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SFN Group Announces Fourth Quarter 2010 Financial Results

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., February 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SFN Group, Inc. (NYSE: SFN) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 26, 2010.  

SFN Group President and CEO Roy Krause commented, "Our fourth quarter and full year results reflect solid execution of our strategy and disciplined operational management.  We took advantage of improving industry trends to grow revenue, particularly within Professional Services, improve EBITDA margins to 3.0% for the full year and generate significant operating cash flow.  I would like to thank our associates for delivering strong results in 2010."

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

  • Fourth quarter 2010 revenues were $549 million compared with $456 million last year, an increase of 20.5%.  
  • Earnings from continuing operations in the fourth quarter were $9.4 million, or $0.17 per share on a diluted basis, compared with breakeven results in the prior year.  
  • Adjusted earnings from continuing operations (defined below) in the fourth quarter were $9.4 million, or $0.17 per share, compared with adjusted earnings from continuing operations in the same prior-year period of $3.2 million, or $0.06 per share.
  • Adjusted EBITDA (defined below) in the fourth quarter was $24.3 million, or 4.4% of revenues, compared with $14.8 million, or 3.2% of revenues, in the prior year.  
  • In 2010, revenues were $2.1 billion for the full year compared with $1.7 billion in 2009.  Adjusted EBITDA increased to $62.5 million, or 3.0% of revenue, for the 12 month period in 2010, compared with $34.0 million, or 2.0% of revenue, for the same period in 2009.
  • Operating cash flow in the fourth quarter was $46.5 million and total debt was $5.0 million at the end of the period.  Availability under the credit facility was $157.6 million as of the end of the quarter.

Krause continued, "Longer-term industry dynamics are positive, and we are positioned well for continued growth.  In the second half of 2010, we made operating investments in sales and recruiting staff to further organic growth.  Additionally, in the fourth quarter, we repaid the balance on our revolver with our strong cash flow.  Future investments will be focused on expanding our presence in key Professional Services areas and share repurchases, as appropriate."

FOURTH QUARTER OPERATING PERFORMANCE

In the fourth quarter, Professional Services revenues were up 28.8% compared with the same prior-year period.  Professional Services represented 46.3% of total Company revenues and experienced increases due to the first quarter Tatum LLC acquisition and continued year-over-year growth in all skills and services.  Gross profit margin of 28.2% is up 350 basis points from the same period last year, primarily a result of increased pay/bill spreads, growth in higher-margin outsourcing and permanent placement services and lower payroll taxes. Segment operating profit was $14.4 million in the fourth quarter, or 5.6% of revenues, compared with $9.3 million or 4.7% in the prior year.  

Staffing Services revenues increased 14.2% year over year in the fourth quarter compared with the same period last year.  Gross profit margins increased 50 basis points compared with last year, primarily as a result of increased pay/bill spreads.  SG&A expenses were $41.1 million or 14% of revenue in 2010, a 110 basis point improvement from the same period last year.  Segment operating profit increased to $8.7 million or 3.0% of revenues, compared with $3.4 million or 1.3% of revenues in the fourth quarter of last year.

SHARE REPURCHASES

During the fourth quarter, the Company purchased approximately 500,000 shares at an average price of $9.69 per share.  Under its existing authorization, the Company may purchase up to an average of 50,000 shares per week or 2.6 million shares on an annual basis.

OUTLOOK

Revenue trends in the first four weeks of January 2011 are consistent with normal seasonal pullback in revenues in the first quarter of approximately 5% to 8% compared with the fourth quarter of 2010.  Based on continued improvements in industry trends and anticipated growth in our business, we expect to further improve our operating leverage and increase our adjusted EBITDA margin by 50 to 90 basis points over the course of the year, generating a full-year adjusted EBITDA margin of between 3.5% and 3.9% of revenue in 2011.

INVITATION TO CONFERENCE CALL

Management will host its conference call on February 3, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time to discuss information contained in this release.  The call may be accessed in one of the following ways:

Via the Telephone:

Please dial 1 (800) 230-1085

The conference call leader is Roy Krause

The pass code: SFN Group Fourth Quarter Earnings Call

Via the Internet:  

You may access the call via the Internet through the Company's website: www.sfngroup.com.

Replay:

A replay of the call will be available one hour after the live call has ended. You may listen to the replay of the call over the Internet through www.sfngroup.com.  

ABOUT SFN GROUP, INC.

SFN Group (NYSE:SFN) is a strategic workforce solutions company that provides professional services and general staffing to help businesses more effectively source, deploy and manage people and the work they do.  As an industry pioneer, SFN Group has sourced, screened and placed millions of individuals in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs for more than 60 years.

With approximately 560 locations in the United States and Canada, SFN delivers strategic workforce solutions that improve business performance.  From outsourcing to technology to professional services to staffing, SFN delivers the best combination of people, performance and service to improve the way work gets done.  It provides its services to over 8,000 customers, from Fortune 500 companies to a wide range of small and mid-size organizations.  The company employs more than 170,000 people annually through its network and is one of North America's largest employers. SFN provides its solutions through a family of specialized businesses:  Technisource, Tatum, The Mergis Group, Todays Office Professionals, SourceRight Solutions and Spherion Staffing Services.  To learn more, visit www.sfngroup.com.

This release contains statements that are forward looking in nature, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and, accordingly, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause future results to differ from current expectations include risks associated with: Competition – our business operates in highly competitive markets with low barriers to entry, and we may be unable to compete successfully against existing or new competitors; Economic conditions – significant economic downturns could result in lower demand from customers and lower revenues; Government regulation - government regulation may significantly increase our costs, including payroll-related costs and unemployment taxes; Third-Party Vendor Managers – providing our services through third-party vendor managers may expose us to financial losses; Customers – a loss of customers, or the deterioration in the financial condition of customers, may have a material impact on our results of operations; Debt and debt compliance – market conditions and failure to meet certain covenant requirements could impact the amount of availability we may borrow under our revolving lines of credit and the cost of our borrowings; Business strategy – we may not achieve the intended effects of our business strategy; Termination provisions - certain customer contracts contain termination provisions and pricing risks that could decrease revenues, profitability and cash flow; Failure to perform – our failure or inability to perform under customer contracts could result in damage to our reputation and give rise to legal claims; Acquisitions – acquisitions and related integration activities could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operation and cash flows; Business interruptions – business interruptions could have an adverse effect on our operations; Personnel - our business is dependent upon the availability of qualified personnel, and we may lose key personnel which could cause our business to suffer; Tax filings – regulatory challenges to our tax filing positions could result in additional taxes; Litigation – we may be exposed to employment-related claims and costs and we are a defendant in a variety of litigation and other actions from time to time; Workers' compensation insurance – unexpected changes in claim trends or regulations could result in significant increased costs;  and International operations – we are subject to business risks associated with our operations in Canada, which could make those operations significantly more costly.  These and additional factors discussed in this release and in SFN's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from any projections contained in this release.

SFN Group, Inc. prepares its financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).  Adjusted earnings from continuing operations is a non-GAAP financial measure, which excludes certain non-operating related items.  Items excluded from the calculation of adjusted earnings from continuing operations include restructuring and other charges related to acquisition transaction and integration expenses and cost reduction initiatives and impairment of goodwill and other intangibles.  Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations is a non-GAAP financial measure which excludes interest, impairment of goodwill and other intangibles, restructuring and other charges, taxes, depreciation and amortization from earnings (loss) from continuing operations.  Adjusted earnings and adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations are key measures used by management to evaluate its operations.  Adjusted earnings and adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations should not be considered measures of financial performance in isolation or as an alternative to net earnings (loss) from continuing operations or net earnings (loss) as determined in the Statement of Operations in accordance with GAAP, and, as presented, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

SFN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(unaudited, in thousands, except per share amounts)














Three Months Ended


December 26,


December 27,


2010


2009

Revenues(1)

$

549,163


$

455,634

Cost of services


427,474



364,379

    Gross profit(2)


121,689



91,255

Selling, general and administrative expenses


101,429



81,765

Goodwill and intangible asset impairment


-



2,900

Amortization of intangibles


2,104



1,635

Interest expense


1,159



1,413

Interest income


(37)



(42)

Restructuring and other charges


-



2,022



104,655



89,693







Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes


17,034



1,562

Income tax expense


(7,649)



(1,383)







Earnings from continuing operations


9,385



179

   Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax


-



(5)

Net earnings

$

9,385


$

174







Earnings per share, Basic:






    Earnings from continuing operations

$

0.18


$

-

    Loss from discontinued operations


-



-


$

0.18


$

-







Earnings per share, Diluted:






Earnings from continuing operations

$

0.17


$

-

Loss from discontinued operations


-



-


$

0.17


$

-







Weighted-average shares used in computation of earnings per share:






    Basic


52,875



51,174

    Diluted


55,142



53,044







(1) Includes sales of all company-owned and franchised offices and royalties on sales of area-based franchised offices.

(2) Gross profit is revenues less temporary employee wages, employment-related taxes such as FICA, federal and state unemployment taxes, medical and other insurance for temporary employees, workers' compensation, benefits, billable expenses and other direct costs.



SFN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(unaudited, in thousands, except per share amounts)








Twelve Months Ended


December 26,


December 27,


2010


2009

Revenues(1)

$

2,053,376


$

1,710,880

Cost of services


1,629,377



1,371,735

    Gross profit(2)


423,999



339,145

Selling, general and administrative expenses


380,115



325,688

Goodwill and intangible asset impairment


-



2,900

Amortization of intangibles


8,232



6,514

Interest expense


5,882



4,126

Interest income


(129)



(173)

Restructuring and other charges


3,302



7,091



397,402



346,146







Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes


26,597



(7,001)

Income tax (expense) benefit


(11,544)



1,077







Earnings (loss) from continuing operations


15,053



(5,924)

   Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax


(160)



(404)

Net earnings (loss)

$

14,893


$

(6,328)







Earnings (loss) per share, Basic:(3)






   Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

$

0.29


$

(0.11)

   Loss from discontinued operations


-



(0.01)


$

0.28


$

(0.12)







Earnings (loss) per share, Diluted:(3)






Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

$

0.28


$

(0.11)

Loss from discontinued operations


-



(0.01)


$

0.27


$

(0.12)







Weighted-average shares used in computation of loss per share:






    Basic


52,503



51,810

    Diluted


54,606



51,810







(1) Includes sales of all company-owned and franchised offices and royalties on sales of area-based franchised offices.

(2) Gross profit is revenues less temporary employee wages, employment-related taxes such as FICA, federal and state unemployment taxes, medical and other insurance for temporary employees, workers' compensation, benefits, billable expenses and other direct costs.

(3) Earnings (loss) per share amounts are calculated independently for each component and may not add due to rounding.



SFN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share data)












(unaudited)




December 26,

December 27,

Assets

2010

2009

Current Assets:





    Cash and cash equivalents

$

18,478

$

8,034

    Receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $3,382 and $2,261, respectively


291,691


228,180

    Deferred tax asset


26,974


10,236

    Other current assets


9,930


11,430

         Total current assets


347,073


257,880

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $154,465





    and $140,985, respectively


40,179


49,737

Deferred tax asset


110,000


135,695

Goodwill


31,073


810

Trade names and other intangibles, net


60,810


57,427

Other assets


23,073


22,042


$

612,208

$

523,591






Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity





Current Liabilities:





    Current portion of long-term debt and revolving line of credit

$

2,592

$

12,352

    Accounts payable and other accrued expenses


100,129


57,403

    Accrued salaries, wages and payroll taxes


68,157


46,381

    Accrued insurance reserves


21,501


19,037

    Accrued income tax payable


1,016


806

    Other current liabilities


7,832


6,399

         Total current liabilities


201,227


142,378

Long-term debt, net of current portion


2,422


1,246

Accrued insurance reserves  


18,214


14,617

Deferred compensation


17,559


14,702

Other long-term liabilities


2,910


4,692

         Total liabilities


242,332


177,635

Stockholders' Equity:





    Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share; authorized, 2,500,000 shares;





        none issued or outstanding


-


-

    Common stock, par value $0.01 per share; authorized, 200,000,000; issued





       65,341,609 shares


653


653

    Treasury stock, at cost, 14,683,747 and 15,896,160 shares, respectively


(102,006)


(113,421)

    Additional paid-in capital


851,023


853,516

    Accumulated deficit


(383,317)


(398,210)

    Accumulated other comprehensive income


3,523


3,418

         Total stockholders' equity


369,876


345,956


$

612,208

$

523,591



SFN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(unaudited, in thousands, except per share amounts)



























Three Months Ended



Twelve Months Ended



December 26, 2010



December 27, 2009



December 26, 2010



December 27, 2009













Adjusted earnings from continuing operations

$

9,385


$

3,176


$

17,064


$

160













Impairment of goodwill and other intangibles, net of tax benefit


-



(1,766)



-



(1,766)













Restructuring and other charges, net of tax benefit


-



(1,231)



(2,011)



(4,318)













Earnings (loss) from continuing operations


9,385



179



15,053



(5,924)













Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax


-



(5)



(160)



(404)













Net earnings (loss)

$

9,385


$

174


$

14,893


$

(6,328)













Per share-diluted amounts (1) :
























Adjusted earnings from continuing operations

$

0.17


$

0.06


$

0.31


$

-













Impairment of goodwill and other intangibles, net of tax benefit


-



(0.03)



-



(0.03)













Restructuring and other charges, net of tax benefit


-



(0.02)



(0.04)



(0.08)













Earnings (loss)  from continuing operations


0.17



-



0.28



(0.11)













Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax


-



-



-



(0.01)













Net earnings (loss)

$

0.17


$

-


$

0.27


$

(0.12)













Weighted-average shares used in computation of earnings (loss) per share


55,142



53,044



54,606



51,810













(1)  Earnings (loss) per share amounts are calculated independently for each component and may not add due to rounding.



RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED EBITDA TO EARNINGS (LOSS) FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS















Three Months Ended



Twelve Months Ended



December 26,



December 27,



December 26,



December 27,



2010



2009



2010



2009













Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations

$

24,268


$

14,808


$

62,478


$

33,964













Interest income


37



42



129



173













Interest expense


(1,159)



(1,413)



(5,882)



(4,126)













Impairment of goodwill and other intangibles


-



(2,900)



-



(2,900)













Restructuring and other charges


-



(2,022)



(3,302)



(7,091)













Depreciation and amortization


(6,112)



(6,953)



(26,826)



(27,021)













Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes


17,034



1,562



26,597



(7,001)













Income tax (expense) benefit


(7,649)



(1,383)



(11,544)



1,077













Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

$

9,385


$

179


$

15,053


$

(5,924)













Adjusted EBITDA  as a percentage of revenue


4.4%



3.2%



3.0%



2.0%















SFN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT INFORMATION

(unaudited, dollar amounts in thousands)



































Three Months Ended


Twelve Months Ended



December 26,


September 26,


December 27,



December 26,


December 27,



2010


2010


2009



2010


2009

















Revenues:
















Professional Services

$

254,404


$

251,857


$

197,443


$

975,923


$

756,815


Staffing Services


294,759



275,266



258,191



1,077,453



954,065


Segment revenue

$

549,163


$

527,123


$

455,634


$

2,053,376


$

1,710,880

















Gross profit:
















Professional Services

$

71,825


$

67,219


$

48,797


$

252,940


$

189,891


Staffing Services


49,864



45,439



42,458



171,059



149,254


Segment gross profit

$

121,689


$

112,658


$

91,255


$

423,999


$

339,145

















Segment SG&A:
















Professional Services

$

(57,455)


$

(55,422)


$

(39,525)


$

(214,335)


$

(163,368)


Staffing Services


(41,142)



(39,529)



(39,055)



(152,848)



(149,908)


Segment SG&A

$

(98,597)


$

(94,951)


$

(78,580)


$

(367,183)


$

(313,276)

















Segment operating profit (loss):
















Professional Services

$

14,370


$

11,797


$

9,272


$

38,605


$

26,523


Staffing Services


8,722



5,910



3,403



18,211



(654)


Segment operating profit


23,092



17,707



12,675



56,816



25,869


















Unallocated corporate costs


(2,832)



(3,432)



(3,185)



(12,932)



(12,412)


Goodwill and intangible asset impairment


-



-



(2,900)



-



(2,900)


Amortization of intangibles


(2,104)



(2,105)



(1,635)



(8,232)



(6,514)


Interest expense


(1,159)



(1,574)



(1,413)



(5,882)



(4,126)


Interest income


37



34



42



129



173


Restructuring and other charges


-



-



(2,022)



(3,302)



(7,091)


















Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income
















taxes

$

17,034


$

10,630


$

1,562


$

26,597


$

(7,001)

















MEMO:































Gross profit margin:
















Professional Services


28.2%



26.7%



24.7%



25.9%



25.1%


Staffing Services


16.9%



16.5%



16.4%



15.9%



15.6%


Total SFN Group, Inc.


22.2%



21.4%



20.0%



20.6%



19.8%

































Segment SG&A:
















Professional Services


22.6%



22.0%



20.0%



22.0%



21.6%


Staffing Services


14.0%



14.4%



15.1%



14.2%



15.7%


Total SFN Group, Inc.


18.0%



18.0%



17.2%



17.9%



18.3%

































Segment operating profit (loss):
















Professional Services


5.6%



4.7%



4.7%



4.0%



3.5%


Staffing Services


3.0%



2.1%



1.3%



1.7%



(0.1%)


Total SFN Group, Inc.


4.2%



3.4%



2.8%



2.8%



1.5%

































Segment revenue per billing day:
















Professional Services

$

4,070


$

3,998


$

3,185


$

3,865


$

3,003


Staffing Services

$

4,716


$

4,369


$

4,164


$

4,267


$

3,786


Total SFN Group, Inc. (1)

$

8,787


$

8,367


$

7,349


$

8,132


$

6,789

































Supplemental Cash Flow and Other Information:
















Operating cash flow

$

46,460


$

13,239


$

10,508


$

63,323


$

41,082


Capital expenditures

$

1,575


$

1,284


$

286


$

4,600


$

2,120


Depreciation and amortization

$

6,112


$

6,766


$

6,953


$

26,826


$

27,021


DSO


43



46



41



43



41


Billing Days


62.5



63.0



62.0



252.5



252.0

















































 (1) Segment Revenue per billing day is calculated independently for each segment and may not add due to rounding.  



SFN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(unaudited, dollar amounts in thousands)



















Three Months Ended


Twelve Months Ended




December 26, 2010


September 26, 2010


December 27, 2009


December 26, 2010


December 27, 2009

Professional Services















Revenues by Skill:
















Information Technology

$

130,741


$

128,413


$

111,909


$

504,120


$

450,442


Finance & Accounting


47,888



45,381



21,339



171,381



86,676


Administration


14,981



15,189



12,271



59,116



51,935


Other


60,794



62,874



51,924



241,306



167,762


Segment Revenues

$

254,404


$

251,857


$

197,443


$

975,923


$

756,815

















Revenues by Service:
















Temporary Staffing

$

197,305


$

192,831


$

149,968


$

753,340


$

605,837


Outsourcing & Other


49,595



51,634



42,721



197,208



131,555


Permanent Placement


7,504



7,392



4,754



25,375



19,423


Segment Revenues

$

254,404


$

251,857


$

197,443


$

975,923


$

756,815

















Gross Profit Margin by Service:
















(As % of Applicable Revenues)
















Temporary Staffing


25.6%



25.0%



24.2%



24.3%



23.7%


Outsourcing & Other


27.8%



22.4%



18.2%



22.7%



20.3%


Permanent Placement


100.0%



100.0%



100.0%



100.0%



100.0%


Total Professional Services


28.2%



26.7%



24.7%



25.9%



25.1%

















Revenues per billing day by Skill: (1)
















Information Technology

$

2,092


$

2,038


$

1,805


$

1,997


$

1,787


Finance & Accounting

$

766


$

720


$

344


$

679


$

344


Administration

$

240


$

241


$

198


$

234


$

206


Other

$

973


$

998


$

837


$

956


$

666

















Revenues per billing day by Service: (1)
















Temporary Staffing

$

3,157


$

3,061


$

2,419


$

2,984


$

2,404


Outsourcing & Other

$

794


$

820


$

689


$

781


$

522


Permanent Placement

$

120


$

117


$

77


$

100


$

77

















Staffing Services















Revenues by Skill:
















Clerical

$

163,074


$

145,438


$

145,649


$

589,213


$

570,255


Light Industrial


131,685



129,828



112,542



488,240



383,810


Segment Revenues

$

294,759


$

275,266


$

258,191


$

1,077,453


$

954,065

















Revenues by Service:
















Temporary Staffing

$

292,994


$

273,364


$

256,384


$

1,069,956


$

947,825


Permanent Placement


1,765



1,902



1,807



7,497



6,240


Segment Revenues

$

294,759


$

275,266


$

258,191


$

1,077,453


$

954,065

















Gross Profit Margin by Service:
















(As % of Applicable Revenues)
















Temporary Staffing


16.4%



15.9%



15.9%



15.3%



15.1%


Permanent Placement


100.0%



100.0%



100.0%



100.0%



100.0%


Total Staffing Services


16.9%



16.5%



16.4%



15.9%



15.6%

















Revenues per billing day by Skill: (1)
















Clerical

$

2,609


$

2,309


$

2,349


$

2,334


$

2,263


Light Industrial

$

2,107


$

2,061


$

1,815


$

1,934


$

1,523

















Revenues per billing day by Service: (1)
















Temporary Staffing

$

4,688


$

4,339


$

4,135


$

4,237


$

3,761


Permanent Placement

$

28


$

30


$

29


$

30


$

25

































 (1) Segment Revenue per billing day is calculated independently for each segment and may not add due to rounding.  



SOURCE SFN Group, Inc.

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Lesly Cardec

954.308.6302

 

leslycardec@sfngroup.com

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