On Thursday, Citi set a higher price target for Teladoc Health Inc. (NYSE:TDOC), increasing it to $11.00 from the previous $10.00, while sustaining a Neutral rating on the stock. The adjustment follows Teladoc's third-quarter results, which were received more positively than expected, as the company exhibited stabilization in Behavioral Health (BH) membership and surpassed anticipated InTouch Health (IC) revenue figures.
Teladoc's IC revenue outperformed the upper range of the company's guidance and was approximately 2% higher than the estimates made by Citi and consensus, marking a 2.5% year-over-year increase. Adjusted EBITDA also exceeded the high end of Teladoc's guidance by about 12%, beating Citi and consensus estimates by 18%, which represents an 8% year-over-year growth.
The stronger-than-anticipated results were largely attributed to three factors: a billing adjustment from a prior period, higher-than-expected membership numbers, and strong visit volume.
Despite a year-over-year decline in BH revenue by 10%, which aligned with Citi's and consensus expectations, the margins significantly fell short, showing a 41% year-over-year decrease. This was mainly due to persistently high customer acquisition costs (CACs). However, there was a silver lining as membership numbers and CACs appeared to have stabilized, which was a key concern for analysts before the earnings release.
Looking ahead, Teladoc maintained its full-year guidance for IC revenue growth, projecting a range from low single digits to mid-single digits. Additionally, the company has raised its forecast for adjusted EBITDA margins by approximately 25 to 35 basis points. This update suggests a cautious optimism for the company's profitability outlook for the remainder of the year.
In other recent news, Teladoc Health Inc. has seen several noteworthy developments. The company's Q3 financial performance indicated that Integrated Care revenues exceeded expectations, largely due to a surge in membership numbers. Revenue from BetterHelp, Teladoc's online counseling and therapy services, also surpassed Wall Street's predictions.
Evercore ISI maintained an In-Line rating and a $9.00 price target for the company's stock, while RBC Capital Markets raised the price target to $10.00 and maintained an Outperform rating.
The company has also seen changes in its executive team, with the resignation of its Chief Operating Officer, Michael Waters (NYSE:WAT), and the appointment of Joseph Catapano as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Additionally, Teladoc's new CEO, Chuck Divita, is hinting at potential reorganization or divestiture of the behavioral segment.
InvestingPro Insights
Recent data from InvestingPro sheds additional light on Teladoc Health's financial position and market performance. Despite the company's recent positive quarterly results, Teladoc's stock has experienced significant declines, with a year-to-date price total return of -58.89% as of the latest data. This aligns with the challenges discussed in the article, particularly the pressure on Behavioral Health revenue and high customer acquisition costs.
InvestingPro Tips highlight that Teladoc is not expected to be profitable this year, which corroborates the article's focus on the company's efforts to improve profitability and adjusted EBITDA margins. The company's market cap stands at $1.52 billion, reflecting the market's current valuation of the firm in light of its recent performance and future prospects.
Interestingly, despite the challenges, Teladoc's gross profit margin remains robust at 70.8% for the last twelve months, indicating strong underlying economics in its core business model. This strength in gross margins could provide the company with some flexibility as it navigates the current headwinds in its Behavioral Health segment and works to optimize customer acquisition costs.
For investors seeking a more comprehensive analysis, InvestingPro offers additional tips and insights that could further illuminate Teladoc's financial health and market position. There are 6 additional InvestingPro Tips available for Teladoc, which could provide valuable context for the company's outlook beyond the scope of this article.
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