EPAM(US:EPAM)2025-05-08 13:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q1 2025, the company generated revenue of $1.3 billion, reflecting an 11.7% year-over-year increase on a reported basis [27] - Organic constant currency revenue grew by 1.4% compared to Q1 2024, exceeding initial expectations of flat organic growth [27] - GAAP gross margin for the quarter was 26.9%, down from 28.4% in Q1 2024, while non-GAAP gross margin was 28.7%, compared to 30.4% in the same period last year [32][33] - GAAP income from operations was $99 million (7.6% of revenue), down from $111 million (9.5% of revenue) in Q1 2024 [34] - Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $2.41, a decrease from $2.46 in Q1 2024 [34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Financial services delivered strong growth of 29.3% year-over-year, with 4.5% organic growth in constant currency, driven by strength in insurance, banking, and payments [28] - Software and high-tech grew by 9.6% year-over-year, while life sciences and healthcare increased by 10.5% [28] - Consumer goods, retail, and travel decreased by 1.4% year-over-year, largely due to declines in consumer products and retail [29] - Emerging verticals delivered very strong growth of 22.8%, positively impacted by Neoris Industrial Materials customers [29] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas, representing 60% of Q1 revenues, grew by 12.6% year-over-year, while EMEA, representing 38% of revenues, increased by 10.7% [30] - APAC, representing 2% of revenues, saw a growth of 4.3% year-over-year [30] - Revenues from the top 20 clients grew by 6.1% year-over-year, while revenues from clients outside the top 20 increased by 14.6% [31] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on driving organic growth and maintaining momentum in AI-related capabilities, which are expected to continue throughout the year [10][19] - A planned leadership transition is underway, with Balas Feyros set to become the new CEO on September 1, 2025, indicating a strategic shift towards AI-native transformation [7][8] - The company aims to improve gross margins and utilization rates while navigating macroeconomic uncertainties [33][66] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed cautious optimism about the second half of 2025, despite macroeconomic uncertainties, citing strong client demand and engagement [12][15] - The company has not seen a material slowdown in client spending, with ongoing improvements in demand for services [39] - Management highlighted a trend of clients returning to EPAM for quality execution after experiencing underperformance with other partners [15] Other Important Information - The company reported cash flow from operations of $24 million in Q1, down from $130 million in the same quarter of 2024, attributed to higher bonus payments and increased days sales outstanding (DSO) [35] - Free cash flow was $15 million, compared to $123 million in Q1 2024 [35] - The company ended Q1 with over 61,700 employees, reflecting total growth of 18.2% and organic growth of 6.4% compared to Q1 2024 [36] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide more color on the second half confidence and underlying macro? - Management indicated that the outlook for the second half remains consistent with previous projections, with no significant changes observed in client purchasing behavior [51][53] Question: How should we expect free cash flow to trend as we move through the year? - Management expects free cash flow conversion to remain around 80% to 90%, with elevated DSO likely to persist due to fixed fee revenues [58][59] Question: Are you sensing any pricing power as organic demand picks up? - Management stated it is too early to call for pricing increases, noting that improvements in demand are still relatively small [60] Question: Can you discuss plans to improve gross margin over the remainder of the year? - Management highlighted seasonal factors that typically benefit the second half and emphasized a renewed focus on improving utilization [65] Question: What are the growth dynamics within customer cohorts? - Management noted a visible trend of clients returning, contributing to improvements in revenue growth outside the top 20 clients [71][72]