Equipment sales grew double-digits versus prior year largely due to higher inserter and printer placements. EBIT and EBITDA margins were relatively flat compared to prior year as a result of the higher revenue offset by the mix of products within equipment sales.
2018 Guidance
The Company is reaffirming its annual guidance and updating solely to reflect the impact of the definitive agreement to sell Production Mail and its supporting software. Beginning in the second quarter, Production Mail and its supporting software will be reported as discontinued operations.
- Revenue, on a constant currency basis, is now expected to be in the range of 11 percent to 15 percent growth, when compared to 2017.
- Adjusted EPS is now expected to be in the range of $1.15 to $1.30.
- Free cash flow is now expected to be in the range of $300 million to $350 million.
This guidance discusses future results, which are inherently subject to unforeseen risks and developments. As such, discussions about the business outlook should be read in the context of an uncertain future, as well as the risk factors identified in the safe harbor language at the end of this release and as more fully outlined in the Company's 2017 Form 10-K Annual Report and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This guidance excludes any unusual items that may occur or additional portfolio or restructuring actions, not specifically identified, as the Company implements plans to further streamline its operations and reduce costs. Revenue guidance is provided on a constant currency basis. The Company cannot reasonably predict the impact that future changes in currency exchange rates will have on revenue and net income. Additionally, the Company cannot provide GAAP EPS and GAAP cash from operations guidance due to the uncertainty of future potential restructurings, goodwill and asset write-downs, unusual tax settlements or payments and special contributions to its pension funds, acquisitions, divestitures and other potential adjustments, which could (individually or in the aggregate) have a material impact on the Company’s performance. The Company’s guidance is based on an assumption that the global economy and foreign exchange markets in 2018 will not change significantly. The Company’s guidance also includes changes in accounting standards implemented at the beginning of the year.
Conference Call and Webcast
Management of Pitney Bowes will discuss the Company’s results in a broadcast over the Internet today at 8:00 a.m. ET. Instructions for listening to the earnings results via the Web are available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s web site at www.pitneybowes.com.
About Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI) is a global technology company providing commerce solutions that power billions of transactions. Clients around the world, including 90 percent of the Fortune 500, rely on the accuracy and precision delivered by Pitney Bowes solutions, analytics, and APIs in the areas of ecommerce fulfillment, shipping and returns; cross-border ecommerce; presort services; office mailing and shipping; location data; and software. For nearly 100 years Pitney Bowes has been innovating and delivering technologies that remove the complexity of getting commerce transactions precisely right. For additional information visit Pitney Bowes, the Craftsmen of Commerce, at www.pitneybowes.com.
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
The Company's financial results are reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP); however, in its disclosures the Company uses certain non-GAAP measures, such as adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted earnings per share (EPS), revenue growth on a constant currency basis and free cash flow.
The Company reports measures such as adjusted EBIT, adjusted EPS and adjusted net income to exclude the impact of special items like restructuring charges, tax adjustments, goodwill and asset write-downs, and costs related to dispositions and acquisitions. While these are actual Company expenses, they can mask underlying trends associated with its business. Such items are often inconsistent in amount and frequency and as such, the adjustments allow an investor greater insight into the current underlying operating trends of the business.
In addition, revenue growth is presented on a constant currency basis
to exclude the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates
since the prior period under comparison. Constant currency
measures are intended to help investors better understand the underlying
operational performance of the business excluding the impacts of shifts
in currency exchange rates over the period. Constant currency is
calculated by converting our current quarter reported results using the
prior year’s exchange rate for the comparable quarter. This
comparison allows an investor insight into the underlying revenue
performance of the business and true operational performance from a
comparable basis to prior period. A reconciliation of reported
revenue to constant currency revenue can be found in the Company’s
attached financial schedules.
