Computer Modelling Group Announces Year-End Results

CALGARY, Alberta, May 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Computer Modelling Group Ltd. (“CMG Group” or the “Company”) announces its financial results for the three months and year ended March 31, 2024.

As a result of CMG Group’s acquisition of BHV on September 25, 2023, the Company’s operations are now organized into two reportable operating segments represented by CMG; the development and licensing of reservoir simulation software, and BHV; the development and licensing of seismic interpretation software.

FOURTH QUARTER 2024 CONSOLIDATED HIGHLIGHTS

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• Generated total revenue of $32.3 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $20.3 million in the prior year’s quarter, reflecting a 15% increase in CMG’s revenue and a 44% contribution from BHV;
• Operating profit increased to $8.3 million, an increase of 20% from the same period of the previous fiscal year. Adjusted operating profit increased by 16% from the same period of the previous fiscal year, with CMG contributing to 9% and BHV contributing to 7% of the increase;
• Adjusted EBITDA Margin was 32%, compared to 42% in the same period of the previous last fiscal year with BHV generating 10% and CMG generating 40% in Adjusted EBITDA Margin;
• Net income during the period was $7.2 million, a 38% increase compared to the prior year’s quarter;
• Earnings per share was $0.09, a 29% increase compared to the prior year’s quarter;
• Reported Free Cash Flow of $0.12 per share, an increase of 71%.

FISCAL 2024 CONSOLIDATED HIGHLIGHTS

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• Generated total revenue of $108.7 million in fiscal 2024, compared to $73.8 million in the previous fiscal year, reflecting a 19% increase in CMG’s revenue and a 28% contribution from BHV;
• Operating profit increased to $34.0 million, an increase of 31% from the previous fiscal year. Adjusted operating profit increased by 30% from the previous fiscal year, in which CMG contributed 19% and BHV contributed 11%;
• Adjusted EBITDA Margin was 40%, compared to 45% in last fiscal year with BHV generating 18% and CMG generating 45% in Adjusted EBITDA Margin;
• Net income during the year was $26.3 million, a 33% increase compared to the prior fiscal year;
• Earnings per share was $0.32, a 28% increase compared to prior fiscal year;
• Reported Free Cash Flow of $0.44 per share, an increase of 63%.

MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY

Fourth Quarter

In the fourth quarter, total revenue grew by 59% from the prior fiscal year to $32.3 million, reflecting the acquisition of Bluware (“BHV”) which contributed 44%, and growth within the CMG operating segment of 15%. Adjusted EBITDA Margin was 32% compared to 42% in the prior fiscal year primarily due to the acquisition of BHV which currently operates at a lower margin than CMG. Net income for the quarter increased by 38% to $7.2 million, driven by higher revenue in the CMG operating segment. Free Cash Flow grew by 75% to $9.5 million, or $0.12 per share, from $5.4 million or $0.07 per share in the prior year’s quarter. This substantial increase in Free Cash Flow was driven by both increases in net income and an approximately $4.6 million increase due to the tax deduction for the intellectual property acquired from BHV.

The CMG operating segment delivered strong total revenue growth of 15% in the fourth quarter with 13% growth in the recurring annuity/maintenance license revenue and increases in both perpetual licenses and professional services revenue. Energy transition, as a percentage of CMG software revenue, was 24% for the fourth quarter, evidencing continued strong demand. As expected, direct employee costs increased in the fourth quarter compared to the prior fiscal year, driven primarily by a combination of increased headcount and performance driven variable compensation. Corporate costs increased as we made investments to support our growth. Collectively, these impacts reduced Adjusted EBITDA Margin in the quarter to 40% from 42% in the prior fiscal year.

In the BHV operating segment, as expected, software license revenue of $2.9 million in the fourth quarter was down sequentially from the third quarter of this fiscal year. This is due to annuity license fee revenue, which fluctuates quarterly depending on the timing of contract renewals. This impacted Adjusted EBITDA Margin for the quarter which declined to 10% from 27% in the third quarter of this year.

Fiscal Year 2024

In fiscal 2024, total revenue grew by 47% from the prior fiscal year to $108.7 million, reflecting the acquisition of BHV which contributed 28% and growth within the CMG operating segment of 19%. As expected, due to the current lower profitability margins of BHV, compared to CMG, full year consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Margin was 40% compared to 45% in the prior fiscal year. Net income grew by $6.5 million, or 33% from the prior fiscal year, driven primarily by increased revenue in the CMG operating segment. Free Cash Flow grew by 62% to $35.3 million, or $0.44 per share, from $21.7 million, or $0.27 per share, in the prior fiscal year. Free Cash Flow benefited from stronger net income and the intellectual property tax deduction related to the BHV acquisition. The year ending cash balance of $63.1 million provides flexibility to continue advancing our acquisition strategy.

The CMG operating segment delivered strong total revenue growth of 19% over the prior fiscal year, with 15% growth in the recurring annuity/maintenance license revenue and increases in both perpetual licenses and professional services revenue. Growth in software revenue was evident across all geographies, with the US and Eastern Hemisphere showing the largest contribution, and was driven by a combination of pricing, and new and increased licensing for both energy transition and traditional energy. Energy transition, as a percentage of CMG software revenue, was 23% for the full year 2024.

Compared to the prior fiscal year, CMG operating segment Adjusted EBITDA increased by 19% to $39.5 million, with Adjusted EBITDA Margin remaining stable at 45% compared to the prior fiscal year. In fiscal 2024, Adjusted EBITDA Margin was impacted by a decrease in SR&ED investment tax credits and increased direct employee costs and other corporate costs that represent our investments supporting current and anticipated growth. These investments included additional hires, bringing headcount to 193 (from 165 on March 31, 2023), additional systems to support and accelerate the refinement of our sales and go-to-market strategies, product innovation, and internal processes. We believe these investments position the organization to deliver sustained annual growth in the coming years while maintaining strong profitability.

In the BHV operating segment, performance is tracking to our expectation with total revenue of $20.8 million and Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 18% for the year-to-date, which reflects six months of operations. Software license revenue of $8.1 million, represented two full quarters of operations under CMG ownership. However, it is expected that revenue in the first six months of fiscal 2025 will be lower than that of Q3 and Q4 of fiscal 2024, due to the timing impact of contract renewals. It is also anticipated that Adjusted EBITDA Margin will decrease in the first two quarters of fiscal 2025 for the same reason. Annuity license fee revenue is recognized upfront when the software license is delivered to the customer which is driven by the timing of contract renewals that happen most commonly in the third and fourth quarter. For this reason, BHV performance will be best evaluated on an annual basis.

SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

(1) Non-IFRS financial measures are defined in the “Non-IFRS Financial Measures” section.

(1) Non-IFRS financial measures are defined in the “Non-IFRS Financial Measures” section.

NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES AND RECONCILIATION OF NON-IFRS MEASURES

Free Cash Flow Reconciliation to Funds Flow from Operations

Free cash flow is a non-IFRS financial measure that is calculated as funds flow from operations less capital expenditures and repayment of lease liabilities. Free Cash Flow per share is calculated by dividing free cash flow by the number of weighted average outstanding shares during the period. Management believes that this measure provides useful supplemental information about operating performance and liquidity, as it represents cash generated during the period, regardless of the timing of collection of receivables and payment of payables, which may reduce comparability between periods. Management uses free cash flow and free cash flow per share to help measure the capacity of the Company to pay dividends and invest in business growth opportunities.

(1) Capital expenditures include cash consideration for USI acquisition in 2023.

Free Cash Flow has increased by 75% and 62%, respectively for the three months and year ended March 31, 2024 from the same periods of the previous fiscal year. These increases are primarily due to increases in net income in fiscal 2024 and an income tax deduction of approximately $4.6 million as a result of the acquisition of BHV’s intellectual property. Additionally, there has been a decrease in capital expenditures in the current year as a result of the acquisition of assets from Unconventional Subsurface Integration LLC (“USI”) in Q4 2023. This is partially offset in the current year due to increased repayment of lease liabilities as a result of the acquisition of BHV office leases.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

(1) This is a non-IFRS financial measure. Refer to definition of the measures above.

(1) This is a non-IFRS financial measure. Refer to definition of the measures above.

Adjusted EBITDA Margin for the three months and year ended March 31, 2024, was 32% and 40%, respectively, a decrease from the same periods of the previous fiscal year. Adjusted EBITDA Margins which were 42% and 45%, respectively, for the three months and year ended March 31, 2024.

CMG’s Adjusted EBITDA Margin is 40% for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to 42% in the prior year comparative quarter, primarily due to an increase in operating expenses as a result of an increase in headcount and headcount related costs and other corporate costs. Refer to the “Operating Expenses” section of the MD&A for further detail on the increase in operating expenses by category. CMG’s Adjusted EBITDA Margin for the year ended March 31, 2024 was 45%, which was consistent with the prior year.

BHV’s Adjusted EBITDA Margin is 10% and 18%, respectively, for the three months and year ended March 31, 2024. The recognition of annuity license fees as a result of contract renewals in the third and fourth quarters had a positive effect on Adjusted EBITDA. We expect that Adjusted EBITDA will fluctuate on a quarterly basis as a result of annuity license fee revenue recognition which is skewed towards the last two quarters of the fiscal year.

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

CORPORATE PROFILE

CMG Group (TSX:CMG) is a global software and consulting company that combines science and technology with deep industry expertise to solve complex subsurface and surface challenges for the new energy industry around the world. The Company is headquartered in Calgary, AB, with offices in Houston, Oxford, Dubai, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Bengaluru, and Kuala Lumpur. For more information, please visit www.cmgl.ca.

QUARTERLY FILINGS AND RELATED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) and consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto for the three months and year ended March 31, 2024 can be obtained from our website www.cmgl.ca. The documents will also be available under CMG Group’s SEDAR+ profile www.sedarplus.ca.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "seek", "believe", "project", "estimate", "expect", "strategy", "future", "likely", "may", "should", "will", and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding the benefits of the acquired technology, the ongoing development thereof; and the ability of data analytics to improve efficiency, cut costs and reduce risks.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are detailed in the companies’ public filings.

Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.