Thoughtworks Reports Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Thoughtworks Holding, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWKS) ("Thoughtworks" or the "Company"), a leading global technology consultancy, today reported results for the second quarter of 2024.

Acquisition Update

As announced a short time ago, Thoughtworks has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of funds advised by Apax Partners LLP for $4.40 per share. A copy of the press release can be found by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Thoughtworks corporate website at thoughtworks.com. In light of the announced transaction, Thoughtworks will not be holding a conference call to discuss its June 30, 2024 financial results.

Update on Restructuring Activities

On August 8, 2023, Thoughtworks initiated several measures to reduce operational costs and better align our business with our customers’ needs in a challenging macroeconomic environment. On May 7, 2024, we increased our restructuring program to capture additional cost savings. On August 2, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a second increase to its restructuring plan.

During the second quarter of 2024, Thoughtworks incurred pre-tax cash charges of approximately $7.2 million, which include $6.2 million in wage-related costs and $1.0 million in non-wage related costs. Since the program’s inception in August 2023 through June 30, 2024, we have incurred pre-tax cash charges of approximately $28.3 million, which include $24.5 million in wage-related costs and $3.8 million in non-wage related costs, and have achieved $108 million of annualized savings.

Thoughtworks is increasing its restructuring program to capture additional savings of $85 million to $95 million, for a total restructuring program savings of $185 million to $210 million. We now expect the restructuring program to be completed by October 31, 2024.

Thoughtworks now expects to incur additional pre-tax cash charges of approximately $30.0 million to $35.0 million, for total expected pre-tax charges of approximately $56.5 million to $68.0 million (the “Updated 2024 Total Charges”). The Updated 2024 Total Charges include $51.0 million to $59.0 million in wage-related expenses, such as employee severance and related benefits, and $5.5 million to $9.0 million in non-wage related expenses, including costs related to reducing leased office space, vendor contract cancellations and professional fees. We anticipate our additional cost reduction efforts to impact approximately 6% to 7% of our headcount globally.

QTD second quarter 2024 highlights

Revenues for the second quarter were $251.7 million, a year-over-year decline of (12.4)%, or a year-over-year decline of (11.3)% in constant currency.

Net loss margin for the second quarter was (14.5)% compared to (4.3)% for the second quarter of 2023. Adjusted EBITDA Margin for the second quarter was 2.3% compared to 10.2% for the second quarter of 2023.

Diluted loss per share for the second quarter was $(0.11) compared to $(0.04) for the second quarter of 2023. Adjusted diluted loss per share for the second quarter was $(0.03) compared to Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.03 for the second quarter of 2023.

YTD second quarter 2024 highlights

Revenues for the six months ended were $500.3 million, a year-over-year decline of (15.8)%, or a year-over-year decline of (15.2)% in constant currency. Acquisitions completed in the last twelve months had an immaterial contribution to revenue growth for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

Net loss margin for the six months ended was (13.5)% compared to (3.4)% for six months ended June 30, 2023. Adjusted EBITDA Margin for the six months ended was 2.5% compared to 10.8% for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

Diluted loss per share for the six months ended was $(0.21) compared to $(0.06) for the six months ended June 30, 2023. Adjusted diluted loss per share for the six months ended was $(0.05) compared to Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.06 for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

Bookings

Our overall bookings for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2024 was $1.2 billion, stable sequentially and a year-over-year decrease from $1.5 billion. The sequential stability from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2024 is a result of strong bookings in the first and second quarters of 2024 as our industry-based go-to-market strategy is gaining momentum. The 20.0% year-over-year decrease in bookings is primarily a result of reduced client budgets reflecting caution around the macroeconomic environment and smaller contract sizes which reflect a shift to offshore services, where bill rates are lower compared to onshore work, and, in certain cases, discounts or pricing adjustments.

Liquidity

We had cash and cash equivalents of $47.7 million as of June 30, 2024, along with $300.0 million of borrowing capacity under our revolving credit line, which was undrawn as of June 30, 2024. Our total debt outstanding, gross of deferred financing fees, was $291.8 million at June 30, 2024.

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About Thoughtworks

Thoughtworks is a global technology consultancy that integrates strategy, design and engineering to drive digital innovation. We are over 10,500 Thoughtworkers strong across 48 offices in 19 countries. For 30+ years, we've delivered extraordinary impact together with our clients by helping them solve complex business problems with technology as the differentiator.

Thoughtworks uses and intends to continue to use our investor relations website at https://investors.thoughtworks.com and social media, @thoughtworks on Twitter and LinkedIn, as a means of publicly disclosing material information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation Fair Disclosure. Investors should monitor these channels in addition to following the Company’s press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls and webcasts.

Forward-looking statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of terms such as "expect," "will," "continue," or similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. You should read this press release with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, which include but are not limited to: the statements under “Update on Restructuring Activities,” including expectations relating to the size of the restructuring actions, the amount and timing of related cost savings and charges and the potential long-term benefits of the restructuring actions; statements regarding relationships with existing and potential clients and their engagement decisions; and any other statements of expectation or belief. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from results expressed or implied in this press release. Such risk factors include, but are not limited to, those related to: current and future impact of macro-related factors on Thoughtworks' clients’ engagement decisions, Thoughtworks’ business and industry; the effects of competition on the future business of Thoughtworks; uncertainty regarding the demand for and market utilization of our services; the ability to implement our restructuring actions, including the costs of such actions and the uncertainty of the impact of such actions on financial performance; the ability to maintain or acquire new client relationships; other general business and economic conditions (including such conditions related to inflation and foreign currency exchange rates); and our ability to successfully execute our strategy and strategic plans. For additional information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, please see Thoughtworks' latest Annual Report on Form 10-K, latest Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and other filings and reports that Thoughtworks may file from time to time. Except as required by law, Thoughtworks assumes no obligation, and does not intend, to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Non-GAAP financial measures

Certain financial metrics contained in this press release are considered non-GAAP financial measures. Definitions of and the related reconciliations for these non-GAAP financial measures can be found below. We use these non-GAAP measures in conjunction with traditional GAAP measures to evaluate our financial performance. We believe that these non-GAAP measures provide our management and investors consistency and comparability with our past financial performance and facilitate period-to-period comparisons of operations. However, non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider these measures in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our financial results as reported under GAAP. For example, many of the non-GAAP financial measures used herein exclude stock-based compensation expense, which has recently been, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, a significant recurring non-cash expense for our business and an important part of our compensation strategy.

Revenue Growth Rate and Revenue Growth Rate at constant currency

Certain of our subsidiaries use functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar and the translation of these foreign currency amounts into U.S. dollars can impact the comparability of our revenues between periods. Accordingly, we use Revenue Growth Rate at constant currency as an important indicator of our underlying performance. Revenue Growth Rate at constant currency is calculated by applying the average exchange rates in effect during the earlier comparative fiscal period to the later fiscal period.

Adjusted Gross Profit and Adjusted Gross Margin

We define gross profit as total revenues less cost of revenues. We define Adjusted Gross Profit as gross profit excluding stock-based compensation expense, employer payroll related expense on employee equity incentive plan and depreciation expense. We calculate Adjusted Gross Margin by dividing Adjusted Gross Profit by total revenues. Our management uses Adjusted Gross Profit to assess overall performance and profitability, without regard to the aforementioned adjustments, which are unrelated to our ongoing revenue-generating operations. We also believe this information will be useful for investors to facilitate comparisons of our operating performance and better identify trends in our business.

Adjusted SG&A and Adjusted SG&A Margin

We define Adjusted SG&A as selling, general and administrative expense excluding stock-based compensation expense, acquisition costs, certain professional fees that are considered unrelated to our ongoing revenue-generating operations, employer payroll related expense on employee equity incentive plan and CEO transition costs. We calculate Adjusted SG&A Margin by dividing Adjusted SG&A by total revenues.

Our management uses Adjusted SG&A and Adjusted SG&A Margin to assess our overall performance, without regard to items such as stock-based compensation expense and other items that are considered to be unique or non-recurring in nature or otherwise unrelated to our ongoing revenue-generating operations. We also believe this information will be useful for investors to facilitate comparisons of our operating performance and better identify trends in our business.

Adjusted Net (Loss) Income and Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share

We define Adjusted Net (Loss) Income as net loss adjusted for unrealized loss (gain) on foreign currency exchange, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquisition-related intangibles, acquisition costs, certain professional fees that are considered unrelated to our ongoing revenue-generating operations, employer payroll related expense on employee equity incentive plan, the change in fair value of contingent consideration, restructuring costs, CEO transition costs and income tax effects of adjustments.

We define Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share as diluted loss per share, with the numerator adjusted for the aforementioned adjustments to Adjusted Net (Loss) Income. In other words, the numerator for Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share utilizes Adjusted Net (Loss) Income. We calculate Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share by dividing Adjusted Net (Loss) Income by diluted weighted average shares outstanding.

Our management uses Adjusted Net (Loss) Income and Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share to assess our overall performance, without regard to items that are considered to be unique or non-recurring in nature or otherwise unrelated to our ongoing revenue-generating operations, net of the income tax effects of adjustments.

Our management uses Adjusted Net (Loss) Income for planning purposes, including the preparation of our annual operating budget, as a measure of our core operating results and the effectiveness of our business strategy, and in evaluating our financial performance. We also believe this information will be useful for investors to facilitate comparisons of our operating performance and better identify trends in our business.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

We define Adjusted EBITDA as net loss adjusted to exclude income tax expense; interest expense; other (income) expense, net, excluding a gain related to the mark to market adjustment on shares received in relation to the sale and settlement of trade receivables; unrealized loss (gain) on foreign currency exchange; stock-based compensation expense; depreciation and amortization expense; acquisition costs; certain professional fees that are considered unrelated to our ongoing revenue generating operations; employer payroll related expense on employee equity incentive plan; restructuring charges; and CEO transition costs. We calculate Adjusted EBITDA Margin by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by total revenues.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are widely used by investors and securities analysts to measure a company's operating performance without regard to the aforementioned adjustments that can vary substantially from company to company depending upon their financing, capital structures, and the method by which assets were acquired or costs that are unique or non-recurring in nature or otherwise unrelated to our ongoing revenue-generating operations.

Our management uses Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin for planning purposes, including the preparation of our annual operating budget, as a measure of our core operating results and the effectiveness of our business strategy, and in evaluating our financial performance. We also believe this information will be useful for investors to facilitate comparisons of our operating performance and better identify trends in our business.

Free Cash Flow

We define Free Cash Flow as net cash (used in) provided by operating activities less cash used for purchases of property and equipment. We believe that Free Cash Flow is a useful indicator of liquidity for investors and is used by our management as it measures our ability to generate cash, or our need to access additional sources of cash, to fund operations and investments. There are a number of limitations related to the use of free cash flow as compared to net cash from operating activities, including that Free Cash Flow includes capital expenditures, the benefits of which are realized in periods subsequent to those when expenditures are made.

(a) The three and six months ended June 30, 2024 exclude a net reversal of $0.6 million related to the CEO transition which is included in the CEO transition costs line.
(b) Adjusts for certain professional fees and retention wage expenses related to certain acquisitions.
(c) Adjusts for certain one-time professional fees.
(d) Adjusts for employer payroll related expense on employee equity incentive plan as these expenses are tied to the exercise or vesting of underlying equity awards and the price of our common stock at the time of vesting or exercise. As a result, these expenses may vary in any particular period independent of the financial and operating performance of our business.
(e) Adjusts for the non-cash adjustment to the fair value of contingent consideration.
(f) Adjusts for restructuring costs which include wage-related expenses, such as employee severance and related benefits, and non-wage related expenses, including costs related to reducing leased office space, vendor contract cancellations, professional fees, and other reorganization costs.
(g) Adjusts for CEO transition costs which includes $1.0 million of severance, $0.5 million target bonus and $0.2 million salary paid during the transition period, partially offset by a $0.6 million net reversal of stock compensation expense.
(h) Adjusts for the income tax effects of the foregoing adjusted items, determined under the discrete method consistent with our non-GAAP measures of profitability.
(i) Excludes a gain which was included within other income (expense), net in the condensed consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss related to the mark to market adjustment on shares received in relation to the sale and settlement of trade receivables.

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