Updater Services Limited (UDS)

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Summary from August 2024

Submission Details • Date of submission: August 14, 2024 • Transcript of Q1 FY25 Earnings Conference Call held on August 7, 2024 • Key management present: • Raghunandana Tangirala (MD and Chairman) • Amitabh Jaipuria (Non-Executive Director) • Radha Ramanujan (CFO)

Company Performance OverviewRevenue Growth: • 14% year-on-year growth to Rs. 6,587 million • PAT increased by 107% to Rs. 256 million • Segment Contributions: • Integrated Facility Management (IFM): 64% of revenue • Business Support Services (BSS): 36% of revenue • Operational Efficiency: • IFM focusing on improving margins (rose to 5.7%) • BSS revenue growth of 34% driven by outsourcing trends

Future Growth Projections • Company aims for growth trajectory of three times nominal GDP • Optimism supported by favorable government policies and market dynamics

Q&A HighlightsBSS Growth Prospects: • Projected increase in revenue share to 40-42% over 1-2 years • Focus on synergistic service lines and acquisitions • Challenges: • Slowdown in IT hiring affecting employee background verification segment • Pricing pressure from low-margin contracts expiring

Segment Performance InsightsIFM Business: • Revenue contributions: Soft services (40%), Engineering services (25%), Production support (15-20%) • Projected growth of 13-14% despite industry challenges • BSS EBITDA Margins: • Current margin at 9.9%, expected to improve in Q2 and Q3

Financial and Strategic UpdatesESOP Costs: • Reported Rs. 11 million for the quarter, expected total of Rs. 5 crores for the year • Rights Issue and Loans: • Rs. 7.9 crores rights issue and loan to Wynwy Technology for strategic merger • Field Marketing Initiative: • Generated Rs. 40 crores last quarter

Conclusion • Management expressed gratitude for participant engagement and invited further inquiries.

Summary from May 2024

Submission Details • Date of submission: May 25, 2024 • Enclosed: Transcript of Q4 FY24 Earnings Conference Call (held on May 21, 2024) • Key participants: Raghunandana Tangirala (Promoter and Managing Director), Snehashish Bhattacharjee (new CEO), and other executives.

Company Performance HighlightsB2B Operations: Strong revenue growth in Business Support Services (BSS) segment. • BSS revenue increased by 32% to INR 802 crores. • Challenges in employee background verification due to IT hiring slowdown. • Expansion into banking and manufacturing sectors. • Airport ground handling operations planned at 22 airports.

Integrated Facilities Management (IFM): • Contributed 66% of total revenues, growing by 9% to INR 1,665 crores. • Focus on rationalizing low-margin contracts. • Targeting a market expected to reach INR 80,000 crores by FY28.

Growth Strategies • Enhance customer relationships and market share. • Introduce technology-enabled services. • Pursue acquisitions in the BSS space. • Recognition for workplace culture.

Financial PerformanceQ4 FY24 Results: • Revenue growth: 10% year-on-year to 6,326 million. • EBITDA increased by 6% to 411 million; adjusted EBITDA fell by 23% to 383 million. • Reported PAT grew by 150% to 242 million; adjusted PAT remained flat at 217 million.

Full FY24 Results: • Total revenue rose 16% to 24,561 million. • EBITDA up 41% to 1,459 million. • Added 78 new logos in IFM and 51 in BSS.

Strategic Focus • Focus on continuing customers contributing significantly to revenue. • Elimination of low-revenue clients and one-off projects. • Adjustments in depreciation accounting policy to align with subsidiaries.

Segment InsightsBSS Segment: Minor revenue drops due to market impacts; overall stability. • IFM Segment: Margins dropped from 2.4% to 1.7% due to exiting low-margin contracts; recovery expected by Q2 FY'25.

Management Insights • Projected growth for BSS segment: 15% to 18% in the current year. • ESOP guidance for FY'25: INR 5-6 crores, down from INR 10 crores. • High employee costs attributed to new projects and reclassification of expenses.

Conclusion • Management expressed optimism for a 15% to 18% growth in both revenue and profit for the upcoming year.

Summary from February 2024

Company OverviewDate of Call: February 15, 2024 • Led by: Managing Director Raghunandana Tangirala • Focus: Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) and Business Support Services (BSS)

Financial PerformanceRevenue Growth: 18% year-on-year to INR 6,404.54 million • IFM Contribution: 65% • BSS Contribution: 35% • BSS Growth: 55% (partly due to Athena acquisition) • Adjusted EBITDA: Grew by 69% year-on-year • Debt Position: Net cash positive with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32x

Key Inquiries and ResponsesIFM Business Model: • Primarily self-managed, with in-house services • Clients may outsource specific services • Airport Services: • Involvement in engineering and ground handling • Acquisition Valuation: • Full value of acquisitions reflected upfront, with performance adjustments • Growth Prospects: • Potential growth of 20-21% aligned with economic growth of 7%

Segment InsightsBSS Revenue Breakdown: • Denave: INR 135 crores • Athena: INR 37 crores • Challenges: • Decline in IT hiring affecting employee background verification • Modest growth in audit and assurance business • Airport Ground Handling: • Currently a minor revenue contributor, expected to turn positive

Operational MetricsEmployee Attrition: 6-7% monthly, lower than industry average • Days Sales Outstanding (DSO): Improved from 80 to 75 days • Write-offs: Minimal at 0.2-0.3% of revenue • Tax Rate: Expected between 20-22% in coming years

Management InsightsMargin Improvements: Driven by high-margin business Athena and operating cost leverage • Growth Guidance: 18-21% for the upcoming year, with modest margin improvements • Competitive Advantages: Customer satisfaction, diverse service offerings, and strong governance

Conclusion • Management expressed gratitude for investor interest and commitment to high governance standards.

Summary from November 2023

Submission Details • Date: November 15, 2023 • Recipient: BSE Limited and National Stock Exchange of India • Content: Transcript of Earnings Conference Call held on November 8, 2023

Key Executives Present • Raghunandana Tangirala (Managing Director and Chairman) • Balaji Swaminathan (Chief Financial Officer) • Amitabh Jaipuria (Non-Executive Director)

Company Overview • Evolution from a piecemeal service provider in 1990 to an integrated facilities management (IFM) platform. • Services offered include: • Soft services • Production support • Engineering services • Warehouse management • Food services • Expansion into business services such as: • Mailroom management • Employee background verification • Audit assurance • Airport ground handling • Sales enablement

Financial Highlights (Q2 FY24) • Total revenue: INR 6,019 million (17% YoY increase) • Adjusted EBITDA: INR 403 million (4% growth) • H1 FY24 total revenue: INR 11,796 million (19% increase) • Adjusted PAT: INR 399 million • Challenges noted in IT sector and employee background verification business. • Cost of services increased by 40%, primarily due to Denave's lower EBITDA margin (8-9%).

Future Plans and Projections • Focus on customer retention, cross-selling, and growth (both organic and inorganic). • Anticipated revenue and PAT growth of approximately 20% over the next two years. • Expected adjusted PAT for the current year around INR 100 crores.

Margin and Cost Management • Margin deterioration in H1, with expectations for recovery in H2. • Adjusted EBITDA decline from 7.6% to 6.8% due to various factors. • ESOP costs projected to decrease significantly in FY25 and FY26.

Business Outlook • Strong demand for office and industrial space despite IT hiring slowdown. • Strategic exit from lower-margin government contracts to improve profitability. • Anticipated annual growth of 17-18% with improved margins. • Positive momentum in sales enablement and auditing assurance sectors.

Ethical Governance • Emphasis on aligning management incentives with investor interests and maintaining high ethical standards.