Unlock stock picks and a broker-level newsfeed that powers Wall Street.

Clavister Holding AB (FRA:89P) (Q2 2024) Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Sales Growth Amidst ...

In This Article:

  • Net Sales: SEK45 million, representing a 17% growth.

  • Adjusted Net Sales Growth: 23% when accounting for currency effects.

  • Gross Margin: 79%, slightly below the target of 80% due to increased hardware sales.

  • Operating Expenses: On par with the previous year, with a 3% increase in cash OpEx.

  • Operational Cash Flow: Improved from minus SEK8.4 million last year to SEK4.3 million positive this quarter.

  • Order Intake: 13% growth, surpassing SEK50 million without large defense contracts.

  • Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR): 11% growth.

  • EBITDA Margin: 12%, below the target of 20%.

Release Date: August 22, 2024

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

  • Clavister Holding AB (FRA:89P) reported its 11th consecutive quarter of net sales growth, with a 17% increase in Q2.

  • The company achieved a positive operational cash flow of SEK4.3 million, a significant improvement from the previous year's negative cash flow.

  • Order intake for Q2 showed a 13% growth, marking the first time the company exceeded SEK50 million without large defense contracts.

  • The company maintained a strong cash position, supported by a cash injection since Q1.

  • Clavister's base business, including next-generation firewall and identity access management, continues to provide stable growth and recurring revenue.

Negative Points

  • The 17% sales growth fell short of the company's 20% target, partly due to currency headwinds and delayed large deals.

  • Gross margins were slightly below the target at 79%, impacted by a higher volume of hardware sales.

  • The adjusted EBITDA margin was 12%, below the company's ambition, primarily due to sales not meeting expectations.

  • Currency effects negatively impacted revenue growth, with significant fluctuations compared to the previous year.

  • The telecom market remains uncertain, with ongoing macroeconomic challenges affecting investment in 5G and cybersecurity.

Q & A Highlights

Q: You're talking about acceleration in your next-generation firewall business, but why aren't we seeing this in the numbers? A: John Vestberg, CEO: The growth we're seeing now comes from our base business. While growth can be more, it's part of our daily operation to optimize our go-to-market and sales efforts. The foundation is there.

Q: You shipped a lot of hardware during the quarter, but your ARR only increased by SEK1.4 million sequentially. Could you explain the dynamics? A: David Nordstroem, CFO: When we ship hardware, it doesn't count as ARR. ARR is the annualized value of the software on that hardware. There's a lead time from shipping hardware to the activation of the software license by the end customer.