Bedford, Mass. - Aspen Technology, Inc. (AspenTech) (NASDAQ: AZPN), a global leader in industrial software, today announced financial results for its second quarter in fiscal 2024, ended December 31, 2023.
"AspenTech had a solid second quarter with strong demand for our products and solutions," commented Antonio Pietri, President and Chief Executive Officer of AspenTech. "We continue to see numerous growth opportunities in asset-intensive industries as they navigate the energy transition and focus on efficiencies and sustainability use cases. In particular, with DGM, we are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the unprecedented investment cycle to expand and upgrade the grid globally."
"We continue to see resilient demand and meaningful pipeline growth across most end markets as we move into the second half of our fiscal year. We remain confident in our outlook for fiscal 2024, and we are reaffirming our ACV growth target of at least 11.5 percent," concluded Pietri.
Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Recent Business Highlights
*Annual contract value1 ("ACV") was $914.1 million at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2024, increasing 9.6% year over year and 1.8% quarter over quarter. This result reflects the delay of a customer agreement that was scheduled to renew in the second quarter of fiscal 2024 and reduced ACV growth by approximately 0.6 points. AspenTech now expects this customer renewal to close in the third quarter of fiscal 2024, with a corresponding benefit to ACV growth.
*Cash flow from operations was $29.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $49.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.
*Free cash flow2 was $29.2 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $47.8 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.
Summary of Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results
AspenTech's total revenue was $257.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2024 and included the following:
*License and solutions revenue, which represents the portion of a term license agreement allocated to the initial license and Open Systems International, Inc. (OSI) revenue where software, hardware and professional services are recognized as one performance obligation, was $152.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $149.8 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.
*Maintenance revenue, which represents the portion of customer agreements related to ongoing support and the right to future product enhancements, was $85.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $78.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.
*Services and other revenue, which represents the portion of customer agreements related to professional services and training services, was $19.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $14.4 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.
Loss from operations was $49.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $59.4 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023. Non-GAAP income from operations was $88.7 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $86.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results is presented in the financial tables included in this press release.
Net loss was $21.5 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $66.2 million, or $1.02 per diluted share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2023. AspenTech has increased amortization of intangible assets following the close of its transaction with Emerson Electric Co. AspenTech expects its amortization of intangible assets to remain at higher levels for the next several years as the related asset balance is amortized over the respective expected useful lives of the intangible assets.
Non-GAAP net income was $87.8 million, or $1.37 per diluted share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $22.8 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2023. The year-over-year increase in non-GAAP net income was mainly due to the change in approach to computing AspenTech's tax provision, which initially occurred in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.
AspenTech had cash and cash equivalents of $130.8 million as of December 31, 2023, compared to $241.2 million as of June 30, 2023. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents during this period was due to the impact of share repurchase activity under AspenTech's $300.0 million share repurchase authorization (the "share repurchase authorization") in the first half of fiscal 2024. Please see below for an update on the share repurchase authorization. Under its revolving credit facility, AspenTech had no borrowings and $197.4 million available as of December 31, 2023.
AspenTech generated $29.8 million in cash flow from operations and $29.2 million in free cash flow2 in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $49.5 million in cash flow from operations and $47.8 million in free cash flow2 in the second quarter of fiscal 2023. The difference in free cash flow2 results between periods was mainly due to the variability of contract cycle renewals and billings between quarters as well as higher expenses and cash tax in the second quarter of fiscal 2024.
Recent Developments
Appointment of Interim Chief Financial Officer
Effective January 1, 2024, Christopher Stagno was appointed to the position of Senior Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer of AspenTech, while AspenTech searches for a new permanent Chief Financial Officer following Chantelle Breithaupt's previously announced resignation from the role, effective December 31, 2023. Mr. Stagno is an experienced financial executive with deep knowledge of AspenTech's business and over 25 years of leadership in finance, including at various software companies.
Share Repurchase Authorization Update
AspenTech repurchased 375,041 shares for $72.1 million under its $300.0 million share repurchase authorization, announced on August 1, 2023, in the second quarter of fiscal 2024. As of December 31, 2023, a total of 954,839 shares had been repurchased under the share repurchase authorization for $186.3 million, with the total remaining value being $113.7 million.
Fiscal Year 2024 Business Outlook
Based on information as of today, February 6, 2024, AspenTech is reaffirming its fiscal 2024 guidance and increasing its Non-GAAP net income per share guidance by $0.02 to reflect the impact of share repurchase activity in the second quarter of fiscal 2024. AspenTech's fiscal 2024 guidance is as follows.
*ACV1 growth of at least 11.5% year-over-year.
*GAAP operating cash flow of at least $378 million
*Free cash flow2 of at least $360 million
*Total bookings of at least $1.04 billion
*Total revenue of at least $1.12 billion
*GAAP total expense of approximately $1.22 billion
*Non-GAAP total expense of approximately $675 million
*GAAP operating loss at or better than $100 million
*Non-GAAP operating income of at least $445 million
*GAAP net loss at or better than $7 million
*Non-GAAP net income of at least $424 million
*GAAP net loss per share at or better than $0.11
*Non-GAAP net income per share of at least $6.59
These statements are forward-looking and actual results may differ materially. Refer to the Forward-Looking Statements safe harbor below for information on the factors that could cause AspenTech's actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements.
Conference Call and Webcast
AspenTech will host a conference call and webcast presentation on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss its financial results, business outlook, and related corporate and financial matters. A live webcast of the call will be available on AspenTech's Investor Relations website, ir.aspentech.com, via its "Webcasts" page. To access the call by phone, please use the following registration link. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. A replay of the webcast also will be available for a limited time at http://ir.aspentech.com/.
AspenTech has provided an earnings presentation for its second quarter of fiscal 2024. AspenTech asks that shareholders refer to this presentation in conjunction with the conference call, which can be found at ir.aspentech.com.
Footnotes
1. AspenTech defines ACV as the estimate of the annual value of our portfolio of term license and software maintenance and support, or SMS, contracts, the annual value of SMS agreements purchased with perpetual licenses and the annual value of standalone SMS agreements purchased with certain legacy term license agreements, which have become an immaterial part of our business.
2. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP metric that is calculated as net cash provided by operating activities adjusted for the net impact of purchases of property, equipment and leasehold improvements and payments for capitalized computer software development costs. Effective January 1, 2023, AspenTech no longer excludes acquisition and integration planning related payments from its computation of free cash flow. Free cash flow for all prior periods presented has been revised to the current period computation.
About AspenTech
Aspen Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AZPN) is a global software leader helping industries at the forefront of the world's dual challenge meet the increasing demand for resources from a rapidly growing population in a profitable and sustainable manner. AspenTech solutions address complex environments where it is critical to optimize the asset design, operation and maintenance lifecycle. Through our unique combination of deep domain expertise and innovation, customers in asset-intensive industries can run their assets safer, greener, longer and faster to improve their operational excellence. To learn more, visit AspenTech.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical may be "forward-looking" statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties, and AspenTech undertakes no obligation to update any such statements to reflect later developments. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our guidance for fiscal 2024, our expectations regarding cash collections, closing of customer renewals and completion of our share repurchase authorization. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "strategy," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," "opportunity" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of our transaction with Emerson Electric Co.; risks resulting from our status as a controlled company; the scope, duration and ultimate impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israeli-Hamas conflict; as well as economic and currency conditions, market demand (including related to the pandemic and adverse changes in the process or other capital-intensive industries such as materially reduced spending budgets due to oil and gas price declines and volatility), pricing, protection of intellectual property, cybersecurity, natural disasters, tariffs, sanctions, competitive and technological factors, and inflation; and others, as set forth in AspenTech's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The outlook contained herein represents AspenTech's expectation for its consolidated results, other than as noted herein.
© 2024 Aspen Technology, Inc. AspenTech, aspenONE, asset optimization and the Aspen leaf logo are trademarks of Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks not owned by AspenTech are property of their respective owners.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release contains "non-GAAP financial measures" under the rules of the SEC. Non-GAAP financial measures are not based on a comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. This non-GAAP information supplements, and is not intended to represent a measure of performance in accordance with, disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or superior to, financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results is included in the financial tables included in this press release.
Management considers both GAAP and non-GAAP financial results in managing AspenTech's business. As the result of adoption of new licensing models, management believes that a number of AspenTech's performance indicators based on GAAP, including revenue, gross profit, operating income and net income, should be viewed in conjunction with certain non-GAAP and other business measures in assessing AspenTech's performance, growth and financial condition. Accordingly, management utilizes a number of non-GAAP and other business metrics, including the non-GAAP metrics set forth in this press release, to track AspenTech's business performance.
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