Ceridian Reports Third Quarter 2021 Results

Minneapolis, MN and Toronto, ON, November 3, 2021

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Ceridian HCM Holding Inc. (“Ceridian”) (NYSE:CDAY) (TSX:CDAY), a global leader in human capital management (HCM) technology, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021.

"I am pleased to report that our business continues to perform well, and in the third quarter, we made strong progress against our growth objectives and financial guidance for the year," said David Ossip, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Ceridian. "We remain focused on driving strong execution, investing in our growth, and generating operating momentum across the company."

 

Financial Highlights for the Third Quarter 2021¹

Revenue Highlights

• Total revenue, which includes revenue from both Cloud and Bureau solutions, was $257.2 million for the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 25.8%, or 23.9% on a constant currency basis.
• Excluding float revenue, total revenue was $247.3 million for the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 27.6%, or 25.7% on a constant currency basis.
• Dayforce recurring revenue was $160.3 million for the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 30.6%, or 29.0% on a constant currency basis.  
• Excluding float revenue, Dayforce recurring revenue was $153.0 million for the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 32.9%, or 31.4% on a constant currency basis.
• Cloud revenue, which includes both Dayforce and Powerpay, was $219.6 million for the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 24.3%, or 22.1% on a constant currency basis.  
• Excluding float revenue, Cloud revenue was $210.3 million for the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 25.8%, or 23.7% on a constant currency basis.

Other Financial Highlights

• Cloud recurring gross margin² was 72.7% for the third quarter of 2021, compared to 70.4% up 230 basis points, and excluding float revenue, Cloud recurring gross margin improved 290 basis points for the third quarter of 2021.
• Net loss was ($20.9) million for the third quarter of 2021, compared to ($0.8) million. Adjusted net income was $8.5 million for the third quarter of 2021, compared to $17.7 million.
• Diluted net loss per share was ($0.14) for the third quarter of 2021, compared to ($0.01). Adjusted diluted net income per share was $0.05 for the third quarter of 2021, compared to $0.12. Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding were 150.5 million and 147.1 million for the third quarter of 2021 and 2020, respectively, on a GAAP basis, and 156.9 million and 147.1 million for the third quarter of 2021 and 2020, respectively, on an Adjusted basis.
• Adjusted EBITDA was $39.4 million for the third quarter of 2021, compared to $33.2 million.
• Cash and equivalents were $378.8 million as of September 30, 2021, compared to $188.2 million as of December 31, 2020.
• Total debt was $1,244.5 million as of September 30, 2021, an increase of $571.0 million, compared to $673.5 million as of December 31, 2020.

Dayforce Live Customer Count

• 5,227 Dayforce customers were live on the Dayforce platform as of September 30, 2021, an increase of 11%.
• Dayforce recurring revenue per customer3 was $107,576 for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2021, an increase of 11%.

 

Business Outlook

Based on information available as of November 3, 2021, Ceridian updated its guidance for the fourth quarter and for the full year 2021 as follows:

Ceridian is increasing its previously issued full year 2021 guidance for Dayforce recurring revenue, excluding float revenue, and now expects:

• Dayforce recurring revenue, excluding float revenue, of $596 million to $598 million, or an increase of 29% on a GAAP basis and approximately 27% on a constant currency basis (Previous range $595 million to $597 million).
• Excluding the impact of Ascender revenue of approximately $16 million, Dayforce recurring revenue, excluding float revenue, is expected to grow approximately 25% to 26% on a GAAP basis and 23% to 24% on a constant currency basis.
• This revised guidance for full year 2021 includes a slightly wider range for Dayforce recurring revenue, excluding float revenue, in the fourth quarter than previously provided. Ceridian’s previous fourth quarter guidance included expected recovery of employment levels which would add $1.5 million of Dayforce recurring revenue in the fourth quarter on a sequential basis compared to the third quarter. In the third quarter, Ceridian noticed an increase in the time-to-fill open vacancies that is longer than historical trends, and therefore, it is widening its range of the expected improvement from employment levels in the fourth quarter to $0.5 million to $1.5 million.

In addition, Ceridian now expects for the full year 2021:

• Dayforce recurring revenue of $626 million to $628 million, or an increase of approximately 25% to 26% on a GAAP basis and 23% to 24% on a constant currency basis (Previous range $625 million to $627 million).
• Dayforce revenue of $781 million to $784 million, or an increase of 20% to 21% on a GAAP basis and 18% to 19% on a constant currency basis (Previous range $778 million to $783 million).
• Cloud revenue of $867 million to $871 million, or an increase of 19% on a GAAP basis and 16% to 17% on a constant currency basis (Previous range $863 million to $870 million).
• Total revenue of $1,014 million to $1,019 million, or an increase of 20% to 21% on a GAAP basis and 18% to 19% on a constant currency basis (Previous range $1,008 million to $1,018 million). Excluding the impact of Ascender revenue of approximately $72 million, total revenue is expected to grow 12% on a GAAP basis and 9% to 10% on a constant currency basis.
• Float revenue of $30 million within Dayforce revenue, $38 million within Cloud revenue, and $41 million within total revenue (Previously $30 million, $38 million and $41 million, respectively).
• Adjusted EBITDA of $156 million to $162 million, or Adjusted EBITDA margin of 15.4% to 15.9% (Previous range 15.4% to 16.2%).

Ceridian has not reconciled the Adjusted EBITDA range for the full year of 2021 to the directly comparable GAAP financial measure because applicable information for the future period, on which this reconciliation would be based, is not readily available due to uncertainty regarding, and the potential variability of, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, and other items.

 

Foreign Exchange

The average U.S. dollar to Canadian dollar foreign exchange rate was $1.26, with a daily range of $1.23 to $1.29, for the three months ended September 30, 2021, compared to $1.33, with a daily range of $1.30 to $1.36, for the three months ended September 30, 2020. As of September 30, 2021, the U.S. dollar to Canadian dollar foreign exchange rate was $1.27. To present the performance of the business excluding the effect of foreign currency rate fluctuations, Ceridian presents revenue on a constant currency basis, which it believes is useful to management and investors. Revenue was calculated on a constant currency basis by applying the average foreign exchange rate in effect during the comparable prior period.

For the full year 2021, Ceridian’s guidance assumes an average U.S. dollar to Canadian dollar foreign exchange rate of $1.26, compared to an average rate of $1.34 for the full year of 2020.

 

Conference Call Details

Ceridian will host a conference call to discuss third quarter 2021 earnings at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 3, 2021. A live Zoom Video Webinar of the event can be accessed at that time, through a direct registration link at https://ceridian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vPQXJLicRDi-7eynORejKw. Alternatively, the event can be accessed from the Events & Presentations page on Ceridian’s Investor Relations website at https://investors.ceridian.com. A replay and transcript will be available after the conclusion of the live event on Ceridian’s Investor Relations website.

 

About Ceridian HCM Holding Inc.

Ceridian. Makes Work Life Better™.

Ceridian is a global human capital management software company. Dayforce, the flagship cloud HCM platform, provides human resources, payroll, benefits, workforce management, and talent management functionality. The Dayforce platform is used to optimize management of the entire employee lifecycle, including attracting, engaging, paying, deploying, and developing people. Ceridian has solutions for organizations of all sizes.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Ceridian uses certain non-GAAP financial measures in this release including Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, Adjusted net income, and revenue on a constant currency basis. Ceridian believes that Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income, non-GAAP financial measures, are useful to management and investors as supplemental measures to evaluate its overall operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are components of Ceridian’s management incentive plan and are used by management to assess performance and to compare its operating performance to its competitors. Ceridian defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, as adjusted to exclude foreign exchange gains (losses), share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, severance charges, restructuring consulting fees, and other non-recurring charges. Adjusted EBITDA margin is determined by calculating the percentage Adjusted EBITDA is of total revenue. Adjusted net income is defined as net income (loss), as adjusted to exclude foreign exchange gains (losses), share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, severance charges, restructuring consulting fees, and other non-recurring charges, all of which are adjusted for the effect of income taxes. Ceridian believes that Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income are helpful in highlighting management performance trends because Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income exclude the results of decisions that are outside the normal course of its business operations.

Ceridian’s presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income are intended as supplemental measures of its performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income should not be considered as alternatives to net income, earnings per share, or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP, or as measures of operating cash flows or liquidity. Ceridian’s presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income should not be construed to imply that its future results will be unaffected by similar items to those eliminated in this presentation. Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income are included in this discussion because they are key metrics used by management to assess its operating performance.

Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income are not defined under GAAP, are not measures of net income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP, and are subject to important limitations. Ceridian’s use of the terms Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies in its industry and are not measures of performance calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income have important limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of Ceridian’s results as reported under GAAP.

In evaluating Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and Adjusted net income, users should be aware that in the future Ceridian may incur expenses similar to those eliminated in this presentation.

Ceridian presents revenue on a constant currency basis to assess how its underlying businesses performed, excluding the effect of foreign currency rate fluctuations, which it believes is useful to management and investors. Revenue was calculated on a constant currency basis by applying the average foreign exchange rate in effect during the comparable prior period. Dayforce recurring revenue per customer is calculated on a constant currency basis by applying the prior year average exchange rate to all comparable periods.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact or relating to present facts or current conditions included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give Ceridian’s current expectations and projections relating to its financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. Users can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements relating to the fiscal year of 2021, as well as those relating to future growth initiatives. These statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “seek,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “continue,” “likely,” “should,” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events but not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that Ceridian has made in light of its industry experience and its perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors that it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. As users consider this press release, it should be understood that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. These assumptions and Ceridian’s future performance or results involve risks and uncertainties (many of which are beyond its control). These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• the impact of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic on Ceridian’s business, operations, and financial results;
• its inability to manage its growth effectively or execute on its growth strategy;
• its inability to successfully expand its current offerings into new markets or further penetrate existing markets;
• its failure to provide new or enhanced functionality and features;
• significant competition in the market in which its solutions compete;
• its failure to manage its aging technical operations infrastructure;
• system breaches, interruptions or failures, including cyber-security breaches, identity theft, or other disruptions that could compromise customer information or sensitive company information;
• its failure to comply with applicable privacy, security, data, and financial services laws, regulations and standards, including its ongoing consent order with the Federal Trade Commission regarding data protection;
• its failure to properly update its solutions to enable its customers to comply with applicable laws;
• changes in regulations governing financial services, privacy concerns, and laws or other domestic or foreign data protection regulations;
• its inability to maintain necessary third party relationships, and third party software licenses, and identify errors in the software it licenses;
• its inability to offer and deliver high-quality technical support, implementation and professional services;
• its inability to attract and retain key executive officers and highly skilled employees;
• the impact of its outstanding debt obligations on its financial condition, results of operations, and value of its common stock; or
• other risks and uncertainties described in its most recent annual report on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Additional factors or events that could cause Ceridian’s actual performance to differ from these forward-looking statements may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Ceridian to predict all of them. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of Ceridian’s assumptions prove incorrect, its actual financial condition, results of operations, future performance and business may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements. In addition to any factors and assumptions set forth above in this press release, the material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the general economy remains stable; the competitive environment in the HCM market remains stable; the demand environment for HCM solutions remains stable; Ceridian’s implementation capabilities and cycle times remain stable; foreign exchange rates, both current and those used in developing forward-looking statements, specifically USD to CAD, remain stable at, or near, current rates; Ceridian will be able to maintain its relationships with its employees, customers and partners; Ceridian will continue to attract qualified personnel to support its development requirements and the support of its new and existing customers; and that the risk factors noted above, individually or collectively, do not have a material impact on Ceridian. Any forward-looking statement made by Ceridian in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Ceridian undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

 

Source: Ceridian HCM Holding Inc.

 

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations
1-844-829-9499
investors@ceridian.com

Public Relations
1-647-417-2117
teri.murphy@ceridian.com

 

 

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¹ The quarterly financial highlights are on a year-over-year basis, unless otherwise stated. All financial results are reported in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated. A reconciliation of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) to non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in this press release, including the accompanying tables. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

² Cloud recurring gross margin is defined as total Cloud recurring revenue less cost of Cloud recurring revenue for the applicable solution as a percentage of total Cloud recurring revenue, exclusive of any product development and management or depreciation and amortization cost allocations.

³ Excluding float revenue, the impact of lower employment levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ascender revenue and on a constant currency basis.