- First Quarter 2014 Financial Highlights
- Operating Revenue Increases 11 Percent to $157.9 Million
- GAAP Net Income Allocated to Common Stockholders Increases 16 Percent to $48.5 Million; Diluted EPS of $0.56, Up 17 Percent
- Adjusted Net Income Allocated to Common Stockholders Up 14 Percent to $50.0 Million(1); Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.58, Up 16 Percent
- GAAP Operating Margin Expands by 330 Basis Points to 52.0 Percent; Adjusted Operating Margin(1) Up 270 Basis Points to 53.6 Percent
CBOE Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) today reported record net income allocated to common stockholders of $48.5 million, or $0.56 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2014, compared with $41.8 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2013. On an adjusted basis, net income allocated to common stockholders was $50.0 million, or $0.58 per diluted share, compared with $43.9 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, in the same period last year. Operating revenue for the quarter was $157.9 million, up 11 percent compared with $142.7 million in the first quarter of 2013.
"We experienced double-digit increases in trading volume across each of our product categories during the first quarter, resulting in record revenue and earnings," said Edward T. Tilly, CBOE Holdings Chief Executive Officer. "We were particularly pleased with the continued growth in our volatility products, with average daily trading volume in VIX options up 22 percent and VIX futures up 33 percent during the first quarter. More important, we are excited about the opportunities ahead to further develop new proprietary products and broaden our customer reach."
"I am very pleased with our financial results this quarter, which firmly demonstrate the leverage we are able to capture as we grow our top-line and remain diligent in controlling expenses. We achieved an adjusted operating margin for the quarter of 53.6 percent, a new all-time high," stated Alan J. Dean, CBOE Holdings Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
(1) A full reconciliation of our non-GAAP results to our GAAP results for the 2014 and 2013 reporting periods is included in the attached tables. See "Non-GAAP Information" in the accompanying financial tables.
Key Statistics and Financial Highlights
The table below highlights CBOE Holdings' operating results on a GAAP basis and an adjusted basis for the comparative quarters ended March 31, 2014 and 2013. Financial results presented on an adjusted basis provide supplemental information to facilitate period-over-period comparisons by adjusting for certain items that management believes are not indicative of the company's core operating performance.
(in millions, except per share, revenue per contract and trading days) |
1Q 2014 |
1Q 2013 |
Y/Y |
||
Key Statistics: |
|||||
Total Trading Days |
61 |
60 |
|||
Average Daily Volume (options and futures) |
5.62 |
4.37 |
29% |
||
Total Trading Volume (options and futures) |
342.8 |
262.0 |
31% |
||
Average Revenue Per Contract |
$ |
0.329 |
$ |
0.378 |
(13%) |
GAAP Financial Highlights: |
|||||
Total Operating Revenues |
$ |
157.9 |
$ |
142.7 |
11% |
Total Operating Expenses |
75.9 |
73.3 |
4% |
||
Operating Income |
82.0 |
69.4 |
18% |
||
Operating Margin % |
52.0% |
48.7% |
330 bps |
||
Net Income |
$ |
49.0 |
$ |
42.4 |
16% |
Net Income Allocated to Common Stockholders |
$ |
48.5 |
$ |
41.8 |
16% |
Diluted EPS |
$ |
0.56 |
$ |
0.48 |
17% |
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding |
86.5 |
87.3 |
(1%) |
||
Adjusted Financial Highlights (1) |
|||||
Total Operating Expenses |
$ |
73.3 |
$ |
70.1 |
5% |
Operating Income |
84.6 |
72.6 |
17% |
||
Operating Margin % |
53.6% |
50.9% |
270 bps |
||
Net Income |
$ |
50.5 |
$ |
44.5 |
13% |
Net Income Allocated to Common Stockholders |
$ |
50.0 |
$ |
43.9 |
14% |
Diluted EPS |
$ |
0.58 |
$ |
0.50 |
16% |
(1) A full reconciliation of our non-GAAP results to our GAAP results for the 2014 and 2013 reporting periods is included in the attached tables. See "Non-GAAP Information" in the accompanying financial tables. |
Revenues
Operating revenue was $157.9 million in the first quarter of 2014, up $15.2 million, or 11 percent, from $142.7 million in the first quarter of 2013. The increase primarily reflects higher revenue of $13.7 million in transaction fees and $1.6 million in market data fees.
Transaction fees increased 14 percent for the quarter driven by a 31 percent increase in trading volume, offset somewhat by a 13 percent decrease in the average revenue per contract (RPC) compared with the first quarter of 2013. Total trading volume in the first quarter was 342.8 million contracts, or 5.62 million contracts per day, compared with volume of 262.0 million contracts, or 4.37 million contracts per day, in last year's first quarter. RPC was $0.329 compared with $0.378 in the first quarter of 2013.
The decrease in RPC primarily resulted from higher volume-based incentives in the first quarter of 2014 for certain multiply-listed options (options on equities and exchange-traded products) and a shift in the mix of products traded. Lower-margin, multiply-listed options accounted for 65.3 percent of total volume during the first quarter of 2014 compared to 62.1 percent in the first quarter of 2013. Index options and futures contracts accounted for 34.7 percent of trading volume during the quarter compared with 37.9 percent in the first quarter of 2013.
The average revenue per contract represents total transaction fee revenue divided by total reported trading volume for Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), C2 Options Exchange (C2) and CBOE Futures Exchange (CFE).
Adjusted Operating Expenses
Adjusted operating expenses were $73.3 million for the quarter, up $3.2 million or 5 percent, compared with $70.1 million in the first quarter of 2013. Adjusted operating expenses exclude accelerated stock-based compensation of $2.5 million and $3.2 million for the first quarter of 2014 and 2013, respectively.
The company's core operating expenses, which include total operating expenses less volume-based expenses, depreciation and amortization, accelerated stock-based compensation expense and unusual or one-time expenses, were $47.7 million for the first quarter of 2014, flat compared with last year's first quarter. Core expenses primarily reflect the net effect of a $3.2 million increase in employee costs, a $0.3 million increase in other expenses, and a $3.7 million decrease in outside services.
Volume-based expenses, which include royalty fees and trading volume incentives, were $17.0 million in the first quarter of 2014, representing an increase of $2.8 million or 20 percent, compared with the same period last year. This increase was driven by higher royalty fees of $2.7 million, which are primarily related to the growth in trading volume in licensed index products.
Operating Margin
The company reported its highest-ever adjusted operating margin of 53.6 percent for the first quarter of 2014, up 270 basis points compared with 50.9 percent for the first quarter of 2013. The margin growth reflects the operating leverage inherent in the company's business model produced by growth in trading volume and stringent control of expenses.
Effective Tax Rate
The company reported an effective tax rate of 39.9 percent for the quarter versus 38.3 percent in last year's first quarter. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2014 includes the recognition of a discrete tax charge, which resulted in a higher effective tax rate. In comparison, the first quarter of 2013 included a discrete tax benefit, which lowered the effective tax rate.
The company noted that it still expects its adjusted effective tax rate for the full-year 2014 to be in a range of 38.5 percent to 39.5 percent.
First Quarter 2014 Operational Highlights and Recent Developments
- On May 1, the company reported that average daily volume (ADV) for total options in April 2014 was 4.93 million contracts, a 1 percent decrease from March 2014 ADV of 4.95 million contracts and a 10 percent increase from April 2013 ADV of 4.48 million contracts. In addition, CFE reported ADV of 178,438 contracts in April 2014, a 4 percent decrease compared with 184,938 contracts per day during April 2013 and a 3 percent decrease from 183,863 contracts per day in March 2014.
- On April 10, trading of CBOE Short-Term Volatility IndexSM (VXSTSM Index or "Short-Term VIX Index") options with weekly expirations launched, totaling 3,134 contracts for first-day trading volume. Futures on the Short-Term VIX Index launched February 13, 2014.
- On March 18, at its 30th Annual Risk Management Conference, the company announced that it plans to extend trading hours for CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX® Index) futures to nearly 24 hours a day, five days a week, beginning June 22, 2014, pending regulatory review.
- On March 12, the company announced plans to invest in Tradelegs, the developer of advanced decision-support software that institutional investors can employ to optimize investment performance.
2014 Fiscal Year Financial Guidance
The company reaffirmed the following financial guidance for the 2014 fiscal year provided in its February 7, 2014 earnings press release:
- Core operating expenses are expected to be in the range of $191.0 million to $196.0 million. Continuing stock-based compensation expense included in core expenses is expected to be approximately $13.0 million for the full year.
- Capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $47.0 million to $50.0 million.
- Depreciation and amortization expense is expected to be in the range of $38.0 million to $40.0 million.
- Adjusted effective tax rate for the full-year 2014 is expected to be in the range of 38.5 percent to 39.5 percent. The most significant differences in the adjusted effective rate and the statutory rate are state income taxes and discrete items relating to the current period. Significant changes in trading volume, expenses, state and local tax rates and other items, including ongoing state and federal tax audits, could materially impact this expectation.
Return of Capital to Stockholders
As announced on April 29, 2014, CBOE Holdings' Board of Directors declared a second-quarter dividend of $0.18 per share, payable June 20, 2014, to stockholders of record on May 30, 2014.
During the first quarter of 2014, the company repurchased 700,868 shares of its common stock under its share repurchase program at an average price of $52.99 per share, for a total of $37.1 million. Since the inception of its share repurchase program in 2011 through March 31, 2014, the company has repurchased 5,340,692 shares of its common stock at an average price of $33.55 per share, for a total of $179.2 million.
At March 31, 2014, the company had approximately $120.8 million of availability remaining under its existing share repurchase authorizations.
Earnings Conference Call
Executives of CBOE Holdings will host a conference call to review its first quarter financial results today, May 6, 2014, at 8:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. CT. The conference call and any accompanying slides will be publicly available via live webcast from the Investor Relations section of the company's website at www.cboe.com under Events & Presentations. Participants may also listen via telephone by dialing (877) 372-0876 from the United States or Canada, or (253) 237-1167 for international callers. Telephone participants should place calls 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. The webcast will be archived on the company's website for replay. A telephone replay of the earnings call also will be available from approximately 11:00 a.m. CT, May 6, 2014, through 11:00 p.m. CT, May 13, 2014, by calling (855) 859-2056 within the U.S. and Canada, or (404) 537-3406 for international callers, using replay code 18451030.