Insight Enterprises, Inc. Reports Record First Quarter 2018 Results and Increases Full Year 2018 Guidance

TEMPE, Ariz., May 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Insight Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:NSIT) (the “Company”) today reported record results of operations for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. 

• Net sales increased 19% year over year to $1.76 billion
• Gross profit increased 15% year over year to $240.0 million
• Earnings from operations increased 119% year over year to $50.2 million
  -- Adjusted earnings from operations increased 69% year over year
• Diluted earnings per share of $0.90 increased 137% year over year
  -- Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.94 increased 68% year over year
• Cash flows provided by operations in the first quarter were $150.7 million compared to cash used in operations of $152.1 million in the first quarter of the prior year

In the first quarter of 2018, consolidated net sales increased 19% and consolidated gross profit increased 15% year over year, reflecting double digit growth in each of the Company’s operating segments.  Overall, earnings from operations increased 119% year over year as a result of strong top line growth and the acceleration of certain partner incentives combined with effective cost control.  Adjusted earnings from operations increased 69% year over year.

“I am pleased to report strong top and bottom line financial results across each of our geographic operating segments,” stated Ken Lamneck, President and Chief Executive Officer.  “The first quarter demonstrated yet again that global demand for IT products and solutions remains healthy with opportunity for share gains and growth.  We are executing well on the sales front and are focused on controlling costs and improving the scalability of our business for the future,” stated Lamneck.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Consolidated net sales for the first quarter of 2018 increased 19% compared to the first quarter of 2017 to $1.76 billion.
  -- Net sales in North America increased 18% year over year to $1.3 billion;
  -- Net sales in EMEA increased 21% year over year to $400.4 million; and
  -- Net sales in APAC increased 52% year over year to $55.1 million.
   
• Excluding the effects of fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates, consolidated net sales increased 16% year over year, with net sales growth in North America, EMEA and APAC of 17%, 7% and 47%, respectively, year over year.
   
• Consolidated gross profit increased 15% compared to the first quarter of 2017 to $240.0 million, with consolidated gross margin contracting 50 basis points to 13.6% of net sales.
  -- Gross profit in North America increased 11% year over year to $175.4 million (13.4% gross margin);
  -- Gross profit in EMEA increased 31% year over year to $55.8 million (13.9% gross margin); and
  -- Gross profit in APAC increased 20% year over year to $8.8 million (16.1% gross margin).
   
• Excluding the effects of fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates, consolidated gross profit increased 12% year over year, with gross profit growth in North America, EMEA and APAC of 11%, 16% and 16%, respectively, year over year.
   
• Consolidated earnings from operations increased 119% compared to the first quarter of 2017 to $50.2 million, or 2.8% of net sales. 
  -- Earnings from operations in North America increased 82% year over year to $42.3 million, or 3.2% of net sales;
  -- Earnings from operations in EMEA increased year over year to $6.4 million, or 1.6% of net sales, in the first quarter of 2018, compared to a loss from operations of $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2017; and
  -- Earnings from operations in APAC increased 74% year over year to $1.5 million, or 2.6% of net sales.
   
• Excluding the effects of fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates, consolidated earnings from operations also increased 119% year over year, with earnings from operations growth in North America and APAC of 81% and 71%, respectively, year over year.
   
• Adjusted consolidated earnings from operations increased 69% year over year to $51.8 million, or 2.9% of net sales for the first quarter of 2018.
   
• Consolidated net earnings and diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2018 were $32.7 million and $0.90, respectively, at an effective tax rate of 26.0%.
   
• Adjusted consolidated net earnings and Adjusted diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2018 were $34.1 million and $0.94, respectively.

As services have become a larger portion of the Company’s consolidated net sales, beginning with our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company began reporting net sales from the provision of services and the related costs of goods sold separately from net sales of products and the related costs of goods sold.  The Company continued this presentation in the three months ended March 31, 2018, and expects to continue this presentation in future periods.  For comparability purposes, net sales and costs of goods sold for the 2017 periods have been expanded to conform to the current year presentation.  These changes in presentation had no effect on previously reported total net sales, total costs of goods sold or gross profit amounts.

In conjunction with these changes in presentation, because fees earned from activities reported net are now considered services revenues, the Company reclassified certain revenue streams for which the Company acts as the agent in the transaction to net sales from services.  Previously, the Company included these net revenue streams within its software and, to a lesser extent, hardware sales mix categories based on the type of product being sold (e.g., fees earned for the sale of software maintenance and certain software licenses were included in software sales and fees earned for the sale of certain third-party provided training and warranty services were included in hardware sales when the Company historically disclosed and analyzed its sales mix).  For comparability purposes, the Company’s sales mix among its hardware, software and services categories for the three months ended March 31, 2017, as presented in the Financial Summary Table in this press release, has been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.  These reclassifications had no effect on previously reported total net sales amounts.

In discussing financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 in this press release, the Company refers to certain financial measures that are not prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).  When referring to non-GAAP measures, the Company refers to such measures as “Adjusted.”  See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for additional information.  A tabular reconciliation of financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measures is included at the end of this press release.   

In some instances the Company refers to changes in net sales, gross profit and earnings from operations on a consolidated basis and in North America, EMEA and APAC excluding the effects of fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates.  In computing these changes and percentages, the Company compares the current year amount as translated into U.S. dollars under the applicable accounting standards to the prior year amount in local currency translated into U.S. dollars utilizing the weighted average translation rate for the current period.

The tax effect of Adjusted amounts referenced herein were computed using the statutory tax rate for the taxing jurisdictions in the operating segment in which the related expenses were recorded, adjusted for the effects of valuation allowances on net operating losses in certain jurisdictions.

GUIDANCE

For the full year 2018, the Company now expects to deliver sales growth in the mid- to high-single digit range compared to 2017.  The Company also increased its expectations for Adjusted diluted earnings per share for the full year of 2018 to between $4.35 and $4.45. 

This outlook assumes:

• an effective tax rate of between 26% and 27% for the balance of 2018;
• capital expenditures of $15 to $20 million for the full year; and
• an average share count for the full year of approximately 36.0 million shares.

This outlook does not assume the completion of the Company’s currently authorized share repurchase program, assumes no current year acquisition-related expenses and excludes severance and restructuring expenses incurred during the first quarter of 2018 and those that may be incurred during the balance of 2018.  Due to the inherent difficulty of forecasting these types of expenses, which impact net earnings and diluted earnings per share, the Company is unable to reasonably estimate the related impact of such expenses, if any, to net earnings and diluted earnings per share.  Accordingly, the Company is unable to provide a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the full year 2018 forecast. 

CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST

The Company will host a conference call and live web cast today at 5:00 p.m. ET to discuss first quarter 2018 results of operations.  A live web cast of the conference call (in listen-only mode) will be available on the Company’s web site at HTTP://INVESTOR.INSIGHT.COM/, and a replay of the web cast will be available on the Company’s web site for a limited time following the call.  To listen to the live web cast by telephone, call 1-877-402-8904 if located in the U.S., 678-809-1029 for international callers, and enter the access code 8034719. NSIT-F

USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

The non-GAAP financial measures (referred to as Adjusted consolidated earnings from operations, Adjusted consolidated net earnings and Adjusted diluted earnings per share) exclude (i) severance and restructuring expenses, (ii) certain acquisition-related expenses, and (iii) the tax effects of each of these items, as applicable.  The Company excludes these items when internally evaluating earnings from operations, tax expense, net earnings and diluted earnings per share for the Company and earnings from operations for each of the Company’s operating segments.  These non-GAAP measures are used to evaluate financial performance against budgeted amounts, to calculate incentive compensation, to assist in forecasting future performance and to compare the Company’s results to those of the Company’s competitors.  The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they allow for greater transparency, facilitate comparisons to prior periods and the Company’s competitors’ results and assist in forecasting performance for future periods.  These non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures presented by other companies.  Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.  

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain statements in this release and the related conference call and web cast are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements, including the Company’s expected 2018 financial results, including sales growth rates and Adjusted diluted earnings per share for the full year 2018, and the assumptions relating thereto, including the Company’s anticipated sales growth compared to 2017 and its effective tax rate, capital expenditures and plans concerning repurchases under the Company’s currently authorized share repurchase program and its effect on the expected average share count for the full year 2018, and the Company’s expectations for the future presentation of services net sales, are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified.  Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements.  There can be no assurances that the results discussed by the forward-looking statements will be achieved, and actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.  Some of the important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, the following, which are discussed in “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and in other of the Company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission:

• actions of the Company’s competitors, including manufacturers and publishers of products the Company sells;
• the Company’s reliance on partners for product availability, competitive products to sell and marketing funds and purchasing incentives, which can change significantly in the amounts made available and the requirements year over year;
• changes in the information technology (“IT”) industry and/or rapid changes in technology;
• risks associated with the integration and operation of acquired businesses;
• possible significant fluctuations in the Company’s future operating results;
• the risks associated with the Company’s international operations;
• general economic conditions;
• increased debt and interest expense and decreased availability of funds under the Company’s financing facilities;
• the security of the Company’s electronic and other confidential information;
• disruptions in the Company’s IT systems and voice and data networks;
• failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the Company’s commercial and public sector contracts;
• legal proceedings and client audits and failure to comply with laws and regulations;
• accounts receivable risks, including increased credit loss experience or extended payment terms with the Company’s clients;
• the Company’s reliance on independent shipping companies;
• the Company’s dependence on certain key personnel;
• natural disasters or other adverse occurrences;
• exposure to changes in, interpretations of, or enforcement trends related to tax rules and regulations; and
• intellectual property infringement claims and challenges to the Company’s registered trademarks and trade names.

Additionally, there may be other risks that are otherwise described from time to time in the reports that the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Any forward-looking statements in this release should be considered in light of various important factors, including the risks and uncertainties listed above, as well as others.  The Company assumes no obligation to update, and, except as may be required by law, does not intend to update, any forward-looking statements.  The Company does not endorse any projections regarding future performance that may be made by third parties.