H&R Block reports fiscal 2021 third quarter results; reiterates fiscal year financial outlook

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) today released its financial results¹ for the fiscal 2021 third quarter ended January 31, 2021.

• Company reiterates its revenue growth and earnings outlook for the fiscal year.
• Fiscal third quarter revenue was impacted by a delayed start to the U.S. tax season and a later-than-usual opening of IRS e-file resulting in a 41% decline to $308 million. These impacts were partially offset by an increase in small business payments processing and payroll volume at Wave, increased fees from Emerald Card transactions, and improved international results.
• GAAP loss per share from continuing operations² increased from $(0.66) to $(1.27), and adjusted non-GAAP loss per share³ increased from $(0.59) to $(1.17), due to the decline in revenue, partially offset by a decline in operating expenses. Loss per share was also impacted by a lower effective tax rate and lower shares outstanding resulting from repurchases earlier in the year. As a reminder, the lower tax rate and share count negatively impact EPS in quarters in which the company reports a loss, but will be favorable on a full fiscal year basis.

“We’re taking steps to build the capabilities necessary to execute on our Block Horizons strategy, as we continue to innovate in consumer tax, grow awareness of our small business offerings, and build out our financial products platform,” said Jeff Jones, H&R Block’s president and chief executive officer. “Despite seeing a delay to the start of the tax season, we’re well positioned to finish the fiscal year strong and to continue on our path toward long-term sustainable growth.”

Fiscal 2021 Third Quarter Results from Continuing Operations

“We’re on target to deliver our financial outlook for the year,” said Tony Bowen, H&R Block’s chief financial officer. “This will drive strong free cash flow and significant return of capital to our shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.”

Key Financial Metrics

• Fiscal third quarter revenue was impacted by a delayed start to the U.S. tax season and a later than usual opening of IRS e-file resulting in a decline of $211 million, or 41%, to $308 million. These impacts were partially offset by an increase in small business payments processing and payroll volume at Wave, increased fees from Emerald Card transactions, and improved international results.
• Total operating expenses decreased $100 million, or 15%, to $572 million primarily due to lower variable expenses related to the delayed start to the U.S. tax season, and reductions in travel, occupancy, and legal costs.
• Pretax loss increased $106 million to $284 million.
• GAAP loss per share from continuing operations increased from $(0.66) to $(1.27), and adjusted non-GAAP loss per share³ increased from $(0.59) to $(1.17), due to the decline in revenue, partially offset by the decline in operating expenses. Loss per share was also impacted by a lower effective tax rate and lower shares outstanding resulting from repurchases earlier in the year. As a reminder, the lower tax rate and share count negatively impact EPS in quarters in which the company reports a loss, but will be favorable on a full fiscal year basis.

Capital Structure

The company also reported the following related to its capital structure:

• As previously announced, a quarterly cash dividend of $0.26 per share is payable on April 1, 2021 to shareholders of record as of March 16, 2021. H&R Block has paid quarterly dividends consecutively since the company went public in 1962.
• Fiscal year to date repurchases and retirements of common stock total approximately 9.5 million shares at an aggregate price of $150 million, or $15.83 per share. These repurchases were made in the second fiscal quarter. The company has approximately $600 million remaining on its authorization which runs through June 2022.

Discontinued Operations

For information on Sand Canyon, please refer to disclosures in the company’s reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and other filings with the SEC.

Conference Call

Discussion of the fiscal 2021 third quarter results, outlook, and a general business update will occur during the company’s previously announced fiscal third quarter earnings conference call for analysts, institutional investors, and shareholders. The call is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on March 9, 2021. To access the call, please dial the number below approximately 5 minutes prior to the scheduled starting time:

U.S./Canada (866) 987-6821 or International (630) 652-5951

Conference ID: 1036306

The call, along with a presentation for viewing, 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. The presentation will be posted on the Quarterly Results page at https:/investors.hrblock.com following the conclusion of the call.

A replay of the call will be available beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on March 9, 2021 and continuing for seven days by dialing (855) 859-2056 (U.S./Canada) or (404) 537-3406 (International). The conference ID is 1036306. The webcast will be available for replay beginning on March 10, 2021 and continuing for 90 days at https://investors.hrblock.com.

About H&R Block

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation, financial products and small business solutions. The company blends digital innovation with the human expertise and care of its associates and franchisees as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time, and better manage and access their money year-round. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the company helps small business owners thrive with innovative products like Wave Money, a small business banking and bookkeeping solution, and the only business bank account to manage bookkeeping automatically. For more information, visit H&R Block News or follow @HRBlockNews on Twitter.

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,” “commits,” “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, client trajectory, income, effective tax rate, earnings per share, cost savings, capital expenditures, dividends, share repurchases, liquidity, capital structure, market share, industry volumes 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. They also include the expected impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including, without limitation, the impact on economic and financial markets, the Company’s capital resources and financial condition, the expected use of proceeds under the Company’s revolving credit facility, future expenditures, potential regulatory actions, such as extensions of tax filing deadlines or other related relief, changes in consumer behaviors and modifications to the Company’s operations related thereto. 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, 2020 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 http://investors.hrblock.com. In addition, factors that may cause the company’s actual estimated effective tax rate to differ from estimates include the company’s actual results from operations compared to current estimates, future discrete items, changes in interpretations and assumptions the company has made, and future actions of the company. 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.

TABLES FOLLOW

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Because these measures are not measures of financial performance under GAAP and are susceptible to varying calculations, they may not be comparable to similarly titled measures for other companies.

We consider our non-GAAP financial measures to be performance measures and a useful metric for management and investors to evaluate and compare the ongoing operating performance of our business. We make adjustments for certain non-GAAP financial measures related to amortization of intangibles from acquisitions and goodwill impairments. We may consider whether other significant items that arise in the future should be excluded from our non-GAAP financial measures.

We measure the performance of our business using a variety of metrics, including earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) from continuing operations, adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations, EBITDA margin from continuing operations, adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations and free cash flow. We also use EBITDA from continuing operations and pretax income of continuing operations, each subject to permitted adjustments, as performance metrics in incentive compensation calculations for our employees.