Broadridge(BR) - 2026 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Broadridge reported strong first-quarter results with 8% recurring revenue growth on a constant currency basis and a 51% increase in Adjusted EPS to $1.51 [5][21][28] - Total revenue increased by 12% to $1.6 billion, driven by recurring revenue growth and higher event-driven revenue [27][28] - Adjusted operating income margin expanded by 280 basis points to 15.8% [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Governance business revenues rose 5%, driven by sales and healthy position growth, with total equity position growth at 12% [6][21][24] - Capital markets revenues grew 6%, supported by new sales and higher trading volumes, with digital asset revenues contributing $4 million [11][23][24] - Wealth and investment management revenues grew 22%, driven by solid organic growth and the acquisition of SIS [15][24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Investor participation trends remain healthy across equities and funds, with equity position growth at 12% and fund position growth at 2% [7][24] - Trade volumes rose 17% for the quarter, driven by double-digit growth in both equity and fixed income volumes [25][82] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Broadridge is focused on democratizing and digitizing investing, simplifying trading, and modernizing wealth management [5][16] - The company is investing in new governance solutions, expanding tokenization capabilities, and making value-added acquisitions [5][16] - Tokenization is viewed as a mega trend over the next 10 years, with potential benefits in various asset classes [12][17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving the higher end of the 5%-7% recurring revenue growth range and reaffirmed guidance for 8%-12% Adjusted EPS growth [6][20][32] - The positive economic backdrop, strong equity markets, and a pro-innovation regulatory environment are seen as beneficial for Broadridge's growth [4][5] Other Important Information - Broadridge completed two tuck-in acquisitions in the first quarter for a total of $56 million and repurchased $150 million of its shares [19][30] - The company recorded a $46 million unrealized gain on digital asset holdings, which was excluded from Adjusted EPS calculations [20][29] Q&A Session Summary Question: Recurring revenue outlook and EPS guidance - Management explained that the recurring revenue guidance was raised due to acquisitions and strong underlying business performance, while EPS growth is expected to be 8%-12% [36][38][39] Question: Impact of government shutdown on sales cycles - Management indicated that there has been no slowdown in client conversations or deal closures due to the government shutdown, maintaining a stable selling environment [50][52] Question: Role of digital assets and tokenization - Management sees digital assets and tokenization as a megatrend, with plans to drive tokenization across various asset classes and integrate digital assets into wealth management [54][56][57] Question: Position growth trends - Management reported strong position growth, particularly in equity positions, driven by managed accounts and direct indexing [67][69] Question: Canton Network and super validator status - Management clarified that the super validator role is separate from the Distributed Ledger Repo platform and that payments for this role are commonly made in coins [72][74]