Republic Services, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2024 Results

• First Quarter Total Revenue Growth of 8 Percent
• Reported Earnings Per Share of $1.44 and Adjusted Earnings Per Share of $1.45
• Expanded First Quarter Net Income Margin 110 Basis Points and Adjusted EBITDA Margin 120 Basis Points
• Generated Cash Flow from Operations of $812 Million and Adjusted Free Cash Flow of $535 Million
• Named to Barron's 2024 100 Most Sustainable Companies List

PHOENIX, April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) today reported net income of $453.8 million, or $1.44 per diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2024, versus $383.9 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, for the comparable 2023 period. Excluding certain expenses and other items, on an adjusted basis, net income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $458.1 million, or $1.45 per diluted share, versus $393.7 million, or $1.24 per diluted share, for the comparable 2023 period.

"We are off to a strong start to the year and well-positioned to achieve our full-year goals," said Jon Vander Ark, president and chief executive officer. "Continued pricing in excess of cost inflation generated double-digit growth in EBITDA and EPS, and expanded EBITDA margin by more than 100 basis points. Solid execution by our 42,000 team members and investments in our differentiating capabilities — Customer Zeal, Digital and Sustainability — continue to produce positive results, and support our ability to deliver ongoing profitable growth."

First-Quarter 2024 Highlights:

• Total revenue growth of 7.8 percent includes 4.1 percent organic growth and 3.7 percent growth from acquisitions.
• Core price on total revenue increased revenue by 7.0 percent. Core price on related business revenue increased revenue by 8.5 percent, which consisted of 10.2 percent in the open market and 5.7 percent in the restricted portion of the business.
• Revenue growth from average yield on total revenue was 6.0 percent, and volume decreased revenue by 0.9 percent. Revenue growth from average yield on related business revenue was 7.3 percent, and volume decreased related business revenue by 1.1 percent.
• Net income was $453.8 million, or a margin of 11.8 percent.
• EPS was $1.44 per share, an increase of 19.0 percent over the prior year.
• Adjusted EPS, a non-GAAP measure, was $1.45 per share, an increase of 16.9 percent over the prior year.
• Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, was $1,164.5 million, and adjusted EBITDA margin, a non-GAAP measure, was 30.2 percent of revenue, an increase of 120 basis points over the prior year.
• Cash invested in acquisitions was $41.0 million.
• Cash returned to shareholders through dividends was $168.3 million.
• The Company's average recycled commodity price per ton sold at our recycling centers during the first quarter was $153. This represents an increase of $48 per ton over the prior year.
• The Company completed and commenced operations on one renewable natural gas project.
• Republic was recognized by several leading organizations during the quarter, including:
  • Barron's 2024 100 Most Sustainable Companies List
  • Ethisphere's 2024 World's Most Ethical Companies^® List
  • Fortune's 2024 Most Innovative Companies List

Company Declared Quarterly Dividend

Republic previously announced that its Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.535 per share for shareholders of record on July 2, 2024. The dividend will be paid on July 15, 2024.

Presentation of Certain Performance Metrics and Non-GAAP Measures

Adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted net income - Republic, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted EBITDA by business type, adjusted EBITDA margin by business type and adjusted free cash flow are described in the Performance Metrics and Reconciliations of Certain Non-GAAP Measures section of this document.

About Republic Services

Republic Services, Inc. is a leader in the environmental services industry. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides customers with the most complete set of products and services, including recycling, solid waste, special waste, hazardous waste and field services. Republic's industry-leading commitments to advance circularity and support decarbonization are helping deliver on its vision to partner with customers to create a more sustainable world. For more information, please visit RepublicServices.com.

 

 

 

You should read the following information in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing in our Annual Report on Form 10-K as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023. All amounts below are in millions and as a percentage of our revenue, except per share data.

REVENUE

The following table reflects our total revenue by line of business for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023:

The following table reflects changes in components of our revenue, as a percentage of total revenue, for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023:

Average yield is defined as revenue growth from the change in average price per unit of service, expressed as a percentage. Core price is defined as price increases to our customers and fees, excluding fuel recovery fees, net of price decreases to retain customers. We also measure changes in core price, average yield and volume as a percentage of related-business revenue, defined as total revenue excluding recycled commodities, fuel recovery fees and environmental solutions revenue, to determine the effectiveness of our pricing and organic growth strategies. The following table reflects core price, average yield and volume as a percentage of related-business revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023:

The following table reflects changes in average yield and volume, as a percentage of related business revenue by line of business, for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023:

COST OF OPERATIONS

The following table summarizes the major components of our cost of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 (in millions of dollars and as a percentage of revenue):

These cost categories may change from time to time and may not be comparable to similarly titled categories used by other companies. As such, you should take care when comparing our cost of operations by cost component to that of other companies and of ours for prior periods.

SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

The following table summarizes our selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 (in millions of dollars and as a percentage of revenue):

These cost categories may change from time to time and may not be comparable to similarly titled categories used by other companies. As such, you should take care when comparing our selling, general and administrative expenses by cost component to those of other companies and of ours for prior periods.

PERFORMANCE METRICS AND RECONCILIATIONS OF CERTAIN NON-GAAP MEASURES

The following tables calculate EBITDA, EBITDA margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted EBITDA margin by business type, adjusted pre-tax income, adjusted tax impact, adjusted net income - Republic, adjusted diluted earnings per share, and adjusted free cash flow, which are not measures determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP), for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. Our definitions of the foregoing non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

Also presented below is adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin by business type for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

The following table calculates adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 (in millions of dollars and as a percentage of revenue):

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin by Business Type

The following table summarizes revenue, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin by business type for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 (in millions of dollars and adjusted EBITDA margin as a percentage of revenue):

The amounts shown for Recycling & Waste represent the sum of our Group 1 and Group 2 reportable segments, and Environmental Solutions represents our Group 3 reportable segment.

Adjusted Earnings Per Share

The following table calculates adjusted pre-tax income, adjusted tax impact, adjusted net income - Republic, and adjusted diluted earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023:

We believe that presenting EBITDA and EBITDA margin is useful to investors because they provide important information concerning our operating performance exclusive of certain non-cash and other costs. EBITDA and EBITDA margin demonstrate our ability to execute our financial strategy, which includes reinvesting in existing capital assets to ensure a high level of customer service, investing in capital assets to facilitate growth in our customer base and services provided, maintaining our investment grade credit ratings and minimizing debt, paying cash dividends, repurchasing our common stock, and maintaining and improving our market position through business optimization. Although depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion are considered operating costs in accordance with U.S. GAAP, they represent the allocation of non-cash costs generally associated with long-lived assets acquired or constructed in prior years. 

We believe that presenting adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted EBITDA margin by business type, adjusted pre-tax income, adjusted tax impact, adjusted net income - Republic, and adjusted diluted earnings per share provide an understanding of operational activities before the financial impact of certain items. We use these measures, and believe investors will find them helpful, in understanding the ongoing performance of our operations separate from items that have a disproportionate impact on our results for a particular period. We have incurred comparable charges, costs and recoveries in prior periods, and similar types of adjustments can reasonably be expected to be recorded in future periods.

Loss on extinguishment of debt and other related costs. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, we incurred a loss on the early extinguishment of debt related to the early repayment of a portion of our term loan facility. We incurred non-cash charges related to the proportional share of unamortized deferred issuance costs.

Restructuring charges. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred $5.9 million and $5.5 million, respectively, of restructuring charges primarily related to the redesign of our asset management, and customer and order management software systems.

US Ecology acquisition integration and deal costs. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, we incurred $7.6 million of acquisition integration and deal costs in connection with the acquisition of US Ecology, Inc. (US Ecology). The acquisition closed on May 2, 2022. The costs are primarily related to the integration of certain software systems as well as rebranding the business.

Adjusted Free Cash Flow

The following table calculates our adjusted free cash flow, which is not a measure determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023:

We believe that presenting adjusted free cash flow provides useful information regarding our recurring cash provided by operating activities after certain expenditures or recoveries. It also demonstrates our ability to execute our financial strategy and is a key metric we use to determine compensation. The presentation of adjusted free cash flow has material limitations. Adjusted free cash flow does not represent our cash flow available for discretionary payments because it excludes certain payments that are required or to which we have committed, such as debt service requirements and dividend payments.

Purchases of property and equipment as reflected on our consolidated statements of cash flows represent amounts paid during the period for such expenditures. A reconciliation of property and equipment expenditures reflected on our consolidated statements of cash flows to property and equipment received during the period follows for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023:

The adjustments noted above do not affect our net change in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents as reflected in our consolidated statements of cash flows.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, accounts receivable were $1,763.0 million and $1,768.4 million, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $82.6 million and $83.2 million, respectively, resulting in days sales outstanding of 41.5, or 30.4 days net of deferred revenue, compared to 42.0, or 30.9 days net of deferred revenue, respectively.

CASH DIVIDENDS

In January 2024, we paid a cash dividend of $168.3 million to shareholders of record as of January 3, 2024. As of March 31, 2024, we recorded a quarterly dividend payable of $168.5 million to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 2, 2024, which was paid on April 15, 2024.

SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

During the three months ended March 31, 2024, there were no shares of common stock repurchased. As of March 31, 2024, the remaining authorized purchase capacity under our October 2023 repurchase program was $3.0 billion.

INFORMATION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains certain forward-looking information about us that is intended to be covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Words such as "guidance," "expect," "will," "may," "anticipate," "plan," "estimate," "project," "intend," "should," "can," "likely," "could," "outlook" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include information about our plans, strategies and prospects. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are subject to risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that the expectations will prove to be correct. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements are the impacts of the overall global economy and increasing interest rates, our ability to effectively integrate and manage companies we acquire, and to realize the anticipated benefits of any such acquisitions, the amount of the financial contribution of our sustainability initiatives, acts of war, riots or terrorism, and the impact of these acts on economic, financial and social conditions in the United States, as well as our dependence on large, long-term collection, transfer and disposal contracts. More information on factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated is included from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, particularly under Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors. Additionally, new risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all such risk factors, or to assess the impact such risk factors might have on our business. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

 

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SOURCE Republic Services, Inc.