"First quarter sales and backlog growth over prior-year quarter continues to demonstrate the appeal of ACI's strategy and product solutions suite as we increase the number of new payment applications owned by each of our existing customers. The company is executing better quarterly performance as underscored by our growth in operating income and improvement in operating EBITDA," said Chief Executive Officer Philip Heasley.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Sales
Sales bookings in the quarter totaled $122.9 million which was an increase of $41.8 million, or 52%, as compared to the March 2010 quarter. The stronger quarter was driven by two large renewals with add-on business in Canada as well as large renewals in the Netherlands, Ireland, Mexico, Indonesia, USA and South Africa. Notable changes in the mix of sales compared to last year's quarter included a rise of $17 million and $9 million in add-on and new application sales, respectively.
Backlog
As of March 31, 2011, our estimated 60-month backlog was $1.613 billion, an increase of $47 million as compared to $1.566 billion at December 31, 2010. The growth was primarily attributable to the impact of foreign exchange translation as well as to the acquisition of ISD Corporation. As of March 31, 2011, our 12-month backlog was $391 million, an increase of $10 million as compared to $381 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2010.
Revenues
Revenue was $104.5 million in the quarter ended March 31, 2011, an increase of $16.8 million, or 19%, over the prior-year quarter revenue. The growth in 2011 revenue over the prior-year quarter includes higher recurring revenue with an increase of $14.0 million, or 22%, over prior-year quarter resulting in $77.3 million in recurring revenue.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses were $97.0 million in the March 2011 quarter compared to $88.6 million in the March 2010 quarter, a rise of $8.4 million, or 9%. Operating expense growth was led primarily by increased sales & marketing expenses and by expenses related to the acceleration of product development.
Operating Income
Operating income was $7.5 million in the March 2011 quarter, an increase of approximately $8.4 million as compared to an operating loss of $0.9 million in the March 2010 quarter.
Liquidity
We had $168.9 million in cash on hand as of March 31, 2011. As of March 31, 2011, we also had $75.0 million in unused borrowings under our credit facility.
Operating Free Cash Flow
Operating free cash flow ("OFCF") for the quarter was $12.3 million as compared to $8.2 million for the March 2010 quarter. The improvement in OFCF was driven by higher operating income as well as by lower cash taxes year-over-year.
Other Expense
Other expense for the quarter was $0.7 million, essentially flat compared to other expense of $0.6 million in the March 2010 quarter.
Taxes
Income tax expense in the quarter was $5.2 million, or a 76% effective tax rate, compared to $0.6 million in the prior-year quarter. The increase in income tax expense is primarily the result of higher pre-tax income. In addition, the effective tax rate is negatively impacted by our inability to recognize income tax benefits on losses sustained in certain tax jurisdictions.
Net Income and Diluted Earnings Per Share
Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 was $1.6 million, compared to net loss of $2.1 million during the same period last year, an improvement of $3.7 million.
Earnings per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 was $0.05 per diluted share compared to a loss of $0.06 per diluted share during the same period last year. The improvement was largely due to stronger operating income.
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding
Total diluted weighted average shares outstanding were 34.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 as compared to 33.7 million shares outstanding for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.
2011 Guidance
We do not presently anticipate changes to our annual guidance based upon what we are seeing in our business markets to date. Hence, guidance remains as indicated on February 15, 2011 with calendar year guidance as follows: Revenue to achieve a range of $440-450 million, Operating Income of $62-65 million and Operating EBITDA of $98-101 million.
About ACI Worldwide
ACI Worldwide powers electronic payments for more than 750 financial institutions, retailers and processors around the world. The company has a broad, integrated suite of electronic payment software in the market. More than 75 billion times each year, ACI's solutions process consumer payments. On an average day, ACI software manages more than US$12 trillion in wholesale payments. And for more than 150 organizations worldwide, ACI software helps to protect their customers from financial crime. To learn more about ACI and understand why we are trusted globally, please visit www.aciworldwide.com . You can also find us on www.paymentsinsights.com or on Twitter @ACI_Worldwide.
