Acquisition Accelerates BlackLine's Vision for an AI-Powered Finance and Accounting PlatformLOS ANGELES, Dec. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlackLine, Inc. (Nasdaq: BL), the future-ready platform for the Office of the CFO, today announced it has acquired WiseLayer, a New York-based company that has pioneered a digital workforce of AI-powered agents to automate complex, judgment-based finance and accounting processes. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. This acquisition takes BlackLine’s industry-leading au ...

Core Insights - BlackLine, Inc. has expanded its global cloud footprint to Saudi Arabia, partnering with Google Cloud Platform to offer a locally hosted cloud region [1][2] - The new deployment provides a secure environment that meets local data residency and cybersecurity requirements, aligning with Saudi Arabia's regulatory standards [2][3] - This expansion positions BlackLine to support Saudi enterprises in their economic diversification and modernization initiatives, enhancing their financial operations [3][6] Company Overview - BlackLine is a platform designed for the Office of the CFO, focusing on digital finance transformation through accurate and efficient financial operations [7][8] - The company’s solutions are ERP-agnostic and include partnerships with key players like SAP, EY, and Deloitte, which enhance local implementation and support [4][5] - BlackLine's technology, including the Studio360 platform and Verity AI suite, enables organizations to unify data, automate processes, and gain real-time visibility [5][7] Market Positioning - The expansion into Saudi Arabia reflects BlackLine's commitment to meeting customer needs in regions with stringent data residency requirements [5][6] - The company aims to inspire and guide digital finance transformation for organizations globally, leveraging its strong partner ecosystem to enhance service delivery [6][8]

Core Insights - BlackLine, Inc. actively engages with its stockholders, having met with Engaged Capital seven times in the past 12 months, demonstrating a commitment to constructive dialogue with all shareholders [1] Company Overview - BlackLine (Nasdaq: BL) is a platform designed for the Office of the CFO, focusing on digital finance transformation by providing accurate, efficient, and intelligent financial operations [2] - The company utilizes the Studio360 platform to unify data, streamline processes, and deliver real-time insights through automation and AI capabilities powered by Verity [2] Customer Base and Innovation - BlackLine has over 4,400 customers across various industries, indicating a broad market presence and a collaborative approach to innovation [3]

Core Viewpoint - Engaged Capital has submitted a demand to BlackLine, Inc. to inspect records related to the Board's handling of acquisition offers, particularly a $66 per share offer from SAP, citing concerns over the Board's stewardship and lack of engagement with shareholders [1][2][3]. Group 1: Demand for Records - Engaged Capital is seeking access to the Board and Strategic Committee records concerning all inbound acquisition interests, including the reported $66 per share offer from SAP SE, which represents an 18% premium over BlackLine's stock price at the time of the offer [1][3]. - The demand is made under Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, allowing stockholders to inspect company records for a proper purpose [9][11]. - Engaged Capital aims to evaluate whether to nominate director candidates at the 2026 Annual Meeting based on the findings from the requested records [14]. Group 2: Concerns Over Board Performance - Engaged Capital has expressed concerns regarding BlackLine's poor stockholder engagement and its underperformance compared to software peers, questioning the Board's oversight of strategic opportunities [2][8]. - The lack of transparency regarding the Strategic Committee's formation, purpose, and authority has raised doubts about the Board's management of strategic processes [8][12]. - The Board's rejection of SAP's acquisition offer, despite its substantial value, has been highlighted as a significant concern, indicating potential mismanagement [3][8]. Group 3: Strategic Committee Insights - The Strategic Committee has been in place for over a year, but details about its formation and activities remain unclear, leading to skepticism about its effectiveness [6][8]. - The current members of the Strategic Committee are noted to be Class I directors whose terms will expire at the 2026 Annual Meeting, which may influence future governance decisions [6][14]. - Engaged Capital's demand includes specific requests for documentation related to the Strategic Committee's evaluations and communications regarding acquisition offers [12][15].

Core Insights - BlackLine met Wall Street's revenue expectations for Q3 CY2025, reporting a 7.5% year-on-year sales increase to $178.3 million, with non-GAAP profit of $0.51 per share aligning with analyst estimates [1][3][6] - The company anticipates Q4 revenue around $183 million, consistent with analyst forecasts [1][6] Financial Performance - Revenue: $178.3 million, slightly above analyst estimates of $178.1 million, reflecting a 7.5% year-on-year growth [6] - Adjusted EPS: $0.51, matching analyst expectations [6] - Adjusted Operating Income: $38.14 million, exceeding analyst estimates of $36.75 million, with a 21.4% margin [6] - Revenue Guidance for Q4 CY2025 is set at $183 million, aligning with analyst expectations [6] - Management lowered full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $2.11, indicating a 3.7% decrease [6] - Operating Margin: 4.3%, consistent with the same quarter last year [6] - Customers: 4,424, a decrease from 4,451 in the previous quarter [6] - Net Revenue Retention Rate: 103%, down from 105% in the previous quarter [6] - Annual Recurring Revenue: $685 million, slightly below analyst estimates of $693 million, with a 7.4% year-on-year growth [6] - Billings: $161.7 million at quarter end, reflecting a 4.4% year-on-year increase [6] - Market Capitalization: $3.32 billion [6] Management Commentary - Management highlighted strong new customer acquisitions and larger deal sizes, with new customer bookings up 45% and average new deal size more than doubling [3][4] - The company is transitioning to a platform-based pricing model and anticipates adoption of its Verity AI suite, aiming for accelerating revenue growth and margin expansion [4][5] - Management expressed caution regarding near-term user attrition and the time required for customers to fully adopt new pricing and AI-driven solutions [4][5]

Financial Performance - For the quarter ended September 30, 2025, the company reported revenues of $178.3 million, an increase from $165.9 million in the same quarter of 2024[114]. - For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, revenues totaled $517.2 million, compared to $483.9 million for the same period in 2024[115]. - Total revenues for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, were $178.29 million, representing a 7% increase from $165.91 million in the same quarter of 2024[135]. - Subscription and support revenues increased by 7% to $168.21 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, compared to $157.01 million in 2024[135]. - The company generated net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. of $5.3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, down from $17.2 million in the same quarter of 2024[114]. - Non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, was $37.59 million, compared to $44.43 million for the same period in 2024, reflecting a decrease of 15.5%[132]. Customer Metrics - As of September 30, 2025, the company had 385,336 individual users across 4,424 customers[105]. - The number of customers decreased slightly from 4,451 in June 2025 to 4,424 by September 30, 2025[120]. - The total number of customers as of September 30, 2025, was 4,424, remaining relatively flat compared to 4,433 in 2024[136]. - The number of users decreased by 3% to 385,336 as of September 30, 2025, down from 397,095 in 2024, primarily due to a strategic initiative to migrate customers to new pricing models[136]. Profitability and Margins - The GAAP gross profit for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, was $133.9 million, with a gross margin of 75.1%[127]. - Non-GAAP gross profit for the same quarter was $141.5 million, resulting in a non-GAAP gross margin of 79.4%[127]. - The gross profit for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, was $133.90 million, with a gross margin of 75.1%[134]. - Non-GAAP operating income for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, was $38.14 million, compared to $37.62 million in the same quarter of 2024, indicating a slight increase of 1.4%[132]. Expenses and Costs - Sales and marketing expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, were $67.49 million, an increase of 8% from $62.22 million in the same quarter of 2024[139]. - The total cost of revenues for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, was $44.39 million, an increase of 8% from $41.11 million in 2024[137]. - Research and development expenses increased by $1.682 million (7%) for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, compared to the same quarter in 2024, and by $4.635 million (6%) for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024[140][143]. - General and administrative expenses decreased by $3.631 million (4%) for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, while the percentage of total revenues decreased from 18.5% to 16.6%[143]. - Restructuring costs amounted to $2.267 million for the quarter and $8.610 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, representing a significant increase of 398% compared to the same period in 2024[144][147]. Cash and Liquidity - As of September 30, 2025, the company had $804.2 million in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, indicating strong liquidity[156]. - The company believes its existing cash and cash equivalents, along with cash from operations, will be sufficient to meet its working capital needs for at least the next 12 months[157]. - The company had cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $804.2 million at September 30, 2025[182]. - The company has a total buyback capacity of $198.2 million remaining under its stock repurchase program as of September 30, 2025[167]. Debt and Obligations - The company had $905.2 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes outstanding as of September 30, 2025, with $230.2 million due in March 2026[158]. - The 2029 Capped Calls cover approximately 9.9 million shares of common stock, with an initial strike price of $68.47 per share and an initial cap price of $92.17 per share[159]. - The company has $192 million in purchase obligations, with $61 million payable within the next 12 months[162]. - Unrecognized tax liabilities amount to $19.7 million, with a high degree of uncertainty regarding future cash outflows[163]. Market and Economic Conditions - The company is exposed to foreign currency risks, with a potential impact of approximately $4.4 million on cash balances due to a hypothetical 10% change in the value of the U.S. Dollar relative to foreign currencies[186]. - The company initiated a hedging program to manage cash fluctuations in the British Pound and Euro using foreign currency forward contracts[187]. - The hedging program aims to reduce the impact of currency exchange rate movements, but does not fully eliminate the risks associated with foreign currency fluctuations[188]. - Inflationary pressures may affect customers' purchasing power, potentially leading to delays or reductions in investment in software solutions[189]. - The company has not yet experienced a material inflationary impact on customer engagement or its own operations, but continues to monitor macroeconomic conditions closely[189]. Share Repurchase - The company repurchased approximately 2.1 million shares for $113.0 million during the quarter ended September 30, 2025, and 3.9 million shares for $201.8 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2025[167].

Core Insights - BlackLine (BL) reported revenue of $178.29 million for the quarter ended September 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 7.5% and a slight surprise of +0.16% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $178.01 million [1] - The company's EPS for the same period was $0.51, which is a decrease from $0.60 a year ago, indicating no EPS surprise as it matched the consensus estimate [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Total customers stood at 4,424, slightly below the average estimate of 4,457 by two analysts [4] - The retention rate was reported at 103%, lower than the estimated 105% by two analysts [4] - Revenue from professional services was $10.08 million, exceeding the average estimate of $8.77 million, reflecting a year-over-year change of +13.3% [4] - Subscription and support revenues were $168.21 million, slightly below the average estimate of $169.23 million, with a year-over-year increase of +7.1% [4] - Gross profit from professional services was $2.82 million, significantly higher than the average estimate of $1.51 million [4] - Gross profit from subscription and support was $131.08 million, which fell short of the estimated $137.13 million [4] Stock Performance - Over the past month, BlackLine's shares have returned +12.1%, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.3% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Core Insights - BlackLine (BL) reported quarterly earnings of $0.51 per share, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but down from $0.60 per share a year ago [1] - The company achieved revenues of $178.29 million for the quarter ended September 2025, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.16% and up from $165.91 million year-over-year [2] - BlackLine shares have declined approximately 6.3% year-to-date, contrasting with the S&P 500's increase of 15.6% [3] Earnings Performance - The company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two out of the last four quarters, with a surprise of +2% in the latest quarter [1] - BlackLine has topped consensus revenue estimates in all four of the last quarters [2] Future Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.65, with expected revenues of $183.07 million, and for the current fiscal year, the EPS estimate is $2.13 on revenues of $699.83 million [7] - The earnings outlook and management's commentary during the earnings call will be crucial for assessing the stock's immediate price movement [3][4] Industry Context - The Internet - Software industry, to which BlackLine belongs, is currently ranked in the top 35% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to lower-ranked industries [8] - Empirical research suggests a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can be tracked by investors [5]

Mergers & Acquisitions - Several investors are urging accounting software provider BlackLine to explore a potential sale [1] - This push follows reported takeover interest by SAP [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue grew to over $178 million, up 7.5% year-over-year [28] - Subscription revenue increased by 7%, while services revenue grew by 13% due to accelerated project delivery [28] - Annual recurring revenue (ARR) reached $685 million, up 7.3% [28] - Non-GAAP operating margin was 21.4%, reflecting improved productivity [31] - Free cash flow was $57 million, driven by strong collections execution [31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - New customer bookings increased by 45%, with the average new deal size more than doubling by 111% [6][7] - Strategic products accounted for 36% of sales, up from 32% last year [30] - Solex channel performance remained steady, accounting for 26% of total revenue [30] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Customer count reached 4,424, reflecting a strategic resegmentation away from lower-end customers [29] - Revenue renewal rate was 93%, up from the prior year, driven by strong enterprise performance [29] - Net retention rate for the quarter was 103%, despite a headwind from foreign exchange [29] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company has re-architected its leadership, go-to-market engine, and technology structures to drive revenue growth and margin expansion [5][6] - Focus on larger, more strategic platform deals, with a new platform-based pricing model accounting for nearly three-quarters of new customer bookings [9] - Continued investment in AI and automation to enhance product offerings and operational efficiency [19][22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in delivering sustained, profitable growth, with expectations for accelerating revenue growth and margin expansion in 2026 [26][34] - The macro environment is currently stable, with potential tailwinds from corporate job layoffs creating opportunities for efficiency discussions with customers [87] - The strategic transition away from lower-end customers is nearing completion, expected to be largely finished in the first half of next year [11][29] Other Important Information - The company returned approximately $113 million to shareholders through share repurchases, underscoring confidence in long-term value [32] - The planned churn from the strategic de-emphasis of lower-end customers is nearing its conclusion [11] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of large customers pausing user adds - Management acknowledged that some deals slipped into Q4, costing a couple of million dollars, but noted an increase in interest and pipeline for larger deals [41][43] Question: Automation and customer attrition - Management explained that success-based attrition is occurring as customers achieve higher efficiency with fewer licenses, which is a positive trade-off for long-term growth [59][60] Question: Factors driving expected bookings growth - Management highlighted the shift in conversations to higher levels within organizations, deeper partnerships, and product-led growth as key drivers for the expected 20% bookings growth next year [71][74] Question: Competitive takeaways - Management confirmed an uptick in competitive wins, attributing it to the company's proven track record, improved implementation quality, and industry-specific expertise [75][76] Question: SAP relationship and pipeline - Management reported a solid relationship with SAP, focusing on joint customer success and reducing attrition through dedicated resources [82][84] Question: Macro environment considerations for 2026 - Management characterized the current macro environment as stable, with potential tailwinds from efficiency needs due to corporate layoffs [86][87]