Franklin Covey (FC) to Affirm 2017 Guidance

Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE: FC) announced today that the conference call to review the Company’s first-quarter fiscal 2017 financial results will take place on Thursday, January 5, 2017, at 5:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. MT). The Company’s financial results are expected to be released after the close of the market on Thursday, January 5, 2017.

During the Company’s November conference call in which it reviewed fourth quarter and full-year results for fiscal 2016, the Company also issued its financial guidance for fiscal 2017. That guidance was that the sum of reported Adjusted EBITDA, plus the Change in Deferred Revenue (less certain costs) for fiscal 2017, is expected to range between $35 million and $38 million. The Company expects to affirm this previously issued guidance in its January 5, 2017 conference call. In addition, because the Company is transitioning its business model to having a significant portion of its revenue recognized as subscription revenue, the Company offered to provide expanded and more detailed financial guidance for fiscal 2017, including guidance on Cash Flow and on Adjusted EBITDA as it will be reported. This detailed guidance is included below, and will be discussed in greater detail during the January conference call.

Additional Guidance Detail

The Company’s additional guidance detail is as follows:

First, the Company expects to affirm its previously provided guidance that the sum of reported Adjusted EBITDA, plus the Change in Deferred Revenue (less certain costs) for fiscal 2017 is expected to be between $35 million and $38 million. Adjusted EBITDA, plus the Change in Deferred Revenue (less certain costs), is expected to break down by quarter as follows:

• First quarter: ($2.5) million, compared to $3.4 million on the same basis in fiscal 2016, reflecting increases in investments in the first quarter related to: (1) translating and localizing all of the core All Access Pass content into 15 major languages (in addition to English), and building a new All Access Pass portal in preparation for the global launch of All Access Pass at the end of the second quarter; (2) the hiring of 24 new client partners and 10 new Education Practice coaches whose costs will hit in the first and second quarters of fiscal 2017, and which are expected to be more than covered by the revenue they generate in the third and fourth quarters; (3) lower revenue in the Sales Performance Practice, partially reflecting the change in the timing of some major training and content contracts; and the somewhat longer All Access Pass sales cycle, compared to the facilitator sales cycle, in the U.S. Direct Offices.
• Second quarter: $1.0 million to $2.0 million, compared to $3.4 million on the same basis in fiscal 2016, reflecting: (1) continued investments to prepare for the global launch of All Access Pass; (2) lower revenue in the Sales Performance Practice; and (3) continued investment in new client partners and new Education Practice coaches, offset by the conversion of the significantly increased pipelines in most operations resulting from first quarter investments, and the expected high renewal rate for that portion of the more than $3.0 million of All Access Pass amounts invoiced in last year’s second quarter that are renewable in the second quarter and new All Access Pass sales.
• Third quarter: $8.0 million to $9.0 million, compared to $3.5 million on the same basis in fiscal 2016, reflecting the continued conversion of the Company’s significant pipelines, and the expected high renewal rate for that portion of the more than $6.0 million of All Access Pass amounts invoiced in last year’s third quarter that are renewable in the third quarter of fiscal 2017, and new All Access Pass sales.
• Fourth quarter: $27.5 million to $29.5 million, compared to $24.1 million on the same basis in fiscal 2016, reflecting: (1) the recognition of substantially all of the Education Practice’s EBITDA for fiscal 2017; (2) the expected high renewal rate for that portion of the more than $12.0 million in All Access Pass amounts invoiced in last year’s fourth quarter that are renewable in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 and new All Access Pass sales; and (3) seasonally higher sales in the U.S., Japan, the U.K., and Australia.

Second, Net Cash Generated (Adjusted EBITDA, plus change in Deferred Revenue, less certain costs, plus curriculum amortization (approximately $4.5 million), less purchase of property and equipment (approximately $5.4 million), less curriculum development costs (approximately $8.0 million, including All Access Pass localization costs), less cash paid for taxes (approximately $2.9 million), excluding changes to working capital and other operating costs not included in Adjusted EBITDA), is expected to range between $21 million and $24 million in fiscal 2017.

Third, the Company expects that Adjusted EBITDA as actually reported in fiscal 2017, before adding the amount of Adjusted EBITDA contribution embedded in the increase in Deferred Revenue, is expected to range between $10 million and $14 million, an amount significantly less than the amount reported in fiscal 2016, due almost entirely to the expected significant increase in the amount of very high-margin Deferred Revenue expected to be reported on the balance sheet.

A majority of the Company’s reported Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be generated in its fiscal fourth quarter, reflecting the investments and factors discussed above. Without considering changes in the amounts of high-margin Deferred Revenue, there is a projected reported Adjusted EBITDA loss in the first and second quarters of ($2.9) million and ($1.5) million respectively, and projected positive Adjusted EBITDA in the third and fourth quarters of $1.5 million and $14.0 million respectively, with the difference between these amounts and the expected $35 million and $38 million sum of reported Adjusted EBITDA plus the Change in Deferred Revenue, being reflected in the significant increases in Deferred Revenue less certain costs.

Interested persons can participate in Franklin Covey’s January 5, 2017 conference call by dialing 888-771-4371 (International participants may dial 847-585-4405), access code: 44040852. Alternatively, a webcast will be accessible at the following website http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/b3trby32.

You May Also Be Interested In

• Growth isn't weak enough to truly undercut inflation pressures - BMO
• Safe & Green (SGBX) Provides Update on Audit and Planned 10-K Filing
• Acme United (ACU) Misses Q1 EPS by 20c