Sequential Quarterly Revenue Growth of 10.3%; Continued Momentum with Growth Forward Plan Driven by Expansion of Omni IQsm Product Line

Financial and operating highlights include:

  • Hired next-generation industry innovators and expanded Omni IQ product line through acquisition of next-generation software and switching platform.
  • Second quarter 2016 minutes of use increased 55.8% compared to second quarter of 2015.
  • Second quarter 2016 revenue increased 71.6% to $90.8 million compared to $52.9 million in the second quarter of 2015.
  • Second quarter 2016 net income of $9.0 million compared to $10.0 million in second quarter of 2015.
  • Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) of $19.2 million in second quarter 2016 compared to $21.0 million in second quarter 2015.
  • Company revises financial estimates for the full year 2016 to $360 million to $370 million for revenue, $80 million to $85 million for Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) and $23 million to $26 million for capital expenditures.

CHICAGO, Aug. 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inteliquent, Inc. (NASDAQ:IQNT), the nation’s premier voice and messaging interconnection partner for communications service providers of all types, today announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2016.

“We continued to deliver a strong and consistent performance during the second quarter as we achieved our fourth consecutive quarter of sequential revenue and traffic growth, reflecting the successful implementation of our Growth Forward business strategy,” said Matt Carter, Inteliquent’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The acquisition of Shopety’s Next-Generation Software and Switching Platform will expand the capabilities and addressable market of our Omni IQ product line by allowing more customers to use Inteliquent’s services, and diversify our revenue stream. Overall, we are pleased with the positive momentum to transform our business and our positioning in the market to deliver value for our shareholders.”

Second Quarter 2016 Results 

Inteliquent generated revenue of $90.8 million in the second quarter of 2016, an increase of 71.6%, or $37.9 million, from $52.9 million of revenue in the second quarter of 2015.  The growth was primarily driven by an increase in minutes of use, as well as an increase in the average rate per minute. Minutes of use increased 55.8% to 53.9 billion minutes in the second quarter of 2016, compared to 34.6 billion minutes in the second quarter of 2015.  The average rate per minute for the second quarter of 2016 was $0.00168, an increase of 9.8%, compared to $0.00153 for the second quarter of 2015. 

Network and facilities expense for the second quarter of 2016 was $58.6 million, or 64.5% of revenue, compared to $21.3 million, or 40.3% of revenue, for the second quarter of 2015.  The $37.3 million, or 175.1% increase in network and facilities expense was primarily due to an increase in traffic. The cost as a percent of revenue increased during the three months ended June 30, 2016, primarily as a result of a significant increase in the volume of long distance traffic, which in turn resulted in an increase in the costs Inteliquent pays to third parties to terminate that traffic.

Combined operating expenses consisting of Operations, Sales and Marketing, and General and Administrative expenses were $14.2 million, or 15.6% of revenue for the second quarter of 2016, compared to $13.1 million, or 24.8% of revenue for the second quarter of 2015.  The $1.1 million, or 8.4% increase in operating expenses was primarily due to higher professional fees, consisting of contract labor fees, litigation fees and Shopety transaction costs, as well as higher software licensing and hardware maintenance costs and higher transaction taxes and surcharges related to the growth of our business.  Partially offsetting these increases was a decrease to our general and administrative expenses due to non-recurring charges for the resolution of certain employee matters related to the separation of prior members of executive management that occurred during the three months ended June 30, 2015.  

Depreciation and amortization expense was $3.5 million for the second quarter of 2016, or 3.9% of revenue, compared to $2.6 million for the second quarter of 2015, or 4.9% of revenue.  The increase in depreciation and amortization expense for the second quarter 2016 was due to the significant increase in the property and equipment asset base necessary to accommodate the growth in traffic.

Net Income in the second quarter of 2016 was $9.0 million, compared to $10.0 million for the second quarter of 2015. 

Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) in the second quarter of 2016 was $19.2 million, a decrease of 8.6% or $1.8 million, from $21.0 million for the second quarter of 2015.  See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for a discussion of the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA and reconciliation to net income.

2016 Business Outlook

As a result of Inteliquent’s year-to-date results and the updated forecast for the remainder of the year, Inteliquent is revising its financial estimates for 2016.  The new outlook is as follows:

    Current Estimates   Prior Estimates
Revenue   $360 to $370 million   $370 to $390 million
Adjusted EBITDA   $80 to $85 million   $82 to $92 million
Capital Expenditures   $23 to $26 million   $25 to $28 million
         

Conference Call & Web Cast
The second quarter conference call will be held on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. (ET). A live web cast of the conference call as well as a replay will be available online on the Company’s corporate web site at www.inteliquent.com. Participants can also access the call by dialing 1-800-768-6570 (within the United States and Canada), or 1-785-830-1942 (international callers) and entering the conference ID number: 9626194. A replay of the call will be available approximately two hours after the call has ended and will be available until 1:00 p.m. (ET) on September 1, 2016. To access the replay, dial 1-888-203-1112 (within the United States and Canada), or 1-719-457-0820 (international callers) and enter the conference ID number: 9626194.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this press release are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipates,” “believes,” “efforts,” “expects,” “estimates,” “projects,” “proposed,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the effects of competition, including direct connects (also referred to as IP direct connects or peering), and downward pricing pressure resulting from such competition; our regular review of strategic alternatives; the impact of current and future regulation, including intercarrier compensation reform enacted by the Federal Communications Commission; our ability to perform under the agreement we announced with T-Mobile USA. Inc. on August 17, 2015 (as amended, the “T-Mobile Agreement”), including the risk that the traffic we carry under the T-Mobile Agreement will not meet our targets for profitability, including EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, that we incur damages or similar costs if we fail to meet certain terms in the T-Mobile Agreement, or that T-Mobile terminates the T-Mobile Agreement; the risk that our costs to perform under the T-Mobile Agreement will be higher than we expect; our ability to market Inteliquent’s Omni IQ voice and messaging service, including the risk that the service will not meet our targets for revenue or profitability, including EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA; the risk that our costs to provide Inteliquent’s Omni IQ voice and messaging service will be higher than we expect; the risk that a receiving carrier will refuse to accept terminating text messages or other problems preventing us from providing our Omni IQ services; the risks associated with our ability to successfully develop and market new voice services, many of which are beyond our control and all of which could delay or negatively affect our ability to offer or market new voice services successfully; the ability to develop and provide other new services; technological developments; the ability to obtain and protect intellectual property rights; the impact of current or future litigation; the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers or divestitures; natural or man-made disasters; changes in general economic or market conditions; and other important factors included in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2015, as such Risk Factors may be updated from time to time in subsequent reports. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

About Inteliquent

Inteliquent is a premier interconnection partner for communication service providers of all types.  As the nation’s highest quality provider of voice and messaging interconnection services, Inteliquent is used by nearly all national and regional wireless carriers, cable companies, and CLECs in the markets it serves, and its network carries approximately 19 billion minutes of traffic per month. With the recent launch of its Omni solution, Inteliquent is now also fully dedicated to supporting the growing market of next generation service providers.

The Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, Balance Sheets and Statements of Cash Flows are unaudited and subject to reclassification.

INTELIQUENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
 
    Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
    June 30,     June 30,  
(In thousands, except per share amounts)   2016     2015     2016     2015  
Revenue   $ 90,752     $ 52,886     $ 173,081     $ 107,940  
Operating expense:                                
Network and facilities expense (excluding depreciation and amortization)     58,614       21,295       108,812       44,060  
Operations     8,980       7,391       17,813       15,011  
Sales and marketing     1,015       765       1,918       1,408  
General and administrative     4,214       4,942       8,589       9,497  
Depreciation and amortization     3,487       2,600       6,830       5,243  
Gain on sale of property and equipment           (149 )     (5 )     (116 )
Total operating expense     76,310       36,844       143,957       75,103  
Income from operations     14,442       16,042       29,124       32,837  
Other (income) expense:                                
Interest (income) expense     (90 )     11       (141 )     27  
Other income                       (1,290 )
Total other (income) expense     (90 )     11       (141 )     (1,263 )
Income before provision for income taxes     14,532       16,031       29,265       34,100  
Provision for income taxes     5,557       6,031       11,154       12,918  
Net income   $ 8,975     $ 10,000     $ 18,111     $ 21,182  
Earnings per share:                                
Basic   $ 0.26     $ 0.30     $ 0.53     $ 0.63  
Diluted   $ 0.26     $ 0.29     $ 0.53     $ 0.62  
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:                                
Basic     34,147       33,568       34,063       33,532  
Diluted     34,374       34,033       34,302       33,988  
Dividends paid per share:   $ 0.16     $ 0.15     $ 0.31     $ 0.30  
                                 

INTELIQUENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
 (Unaudited)
 
  June 30,     December 31,  
(In thousands, except per share amounts) 2016     2015  
ASSETS              
Current assets:              
Cash and cash equivalents $ 119,883     $ 109,050  
Receivables — net of allowance of $2,407 and $2,365, respectively   48,451       39,589  
Prepaid expenses   3,395       9,376  
Other current assets   120       219  
Total current assets   171,849       158,234  
Property and equipment—net   46,537       37,336  
Goodwill   1,731        
Restricted cash   320       345  
Deferred income taxes-noncurrent   8       1,059  
Other assets   948       1,075  
Total assets $ 221,393     $ 198,049  
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY              
Current liabilities:              
Accounts payable $ 3,426     $ 424  
Accrued liabilities:              
Taxes payable   2,329       624  
Network and facilities   18,801       10,984  
Rent   2,043       1,969  
Payroll and related items   2,379       2,918  
Other   2,585       1,297  
Total current liabilities   31,563       18,216  
Shareholders’ equity:              
Preferred stock—par value of $.001; 50,000 authorized shares; no shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015          
Common stock—par value of $.001; 150,000 authorized shares; 37,301 and 34,218 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2016, respectively and 37,242 and 33,891 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015, respectively   37       34  
Less treasury stock, at cost; 3,083 shares at June 30, 2016 and 3,351 shares at December 31, 2015   (50,106 )     (51,668 )
Additional paid-in capital   226,370       225,474  
Retained earnings   13,529       5,993  
Total shareholders’ equity   189,830       179,833  
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 221,393     $ 198,049  
               

INTELIQUENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
 
    Six Months Ended  
    June 30,  
(In thousands)   2016     2015  
Operating                
Net income   $ 18,111     $ 21,182  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:                
Depreciation and amortization     6,830       5,243  
Deferred income taxes     (180 )     (790 )
Gain on sale of property and equipment     (5 )     (116 )
Gain on settlement of Tinet escrow           (1,290 )
Non-cash share-based compensation     2,153       2,711  
Provision (benefit) for uncollectible accounts     42       (30 )
Excess tax benefit associated with share-based payments     (645 )     (313 )
Changes in assets and liabilities:                
Receivables     (8,904 )     753  
Other current assets     6,080       593  
Other noncurrent assets     127       (275 )
Accounts payable     627       868  
Accrued liabilities     10,071       1,384  
Net cash provided by operating activities     34,307       29,920  
Investing                
Purchase of property and equipment     (9,756 )     (4,930 )
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment     5       125  
Cash used in acquisitions     (3,650 )      
Decrease in restricted cash     25        
Net cash used for investing activities     (13,376 )     (4,805 )
Financing                
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options     396       253  
Restricted shares withheld to cover employee taxes paid     (564 )     (750 )
Dividends paid     (10,575 )     (10,066 )
Excess tax benefit associated with share-based payments     645       313  
Net cash used for financing activities     (10,098 )     (10,250 )
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents     10,833       14,865  
Cash and cash equivalents — Beginning     109,050       104,737  
Cash and cash equivalents — Ending   $ 119,883     $ 119,602  
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:                
Cash paid for taxes   $ 3,335     $ 13,164  
Cash paid for interest   $     $  
Supplemental disclosure of noncash flow items:                
Investing activity — Accrued purchases of property and equipment   $ 2,394     $ 767  
Investing activity — Accrued acquisition contingent consideration   $ 750     $  
                 

 The following table includes selected financial and operational metrics.

 Selected Financial and Operational Metrics:

    Three Months Ended  
(In millions, except per minute amounts and # of employees)     Jun. 30     Sept. 30     Dec. 31     Mar. 31     Jun. 30  
      2015     2015     2015     2016     2016  
                                           
Total Revenue     $ 52.9     $ 63.7     $ 77.0     $ 82.3     $ 90.8  
Net Income     $ 10.0     $ 8.3     $ 8.7     $ 9.1     $ 9.0  
Adjusted EBITDA     $ 21.0     $ 16.9     $ 18.4     $ 19.1     $ 19.2  
Total Capital Expenditures     $ 2.8     $ 16.0     $ 5.5     $ 2.8     $ 7.0  
Average Revenue per Minute*     $ 0.00153     $ 0.00159     $ 0.00166     $ 0.00167     $ 0.00168  
                                           
Minutes of Use *:       34,591       40,157       46,348       49,366       53,911  
                                           
# of Employees       160       171       177       183       205  
                                           

* Historical Minutes of Use and Average Rate per Minute figures have been adjusted to include all minutes that were carried on our network for each respective quarter.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure

In this press release we disclose “Adjusted EBITDA” which is a non-GAAP financial measure. For purposes of SEC rules, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company’s performance, financial position, or cash flows that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure, calculated and prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United Sates (GAAP).

EBITDA is defined as net income before (a) interest expense (income), net (b) income tax expense and (c) depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA as further adjusted to eliminate:  non-cash share-based compensation; amounts paid in connection with the separation of prior members of executive management and the resolution of related matters; and legal fees associated with the Shopety, Inc. acquisition. We believe that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA included in this press release provides useful information to investors regarding our results of operations because it assists in analyzing and benchmarking the performance and value of our business. We believe that presenting Adjusted EBITDA facilitates company-to-company operating performance comparisons of companies within the same or similar industries by backing out differences caused by variations in capital structure, taxation and depreciation of facilities and equipment (affecting relative depreciation expense), which may vary for different companies for reasons unrelated to operating performance. These measures provide an assessment of controllable operating expenses and afford management the ability to make decisions, which are expected to facilitate meeting current financial goals as well as achieve optimal financial performance. Furthermore, we believe that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA has economic substance because it provides important insight into our profitability trends, as a component of net income, and allows management and investors to analyze operating results with and without the impact of depreciation and amortization, interest expense (income), income tax expense, non-cash share-based compensation; amounts paid in connection with the separation of prior members of executive management and the resolution of related matters; and legal fees associated with the Shopety, Inc. acquisition. Accordingly, these metrics measure our financial performance based on operational factors that management can impact in the short-term, namely the operational cost structure and expenses of our business. In addition, we believe Adjusted EBITDA is used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in evaluating companies, many of which present an EBITDA measure when reporting their results. Although we use Adjusted EBITDA as a financial measure to assess the performance of our business, the use of Adjusted EBITDA is limited because it does not include certain material costs, such as depreciation, amortization and interest and taxes, necessary to operate our business. We disclose the reconciliation between EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA and net income below to compensate for this limitation. While we use net income as a significant measure of profitability, we also believe that Adjusted EBITDA, when presented along with net income, provides balanced disclosure which, for the reasons set forth above, is useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance and profitability. Adjusted EBITDA included in this press release should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, net income as calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as a measure of performance.

For more information on the non-GAAP financial measure, please see the “Reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA” table in this press release. This accompanying table has more details on the EBITDA, which is most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA and the related reconciliation between these financial measures. Additionally, the company has not reconciled Adjusted EBITDA guidance to net income guidance because it does not provide guidance for either Interest expense (income), net, GAAP provision for income taxes, GAAP provision for depreciation and amortization, non-cash share-based compensation, amounts paid in connection with the separation of prior members of executive management and the resolution of related matters, or legal fees associated with the Shopety, Inc. acquisition, which are reconciling items between net income and Adjusted EBITDA. As items that impact net income are out of the company’s control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted, the company is unable to provide such guidance. Accordingly, a reconciliation to net income is not available without unreasonable effort.

The following is a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

    Three Months Ended    
(In thousands)   Jun. 30     Sept. 30     Dec. 31     Mar. 31     Jun. 30    
    2015     2015     2015     2016     2016    
                                           
Net income   $ 10,000     $ 8,267     $ 8,680     $ 9,136     $ 8,975    
Interest expense (income)     11       9       (7 )     (51 )     (90 )  
Provision for income taxes     6,031       4,399       5,255       5,597       5,557    
Depreciation and amortization     2,600       2,894       3,255       3,343       3,487    
EBITDA   $ 18,642     $ 15,569     $ 17,183     $ 18,025     $ 17,929    
Non-cash share-based compensation     933       1,338       1,173       1,028       1,125    
Separation of prior members of executive management and the resolution of related matters     1,440                            
Legal Fees Associated with Shopety Acquisition                             187    
Adjusted EBITDA   $ 21,015     $ 16,907     $ 18,356     $ 19,053     $ 19,241    
                                           
CONTACT: Analyst Contact:
Kurt Abkemeier
[email protected]