EX-99.1 2 ex_668107.htm EXHIBIT 99.1 ex_668107.htm

Exhibit 99.1

 

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1245 Q Street, Lincoln, NE 68508

P: 1 800 388 4264 | F: 402 475 9061
nrchealth.com

 

 

 

Contact: Linda A. Stacy
  Principal Financial Officer
  402-475-2525

 

 

NATIONAL RESEARCH CORPORATION ANNOUNCES

FIRST QUARTER RESULTS

 


 

LINCOLN, Nebraska (May 7, 2024) — National Research Corporation, dba NRC Health, (NASDAQ:NRC) today announced results for the first quarter 2024.

 

CEO Commentary

 

Michael Hays, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “NRC continues to be strongly positioned for growth in our expanding markets. Our decades of benchmarks and trusted thought leadership afford healthcare insights unavailable to most competitors, while our client service remains unmatched, and we continue to roll out innovative new products and technologies. Our mission to enhance outcomes and experiences for everyone in the healthcare journey, while improving our clients’ bottom lines, provides true alignment with our clients.

 

“Healthcare systems are facing unprecedented competition and financial pressure, magnifying the importance of every experience across their enterprise – consumer, patient, employee. Our clients want a broader experience perspective, greater strategic alignment, innovation, and actionable insights that deliver more value. Next quarter, we will launch an expanded product suite that extends across the experience spectrum, recognizing and responding to consumers, patients, and caregivers as unique individuals. Our thought leadership assets, used by hundreds of health care systems, will be coordinated under our new Chief Experience Officer, who will use her decades of health system leadership roles to deliver them in increasingly targeted ways. And our expanded sales and product technology teams are working intensely with clients to develop a new generation of solutions, many powered by generative AI, that push analytics to managers and real-time, actionable insights to front line associates. We expect to offer new AI features and solutions this year and to integrate them across our products and business over time.”

 

Financial Summary

 

Linda Stacy, Principal Financial Officer, commented on the financial results, “During the first quarter, we made significant investments in our technology, sales and service teams as we prepared to launch new products and solutions later this year. For the balance of the year, we expect to continue building our AI and other technology capabilities, as well as our sales and thought leadership resources while seeking operating efficiencies.”

 

 

 

NRC Announces First Quarter 2024 Results

Page 2

May 7, 2024

 

 

The Company continued to execute the entire range of capital allocation alternatives, including funding innovation and growth investments, dividends, and share repurchases. During the first quarter of 2024, the Company returned $18 million to stockholders in the form of dividends and stock repurchases. Funding for organic innovation and growth investments was $4 million consisting of facilities improvements and investments in our Human Understanding solutions. The Company is highly focused on product innovation and expects to see expansion in funding for innovation and growth investments for the remainder of the year.

 

The Company had strong cash flow from operations during the first quarter of 2024 and, at March 31, 2024, had other sources of liquidity including borrowing availability of $23 million on its line of credit and $56 million on its delayed draw term facility. At March 31, 2024, the Company had approximately $40 million of net debt.

 

Dividend

 

The Company’s Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 (twelve cents) per share payable Monday, July 15, 2024, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on Friday, June 28, 2024.

 

Conference Call

 

A live simulcast of National Research Corporation’s 2024 first quarter conference call will be available online at https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/554254445 May 8, 2024, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. The online replay will follow approximately one hour later and continue for 30 days.

 

About NRC

 

For more than 40 years, NRC Health (NASDAQ: NRC) has led the charge to humanize healthcare and support organizations in their understanding of each unique individual. NRC Health’s commitment to Human Understanding® helps leading healthcare systems get to know each person they serve not as point-in-time insights, but as an ongoing relationship. Guided by its uniquely empathic heritage, NRC Health’s patient-focused approach, unmatched market research, and emphasis on consumer preferences are transforming the healthcare experience, creating strong outcomes for patients and entire healthcare systems. For more information, email  info@nrchealth.com, or visit www.nrchealth.com.

 

 

 

 

NRC Announces First Quarter 2024 Results

Page 3

May 7, 2024

 

 

This press release contains certain statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are subject to the safe harbor created by those sections and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such statements may be identified by their use of terms or phrases such as believes, expect, focus, potential, will, derivations thereof, and similar terms and phrases. In this press release, the statements related to the roll out of new products, thought leadership assets, future use of AI, investment in product innovation, sales, technology, and thought leadership resources, operating efficiency, client profitability, the potential to expand Human Understanding and increase market share, and future revenue growth, and capital allocation are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, which could cause future events and actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements, including those risks and uncertainties as set forth in the Risk Factors section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and various disclosures in our press releases, stockholder reports, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in the factors affecting the forward-looking information.

 

 

 

 

NRC Announces First Quarter 2024 Results

Page 4

May 7, 2024

 

 

NATIONAL RESEARCH CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

   

Three months ended
March 31,

 
   

2024

   

2023

 
                 

Revenue

  $ 35,313     $ 36,473  
                 

Operating expenses:

               

Direct

    13,856       14,280  

Selling, general and administrative

    11,250       11,783  

Depreciation and amortization

    1,447       1,394  

Total operating expenses

    26,553       27,457  
                 

Operating income

    8,760       9,016  
                 

Other income (expense):

               

Interest income

    44       250  

Interest expense

    (605 )     (241 )

Other, net

    (5 )     (14 )
                 

Total other income (expense)

    (566 )     (5 )
                 

Income before income taxes

    8,194       9,011  
                 

Provision for income taxes

    1,835       2,047  
                 

Net income

  $ 6,359     $ 6,964  
                 

Earnings Per Share of Common Stock:

               

Basic Earnings Per Share

  $ 0.27     $ 0.28  

Diluted Earnings Per Share

  $ 0.27     $ 0.28  
                 

Weighted average shares and share equivalents outstanding

               
                 
Basic     23,868       24,585  

Diluted

    23,963       24,738  

 

 

 

 

NRC Announces First Quarter 2024 Results

Page 5

May 7, 2024

 

 

NATIONAL RESEARCH CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands, except share amounts and par value)

 

   

March 31,

2024

   

December 31,

2023

 

Assets

               

Current assets:

               

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 1,699     $ 6,653  

Accounts receivable, net

    11,127       12,378  

Other current assets

    7,188       5,329  

Total current assets

    20,014       24,360  
                 

Property and equipment, net

    31,530       28,205  

Goodwill

    61,614       61,614  

Other, net

    7,753       8,258  

Total assets

  $ 120,911     $ 122,437  
                 

Liabilities and Shareholders Equity

               

Current liabilities:

               

Current portion of notes payable

  $ 7,504     $ 7,214  

Line of credit

    7,000       --  

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    8,129       6,194  

Accrued compensation

    5,385       3,953  

Deferred revenue

    15,194       14,834  

Dividends payable

    2,865       2,906  

Other current liabilities

    2,773       1,102  

Total current liabilities

    48,850       36,203  
                 

Notes payable, net of current portion and unamortized debt issuance costs

    27,569       29,470  

Other non-current liabilities

    7,547       7,809  

Total liabilities

    83,966       73,482  
                 

Shareholders’ equity:

               

Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 2,000,000 shares, none issued

    --       --  

Common stock, $0.001 par value; authorized 110,000,000 shares, issued 31,078,202 in 2024 and 31,002,919 in 2023, outstanding 23,877,315 in 2024 and 24,219,887 in 2023

    31       31  

Additional paid-in capital

    179,929       178,213  

Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)

    (27,036 )     (30,530 )
                 

Treasury stock

    (115,979 )     (98,759 )

Total shareholders’ equity

    36,945       48,955  

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

  $ 120,911     $ 122,437