Advantage Solutions ranks No. 18 on the global listST. LOUIS, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued under the same headline on July 2 by Advantage Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: ADV), please note that Advantage’s domestic ranking should have been listed as “12th in the United States” instead of “9th in North America.” It has been removed from the subhead. The corrected release follows: Advantage Solutions (NASDAQ: ADV) ranks as the 12th largest agency company in the United States and No. 18 worldwi ...

Core Insights - Advantage Solutions Inc. ranks as the 9th largest agency in North America and 18th globally, with a revenue of $1.2 billion in 2024, making it one of only two Midwest-based agencies in the top 25 list [1] - The company is recognized for its innovative approach in shaping shopping experiences and delivering high-tech, high-touch solutions to clients [2] - The Ad Age Agency Report highlights three major trends for 2025: AI reshaping creativity, evolving client expectations, and the demand for greater precision and agility from agencies [3] Company Overview - Advantage Solutions is positioned at the intersection of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands and retailers, providing a full suite of omnichannel services including branding, retail media, creative services, and e-commerce solutions [5][6] - The company has established a strong relationship with Amazon, receiving the inaugural Gold Tier award for excellence in delivery [5] - Advantage leverages data and technology to optimize consumer experiences both in-store and online, enhancing e-commerce capabilities and driving demand for brands [6]

Summary of Key Points Core Viewpoint - Advantage Solutions (NASDAQ: ADV) is experiencing significant stock price pressure, with the stock recently hitting an all-time low of $1.09, reminiscent of its previous struggles in 2023 when it dipped to $1.15 in April [1]. Company Performance - The stock price of Advantage Solutions has shown volatility, testing the $1 mark again after previously reaching a low of $1.15 in April 2023 [1]. - The current all-time low of $1.09 indicates ongoing challenges for the company in maintaining investor confidence and market stability [1]. Historical Context - The company has a history of stock price fluctuations, with the recent decline reflecting a pattern observed over the past two years [1]. - The reference to the stock nearing $1 again suggests a potential trend that investors may need to monitor closely [1].

Core Points - Advantage Solutions Inc. is providing financial assistance and mobilizing employee volunteers to support recovery efforts after recent tornadoes in St. Louis [1][2] - The company is donating $25,000 to the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis for emergency relief efforts [2] - Advantage Solutions is committed to supporting its employees affected by the disaster through grants and access to an Employee Assistance Program [3] Company Initiatives - The support for the Urban League is part of a multi-year partnership that includes the Save Our Sisters Fund, which offers various services to empower women [4] - Advantage Solutions positions itself as a leading omnichannel retail solutions agency in North America, leveraging data and technology to assist brands and retailers [5] Urban League Overview - The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis aims to empower African Americans and others in the region, focusing on economic self-reliance and social equality [6]

Financial Performance - Revenues decreased by $39.6 million, or 4.6%, to $821.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to the same period in 2024[95] - Operating loss from continuing operations decreased by $15.3 million to $14.6 million[95] - Net loss from continuing operations increased by $6.0 million to $56.1 million[95] - Adjusted Net Income decreased by $25.3 million, or 274.5%, to $16.1 million[95] - Adjusted EBITDA from Continuing Operations decreased by $12.5 million or 17.6%, to $58.2 million[95] - Total revenues decreased by $39.6 million, or 4.6%, to $821.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $861.4 million for the same period in 2024[119] - Net loss from continuing operations for Q1 2025 was $(56,130) thousand, compared to $(50,133) thousand in Q1 2024, indicating a worsening financial performance[144] - Adjusted EBITDA from Continuing Operations for Q1 2025 was $58,181 thousand, down from $70,639 thousand in Q1 2024, showing a decline of approximately 17.6%[144] - The Branded Services segment reported an Adjusted EBITDA of $27,945 thousand in Q1 2025, down from $34,334 thousand in Q1 2024, a decrease of about 18.5%[146] - The Experiential Services segment's Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $12,069 thousand in Q1 2025 from $16,692 thousand in Q1 2024, representing a decline of approximately 27.6%[146] - The Retailer Services segment achieved an Adjusted EBITDA of $18,167 thousand in Q1 2025, slightly down from $19,613 thousand in Q1 2024, a decrease of about 7.4%[146] Segment Performance - Branded Services segment generated approximately 35.3% of revenues in Q1 2025, down from 38.2% in Q1 2024[90] - Experiential Services segment generated approximately 38.2% of revenues in Q1 2025, up from 35.7% in Q1 2024[91] - Retailer Services segment generated approximately 26.5% of revenues in Q1 2025, slightly up from 26.1% in Q1 2024[92] - The Branded Services segment revenues decreased by $39.2 million, or 11.9%, primarily due to a weaker economic environment and an intentional client resignation[120] - The Experiential Services segment revenues increased by $6.7 million, or 2.2%, driven by an increase in events per day volume[121] - The Retailer Services segment revenues decreased by $7.1 million, or 3.1%, primarily due to staffing challenges[122] Cost Management and Restructuring - Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased to 7.9% of revenues, down from 10.3% in the prior year, due to a $22.8 million reduction in internal reorganization costs[124] - The company announced a restructuring plan in July 2024 to improve cost structure and operational efficiency, with substantial completion expected by the end of fiscal year 2024[113] - Restructuring expenses for Q1 2025 amounted to $931 thousand, compared to no such expenses in Q1 2024, indicating increased costs related to operational adjustments[144] Cash Flow and Liquidity - Net cash used in operating activities for Q1 2025 was $39.6 million, compared to $9.4 million in Q1 2024, reflecting a significant increase in accounts receivable[150] - Net cash used in investing activities in Q1 2025 was $18.4 million, primarily due to the purchase of property and equipment related to the enterprise resource planning initiative[152] - Net cash used in financing activities for Q1 2025 was $22.1 million, primarily related to repurchases of Notes totaling $18.2 million[153] - The company’s cash flow from operating activities was negatively impacted by an increase in accounts receivable in Q1 2025 compared to a decrease in Q1 2024[151] - The company’s principal sources of liquidity include cash receipts for services performed and borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility[149] - As of March 31, 2025, the company held $67.5 million in cash and cash equivalents outside the United States, an increase from $65.0 million as of December 31, 2024[180] Debt and Interest Management - The Revolving Credit Facility has an aggregate principal amount of up to $500 million, with $451 million available as of March 31, 2025[156] - The Term Loan Facility has an aggregate principal amount of $1.1 billion, with borrowings amortizing at 1% per annum of the original issued amount[163] - The company recognized a gain of $1.8 million on the repurchase of Notes during Q1 2025, classified under interest expense[171] - The company may refinance existing debt or enter into additional interest rate cap agreements to manage interest rate risk in the future[197] - The company has interest rate collar contracts with an aggregate notional value of $700.0 million as of March 31, 2025, to manage interest rate exposure[195] - The company has entered into interest rate collar agreements to manage exposure to potential interest rate increases, with a net liability of $0.8 million as of March 31, 2025[195] Legal and Compliance - Litigation expenses increased to $523 thousand in Q1 2025 from $284 thousand in Q1 2024, indicating rising legal costs[137] - The company recorded a deferred tax liability of approximately $0.6 million for unremitted earnings in Canada, indicating a need for tax planning regarding foreign earnings[181] - The company is evaluating the impact of new accounting standards on its consolidated financial statements, including ASU 2023-09 and ASU 2024-03[186][188] - The company has no off-balance sheet financing arrangements or liabilities, ensuring transparency in its financial position[182] - The company has no majority-owned subsidiaries excluded from consolidated financial statements, ensuring comprehensive financial reporting[182] Other Financial Metrics - Interest expense decreased by $1.4 million, or 3.9%, to $34.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, primarily due to a lower debt balance[130] - Equity-based compensation of Karman Topco L.P. was $(1,524) thousand in Q1 2025, a significant change from $390 thousand in Q1 2024, reflecting a shift in compensation strategy[137] - The company reported a fair value adjustment related to contingent consideration of $0 in Q1 2025, down from $778 thousand in Q1 2024, suggesting changes in acquisition-related liabilities[144] - A 10% unfavorable change in foreign exchange rates could have decreased the company's consolidated loss before taxes by approximately $0.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025[192] - The company expects existing domestic cash and cash flows to be sufficient to fund operations and cash commitments for at least the next 12 months[181]

Company Performance - Advantage Solutions Inc. reported a quarterly loss of $0.12 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.06, and showing an improvement from a loss of $0.16 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of -300% [1] - The company posted revenues of $821.79 million for the quarter ended March 2025, which was 3.96% below the Zacks Consensus Estimate and a decrease from year-ago revenues of $879 million [2] - Over the last four quarters, Advantage Solutions has not surpassed consensus EPS estimates and has topped consensus revenue estimates only once [2] Stock Performance - Advantage Solutions shares have declined approximately 49.7% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's decline of -3.8% [3] - The current Zacks Rank for Advantage Solutions is 3 (Hold), indicating that the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future [6] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.10 on revenues of $886.99 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $0.42 on revenues of $3.61 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Advantage Solutions is mixed, and future changes in estimates will be closely monitored following the recent earnings report [6][7] Industry Context - The Consumer Products - Discretionary industry, to which Advantage Solutions belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 44% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting potential challenges for stock performance [8]

Advantage Solutions (ADV) Q1 2025 Earnings Call May 12, 2025 08:30 AM ET Company Participants Ruben Mella - VP - IRDave Peacock - Chief Executive OfficerChris Growe - CFOJoseph Vafi - Managing Director, Equity ResearchFaiza Alwy - Managing Director, US Company Research Conference Call Participants William Reuter - Analyst Operator Greetings, and welcome to the Advantage Solutions First Quarter twenty twenty five Earnings Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. After the speakers' rem ...

Advantage Solutions (ADV) Q1 2025 Earnings Call May 12, 2025 08:30 AM ET Company Participants Ruben Mella - VP - IRDave Peacock - Chief Executive OfficerChris Growe - CFOJoseph Vafi - Managing Director, Equity ResearchFaiza Alwy - Managing Director, US Company Research Conference Call Participants William Reuter - Analyst Operator Greetings, and welcome to the Advantage Solutions First Quarter twenty twenty five Earnings Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. After the speakers' rem ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company's first quarter revenues were $696 million, down 5% year-over-year, and adjusted EBITDA was $58 million, down 18% year-over-year [4][5][15] - The decline in adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to intentional client exits and transformation-related investments [5][15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Branded Services, revenues were $257 million and adjusted EBITDA was $28 million, down 9% year-over-year [18] - Experiential Services generated $221 million in revenues and $12 million in adjusted EBITDA, down 12% year-over-year [19] - Retailer Services had revenues of $218 million and adjusted EBITDA of $18 million, down 3% and 7% year-over-year, respectively [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consumer confidence declined, leading to lower consumer purchases and reevaluation of spending by clients [5][6] - Retailers experienced destocking trends, impacting overall order volumes [50][53] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on modernizing its tech infrastructure and enhancing analytics capabilities to drive efficiency [11][12] - A task force has been mobilized to improve labor utilization and address staffing challenges [13][14] - The company is committed to being a cost-leading solutions partner to CPGs and retailers despite a softer growth environment [14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a challenging labor market affecting event staffing and project execution [7][10] - Despite near-term challenges, the company remains optimistic about future performance and has a robust new business pipeline [6][7] - The revenue and adjusted EBITDA outlook has been lowered to flat to down low single digits due to macroeconomic factors [15][16] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with $121 million in cash and a net leverage ratio of approximately 4.4x adjusted EBITDA [20][26] - The ERP implementation is expected to yield greater cash flow benefits as systems are better utilized [25][26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Any notable changes in the macro environment? - Management noted improvements in hiring rates and smoother staffing challenges in Q2 compared to Q1 [32][33] Question: Have labor costs increased due to staffing issues? - Management indicated that labor cost inflation is in line with the macro market, and staffing issues were more related to talent acquisition strategies [39][40] Question: What is the impact of staffing shortages on EBITDA? - The majority of the decline in EBITDA was attributed to staffing shortages [68] Question: Is destocking continuing into Q2? - Destocking improved as Q1 progressed, but data for April was not yet available to confirm if it had completely stopped [70] Question: Breakdown of consumer products versus food companies? - Approximately 70% of the portfolio is in food, with strong presence in personal care and household goods [73]

Q1'25 Earnings May 12, 2025 Disclaimer Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this presentation may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the expected future performance of Advantage's business and projected financial results. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or Advantage's future financial or operating performance. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words ...