NEW YORK, May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AB International Group Corp. (OTC: ABQQ), an intellectual property (IP) and movie investment and licensing firm, announces its subsidiary AI+ Hubs Corp, a leading innovator in artificial intelligence and creative technology, is thrilled to announce the successful acquisition of the ufilm AI intellectual property (IP) from a third-party developer. This strategic acquisition marks a significant milestone for AI+ Hubs in the AI-driven content creation space, presentin ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q4 2024, revenue grew to $247.3 million, representing a 9.5% increase or 8.5% on a currency-neutral basis [9][18] - For the full year 2024, revenue was $939.3 million, an increase of 2.5% on both reported and currency-neutral basis [10][18] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $80.6 million, up 11.7% year-over-year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 32.6%, an increase from 31.9% in Q4 2023 [28][29] - Full year adjusted EBITDA was $300.3 million, down 0.4% reported and 0.3% on a currency-neutral basis, with a margin of 32% compared to 32.9% in 2023 [29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Annual subscription revenue accounted for 54.9% of total revenue in Q4, growing approximately 11% on both reported and currency-neutral basis [19] - Paid downloads decreased slightly to $93 million, while video attachment rate increased to 16.5% from 14.1% in Q4 2023 [21] - Editorial revenue was $90.1 million, up 19% year-on-year, driven by demand for editorial content during major events [22] - Creative revenue was $142.4 million, down 2.4% year-on-year, primarily due to a shift in consumption from creative to editorial content [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas region saw a revenue increase of 15.9% in Q4 on a currency-neutral basis, while APAC was up 0.4% and EMEA down just under 1% [18] - The company added 78,000 active annual subscribers, reaching a total of 314,000, with 54% being new customers [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The merger with Shutterstock is viewed as a transformational opportunity, aimed at creating a strong financial foundation and enhancing value for customers and shareholders [8] - The company continues to invest in core assets and evolve its offerings, including the launch of natural language search and AI capabilities [14][15] - Focus remains on delivering sustainable customer value and increasing margins and cash flow through the merger [15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's future despite challenges such as the Los Angeles fires impacting operations [15] - The company anticipates revenue for 2025 to be between $918 million and $955 million, reflecting a slight decline to modest growth year-over-year [40] - Adjusted EBITDA for 2025 is expected to be between $272 million and $290 million, down 9.5% to 3.3% year-over-year [41] Other Important Information - Free cash flow for Q4 was $24.6 million, an increase from $18.6 million in Q4 2023, while full year free cash flow was $60.9 million, down from $75.7 million in 2023 [32] - The company finished 2024 with $121.2 million in cash and total debt outstanding of $1.3 billion, with a net leverage of 3.97 times, down from 4.2 times at year-end 2023 [33][34][35] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on generative AI uptake and monetization - Management noted that AI service uptake is growing at a modest pace, primarily among existing customers using the technology to modify imagery [48][49] Question: Factors driving Q4 outperformance relative to guidance - The outperformance was attributed to strong top-line growth, favorable gross margin, and recovery in production post-strikes [51][53] Question: Outlook for 2025 revenue growth by segment and data licensing revenue - Management does not provide specific segment guidance but expects continued stabilization in Agency and growth in Corporate, with modest data licensing revenue [60][62]