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FactSet's (FDS) Q4 Earnings Miss Estimates, Increase Y/Y

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FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS - Free Report) reported mixed fourth-quarter fiscal 2022 results with earnings missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate but revenues beating the same.

Adjusted earnings per share (excluding 44 cents from non-recurring items) of $3.13 missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.7% but increased 8.7% year over year. The bottom line was driven by higher revenues. There has been no impact of the disappointing earnings performance on the stock so far since the result release on Sep 22.

FactSet’s revenues of $499.3 million in the quarter surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.5% and increased 21.2% year over year. The uptick was driven by addition of CUSIP Global Services (CGS) and Analytics & Trading and Research & Advisory solutions.

Shares of FDS have gained 6.4% over the past year against the 23.6% decline of the  industry  it belongs to.

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Revenues in Detail

Organic revenues increased 9.8% year over year to $452.5 million. Region-wise, organic revenue growth from the Americas, EMEA and the Asia Pacific was 9.1%, 8.5% and 17.8%, respectively.

ASV Plus Professional Services

FactSet’s Annual Subscription Value (ASV) plus professional services were $2 billion, up 17.6% year over year. Buy-side and sell-side ASV growth rates were 8.5% and 13.8%, respectively. Organic ASV plus professional services were $1.8 billion, up 9.3% from the prior-year quarter’s level. Nearly 83% of organic ASV was generated by buy-side and the rest by sell-side firms.

Organic ASV generated from the United States was $1.14 billion, up 9.3% from the prior-year quarter’s level. Organic ASV from EMEA and the Asia Pacific regions was $486 million and 191.7 million each, up 8.4% and 12% year over year, respectively.

FactSet added 219 clients in the reported fiscal quarter, driven by an increase in corporate and wealth clients, taking the total to 7,538. The annual client retention rate was 92%. At the end of the said fiscal quarter, the total employee count was 11,203, up 2.9% from the figure registered in the last 12 months, driven primarily by an increase in the content organization.

Operating Results

Adjusted operating income came in at $157.5 million, up 20.8% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure. Adjusted operating margin decreased to 31.5% from 31.6% in the year-ago quarter. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 30% to $123.8 million. Total operating expenses rose 25.4% to $367.1 million.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

FactSet exited the fiscal fourth quarter with a cash and cash equivalents balance of $503.3 million compared with $527 million in the previous fiscal quarter. Long-term debt was $1,982.4 million compared with the prior fiscal quarter’s figure of $2,062.2 million. In the reported fiscal quarter, FDS generated $151.4 million of cash from operating activities, while capital expenditures were $15.2 million. Free cash flow was $136.15 million.

FactSet currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see  the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Fiscal 2023 Outlook

Organic ASV plus professional services are expected to increase in the range of $150-$180 million  during fiscal 2023. The GAAP operating margin is expected in the range of 30.0-31.0%. GAAP revenues are expected in the range of  $2,100-$2,115 million. Adjusted operating margin is expected in the range of 34-35%. FactSet's annual effective tax rate is expected in the range of 12.5-13.5%.

Adjusted EPS is expected in the range of  $14.50-$14.90. The midpoint of the guided range ($14.70) is below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $14.80.

Performances of Other Business Services Companies

Equifax (EFX - Free Report)   reported mixed second-quarter 2022 results, wherein earnings beat estimates but revenues missed the same.

EFX’s adjusted earnings of $2.09 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3% and improved 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Revenues of $1.32 billion missed the consensus estimate marginally but improved 6.6% year over year.

IQVIA Holdings (IQV - Free Report)   reported solid second-quarter 2022 results, wherein earnings and revenues surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

IQV’s adjusted earnings per share of $2.44 beat the consensus mark by 2.1% and improved 15% on a year-over-year basis. Total revenues of $3.54 billion outpaced the consensus estimate by 1.2% and increased 3% year over year.

Omnicom Group (OMC - Free Report)   reported impressive second-quarter 2022 results, wherein both earnings and revenues surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

OMC’s earnings of $1.68 per share beat the consensus mark by 7.7% and increased 15.1% year over year, driven by a strong margin performance. Total revenues of $3.6 billion surpassed the consensus estimate by 4.4% but declined slightly year over year.
 

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