The Hackett Group Announces Third Quarter 2024 Results

The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCKT), an IP and platform-based, Gen AI strategic consulting and executive advisory firm that enables Digital World Class^® performance, today announced its financial results for the third quarter, which ended on September 27, 2024.

Financial Highlights

• Total revenue in the third quarter of 2024 was $79.8 million and revenue before reimbursements was $77.9 million, which exceeded the high end of our guidance. This compares to total revenue of $75.9 million and revenue before reimbursements of $74.6 million in the third quarter of the prior year.
• GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.31 in the third quarter of 2024, as compared to $0.34 in the third quarter of 2023. GAAP Net Income includes non-cash stock compensation expense from our recently approved stock price appreciation equity program of $602 thousand and acquisition related non-cash compensation of $232 thousand, which impacted our GAAP diluted earnings per share results by $0.02.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share, a non-GAAP measure, was $0.43, which exceeded the high end of our guidance in the third quarter of 2024. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $0.41 in the third quarter of 2023. Adjusted financial information is provided to enhance the understanding of the Company's financial performance and is reconciled to the Company's GAAP information in the accompanying tables.
• Subsequent to the end of the third quarter, the Company's Board of Directors approved an additional $20.0 million under the share repurchase program to increase our authorization to $31.1 million and declared its fourth quarter of 2024 dividend of $0.11 per share for its shareholders of record on December 20, 2024, to be paid on January 3, 2025.

"We continued to report solid operating results that exceeded our revenue and earnings per share guidance. More importantly, we released AI XPLR version 2 and closed the acquisition of LeewayHertz, a highly recognized Gen AI consulting and implementation firm," stated Ted A. Fernandez, Chairman & CEO of The Hackett Group, Inc. "We have now created an end-to-end Gen AI consulting and implementation capability to fully support our clients Gen AI journey, which should significantly improve growth prospects in this rapidly emerging area."

Business Outlook for the Fourth Quarter of 2024

Based on the Company's current outlook:

• The Company estimates total revenue before reimbursements for the fourth quarter of 2024 will be in the range of $73.5 million to $75.0 million.
• The Company estimates adjusted diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2024 to be in the range of $0.41 and $0.43, which assumes a GAAP effective tax rate of 27.6%.

Conference Call and Webcast Details

• On Monday, November 4, 2024, senior management will discuss third quarter results in a conference call at 5:00 P.M. ET. The number for the conference call is (800) 593-0486, [Passcode: Third Quarter]. For International callers, please dial (517) 308-9371. Please dial in at least 5-10 minutes prior to start time. If you are unable to participate on the conference call, a rebroadcast will be available beginning at 8:00 P.M. ET on Monday, November 4, 2024, and will run through 5:00 P.M. ET on Monday, November 18, 2024. To access the rebroadcast, please dial (888) 566-0058. For International callers, please dial (203) 369-3035.
• In addition, The Hackett Group^® will also be webcasting this conference call live. To participate, simply visit https://www.thehackettgroup.com approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call and click on the conference call link provided. An online replay of the call will be available after 8:00 P.M. ET on Monday, November 4, 2024, and will run through 5:00 P.M. ET on Monday, November 18, 2024. To access the replay, visit www.thehackettgroup.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company provides adjusted earnings results (which excluded non-cash stock-based compensation expense, acquisition-related non-cash stock-based compensation expense, legal settlement and related costs and includes a GAAP tax rate) as a complement to results provided in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These non-GAAP results are provided to enhance the users' overall understanding of the Company's current financial performance and its prospects for the future. The Company believes the non-GAAP results provide useful information to both management and investors and by excluding certain expenses that it believes are not indicative of its core operating results. The non-GAAP measures are included to provide investors and management with an alternative method for assessing operating results in a manner that is focused on the performance of its ongoing primary operations and to provide a consistent basis for comparison between quarters. Further, these non-GAAP results are one of the primary indicators management uses for planning and forecasting. The presentation of this additional non-GAAP information should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, any results prepared in accordance with GAAP. See the reconciliation of actual results titled "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures" in the accompanying tables.

The Company believes that the presentation of non-GAAP financial information on a forward-looking basis, including the guidance contained in this release, provides important supplemental information to management and investors regarding its anticipated results of operations. The Company is unable to provide a reconciliation of GAAP measures to corresponding forward-looking non-GAAP measures without unreasonable effort due to the high variability and low visibility of most of the items that have been excluded from these non-GAAP measures. For example, non-cash stock-based compensation expense is impacted by the Company's future hiring needs, the type and volume of equity awards necessary for such future hiring, and the price at which the Company's stock will trade in those future periods. In addition, the provision or benefit for income taxes is impacted by non-recurring income tax adjustments, valuation allowance on deferred tax assets, and the income tax effect of non-GAAP exclusions. The effects of these reconciling items may be significant, as the items that are being excluded are difficult to predict.

About The Hackett Group®

The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCKT) is an IP and platform-based, Gen AI strategic consulting and executive advisory firm that enables Digital World Class® performance. Using AI XPLR™ and ZBrain™ – our ideation through implementation platforms – our experienced professionals help organizations realize the power of Gen AI and achieve quantifiable, breakthrough results, allowing us to be key architects of their Gen AI journey. Our expertise is grounded in unparalleled best practices insights from benchmarking the world's leading businesses – including 97% of the Dow Jones Industrials, 89% of the Fortune 100, 70% of the DAX 40 and 55% of the FTSE 100. Visit us at www.thehackettgroup.com.

The Hackett Group, quadrant logo, World Class Defined and Enabled, Quantum Leap, and Digital World Class are the registered marks of The Hackett Group.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements including without limitation, words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," seeks," "estimates," or other similar phrases or variations of such words or similar expressions indicating, present or future anticipated or expected occurrences or outcomes are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could impact such forward-looking statements include, among others, changes in worldwide and U.S. economic conditions that impact business confidence and the demand for our products and services, our ability to transition our capabilities to support generative artificial intelligence (AI)-related consulting services and solutions, our ability to effectively integrate acquisitions, including the Leeway acquisition, into our operations, our ability to manage joint ventures and successfully cooperate with our joint venture partners, our ability to retain existing business, our ability to attract additional business, our ability to effectively market and sell our product offerings and other services, the timing of projects and the potential for contract cancellation by our customers, changes in expectations regarding the business consulting and information technology industries, our ability to attract and retain skilled employees, possible changes in collections of accounts receivable due to the bankruptcy or financial difficulties of our customers, risks of competition, price and margin trends, foreign currency fluctuations, the impact of the geopolitical conflict involving Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East on our business and changes in general economic conditions, interest rates and our ability to obtain additional debt financing if needed as well as other risk detailed in The Hackett Group's reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Hackett Group does not undertake any duty to update this release or any forward-looking statements contained herein.

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