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Ellie Mae reports first quarter 2015 results

First quarter revenue up 68% to $54.2 million raises 2015 revenue guidance

PLEASANTON, CA (April 30, 2015) — Ellie Mae® (NYSE:ELLI), a leading provider of innovative on-demand software solutions and services for the residential mortgage industry, today reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015.

First Quarter 2015 Highlights

  • Record revenue of $54.2 million, up 68% from $32.2 million in Q1 2014
  • Net income of $3.6 million, up from $0.8 million in Q1 of 2014
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $14.6 million, up 141% from $6.0 million in Q1 2014
  • Revenue per average active Encompass user of $474, up 38% from $343 in Q1 2014

“We had a great start to the year with an outstanding first quarter,” said Jonathan Corr, president and CEO of Ellie Mae.  “In addition to another highly successful Encompass user experience, the quarter ended with financial results that exceeded our revenue, net income and adjusted EBITDA objectives.  Our clients closed more loans than expected due to origination volumes that were above initial industry forecasts, but our customers also outpaced the mortgage industry as a whole.  On top of this, our active user base increased by nearly ten thousand seats and we continued to drive customer adoption across our product portfolio.  Combined, these factors helped grow average revenue per user by 38%.  Our results demonstrate the leverage in our business model when expectations are exceeded across multiple fronts.”

Financial Results

Total revenue for the first quarter of 2015 was $54.2 million, compared to $32.2 million for the first quarter of 2014.  Net income for the first quarter of 2015 was $3.6 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, compared to net income of $0.8 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2014.  Diluted share count for the first quarter of 2015 was 30.4 million, as compared to 29.1 million during the first quarter of 2014.

On a non-GAAP basis, adjusted net income for the first quarter of 2015 was $9.9 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, compared to $4.6 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2014.  Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2015 was $14.6 million, compared to $6.0 million for the first quarter of 2014.

Additional information about the non-GAAP financial measures presented in this release, including a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to their related GAAP financial measures, is set forth below under the section entitled “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Key Operating Metrics:

  • The total number of active Encompass users increased 25% year-over-year to 119,000;
  • The total number of active users of the SaaS version of Encompass increased 40% year-over-year to 95,000, or 80% of all active Encompass users;
  • Total SaaS Encompass revenue in the first quarter increased 64% year-over-year to $32.5 million, representing 60% of total revenue for the first quarter of 2015; and
  • Revenue per average active Encompass user in the first quarter increased 38% year-over-year to $474.

Second Quarter and Full Year 2015 Financial Outlook

For the second quarter of 2015, we expect revenue to be in the range of $59.0 million to $60.0 million.  Net income is expected to be in the range of $1.0 million to $1.5 million, or $0.03 to $0.05 per diluted share.  Adjusted net income is expected to be in the range of $8.6 million to $9.3 million, or $0.28 to $0.30 per diluted share.  Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $12.1 million to $13.3 million for the quarter.

For the full year 2015, revenue is expected to be in the range of $223.0 million to $226.0 million, up from the previously-provided range of $203.0 million to $206.0 million.  Net income is expected to be in the range of $4.0 million to $5.0 million, or $0.13 to $0.16 per diluted share, up from the previously provided range of $0.5 million to $1.5 million, or $0.02 to $0.05 per diluted share.  Adjusted net income is expected to be in the range of $34.4 million to $36.1 million, or $1.09 to $1.13 per diluted share, up from the previously provided range of $27.1 million to $29.0 million, or $0.86 to $0.91 per diluted share.  Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $48.6 million to $51.3 million, up from the previously provided range of $37.8 million to $40.8 million.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Ellie Mae (the “Company”) provides investors with the non-GAAP financial measures of adjusted net income, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow in addition to the traditional GAAP operating performance measure of net income as part of its overall assessment of its performance.  Adjusted net income consists of net income plus amortization of intangible assets and stock-based compensation expense.  EBITDA consists of net income plus depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, other income, net and income tax provision.  Adjusted EBITDA consists of EBITDA plus stock-based compensation expense.  Free cash flow is calculated by subtracting cash paid for the acquisition of property and equipment from net cash provided by operating activities.  Ellie Mae uses adjusted net income and adjusted EBITDA as measures of operating performance because they enable period to period comparisons by excluding potential differences caused by variations in the age and depreciable lives of fixed assets, the amortization of intangibles related to acquisitions, and changes in interest expense and interest income that are influenced by capital market conditions.  The Company also believes it is useful to exclude stock-based compensation expense from adjusted net income and adjusted EBITDA because the amount of non-cash expense associated with stock-based awards made at certain prices and points in time (a) do not necessarily reflect how the company’s business is performing at any particular time and (b) can vary significantly between periods due to the timing of new stock-based awards.  Ellie Mae uses free cash flow as a complementary measure to its entire consolidated statements of cash flows since purchases of property and equipment are a necessary component of ongoing operations.  These non-GAAP measures are not measurements of the Company’s financial performance under GAAP and have limitations as analytical tools.  Accordingly, these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, net income or operating income or other financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP, or as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of the Company’s profitability or liquidity.  The Company cautions that other companies in Ellie Mae’s industry may calculate adjusted net income and adjusted EBITDA differently than the Company does, further limiting their usefulness as a comparative measure.  A reconciliation of net income to adjusted net income and adjusted EBITDA is included in the tables below.

Quarterly Conference Call

Ellie Mae will discuss its first quarter 2015 results today, April 30, 2015, via teleconference at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.  To access the call, please dial 888-542-1101 or 719-325-2302 at least five minutes prior to the 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time start time.  A live webcast of the call will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at http://ir.elliemae.com.  An audio replay of the call will be available through May 14, 2015 by dialing 888-203-1112 or 719-457-0820 and entering access code 5180850.

About Ellie Mae

Ellie Mae (NYSE:ELLI) is a leading provider of innovative on-demand software solutions and services for the residential mortgage industry. Ellie Mae’s Encompass® all-in-one mortgage management solution provides one system of record that allows banks, credit unions and mortgage lenders to originate and fund mortgages and improve compliance, loan quality and efficiency. Visit EllieMae.com or call 877.355.4362 to learn more.

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