CSG Systems International Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results

Achieved or Exceeded All 2023 Financial Guidance Targets

2023 Organic Revenue Grew 7.3% YoY; CSG’s Best Annual Results in Nearly Two Decades

Dividend Payout Increased 7% in 2024; Marks 11^th Consecutive Year of Increased Payout

Returned Over $150 Million to Shareholders in 2023 including $117 Million of Share Repurchases

Q4 Operating Cash Flow of $80 Million with Record Quarterly Non-GAAP Free Cash Flow of $74 Million

CSG (NASDAQ: CSGS) today reported results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023.

Financial Results:

Fourth quarter 2023 financial results:

• Total revenue was $297.3 million.
• GAAP operating income was $24.7 million, or an operating margin of 8.3%, and non-GAAP operating income was $44.1 million, or a non-GAAP adjusted operating margin of 16.1%.
• GAAP earnings per diluted share (EPS) was $0.44 and non-GAAP EPS was $0.92.
• Cash flows from operations were $79.5 million, with non-GAAP free cash flow of $74.5 million.

Full year 2023 financial results:

• Total revenue was $1.17 billion.
• GAAP operating income was $123.9 million, or an operating margin of 10.6%, and non-GAAP operating income was $185.7 million, or a non-GAAP adjusted operating margin of 17.2%.
• GAAP EPS was $2.20 and non-GAAP EPS was $3.69.
• Cash flows from operations were $131.9 million, with non-GAAP free cash flow of $103.9 million.

Shareholder Returns:

• In November 2023, CSG declared its quarterly cash dividend of $0.28 per share of common stock, or a total of approximately $8 million, to shareholders, bringing total 2023 dividends to approximately $34 million.
• In January 2024, CSG’s Board of Directors approved a 7% increase in CSG’s cash dividend, with quarterly payments of $0.30 per share of common stock to be paid in March 2024.
• During the fourth quarter and full year 2023, CSG repurchased under its stock repurchase program, approximately 196,000 shares of its common stock for approximately $10 million and approximately 2,188,000 shares of its common stock for approximately $117 million, respectively.

“Team CSG had a record-setting 2023 as we delivered excellent financial results across the board highlighted by 7.3% year-over-year organic revenue growth, our strongest annual result in nearly two decades,” said Brian Shepherd, President and Chief Executive Officer of CSG. “Additionally, we delivered strong profitability and cash flow generation as our non-GAAP adjusted operating margin improved from 16.6% in 2022 to 17.2% in 2023, while generating $104 million in non-GAAP free cash flow. Plus, we continue to return capital to shareholders in the form of buybacks and dividends, having delivered over $150 million in shareholder remuneration in 2023. On this note, we are pleased to announce our 11^th consecutive year of increasing dividend payout in 2024. Looking forward, we anticipate mid-single-digit organic revenue growth, resulting in revenue between $1.2 and $1.24 billion in 2024 with non-GAAP adjusted operating margins in the range of 17.0% to 17.4%.”

Financial Overview (unaudited)

(in thousands, except per share amounts and percentages):

For additional information and reconciliations regarding CSG’s use of non-GAAP financial measures, please refer to the attached Exhibit 2 and the Investor Relations section of CSG’s website at csgi.com.

Results of Operations

GAAP Results: Total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $297.3 million, a 2.6% increase when compared to revenue of $289.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2022. Total revenue for the full year 2023 was $1,169.3 million, a 7.3% increase when compared to revenue of $1,089.8 million for the full year 2022. The increases in revenue can be mainly attributed to the continued growth of CSG’s revenue management solutions, to include the conversion of customer accounts on CSG solutions, growth in digital solutions, and increased payments volumes.

GAAP operating income for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $24.7 million, or 8.3% of total revenue, compared to $35.1 million, or 12.1% of total revenue, for the fourth quarter of 2022. GAAP operating income for the full year 2023 was $123.9 million, or 10.6% of total revenue, compared to $78.7 million, or 7.2% of total revenue, for the full year 2022. These changes in operating income can be mainly attributed to the $7.9 million quarterly increase in restructuring and reorganization charges, and the $30.0 million full year decrease in restructuring and reorganization charges.

GAAP EPS for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $0.44, as compared to $0.66 for the fourth quarter of 2022. GAAP EPS for the full year 2023 was $2.20, compared to $1.41 for the full year 2022. The changes in GAAP EPS are mainly due to fluctuations in operating income, discussed above, with the full year increase in GAAP EPS partially offset by higher interest expense.

Non-GAAP Results: Non-GAAP operating income for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $44.1 million, or a non-GAAP adjusted operating margin of 16.1%, compared to $45.2 million, or a non-GAAP adjusted operating margin of 16.8% for the fourth quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP operating income for the full year 2023 was $185.7 million, or a non-GAAP adjusted operating margin of 17.2%, compared to $168.8 million, or a non-GAAP adjusted operating margin of 16.6% for the full year 2022.

Non-GAAP EPS for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $0.92 compared to $0.84 for the fourth quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP EPS for the full year 2023 was $3.69 compared to $3.61 for the full year 2022.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flows

Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments as of December 31, 2023 were $186.3 million compared to $146.7 million as of September 30, 2023 and $150.4 million as of December 31, 2022. CSG generated net cash flows from operations for the fourth quarters ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 of $79.5 million and $54.0 million, respectively, and had non-GAAP free cash flow of $74.5 million and $48.6 million, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, CSG generated net cash flows from operations of $131.9 million and $63.6 million, respectively, and had non-GAAP free cash flow of $103.9 million and $26.6 million, respectively.

Summary of Financial Guidance

CSG’s financial guidance for the full year 2024 is as follows:

For additional information and reconciliations regarding CSG’s use of non-GAAP financial measures, please refer to the attached Exhibit 2 and the Investor Relations section of CSG’s website at csgi.com.

Conference Call

CSG will host a conference call on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. ET, to discuss CSG’s fourth quarter and full year 2023 earnings results. The call will be carried live and archived on the Internet. A link to the conference call is available at http://ir.csgi.com. In addition, to reach the conference by phone, call 1-888-412-4131 and use the passcode 2327393.

Additional Information

For information about CSG, please visit CSG’s web site at csgi.com. Additional information can be found in the Investor Relations section of the website.

About CSG

CSG empowers companies to build unforgettable experiences, making it easier for people and businesses to connect with, use and pay for the services they value most. Our customer experience, billing and payments solutions help companies of any size make money and make a difference. With our SaaS solutions, company leaders can take control of their future and tap into guidance along the way from our fiercely committed and forward-thinking CSGers around the world.

Want to be future-ready and a change-maker like the global brands that trust CSG? Visit csgi.com to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, that are based on assumptions about a number of important factors and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what appears in this news release. Some of these key factors include, but are not limited to the following items:

• CSG derives approximately forty percent of its revenue from its two largest customers;
• Fluctuations in credit market conditions, general global economic and political conditions, and foreign currency exchange rates;
• CSG’s ability to maintain a reliable, secure computing environment;
• Continued market acceptance of CSG’s products and services;
• CSG’s ability to continuously develop and enhance products in a timely, cost-effective, technically advanced and competitive manner;
• CSG’s ability to deliver its solutions in a timely fashion within budget, particularly large and complex software implementations;
• CSG’s dependency on the global telecommunications industry, and in particular, the North American telecommunications industry;
• CSG’s ability to meet its financial expectations;
• Increasing competition in CSG’s market from companies of greater size and with broader presence;
• CSG’s ability to successfully integrate and manage acquired businesses or assets to achieve expected strategic, operating and financial goals;
• CSG’s ability to protect its intellectual property rights;
• CSG’s ability to conduct business in the international marketplace;
• CSG’s ability to comply with applicable U.S. and International laws and regulations; and
• CSG’s business may be disrupted, and its results of operations and cash flows adversely affected by a global pandemic.

This list is not exhaustive, and readers are encouraged to review the additional risks and important factors described in CSG’s reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q and other filings made with the SEC.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Limitations

To supplement its condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), CSG uses non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP adjusted operating margin percentage, non-GAAP EPS, non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA, and non-GAAP free cash flow. CSG believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when reviewed in conjunction with its GAAP financial measures, provide investors with greater transparency to the information used by CSG’s management in its financial and operational decision making. CSG uses these non-GAAP financial measures for the following purposes:

• Certain internal financial planning, reporting, and analysis;
• Forecasting and budgeting;
• Certain management compensation incentives; and
• Communications with CSG’s Board of Directors, stockholders, financial analysts, and investors.

These non-GAAP financial measures are provided with the intent of providing investors with the following information:

• A more complete understanding of CSG’s underlying operational results, trends, and cash generating capabilities;
• Consistency and comparability with CSG’s historical financial results; and
• Comparability to similar companies, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures to investors.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not measures of performance under GAAP, and therefore should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financial information. Limitations with the use of non-GAAP financial measures include the following items:

• Non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles;
• The way in which CSG calculates non-GAAP financial measures may differ from the way in which other companies calculate similar non-GAAP financial measures;
• Non-GAAP financial measures do not include all items of income and expense that affect CSG’s operations and that are required by GAAP to be included in financial statements;
• Certain adjustments to CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures result in the exclusion of items that are recurring and will be reflected in CSG’s financial statements in future periods; and
• Certain charges excluded from CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures are cash expenses, and therefore do impact CSG’s cash position.

CSG compensates for these limitations by relying primarily on its GAAP results and using non-GAAP financial measures as a supplement only. Additionally, CSG provides specific information regarding the treatment of GAAP amounts considered in preparing the non-GAAP financial measures and reconciles each non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures: Basis of Presentation

The table below outlines the exclusions from CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures:

CSG believes that excluding certain items in calculating its non-GAAP financial measures provides meaningful supplemental information regarding CSG’s performance and these items are excluded for the following reasons:

• Transaction fees are primarily comprised of fees paid to third-party payment processors and financial institutions and interchange fees under CSG’s payment services contracts. Transaction fees are included in revenue in CSG’s Income Statement (and not netted against revenue) because CSG maintains control and acts as principal over the integrated service provided under its payment services customer contracts. However, CSG excludes expense associated with transaction fees from the numerator and denominator in calculating its non-GAAP adjusted operating margin percentage in order to provide comparability with historical and future periods and with its peer group and competitors.
• Restructuring and reorganization charges are expenses that result from cost reduction initiatives and/or significant changes to CSG’s business, to include such things as involuntary employee terminations, changes in management structure, divestitures of businesses, facility consolidations and abandonments, and fundamental reorganizations impacting operational focus and direction. These charges are not considered reflective of CSG’s recurring business operating results. The exclusion of these items in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current financial results with historical and future periods.
• Executive transition costs include expenses incurred related to a departure of a CSG executive officer under the terms of the related separation agreement. These types of costs are not considered reflective of CSG’s recurring business operating results. The exclusion of these costs in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current financial results with historical and future periods.
• Acquisition-related expenses include amortization of acquired intangible assets and transaction-related costs, to include earn-out compensation. Transaction-related costs, which typically include expenses related to legal, accounting, and other professional services, are direct and incremental expenses related to business acquisitions, and thus, are not considered reflective of CSG’s recurring business operating results. The total amount of acquisition-related expenses can vary significantly between periods based on the number and size of acquisition activities, previously acquired intangible assets becoming fully amortized, and ultimate realization of earn-out compensation. In addition, the timing of these expenses may not directly correlate with underlying performance of the CSG’s operations. Therefore, the exclusion of acquisition-related expenses in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current financial results with historical and future periods.
• Stock-based compensation results from CSG’s issuance of equity awards to its employees under incentive compensation programs. The amount of this incentive compensation in any period is not generally linked to the level of performance by employees or CSG. The exclusion of these expenses in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures allows management and investors an additional means to evaluate the non-cash expense related to compensation included in CSG’s results of operations, and therefore, the exclusion of this item allows investors to further evaluate the cash generating capabilities of CSG’s business.
• Gains and losses related to the extinguishment/conversion of debt can be as a result of the refinancing of CSG’s credit agreement and/or repurchase, conversion, or settlement of CSG’s convertible notes. These activities, to include any derivative activity related to debt conversions, are not considered reflective of CSG’s recurring business operating results. Any resulting gain or loss is generally non-cash income or expense, and therefore, the exclusion of these items allows investors to further evaluate the cash impact of these activities for cash flow and liquidity purposes. In addition, the exclusion of these gains and losses in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP EPS allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current operating results with historical and future periods.
• Gains or losses related to the acquisition or disposition of certain of CSG’s business activities are not considered reflective of CSG’s recurring business operating results. Any resulting gain or loss is generally non-cash income or expense, and therefore, the exclusion of these items allows investors to further evaluate the cash impact of these activities for cash flow and liquidity purposes. In addition, the exclusion of these gains and losses in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP EPS allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current operating results with historical and future periods.
• Unusual items within CSG’s quarterly and/or annual income tax expense can occur from such things as income tax accounting timing matters, income taxes related to unusual events, or as a result of different treatment of certain items for book accounting and income tax purposes. Consideration of such items in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current financial results with historical and future periods.

CSG also reports non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP free cash flow. Management believes non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure to investors in evaluating CSG’s operating performance, debt servicing capabilities, and enterprise valuation. CSG defines non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA as income before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation, foreign currency transaction adjustments, acquisition-related expenses, and unusual items, such as restructuring and reorganization charges, executive transition costs, gains and losses related to the extinguishment of debt, and gains and losses on acquisitions or dispositions, as discussed above. Additionally, management uses non-GAAP free cash flow, among other measures, to assess its financial performance and cash generating capabilities, and believes that it is useful to investors because it shows CSG’s cash available to service debt, make strategic acquisitions and investments, repurchase its common stock, pay cash dividends, and fund ongoing operations. CSG defines non-GAAP free cash flow as net cash flows from operating activities less the purchases of software, property and equipment.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Non-GAAP Operating Income and Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Margin Percentage:

The reconciliation of GAAP operating income to non-GAAP operating income, and calculation of CSG’s non- GAAP adjusted operating margin percentage, for the indicated periods are as follows (in thousands, except percentages):

Non-GAAP EPS:

The reconciliations of GAAP EPS to non-GAAP EPS for the indicated periods are as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA:

CSG’s calculation of non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA and the reconciliation of CSG’s non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA measure to GAAP net income is provided below for the indicated periods (in thousands, except percentages):

Non-GAAP Free Cash Flow:

CSG’s calculation of non-GAAP free cash flow and the reconciliation of CSG’s non-GAAP free cash flow measure to cash flows from operating activities are provided below for the indicated periods (in thousands):

Non-GAAP Financial Measures – 2024 Financial Guidance

Non-GAAP Operating Income and Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Margin Percentage:

The reconciliation of GAAP operating income to non-GAAP operating income, and calculation of non-GAAP adjusted operating margin percentage, as included in CSG’s 2024 full year financial guidance, is as follows (in thousands, except percentages):

Non-GAAP EPS:

The reconciliation of GAAP EPS to non-GAAP EPS as included in CSG’s 2024 full year financial guidance is as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):