ARCE - Arco Reports Second Quarter 2023 Results

Healthy cash generation trend continues in the 2023 cycle

Financial & Management Solutions post strong growth with margin gains

Arco Platform Limited, or Arco or the Company (Nasdaq: ARCE), today reported financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023.

Consolidated 2Q23 and 1H23 figures include full results of isaac, our most recent acquisition, that is reported within financial & management segment. Therefore, for an accurate comparison year over year we recommend investors to reach pedagogical business figures (core & supplemental solutions).

Note: Please see adjusted EBITDA reconciliation and adjusted Net Income reconciliation on page 15.

2Q23 & 1H23 Highlights

• Net revenue for the second quarter was R$471.0 million, a 14.3% YoY increase, with Core solutions totaling R$371.9 million (+1.2% YoY), Supplemental solutions totaling R$23.8 million (-46.9% YoY due to a different distribution of the ACV recognition per quarter relative to last year) and financial & management solutions (F&M) posting a significant 104.3% YoY growth (versus 2Q22 pro-forma figures, prior to isaac’s acquisition by Arco) with R$ 75.3 million.
  
  Net revenue for pedagogical business (Core and Supplemental solutions) decreased 4.0% YoY in the second quarter due to deliveries’ seasonality (20.5% ACV recognition in 2Q23 vs. 26.4% in 2Q22) and part of June deliveries deferred to July, impacting 2Q23 ACV recognition in approximately R$ 36 million. Cycle-to-date figures (October through June) reaffirm the solid ACV growth expected for the 2023 cycle, with Core totaling R$1,210.9 million (+17.0% YoY) and Supplemental totaling R$331.6 million (+23.6% YoY).
  
  In June 2023, Arco reached 79.4% of its 2023 ACV recognized cycle-to-date vs. 83.2% in June 2022. We recommend that investors analyze our P&L performance on a cycle-to-date basis, for a more accurate assessment of the business underlying profitability trends.
  

• Cash gross margin (gross margin excluding depreciation and amortization) on a consolidated basis was 70.2% in 2Q23 (versus 75.8% in 2Q22) and 69.7%, in 1H23 (versus 77.4% in 1H22).
  
  Pedagogical business cash gross margin was 74.9% in 2Q23 (versus 75.8% in 2Q22) and 74.7% in CTD23 (versus 79.3% in CTD22). 1H23 printing costs were affected by the previously discussed price increases in the paper supply chain in the end of 2022 (consequence of pulp and paper commodity prices hike), as printing contracts are negotiated in advance of the collections. We continue to roll out cost reduction initiatives, such as the centralization of our supply operations to capture scale gains, which we expected to offset and outpace such recent and punctual external cost pressures and expect positive outcomes on 2H23 and, specially, in the 2024 cycle.
  

• In 2Q23, consolidated selling expenses excluding depreciation and amortization totaled R$177.3 million (+20.3% YoY). For 1H23, consolidated selling expenses excluding depreciation and amortization totaled R$338.6 (+18.7 YoY).
  
  Pedagogical business posted R$160.0 million in selling expenses in 2Q23 (+8.6% YoY). Cycle-to-date selling expenses for the pedagogical business reached R$465.9 million, up 15.9% YoY and representing 30.4% of revenues in the cycle, vs 31.0% in the same period 2022.
  

• General and administrative expenses (G&A) figures excluding depreciation and amortization totaled R$115.7 million in 2Q23 (+75.4% YoY), an increase driven by the consolidation of isaac structure. For the first six months of 2023, G&A expenses excluding depreciation and amortization were R$267.1 (+92.7% YoY) mostly related to isaac operations (teams & tech).
  
  Pedagogical business G&A expenses excluding depreciation and amortization reached R$92.1 million (+39.6% YoY versus 2Q22). Cycle-to-date G&A for the pedagogical business increased 17.7% YoY, representing 16.0% of revenues in the 2023 cycle, vs 16.1% in the same period 2022.
  

• Consolidated adjusted EBITDA was R$83.5 million in 2Q23 (-24.6% YoY), with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 17.7%. In 1H23, consolidated adjusted EBITDA was R$194.2 (-24.6% YoY), with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 19.3% (vs. 30.6% for the same period in 2022).
  
  Pedagogical business delivered an adjusted EBITDA of R$85.3 million (-22.9% YoY) with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 21.6% versus 26.9% in 2Q23, pressured by the lower revenue recognition seasonality. In the 2023 cycle-to-date, adjusted EBITDA margin was 36.3% for the pedagogical business versus 36.8% CTD 22. As previously mentioned, atypical deliveries deferring to July not only impacted revenue recognition but also Adjusted EBITDA cycle to date. For a better comparable analysis cycle to date, we have included July results. In the period between October and July, 2023 cycle posted a 23% adjusted EBITDA growth, delivering 36.3% Adjusted EBITDA margin, versus 34.8% margin in the 2022 cycle until July. We reiterate our 2023 guidance for EBITDA margin between 36.5% and 38.5%.
  
  F&M vertical posted an adjusted EBITDA of R$(1.8) million in 2Q23, versus a pro-forma R$(32.5) million in 2Q22 (prior to the acquisition by Arco), representing an EBITDA margin improvement of 85.8 p.p., from (88.3)% in 2Q22 to (2.4%) in 2Q23. In 1H23, F&M posted an Adjusted EBITDA margin of (12.2)% versus a pro forma (92.4)% margin in the first half of 2022.
  

• Consolidated adjusted net income (loss) in 2Q23 was R$78.1 million, with an adjusted net margin of 16.6% (versus -5.6% in 2Q22). For 1H23, consolidated adjusted net income totalized R$36.1 million, with an adjusted net margin of 3.6 % (versus 1.0% in 1H22).
  

• Consolidated cash from operations in the 1H23 reached R$365.5 million (up from R$294.3 million in 1H22). For the first half of the year, free cash flow to firm (managerial) was R$252.7 million, a R$96.1 million improvement compared to the R$156.6 million free cash flow to firm of 1H22. After interest payment, Arco generated R$ 47.7 million of free cash flow (representing 4.7% of net revenues) in the first half of 2023 (vs. R$85.4 million in 1H22, representing 10.1% of net revenues).

Pedagogical business free cash flow to firm keeps the pace from previous quarter, delivering significant improvement year over year. Free cash flow to firm (managerial) cycle-to-date was R$205.2 million, R$285.9.0 million above the R$(80.7) million free cash flow to firm of CTD 2022, showing important improvements across cash flow drivers, including working capital, capex and taxes.

To obtain better price conditions for the 2024 cycle, we anticipated the paper acquisition in 2Q23 versus previous years (R$58M as of June), increasing inventory levels earlier in the cycle. To maintain comparability between quarters, we have disclosed a pro-forma days of inventory , adjusted by the paper acquisition.

• Pedagogical solutions days of sales outstanding (DSO) in 2Q23 was 142 days vs 141 days in the 2Q22. Delinquency figures for pedagogical business continue posting YoY improvement and ended 2Q23 at 4.6% from 5.6% in 2Q22 and 5.3% in 1Q23, driven by our collection initiatives.

CAPEX in 2Q23 was R$42.4 million, or 9.0% of net revenue (versus 10.5% of net revenue in 2Q22, when excluding R$ 8.7 million from PGS and Mentes acquisition). Pedagogical business CAPEX was R$ 30.1 million, or 7.6% of net revenue (versus 10.5% of net revenue in 2Q22). In the 2023 cycle to date, CAPEX reached 6.7% of revenues vs 14.4% in the 2022 cycle so far and has contributed to significant expansion on the Adj. EBITDA minus CAPEX metric that reached 29.6% cycle to date in June, 2023, versus 22.4% cycle to date 2022.

• Arco’s corporate restructuring is ongoing and progressing as planned. Future incorporation processes include Escola da Inteligência (2023), Pleno (2023) and SAE Digital (2024). As we keep incorporating other businesses into CBE, we expect to capture additional tax benefits and therefore further reduce our effective tax rate, currently at 8.4% in 1H23 (versus 10.3% in 1H22).

• Arco’s cash and cash equivalents plus financial investments position as of June 30 ^th , 2023 was R$549.9 million, while financial debt¹ and accounts payable to selling shareholders were R$2,451.9 million, resulting in a net debt of R$1,902.0 million.
  
  1) Excludes Convertible notes: considers the conversion into equity of the convertible senior notes with no future disbursement of principal (US$150 M) issued on Nov 30, 2021. These notes mature in 7 years, on Nov 15, 2028, and bear interest at 8% per year fixed in Brazilian reais (R$66 M per year). 2) Cash position refers to cash and cash equivalents plus financial investments (short and long term) plus the New Debentures and FIDIC (issued in 3Q23). 3) Amount subject to an arbitration process. Please reference the Financial Statements as of June 30th, 2023, for additional details..
  

• In July, Arco concluded the issuance of 550,000 non-convertible debentures , each at a par value of R$1,000 (the “Debentures”), totaling R$550 million (approximately US$115 million), for public distribution in Brazil with restricted placement efforts to institutional investors (the “Offering”). The Offering is part of Arco’s balance sheet management strategy to strengthen its cash position, and to extend its debt maturity profile. The Debentures mature on July 12, 2028, with the principal to be amortized in three equal instalments payable on July 12, 2026, July 12, 2027, and July 12, 2028. The Debentures bear interest at 100% of the CDI interest rate (the average of interbank overnight rates in Brazil, based on 252 business days) plus 2.60% per annum, payable semi-annually on January 12 and July 12, and are guaranteed by Arco Educação S.A.
  

• In August, isaac announced the first K-12 dedicated FIDC (Receivables-backed investment fund). The raised amount totaled R$112 million with amortization in 2025. This allows isaac to raise capital from third parties to fund its revenue guarantee product working capital. The fundraising was oversubscribed, despite the lack of track-record, which we expect to reduce cost of capital significantly as the operation matures.
  

• In August 10, Arco announced that entered into agreement to go private. Please refer to press-release from August 10 and 6K filled on August 11 for more details (available at https://investor.arcoplatform.com/ ).

Conference Call Information

Arco will discuss its first quarter 2023 results today, August 31, 2023, via a conference call at 5 p.m. Eastern Time (6 p.m. Brasilia Time). To access the call, please dial: +1 (412) 717-9627, +1 (844) 204-8942 or +55 (11) 4090-1621. For enhanced audio connection investors may connect through Web Phone (access code: 7636515).

An audio replay of the call will be available through September 6th, 2023, by dialing +55 (11) 4118-5151 and entering access code 219191#. A live and archived Webcast of the call will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://investor.arcoplatform.com/ .

About Arco Platform Limited (Nasdaq: ARCE)

Arco has empowered millions of students to rewrite their futures through education. Our data-driven learning methodology, proprietary adaptable curriculum, interactive hybrid content, and high-quality pedagogical services allow students to personalize their learning experience while enabling schools to thrive.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as pertains to Arco Platform Limited (the “Company”) within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, the Company’s expectations or predictions of future financial or business performance conditions. The achievement or success of the matters covered by statements herein involves substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, the Company’s results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements we make. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward looking statements are made based on the Company’s current expectations and projections relating to its financial conditions, result of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business, and these statements are not guarantees of future performance.

Statements which herein address activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. You can generally identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “evaluate,” “expect,” “explore,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “view,” or “will,” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact could be deemed forward looking, including risks and uncertainties related to statements about our competition; our ability to attract, upsell and retain customers; our ability to increase the price of our solutions; our ability to expand our sales and marketing capabilities; general market, political, economic, and business conditions in Brazil or abroad; and our financial targets which include revenue, share count and other IFRS measures, as well as non-GAAP financial measures including Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Margin, Taxable Income Reconciliation and Managerial Free Cash Flow.

Forward-looking statements represent the Company management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date such statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Further information on these and other factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included in filings the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent Forms 20-F and 6-K. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at: https://investor.arcoplatform.com/

Key Business Metrics - Pedagogical

ACV Bookings: we define ACV Bookings as the revenue we would contractually expect to recognize from a partner school in each school year pursuant to the terms of our contract with such partner school, assuming no further additions or reductions in the number of enrolled students that will access our content at such partner school in such school year (we define “school year” for purposes of calculation of ACV Bookings as the twelve-month period starting in October of the previous year to September of the mentioned current year). We calculate ACV Bookings by multiplying the number of enrolled students at each partner school with the average ticket per student per year; the related number of enrolled students and average ticket per student per year are each calculated in accordance with the terms of each contract with the related partner school.

Key Business Metrics – Financial & Management ( “revenue guarantee” solution )

Contracted schools are the primary operating metric and represent the total number of schools with active contracts with isaac. Schools sign contracts for 1 year (or longer) with isaac to guarantee tuition from all of the enrolled students. After signing and onboarding a partner school, services can be initiated at any month of the year.

Total payment value (TPV) indicates the full amount to be transacted by isaac to contracted schools. It is calculated by the total tuition fee owed by parents to their schools.

Take rate is the primary revenue driver and is a percentage of TPV agreed upon contract signing. It is priced upon school sign-up based on school historical delinquency rate, risk profile and operating costs. It may be renegotiated or adjusted based on the contract’s performance.

Annual recurring revenue (ARR) is the contracted annualized revenue for a given month. Annual contracts and recurring nature make ARR a good proxy for growth, given isaac’s high growth profile, mitigating seasonal and onboarding effects.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board—IASB, we use Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Net Income Margin, Managerial Free Cash Flow and Reconciliation of Taxable Income and which are non-GAAP financial measures.

We calculate Adjusted EBITDA as profit (loss) for the year (or period) plus/minus income taxes, plus/minus finance result, plus depreciation and amortization, plus/minus share of (profit) loss of equity-accounted investees, plus share-based compensation plan and restricted stock units, plus provision for payroll taxes (restricted stock units), plus/minus M&A expenses (expenses related to acquisitions, and legal services mainly due to International School arbitration), minus other changes to equity accounted on investees (which refers to gains related to capital contribution from others on investees leading to an increase in equity of the investee) and plus non-recurring expenses (expenses related to our organizational restructuring in such as consulting services expenses and workforce reduction expenses). We calculate Adjusted EBITDA Margin as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Net Revenue.

We calculate Adjusted Net Income (Loss) as profit (loss) for the year (or period), plus share-based compensation plan, restricted stock units and related payroll taxes (restricted stock units), plus M&A expenses (expenses related to acquisitions, and legal services mainly due to International School arbitration), minus other changes to equity accounted on investees (which refers to gains related to capital contribution from others on investees leading to an increase in equity of the investee), plus non-recurring expenses (expenses related to our organizational restructuring in such as consulting services expenses and workforce reduction expenses), plus amortization of intangible assets from business combinations (which refers to the amortization of the following intangible assets from business combinations: (i) trademarks, (ii) customer relationships, (iii) educational system, (iv) software resulting from acquisitions, (v) educational platform, (vi) non-compete agreement and (vii) rights on contracts), plus/minus changes in accounts payable to selling shareholders (which refers to changes in fair value of contingent consideration and accounts payable to selling shareholders—finance costs), plus interest expenses, net (which refers to interest expenses related to accounts payable to selling shareholders from business combinations adjusted by fair value), plus/minus non-cash adjustments related to derivatives and convertible notes (which Refers to changes in fair value of derivative instruments from put option to convert senior notes) and plus/minus changes in current and deferred tax recognized in statements of income applied to all adjustments to net income (loss), which refers to tax effects of changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities recognized in profit or loss corresponding to financial instruments from acquisition of interests, tax benefit from tax deductible goodwill, share-based compensation and amortization of intangible assets).

We calculate Managerial Free Cash Flow as Net Cash Flows from Operating activities, less acquisition of property and equipment, less acquisition of intangible assets, adjusted by M&A-related payments that may be classified as CAPEX or as payment of contingent consideration. We consider Free Cash Flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by operating activities and cash used for investments in property and equipment required to maintain and grow our business.

We calculate Taxable Income Reconciliation as profit (loss) for the year (or period) adjusted for permanent and temporary additions and exclusions (for example, adjustments to provisions and amortizations in the period) and for all tax benefits that Arco is entitled to (for example, goodwill). The effective tax rate will be the current taxes for the period divided by the taxable income. In Brazil, taxes are charged based on the taxable income, not the accounting income, which means companies can have an accounting loss and a taxable profit. Additionally, Arco owns several companies and taxes are calculated individually.

We understand that, although Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Margin and Managerial Free Cash Flow and Taxable Income Reconciliation are used by investors and securities analysts in their evaluation of companies, these measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results of operations as reported under IFRS. Additionally, our calculations of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Margin, Managerial Free Cash Flow and Taxable Income Reconciliation may be different from the calculation used by other companies, including our competitors in the education services industry, and therefore, our measures may not be comparable to those of other companies.