intangibles, among other items.

EARNINGS WEBCAST/CONFERENCE CALL

The Company will host a live webcast and conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, November 7, 2024. You are invited to join a live webcast of the conference call by visiting the "Investors Relations" section of the TTEC website at www.ttec.com. If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, a replay will be available on the TTEC website.

ABOUT TTEC 

TTEC (pronounced T-TEC) Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTEC) is a leading global CX (customer experience) technology and services innovator for AI-enabled digital CX solutions. Serving iconic and disruptive brands, TTEC's outcome-based solutions span the entire enterprise, touch every virtual interaction channel, and improve each step of the customer journey. Leveraging next-gen digital technology, the Company's TTEC Digital business designs, builds, and operates omnichannel contact center technology, CRM, AI and analytics solutions. The Company's TTEC Engage business delivers AI-enabled customer engagement, customer acquisition and growth, tech support, back office, and fraud prevention services. Founded in 1982, the Company's singular obsession with CX excellence has earned it leading client, customer, and employee satisfaction scores across the globe. The Company's employees operate on six continents and bring technology and humanity together to deliver happy customers and differentiated business results. To learn more visit us at https://www.ttec.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Earnings Press Release and related oral statements contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our operations, expected financial position, results of operations, reiteration of the Company's full year 2024 guidance near the lower end of the ranges provided in the third quarter of 2024, effective tax rate, cash flow, leverage, liquidity, business strategy, profit improvement actions, increased profitability, competitive position, strategic priorities, organic growth, demand for our services in international operations, acquisition opportunities and impact of acquisitions, capital allocation and dividends, growth opportunities, spending, capital expenditures and investments, competition and market forecasts, industry trends, our human capital resources, and other business, operational and financial matters that are based on our current expectations, assumptions, and projections with respect to the future, and are not a guarantee of performance.

In this Release when we use words such as "may," "believe," "plan," "will," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "reiterate," "project," "would," "could," "target," or similar expressions, or when we discuss our strategy, plans, goals, initiatives, or objectives, we are making forward-looking statements. Unless otherwise indicated or except where the context otherwise requires, the terms "TTEC," "the Company," "we," "us" and "our" and other similar terms in this report refer to TTEC Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries. We caution you not to rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, and you should review and consider carefully the risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could affect our business and may cause such differences as noted above and as outlined in Item 1A. Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and any subsequent filings or furnishings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") which are available on TTEC's website www.ttec.com, and on the SEC's public website at www.sec.gov. 

Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date that this Release is issued. We undertake no obligation to update them, except as may be required by applicable law. Although we believe that our forward-looking statements are reasonable, they depend on many factors outside of our control and we can provide no assurance that they will prove to be correct or the timing thereof."

SOURCE TTEC Holdings, Inc.