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8-K - 8-K - Hill International, Inc.a16-10641_18k.htm

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Hill International Reports First Quarter 2016 Financial Results;

Consulting Fees Up 4% and Net Earnings Up 107%

 

Philadelphia, PA — May 4, 2016 — Hill International (NYSE:HIL), the global leader in managing construction risk, announced today financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 (see attached tables).

 

Total revenue for the first quarter of 2016 was $176.2 million, an increase of 3.5% from the first quarter of 2015.  Consulting fee revenue for the first quarter was $157.3 million, a 4.1% increase from last year’s first quarter.

 

EBITDA (as defined below) for the first quarter was $8.2 million, a 3.6% increase from the first quarter of 2015.  Operating profit for the first quarter was $5.5 million, a 1.3% decrease from last year’s first quarter.  Net earnings for the first quarter were $1.5 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, up 106.6% from $0.7 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2015.

 

The company’s total backlog at March 31, 2016 was $866 million up 0.7% from $860 million at December 31, 2015.  Twelve-month backlog at March 31, 2016 was $399 million, up 2.8% from $388 million at December 31, 2015.

 

“We delivered a solid first quarter, with 4% consulting fee growth and net earnings that more than doubled on a combination of lower overhead costs, interest expense and income tax expense,” said David L. Richter, Hill’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “For 2016, we will focus on continuing to grow our backlog,  minimizing our indirect costs, reducing debt, and maximizing our bottom-line profitability,” added Richter.

 

2016 Guidance

 

Based on Hill’s financial performance in the first quarter, current market conditions and the backlog amounts described above, the company reiterates its prior guidance that consulting fee revenue in 2016 is expected to be between $630 million and $660 million.  This guidance reflects approximately 0% to 5% growth in consulting fee revenue for the year.  The company also maintains that EBITDA margin as a percentage of consulting fees in 2016 will be in the range of 8% to 10%, up from 6.5% during 2015.

 

Business Segment Results

 

In addition to providing consolidated financial results, Hill also reports separate financial results for its two operating segments: the Project Management Group and the Construction Claims Group.

 

Project Management Group.  Hill’s Project Management Group provides program management, project management, construction management, project management oversight, troubled project turnaround, staff augmentation, project labor agreement consulting, commissioning, estimating and cost management, labor compliance and facilities management services.

 

Total revenue at Hill’s Project Management Group during the first quarter of 2016 was $134.4 million, an increase of 3.4% from the first quarter of 2015.  Consulting fee revenue for the first quarter at the Projects Group was $116.6 million, an increase of 4.0% from last year’s first quarter.  Operating profit for the Projects Group for the first quarter was $12.0 million, a 4.6% decrease from the first quarter of 2015.

 



 

Construction Claims GroupHill’s Construction Claims Group provides claims consulting, management consulting, litigation support, expert witness testimony, cost/damages assessment, delay/disruption analysis, adjudication, lender advisory, risk management, forensic accounting, fraud investigation, Project Neutral and international arbitration services.

 

Total revenue at Hill’s Construction Claims Group during the first quarter of 2016 was $41.9 million, an increase of 3.9% from the first quarter of 2015.  Consulting fee revenue for the first quarter at the Claims Group was $40.7 million, an increase of 4.4% from last year’s first quarter.  Operating profit for the Claims Group for the first quarter was $2.9 million, a 23.1% increase from the first quarter of 2015.

 

Conference Call

 

David L. Richter, Hill’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and John Fanelli III, Hill’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call on May 5, 2016, at 11:00 am Eastern Time to discuss the financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016.  Interested parties may participate in the call by dialing (877) 423-9820 (Domestic) or (201) 493-6749 (International) approximately 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and ask to be connected to the Hill International conference call.  The conference call will also be broadcast live over the Internet.  To listen to the live call, please go to the “Investor Relations” section of Hill’s website at www.hillintl.com, and click on “Financial Information,” and then “Conferences and Calls”.  Please go to the website at least 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software.  If you are unable to participate in the live call, the conference call will be archived and can be accessed from Hill’s website for approximately 90 days.

 

About Hill International

 

Hill International, with 4,600 employees in 100 offices worldwide, provides program management, project management, construction management, construction claims and other consulting services primarily to the buildings, transportation, environmental, energy and industrial markets.  Engineering News-Record magazine recently ranked Hill as the seventh largest construction management firm in the United States.  For more information on Hill, please visit our website at www.hillintl.com.

 

The Hill International logo is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=5733.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

Certain statements contained herein may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and it is our intent that any such statements be protected by the safe harbor created thereby. Except for historical information, the matters set forth herein including, but not limited to, any projections of revenues, earnings or other financial items; any statements concerning our plans, strategies and objectives for future operations; and any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Although we believe that the expectations, estimates and assumptions reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in any of our forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from estimates or projections contained in our forward-looking statements are set forth in the Risk Factors section and elsewhere in the reports we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including that unfavorable global economic conditions may adversely impact our business, our backlog many not be fully realizable as revenue and our expenses may be higher than anticipated. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement.

 



 

Hill International, Inc.

John P. Paolin

Senior Vice President of Marketing and

Corporate Communications

(215) 309-7710

johnpaolin@hillintl.com

 

The Equity Group Inc.

Devin Sullivan

Senior Vice President

(212) 836-9608

dsullivan@equityny.com

 

(HIL-F)

 



 

HILL INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

EARNINGS RELEASE TABLES

(In 000’s, Except Per Share Data)

(Unaudited)

 

Consolidated Statement of Operations

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

2016 

 

2015 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consulting fee revenue

 

$

157,305

 

$

151,141

 

Reimbursable expenses

 

18,916

 

19,127

 

Total revenue

 

176,221

 

170,268

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of services

 

94,063

 

86,429

 

Reimbursable expenses

 

18,916

 

19,127

 

Total direct expenses

 

112,979

 

105,556

 

Gross profit

 

63,242

 

64,712

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

57,725

 

58,923

 

Share of (profit) loss of equity method affiliates

 

(15

)

183

 

Operating profit

 

5,532

 

5,606

 

Interest and related financing fees, net

 

3,397

 

3,574

 

Earnings before income taxes

 

2,135

 

2,032

 

Income tax expense

 

681

 

1,184

 

Net earnings

 

1,454

 

848

 

Less: net earnings - noncontrolling interests

 

4

 

146

 

Net earnings attributable to Hill International, Inc.

 

$

1,450

 

$

702

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic earnings per common share - Hill International, Inc.

 

$

0.03

 

$

0.01

 

Basic weighted average common shares outstanding

 

51,631

 

50,373

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per common share - Hill International, Inc.

 

$

0.03

 

$

0.01

 

Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding

 

51,722

 

50,637

 

 



 

Selected Segment Data

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

2016 

 

2015 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Project Management

 

 

 

 

 

Consulting fee revenue

 

$

116,579

 

$

112,117

 

Total revenue

 

$

134,370

 

$

129,995

 

Gross profit

 

$

41,069

 

$

43,386

 

Gross profit as a percent of consulting fee revenue

 

35.2

%

38.7

%

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

$

29,064

 

$

30,598

 

SG&A expenses as a percentage of consulting fee revenue

 

24.9

%

27.3

%

Operating profit before share of profit (loss) of equity method affiliate

 

$

12,005

 

$

12,788

 

Share of profit (loss) of equity method affiliate

 

$

15

 

(183

)

Operating profit

 

$

12,020

 

$

12,605

 

Operating profit as a percent of consulting fee revenue

 

10.3

%

11.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction Claims

 

 

 

 

 

Consulting fee revenue

 

$

40,726

 

$

39,024

 

Total revenue

 

$

41,851

 

$

40,273

 

Gross profit

 

$

22,173

 

$

21,326

 

Gross profit as a percent of consulting fee revenue

 

54.4

%

54.6

%

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

$

19,300

 

$

18,993

 

SG&A expenses as a percentage of consulting fee revenue

 

47.4

%

48.7

%

Operating profit

 

$

2,873

 

$

2,333

 

Operating profit as a percent of consulting fee revenue

 

7.1

%

6.0

%

 

Selected Other Financial Data

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

2016 

 

2015 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consulting fee revenue

 

$

157,305

 

$

151,141

 

Total revenue

 

$

176,221

 

170,268

 

Gross profit

 

$

63,242

 

$

64,712

 

Gross profit as a percentage of consulting fee revenue

 

40.2

%

42.8

%

Selling, general and administrative expenses (excluding corporate expenses)

 

$

48,364

 

$

49,591

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses (excluding corporate expenses) as a percentage of consulting fee revenue

 

30.7

%

32.8

%

Corporate expenses

 

$

9,361

 

$

9,332

 

Corporate expenses as a percentage of consulting fee revenue

 

6.0

%

6.2

%

Operating profit before share of profit (loss) of equity method affiliate

 

$

5,517

 

$

5,789

 

Share of profit (loss) of equity method affiliate

 

$

15

 

$

(183

)

Operating profit

 

$

5,532

 

$

5,606

 

Operating profit as a percent of consulting fee revenue

 

3.5

%

3.7

%

Effective income tax rate

 

31.9

%

58.3

%

 



 

Selected Balance Sheet Data

 

 

 

March 31, 2016

 

December 31, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

21,035

 

$

24,089

 

Accounts receivable, net

 

243,093

 

243,417

 

Current assets

 

292,293

 

291,591

 

Total assets

 

439,323

 

442,563

 

Current liabilities

 

137,745

 

143,048

 

Total debt

 

146,276

 

144,983

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity:

 

 

 

 

 

Hill International, Inc. share of equity

 

117,406

 

113,969

 

Noncontrolling interests

 

3,318

 

4,070

 

Total equity

 

$

120,724

 

$

118,039

 

 

EBITDA Reconciliation

 

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for the first quarter of 2016 were $8.2 million compared to $7.9 million in the first quarter of 2015.  EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).  Management believes EBITDA, in addition to operating profit, net income and other GAAP measures, is a useful indicator of Hill’s financial and operating performance and its ability to generate cash flows from operations that are available for taxes, capital expenditures and debt service.  Investors should recognize that EBITDA might not be comparable to similarly-titled measures of other companies.  This measure should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, any measure of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.  A reconciliation of EBITDA to the most directly comparable GAAP measure in accordance with SEC Regulation S-K follows:

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

2016 

 

2015 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings

 

$

1,450

 

$

702

 

Interest expense, net

 

3,397

 

3,574

 

Income tax expense

 

681

 

1,184

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

2,656

 

2,440

 

EBITDA

 

$

8,184

 

$

7,900