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Fidelity National Information Services(FIS) - 2024 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In 2024, revenue growth accelerated from 3% to 4%, slightly below expectations due to one-time items [9][12] - Adjusted EPS growth was 18% on a normalized basis, exceeding the full-year outlook [12][39] - Adjusted revenue growth for Q4 was 4%, with adjusted EBITDA margin expanding more than 100 basis points year-over-year [37][39] - Total debt stood at 11.3billion,withaleverageratioof2.65x,betterthanthestatedgoalof2.8x[39]BusinessLineDataandKeyMetricsChangesBankingrevenuegrew211.3 billion, with a leverage ratio of 2.65x, better than the stated goal of 2.8x [39] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Banking revenue grew 2% in Q4, slightly below expectations due to unexpected items impacting revenue growth by around 2 percentage points [42][44] - Capital Markets had a strong quarter with adjusted revenue growth of 9% and recurring revenue growth of 7% [45] - Professional services advanced 16%, aligning with prior expectations for acceleration [44] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - New sales of digital solutions grew 70% year-over-year in 2024, driven by cross-sales into core clients [16] - The partnership with Affirm aims to enhance debit processing capabilities, tapping into the fast-growing buy now pay later market [18][19] - The office of the CFO represents a global market of over 25 billion with double-digit growth potential [27] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on commercial excellence, targeting key growth vectors such as digital, payments, and commercial lending [8][33] - Strategic M&A is being utilized to extend and complement the portfolio of solutions, with five acquisitions completed [31][32] - The company aims to return 2billionofcapitalanddeliverdoubledigittotalreturnstoshareholdersin2025[13][52]ManagementsCommentsonOperatingEnvironmentandFutureOutlookManagementexpressedconfidenceinacceleratingrevenuegrowthin2025,supportedbystrongsalesmomentumandnewclientwins[14][34]Thecompanyanticipatesmarginexpansionof40to45basispointsin2025,consistentwithpriorguidance[49][60]Managementacknowledgedchallengesinthefirstquarterbutexpectsasignificantpickupingrowthinthesecondquarter[76][135]OtherImportantInformationThecompanyreturned2 billion of capital and deliver double-digit total returns to shareholders in 2025 [13][52] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in accelerating revenue growth in 2025, supported by strong sales momentum and new client wins [14][34] - The company anticipates margin expansion of 40 to 45 basis points in 2025, consistent with prior guidance [49][60] - Management acknowledged challenges in the first quarter but expects a significant pickup in growth in the second quarter [76][135] Other Important Information - The company returned 4.8 billion to shareholders in 2024, including $1.2 billion in Q4 [12][40] - The company experienced a partial system outage but does not expect any material impact on results or operations [81] Q&A Session Summary Question: Follow-up on banking revenue growth cadence - Management indicated that Q1 will be the low point of the year, with expectations for a sharp increase in Q2 [75][76] Question: Impact of technology outage on numbers - Management confirmed that the outage was not a cyberattack and does not expect a material impact on results [81] Question: ACV growth expectations for 2025 - Management is optimistic about exceeding 9% ACV growth in 2025, focusing on digital, payments, and lending sales [86][88] Question: EBITDA margin impact from upcoming ACV deals - Management expects continued focus on cost discipline to support margin expansion despite product mix challenges [90][92] Question: Free cash conversion trends and outlook - Management acknowledged pressures on free cash conversion but is confident in returning to higher levels in the future [101][140] Question: Unpacking Q4 banking growth - Management provided insights into the contributions from Worldpay and M&A, indicating core growth around 3% in Q4 [112]