H&R Block Announces Fiscal 2017 Second Quarter Results

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) today released its financial results for the fiscal 2017 second quarter ended October 31, 2016. The company normally reports a second quarter operating loss due to the seasonality of its tax business. The fiscal second quarter typically represents less than 5% of annual revenues and approximately 15% of annual expenses.

Second Quarter Financial Summary¹

• Total revenues increased $3 million as a result of favorable foreign exchange rates and the recognition of deferred revenues associated with the Peace of Mind product
• Total operating expenses declined $23 million due to one-time costs incurred in the prior year related to the divestiture of H&R Block Bank and capital structure transactions, coupled with savings from cost reduction efforts
• Net loss from continuing operations was flat to prior year; loss per share increased $0.13 due entirely to reduction in share count, which will be accretive on a full year basis, but negatively impacts those quarters with a net loss
• Repurchased approximately 7.6 million shares for an aggregate purchase price of $168 million during the second quarter, bringing total share repurchases for fiscal 2017 to 9.6 million shares

CEO Perspective

“I’m pleased with our second quarter results, as revenues were up and expenses were down. I’m also extremely excited for the upcoming tax season. We have been hard at work developing and implementing a comprehensive and aggressive plan designed to deliver stronger results in tax season 2017,” said Bill Cobb, H&R Block’s president and chief executive officer. “Our associates and franchisees are excited about our new promotional offerings, including the previously announced interest-free Refund Advance loan and planned changes to our service delivery models. We are ready for the tax season to begin.”

Fiscal 2017 Second Quarter Results From Continuing Operations

Income Statement

• Total revenues increased $2.9 million to $131.3 million, partially as a result of favorable foreign exchange rates and tax preparation revenues in international operations. Additionally, deferred revenue recognition from increased Peace of Mind product sales in prior fiscal years also positively impacted revenues. These increases were partially offset by lower domestic tax preparation revenues as well as the impact of the divestiture of H&R Block Bank.
• Total operating expenses decreased $22.9 million to $339.4 million. Contributing to the decline were the prior year one-time costs associated with the divestiture of H&R Block Bank and the subsequent capital structure transactions. Lower compensation expense resulting from the company’s cost reduction efforts also positively impacted expenses. These were partially offset by increased occupancy and amortization expenses related to competitor and franchise acquisitions in the prior year.
• Interest expense increased $8.4 million to $22.6 million primarily due to $1 billion of long-term debt issued in September 2015.
• Pretax loss decreased $9.3 million to $228.5 million.
• Loss per share from continuing operations increased $0.13 to $0.67, due entirely to the reduction in share count, which will be accretive on a full year basis, but negatively impacts those quarters with a net loss.

CFO Perspective

“Our expense reduction efforts are starting to bear results,” said Tony Bowen, H&R Block’s chief financial officer. “These reductions will enable us to fund client growth initiatives to deliver a successful fiscal year 2017.”

Balance Sheet

• Mortgage loans previously classified as held for investment were reclassified to mortgage loans held for sale as the company intends to liquidate the portfolio during the third fiscal quarter and receive approximately $190 million in cash proceeds.
• Long-term debt increased due to line of credit borrowings of $475 million. Although these amounts are intended to cover short-term offseason liquidity needs, they are classified as long-term debt due to the maturity date of the line of credit agreement.
• Stockholders’ equity from October 31, 2015 was reduced by share repurchase and subsequent retirement of 25.5 million shares of common stock for approximately $717 million.
• Details regarding the divestiture of H&R Block Bank and related agreements, capital structure transactions and share repurchase program can be found in previously filed press releases, and Forms 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in September and October of 2015.

Discontinued Operations

The accrual for contingent losses related to representation and warranty claims at Sand Canyon Corporation, a separate legal entity from H&R Block, Inc., remained unchanged at $26 million.

Share Repurchases and Dividends

During the second quarter of fiscal 2017, the company repurchased and retired approximately 7.6 million shares at an aggregate price of $168.4 million, or $22.16 per share. As of October 31, 2016, 211.5 million shares were outstanding.

The company completed these share repurchases under a $3.5 billion share repurchase program approved by the company’s board of directors in August 2015, which runs through June 2019. Under this program, the company has repurchased approximately 66 million shares of its common stock, or 23.9% of outstanding shares, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $2.2 billion.

As previously announced, a quarterly cash dividend of 22 cents per share is payable on January 3, 2017 to shareholders of record as of December 5, 2016. H&R Block has paid quarterly dividends consecutively since the company went public in 1962.

Conference Call

Discussion of the fiscal 2017 second quarter results, future outlook and a general business update will occur during the company’s previously announced fiscal second quarter earnings conference call for analysts, institutional investors, and shareholders. The call is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on December 7, 2016. To access the call, please dial the number below approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled starting time:

U.S./Canada (866) 872-0323 or International (443) 842-7595

Conference ID: 89483597

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 https://investors.hrblock.com.

A replay of the call will be available beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on December 7, 2016, and continuing until January 7, 2017, by dialing (855) 859-2056 (U.S./Canada) or (404) 537-3406 (International). The conference ID is 89483597. The webcast will be available for replay December 8, 2016 at https://investors.hrblock.com.

About H&R Block

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) is a global consumer tax services provider. Tax return preparation services are provided by professional tax preparers in approximately 12,000 company-owned and franchise retail tax offices worldwide, and through H&R Block tax software products for the DIY consumer. H&R Block also offers adjacent Tax Plus products and services. In fiscal 2016, H&R Block had annual revenues of over $3 billion with 23.2 million tax returns prepared worldwide. For more information, visit the H&R Block Newsroom.

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 contains 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,” “goal,” “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, cost savings, capital expenditures, dividends, share repurchases, 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, that are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2016 in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and additional factors we may describe from time to time in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may get such filings for free at our website at https://investors.hrblock.com. 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.

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

³ The company reports adjusted financial performance, and other non-GAAP financial measures, which it believes are a better indication of the company’s core operations. See “About Non-GAAP Financial Information” for more information regarding financial measures not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Download the release with full tables.