Fintech PR

PROG Holdings Reports Fourth Quarter 2020 Results

Published

4 years ago

February 25, 2021

Revenues of $605.7 million, up 6.5%
Diluted EPS of $0.62; Non-GAAP Diluted EPS $0.95, up 46.2%
Earnings before taxes of $66.3 million; Adjusted EBITDA of $90.0 million, up 35.9%
Progressive Leasing earnings before taxes of $88.1 million; Adjusted EBITDA of $96.7 million, up 25.4%
Board of Directors authorizes new $300 million share repurchase program

PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PRG), a FinTech holding company operating Progressive Leasing, a leading provider of virtual in store, e-commerce and app-based point-of-sale lease-to-own solutions, and Vive Financial, an omni-channel provider of second-look revolving credit products, today announced fourth quarter 2020 results for the first time as a stand-alone public company.

“Our Progressive Leasing segment delivered record revenue, earnings before taxes, and adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter period, in spite of challenges posed by the pandemic”, said Steve Michaels, PROG’s Chief Executive Officer. “During our first quarter as a stand-alone FinTech company, the PROG team provided exceptional service to our customers and point-of-sale retail partners while also completing the spin-off of our former Aaron’s Business segment. We continued to navigate challenging economic conditions, as changes in customer behavior, supply chain disruptions, and broader economic uncertainty negatively impacted gross merchandise volume (GMV) in the period. During 2021, we expect to achieve strong GMV growth by expanding our e-commerce business and driving increased sales for our existing and new point-of-sale retail partners.”

Consolidated Results

For the fourth quarter of 2020, consolidated revenues were $605.7 million, an increase of 6.5% from the fourth quarter of 2019. The increase was primarily driven by continued strong customer payment performance across both the Progressive Leasing and Vive business segments, as well as elevated buyout activity in the period. These revenue drivers were partially offset by lower levels of GMV growth in the second and third quarters that had an unfavorable impact on fourth quarter revenue growth. Progressive Leasing’s GMV for the fourth quarter of 2020 declined 3.4% compared to the prior year period, as strong growth in new national retailers and e-commerce was offset by the effects of pandemic-related challenges experienced by our point-of-sale retail partners.

The provision for lease merchandise write-offs was 4.5% of revenues in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared with 6.6% in the same period of 2019, below our annual target range of 6% to 8% of revenues. The lower write-offs resulted from lower delinquencies and customer payment performance exceeding prior year results.

The Company reported net earnings from continuing operations for the fourth quarter of 2020 of $42.3 million compared to a net loss from continuing operations of $138.1 million in the prior year period (which was burdened by one-time legal and regulatory expenses of $179.3 million). Net earnings in the fourth quarter of 2020 included $15.5 million of transaction expenses related to the spin-off of our former Aaron’s Business segment, as well as $3.6 million of unallocated overhead costs that was previously allocated to that segment.

Adjusted EBITDA for the Company was $90.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared with $66.2 million for the same period in 2019, an increase of $23.8 million, or 35.9%. As a percentage of revenues, adjusted EBITDA was 14.9% in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared with 11.6% for the same period in 2019.

Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations for the fourth quarter of 2020 were $0.62 compared with diluted loss per share of $2.06 in the year ago period. The fourth quarter 2019 diluted loss per share was impacted by one-time legal and regulatory expenses of $179.3 million. On a non-GAAP basis, diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were $0.95 in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared with $0.65 for the same quarter in 2019, an increase of $0.30 or 46.2%.

Liquidity and Capital Allocation

The Company ended 2020 with a net debt position of $13 million and had $300 million of unused capacity on its $350 million revolving credit facility. In addition, the Company’s Board of Directors has authorized a new $300 million share repurchase program and determined to discontinue paying dividends for the foreseeable future.

“The Board’s decision to authorize a new repurchase program and discontinue the dividend, reflects our new positioning. With the spin-off behind us, our business is now high-growth and asset light. We have substantial capital to grow, through both re-investment in our business and potential opportunities to acquire innovative and scalable technologies or businesses. At the same time, we expect our strong cash flows will provide us the opportunity to return excess capital to shareholders through opportunistic buybacks,” said Mr. Michaels.

The Company expects to repurchase shares under its new $300 million program from time to time, subject to its capital plan, market conditions and other factors. The timing and exact amount of repurchases under the new repurchase program will be determined by the Company’s management. The Company is not obligated to acquire any particular number of shares and the new program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

2021 Outlook

The Company is providing outlook for the first quarter of 2021, but will not be providing annual guidance at this time, as the economic uncertainty created by the pandemic, and uncertainty regarding the amount, nature and timing of any government stimulus, continues to impact our POS partners and our customers in a manner that limits its visibility into its full-year performance for 2021.

	Q1 2021 Outlook
(In thousands, except per share amounts)	Low		High

PROG Holdings – Total Revenues	$	650,000 Advertisement	$	670,000
PROG Holdings – Net Earnings	55,000		58,000
PROG Holdings – Adjusted EBITDA¹	85,000		90,000
PROG Holdings – Diluted EPS	0.81 Advertisement		0.87
PROG Holdings – Diluted Non-GAAP EPS	0.89		0.95

Progressive Leasing – Total Revenues	638,000		657,000
Progressive Leasing – Earnings before taxes	72,000		75,000 Advertisement
Progressive Leasing – Adjusted EBITDA¹	84,000		87,000

Vive – Total Revenues	12,000		13,000
Vive – Earnings before taxes	1,000		3,000
Vive – Adjusted EBITDA¹ Advertisement	1,000		3,000


¹	The Q1 2021 Adjusted EBITDA outlook excludes stock-based compensation expense. See GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliation below for further details.

Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will hold a conference call to discuss its quarterly results on Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The public is invited to listen to the conference call by webcast accessible through the Company’s investor relations website, investor.progleasing.com. The webcast will be archived for playback at that same site.

Related Topics:fintech latest-news Mr. Michaels Steve Michaels

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MarketsandMarkets Appoints Milan Rao as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Revenue Officer, Strengthening Apex Leadership in Line with Ambitious Growth Plans

Published

2 hours ago

November 25, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

marketsandmarkets-appoints-milan-rao-as-chief-operating-officer-and-chief-revenue-officer,-strengthening-apex-leadership-in-line-with-ambitious-growth-plans

DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — MarketsandMarkets, a prominent Indian-origin startup recognized by Forbes as one of ‘America’s Best Management Consulting Firms 2023’, has appointed Milan Rao as its Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Milan’s appointment comes as the company continues to scale its innovative AI-based knowledge platform and consulting capabilities and strengthens its apex leadership team, in preparation for its future growth trajectory.

Milan has joined MarketsandMarkets from a distinguished career in the industry, bringing over 25 years of expertise in driving operational excellence and revenue growth at global firms. He has held leadership roles at top-tier organizations, such as Wipro, GE Healthcare and Airtel, where he was instrumental in spearheading transformation strategies for clients in diverse sectors. Milan also has extensive experience in scaling startups and working with PE firms in accelerating growth for start-ups in high-potential markets.

Sandeep Sugla, Founder and CEO of MarketsandMarkets, expressed his enthusiasm for Milan’s appointment: “We are thrilled to partner with Milan in this leadership role. His wealth of experience across large global firms and start-ups is a perfect fit to drive our growth and scale ambitions, globally. Milan’s expertise will be invaluable, as we continue our mission to enable businesses to identify and capitalize on megatrends, such as AI, clean-tech, IoT, and blockchain, which will create transformative opportunities across industries like Technology, IT, Semiconductors, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Energy, Chemicals, Industrial and Automotive sectors.”

Milan’s leadership will be critical in navigating the ongoing global disruptions caused by these megatrends. According to MarketsandMarkets, new revenue sources amounting to approximately USD 25 trillion are expected to emerge by 2030, creating significant growth potential for clients. His dual role as COO and CRO will see him overseeing operational efficiencies, while driving sustainable revenue growth through innovative market strategies and partnerships.

“I’m excited to have joined a company that is at the forefront of identifying and analyzing real-time megatrend impacts across major sectors,” said Milan. “MarketsandMarkets’ AI-based platform is unique in its ability to provide actionable insights to global leaders, enabling them to adapt to and benefit from disruptive shifts. I look forward to building on this foundation and helping our 13,000 global clients stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly dynamic business environment.”

Milan holds an MBA from IIM Calcutta and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from IIT, BHU-Varanasi, and has undertaken an advanced management program from Harvard Business School. He is an active supporter of several social initiatives, focusing on education and healthcare for the underprivileged.

About MarketsandMarkets™

MarketsandMarkets™ has been recognized as one of America’s best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report.

MarketsandMarkets™ is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients.

Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America’s best management consulting firms, as per a survey conducted by Forbes.

The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines — TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing.

Built on the ‘GIVE Growth’ principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies — helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore™ (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry.

To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets™.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Contact

Mr. Rohan Salgarkar
MarketsandMarkets™ INC.
1615 South Congress Ave
Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445
USA: +1-888-600-6441
Email: [email protected]
Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/

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Fintech PR

VERMEG Announces the Sale of its RegTech division “Agile” to Regnology

Published

2 hours ago

November 25, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

AMSTERDAM, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — VERMEG, a leading provider of software solutions for the financial services industry, backed by Charterhouse Capital Partners, announces today it has entered into an agreement to sell its RegTech division “Agile” to Regnology, a renowned global expert in regulatory compliance. This strategic transaction aligns with VERMEG’s long-term vision to strengthen its focus on its core areas of expertise, Collateral Management and Insurance, while ensuring a promising future for the Agile team under Regnology’s leadership.

For decades, asset servicing has been a cornerstone of VERMEG’s operations, with a comprehensive portfolio that includes corporate actions (OST), Collateral Management, mutual funds (OPCVM), and life insurance. These core offerings have solidified VERMEG’s reputation as a trusted partner to financial institutions worldwide.

The acquisition of Lombard Risk in 2018 marked a pivotal moment in VERMEG’s history, enabling the company to expand into Anglo-Saxon markets and establish itself as the global leader in Collateral Management. This transformation was driven by the complementarity between VERMEG’s and Lombard Risk’s product portfolios and supported by the center of expertise established in Tunisia, which continues to play an instrumental role in VERMEG’s success.

Agile, VERMEG’s regulatory business division, has represented a distinct and specialized segment of the company, accounting for approximately 10% of its workforce. Over the years, Agile has evolved into a best-in-class modular and scalable SaaS platform that delivers end-to-end regulatory reporting solutions, from data ingestion, through calculation to last-mile reporting. Positioned as a high-performing entity in the complex regulatory environment, Agile has garnered industry recognition for its innovation and capabilities.

Through this transaction, Agile will join Regnology, a globally recognized leader in regulatory reporting and supervisory processes. This move enables Regnology to expand its international footprint and leverage the expertise and talent cultivated in Tunisia. The strategic partnership ensures service continuity while creating exciting opportunities for Agile and its team.

For VERMEG, the transaction represents a significant milestone in its strategy to concentrate on its core strengths. By consolidating its leadership in Collateral Management and Insurance, VERMEG will mobilize resources to pursue growth and deliver even greater value to its clients. This strategic realignment underscores VERMEG’s commitment to innovation and excellence in financial technology.

“This transaction aligns with VERMEG’s strategy to ensure long-term sustainability and success for both the company and its employees,” said Badreddine OUALI, co-CEO and Founder. At the same time, VERMEG can focus on strategic initiatives in its core Banking & Market Infrastructure and Insurance divisions, leveraging additional resources to deliver even greater value to our clients.”

About VERMEG

Founded in 1993, VERMEG provides software solutions to over 500 blue-chip clients in more than 40 countries across the banking, insurance, and wealth management industries. The company’s high-quality platform offers best-in-class tools to automate processes and drive digitalization in financial services. Headquartered in Amsterdam with offices in 16 countries, VERMEG employs over 1,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.vermeg.com.

About Regnology

Regnology is a leading global provider of innovative solutions for supervisory, regulatory and tax reporting. Over 35,000 financial institutions, 70 regulators and tax authorities rely on our solutions to streamline their processes, enhance data quality, and improve efficiency. Building on our unified data ingestion model, Regnology is uniquely positioned to support regulators in data collection and supervisory processes, and the regulated across the full regulatory reporting value chain. Leveraging the expertise of 900+ employees in 16 countries, we help clients navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving, data-intensive regulatory landscape.

For more information, visit www.regnology.net/.

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Contact:

Donia SAHLI [email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vermeg-announces-the-sale-of-its-regtech-division-agile-to-regnology-302315472.html

Fintech PR

Trust Wallet Integrates Binance Connect to Supercharge Fiat-to-Crypto Transactions, Expanding Access for Millions

Published

2 hours ago

November 25, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

trust-wallet-integrates-binance-connect-to-supercharge-fiat-to-crypto-transactions,-expanding-access-for-millions

DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Trust Wallet, the world’s leading self-custody Web3 wallet trusted by over 140 million users, has integrated Binance Connect, Binance‘s official fiat-to-crypto gateway, to streamline access to digital assets and enhance the user journey. This integration offers a seamless experience with direct access to peer-to-peer (P2P) services and robust fiat-to-crypto solutions, all within Trust Wallet’s efficient environment.

With Binance Connect, Trust Wallet users can now access over 300 cryptocurrencies at competitive rates, supported by Binance’s unparalleled liquidity and market reach. This integration streamlines the fiat-to-crypto experience, allowing transactions via credit and debit cards, bank transfers, Binance wallet balance, and Binance P2P trading.

Through this integration, Trust Wallet is enabling users to access a broad range of crypto services from trusted partner merchants, reducing barriers and making it easier for millions to connect to the world of Web3.

Trust Wallet currently supports seven fiat on-ramp solutions, and the addition of Binance Connect supercharges Trust Wallet’s capabilities offering its users a seamless, cost-effective, and accessible way to buy, sell, and manage cryptocurrencies directly within the wallet.

Key Benefits of Binance Connect Integration:

Global Accessibility: Binance Connect expands on-ramp coverage to underserved regions, providing users worldwide with more ways to access cryptocurrencies.
Effortless Onboarding: Binance KYC-verified users enjoy faster access to P2P and fiat services within Trust Wallet, eliminating the need for additional checks.
Cost Efficiency: P2P transactions via Binance Connect are generally more affordable than traditional payment methods, further promoting crypto adoption. Competitive P2P transaction fees make crypto more accessible and encourage regular use.
Robust Currency Support: The integration supports 100+ fiat currencies, 300+ cryptocurrencies, and over 300 payment methods, including both traditional and alternative options.

Eowyn Chen, CEO of Trust Wallet, emphasized the significance of this integration:

“At Trust Wallet we keep working to make Web3 accessible to everyone. By collaborating with Binance Connect, we’re simplifying the journey into the on-chain world, particularly for users in regions where traditional financial infrastructure channels fall short. This integration is a game-changer for empowering self-custodial wallet users globally.”

“Trust Wallet’s integration of Binance Connect demonstrates the power of collaboration in advancing the Web3 ecosystem,” says Thomas Gregory, Vice President of Fiat at Binance. “Together, we are simplifying the user experience for millions worldwide, offering seamless transactions that make digital assets accessible, especially in regions where traditional financial systems face limitations.”

Trust Wallet users can begin using Binance Connect immediately by selecting it as their preferred payment method within the app. From setting up the wallet to completing transactions, the process is intuitive and seamless, regardless of experience level.

To explore the benefits of Binance Connect within Trust Wallet, download Trust Wallet today.

About Trust Wallet

Trust Wallet is the secure, self-custody Web3 wallet and gateway for people who want to fully own, control, and leverage the power of their digital assets. From beginners to experienced users, Trust Wallet makes it possible for millions of people around the world to experience Web3, access dApps, store and manage their crypto and NFTs, as well as buy, sell, and stake crypto to earn rewards — all in one place and without limits.

About Binance Connect

Powered by Binance, Binance Connect is a comprehensive fiat-to-crypto solution that provides access to Binance’s global liquidity and an extensive array of payment methods. Its mission is to simplify access to cryptocurrencies and Web3 services worldwide.