Just Dial Limited (JUSTDIAL)

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Summary from July 2024

Just Dial Limited Earnings Call Summary (July 17, 2024)

Financial PerformanceOperating Revenue: INR 280.6 crores • 13.6% year-on-year growth • 3.8% sequential increase • EBITDA Margins: Improved to 28.7% • Absolute EBITDA more than doubled year-on-year • Profit Growth: • Operating profit before tax (PBT) grew significantly • Profit after tax increased by 69.3% year-on-year • Employee Metrics: • Total employee count: 13,112 • Employee expenses decreased by 5.3% year-on-year • User Growth: 10 million new unique users added, totaling 181.3 million quarterly unique visitors

Revenue Trends and StrategyRevenue Realizations: • Non-top 11 city realizations improved to 48%-49% of Tier 1 levels • Affordability: • Monthly campaign revenues: INR 1,100 (Tier 2-3) and INR 2,200-2,300 (Tier 1) • Cash Utilization: • INR 4,750 crores in cash; considering a healthy dividend policy • Growth Initiatives: • Focus on content enrichment and lead quality for SMEs • Integration with Jio for service delivery and cost efficiencies

Traffic Distribution and Advertising StrategyTraffic Sources: • 60-61% from Tier 2-3 cities; 40% from Tier 1 cities • Advertising Focus: • Shift towards digital channels and SEO • Optimized spend for top revenue-generating categories • Growth Targets: • Mid-teens top-line growth • Maintain EBITDA margins above 25%

Revenue Contributions and Shareholder ReturnsRevenue Segmentation: • B2B: 25.5% of revenues • Paid campaigns: 21-22% of revenue • Profit Distribution: • Aim to distribute 100% of incremental profits through dividends or buybacks

Long-term Growth VisionRevenue Growth Target: 15-20% focused on core local search business • Collaborations: Potential partnerships with Jio for local advertising targeting SMEs

Customer Retention and Tax Rate InsightsRetention Rates: • Approximately 60% of customers renew after the first year • Higher retention expected in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities • Tax Rate: • Current estimate of 8.2% expected to remain stable • Long-term effective tax rate projected at 18% to 20%

ConclusionFuture Outlook: • Emphasis on digital investments and customer retention strategies • Invitation for further questions from participants

Summary from April 2024

Just Dial Limited Q4 FY'24 Earnings Call Summary

Earnings HighlightsDate of Call: April 18, 2024 • Operating Revenue: INR 270.3 crores (16.2% YoY growth) • Collections Growth: 17.7% for FY'24 • EBITDA Margin: Improved to 26.1% • Profit Before Tax: INR 147.3 crores (53% YoY increase) • Profit After Tax: INR 115.6 crores (38% YoY increase) • Revenue Target for FY'25: 15% increase

Market InsightsNon-Top 11 Markets: Significant growth potential in Tier 2 and 3 cities. • SME Market Size: Approximately 80-85 million SMEs and freelancers in India. • Current Listings: 43 million, with 60% from Tier 2 and 3 cities.

Revenue and Pricing StrategyARPU: Maintained at INR 18,500, with a 7.2% YoY increase in monthly revenue per campaign. • B2B Contribution: Around 22% of overall volume. • Price Hikes: Continuous adjustments based on performance metrics.

Workforce OptimizationTechnology Utilization: Enhancing productivity and reducing manual labor. • Self-Serve Model: Implemented to generate leads for the sales team. • Future Hiring Plans: Selective hiring to support SMEs.

Revenue DiversificationRevenue Base: No single category contributes more than 3-4% to total revenues. • Key Growth Areas: Service-oriented sectors like pest control, healthcare, and wedding services.

Investment and Financial StrategyInvestment Shift: INR 2,800 crores from short to long-term investments. • Tax Rate Projection: Expected to drop below 10% in FY'25.

Strategic InitiativesCollaboration with JioAds: Focus on hyper-local advertising opportunities for SMEs. • Advertising Spend: Aiming for 5-6% of top line sustainably.

Operational Metrics and Future OutlookChurn Rate: Typical one-year retention rate around 55%. • Cash Reserves: INR 4,625 crores with no immediate deployment plans. • Growth Expectations: 15% revenue growth target, with a focus on balancing growth and profitability.

ConclusionCurrent Margin: 26.1%, with potential for further increases. • Active Paid Campaign Growth: Expected annual growth of 8% to 9%. • User Experience: Paid advertisers prioritized without compromising relevance for non-paid results.

Summary from January 2024

Just Dial Limited Q3 FY '24 Earnings Call Summary

Key Financial HighlightsOperating Revenue: Increased by 19.7% YoY to INR 265 crores. • EBITDA Margin: Rose to 22.8%. • Profit After Taxes: Grew by 22.3% YoY to INR 92 crores.

Management Focus • Emphasis on profitability and free cash flow. • Strategic balance between revenue growth and cost optimization. • Positive outlook for collections growth in Tier 1 and Tier 2/3 markets.

Strategic InitiativesESOP Provisions: No significant changes reported. • Sales Strategy: Cautious hiring approach; focus on optimizing existing sales force. • Advertising Plans: Increased spending projected at 3-4% of top line to drive traffic.

Customer Engagement and Retention • Improved customer retention with 58-59% of campaigns from monthly customers. • Automation and online data collection enhancing productivity.

Pricing and Margin Guidance • Current pricing allows for potential increases without customer pushback. • Margin guidance maintained at around 25%, subject to review based on growth.

Cash Utilization and Competitive Landscape • No immediate plans for cash distribution due to tax burdens and lack of attractive opportunities. • Just Dial's strength in categorizing listings mitigates risks from increased online information.

B2B and B2C Performance • Both segments showing similar growth rates, with B2B typically having better margins. • Ongoing initiatives for content enrichment and universal business listing concept for SMEs.

Future Outlook • Active paid campaigns expected to grow in Q4. • Balanced growth strategy targeting revenue growth from campaign additions and improved realizations. • Focus on enhancing core search business and exploring synergies with Reliance Group.

Conclusion • Just Dial aims for steady growth with a focus on local search, leveraging its extensive listings and user traffic to maintain a competitive edge.

Summary from October 2023

Just Dial Limited Q2 FY '24 Earnings Call Summary

Financial Performance HighlightsOperating Revenue: Increased by 27% YoY to INR 260.6 crores. • EBITDA: Rose to INR 48.8 crores, with a margin improvement of 10.4 percentage points YoY. • Profit Before Tax: Increased by 43% to INR 92.1 crores. • Profit After Tax (PAT): Grew by 37.5% to INR 71.8 crores. • Collections: Strong collections reported at INR 278 crores. • Deferred Revenue: Increased by 23.6% YoY.

Management OutlookGrowth Confidence: Management aims to sustain a 20%+ growth rate and achieve 25% EBITDA margins. • Market Focus: Emphasis on localized search results and broader listings to compete with Google.

Treasury and Cash ManagementTreasury Portfolio: Valued at INR 4,250 crores, expected to yield INR 290-300 crores annually. • Cash Distribution: No decision on buybacks or dividends yet; strategic cash deployment is a priority.

Competitive PositioningB2C Focus: Revenue primarily from B2C categories, differentiating from B2B competitors like IndiaMART. • Market Penetration: Approximately 60% of customers from Tier 2 and smaller cities.

New InitiativesJD Omni Platform: A comprehensive business management solution for SMEs. • Cautious Spending: Careful approach to incentivizing users and merchants due to potential negative unit economics.

Revenue Growth StrategyRevenue Growth Target: Aiming for 20% overall growth, with half from campaign additions and the rest from pricing increases. • Advertising Budget: Targeting a sustainable budget of 5-6% of revenue.

Unique Visitor and Traffic InsightsOrganic Traffic: Over 90% of traffic is organic, with improved levels compared to pre-COVID times. • Visitor Growth: Modest increase in unique visitors; focus on optimizing advertising spend.

Tier 1 vs. Tier 2 GrowthGrowth Disparity: Tier 1 cities showed single-digit growth, while Tier 2 cities experienced stronger growth. • Balanced Revenue Goal: Aim to achieve balanced revenue increase from both tiers.

Data Utilization and User GrowthTraffic Data: Potential for analytics and cross-selling services, with compliance to data protection regulations. • User Growth Target: Aiming to increase user base from 170 million to 250 million.

ConclusionEconomic Influence: Acknowledgment that economic conditions affect SME advertising budgets, but challenging to correlate directly with GDP growth. • Open for Queries: Management invited further questions from participants.

Summary from July 2023

Just Dial Limited Q1 FY '24 Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Overview • Date: July 17, 2023 • Transcript submitted on July 20, 2023 • Focus: Operational and financial performance for the quarter ending June 30, 2023

Key Financial HighlightsOperating Revenue: Increased by 33.1% YoY to INR 247 crores • Adjusted EBITDA: INR 36.3 crores, margin of 14.7% • Employee Expenses: Rose by 22.6% YoY, cost control measures implemented • Other Income: Improved to INR 81.4 crores • Profit After Tax: INR 83.4 crores, compared to a loss in the same quarter last year • Unique Users: 171.4 million, emphasizing organic traffic for future monetization

Market Growth InsightsTop 11 Markets: Grew by 25% • Non-Top 11 Markets: Grew by 46-47% • Tier 2 and Tier 3 Cities: Significant potential for growth, currently at 45% of Tier 1 realizations

Strategic InitiativesNew Platforms: JD Xperts and JD Shopping ready but require substantial investment for scaling • Cash Reserves: INR 4,160 crores, no immediate plans for shareholder distribution • EBITDA Margins: Current margins around 15%, aiming for 25% within 2-3 quarters

Revenue and Subscription TrendsDeferred Revenue Growth: Moderation seen as seasonal, recovery expected • Paid Subscriptions: Sequential addition of 10,000, targeting over 20% growth for the full year • Realization Growth Target: 12% to 18%

Focus on Core BusinessInvestment Strategy: Cautious approach to new initiatives, prioritizing core business stability • Sales Headcount: Stable, with potential adjustments based on monetization goals

Performance and Pricing AdjustmentsSeasonal Slowdown: Compared to previous year, adjusting pricing strategies to enhance revenue • JD Mart: Slight growth in B2B campaigns, with expectations for B2B revenue to outpace B2C

Long-term Growth GoalsAnnual Growth Target: 20-25%, driven by campaign additions and ticket size growth • Unique Visitors Growth: Attributed to seasonal factors and platform improvements • EBITDA Margin Goal: Over 25% by year-end, with potential pricing increases for premium listings

Tax and Employee CostsEffective Tax Rate: Expected around 21.5% to 22% • Employee Costs: Recent increases due to increments, moderation expected in coming quarters

Cash Utilization DiscussionCash Reserves: INR 4,200 crores, no current plans for buybacks or cash distribution strategies • Future Discussions: Planned with the Board regarding cash utilization strategies

Conclusion • The call concluded with an invitation for further questions and appreciation for participant engagement.