JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK), a leading data analytics provider, reported fourth-quarter earnings that fell short of Wall Street expectations. The company's adjusted earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter came in at $1.40, missing analysts' estimates by $0.04. Revenue for the quarter was $677.2 million, slightly above the consensus estimate of $672.2 million.
Despite the revenue beat, the company's stock fell 3.4% as both EPS and future earnings guidance failed to meet market projections. Verisk's forecast for fiscal year 2024 anticipates an adjusted EPS range of $6.30 to $6.60, which is below the analyst consensus of $6.61. Revenue guidance for the same period is projected between $2.84 billion and $2.90 billion, straddling the consensus estimate of $2.87 billion.
The fourth-quarter revenue represents a 7.4% increase from the same period last year, with organic constant currency (OCC) growth noted at 6.0%. However, income from continuing operations saw a significant decline, falling 15.5% to $182.3 million. The company attributed the decrease in income to a one-time tax benefit in the prior year's quarter, higher depreciation expenses, and a $19.0 million litigation reserve expense related to an ongoing inquiry into its former Financial Services segment.
Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter rose by 9.0%, reaching $362.0 million, and showed a 6.5% increase on an OCC basis. For the full year, the company reported a 26.3% decrease in income from continuing operations, totaling $768.4 million, while adjusted EBITDA for the year increased by 11.6% to $1,433.5 million.
Verisk's CEO, Lee Shavel, commented on the company's performance, stating, "Verisk's 2023 performance exceeded the expectations we set at Investor Day and demonstrated our potential as an insurance-focused organization." CFO Elizabeth Mann added that the company delivered solid results with continued margin expansion and is confident in achieving consistent growth and strong free cash flow generation in the future.
The company also highlighted its capital return to shareholders, having repurchased $250 million of its shares during the fourth quarter and announcing an additional $1.0 billion share repurchase authorization as of February 14, 2024. Additionally, a cash dividend of 39 cents per share was declared, payable on March 29, 2024, marking a 15% increase from the previous dividend.
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