IHS Inc. Reports First Quarter 2013 Results

IHS Inc. Reports First Quarter 2013 Results

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- IHS Inc. (NYS: IHS) , the leading global source of information and analytics, today reported results for the first quarter ended February 28, 2013.

• Revenue of $383 million, up 12 percent from the prior-year period

• Organic revenue growth rate of five percent overall, including eight percent for subscription-based business

• Adjusted EBITDA of $118 million, or 30.9 percent of revenue

• Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share (adjusted EPS) of $0.86, up 12 percent from the prior-year period

• Adjusted free cash flow of $112 million, up 47 percent from the prior-year period

Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EPS, and adjusted free cash flow are non-GAAP financial measures used by management to measure operating performance. These terms are defined elsewhere in this release. Please see schedules appearing later in this release for reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures.

First Quarter 2013 Financial Performance

"The first quarter was a solid start to 2013 and a continuation of our steady performance amid a challenging macroeconomic environment," said Jerre Stead, IHS chairman and chief executive officer. "We are achieving key milestones with regard to our infrastructure initiatives while at the same time investing significantly to capture our full commercial potential. We expect to exit 2013 better positioned than ever to deliver sustainable, profitable long-term growth."

First Quarter 2013Revenue Performance

First quarter 2013 revenue increased 12 percent compared to the first quarter of 2012. The components of its growth are described below.

The subscription-based business continued its growth trend, growing eight percent organically from the prior-year period, which represents the 11th consecutive quarter with subscription-based organic revenue growth of seven percent or higher.

First Quarter 2013Segment Performance

IHS continued to perform well amid difficult economic conditions, as follows:

• Americas. First quarter revenue for the Americas increased $22 million, or 11 percent, to $229 million. First quarter adjusted EBITDA for the Americas increased $14 million, or 18 percent, to $94 million. First quarter operating income for the Americas increased $11 million, or 21 percent, to $62 million.

• EMEA. First quarter revenue for EMEA increased $10 million, or 10 percent, to $109 million. First quarter adjusted EBITDA for EMEA decreased $1 million, or four percent, to $24 million. First quarter operating income for EMEA decreased $5 million, or 24 percent, to $16 million, due in part to a loss on sale of assets.

• APAC. First quarter revenue for APAC increased $7 million, or 21 percent, to $44 million. First quarter adjusted EBITDA for APAC increased $2 million, or 23 percent, to $10 million. First quarter operating income for APAC increased $2 million, or 22 percent, to $10 million.

Outlook (forward-looking statement)

For the year ending November 30, 2013, IHS reaffirms and expects:

• All-in revenue in a range of $1.640 billion to $1.710 billion, including an overall organic growth rate expected to be between 5-7 percent at the midpoint;

• All-in adjusted EBITDA in a range of $540 million to $582 million; and

• Adjusted EPS between $4.23 and $4.43 per diluted share.

The above outlook assumes no further currency movements, acquisitions, divestitures, pension mark-to-market adjustments or unanticipated events. See discussion of non-GAAP financial measures at the end of this release.

As previously announced, IHS will hold a conference call to discuss first quarter 2013 results on March 21, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. EDT. The conference call will be simultaneously webcast on the company's website: www.ihs.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Non-GAAP results are presented only as a supplement to the financial statements based on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The non-GAAP financial information is provided to enhance the reader's understanding of our financial performance, but no non-GAAP measure should be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of the most directly comparable GAAP measures to non-GAAP measures, such as adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings per diluted share, are provided within the schedules attached to this release.

EBITDA is defined as net income plus or minus net interest plus income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA further excludes (i) non-cash items (e.g., stock-based compensation expense and non-cash pension and post-retirement expense) and (ii) items that management does not consider to be useful in assessing our operating performance (e.g., acquisition-related costs, restructuring charges, income or loss from discontinued operations, and gain or loss on sale of assets). Adjusted earnings per diluted share exclude similar items as adjusted EBITDA. None of these non-GAAP financial measures are recognized terms under GAAP and do not purport to be an alternative to net income as an indicator of operating performance or any other GAAP measure.

Management uses these non-GAAP measures in its operational and financial decision-making, believing that it is useful to eliminate certain items in order to focus on what it deems to be a more reliable indicator of ongoing operating performance and our ability to generate cash flow from operations. As a result, internal management reports used during monthly operating reviews feature the adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings per diluted share metrics. Management also believes that investors may find non-GAAP financial measures useful for the same reasons, although investors are cautioned that non-GAAP financial measures are not a substitute for GAAP disclosures. EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted earnings per diluted share are also used by many of our investors, research analysts, investment bankers, and lenders to assess our operating performance. For example, a measure similar to adjusted EBITDA is required by the lenders under our term loan and revolving credit agreement.

Because not all companies use identical calculations, our presentation of non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies. However, these measures can still be useful in evaluating our performance against our peer companies because management believes the measures provide users with valuable insight into key components of GAAP financial disclosures. For example, a company with greater GAAP net income may not be as appealing to investors if its net income is more heavily comprised of gains on asset sales. Likewise, excluding the effects of interest income and expense moderates the impact of a company's capital structure on its performance.

All of the items included in the reconciliation from net income to adjusted EBITDA are either (i) non-cash items (e.g., depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, non-cash pension and post-retirement expense) or (ii) items that we do not consider to be useful in assessing our operating performance (e.g., income taxes, acquisition-related costs, restructuring charges, income or loss from discontinued operations, and gain or loss on sale of assets). In the case of the non-cash items, management believes that investors can better assess our operating performance if the measures are presented without such items because, unlike cash expenses, these adjustments do not affect our ability to generate free cash flow or invest in our business. For example, by excluding depreciation and amortization from EBITDA, users can compare operating performance without regard to different accounting determinations such as useful life. In the case of the other items, management believes that investors can better assess operating performance if the measures are presented without these items because their financial impact does not reflect ongoing operating performance.

IHS Forward-Looking Statements:

This release may contain forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such statements may include financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "plan" and similar expressions. Although IHS and its management believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties-many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of IHS-that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified by IHS from time to time in its public filings. Other than as required by applicable law, IHS does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements. Please consult our public filings at www.sec.gov or www.ihs.com.

About IHS Inc. (www.ihs.com)

IHS (NYS: IHS) is the leading source of information, insight and analytics in critical areas that shape today's business landscape. Businesses and governments in more than 165 countries around the globe rely on the comprehensive content, expert independent analysis and flexible delivery methods of IHS to make high-impact decisions and develop strategies with speed and confidence. IHS has been in business since 1959 and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, USA, IHS is committed to sustainable, profitable growth and employs more than 6,000 people in 31 countries around the world.