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Pitney Bowes Announces Third Quarter 2014 Results

STAMFORD, Conn. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — October 30, 2014 — Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) today reported financial results for the third quarter 2014.

Highlights

“We performed well in the third quarter, delivering solid financial results,” said Marc Lautenbach, President and CEO, Pitney Bowes. “Once again, our Digital Commerce Solutions segment posted excellent top and bottom line results for the quarter, growing revenue 26 percent and expanding margins. Profitability in our mailing businesses continued to improve year over year.

“Our results further demonstrate the continued and steady progress we are making in executing our long-term growth strategy to unlock greater shareholder value. Going forward, we remain confident about our multi-year journey to transform Pitney Bowes and deliver sustained value for our clients, shareholders and employees.”

THIRD QUARTER 2014 RESULTS

Revenue in the third quarter totaled $942 million, which was growth of more than 2 percent when compared to the prior year. As part of its go-to-market strategy, the Company exited non-core product lines in Norway and transitioned from a direct sales model to a dealer sales network in six smaller European markets for the International Mailing and Production Mail segments. For comparative purposes, revenue would have grown 3 percent in the third quarter when the results related to these operations are excluded from the current and prior year.

On a reported basis, revenue for the quarter benefited from 26 percent growth in Digital Commerce Solutions and 2 percent growth in Enterprise Business Solutions. Revenue in Small and Medium Business (SMB) Solutions declined 5 percent. When revenue in the current and prior year is adjusted for the exit of non-core product lines and channel changes in Europe, revenue for comparative purposes would have declined 4 percent for SMB Solutions.

Adjusted earnings per diluted share from continuing operations were $0.51 compared to $0.47 in the prior year. Quarter results included tax benefits of $0.08 and $0.06 per share in 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Earnings per diluted share from continuing operations, on a Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) basis were $0.55, which included $0.05 per share related to the Company’s divestiture of an investment. GAAP earnings per share from continuing operations also included a restructuring charge of $0.01 per share associated with the previously announced cost reduction plans.

GAAP earnings per diluted share were $0.65, which included income from discontinued operations of $0.10 per share.

         
Earnings Per Share Reconciliation*   3Q 2014   3Q 2013
Adjusted EPS from continuing operations   $0.51   $0.47
Investment divestiture   $0.05   -
Restructuring charges   ($0.01)   ($0.11)
GAAP EPS from continuing operations   $0.55   $0.36
Discontinued operations - income (loss)   $0.10   ($0.39)
GAAP EPS   $0.65   ($0.03)

* The sum of the earnings per share may not equal the totals above due to rounding.

FREE CASH FLOW RESULTS

Free cash flow for the quarter was $118 million, while on a GAAP basis the Company generated $117 million in cash from operations. In comparison to the prior year, free cash flow was primarily impacted by the timing of working capital requirements, higher capital expenditures related to the Company’s ERP implementation and a decline in bank reserve deposits. During the quarter, the Company used $38 million of cash for dividends, $50 million to repurchase shares of its common stock and $9 million for restructuring payments.

Year-to-date free cash flow was $418 million, while on a GAAP basis the Company generated $397 million in cash from operations.

BUSINESS SEGMENT REPORTING

The Company’s business segment reporting reflects the clients served in each market and the way it manages these segments. The reporting segment groups are: Small & Medium Business (SMB) Solutions group; Enterprise Business Solutions group; and the Digital Commerce Solutions segment.

The Small and Medium Business (SMB) Solutions group offers mailing equipment, financing, services and supplies for small and medium businesses to efficiently create mail and evidence postage. This group includes the North America Mailing and International Mailing segments. North America Mailing includes the operations of U.S. and Canada Mailing. International Mailing includes all other SMB operations around the world.

The Enterprise Business Solutions group provides mailing equipment and services for large enterprise clients to process mail, including sortation services to qualify large mail volumes for postal worksharing discounts. This group includes the global Production Mail and Presort Services segments.

The Digital Commerce Solutions segment leverages digital and mobile channels that make the Company’s clients’ customer-facing functions more effective. This segment includes software, ecommerce, shipping and marketing services.

SMB Solutions Group

   
               
3Q 2014 Y-O-Y Change Change ex Currency
Revenue $496 million (5%) (5%)
EBIT   $176 million   1%    
 

Within the SMB Solutions Group:

North America Mailing

   
               
  3Q 2014 Y-O-Y Change Change ex Currency
Revenue $363 million (5%) (4%)
EBIT   $160 million   1%    
 

Within the North America Mailing results, recurring revenue streams continued to decline at a lesser rate versus prior periods due to sustained growth in supplies revenue and a further moderation in the decline in financing and rentals revenue. However, equipment sales declined as the Company continues to drive productivity improvements in its transition to expanded inside sales and web channels. EBIT margin improved during the quarter due to on-going benefits from the go-to-market strategy and incremental cost reduction initiatives.

 

International Mailing

   
               
3Q 2014 Y-O-Y Change Change ex Currency
Revenue $132 million (6%) (8%)
EBIT   $ 16 million   3%    

Reflected in the quarter are a number of actions related to the International Mailing go-to-market and geographic coverage models. At the end of June, the Company exited additional non-core product lines in Norway and during the third quarter expanded its indirect sales activities by transitioning from a direct sales model to a dealer network in six smaller European markets. Excluding the revenue related to these transactions in both the current and prior years, revenue on a comparative basis would have declined 2 percent, which is in line with the Company’s stabilization objectives. The Company continued to shift additional client accounts to inside sales in the major European markets. In addition to creating a more variable cost structure, these changes lessen our sensitivity to the uncertain economic conditions in Europe. EBIT margin improved due to the changes in go-to-market, including the shift in strategy for smaller markets.

Enterprise Business Solutions Group

 
               
  3Q 2014 Y-O-Y Change Change ex Currency
Revenue $225 million 2% 2%
EBIT   $ 31 million   2%    
 

Within the Enterprise Business Solutions Group:

Worldwide Production Mail

   
               
  3Q 2014 Y-O-Y Change Change ex Currency
Revenue $113 million (3%) (2%)
EBIT   $ 10 million   (10%)    
 

On a regional basis, revenues were relatively flat in North America and grew in Europe in large measure due to increased production print installations. Revenue declined in Asia Pacific due to fewer installations of inserting and production print equipment when compared to prior year. EBIT margin was impacted by the lower revenue and the related margin contribution.

Presort Services

   
               
  3Q 2014 Y-O-Y Change Change ex Currency
Revenue $111 million 6% 6%
EBIT   $ 22 million   7%    
 

Presort Services revenue benefited from improved qualification of mail for presort discounts, in particular in the processing of First Class mail. EBIT margin improved versus the prior year due to the revenue growth and on-going operational productivity.

Digital Commerce Solutions

   
               
  3Q 2014 Y-O-Y Change Change ex Currency
Revenue $221 million 26% 25%
EBIT   $ 25 million   90%    
 

Digital Commerce Solutions had revenue growth in each of its four product categories: ecommerce, software, shipping and marketing services. Overall, Digital Commerce Solutions represented nearly one quarter of the Company’s revenue in the third quarter.

Ecommerce experienced continued growth in the number of orders processed and packages shipped. In addition, in September the Company began operations in the UK to enable sellers on eBay to use Pitney Bowes’ cross-border ecommerce solutions when offering goods from the UK to buyers in about a dozen markets in the European Union.

Software solution’s double-digit revenue growth included several large licensing deals during the quarter, reflecting in part the investments in channel specialization. Revenue growth in the areas of shipping solutions and marketing services resulted from new client acquisitions for their respective product offerings.

EBIT margin reflected the benefit of revenue growth, net of the impact of continued investments in ecommerce technology and infrastructure.

2014 GUIDANCE

This guidance discusses future results which are inherently subject to unforeseen risks and developments. As such, discussions about the business outlook should be read in the context of an uncertain future, as well as the risk factors identified in the safe harbor language at the end of this release and as more fully outlined in the Company's 2013 Form 10-K Annual Report and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Company is reaffirming annual guidance for revenue growth and free cash flow. The Company is increasing guidance for adjusted earnings per share and GAAP earnings per share from continuing operations.

The Company still expects:

The Company now expects:

This guidance excludes any further actions that are under consideration by the Company to streamline its operations and further reduce its cost structure.

Conference Call and Webcast

Management of Pitney Bowes will discuss the Company’s results in a broadcast over the Internet today at 8:00 a.m. EDT. Instructions for listening to the earnings results via the Web are available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s web site at www.pb.com.

About Pitney Bowes

Pitney Bowes provides technology solutions for small, mid-size and large firms that help them connect with customers to build loyalty and grow revenue. Many of the company’s solutions are delivered on open platforms to best organize, analyze and apply both public and proprietary data to two-way customer communications. Pitney Bowes includes direct mail, transactional mail and call center communications in its solution mix along with digital channel messaging for the Web, email and mobile applications.

Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new opportunity™ www.pb.com

The Company's financial results are reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The Company uses measures such as adjusted earnings per share, adjusted income from continuing operations and free cash flow to exclude the impact of special items like restructuring charges, tax adjustments, and goodwill and asset write-downs, because, while these are actual Company expenses, they can mask underlying trends associated with its business. Such items are often inconsistent in amount and frequency and as such, the adjustments allow an investor greater insight into the current underlying operating trends of the business.

The use of free cash flow provides investors insight into the amount of cash that management could have available for other discretionary uses. It adjusts GAAP cash from operations for capital expenditures, as well as special items like cash used for restructuring charges, unusual tax settlements or payments and contributions to its pension funds. Management uses segment EBIT to measure profitability and performance at the segment level. EBIT is determined by deducting the related costs and expenses attributable to the segment. Segment EBIT excludes interest, taxes, general corporate expenses not allocated to a particular business segment, restructuring charges and goodwill and asset impairments, which are recognized on a consolidated basis. In addition, financial results are presented on a constant currency basis to exclude the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates since the prior period under comparison. Constant currency measures are intended to help investors better understand the underlying operational performance of the business excluding the impacts of shifts in currency exchange rates over the intervening period.

Pitney Bowes has provided a quantitative reconciliation to GAAP in supplemental schedules. This information may also be found at the Company's web site www.pb.com/investorrelations.

This document contains “forward-looking statements” about its expected or potential future business and financial performance. For us forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about its future revenue and earnings guidance and other statements about future events or conditions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: mail volumes; the uncertain economic environment; timely development, market acceptance and regulatory approvals, if needed, of new products; fluctuations in customer demand; changes in postal regulations; interrupted use of key information systems; management of outsourcing arrangements; the implementation of a new enterprise resource planning system; changes in business portfolio; foreign currency exchange rates; changes in our credit ratings; management of credit risk; changes in interest rates; the financial health of national posts; and other factors beyond its control as more fully outlined in the Company's 2013 Form 10-K Annual Report and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Pitney Bowes assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, events or developments.

Note: Consolidated statements of income; revenue and EBIT by business segment; and reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, and consolidated balance sheets at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are attached.

       

Pitney Bowes Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Income

(Unaudited)

 

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

Three months ended September 30, Nine months ended September 30,
  2014     2013     2014     2013  

Revenue:

Equipment sales $ 177,458 $ 197,044 $ 558,032 $ 619,035
Supplies 72,548 68,692 228,349 213,185
Software 112,271 98,164 312,891 285,658
Rentals 119,047 125,918 365,069 384,436
Financing 107,835 111,032 325,529 337,739
Support services 154,321 159,508 470,763 482,400
Business services   198,164     160,131     576,958     458,061  
 
Total revenue   941,644     920,489     2,837,591     2,780,514  
 

Costs and expenses:

Cost of equipment sales 90,984 88,945 262,336 295,567
Cost of supplies 22,470 21,444 70,129 66,536
Cost of software 29,775 29,698 93,423 80,093
Cost of rentals 23,636 24,434 74,273 75,946
Financing interest expense 19,667 19,468 59,733 57,438
Cost of support services 92,500 98,425 288,203 300,291
Cost of business services 142,512 112,447 406,472 322,970
Selling, general and administrative 341,738 352,299 1,031,497 1,057,876
Research and development 26,060 24,769 80,901 81,351
Restructuring charges & asset impairments 4,526 34,909 22,666 53,940
Other interest expense 23,370 27,508 71,001 89,594
Interest income (1,212 ) (1,457 ) (3,297 ) (4,507 )
Other (income) expense, net   (15,919 )   -     45,738     25,121  
 
Total costs and expenses   800,107     832,889     2,503,075     2,502,216  
 

Income from continuing operations before income taxes

141,537 87,600 334,516 278,298
 

Provision for income taxes

  25,310     10,032     79,681     52,045  
 

Income from continuing operations

116,227 77,568 254,835 226,253
 

Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax

  20,655     (78,501 )   30,173     (159,725 )
 

Net income (loss) before attribution of noncontrolling interests

136,882 (933 ) 285,008 66,528
 

Less: Preferred stock dividends of subsidiaries attributable

to noncontrolling interests

  4,593     4,594     13,781     13,782  
 

Net income (loss) - Pitney Bowes Inc.

$ 132,289   $ (5,527 ) $ 271,227   $ 52,746  
 
 

Amounts attributable to common stockholders:

Income from continuing operations $ 111,634 $ 72,974 $ 241,054 $ 212,471
Income (loss) from discontinued operations   20,655     (78,501 )   30,173     (159,725 )
 
Net income (loss) - Pitney Bowes Inc. $ 132,289   $ (5,527 ) $ 271,227   $ 52,746  
 

Basic earnings per share attributable to common stockholders(1):

Continuing operations 0.55 0.36 1.19 1.05
Discontinued operations   0.10     (0.39 )   0.15     (0.79 )
 
Net income (loss) - Pitney Bowes Inc. $ 0.65   $ (0.03 ) $ 1.34   $ 0.26  
 

Diluted earnings per share attributable to common stockholders (1):

Continuing operations 0.55 0.36 1.18 1.05
Discontinued operations   0.10     (0.39 )   0.15     (0.79 )
 
Net income (loss) - Pitney Bowes Inc. $ 0.65   $ (0.03 ) $ 1.33   $ 0.26  
 
(1)   The sum of the earnings per share amounts may not equal the totals above due to rounding.
 
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited in thousands, except per share data)

   

Assets

September 30,
2014

December 31,
2013 (1)

Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 923,676 $ 907,806
Short-term investments 35,348 31,128
 
Accounts receivable, gross 412,702 482,949
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable   (13,651 )   (13,149 )
Accounts receivable, net 399,051 469,800
 
Finance receivables 1,040,156 1,127,261
Allowance for credit losses   (21,914 )   (24,340 )
Finance receivables, net 1,018,242 1,102,921
 
Inventories 94,879 103,580
Current income taxes 29,815 28,934
Other current assets and prepayments 135,973 147,067
Assets held for sale   55,118     46,976  
 
Total current assets 2,692,102 2,838,212
 
Property, plant and equipment, net 266,520 245,171
Rental property and equipment, net 206,394 226,146
 
Finance receivables 839,912 974,972
Allowance for credit losses   (9,323 )   (12,609 )
Finance receivables, net 830,589 962,363
 
Investment in leveraged leases 32,465 34,410
Goodwill 1,694,987 1,734,871
Intangible assets, net 91,797 120,387
Non-current income taxes 65,092 73,751
Other assets   544,091     537,397  
 
Total assets $ 6,424,037   $ 6,772,708  
 

Liabilities, noncontrolling interests and stockholders' equity

Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 1,428,690 $ 1,644,582
Current income taxes 153,809 157,340
Notes payable and current portion of long-term obligations 274,879 -
Advance billings   399,016     425,833  
 
Total current liabilities 2,256,394 2,227,755
 
Deferred taxes on income 57,830 39,701
Tax uncertainties and other income tax liabilities 148,119 190,645
Long-term debt 2,962,997 3,346,295
Other non-current liabilities   423,981     466,766  
 
Total liabilities   5,849,321     6,271,162  
 
Noncontrolling interests (Preferred stockholders' equity in subsidiaries) 296,370 296,370
 
Stockholders' equity:
Cumulative preferred stock, $50 par value, 4% convertible 1 4
Cumulative preference stock, no par value, $2.12 convertible 559 591
Common stock, $1 par value 323,338 323,338
Additional paid-in-capital 174,783 196,977
Retained earnings 4,872,875 4,715,564
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (614,741 ) (574,556 )
Treasury stock, at cost   (4,478,469 )   (4,456,742 )
 
Total Pitney Bowes Inc. stockholders' equity   278,346     205,176  
 
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interests and stockholders' equity $ 6,424,037   $ 6,772,708  
(1)   Certain prior year amounts have been revised.
  Pitney Bowes Inc.
Revenue and EBIT
Business Segments
September 30, 2014

(Unaudited)

     

(Dollars in thousands)

Three Months Ended September 30,
%
  2014     2013   Change

Revenue

 
North America Mailing $ 363,285 $ 381,685 (5 %)
International Mailing   132,291     141,332   (6 %)
Small & Medium Business Solutions   495,576     523,017   (5 %)
 
Production Mail 113,497 116,477 (3 %)
Presort Services   111,434     105,093   6 %
Enterprise Business Solutions   224,931     221,570   2 %
 
Digital Commerce Solutions   221,137     175,902   26 %
 
Total revenue $ 941,644   $ 920,489   2 %
 

EBIT (1)

 
North America Mailing $ 159,638 $ 158,692 1 %
International Mailing   16,079     15,627   3 %
Small & Medium Business Solutions   175,717     174,319   1 %
 
Production Mail 9,570 10,620 (10 %)
Presort Services   21,927     20,398   7 %
Enterprise Business Solutions   31,497     31,018   2 %
 
Digital Commerce Solutions   24,534     12,885   90 %
 
Total EBIT $ 231,748 $ 218,222 6 %
 
Unallocated amounts:
Interest, net (2) (41,825 ) (45,519 )
Corporate and other expenses (59,779 ) (50,194 )
Restructuring charges & asset impairments (4,526 ) (34,909 )
Other income, net   15,919     -  
 
Income from continuing operations before income taxes $ 141,537   $ 87,600  
(1)   Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) excludes general corporate expenses and restructuring charges & asset impairments.
(2) Interest, net includes financing interest expense, other interest expense and interest income.
 
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Revenue and EBIT
Business Segments
September 30, 2014
(Unaudited)
     
(Dollars in thousands) Nine Months Ended September 30,
%
  2014     2013   Change

Revenue

 
North America Mailing $ 1,115,507 $ 1,162,718 (4 %)
International Mailing   438,819     444,665   (1 %)
Small & Medium Business Solutions   1,554,326     1,607,383   (3 %)
 
Production Mail 330,469 360,352 (8 %)
Presort Services   339,205     322,954   5 %
Enterprise Business Solutions   669,674     683,306   (2 %)
 
Digital Commerce Solutions   613,591     489,825   25 %
 
Total revenue $ 2,837,591   $ 2,780,514   2 %
 

EBIT (1)

 
North America Mailing $ 476,757 $ 464,668 3 %
International Mailing   67,347     53,092   27 %
Small & Medium Business Solutions   544,104     517,760   5 %
 
Production Mail 27,865 34,239 (19 %)
Presort Services   68,235     65,132   5 %
Enterprise Business Solutions   96,100     99,371   (3 %)
 
Digital Commerce Solutions   51,994     27,969   86 %
 
Total EBIT $ 692,198 $ 645,100 7 %
 
Unallocated amounts:
Interest, net (2) (127,437 ) (142,525 )
Corporate and other expenses (161,841 ) (145,216 )
Restructuring charges & asset impairments (22,666 ) (53,940 )
Other expense, net   (45,738 )   (25,121 )
 
Income from continuing operations before income taxes $ 334,516   $ 278,298  
 
(1)   Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) excludes general corporate expenses and restructuring charges & asset impairments.
(2) Interest, net includes financing interest expense, other interest expense and interest income.
       
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Reconciliation of Reported Consolidated Results to Adjusted Results
(Unaudited)
 
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
 

Three Months Ended September 30,

Nine Months Ended September 30,

  2014     2013     2014     2013  
 
GAAP income from continuing operations
after income taxes, as reported $ 111,634 $ 72,974 $ 241,054 $ 212,471
Restructuring charges & asset impairments 2,903 22,536 15,161 35,662
Extinguishment of debt - - 37,833 15,324
Investment divestiture (9,774 ) - (9,774 ) -
Income from continuing operations        
after income taxes, as adjusted $ 104,763   $ 95,510   $ 284,274   $ 263,457  
 
 
GAAP diluted earnings per share from
continuing operations, as reported $ 0.55 $ 0.36 $ 1.18 $ 1.05
Restructuring charges & asset impairments 0.01 0.11 0.07 0.18
Extinguishment of debt - - 0.19 0.08
Investment divestiture   (0.05 )   -     (0.05 )   -  
Diluted earnings per share from continuing
operations, as adjusted $ 0.51   $ 0.47   $ 1.39   $ 1.30  
 
 
GAAP net cash provided by operating activities,
as reported $ 116,985 $ 214,526 $ 397,432 $ 493,560
Capital expenditures (48,920 ) (29,951 ) (121,270 ) (103,392 )
Restructuring payments 8,621 14,098 42,151 41,353
Payments related to investment divestiture 53,738 - 53,738 -
Reserve account deposits (12,563 ) 9,227 (15,919 ) (16,962 )
Extinguishment of debt - - 61,657 25,121
       
Free cash flow, as adjusted $ 117,861   $ 207,900   $ 417,789   $ 439,680  
 

Note: The sum of the earnings per share amounts may not equal the totals above due to rounding.

 
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Reconciliation of Reported Consolidated Results to Adjusted Results
(Unaudited)
       
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
 
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2014     2013   2014     2013
 
GAAP income from continuing operations
after income taxes, as reported $ 111,634 $ 72,974 $ 241,054 $ 212,471
Restructuring charges & asset impairments 2,903 22,536 15,161 35,662
Extinguishment of debt - - 37,833 15,324
Investment divestiture     (9,774 )   -   (9,774 )   -
Income from continuing operations
after income taxes, as adjusted 104,763 95,510 284,274 263,457
Provision for income taxes, as adjusted 20,788 22,405 104,865 80,120
Preferred stock dividends of subsidiaries
attributable to noncontrolling interests     4,593     4,594   13,781     13,782
Income from continuing operations before income taxes, as adjusted 130,144 122,509 402,920 357,359
Interest, net     41,825     45,519   127,437     142,525
Adjusted EBIT 171,969 168,028 530,357 499,884
Depreciation and amortization     49,643     50,679   142,506     153,878
Adjusted EBITDA   $ 221,612   $ 218,707 $ 672,863   $ 653,762


Contact:

Editorial:
Bill Hughes, 203-351-6785
Chief Communications Officer
or
Financial:
Charles F. McBride, 203-351-6349
VP, Investor Relations
or
www.pitneybowes.com