Afya(AFYA) - 2025 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net revenue increased by 16%, reaching R936 million, with adjusted EBITDA growing almost 24% year over year to R492 million, achieving a record margin of 52.5% [5][17][19] - Cash flow from operating activities rose by almost 10% to R470 million, reflecting a cash conversion rate of 96.8% [5][18] - Net income reached R257 million, marking a 23% growth year over year, with EPS of R2.79, also a 23% increase [5][19][20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Undergrad segment net revenues increased over 17% to R827 million, with medical students growing 15% to almost 26,000 [12][16] - Continuing education segment net revenue rose almost 9% year over year to R71 million, with a notable 8% increase in B2B revenue [8][14] - Medical practice solutions segment saw a 14% growth in net revenue, reaching R42 million, driven by B2B contracts and active payers increasing to over 198,000 [8][15] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The ecosystem now includes over 370,000 active users, demonstrating substantial penetration among physicians and medical students in Brazil [8][16] - The company received a credit rating upgrade from Moody's from AAplus.br to AAA.br, reflecting strong growth and financial discipline [9][10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company focuses on expanding its educational systems and medical practice solutions, aiming to support students in becoming physicians and enhancing medical learning [21] - Strategic acquisitions, such as the Funiq acquisition, are expected to enhance operations and increase approved medical seats [6][9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strong start to 2025, maintaining guidance for the year despite strong margin performance [29][30] - The intake process for medical students was reported as healthy, with a strong brand recognition contributing to a favorable candidate-to-seat ratio [31][32] Other Important Information - The company achieved all IFC-defined targets for 2024, which will trigger a reduction in interest rates, reinforcing its commitment to social impact and financial discipline [10] - The company received its first ESG rating from MSCI, debuting with a solid BBB score, indicating strong performance in data privacy and security [10] Q&A Session Summary Question: What drove the strong EBITDA margin performance? - Management attributed the margin expansion to higher gross margins from undergrad and continuing education segments, along with operational efficiencies from restructuring [27][28] Question: Are there challenges in the intake process due to expanded medical course offerings? - Management reported a healthy intake process with strong brand recognition, noting around seven to eight candidates per seat [31][32] Question: Any significant changes in the competitive landscape affecting average ticket prices? - Management indicated that while the average ticket grew 4%, it was impacted by retention issues from last year, but they expect future increases to be higher [36][38] Question: What is the expectation for the medical practice solutions segment given the decrease in monthly active users? - Management noted a transitional decline due to the portal change but expects improvements as the new system stabilizes [40][42] Question: Clarification on the minimum tax under OECD Pillar Two rules? - Management explained that the new law introduces minimal taxation for multinational groups, and they are currently provisioning for this tax [49][50] Question: How is the company preparing for the SoftBank convertible debt deadline? - Management stated they are prepared with cash flow generation to handle potential early redemption of the debt [53][54]