Company Overview - DFIN is a leader in assisting companies with regulatory reporting requirements, holding the 1 SEC Filing Agent position for both corporations and fund companies[10] - DFIN's portfolio includes market-leading software solutions like ArcSuite, ActiveDisclosure and Venue, with ~80% of the top 50 global fund complexes as clients[10] - DFIN's offerings are essential for recurring regulatory compliance needs and capital markets transactions such as IPOs and M&A[11] Financial Performance and Metrics (Q2 2025 TTM) - Software sales reached $341 million, expected to grow at a double-digit rate annually[14] - The company's revenue mix is shifting towards high-margin software solutions, offsetting declining low-margin print & distribution[14] - Adjusted EBITDA reached $219.4 million, resulting in an attractive valuation with EV / Q2 2025 TTM EBITDA at 9.1x[25, 27] - Free Cash Flow was $109.3 million, leading to a Free Cash Flow multiple of 16.8x[25] - Net debt stood at $156.3 million, resulting in a net leverage ratio of 0.7x[21, 24] Segment Performance (Q2 2025 TTM) - Capital Markets segment net sales totaled $509 million, with $214 million from Software Solutions and $294 million from Compliance & Communications Management[12] - Investment Companies segment net sales were $247 million, comprising $126 million from Software Solutions and $120 million from Compliance & Communications Management[12] - Capital Markets EBITDA was $170 million with a 33% margin, while Investment Companies EBITDA was $87 million with a 35% margin[12] Capital Allocation and Shareholder Focus - The company repurchased approximately 787,000 shares of common stock during Q2 2025 for $34.3 million, at an average price of $43.56 per share[63] - A new stock repurchase program of up to $150 million was authorized, expiring December 31, 2026[50, 63]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported net sales of $201.1 million for Q1 2025, a decrease of $2.3 million or 1.1% from Q1 2024 [19] - Adjusted EBITDA was $68.2 million, an increase of $13 million or 23.6% year-over-year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 33.9%, up approximately 680 basis points from the previous year [21][19] - Adjusted non-GAAP gross margin was 63.7%, approximately 310 basis points higher than Q1 2024, driven by a favorable sales mix and cost control initiatives [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Software Solutions net sales represented 42.1% of total net sales, an increase of approximately 260 basis points year-over-year [7] - ActiveDisclosure sales grew approximately 11% year-over-year, while Venue sales declined by approximately 9% [22] - The Investment Company Software Solutions segment saw net sales increase by 20.2% year-over-year, primarily driven by tailored shareholder report solutions [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Capital Markets Compliance revenue decreased by $7.8 million year-over-year, primarily due to the exit from low-margin proxy statement activities [25] - The global equity deal market showed modest recovery in January and February but faced increased volatility in March, impacting overall deal activity [25] - Approximately 75% of the company's revenue is based on recurring sources, providing stability during market volatility [14] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to derive approximately 60% of total net sales from Software Solutions by 2028, focusing on becoming a software-centric company [8] - Continued investment in software offerings and technologies, including automation and AI-driven tools, is a priority to support growth and operational efficiency [12] - The company is committed to maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation, including share repurchases and organic investments [32] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged uncertainty in the global operating environment but expressed confidence in the company's strong balance sheet and liquidity to execute its strategy [16] - The company does not anticipate significant operational impacts from recent tariffs due to its predominantly U.S.-based operations [13] - Future growth is expected to be supported by latent demand for transactions and a favorable regulatory landscape, although market volatility must subside for this to materialize [36] Other Important Information - The company amended and extended its credit agreement, providing for a $115 million Term Loan A and extending the maturity of a $300 million revolving credit facility [17] - Free cash flow for the quarter was negative $51 million, primarily due to unfavorable working capital timing [30] - The company repurchased approximately 861,000 shares for $41.8 million during the first quarter, with additional repurchases in April [31] Q&A Session Summary Question: What drove the higher margins and revenue performance? - Management attributed the higher margins to incremental cost reduction actions and higher capital markets transactional sales, which exceeded guidance [38][39] Question: Can you provide more detail on Q2 segment-level guidance? - Management expects ActiveDisclosure to continue performing well, while Venue will face tough comparisons. Compliance revenue is expected to decline modestly [42][43] Question: How has the active disclosure side performed in terms of market share? - Management noted continued progress in client growth and revenue retention, with a strong market position in active disclosure services [54][60] Question: What is the outlook for share repurchases? - Management indicated a consistent approach to being more aggressive at lower prices while maintaining share repurchases as a priority in capital deployment [79][82]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported net sales of $201.1 million for Q1 2025, a decrease of $2.3 million or 1.1% from Q1 2024 [18] - Adjusted EBITDA was $68.2 million, an increase of $13 million or 23.6% year-over-year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 33.9%, up approximately 680 basis points from the previous year [20] - Adjusted non-GAAP gross margin was 63.7%, approximately 310 basis points higher than Q1 2024, driven by a favorable sales mix and cost control initiatives [18][19] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Software Solutions net sales represented 42.1% of total net sales, an increase of approximately 260 basis points from the previous year, with organic growth of about 6% [6][7] - ActiveDisclosure sales grew approximately 11%, while Venue sales declined by about 9% year-over-year [20][21] - Capital Markets Compliance and Communications Management segment net sales decreased by $7.2 million or 7.6% on an organic basis, primarily due to lower compliance volume [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Approximately 75% of the company's revenue is based on recurring sources, providing stability during market volatility [14] - The global deal environment remained soft, with capital markets transactional revenue at $48.6 million, a modest increase from the previous year [24] - The company maintained a strong market share despite the challenging transactional environment [24] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to derive approximately 60% of total net sales from Software Solutions by 2028, focusing on becoming a software-centric company [7] - Investments are being made in software offerings and technologies, including automation and AI-driven tools, to modernize operations and enhance client experience [12] - The company is prioritizing high-quality transactions and has seen a reduction in bad debt expense due to this strategy [19][38] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management anticipates a challenging operating environment driven by market volatility and ongoing uncertainty, with expectations for Q2 2025 net sales in the range of $215 million to $235 million [31] - The company does not foresee significant impacts from recently announced tariffs due to its predominantly U.S.-based operations [13] - Management remains optimistic about the latent demand for transactions and a favorable regulatory landscape supporting future growth [15][34] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately 861,000 shares for $41.8 million during Q1 2025, with an additional 657,000 shares repurchased in April [30] - Free cash flow for the quarter was negative $51 million, primarily due to unfavorable working capital timing [28][29] - The company amended and extended its credit agreement, providing for a $115 million Term Loan A and extending the maturity of a $300 million revolving credit facility [16] Q&A Session Summary Question: What drove the higher margins and revenue performance? - Management attributed the higher margins to incremental cost reduction actions and higher capital markets transactional sales, which exceeded guidance [36][37] Question: Can you provide more detail on Q2 guidance by segment? - Management expects ActiveDisclosure to perform well, while Venue will face tough comparisons. Compliance revenue is expected to decline modestly [40][41] Question: How is the competitive landscape for ActiveDisclosure? - Management noted that they are seeing good progress in client acquisition and pricing, with a strong market position due to their ability to invest in software features [51][52] Question: What is the outlook for ARC Suite growth? - Management indicated that growth is expected to continue, driven by the tailored shareholder report regulation and strong fundamentals in the ARC Suite platform [67][70] Question: Will share buybacks continue at the current pace? - Management confirmed that they will remain aggressive with share repurchases at lower prices while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital deployment [77][81]

Investor Presentation April 2025 DFINsolutions.com © 2025 DFIN. All rights reserved This presentation is the intellectual property of DFIN. The ideas expressed in it may not be adopted or reproduced without prior permission from and compensation to DFIN. Forward Looking Statements and Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures USE OF FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This presentation includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of, and subject to the safe harbor created by, Section 21E of the Securiti ...

Core Insights - Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. (DFIN) reported strong financial performance in Q1 2025, with Adjusted EBITDA of $68.2 million, a 23.6% increase year-over-year, and an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 33.9%, up approximately 680 basis points from the previous year [2][6][7]. Financial Performance - Net sales for Q1 2025 were $201.1 million, a decrease of $2.3 million, or 1.1%, from Q1 2024, primarily due to lower capital markets compliance volumes and Venue sales [4][6]. - Net earnings for Q1 2025 were $31.0 million, or $1.05 per diluted share, compared to $33.3 million, or $1.09 per diluted share, in Q1 2024 [5][6]. - The company achieved record software solutions net sales of $84.6 million, a 5.4% increase from Q1 2024, accounting for 42.1% of total net sales, up from 39.5% [6][8]. Strategic Focus - DFIN is focused on expanding the adoption of its software solutions, with a 5.8% organic increase in total software solutions net sales compared to Q1 2024 [3][6]. - The company aims to increase its recurring sales mix, manage costs aggressively, and allocate capital in a disciplined manner to enhance shareholder value [3][6]. Debt and Share Repurchase - DFIN amended its credit agreement to establish a $300 million revolving facility and a $115 million term loan A facility, using proceeds to retire existing debt [6][7]. - The company repurchased 861,301 shares for approximately $41.8 million at an average price of $48.57 per share, with a remaining share repurchase authorization of $49.5 million as of March 31, 2025 [6][7].