Altisource Portfolio Solutions Q3 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

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Provided by Quartr
October 26, 2023

There are 5 speakers on the call.

Operator

Day and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Altisource Third Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in listen only mode. After the speakers' presentation, there will be a question and answer Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to Michelle Estamin, Chief Financial Officer.

Operator

Please go ahead.

Speaker 1

Thank you, operator. We first want to remind you that our earnings release, Form 10 Q and quarterly slides are available on our website atwww.altisource.com. These provide additional information investors may find useful. Our remarks today include forward looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. In addition to the usual uncertainty associated with forward looking statements, the continuing impacts of government and servicer responses to the COVID pandemic, Together with the current economic environment, make it extremely difficult to predict the future state of the economy and the industries in which we operate as well as the potential impact on Altisource.

Speaker 1

Please review the forward looking statements sections In the company's earnings release and quarterly slides as well as the risk factors contained in our 2022 Form 10 ks and 2023 Form 10 Qs, which describe factors that may lead to different results. We undertake no obligation to update statements, Financial scenarios and projections previously provided or provided herein as a result of a change in circumstances, During this call, we will present both GAAP and non GAAP financial measures. In our earnings release and quarterly slides, you will find additional disclosures regarding the non GAAP measures. A reconciliation of GAAP to non GAAP measures is included in the appendix to the quarterly slides. Joining me for today's call is Bill Chaprow, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Speaker 1

I'll now turn the call over to Bill.

Speaker 2

Thanks, Michelle, and good morning. I'll begin on Slide 4. We are pleased with our Q3 performance. For the quarter, we generated $874,000 of adjusted EBITDA, a $4,400,000 improvement over the Q2 of 2023 and a $7,300,000 improvement over the same quarter in 2022. For the 1st 9 months of 2023, we improved adjusted EBITDA by $16,100,000 compared to the same period last year.

Speaker 2

Based on our current forecast, we anticipate positive company wide adjusted EBITDA for the Q4 and full year. Turning to Slide 5. During the quarter, we generated $18,400,000 in net proceeds from the sale of equity and used $10,000,000 of the proceeds to reduce the principal balance of our term loan. As a result of the debt reduction, We eliminated $966,000 warrants, cannot exercise an option to extend the maturity date of our term loan and revolver by 1 year to April 2026 and will save an estimated $3,400,000 per year in interest expense. Extending the maturity date of the loan is subject to customary conditions and the payment of an extension fee as described in our 10 Q.

Speaker 2

We ended the quarter with $36,600,000 in cash and cash equivalents. We continue to position Altisource to take advantage of what we see as significant potential opportunities with existing and new customers in both of our segments Over the coming years, as the default market continues to normalize and we gain traction with our newer solutions that strengthen LendersOne members' performance. As you can see on Slide 6, our sales pipeline and wins in both of our segments remain strong. Our consolidated weighted average pipeline at the end of the 3rd quarter was an estimated $46,000,000 of annual revenue on a stabilized basis, representing 34% of our annualized Q3 2023 revenue. We are also winning new business.

Speaker 2

Since last quarter, we won business that we estimate will generate $16,900,000 of annual revenue on a stabilized basis. During the Q3, we continued to onboard and grow sales wins from 20222023, which combined are now at a $13,700,000 annualized revenue run rate. Turning to Slide 7 and our countercyclical servicer and real estate segment. 3rd quarter adjusted EBITDA of $10,000,000 was $2,900,000 or 42% higher in the same quarter in 2022. 3rd quarter adjusted EBITDA margins improved to 37% from 24% in the Q3 of last year.

Speaker 2

Adjusted EBITDA growth and margin improvement reflect product mix and cost reduction and efficiency initiatives, partially offset by lower revenue. The service revenue decline was primarily from our Q4 2022 exit of a low margin employee outsourced business and fewer referrals in our lower margin field services business. We also believe that the default market is continuing to recover as evidenced by recent year over year growth in referral volume in our pre foreclosure title and foreclosure trustee products. Both pre foreclosure title and 1st lien foreclosure trustee referrals were 42% higher for September 1 through October 20 compared to the same period in 2022. For 2023, we anticipate that our servicer and real estate segment will have higher adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margins compared to last year.

Speaker 2

Moving to Slide 8 in our service earned real estate sales pipeline and wins. At the end of the Q3, our weighted average pipeline totaled $25,600,000 of annual revenue on a stabilized basis. The pipeline declined compared to the prior quarter, primarily because we converted an estimated $15,300,000 of the pipeline into 3rd quarter sales wins. 1 of the more notable 3rd quarter wins was the signing of a Master Services Agreement and a statement of work to provide REO Asset Management, Brokerage, Auction, Valuation and Field Services on a portion of our reverse mortgage servicers REO portfolio. On a stabilized basis, we estimate that this new business represents We began receiving referrals in September and anticipate that we will reach revenue and earnings stabilization by the middle of 2024, if not sooner.

Speaker 2

Turning to the macroeconomic environment in Slide 9. During the pandemic, consumers benefited from stimulus checks, the suspension of mortgage and student loan payments and a historically low interest rate environment. As a result, consumer savings reached an all time high, delinquencies declined, Credit scores improved and home values appreciated. Since early 2022, mortgage Foreclosure moratoriums and forbearance programs ended, borrowing costs soared and just this month student loan payments resumed. As a result, consumer savings declined to 3.9% in August 2023 from 26% in March of 2021.

Speaker 2

Credit card debt is at a record high. 401 hardship withdrawals were 36% higher In the Q2 of 2023 compared to the same quarter in 2022 and auto and credit card delinquencies continue to rise. Early stage mortgage delinquency rates are also rising. Comparing September to June 2023, 9.4% more mortgages are delinquent by 1 payment and 10.7% more mortgages are behind by 2 payments. The cracks in the housing market are beginning to appear.

Speaker 2

For September 2023, the seasonally adjusted annual rate of home sales are down 15.4% compared to September 2022 and the medium home sale price in September has declined since June 2023, though they are still up 2.8% compared to September 2022. This is typical in the early stages of a housing downturn, at first denial followed by capitulation. Home affordability, which is highly correlated to home prices, recently reached a near 40 year low. A recent CNN business article explained that for home affordability to return to the 25 year average, home prices would need to drop by 28%, Interest rates would need to decline by 400 basis points or income would need to increase by 60% or some combination thereof. Naturally, an increase in unemployment would accelerate this correction and result in increased delinquencies and foreclosures, particularly for low down payment mortgages and those loans that were originated over the last couple of years.

Speaker 2

We that for every 1% increase in 30 day delinquency rates, the addressable market for our default services would increase by $700,000,000 Turning to Slide 10 and our Origination segment. We performed well in a difficult origination environment. 3rd quarter revenue was roughly flat and adjusted EBITDA improved by $1,300,000 over the same period in 2022 despite a 10% decline in industry wide origination volume. Revenue reflects customer wins from our newer Lenders 1 solutions, which are designed to help our members save money, partially offset by our other origination businesses, which were impacted by continued challenges in the market. For 2023, we anticipate our origination segment service revenue to outperform the MBA's forecasted 29% decline in the origination market and adjusted EBITDA to improve compared to 2022 from sales momentum in our Lenders 1 business and cost savings and efficiency initiatives across the segment.

Speaker 2

Slide 11 provides a summary of our origination segment sales pipeline and wins. During a very difficult origination market, we remain focused on increasing adoption of our solutions that help our Lenders 1 members save money. Our weighted average sales pipeline as of September 30 is $20,400,000 of annual revenue on a stabilized basis. We won an estimated $1,700,000 in new business during the Q3. From our 2022 and first half of the year twenty twenty 3 sales wins, we recognized approximately $2,800,000 of revenue in the 3rd quarter or $11,100,000 of revenue on an annualized basis.

Speaker 2

Moving to our Corporate segment in Slide 12. We continue to maintain cost discipline. 3rd quarter adjusted EBITDA loss in the corporate segment of $8,700,000 was $3,100,000 or 26% better In the same quarter in 2022, for the year, we anticipate the corporate adjusted EBITDA loss to improve compared to 2022. This reflects our July cost cutting and efficiency plan. To conclude, we continue to improve our adjusted EBITDA results.

Speaker 2

Our 3rd quarter adjusted EBITDA was $7,300,000 better than the same period in 2022 and year to date adjusted EBITDA is $16,100,000 better than the same period last year. Our sales pipeline and wins remain strong and we continue to aggressively manage our expenses. We believe the strength of our sales wins and pipeline, cost savings initiatives, normalization of the default market and consumer weakness positions Altisource for positive adjusted EBITDA in the 4th quarter and full year and attractive growth as we look to 2024 with potential upside if mortgage delinquency rates rise. I'll now open up the call for questions.

Operator

Thank you. We will now conduct a question and answer session. Our first question comes from Raj Sharma from B. Riley. Please go ahead.

Operator

Hi.

Speaker 3

Thank you for taking my question. Really good results and Congratulations on the improvement in the EBITDA. I had a question On the industry wide foreclosure starts and sales, there seems to be a maybe some early shoots of an improvement. Also days in foreclosure seemingly dropped pretty considerable Relative to earlier part of the year, from 1200 days down to 700, Is that indicative of anything of an improvement in the space? And could you comment could you give a little bit more color on that?

Speaker 3

And of course, the early delinquencies are rising. And how soon Could that start showing up more significantly in your results you think?

Speaker 2

Hi, Raj. This is Bill. Thanks for your questions. So I think we are seeing Early indications that delinquency rates, particularly 30 60 days are starting to rise. That's a pretty significant increase just from a couple of months ago.

Speaker 2

And we're also seeing here to bring it So our home, if you will, in our foreclosure trustee business and our insured title search and foreclosure information report business, which are and month to date in October in referrals compared to the same time last year. And the reason why we focused on September October is Earlier in the month, we got some benefit from the restart in California, so we wanted to normalize for that. So it does appear that Both industry wide and at Altisource, we're starting to see an increase in the earlier stage activities and referrals. And this could be a precursor over time as those foreclosures work through the system for an increase in our higher margin well, in our high margin REO Auctions Business or Hubzu.

Speaker 3

Great. And then another question is on your recently announced cost cuts $13,500,000 Could you give any sort of progress on that or Any comments on the ongoing cost cuts?

Speaker 2

Sure. Yes, I think today we're at about $10,500,000 a year of annualized savings. I think we achieved about $900,000 of savings in the month of September. We should be, Michelle, roughly at $12,000,000 or $12,500,000 of savings by the end of the year and then the balance of the savings, the other the additional $1,000,000 $1,500,000 will come In the second half of next year.

Speaker 1

That's right.

Speaker 2

So we're making very good progress with that initiative.

Speaker 3

Yes. Thank you. I'll go back in line with my question.

Speaker 2

Thanks, Raj. Thanks.

Operator

Thank you. One moment for our next question. Our next question comes from Mike Grondahl from Northland Securities. Please go ahead.

Speaker 4

Hey, Bill and Michelle. Two questions. 1, could you just talk a little bit about Any visibility you have on an increase in Hubzu inventory or When you think that may begin to inflect? And then secondly, just in sort of a Base case for 2024, what do you sort of think of as Potential cash flow or cash usage just in a base case for 2024?

Speaker 2

Hi, Mike. It's Bill. So with respect to Hubzu inventory, we spend a lot of time looking at how that business is performing. And clearly, it takes time for those new foreclosure initiations that increased quite substantially in the first Quarter of 2022 to work their way through that system and get to the end. And also, We're also monitoring the conversion rate, what percentage of those foreclosures are actually converting to REO.

Speaker 2

And we think given what's going on with the economy for all the reasons we talked about when we discussed the macroeconomic environment and home affordability. We do think over time as those foreclosures continue through that process that that conversion rate will return It's certainly closer to what it looked like prior to the pandemic. And so then it's just a matter of how long it takes for those That increase in foreclosures from the Q1 of 2022 to work its way through the system, I think we've been guiding People that it's typically about 24 months and in some states it's faster, in other states it's slower to get through the foreclosure and then typically it's another 6 months to sell the REO. So those increasing foreclosure initiations Typically take about 24 months to get to the sale and another to the foreclosure auction and another 6 months to be sold. So we should start to see an increase going into next year from those Q1 of 2022 initiations.

Speaker 2

In terms of cash flow for next year, Mike, we're providing guidance. What I will say is we're making very good progress improving the earnings for the company. In the Q3, I was very pleased to see consistent positive EBITDA each month and EBITDA improved each month. In the Q4, you typically would see it's a seasonally slower period. I think our revenue will be Roughly in line with where it was in the Q3, but higher than the Q4 of last year.

Speaker 2

And we think our EBITDA is going to continue to improve, setting us up for a good run rate going into 2024. Hey, operator, I'm not sure if there's any additional questions.

Operator

I am showing no further questions. I would now like to turn the conference over to Bill for final remarks.

Speaker 2

Yes. Thanks for joining today's call. We appreciate your support And we're very pleased with the progress we're making in improving the EBITDA at the company and growing our and strengthening our sales pipeline. Talk to you soon. Thank you.

Operator

This concludes today's conference call. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.

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Key Takeaways

  • Altisource delivered $0.9 million of adjusted EBITDA in Q3, a $4.4 million sequential and $7.3 million year-over-year improvement, and now anticipates positive company-wide adjusted EBITDA for both Q4 and the full year.
  • The company raised $18.4 million in net equity proceeds, used $10 million to pay down its term loan—eliminating warrants and extending debt maturities—and ended the quarter with $36.6 million in cash.
  • Altisource’s consolidated sales pipeline stands at $46 million of annualized revenue (34% of Q3 run rate), with $16.9 million of new Q3 wins and 2022–2023 wins now running at a $13.7 million annualized rate.
  • The Servicer & Real Estate segment saw Q3 adjusted EBITDA rise 42% to $10 million and margins expand to 37% (from 24%), driven by product mix shifts, cost efficiencies, and a 42% increase in pre-foreclosure and foreclosure referrals in Sept–Oct.
  • Despite a 10% industry-wide drop in origination volume, the Origination segment delivered flat Q3 revenue and a $1.3 million EBITDA gain vs. last year, powered by uptake of new LendersOne cost-saving solutions and an active $20.4 million sales pipeline.
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Earnings Conference Call
Altisource Portfolio Solutions Q3 2023
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