Hexaware reports Q4 2011 revenue growth of 44% Y-o-Y; 18% Q-o-Q
– Q-o-Q: EBITDA Margin up 430 bps at 23%; PAT Margin up 270 bps at 20.4%
– PAT for the year 2011: INR 267 Crore; For Q4 2011: Rs 88 Crore
· Hexaware Q4 2011 revenue surpassed the quarterly guidance of $ 82.5 mn and grew to $ 84.1 mn up 6.7% sequentially in $ terms (up 18.0% in INR terms to INR 431.9 Crore); up 7.8% Q-o-Q sequentially on a constant currency basis
· In Q4 2011, EBITDA margins improved 430 basis points to 23.0%
· EBIT margins increased 460 basis points from 17.0% in Q3 to 21.6% in Q4 2011
· Q4 2011 Profit after Tax (PAT) grew to INR 88 Crore up 36% Q-o-Q and 123% Y-o-Y
· Signed the largest contract to date with estimated value of $ 250 mn in Q4 2011; Expect the team size to ramp up to 800+ in CY 2012 for this existing client
· 15 new clients added in Q4 2011; 51 in CY 2011 cutting across all focus areas
· Global Headcount increased to 8,317 at the end of December 2011; 1,806 employees added during the year 2011; Attrition declined sequentially to 13.9%
· Hexaware is a zero-debt company as of December 2011, Cash & cash equivalents improved to INR 460 Crore
· Board recommends final dividend of INR 1.50 per share (75%); Total dividend for 2011 is INR 4.00 per share (200%) on double the equity share capital post 1 : 1 issue of bonus shares in 2011 as against INR 3.00 per share (150%) for 2010
· 2011 revenue grew by 37.5% Y-o-Y to INR 1450 Crore; in $ terms, up 33.3% Y-o-Y at $ 308 mn ahead of the annual guidance revised upwards thrice during 2011
· EBITDA margins doubles in CY 2011 to 18.2% up from 8.9% in 2010
· EBIT margins up 990 basis points in CY 2011 to 16.5% up from 6.6% in 2010
· 2011 PAT margins expanded to 18.4% up 820 basis points from 10.2%
· Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) improved from INR 3.62 in 2010 to INR 8.92 in 2011
London – February 03, 2012: Hexaware Technologies Limited, a leading global provider of IT, BPO and Consulting services has reported strong performance for the fourth quarter of the calendar year ended December 31, 2011.
Highlights of Q4 ended December 31, 2011
· Revenue from operations increased to $ 84.1 mn (INR 431.9 Crore) well ahead of the quarterly revenue guidance of $ 82.0 mn – $ 82.5 mn
o Q-o-Q increase of 6.7% in $ terms and 18.0% in INR terms
o Q-o-Q increase of 7.8% in $ terms on a constant currency basis
o Y-o-Y increase of 26.3% in $ terms and 44.1% in INR terms
· Gross margins improved by 250 basis points Q-o-Q to 40.7%
· EBITDA margins improved to 23.0%; up 430 basis points from Q3 2011
· Operating Profit (EBIT) Margins continued its expansion to 21.6%; sequential increase of 460 basis points from 17.0% in Q3 2011
· Profit after Tax increased to INR 88.2 Crore; up 36.4% from INR 64.7 Crore reported in Q3 2011; while PAT margins went up 270 bps on a Q-o-Q basis to 20.4%
· Days of Sales Outstanding (DSO) remained low at 62 days at the end of Q4 2011
· 15 new clients added during the quarter; 192 active clients at the end of Q4 2011
· Global headcount increased to 8,317; net addition of 1,806 during 2011
· Added 225 fresh graduate engineers in January 2012; undergoing Training and Induction currently
Highlights of Financial year ended December 31, 2011
· Revenue from operations increased to INR 1,450.5 Crore, up 37.5% from INR 1,054.6 Crore in CY 2010
· Revenue from operations at $ 308.1 mn were ahead of the previously upgraded annual revenue guidance of $ 306 mn; registering a growth of 33.3% on an annual basis
o Revenue outlook provided in February 2011 $ 290 mn
o Revenue outlook revised in April 2011 to $ 295 mn
o Revenue outlook upgraded in July 2011 to $ 302 mn
o Revenue outlook raised in October 2011 to $ 306 mn
o Revenue reported for CY 2011 $ 308 mn
· Gross margins improved by 400 basis points Y-o-Y to 38.4%
· EBITDA margins expanded to 18.2%; up 930 basis points from 8.9% in CY 2010
· Operating Profit (EBIT) Margins continued its expansion to 16.5%; sequential increase of 990 basis points from 6.6% in CY 2010
· Profit after Tax increased to INR 267 Crore; up 148% from INR 107.6 Crore in CY 2010
· Company invested INR 63.3 Crore towards capital expenditure for physical infrastructure mainly in Chennai SEZ campus and for technical/ IT infrastructure.
· Dividend Payout including the taxes amounted to INR 136.3 Crore; equating to 51% payout ratio of the annual Profit after Tax of INR 267 Crore
Over the last 7 quarters, we have delivered industry leading revenue growth of 8.1% CQGR and have guided for strong growth for the 8th successive quarter. With our superior track-record of delivering 22% CAGR over the last 9 years, we remain confident of sustaining our above industry revenue growth rate over the medium term. While the profitability margins have surged in 2011, Hexaware has several levers left to maintain or even improve operating margins in 2012 from our current levels on a constant currency basis.” said Atul Nishar, Chairman, Hexaware Technologies Limited.
“This has been a remarkably strong quarter on all fronts including 7.8% revenue growth in constant currency; 460 basis points expansion in EBIT margin, improvement in operational metrics such as increased headcount, healthy bill rates and continued optimization of Selling, General and Administration (SG&A) spend. Through the year 2011, we have continued to make investments in strengthening our vertical capabilities and enhancing the depth in our horizontal competencies. With this, we have established the perfect platform to deliver above-industry performance in 2012. To meet our growth plan, we intend to add 1,500+ employees during the year ahead”, remarked P. R. Chandrasekar, CEO and Vice Chairman, Hexaware Technologies Limited.
CY 2012 Revenue Guidance
Revenue for CY 2012 is likely to be at least $ 370 mn or more (exchange rates taken at 1 £ = 1.58 $, 1 € = 1.31 $ and 1 $ = INR 49.27); a Y-o-Y increase of minimum 20% annual revenue growth
Q1 2012 Revenue Guidance
Revenue for Q1 2012 is likely to be a minimum of $ 87.5 mn (exchange rates taken at 1 £ = 1.57 $, 1 € = 1.31 $ and 1 $ = INR 49.27); a Q-o-Q sequential revenue growth of at least 4.0%
Final Dividend Recommendation
The Board of Directors has recommended a final dividend of INR 1.50 per share (75%) subject to the approval of the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for April 27, 2012. This brings the total dividend for the year 2011 to INR 4.00 per share (200%) on double the equity share capital post 1:1 bonus issue of equity shares in 2011, up from INR 3.00 per share (150%) for the year 2010.
In line with the Dividend Policy announced earlier in 2011, the Board of Directors declared three interim dividends of INR 0.50 per share (25%) for Q1 2011 and INR 1.00 per share (50 %) twice for Q2 2011 and Q3 2011 respectively on equity shares of INR 2 each. This resulted in a cash outflow of INR 136.3 Crore for dividend payment including tax, amounting to a dividend payout ratio of 51% for the year 2011
Financial Review
The financial metrics for Q4 2011:
· Gross Margin increased by 250 basis points on a Q-o-Q basis sequentially to 40.7%
· EBITDA Margin increased by 430 basis points to 23.0%; from 18.7% in Q3 2011
· Operating Margin (EBIT) increased by 460 basis points to 21.6%; from 17.0% in Q3 2011
· Profit after Tax Margin (PAT) improved to 20.4%; compared with 17.7% in Q3 2011
The financial metrics for CY 2011:
· Gross Margin increased by 400 basis points on a Y-o-Y basis sequentially to 38.4%
· EBITDA Margin increased by 930 basis points to 18.2%; up from 8.9% in CY 2010
· Operating Margin (EBIT) increased by 990 basis points to 16.5%; from 6.6% in CY 2010
· Profit after Tax Margin (PAT) stood at 18.4%; compared with 10.2% in CY 2010
Launch of Healthcare and Insurance as a new Vertical
In 2011, Hexaware witnessed healthy growth in the emerging business domains of Healthcare and Insurance. As a result, the revenue share from the above mentioned vertical aggregates to 16% in Q4 2011. In light of this, Healthcare and Insurance has been carved out as the third focus vertical for Hexaware following Banking and Capital Markets and Travel and Transportation (GTT). Given the inherent market size & visible growth potential, Hexaware is committed to investing to strengthen the domain capabilities and develop new service offerings tailored to unique customer requirements in this recently launched vertical segment globally.
Scaling up Remote IMS
On the back of large deals won in 2010 and in 2011, Remote Infrastructure Management Services (Remote IMS) contributes nearly 4% of the company’s global revenue. In line with the Strategic Plan, Hexaware will continue to strengthen its competencies and invest in newer market niches within Remote IMS such as Enterprise Security Solutions and emerging areas such as Virtualization and Cloud Services. Hexaware expects Remote IMS to grow ahead of the company’s growth rate in 2012 and consequently, the revenue share from Remote IMS to increase to 6+% in 2012.
Large Deal Update
In the last quarter, Hexaware signed its largest contract till date with value estimated at $ 250 million for an additional period of 5 years starting 1st January 2012. Under this contract, Hexaware is expected to ramp the team up to size of 800+ personnel by the end of 2012, offering services cutting across all the major focus horizontals – Enterprise Solutions (ERP), Business Intelligence / Business Analytics (BI / BA), Quality Assurance and Testing Services (QATS), Application Management Services (ADM) and Remote Infrastructure Management Services (Remote IMS).
Significant Business Updates
During the previous quarter, the Company added 15 new clients across all its key focus areas. Of these, 3 clients were added in the Travel and Transportation Vertical and 2 in Banking, Financial Services (BFS) domain. In the newly launched Healthcare and Insurance Vertical, 2 new clients were added during Q4 2011. From a horizontal service line perspective, 4 clients were won in Enterprise Solutions space, 2 clients added in Quality Assurance & Testing Services (QATS), 2 clients in Business Intelligence & Business Analytics (BI/ BA) horizontal, and 2 clients in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) space.
Of the 15 clients added in Q4 2011, 10 customers are based in Americas and 5 in Asia Pacific (APAC) region. For the quarter just completed, 64.4% of revenues originated from Americas, 28.7% from Europe, and the remaining 6.9% from the Asia Pacific region. Repeat business stood at 94.1%.
During the year 2011, Hexaware added 12 front-end personnel in the field sales organization. These additions comprised of a healthy combination of domain consultants, technology practitioners and sales professionals in the identified areas of specialization such as Capital Markets, Travel & Transportation, Enterprise Solutions, QATS, BI/BA and Remote IMS. These investments in the sales and marketing organization enhance Hexaware’s potential to win new business and deliver robust performances.
The unwavering focus on account management and adding value to the customer through each engagement has resulted in stronger client mining. The number of clients registering annual revenues in excess of $ 20 mn each remained steady at 3; 2 clients in the $ 10 mn – $ 20 mn range, 7 clients in the $ 5 mn – $ 10 mn range, 40 clients in the $ 1 mn – $ 5 mn category and the clients with $ 1 mn+ increased further to 52 – all on a trailing twelve months basis. At the end of the quarter, the number of active clients improved to 192.
Alliances and Partnerships
During Q4 2011, Hexaware entered into a strategic alliance with Banking Business Intelligence (BI) specialist, iCreate Software, to build a Centre of Excellence (CoE) to enhance iCreate’s flagship Banking BI product, Biz$core. Setting up Biz$core practice is a win-win proposition with Hexaware’s focus in BI Services and Banking Domain.
In recognition for Hexaware’s continued commitment to excellence and leadership and proven expertise in creative problem-solving, solutions development, innovative services and IBM technologies, IBM has certified Hexaware as its Premium Business Partner.
Organizational Event Updates
During Q4 2011, Hexaware conducted its largest employee congregation, The Tech Summit. Tech Summit is a platform that brings all Hexaware employees to share knowledge through success stories delivered to our customers through innovative use of technology. The theme for the Tech Summit was “Accelerate Creativity and Drive Innovation”.
Besides interactions with Industry Leaders, there were Panel Discussions on emerging technology trends and display of Thought Leadership through Whitepapers presentation. The prime event included real time demonstration of Hexaware’s Intellectual Property (IP) assets and solution frameworks from the Centre of Excellences (COEs) showcasing expertise in the focus Verticals and Horizontals followed by a Technology Quiz program.
Facility Updates
In line with the corporate road-map, Hexaware has been expanding its presence in its Green Campus expanding over 27 acres in Siruseri SEZ at Chennai. During the course of the year gone by, the workforce operating out of these SEZ facilities has doubled from 1,400 in December 2010 to 2,888 in December 2011. Further, the SEZ campus at Nagpur, a Tier-II city in the state of Maharashtra, seats in excess of 350 employees employed by Caliber Point Business Solutions, 100% wholly owned subsidiary of Hexaware.
During the last quarter, Hexaware launched a new delivery center unit within the same SEZ campus at Chennai to cater to the expansion plans envisaged for 2012. Further, a new building with a seating capacity of 150 seats was inaugurated in Mumbai
Foreign Exchange Cover
The Company has forward contracts worth $ 181.3 mn at an average rate of INR 48.30 and hedges worth € 9.4 mn at an average exchange rate of INR 69.61 maturing over the course of the next eight quarters (from January 2012 till December 2013).
Pricing
The average bill rate per hour for Q4 2011 increased sequentially to $ 73.0 for onsite services and remained firm at $ 23.0 for offshore locations.
Human Capital
Hexaware has been steadily ramping up its delivery capability to cater to the demand uptake visible in the market place. The global headcount at the end of Q4 2011 increased to 8,317; an increase of 1,806 compared with December 2010. Technical personnel comprised 91.7% of the total work force. Attrition for Q4 2011 reduced further to 13.9%.
At the start of the year 2011, the Company had indicated plans to add 1,500 personnel during the calendar year. The company has exceeded these forecasts by inducting 1,806 employees through the year.
In the month of January 2012, Hexaware has inducted 225 fresh graduate engineers from engineering campuses. These freshers are currently undergoing induction program and boot camp training at Hexavarsity, an in-house Learning and Development institute. They will be deployed in to the mainstream delivery organization with effect from Q2 2012.
Industry Recognition
Hexaware has regularly featured in the Economic Times Wealth Top 100 stocks through 2011 and has recently been ranked in the Top 10 in the Top stocks list. The company has been rated high consistently on parameters such as “Stocks with highest dividend yield”.
Hexaware has been mentioned in The Gartner Business Intelligence Service Vendor Guide, 2011 by Susanne Matson, Alex Soejarto, Twiggy Lo and Neil Chandler, 3rd Oct 2011.
Hexaware has been mentioned in a Gartner report ‘Competitive Landscape: Consulting and System Integration Providers for Oracle Applications’ by Alex Soejarto, 11th Nov 2011.
Hexaware has been mentioned in The Gartner CRM Vendor Guide, 2012 by Jim Davies, Michael Maoz, Kimberly Collins, Robert P. Desisto, Gene Alvarez, Ed Thompson, John Radcliffe, Sharon A. Mertz, Adam Sarner, Chris Fletcher, Praveen Sengar, Steve Cramoysan, Tsuyoshi Ebina, Gareth Herschel, Johan Jacobs, Drew Kraus and Twiggy Lo, 29th Nov 2011.
About Hexaware
Hexaware is a leading global provider of IT & BPO and consulting services. The Company focuses on key domains such as Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, Travel, Transportation, Logistics, Life Sciences and Healthcare. Our business philosophy, “Your Success is Our Focus”, is demonstrated through the success we ensure for our clients. Hexaware focuses on delivering business results and leveraging technology solutions by specializing in Business Intelligence & Analytics, Enterprise Solutions, Quality Assurance and Testing Services, Remote Infrastructure Management Services and Legacy Modernization. Founded in 1990, Hexaware has a well-established global delivery model armed with proven proprietary tools and methodologies, skilled human capital and SEI CMMI-Level 5 certification. For additional information logon to www.hexaware.com
