H&R Block Announces Fiscal 2016 First Quarter Results

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB), the world’s largest consumer tax services provider, today released its financial results for the fiscal 2016 first quarter ended July 31, 2015. The company typically reports a first quarter operating loss due to the seasonality of its U.S. tax business.

First Quarter 2016 Highlights¹

• Bank divestiture transaction closes, H&R Block no longer regulated as a savings and loan holding company.²
• Total revenues increased $4 million, or 3%, to $138 million
• Loss per share from continuing operations improved $0.05 to $0.35 per share³ due primarily to discrete tax benefits

Revenues increased 3%, to $138 million, due primarily to higher product revenues, partially offset by the negative impact of foreign currency rates. The net loss from continuing operations improved $12 million to $97 million. Loss per share from continuing operations was $0.35.

CEO Perspective

“We are pleased that we have successfully closed the bank transaction and are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for our clients as we prepare for the upcoming tax season,” said Bill Cobb, H&R Block’s president and chief executive officer. “Our teams are now fully focused on developing and executing a strategy that ensures an exceptional client service experience. We look forward to delivering another successful tax year for both our clients and our shareholders.”

Business Segment Financial Results and Highlights

Tax Services

• Revenues increased 2.7% to $133 million, due primarily to higher Peace of Mind (POM) revenues and royalties, partially offset by the negative impact of foreign currency rates.
• Total operating expenses increased 6.6% to $297 million, resulting from increased occupancy costs and amortization due to the annualization of expenses related to prior year franchise acquisitions.
• Pretax loss increased 12.5% to $169 million.

Corporate

• Interest expense on borrowings declined $5 million due to the repayment of senior notes in October, 2014.
• Pretax loss improved by $8 million to $18 million.
• Income tax benefit increased due to favorable discrete tax items.

Discontinued Operations

• Sand Canyon Corporation (SCC), a separate legal entity from H&R Block, Inc., continued to engage in constructive settlement discussions with counterparties that have made a significant majority of previously denied and possible future representation and warranty claims.
• SCC’s accrual for contingent losses related to representation and warranty claims was unchanged from the prior quarter at $150 million.

Dividends

As previously announced, a quarterly cash dividend of 20 cents per share is payable on October 1, 2015 to shareholders of record as of September 9, 2015. The October 1 dividend payment will be H&R Block’s 212th consecutive quarterly dividend since the company went public in 1962.

Conference Call

Discussion of the divestiture of H&R Block Bank, the company’s capital structure plans, fiscal 2016 first quarter results, future outlook and a general business update, will occur during the company’s previously announced fiscal first quarter earnings conference call for analysts, institutional investors, and shareholders. The call is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on Sept. 1, 2015. To access the call, please dial the number below approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled starting time:

U.S./Canada (888) 895-5260 or International (443) 842-7595

Conference ID: 73769267

The call will also be webcast in a listen-only format for the media and public. The link to the webcast can be accessed directly at http://investors.hrblock.com.

A replay of the call will be available beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on Sept. 1, 2015, and continuing until Oct. 1, 2015, by dialing (855) 859-2056 (U.S./Canada) or (404) 537-3406 (International). The conference ID is 73769267. The webcast will be available for replay Sept. 2, 2015 at http://investors.hrblock.com.

H&R Block Announces Fiscal 2016 First Quarter Results

About Non-GAAP Financial Information
This press release and the accompanying tables include non-GAAP financial information. For a description of these non-GAAP financial measures, including the reasons management uses each measure, and reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, please see the section of the accompanying tables titled “Non-GAAP Financial Information.”

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words or variation of words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “targets,” “would,” “will,” “should,” “could” or “may” or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements provide management’s current expectations or predictions of future conditions, events or results. All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future are forward-looking statements. They may include estimates of revenues, income, earnings per share, capital expenditures, dividends, liquidity, capital structure or other financial items, descriptions of management’s plans or objectives for future operations, products or services, or descriptions of assumptions underlying any of the above. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and reflect the company’s good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, but they are not guarantees of future performance or events. Furthermore, the company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions, factors, or expectations, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes, except as required by law. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, a variety of economic, competitive and regulatory factors, many of which are beyond the company’s control and which are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2015 in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” as well as additional factors we may describe from time to time in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and, consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties.

For Further Information:
Investor Relations: Colby Brown(816) 854-4559 colby.brown@hrblock.com

Media Relations: Gene King (816) 854-4672 gene.king@hrblock.com

1 All amounts in this release are unaudited. Unless otherwise noted, all comparisons refer to the current period compared to the corresponding prior year period.

2 See separate press release dated September, 1, 2015 for further details regarding the bank divestiture.

3 All per share amounts are based on fully diluted shares at the end of the corresponding period.