Teleperformance SE: First-Half 2024 Results

Acceleration in growth and confirmed full-year targets

• A new, expanded Group with the acquisition of Majorel: €5 billion in first-half revenue, up a reported +28.2%
• Pro forma growth: +1.7%*, with a faster +2.4% gain in the second quarter
• Increase in pro forma EBITA margin, in line with full-year targets
• Majorel integration plan well on track
• 2024 financial objectives confirmed, with momentum continuing to improve over the second half of the year
• Strong cash flow and a robust balance sheet

PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Regulatory News:

The Board of Directors of Teleperformance, a leading global group in digital business services, met today and reviewed the consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2024. The Group also announced its first-half 2024 financial results.

Acceleration in growth and margins up, in line with full-year targets

• H1 2024 revenue: €5,076 million, up +28.2% as reported and +1.7% pro forma*
• Q2 2024 revenue: €2,534 million, up +29.7% as reported and +2.4% pro forma*
• EBITDA before non-recurring items: €982 million, for a margin of 19.4%, stable pro forma versus H1 2023
• EBITA before non-recurring items: €703 million, for a margin of 13.9%, up +10 bps
  
  pro forma versus H1 2023 and up +20 bps pro forma at constant exchange rates
• Adjusted net profit**: €432 million, up +25.9%
• Net free cash flow: €448 million, up +45.0%

Key highlights

• Specialized Services: excellent momentum confirmed by a double-digit organic growth, notably led by LanguageLine Solutions in the US
• Core Services & D.I.B.S.: back to pro forma growth in the second quarter, thanks to improved volumes, notably in the technologies and retailing verticals; the momentum in the financial services and automotive industries is robust and the offshore solutions continue to develop, notably in India for the US market
• Majorel integration plan well on track over the first half, with cost synergies confirmed at €100 million by end-2024 on a run-rate basis and €150 million by end-2025 on a run-rate basis
• More than 300 AI projects underway to improve the competitiveness of Group clients
• Operations in 69 countries, representing 97% of the consolidated workforce, have been certified as 2024 “Best Employers” by the Great Place to Work® Institute
• The Board of Directors unanimously appointed Moulay Hafid Elalamy as lead independent director and member of the Remuneration and Appointments Committee, to replace Patrick Thomas, who is retiring after nearly seven years on the Board of directors

Outlook for 2024

• 2024 financial targets confirmed: pro forma revenue growth* of between +2% and +4%, and an increase in EBITA margin before non-recurring items of between +10 bps and +20 bps on a pro forma basis
• Growth expected to gain further momentum in the second half due to lower prior-year comparatives and the impact of recently signed new contracts ; Cost synergies are also expected to increase in the second half of the year
• Sustained increase in the net free cash flow and pursuit of the shareholder capital return policy
• Net debt ratio confirmed at less than 2x

* 2023 pro forma at constant exchange rates including Majorel ** Group share adjusted as defined in the Appendix (Alternative Performance Measures)

Note: Pro forma first-half 2024 growth includes the impact of high exchange rate volatility in hyperinflationary economies (+10 bps)

Commenting on this performance, Teleperformance Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer Daniel Julien said: “Our performance in the first half of 2024 was satisfactory, with an acceleration in pro forma growth in the second quarter, to +2.4%, an improvement in Group margin and a sharp increase in cash flow. The outstanding results of the Specialized Services and the positive inflection of the Core Services have enabled us to confirm our financial targets for the year.

In a persistently volatile, competitive environment, the Group enjoys three core advantages in pursuing its resilient, value-creating growth: a base of more than 1,400 clients served around the world, professional expertise addressing a very broad spectrum of needs, and a diversified portfolio of solutions, with specialized services positioned in fast growing markets.

The power of Teleperformance’s business model is rooted in a High Touch, High Tech positionning deployed since the Group was created. In High Tech, our AI innovation momentum is now being driven by more than 300 projects, including some based on GenAI that are making our clients more competitive. In High Touch, operations in 69 countries, representing 97% of the consolidated workforce, have been certified as 2024 “Best Employers” by the Great Place to Work® Institute.

We’re continuing to successfully integrate Majorel’s operations into Teleperformance. Our cost synergy plan is now well underway and we can confirm our target of achieving €150 million in identified synergies by the end of 2025. We are also working to identify additional cost synergies.

Growth is expected to gain further momentum in the second half, due to lower prior-year comparatives and the impact of recently signed new contracts. We confirm our annual financial targets for growth and margin expansion for 2024. We are also aiming to deliver sustained growth of the net free cash flow, which will enable us to continue our share buyback program while strengthening our balance sheet by reducing our debt.”

INTERIM FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

1. 2023 pro forma at constant exchange rates including Majorel
2. Excluding €36 million in synergy generation costs linked to the acquisition of Majorel
3. 13.7% at constant exchange rates
4. as defined in the Appendix (Alternative Performance Measures)

Note: Pro forma first-half 2024 growth includes the positive impact of high exchange rate volatility in hyperinflationary economies (+10 bps)

FIRST-HALF AND SECOND-QUARTER 2024 REVENUE

Consolidated revenue

Consolidated revenue came in at €5,076 million for the first half of 2024, representing a year-on-year increase of +28.2% as reported and of +1.7% pro forma.* The difference between reported and pro forma growth primarily stemmed from the consolidation of Majorel since November 1, 2023. The unfavorable currency effect, which had a -€35 million impact on revenue, mainly reflected the declines against the euro in the Argentine peso, the Egyptian pound and the Turkish lira, which offset the positive impact from a stronger Colombian peso. Adjusted for the impact of high exchange rate volatility in such hyperinflationary economies as Turkey and Argentina, pro forma growth came to +1.6%.

As expected, this first-half pro forma growth was shaped by a persistently uncertain macroeconomic environment and an unfavorable basis for comparison. It was lifted by an acceleration in the second quarter, to +2.4% from +0.9% in the first, in line with the Group’s roadmap for the year. In addition to more favorable comparatives, the speed-up was attributable to the gradual upturn in volumes in the Core Services & D.I.B.S. business over the second quarter.

In the Core Services & D.I.B.S. business, pro forma* growth was particularly strong in India (offshore services for the North American market), the Asia-Pacific region and the multilingual hubs in Europe. However, the momentum in offshore solutions continued to exert deflationary effect on the Group’s revenue growth over the period, particularly in the Americas. These solutions accounted for 58% of revenue from Core Services & D.I.B.S. over the period.

Growth remained particularly varied by industry vertical. The financial services and automotive industries contributed the most to growth, while retailing and technologies showed the first signs of recovery. In contrast, the telecoms and social media verticals remained subdued.

The Specialized Services business continued to deliver fast-paced revenue growth, impelled by sustained gains in the interpreting business (LanguageLine Solutions in the United States) and the ongoing post-Covid upsurge in the visa application management business (TLSContact).

Second-quarter 2024 revenue amounted to €2,534 million, for a year-on-year increase of +2.4% pro forma* and of +29.7% as reported. The difference between reported and pro forma growth primarily stemmed from the consolidation of Majorel since November 1, 2023. Growth also included a slightly negative currency effect from the declines against the euro in the Argentine peso and the Egyptian pound, which were partially offset by gains in the Colombian peso and the US dollar.

Pro forma consolidated revenue growth is expected to gain further momentum in the second half, due to lower prior-year comparatives and the impact of recently signed new contracts.

• Analysis of first-half 2024 revenue growth

* 2023 pro forma at constant exchange rates including Majorel

Revenue by activity

* Digital Integrated Business Services

** 2023 pro forma at constant exchange rates including Majorel

• Core Services & Digital Integrated Business Services (D.I.B.S.)

Core Services & D.I.B.S. revenue amounted to €4,340 million in first-half 2024, up +31.6% year-on-year as reported and virtually stable (+0.1%) on a pro forma basis*. The currency effect was unfavorable, as declines against the euro in the Argentine peso, the Egyptian pound and the Turkish lira offset the positive impact from a stronger Colombian peso.

This resiliency in a volatile economic environment reflected the diversity of Teleperformance’s client and service lines portfolio. The automotive and financial services verticals were the most vibrant, along with back-office services.

Core Services & D.I.B.S. revenue growth turned upwards in the second quarter to reach €2,155 million, gaining +1.1% pro forma year-on-year after declining by -0.9% in the first three months. The performance, which supports the Group’s roadmap for the year, was led by the faster growth in business in most client verticals, with retailing and technologies showing the first signs of recovery. On a reported basis, revenue climbed by a strong +33.7%. The currency effect was fairly neutral, as declines in the Argentine peso and Egyptian pound against the euro were offset by gains in the Colombian peso and US dollar.

• Americas

Revenue in the Americas region amounted to €2,085 million in the first six months of 2024, a year-on-year increase of +7.8% as reported. On a pro forma basis, revenue was down -1.7%. The currency effect was slightly negative, as the strong gains in the Colombian peso against the euro were dampened by declines in the Argentine peso and the Indian rupee. Second-quarter pro forma revenue was relatively flat year-on-year, down -0.3%, but showed an improvement from the -3.1% decline in the first three months.

* 2023 pro forma at constant exchange rates including Majorel

The highly competitive offshore solutions continued to enjoy fast growth, particularly in India to serve the North American market. The Indian operations benefited from the shift in demand from the Latin American nearshore operations, which became less competitive after local currencies rose against the US dollar, particularly in Mexico and Colombia. The growth in offshore services had a deflationary effect that weighed on revenue for the region as a whole.

In Latin America, domestic business grew at a satisfactory pace in most countries, particularly in the second quarter, led by the ramp-up of new contracts.

The financial services and automotive verticals pursued their very robust growth throughout the first half, led by the ramp-up of major new contracts. However, this momentum was offset by softer demand in the social media, logistics and healthcare verticals.

• Europe, MEA & Asia-Pacific

Revenue for the region amounted to €2,255 million in the first half of 2024, a year-on-year increase of +65.5% as reported and of +1.8% on a pro forma basis. The currency effect was unfavorable, mainly due to the decline in the Turkish lira and Egyptian pound against the euro. Pro forma revenue growth accelerated somewhat in the second quarter, to +2.4% from +1.3% in the first three months.

Asia-Pacific delivered the region’s best performance, supported in particular by the swift ramp-up of contracts in the social media and travel verticals.

Multilingual activities, which are the primary contributors to the region’s revenue stream, particularly in Greece and Portugal, and mainly serve the large global leaders in their industries, reported satisfactory growth in the second quarter, with a slightly faster gain over the first three months. Over the first half as a whole, the automotive, travel and retailing sectors delivered the strongest growth, driven by business development in Greece.

• Specialized Services

Revenue from Specialized Services stood at a particularly high €736 million in first-half 2024, a year-on-year increase of +12.0% based on pro forma figures and of +11.1% as reported. The difference between pro forma and reported figures is due to a slightly negative currency effect resulting from the decline in the Nigerian naira against the euro. Pro forma revenue growth in the second quarter alone came to +10.4%.

LanguageLine Solutions, the main contributor to Specialized Services revenue, continued to report significant growth throughout the first half, powered by market share gains in its fast-growing vertical in the United States. This excellent performance was attributable to the ongoing development of video and telephone interpreting solutions and the growth in digital platforms.

TLSContact continued to enjoy fast business growth, buoyed by the post-Covid upsurge in visa application management activities, which nevertheless slowed year-on-year owing to an unfavorable basis for comparison.

FIRST-HALF 2024 RESULTS

EBITDA before non-recurring items excluding synergy generation costs stood at €982 million for the first six months of 2024, compared with €807 million in the prior-year period.

EBITA before non-recurring items excluding synergy generation costs came to €703 million, representing a margin of 13.9%, compared with a reported €577 million (14.6% margin) and a pro forma €692 million (13.8% margin) in the first half of 2023. Pro forma margin widened by +10 bps as reported and by +20 bps at constant exchange rates (13.7% pro forma margin at constant exchange rates in first-half 2023). The improvement was primarily led by:

– The Core Services & D.I.B.S. margin of 11.0% for the period, down from 11.6% on a pro forma basis a year earlier, due mainly to the adverse impact of exchange rate movements on nearshore margins in the Latin America. However, the margin began to be positively impacted during the first half by the cost synergy plan underway as part of the Majorel integration process. This positive effect will accelerate in the second half.

– The increase in the Specialized Services margin to 30.7% over the period, from 28.3% in first-half 2023.

Earnings by activity

* Digital Integrated Business Services

** 2023 pro forma including Majorel

*** Excluding synergy generation costs linked to the acquisition of Majorel

• Core Services & D.I.B.S.

Core Services & D.I.B.S. delivered EBITA before non-recurring items of €477 million and a margin of 11.0% in first-half 2024, compared with a pro forma €505 million and 11.6% a year earlier. The overall contraction in pro forma margin reflected contrasting trends by region, with weakness in the Americas, due in particular to the adverse impact of exchange rate movements on offshore services margins in Latin America, and gains in the EMEA region, led by the initial positive outcomes of the cost synergy plan underway as part of the Majorel integration process. The year-on-year drop in pro forma EBITA from the holding companies, to €19 million from €46 million in first-half 2023, was caused by such factors as the cost of integrating and aligning Majorel’s IT and digital systems with the Group’s organization and enhanced corporate resources.

• Americas

In the Americas region, EBITA before non-recurring items totaled €249 million in first-half 2024, compared with a pro forma €259 million at constant exchange rates in the prior-year period. Pro forma EBITA margin declined over the period, to 12.0% from 12.3% in first-half 2023, as the negative currency impact on nearshore services in Latin America due to the strength of local currencies against the US dollar, essentially in Mexico and Colombia, offset the positive mix effect of the sustained profitable growth in offshore services in India.

• Europe, MEA & Asia-Pacific

The EMEA and Asia-Pacific region generated EBITA before non-recurring items of €209 million in first-half 2024, up from a pro forma €200 million a year earlier. Pro forma EBITA margin widened to 9.3% from 8.9% in first-half 2023. These good results were underpinned by the initial positive outcomes of the cost synergy plan underway as part of the Majorel integration process, the robust growth in business in the Asia-Pacific region and the firm performance of multilingual hub solutions in Europe.

• Specialized Services

EBITA before non-recurring items from Specialized Services stood at €226 million in first-half 2024, versus a pro forma €187 million a year earlier. Pro forma EBITA margin increased to 30.7% from 28.3% in first-half 2023.

As expected, LanguageLine Solutions’ operating margin showed a solid improvement from first-half 2023, when it was impacted by a shortage of interpreters in the United States at a time of strong client demand. The company’s business model remains robust and based on the sustained, structural growth in demand, entirely home-based interpreters, unrivaled technological capabilities and a very assertive marketing process.

TLScontact continued to improve its operating margin, thanks to the sustained upturn in business volumes and the very dynamic growth in premium ancillary services.

Other income statement items

EBIT amounted to €503 million, versus €446 million in first-half 2023. It included in particular:

• amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets in an amount of €110 million;
• €48 million in accounting expenses relating to performance share plans.
• €36 million in synergy generation costs linked to the acquisition of Majorel

The financial result represented a net expense of €99 million, versus €74 million one year earlier. The growth in finance costs reflected the increase in net debt in 2023 to finance the Majorel acquisition at year-end and the impact of rising interest rates on the variable portion of debt. However, foreign exchange gains have positively impacted the financial result. Given the current environment, the 4.4% interest rate on financial liabilities is still a satisfactory level for the Group.

Income tax expense came to €113 million, corresponding to an effective tax rate of 28.0%, versus 27.3% in the prior year.

Net profit – Group share totaled €291 million, versus €271 million in first-half 2023, while diluted earnings per share came to €4.83, versus €4.59 in first-half 2023.

Adjusted net profit – Group share* totaled €432 million, up +25.9% from €343 million in first-half 2023, while diluted earnings per share came to €7.17, versus €5.81 in first-half 2023.

Cash flows and financial structure

Net free cash flow after lease expenses, interest and tax paid amounted to €448 million, versus €309 million the year before, representing an improvement of +45%. Excluding the €25 million in cash outlays to generate cost synergies from integrating Majorel, net free cash flow came to €473 million for the period.

The change in consolidated working capital requirement was an outflow of €46 million in first-half 2024, compared with an outflow of €30 million in the prior-year period.

Net capital expenditure amounted to €86 million, or 1.7% of revenue, versus €111 million and 2.8% in first-half 2023. The decline was attributable both to the ongoing optimization of the Group’s work-from-home and on-site operating capacity and to the deployment of the cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure across the operating base.

After the payment of €231 million in dividends and deployment of a €117 million share buyback program, net debt stood at €4,459 million at June 30, 2024, down from €4,553 million at December 31, 2023 thanks to the strong net cash flow generated over the period.

* As defined in the Appendix (Alternative Performance Measures)

OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

• Best Employer certifications: 69 countries certified, representing 97% of Group employees

Teleperformance has made the well-being of its employees a key priority worldwide. Operations in 69 countries were certified in July 2024 as “Best Employers” by the Great Place to Work® Institute. 97% of Teleperformance employees worldwide work in an organization certified as a Great Place to Work®.

• More than 300 AI projects underway on behalf of Group clients

The Group is currently working in close partnership with its clients on more than 300 AI-projects including projects with Gen-AI, in various stages of development. For the past few years, Teleperformance had a fairly holistic approach to AI and has been embedding AI in products and processes used in the daily life. AI solutions generate savings and improve the operational outcomes for the group’s clients, notably quality, accuracy and sales conversion. In this respect, Telepeformance has very recently received top honors at the Globee® 2024 Golden Bridge Awards® for its AI-driven digital solution that streamlines back-office business processes for clients.

• Change of lead independent director

Moulay Hafid Elalamy has been unanimously appointed lead independent director and member of the Remuneration and Appointments Committee, to replace Patrick Thomas, who has decided to retire after nearly seven years on the Board of Directors. The Board warmly thanks Mr. Elalamy for having agreed to take on this crucial role in ensuring the Group’s good governance practices. It also sincerely thanks Mr. Thomas for all his years of active participation in the corporate life of the company.

OUTLOOK FOR 2024

On the strength of a good fi

Contacts

FINANCIAL ANALYSTS AND INVESTORS
Investor relations and financial

communication department

TELEPERFORMANCE

Tel: +33 1 53 83 59 15

[email protected]

PRESS RELATIONS
Europe
Karine Allouis – Laurent Poinsot

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Tel: +33 1 53 70 74 70

[email protected]

PRESS RELATIONS
Americas and Asia-Pacific
Nicole Miller

TELEPERFORMANCE

Tel: + 1 629-899-0675

[email protected]

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