08/04/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/04/2022 04:39
TORONTO, August 4, 2022 - Thomson Reuters (TSX/NYSE: TRI) today reported results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022:
"The momentum that has been building in our businesses continued in the second quarter, with revenues again ahead of our expectations. Leading indicators remain healthy, and we have a resilient, highly recurring business serving growing industries. This positioning and a strong first half give us confidence we are on the right path to achieve our 2022 and 2023 targets," said Steve Hasker, President and CEO of Thomson Reuters.
Mr. Hasker added, "Our businesses are benefitting from what we believe are multi-year tailwinds driven by a step change in the complexity of compliance in our legal, tax, and risk-related markets. Against this backdrop, we remain focused on investing in our businesses and effectively allocating capital as we work to translate our current momentum into sustainable long-term value creation."
Consolidated Financial Highlights - Three Months Ended June 30
Three Months Ended June 30, (Millions of U.S. dollars, except for adjusted EBITDA margin and EPS) (unaudited) |
||||
IFRS Financial Measures(1) |
2022 |
2021 |
Change |
Change at Constant Currency |
Revenues |
$1,614 |
$1,532 |
5% |
|
Operating profit |
$391 |
$316 |
24% |
|
Diluted (loss) earnings per share (EPS) |
$(0.24) |
$2.15 |
n/m |
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
$433 |
$462 |
-6% |
|
Non-IFRS Financial Measures(1) |
||||
Revenues |
$1,614 |
$1,532 |
5% |
7% |
Adjusted EBITDA |
$561 |
$502 |
12% |
11% |
Adjusted EBITDA margin |
34.7% |
32.7% |
200bp |
110bp |
Adjusted EPS |
$0.60 |
$0.48 |
25% |
23% |
Free cash flow |
$342 |
$379 |
-10% |
|
(1) In addition to results reported in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the company uses certain non-IFRS financial measures as supplemental indicators of its operating performance and financial position. See the "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" section and the tables appended to this news release for additional information on these and other non-IFRS financial measures, including how they are defined and reconciled to the most directly comparable IFRS measures. n/m: not meaningful |
Revenues increased 5%, driven by growth across four of the company's five business segments. Foreign currency had a 2% negative impact on revenues.
Operating profit increased 24% as higher revenues more than offset higher costs, which included investments associated with the Change Progrm.
Diluted (loss) per share of $(0.24) included a significant reduction in the value of the company's investment in London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). Diluted earnings per share of $2.15 in the prior-year period included a significant increase in the value of the company's investment in LSEG.
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased $29 million as higher payments associated with the Change Program as well as higher tax payments more than offset the cash benefits from higher operating profit.
Highlights by Customer Segment - Three Months Ended June 30
(Millions of U.S. dollars, except for adjusted EBITDA margins) (unaudited) |
|||||
Three Months Ended June 30, |
Change | ||||
2022 |
2021(2) |
Total |
Constant Currency(1) |
Organic(1)(3) |
|
Revenues |
|||||
Legal Professionals |
$700 |
$673 |
4% |
6% |
6% |
Corporates |
373 |
346 |
8% |
9% |
9% |
Tax & Accounting Professionals |
217 |
199 |
9% |
10% |
9% |
"Big 3" Segments Combined(1) |
1,290 |
1,218 |
6% |
7% |
7% |
Reuters News |
188 |
173 |
9% |
12% |
12% |
Global Print |
142 |
147 |
-3% |
-1% |
-1% |
Eliminations/Rounding |
(6) |
(6) |
|||
Revenues |
$1,614 |
$1,532 |
5% |
7% |
7% |
Adjusted EBITDA(1) |
|||||
Legal Professionals |
$304 |
$285 |
7% |
8% |
|
Corporates |
139 |
128 |
9% |
8% |
|
Tax & Accounting Professionals |
81 |
74 |
12% |
11% |
|
"Big 3" Segments Combined(1) |
524 |
487 |
8% |
8% |
|
Reuters News |
44 |
35 |
26% |
19% |
|
Global Print |
50 |
56 |
-9% |
-8% |
|
Corporate costs |
(57) |
(76) |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
$561 |
$502 |
12% |
11% |
|
Adjusted EBITDA Margin(1) |
|||||
Legal Professionals |
43.4% |
42.3% |
110bp |
80bp |
|
Corporates |
37.4% |
37.0% |
40bp |
-20bp |
|
Tax & Accounting Professionals |
37.4% |
36.5% |
90bp |
30bp |
|
"Big 3" Segments Combined(1) |
40.7% |
39.9% |
80bp |
40bp |
|
Reuters News |
23.3% |
20.2% |
310bp |
110bp |
|
Global Print |
35.4% |
37.9% |
-250bp |
-250bp |
|
Adjusted EBITDA margin |
34.7% |
32.7% |
200bp |
110bp |
|
(1) See the "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" section and the tables appended to this news release for additional information on these and other non-IFRS financial measures. (2) For comparative purposes, 2021 segment results have been revised to reflect the current period presentation. For additional information, see the "Revision to Prior-Year Segment Results" section of this news release. (3) Computed for revenue growth only. n/a: not applicable |
Unless otherwise noted, all revenue growth comparisons by customer segment in this news release are at constant currency (or exclude the impact of foreign currency) as Thomson Reuters believes this provides the best basis to measure their performance.
Legal Professionals
Revenues increased 6% (all organic) to $700 million.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 7% to $304 million.
Corporates
Revenues increased 9% (all organic) to $373 million. Revenues benefited from transactional revenue strength that we do not expect to recur at the same level in the second half of this year as the second-quarter performance was seasonal in nature.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 9% to $139 million.
Tax & Accounting Professionals
Revenues increased 10% (9% organic) to $217 million.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 12% to $81 million.
The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment is the company's most seasonal business with approximately 60% of full-year revenues typically generated in the first and fourth quarters. As a result, the margin performance of this segment has been generally higher in the first and fourth quarters as costs are typically incurred in a more linear fashion throughout the year.
Reuters News
Revenues of $188 million increased 12% (all organic), primarily driven by the Professional business and the flow-through of the annual increase in the company's news agreement with the Refinitiv business of LSEG. The Professional business benefited from timing shifts in Reuters Events as more events were hosted in the second quarter of this year rather than the second half, which is a return to the pre-COVID cadence. The Reuters Events business also benefited from a return to in-person events from primarily virtual events last year.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 26% to $44 million, primarily due to higher revenues.
Global Print
Revenues decreased 1% (all organic), which was better than the decline the company expected due to higher third-party revenues for printing services and the timing of new sales.
Adjusted EBITDA decreased 9% to $50 million.
Corporate Costs
Corporate costs at the adjusted EBITDA level were $57 million and included $30 million of Change Program costs. Corporate costs were $76 million in the prior-year period and included $41 million of Change Program costs. Additional information regarding the Change Program is provided below.
Consolidated Financial Highlights - Six Months Ended June 30
Six Months Ended June 30, (Millions of U.S. dollars, except for adjusted EBITDA margin and EPS) (unaudited) |
||||
IFRS Financial Measures(1) |
2022 |
2021 |
Change |
Change at Constant Currency |
Revenues |
$3,288 |
$3,112 |
6% |
|
Operating profit |
$805 |
$703 |
15% |
|
Diluted EPS |
$1.83 |
$12.28 |
n/m |
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
$708 |
$842 |
-16% |
|
Non-IFRS Financial Measures(1) |
||||
Revenues |
$3,288 |
$3,112 |
6% |
7% |
Adjusted EBITDA |
$1,161 |
$1,060 |
10% |
9% |
Adjusted EBITDA margin |
35.3% |
34.1% |
120bp |
70bp |
Adjusted EPS |
$1.26 |
$1.06 |
19% |
17% |
Free cash flow |
$428 |
$618 |
-31% |
|
(1) In addition to results reported in accordance with IFRS, the company uses certain non-IFRS financial measures as supplemental indicators of its operating performance and financial position. See the "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" section and the tables appended to this news release for additional information on these and other non-IFRS financial measures, including how they are defined and reconciled to the most directly comparable IFRS measures. n/m: not meaningful |
Revenues increased 6%, driven by growth across four of the company's five business segments. Foreign currency had a 1% negative impact on revenues.
Operating profit increased 15% as higher revenues more than offset higher costs, which included investments associated with the company's Change Program.
Diluted EPS was $1.83 per share compared to $12.28 per share in the prior-year period. The prior-year period included a gain of approximately $8.1 billion on the sale of Refinitiv to LSEG.
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased $134 million due to higher payments associated with the Change Program, higher tax payments and higher annual incentive plan bonuses.
Highlights by Customer Segment - Six Months Ended June 30
(Millions of U.S. dollars, except for adjusted EBITDA margins) (unaudited) |
|||||
Six Months Ended June 30, |
Change | ||||
2022 |
2021(2) |
Total |
Constant Currency(1) |
Organic(1)(3) |
|
Revenues |
|||||
Legal Professionals |
$1,398 |
$1,341 |
4% |
5% |
6% |
Corporates |
784 |
728 |
8% |
9% |
8% |
Tax & Accounting Professionals |
470 |
426 |
10% |
10% |
10% |
"Big 3" Segments Combined(1) |
2,652 |
2,495 |
6% |
7% |
7% |
Reuters News |
364 |
338 |
8% |
11% |
11% |
Global Print |
284 |
290 |
-2% |
-1% |
-1% |
Eliminations/Rounding |
(12) |
(11) |
|||
Revenues |
$3,288 |
$3,112 |
6% |
7% |
7% |
Adjusted EBITDA(1) |
|||||
Legal Professionals |
$609 |
$564 |
8% |
9% |
|
Corporates |
296 |
273 |
8% |
8% |
|
Tax & Accounting Professionals |
203 |
173 |
18% |
17% |
|
"Big 3" Segments Combined(1) |
1,108 |
1,010 |
10% |
10% |
|
Reuters News |
81 |
63 |
28% |
21% |
|
Global Print |
103 |
113 |
-9% |
-8% |
|
Corporate costs |
(131) |
(126) |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
$1,161 |
$1,060 |
10% |
9% |
|
Adjusted EBITDA Margin(1) |
|||||
Legal Professionals |
43.6% |
42.1% |
150bp |
140bp |
|
Corporates |
37.8% |
37.5% |
30bp |
-20bp |
|
Tax & Accounting Professionals |
43.2% |
40.4% |
280bp |
240bp |
|
"Big 3" Segments Combined(1) |
41.8% |
40.5% |
130bp |
110bp |
|
Reuters News |
22.2% |
18.7% |
350bp |
180bp |
|
Global Print |
36.2% |
38.9% |
-270bp |
-270bp |
|
Adjusted EBITDA margin |
35.3% |
34.1% |
120bp |
70bp |
|
(1) See the "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" section and the tables appended to this news release for additional information on these and other non-IFRS financial measures. (2) For comparative purposes, 2021 segment results have been revised to reflect the current period presentation. For additional information, see the "Revision to Prior-Year Segment Results" section of this news release. (3) Computed for revenue growth only. n/a: not applicable |
Change Program
In February 2021, the company announced a two-year Change Program to transition from a holding company to an operating company, and from a content provider to a content-driven technology company. The company is 18 months into the program, which is expected to be largely complete by the end of 2022. The program is projected to require an investment of approximately $600 million during that time of which $424 million has been invested as of June 30, 2022. The company continues to anticipate that Change Program spending will be approximately 60% operating expenses and 40% capital expenditures.
2022 and 2023 Outlook
The company's updated outlook for 2022 and reaffirmed outlook for 2023 (which is reflected in the table below) incorporates the forecasted impacts associated with the Change Program, assumes constant currency rates, and excludes the impact of any future acquisitions or dispositions that may occur during those periods. Thomson Reuters believes that this type of guidance provides useful insight into the performance of its businesses.
The company expects its third-quarter 2022 revenue growth to be approximately 50bp to 100bp below its full-year 2022 outlook target. The company also expects its fourth-quarter 2022 revenue growth to be higher than the third-quarter 2022 revenue growth. The company expects full-year 2022 recurring revenue growth to be 7%.
The company's third-quarter 2022 adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to be approximately 300bp below its second-quarter 2022 adjusted EBITDA margin. The fourth-quarter 2022 is expected to have the highest quarterly adjusted EBITDA margin of the year.
While the company's second-quarter 2022 performance provides it with increasing confidence about its outlook, the global economy recently has experienced substantial disruption due to concerns regarding economic effects associated with the macroeconomic backdrop and ongoing geopolitical risks. Any worsening of the global economic or business environment could impact the company's ability to achieve its outlook.