FirstService Reports First Quarter Results

Operating highlights:

TORONTO, April 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FirstService Corporation (TSX: FSV; NASDAQ: FSV) today reported operating and financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2024. All amounts are in US dollars.

Consolidated revenues for the first quarter were $1.16 billion, up 14% relative to the same quarter in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA (note 1) increased 2% to $83.4 million, and Adjusted EPS (note 2) was $0.67, compared to $0.85 in the prior year quarter. Operating Earnings were $38.1 million, relative to $41.0 million in the prior year period. Diluted earnings per share was $0.14 per share in the quarter, versus $0.36 in the same quarter a year ago.

“We are pleased with the first quarter, as our operations delivered solid results in-line with our expectations,” said Scott Patterson, Chief Executive Officer of FirstService. “We are confident in hitting our performance targets for the year, supported by the underlying indicators across our businesses,” he concluded.

About FirstService Corporation
FirstService Corporation is a North American leader in the essential outsourced property services sector, serving its customers through two industry-leading service platforms: FirstService Residential - North America’s largest manager of residential communities; and FirstService Brands - one of North America’s largest providers of essential property services delivered through individually branded company-owned operations and franchised systems.

FirstService generates more than US$4.4 billion in annual revenues and has approximately 29,000 employees across North America. With significant insider ownership and an experienced management team, FirstService has a long-term track record of creating value and superior returns for shareholders. The Common Shares of FirstService trade on the NASDAQ and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “FSV”, and are included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index. More information is available at www.firstservice.com.

Segmented Quarterly Results
FirstService Residential revenues were $496.1 million for the first quarter, an increase of 11% versus the prior year, including 8% organic growth. The top-line performance was broadly distributed across our markets and driven by new property management contract wins. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $35.6 million, up from $32.0 million in the prior year period. Operating Earnings were $26.7 million, versus $22.7 million in the first quarter of last year. Operating margins were in-line with the prior year quarter.

FirstService Brands revenues for the first quarter totalled $661.9 million, up 16% relative to the prior year period. Revenue growth was driven by double-digit organic growth at Century Fire Protection and contribution from our recent Roofing Corp of America acquisition. On an organic basis, division revenues were down 6% compared to the first quarter of 2023, which benefited from significant weather-related claims activity at our restoration operations. Adjusted EBITDA was $55.5 million, compared to $54.8 million in the prior year quarter. Operating Earnings were $26.8 million, versus $30.2 million in the prior year quarter. Operating margins declined due to lower profitability at our restoration brands associated with milder weather patterns in the current year period, as well as increased promotional and marketing activity at our home services brands.

Corporate costs, as presented in Adjusted EBITDA (note 1), were $7.7 million in the first quarter, relative to $4.7 million in the prior year period. Corporate costs for the quarter were $15.4 million, relative to $11.9 million in the prior year period, with the increase primarily due to the impact of foreign exchange movements.

Conference Call
FirstService will be holding a conference call on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. ET to discuss results for the first quarter of 2024. This call is being webcast live at the Company’s website at www.firstservice.com. Participants may register for the call here   https://register.vevent.com/register/BIc4398855ed2f45debdf4cb6cd683ca7b to receive the dial-in number and their unique PIN.

To join the webcast in listen only mode, use this link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/ifffxbiu.

Forward-looking Statements
This press release includes or may include forward-looking statements. Much of this information can be identified by words such as “expect to,” “expected,” “will,” “estimated” or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. FirstService believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements contemplated in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include: (i) general economic and business conditions, which will, among other things, impact demand for FirstService’s services and the cost of providing services; (ii) the ability of FirstService to implement its business strategy, including FirstService’s ability to acquire suitable acquisition candidates on acceptable terms and successfully integrate newly acquired businesses with its existing businesses; (iii) changes in or the failure to comply with government regulations; and (iv) other factors which are described in FirstService’s annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023 under the heading “Risk factors” (a copy of which may be obtained at www.sedarplus.ca) and Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (a copy of which may be obtained at www.sec.gov), and subsequent filings (which factors are adopted herein). Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and are subject to change. All forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, we do not intend, nor do we undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect subsequent information, events, results or circumstances or otherwise.

Summary financial information is provided in this press release. Our interim consolidated financial statements and related management’s discussion and analysis will be made available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. 

Notes
1. Reconciliation of net earnings to Adjusted EBITDA:

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net earnings, adjusted to exclude: (i) income tax; (ii) other (income) expense; (iii) interest expense; (iv) depreciation and amortization; (v) acquisition-related items; and (vi) stock-based compensation expense. The Company uses adjusted EBITDA to evaluate its own operating performance, its ability to service debt, and as an integral part of its planning and reporting systems. Additionally, this measure is used in conjunction with discounted cash flow models to determine the Company’s overall enterprise valuation and to evaluate acquisition targets. Adjusted EBITDA is presented as a supplemental measure because the Company believes such a measure is useful to investors as a reasonable indicator of operating performance, due to the low capital intensity of the Company’s service operations. The Company believes this measure is a financial metric used by many investors to compare companies, especially in the services industry. This measure is not a recognized measure of financial performance under GAAP in the United States, and should not be considered as a substitute for operating earnings, net earnings or cash flow from operating activities, as determined in accordance with GAAP. The Company’s method of calculating adjusted EBITDA may differ from other issuers and accordingly, this measure may not be comparable to measures used by other issuers. A reconciliation of net earnings to adjusted EBITDA appears below.

2. Reconciliation of net earnings and net earnings per share to adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS:

Adjusted EPS is defined as diluted net earnings per share, adjusted for the effect, after income tax, of: (i) the non-controlling interest redemption increment; (ii) acquisition-related items; (iii) amortization expense related to intangible assets recognized in connection with acquisitions; and (iv) stock-based compensation expense. The Company believes this measure is useful to investors because it provides a supplemental way to understand the underlying operating performance of the Company and enhances the comparability of operating results from period to period. Adjusted EPS is not a recognized measure of financial performance under GAAP, and should not be considered as a substitute for diluted net earnings per share, as determined in accordance with GAAP. The Company’s method of calculating this non-GAAP measure may differ from other issuers and, accordingly, this measure may not be comparable to measures used by other issuers. A reconciliation of net earnings to adjusted net earnings and of diluted net earnings per share to adjusted EPS appears below.

(1) Acquisition-related items include contingent acquisition consideration fair value adjustments, and transaction costs.
(2) See definition and reconciliation above.

COMPANY CONTACTS:

D. Scott Patterson
Chief Executive Officer
        
Jeremy Rakusin
Chief Financial Officer

(416) 960-9566