NEW YORK - February 10, 2016 - Criteo S.A. (NASDAQ: CRTO), the performance marketing technology company, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 20151.
“2015 was another terrific year for us. We crossed the 10,000 client and €1 billion revenue marks while continuing to invest significantly in innovation,” said Eric Eichmann, CEO. “I am thrilled to take the helm at such an exciting time and look forward to our 2016 initiatives.”
"I am very pleased with our growing profitability and strong free cash flow generation in 2015," said Benoit Fouilland, Chief Financial Officer. "Our unique financial model continues to be a key differentiator in our space."
Operating Highlights
Revenue ex-TAC
Revenue ex-TAC for the fourth quarter 2015 grew 51%, or 43% at constant currency, to €146 million, compared with €96 million in the fourth quarter 2014. This increase was primarily driven by the continued roll-out of our technology improvements across all devices including mobile, the addition of a record number of new clients and the expansion of our direct relationships with publishers.
Revenue ex-TAC for fiscal year 2015 grew 59%, or 49% at constant currency, to €482 million, compared with €304 million in fiscal year 2014.
Revenue ex-TAC margin as a percentage of revenue for the fourth quarter 2015 was 40.3%, in line with prior quarters.
Revenue ex-TAC margin as a percentage of revenue for fiscal year 2015 was 40.4%, in line with prior years.
Adjusted EBITDA and Operating Expenses
Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter 2015 was €49 million, an increase of 53%, or 49% at constant currency, compared with €32 million for the fourth quarter 2014. This increase in Adjusted EBITDA is primarily the result of the strong Revenue ex-TAC performance in the quarter. We incurred slightly higher than anticipated expenses, primarily as a result of the negative impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and variable costs.
Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal year 2015 was €130 million, an increase of 64%, or 59% at constant currency, compared with €79 million for fiscal year 2014.
Adjusted EBITDA margin as a percentage of revenue for the fourth quarter was 13.5% compared with 13.7% in the fourth quarter 2014.
Adjusted EBITDA margin as a percentage of revenue for fiscal year 2015 was 10.9%, a 0.2 percentage point improvement compared with 10.7% for fiscal year 2014. Excluding the impact of investments in search marketing in 2015, Adjusted EBITDA margin as a percentage of revenue for fiscal year 2015 was 12.1%, a 1.4 percentage point improvement compared with fiscal year 2014.
Operating expenses for the fourth quarter 2015 increased by 50% to €99 million compared with the fourth quarter 2014. Operating expenses for the fourth quarter 2015, excluding the impact of share-based compensation expense, pension costs, depreciation and amortization and acquisition-related deferred price consideration, which we refer to as Non-IFRS Operating Expenses, were €89 million, an increase of 52% compared with the fourth quarter 2014. This increase is primarily related to year-over-year headcount growth in Research & Development (60%) and Sales & Operations (35%), as we continued to scale our organization.
Operating expenses for fiscal year 2015 were €356 million, an increase of 57% compared with fiscal year 2014. On a Non-IFRS basis, our operating expenses for fiscal year 2015 were €322 million, an increase of 58% compared with fiscal year 2014. Non-IFRS operating expenses as a percentage of revenue for fiscal year 2015 were 27.0%, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points compared with fiscal year 2014, driven by the decrease in our Sales & Operations and General & Administrative expenses, by 0.3 percentage points and 0.5 percentage points respectively. Excluding the impact of investments in search marketing in 2015, Non-IFRS operating expenses as a percentage of revenue were 25.7% for fiscal year 2015, a decrease of 1.7 percentage points compared with fiscal year 2014.
Net Income and Adjusted Net Income
Net income for the fourth quarter 2015 was €35 million, an increase of 101% compared with €18 million for the fourth quarter 2014. Net income available to shareholders of Criteo S.A. for the fourth quarter 2015 was €35 million, or €0.53 per share on a diluted basis, compared with €17 million, or €0.27 per share on a diluted basis, for the fourth quarter 2014.
Net income for fiscal year 2015 was €57 million, an increase of 60% compared with €35 million for fiscal year 2014. Net income available to shareholders of Criteo S.A. for fiscal year 2015 was €54 million, or €0.84 per diluted share, compared with €34 million, or €0.55 per diluted share, for fiscal year 2014.
Adjusted Net Income, or net income adjusted to eliminate the impact of share-based compensation expense, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, acquisition-related deferred price consideration and the tax impact of these adjustments, for the fourth quarter 2015 was €43 million, or €0.66 per share on a diluted basis, an increase of 83% compared with €23 million, or €0.37 per share on a diluted basis, for the fourth quarter 2014.
Adjusted Net Income for fiscal year 2015 was €82 million, or €1.26 per share on a diluted basis, an increase of 53% compared with €53 million, or €0.86 per share on a diluted basis, for fiscal year 2014.
Cash Flow and Cash Position
Cash flow from operating activities for the fourth quarter 2015 increased 53% to €60 million, compared with €40 million for the fourth quarter 2014.
Cash flow from operating activities for fiscal year 2015 increased 41% to €124 million, compared with €88 million for fiscal year 2014.
Free cash flow, defined as cash flow from operating activities less acquisition of intangible assets, property, plant and equipment and net of proceeds from disposal, increased 45% to €43 million for the fourth quarter 2015, compared with €30 million for the fourth quarter 2014.
Free cash flow for fiscal year 2015 increased 8% to €57 million, compared with €52 million for fiscal year 2014.
Total cash and cash equivalents were €325 million as of December 31, 2015, an increase of €35 million compared to December 31, 2014.
Business Outlook
As of January 1, 2016, we began reporting as a U.S. domestic registrant under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As a result, we are required under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules to prepare our financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, rather than IFRS, and to present our financial information in U.S. dollars instead of euros. Our first Annual Report on Form 10-K will present our results for 2013, 2014 and 2015 in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition, from the first quarter 2016 onward, we will be presenting our results in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, the outlook for the first quarter and fiscal year 2016 is no longer provided in euros and in accordance with IFRS but rather provided in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
The following forward-looking statements reflect Criteo’s expectations as of February 10, 2016.
First Quarter 2016 Guidance:
Fiscal Year 2016 Guidance:
The above guidance assumes no additional acquisitions are completed during the first quarter ending March 31, 2016 and the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016.
Non-IFRS/non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release and its attachments include the following financial measures defined as non-IFRS/non-GAAP financial measures by the SEC: Revenue ex-TAC, Revenue ex-TAC by Region, Revenue ex-TAC margin, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Net Income per diluted share, Free Cash Flow, and Non-IFRS/Non-GAAP Operating Expenses. These measures are not calculated in accordance with IFRS or U.S. GAAP.
Revenue ex-TAC is our revenue excluding Traffic Acquisition Costs (“TAC”) generated over the applicable measurement period and Revenue ex-TAC by Region reflects our Revenue ex-TAC by our core geographies. Revenue ex-TAC and Revenue ex-TAC by Region are key measures used by our management and board of directors to evaluate our operating performance, generate future operating plans and make strategic decisions regarding the allocation of capital. In particular, we believe that the elimination of TAC from revenue can provide a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons of our core business and across our core geographies. Accordingly, we believe that Revenue ex-TAC and Revenue ex-TAC by Region provide useful information to investors and the market generally in understanding and evaluating our operating results in the same manner as our management and board of directors.
Adjusted EBITDA is our income (loss) from operations before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted to eliminate the impact of share-based compensation expense, pension service costs and acquisition-related deferred price consideration. Adjusted EBITDA is a key measure used by our management and board of directors to understand and evaluate our core operating performance and trends, to prepare and approve our annual budget and to develop short‑ and long-term operational plans. In particular, we believe that by eliminating non-cash compensation expense, pension costs and acquisition-related deferred price consideration, Adjusted EBITDA can provide a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons of our core business. Accordingly, we believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors and the market generally in understanding and evaluating our results of operations in the same manner as our management and board of directors.
Adjusted Net Income is our net income adjusted to eliminate the impact of share-based compensation expense, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, acquisition-related deferred price consideration, and the tax impact of these adjustments. Adjusted Net Income is a key measure used by our management and board of directors to evaluate operating performance, generate future operating plans and make strategic decisions regarding the allocation of capital. In particular, we believe that by eliminating share-based compensation expense, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and acquisition-related deferred price consideration and the tax impact of these adjustments, Adjusted Net Income can provide a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons of our core business. Accordingly, we believe that Adjusted Net Income provides useful information to investors and the market generally in understanding and evaluating our results of operations in the same manner as our management and board of directors.
Free cash flow is defined as cash flow from operating activities less acquisition of intangible assets, property, plant and equipment and net of proceeds from disposal. Free cash flow is a key measure used by our management and board of directors to evaluate the Company's ability to generate cash. Accordingly, we believe that Free Cash Flow permits a more complete and comprehensive analysis of our available cash flows.
Please refer to the supplemental financial tables provided in the appendix of this press release for a reconciliation of Revenue ex-TAC to Revenue, Revenue ex-TAC by Region to Revenue by Region, Adjusted EBITDA to net income, Adjusted Net Income to net income and Free Cash Flow to cash flow from operating activities, in each case, the most comparable IFRS and U.S. GAAP measurement. Our use of non-IFRS/non-GAAP financial measures has limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our financial results as reported under IFRS or U.S. GAAP. Some of these limitations are: (1) other companies, including companies in our industry which have similar business arrangements, may address the impact of TAC differently; and (2) other companies may report Revenue ex-TAC, Revenue ex-TAC by Region, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income, Free Cash Flow or similarly titled measures but calculate them differently or over different regions, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures. Because of these and other limitations, you should consider these measures alongside our IFRS and U.S. GAAP financial results, including revenue and net income.
With respect to our expectations under “Business Outlook” above, reconciliation of Revenue ex-TAC and Adjusted EBITDA guidance to the closest corresponding U.S. GAAP measure is not available without unreasonable efforts on a forward-looking basis due to the high variability, complexity and low visibility with respect to the charges excluded from these non-GAAP measures; in particular, the measures and effects of stock-based compensation expense specific to equity compensation awards that are directly impacted by unpredictable fluctuations in our share price. We expect the variability of the above charges to have a significant, and potentially unpredictable, impact on our future U.S. GAAP financial results.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including projected financial results for the quarter ending March 31, 2016 and the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016, our expectations regarding our market opportunity and future growth prospects and other statements that are not historical facts, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: recent growth rates not being indicative of future growth, uncertainty regarding legislative, regulatory or self-regulatory developments regarding data privacy matters, uncertainty regarding our ability to access a consistent supply of internet display advertising inventory and expand access to such inventory, the investments in new business opportunities and the timing of these investments, the impact of competition, our ability to manage growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, our ability to grow our base of clients, uncertainty regarding international growth and expansion, and the financial impact of maximizing Revenue ex-TAC, as well as risks related to future opportunities and plans, including the uncertainty of expected future financial performance and results and those risks detailed from time-to-time under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s SEC filings and reports, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 27, 2015, as well as future filings and reports by the Company. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events, changes in expectations or otherwise.
Conference Call Information
Criteo’s earnings conference call will take place today, February 10, 2016, at 8:00am ET, 2:00pm CET. The conference call will be webcast live on the Company’s website http://ir.criteo.com and will be available for replay.
Conference call details:
Please ask to be joined into the “Criteo S.A.” call.
As the Company will report for the first time its financial statements presented in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. GAAP, Criteo will host a separate conference call today, February 10, 2016, at 9:15am ET, 3:15pm CET. The purpose of this second call will be to discuss the conversion of its financial statements presented in euros and in accordance with IFRS into financial statements presented in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The conference call will be webcast live on the Company’s website http://ir.criteo.com and will be available for replay.
Conference call details:
Please ask to be joined into the“Criteo U.S. GAAP Transition call”.
-------------------------------
1 We are providing amounts in this release in euros and in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”) for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2015 due to the fact that we previously provided guidance for such periods in euros and in accordance with IFRS. Please refer to appendices for financial measures in U.S. dollars (“USD”) and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).As explained below in the “Business Outlook” section, from the first quarter 2016 onward, we will be presenting our results in USD and in accordance with U.S. GAAP. For the year ended December 31, 2015, we expect to file our annual report on form 10-K on February 29th, 2016, which will include our consolidated financial statements for the three years ended December 31, prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and presented in USD. For more information, see “Business Outlook” and “Non-IFRS/non-GAAP Measures” herein. For the convenience of the reader, please see the full reconciliation of our consolidated financial statements in euros, in accordance with IFRS, to our consolidated financial statements in USD, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2015 and the corresponding periods in the prior year, included at the end of this release.
2 Growth at constant currency excludes the impact of foreign currency fluctuations and is computed by applying the 2014 average exchange rates for the relevant period to 2015 figures.
