EPAM Reports Results for First Quarter 2018

First quarter revenues of $424.1 million, up 30.6% year-over-year
GAAP Diluted EPS of $1.15 for the first quarter
Non-GAAP Diluted EPS of $0.93 for the first quarter

NEWTOWN, Pa., May 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE:EPAM), a leading global provider of digital platform engineering and software development services, today announced results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2018.

“We delivered a strong first quarter with growth across all of our verticals, based on our ability to meet the demands of our customers, helping them create new business models to stay competitive in an ever-changing market,” said Arkadiy Dobkin, CEO & President, EPAM. “We continue to gain market share through both our core engineering and digital capabilities, in addition to our investments in emerging technologies and acquisitions. Our first quarter results provide a solid foundation and positions us well for fiscal 2018.”

First Quarter 2018 Highlights

• Revenues increased to $424.1 million, a year-over-year increase of $99.5 million, or 30.6%, and on a constant currency basis, revenue was up 26.0% over the corresponding period last year. Revenue growth in the quarter continues to demonstrate strong broad-based demand from both existing and new clients across the industries EPAM serves and the geographies in which it operates;
  
  
• GAAP income from operations was $48.7 million, an increase of $17.7 million, or 57.3%, compared to $31.0 million in the first quarter of 2017;
  
  
• Non-GAAP income from operations was $67.7 million, an increase of $18.4 million, or 37.4%, compared to $49.3 million in the first quarter of 2017;
  
  
• Diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) on a GAAP basis was $1.15, an increase of $0.71, or 161.4%, compared to $0.44 in the first quarter of 2017. GAAP EPS benefited from a net $22.5 million one-time benefit recorded in the first quarter of 2018 related to the implementation of tax planning to disregard certain foreign subsidiaries as separate entities for U.S. income tax purposes partially offset by an incremental provisional charge associated with the one-time transition tax on accumulated foreign subsidiary earnings not previously subject to U.S. income tax required under U.S. Tax Reform. Diluted EPS on a GAAP basis excluding the net discrete benefit from tax planning and U.S. tax reform was $0.75; and
  
  
• Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.93, an increase of $0.21, or 29.2%, compared to $0.72 in the first quarter of 2017 based on a weighted average share count of 56.2 million fully diluted shares outstanding.

Cash Flow and Other Metrics

• Cash from operations was $7.3 million for the first quarter of 2018, down from $29.1 million for the first three months of 2017. The decrease is primarily due to higher variable compensation payments associated with the 2017 performance year as well as an increase in days sales outstanding during the first quarter of 2018;
  
  
• Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totaled $537.1 million as of March 31, 2018, a decrease of $45.8 million or 7.9% from $582.9 million as of December 31, 2017. The decrease is primarily attributable to the $50.3 million net cash used in the acquisition of Continuum during the quarter ended March 31, 2018; and
  
  
• Total headcount was approximately 26,700 as of March 31, 2018. Included in this number were approximately 23,700 delivery professionals, an increase of 20.4% from March 31, 2017.

2018 Outlook - Full Year and Second Quarter

Full Year

• Revenue growth for 2018 will now be at least 27%, including an estimated 2% for currency tailwinds. The Company expects constant currency growth will now be at least 25%;
  
  
• The Company expects GAAP income from operations to continue to be in the range of 12% to 13% of revenues and non-GAAP income from operations to continue to be in the range of 16% to 17% of revenues;
  
  
• The Company expects its GAAP effective tax rate to now be approximately 4% principally due to the implementation of tax planning to disregard certain foreign subsidiaries as separate entities for U.S. income tax purposes and its non-GAAP effective tax rate to continue to be approximately 22%; and
  
  
• The Company expects GAAP diluted EPS will now be at least $3.77 for the full year; and non-GAAP diluted EPS will now be at least $4.11 for the full year based on an updated expected weighted average share count of 56.9 million diluted shares outstanding.

Second Quarter

• Revenues will be at least $445 million for the second quarter, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of approximately 28% including an estimated 2% for currency tailwinds. The Company expects constant currency growth will be approximately 26%;
  
  
• For the second quarter, the Company expects GAAP income from operations to be in the range of 11.5% to 12.5% of revenues and non-GAAP income from operations to be in the range of 15.5% to 16.5% of revenues;
  
  
• The Company expects its GAAP effective tax rate to be approximately 10% and its non-GAAP effective tax rate to be approximately 22%; and
  
  
• The Company expects GAAP diluted EPS will be at least $0.82 for the quarter, and non-GAAP diluted EPS will be at least $0.98 for the quarter based on an expected weighted average share count of 56.9 million diluted shares outstanding.

Conference Call Information

EPAM will host a conference call to discuss results on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time. The live conference call will be available by dialing +1 (877) 407-0784 or +1 (201) 689-8560 (outside of the U.S.). A webcast of the conference call can be accessed at the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at http://investors.epam.com. A replay will be available approximately one hour after the call by dialing +1 (844) 512-2921 or +1 (412) 317-6671 (outside of the U.S.) and entering the conference ID 13677981. The replay will be available until May 23, 2018.

About EPAM Systems

Since 1993, EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE:EPAM), has leveraged its core engineering expertise to become a leading global product development and digital platform engineering services company. Through its “Engineering DNA” and innovative strategy, consulting, and design capabilities, EPAM works in collaboration with its customers to deliver innovative solutions that turn complex business challenges into real business opportunities. EPAM’s global teams serve customers in over 25 countries across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. EPAM is a recognized market leader among independent research agencies and was ranked #12 in FORBES 25 Fastest Growing Public Tech Companies and as a top UK Digital Design & Build Agency.
For more information, visit http://www.epam.com/ and follow EPAM on Twitter (@EPAMSYSTEMS) and LinkedIn​.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

EPAM supplements results reported in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, referred to as GAAP, with non-GAAP financial measures. Management believes these measures help illustrate underlying trends in EPAM’s business and uses the measures to establish budgets and operational goals, communicate internally and externally, for managing EPAM’s business and evaluating its performance. Management also believes these measures help investors compare EPAM’s operating performance with its results in prior periods. EPAM anticipates that it will continue to report both GAAP and certain non-GAAP financial measures in its financial results, including non-GAAP results that exclude stock-based compensation expense, write-offs and recoveries, amortization of purchased intangible assets, goodwill impairment, legal settlements, foreign exchange gains and losses, acquisition-related costs, certain other one-time charges and benefits, the impact of U.S. tax reform, excess tax benefits related to stock compensation, and the related effect on income taxes of the pre-tax adjustments. Management also supplemented results with the non-GAAP financial measure “Diluted EPS on a GAAP basis excluding the net discrete benefit from tax planning and U.S. tax reform.” This measure excludes the one-time benefit associated with the recognition of net deferred tax assets as a result of the election to disregard as separate entities for U.S. income tax purposes certain foreign subsidiaries of the Company as well as the provisional charge associated with U.S. Tax Reform. Management also compares operating results on a basis of “constant currency,” which is also a non-GAAP financial measure. This measure excludes the effect of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations by translating the current period revenues and expenses into U.S. dollars at the weighted average exchange rates of the prior period of comparison. Because EPAM’s reported non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated according to GAAP, these measures are not comparable to GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly described non-GAAP measures reported by other companies within EPAM’s industry. Consequently, EPAM’s non-GAAP financial measures should not be evaluated in isolation or supplant comparable GAAP measures, but, rather, should be considered together with the information in EPAM’s consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions and the factors discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. EPAM undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law.

Contact:
EPAM Systems, Inc.
David Straube, Head of Investor Relations
Phone: +1-267-759-9000 x59419
david_straube@epam.com

Reconciliation of various income statement amounts from GAAP to Non-GAAP for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017:

Reconciliation of diluted EPS on a GAAP basis to diluted EPS on a GAAP basis excluding the net discrete benefit from tax planning and U.S. tax reform for the three months ended March 31, 2018:

EPAM SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Reconciliations of Guidance Non-GAAP Measures to Comparable GAAP Measures
(in percent, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)

The below guidance constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and is based on a number of assumptions that are subject to change and many of which are outside the control of the Company. Actual results may differ materially from the Company’s expectations depending on factors discussed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Reconciliation of projected revenue growth in constant currency is presented in the table below:

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP income from operations as a percentage of revenue is presented in the table below:

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP effective tax rate is presented in the table below:

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share is presented in the table below:

Source: EPAM