FirstService (NASDAQ: FSV) reported Q1 EPS of $0.37, $0.10 worse than the analyst estimate of $0.47. Revenue for the quarter came in at $633.8 million versus the consensus estimate of $415.05 million.

• Solid Organic Growth and Global Restoration Acquisition Drive Strong Q1 Performance
• Mild COVID-19 Impact Absorbed in First Quarter
• Expected Adverse Impact to Second Quarter Financial Results

“We are pleased to report first quarter results which exceeded our expectations,” said Scott Patterson, Chief Executive Officer of FirstService. “Our focus and attention is now directed towards the COVID-19 crisis and the impact it is having across all facets of our operations. I would like to applaud the tremendous effort and commitment of our front-line employees to deliver exceptional service to our customers, who depend on us now more than ever,” he concluded.

COVID-19 Impact and Outlook

During the first quarter of 2020, our businesses had strong momentum as indicated by our financial results for the period. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in North America during March had a swift impact on our operations across the board. Our highest priority is maintaining the health and safety of our associates and employees, customers and communities, and we have implemented operating practices and procedures to address work-place challenges in this environment. All of our businesses have been designated essential services in at least some of their geographic regions. Despite these exempted designations, the various “stay-at-home” and social distancing measures are negatively impacting our ability to do work on the premises of our residential and commercial customers. It is also challenging to predict our financial performance in upcoming reporting periods with reasonable accuracy due to the lack of visibility around the duration and ensuing severity of the crisis and its dynamic changes. We do expect, however, to see a meaningful decline in our second quarter year-over-year financial results, both in terms of top-line growth and operating margins, with a more pronounced effect in our Brands division. To mitigate the financial impact from the coronavirus, we have proactively engaged in cost containment measures across all of our businesses primarily in the form of personnel furloughs and salary cuts, and other discretionary operating and capital expenditure reductions. Currently, our balance sheet and liquidity remain strong and upon return to normal macroeconomic market conditions, we believe our businesses will emerge even better-positioned to capitalize on their growth opportunities.

For earnings history and earnings-related data on FirstService (FSV) click here.