JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FIS^® (NYSE:FIS), a global leader in financial technology, today reported its third quarter 2024 results.

“We delivered another strong quarter of financial outperformance, and are once again raising our full-year outlook,” said FIS CEO and President Stephanie Ferris. “The strength of the partnerships and new business signings this quarter underpin our continued execution against our strategy to unlock financial technology to the world across the money lifecycle.”

Financial Reporting Considerations for Completed Worldpay Sale

On July 6, 2023, the Company announced an acceleration of its previously announced separation plan to create two highly focused global companies with greater strategic flexibility. FIS signed a definitive agreement to sell a 55% stake in its Worldpay Merchant Solutions business to private equity funds managed by GTCR (the "Worldpay Sale"). The Worldpay Sale was completed on January 31, 2024.

Unless otherwise noted, all results are presented on a continuing operations basis and exclude the results of the Worldpay Merchant Solutions business that was classified as discontinued operations as of the third quarter of 2023.

Following the close of the Worldpay Sale on January 31, 2024, FIS retains a non-controlling 45% ownership interest in a new standalone joint venture, Worldpay Holdco, LLC ("Worldpay"), and records its proportionate share of Worldpay's earnings (loss) in the "Equity method investment earnings (loss), net of tax" ("EMI") line of the income statement.

Capital Allocation Update

The Company remains committed to shareholder returns and is reiterating its goal to repurchase approximately $4.0 billion of shares in 2024. The Company repurchased $500 million of shares in the third quarter, and has repurchased $3.0 billion of shares year-to-date in 2024. Additionally, the Company continues to target a dividend payout ratio of 35% of adjusted net earnings, excluding EMI.

Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

On a GAAP basis, revenue increased 3% as compared to the prior-year period to approximately $2.6 billion. GAAP net earnings attributable to common stockholders from continuing operations were $246 million or $0.45 per diluted share.

On an adjusted basis, revenue increased 4% as compared to the prior-year period primarily driven by 6% adjusted recurring revenue growth. Adjusted EBITDA was approximately $1.1 billion, and Adjusted EBITDA margin contracted by 140 basis points (bps) over the prior-year period to 41.3%, reflecting a negative impact from a difficult grow over in corporate expenses. Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations were $765 million, and adjusted EPS increased by 49% as compared to the prior-year period to $1.40 per diluted share.

Segment Information

• Banking Solutions:
  Third quarter revenue increased 3% on a GAAP basis and 3% on an adjusted basis as compared to the prior-year period to $1.8 billion, including adjusted recurring revenue growth of 6%. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 10 basis points as compared to the prior-year period to 45.2%, primarily driven by the Company's cost savings initiatives and operating leverage.

• Capital Market Solutions:
  Third quarter revenue increased by 8% on a GAAP basis and 7% on an adjusted basis as compared to the prior-year period to $730 million reflecting adjusted recurring revenue growth of 6%. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 90 basis points over the prior-year period to 49.9%, primarily due to operating leverage and an increase in high-margin license revenue.

• Corporate and Other:
  Third quarter revenue decreased by 27% as compared to the prior-year period to $61 million. Adjusted EBITDA loss was $108 million, including $119 million of corporate expenses.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flows

As of September 30, 2024, debt outstanding totaled $10.9 billion. Third quarter net cash provided by operating activities was $641 million, and adjusted free cash flow was $530 million. In the third quarter, the Company returned approximately $700 million of capital to shareholders through $500 million of share repurchases and $199 million of dividends paid.

Full-Year 2024 Outlook

For the full-year, the Company is raising the low-end of its outlook for both revenue and adjusted EBITDA and is raising its outlook for adjusted EPS by approximately 2% as compared to the prior outlook to $5.15 - $5.20. The adjusted EPS outlook reflects 11 months of EMI contribution for the full year.

Webcast

FIS will host a live webcast of its earnings conference call with the investment community beginning at 8:30 a.m. (EST) on Monday, November 4, 2024. To access the webcast, go to the Investor Relations section of FIS’ homepage, www.fisglobal.com. A replay will be available after the conclusion of the live webcast.

About FIS

FIS is a financial technology company providing solutions to financial institutions, businesses and developers. We unlock financial technology to the world across the money lifecycle underpinning the world's financial system. Our people are dedicated to advancing the way the world pays, banks and invests, by helping our clients to confidently run, grow and protect their businesses. Our expertise comes from decades of experience helping financial institutions and businesses of all sizes adapt to meet the needs of their customers by harnessing where reliability meets innovation in financial technology. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, FIS is a member of the Fortune 500® and the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index. To learn more, visit FISglobal.com. Follow FIS on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

FIS Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is the term used to refer to the standard framework of guidelines for financial accounting in the United States. GAAP includes the standards, conventions, and rules accountants follow in recording and summarizing transactions and in the preparation of financial statements. In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with GAAP, we have provided certain non-GAAP financial measures.

These non-GAAP measures include constant currency revenue, adjusted revenue growth, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted net earnings, adjusted EPS, and adjusted free cash flow. These non-GAAP measures may be used in this release and/or in the attached supplemental financial information.

We believe these non-GAAP measures help investors better understand the underlying fundamentals of our business. As further described below, the non-GAAP revenue and earnings measures presented eliminate items management believes are not indicative of FIS’ operating performance. The constant currency revenue and adjusted revenue growth measures adjust for the effects of exchange rate fluctuations and exclude discontinued operations, while adjusted revenue growth also excludes revenue from Corporate and Other, giving investors further insight into our performance. Finally, adjusted free cash flow provides further information about the ability of our business to generate cash. For these reasons, management also uses these non-GAAP measures in its assessment and management of FIS’ performance.

Constant currency revenue represents reported segment revenue excluding the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates in the current period.

Adjusted revenue growth reflects the percentage change in constant currency revenue for the current period as compared to the prior period. Constant currency revenue is calculated by applying prior-year period foreign currency exchange rates to current-period revenue. When referring to adjusted revenue growth, revenue from our Corporate and Other segment is excluded.

Adjusted EBITDA reflects net earnings (loss) before interest, other income (expense), taxes, equity method investment earnings (loss), and depreciation and amortization, and excludes certain costs that do not constitute normal, recurring, cash operating expenses necessary to operate our business. This measure is reported to the chief operating decision maker for purposes of making decisions about allocating resources to the segments and assessing their performance. For this reason, adjusted EBITDA, as it relates to our segments, is presented in conformity with Accounting Standards Codification 280, Segment Reporting, and is excluded from the definition of non-GAAP financial measures under the Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation G and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K.

Adjusted EBITDA margin reflects adjusted EBITDA, as defined above, divided by revenue.

Adjusted net earnings excludes the effect of purchase price amortization, as well as certain costs that do not constitute normal, recurring, cash operating expenses necessary to operate our business. For purposes of calculating Adjusted net earnings, our equity method investment earnings (loss) ("EMI") from Worldpay is also adjusted to exclude certain costs and other transactions in a similar manner.

Adjusted EPS reflects adjusted net earnings, as defined above, divided by weighted average diluted shares outstanding.

Adjusted free cash flow reflects net cash provided by operating activities, adjusted for the net change in settlement assets and obligations and excluding certain transactions that are closely associated with non-operating activities or are otherwise non-operational in nature and not indicative of future operating cash flows, less capital expenditures. Adjusted free cash flow does not represent our residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures since we have mandatory debt service requirements and other non-discretionary expenditures that are not deducted from the measure. Adjusted free cash flow as presented in this earnings release excludes cash flow from discontinued operations, which our management cannot freely access following the Worldpay separation.

Any non-GAAP measures should be considered in context with the GAAP financial presentation and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP measures. Further, FIS’ non-GAAP measures may be calculated differently from similarly titled measures of other companies. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures to related GAAP measures, including footnotes describing the adjustments, are provided in the attached schedules and in the Investor Relations section of the FIS website, www.fisglobal.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This earnings release and today’s webcast contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Statements that are not historical facts, as well as other statements about our expectations, beliefs, intentions, or strategies regarding the future, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements about anticipated financial outcomes, including any earnings outlook or projections, projected revenue or expense synergies or dis-synergies, business and market conditions, outlook, foreign currency exchange rates, deleveraging plans, expected dividends and share repurchases of the Company, the Company’s sales pipeline and anticipated profitability and growth, plans, strategies and objectives for future operations, strategic value creation, risk profile and investment strategies, any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance and any statements with respect to the future impacts of the Worldpay Sale or any agreements or arrangements entered into in connection with such transaction, the expected financial and operational results of the Company, and expectations regarding the Company’s business or organization after the separation of the Worldpay Merchant Solutions business. These statements may be identified by words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “continue,” “likely,” and similar expressions, and include statements reflecting future results, statements of outlook and various accruals and estimates. These statements relate to future events and our future results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management.

Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from these forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties to which forward-looking statements are subject include the following, without limitation:

• changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including those resulting from COVID-19 or other pandemics, a recession, intensified or expanded international hostilities, acts of terrorism, increased rates of inflation or interest, changes in either or both the United States and international lending, capital and financial markets or currency fluctuations;
• the risk that acquired businesses will not be integrated successfully or that the integration will be more costly or more time-consuming and complex than anticipated;
• the risk that cost savings and synergies anticipated to be realized from acquisitions may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected or that costs may be greater than anticipated;
• the risks of doing business internationally;
• the effect of legislative initiatives or proposals, statutory changes, governmental or applicable regulations and/or changes in industry requirements, including privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations;
• the risks of reduction in revenue from the elimination of existing and potential customers due to consolidation in, or new laws or regulations affecting, the banking, retail and financial services industries or due to financial failures or other setbacks suffered by firms in those industries;
• changes in the growth rates of the markets for our solutions;
• the amount, declaration and payment of future dividends is at the discretion of our Board of Directors and depends on, among other things, our investment opportunities, results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements, future prospects, and other factors that may be considered relevant by our Board of Directors, including legal and contractual restrictions;
• the amount and timing of any future share repurchases is subject to, among other things, our share price, our other investment opportunities and cash requirements, our results of operations and financial condition, our future prospects and other factors that may be considered relevant by our Board of Directors and management;
• failures to adapt our solutions to changes in technology or in the marketplace;
• internal or external security or privacy breaches of our systems, including those relating to unauthorized access, theft, corruption or loss of personal information and computer viruses and other malware affecting our software or platforms, and the reactions of customers, card associations, government regulators and others to any such events;
• the risk that implementation of software, including software updates, for customers or at customer locations or employee error in monitoring our software and platforms may result in the corruption or loss of data or customer information, interruption of business operations, outages, exposure to liability claims or loss of customers;
• the risk that partners and third parties may fail to satisfy their legal obligations to us;
• risks associated with managing pension cost, cybersecurity issues, IT outages and data privacy;
• the reaction of current and potential customers to communications from us or regulators regarding information security, risk management, internal audit or other matters;
• risks associated with the expected benefits and costs of the separation of the Worldpay Merchant Solutions business, including the risk that the expected benefits of the transaction or any contingent purchase price will not be realized within the expected timeframe, in full or at all, or that dis-synergies may be greater than anticipated;
• the risk that the costs of restructuring transactions and other costs incurred in connection with the separation of the Worldpay business will exceed our estimates or otherwise adversely affect our business or operations;
• the impact of the separation of Worldpay on our businesses, including the impact on relationships with customers, governmental authorities, suppliers, employees and other business counterparties;
• the risk that the earnings from our minority stake in the Worldpay business will be less than we anticipate;
• competitive pressures on pricing related to the decreasing number of community banks in the U.S., the development of new disruptive technologies competing with one or more of our solutions, increasing presence of international competitors in the U.S. market and the entry into the market by global banks and global companies with respect to certain competitive solutions, each of which may have the impact of unbundling individual solutions from a comprehensive suite of solutions we provide to many of our customers;
• the failure to innovate in order to keep up with new emerging technologies, which could impact our solutions and our ability to attract new, or retain existing, customers;
• an operational or natural disaster at one of our major operations centers;
• failure to comply with applicable requirements of payment networks or changes in those requirements;
• fraud by bad actors; and
• other risks detailed elsewhere in the “Risk Factors” and other sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, we do not undertake (and expressly disclaim) any obligation and do not intend to publicly update or review any of these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.