Deluxe(US:DLX)2025-04-30 22:02Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q1 2025 was just over $536 million, up 1.4% on a comparable adjusted basis year over year [9][18] - Comparable adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was just over $100 million, increasing nearly 3.5% from 2024 [10][19] - Comparable adjusted EPS finished at $0.75, reflecting just over 4% expansion versus the prior year [10][20] - Net debt levels decreased to $1.46 billion, down approximately $80 million from the previous year [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Payments and Data segments grew by a blended rate just above 8.5%, with the Data segment revenue growing 29% year over year [11][24] - Merchant Services revenue grew by 1.3% year over year to $97.8 million, with adjusted EBITDA remaining flat at $21.4 million [20] - B2B segment revenues increased by 1.2% to $70.2 million, with adjusted EBITDA dollars remaining flat at $13.3 million [22] - Print segment revenue declined by 4% year over year to $291.3 million, with legacy check revenues declining by 1.8% [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The revenue mix shifted towards payments and data offerings, with the ratio of print to payments and data segments changing from 57:43 to 54:46 year over year [11] - The company continues to monitor macroeconomic trends and consumer sentiment for potential impacts on revenue [6][32] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on executing its North Star strategy, which emphasizes accelerating free cash flow and profit growth [5][14] - The management is maintaining overall guidance ranges for 2025 despite macroeconomic uncertainties [9][32] - New partnerships, such as with TownBank, are seen as opportunities to expand market reach and improve service delivery [38][66] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged extraordinary volatility and macroeconomic uncertainty but emphasized control over internal execution [5][6] - The company expects continued strong performance in the Data segment and is optimistic about future growth despite potential challenges in the Print segment [24][32] Other Important Information - The company reported a free cash flow of $24.3 million for the quarter, improving by $18.1 million from the previous year [29] - The Board approved a regular quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share, payable on June 2, 2025 [31] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on the Merchant Business - Management noted that the Merchant business continues to perform well across various market conditions, with strength in government and not-for-profit sectors [34][35] Question: Strategic Changes with New Leadership - Management expressed confidence in the new leadership and highlighted a focus on improving partnership relationships and expanding distribution channels [36][38] Question: Segment Modeling and Performance - Management indicated that the Data segment had a strong quarter but does not expect to maintain a 29% growth rate, projecting upper single digits to low double digits for the full year [44] Question: Impact of Government Check Phasing Out - Management clarified that the federal government is not a customer and does not expect significant impact from the phasing out of physical checks [54][56] Question: Observations on Tariffs and Spending - Management noted minimal evidence of consumer pull forward in spending related to tariffs, emphasizing that their revenue is transaction-based [58][59] Question: Potential Catalysts for Partnerships - Management highlighted the company's strong brand and relationships in the banking sector as key advantages for driving new partnerships [66][70]