NYSE:ATGE Adtalem Global Education Q3 2024 Earnings Report $132.54 +2.84 (+2.19%) Closing price 05/28/2025 03:59 PM EasternExtended Trading$133.76 +1.22 (+0.92%) As of 04:01 AM Eastern Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Polygon.io. Learn more. ProfileEarnings HistoryForecast Adtalem Global Education EPS ResultsActual EPS$1.50Consensus EPS $1.16Beat/MissBeat by +$0.34One Year Ago EPS$1.13Adtalem Global Education Revenue ResultsActual Revenue$412.70 millionExpected Revenue$391.68 millionBeat/MissBeat by +$21.02 millionYoY Revenue Growth+11.80%Adtalem Global Education Announcement DetailsQuarterQ3 2024Date5/2/2024TimeAfter Market ClosesConference Call DateThursday, May 2, 2024Conference Call Time5:00PM ETUpcoming EarningsAdtalem Global Education's Q4 2025 earnings is scheduled for Tuesday, August 5, 2025, with a conference call scheduled on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 4:00 PM ET. Check back for transcripts, audio, and key financial metrics as they become available.Conference Call ResourcesConference Call AudioConference Call TranscriptSlide DeckPress Release (8-K)Quarterly Report (10-Q)Earnings HistoryCompany ProfileSlide DeckFull Screen Slide DeckPowered by Adtalem Global Education Q3 2024 Earnings Call TranscriptProvided by QuartrMay 2, 2024 ShareLink copied to clipboard.There are 7 speakers on the call. Operator00:00:00Greetings, and welcome to the Adtalem Global Education Third Quarter Fiscal Year 20 24 Earnings Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. A brief question and answer session will follow the formal presentation. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Jonathan Spitzer, Vice President of Investor Relations. Operator00:00:32Thank you. You may begin. Speaker 100:00:34Good afternoon, and welcome to our earnings call for the Q3 of fiscal year 2024 results. On the call with me today are Steve Beard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Axsome Global Education and Bob Phelan, Chief Financial Officer. Before I hand the call over to Steve, I will as usual take you through the legal, safe harbor and cautionary declarations. Certain statements and projections of future results made in this presentation constitute as forward looking statements that are based on current market, competitive and regulatory expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward looking statements after this presentation whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise. Speaker 100:01:20Please see our latest Form 10 ks, Form 10 Q for a discussion of risk factors as it relates to forward looking statements. In today's presentation, we use certain non GAAP financial measures. We refer you to the appendix in the presentation materials available on our Investor Relations website for reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures and related information. You will find a link to the webcast on our Investor Relations website at investors. Attalum.com. Speaker 100:01:46After this call, the presentation and webcast will be archived on the website for 30 days. I will now hand you over to Steve. Speaker 200:01:53Thanks, Jay. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for taking the time to join our Q3 fiscal 2024 earnings call. We delivered another quarter of strong results with performance ahead of expectations. During the Q3, total enrollment grew by 7.8%, yielding revenue of $413,000,000 up 11.8% versus the prior year. In the quarter, we also surpassed another performance milestone. Speaker 200:02:22We expanded our operating margin at the same time as we increased our year over year investments in the business. This performance generated $1.50 in adjusted earnings per share, up 32.7% versus last year. We're very proud of these results. And more importantly, we see them as another mile marker on our journey to establish Atylam as a national leader in post secondary higher education and a systemically important partner to U. S. Speaker 200:02:49Healthcare. We take this journey at a time when the value proposition of higher education is under increasing scrutiny. For some, cost has become a barrier to entry. For many, there's growing concern about whether a college degree is a reliable path to a good job upon graduation, leading them to question the return on investment. Finally, the increasing availability of alternative forms of education, including online courses, certificate programs and vocational programs, many of which offering greater flexibility and sometimes more attractive pricing, have also contributed to a reevaluation of the relevance and effectiveness of traditional higher ed. Speaker 200:03:30At the same time, the workforce shortages in U. S. Healthcare are a significant and pressing issue. The demand for healthcare services continues to grow due to factors such as an aging population, increased access to healthcare coverage and advancements in medical technology. However, the supply of health care professionals, including doctors, nurses and other essential staff has not kept pace with this increasing demand, threatening the sustainability of the existing patient care model. Speaker 200:04:02At Atellon, we carefully monitor both of these dynamics. But as a backdrop, they serve only to strengthen our commitment to our mission, which is to expand access to high quality and market responsive academic programs for a community of learners long overlooked by traditional higher education and support those learners through an innovative, tech enabled and success focused student experience through graduation and into their careers. And just importantly, to do it with a deliberate and sorely needed emphasis on those roles and professions where our nation experiences healthcare workforce shortages most acutely. This is our 3rd consecutive quarter of total enrollment growth and our 5th consecutive quarter of revenue growth. And it's a testament to the success of our Growth With Purpose strategy, which seeks to accelerate the organic growth of our brands and businesses through transformational improvements and operational excellence. Speaker 200:05:01Our strategy calls for best in class execution across the 5 value creating levers of our operating model: marketing, enrollment, persistence, pricing and programs. And suffice it to say, we're encouraged by the progress today. Moreover, we're confident that these results will continue into the Q4. And as a result, we're raising our fiscal year 2024 revenue guidance to be $1,560,000,000 to $1,580,000,000 and our fiscal year 2024 adjusted EPS guidance to be $4.80 to $5 Now to results by segment. Chamberlain and Walden were the primary drivers of our strong performance in the Q3, and we continue to see encouraging total enrollment trends in the medical and veterinary segment. Speaker 200:05:51Chamberlain is the largest school of nursing in the country and its leadership position in nursing is expanding. During the quarter, we surpassed our highest ever total enrollment and nearly 38,000 students. This growth in enrollment was broad based and distributed across all of our programs and degree levels. Chamberlain continues to be a leading voice and leading choice for nursing students with this culture of care and its social determinants of learning framework that drives academic success across learners from all backgrounds. Chamberlain is a recognized innovator in nursing education and it expanded its practice ready specialty focused offering through a partnership with the Emergency Nurse Association. Speaker 200:06:34Across the practice ready specialty focused tracks, we now have over 1700 students, enabling them to gain familiarity with their chosen specialty area and be workforce ready on day 1. BSN Online continues to offer flexibility to 1700 students across 33 states, and we see a robust pipeline for growth in that program. By further expanding the online delivery capability of our pre licensure programs, we're able to bring nursing education to thousands of students who cannot otherwise pursue it. And through our expansive clinical affiliations across the country, enabled them to complete the practicum component of their education close to home. Turning to Walden. Speaker 200:07:19Total enrollment grew by 8.4% as Walden experienced some of the strongest new enrollment growth in its history. Our continued investments in the Walden brand have grown market awareness with demand up double digits year over year for the 4th straight quarter. New student growth, when paired with the robust persistence gains we achieved in prior periods, has led to increased enrollment across programs and degree levels particularly strong growth in advanced nursing degrees as well as social and behavioral sciences degrees. Walden continues to offer flexibility to working adults who value part time, self paced and competency based programs. And our Believe in Achieve scholarship sets Walden apart and rewards students for persisting through programs. Speaker 200:08:06In some instances, reducing tuition costs by as much 25% as they matriculate through the graduation. We now have over 23,000 students participating in Believe and Achieve. In our Medical and Veterinary segment, we welcome Scott Liles back to Adtalem to serve as President. Scott was most recently CEO of the Association of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists, known as ACAMS, which he successfully returned to growth prior to its divestiture. Remediation efforts in MedBed continued to deliver encouraging results as total enrollment trends improved sequentially, down just 4.5% year over year in the quarter. Speaker 200:08:47We continue to strengthen our enrollment processes with early indications of success starting to show on the top of the funnel. Walsh University School of Veterinary Medicine continues to operate at near capacity and we also continue to invest in innovations that drive a differentiated and superior student experience. One example is our clinical return home program at Ross Med, which leverages the extensive network of Adtalem clinical partnerships to provide students early clarity on where they'll complete their clinical rotations and enable them to do so at hospitals close to their homes. For the 2nd straight year, AUC and RUSM achieved a combined 98% first time residency match rate, placing more than 8 15 students and graduates into over 3 50 unique healthcare facilities, spanning 44 states and territories. Of these students, over 500 will enter primary care residencies, poised serve the more than 83,000,000 Americans living in areas lacking adequate access to primary care. Speaker 200:09:56Our medical students are a key component in addressing the nation's gaps in health equity. Of the 8 15 students and graduates who participated in Match Day, 189 identify as Black, African American or Hispanic. Helping diversify the pipeline of physicians in the U. S. Health care system. Speaker 200:10:17As of 2021, Black Americans made up 13% of the population, but only 6% of physicians. And Hispanics represent 19% of the population, but only 7% of physicians. The quality, reach and impact of our medical schools is undeniable. With this diverse and civic minded community of students and graduates making tangible contributions across some of the most prominent health systems in the U. S. Speaker 200:10:42To close, our growth with purpose strategy is delivering top and bottom line performance ahead of our expectations, and we expect that performance to continue through next quarter. As the country's largest health care educator, we're mindful of our critical role in addressing growing health care workforce shortages, and we're delighted to serve a student population poised to narrow health equity disparities across the country. Over the last 3 years, our 5 institutions have graduated over 81,000 students, nearly 55,000 in nursing alone, with another 2,300 in medicine and 3,300 in social work. They joined an existing network of over 300,000 Natallum alumni working to bring positive change to the communities in which they live and work. What drives all of us at Adtalem is to acknowledge that as our growth gains momentum, these positive outcomes multiply. Speaker 200:11:40And with that, I'll turn the call over to Bob for further discussion Speaker 300:11:43of our financial results. Thank you, Steve, and hello, everyone. Our 3rd quarter results reflect robust operating and financial performance. Growth with Purpose, our organic growth strategy, accelerated total enrollment growth and delivered enhanced profitability through a more efficient operating model, while we optimally balanced the continued increase in the level of investments for future growth. I'll begin with a review of our financial results and key drivers for our performance in the Q3. Speaker 300:12:15Later in my remarks, I'll discuss capital deployment and our expectations for the remainder of fiscal 2024. Starting with the top line. Revenue in the 3rd quarter increased by 11.8 percent to $412,700,000 driven by an increase in all three segments and primarily from accelerated enrollment growth at Chamberlain and Walden. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA came in at $107,100,000 up 24.6% compared to the prior year from profit growth in all three segments, led by Walvin, resulting in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 25.9%, a 260 basis points increase from last year. Adjusted operating income was $89,800,000 up 23% compared to the prior year as revenue growth and efficiencies generated operational leverage, which was partially offset by investments in strategic initiatives, higher employee benefit costs tied to our performance and other costs. Speaker 300:13:21Adjusted net income for the quarter was $59,400,000 up 15.1% compared to last year, attributed to adjusted operating income growth, partially offset by higher adjusted effective tax rate and higher year over year interest expense. As a reminder, the 3rd quarter only had a partial quarter benefit from the $50,000,000 term loan repayment, the 50 basis point savings from our term loan repricing and the interest savings from the $76,200,000 reduction in outstanding Department of Education letters of credit. Adjusted earnings per share was $1.50 or 32.7 percent increase compared with the prior year as we repurchased 1,800,000 shares within the 3rd quarter, resulting in a 3rd quarter diluted shares outstanding of 39,600,000 or $6,200,000 lower than last year. Next, I'll discuss financial highlights by segment. Chamberlain reported 3rd quarter revenue of $170,300,000 an increase of 13.8% when compared with the prior year, driven primarily by growth in enrollments. Speaker 300:14:34Total student enrollment for the quarter increased 9% compared with the prior year, a 5th consecutive quarter of both pre licensure and post licensure nursing program total enrollment growth. Notably, our pre licensure BSN online option is expanding rapidly to meet critical nursing shortages and grew total enrollment by over triple digits versus last year. Adjusted EBITDA increased by 12.3% to $50,500,000 Adjusted EBITDA margin of 29.6 percent was 40 basis points lower than the prior year as our underlying operational leverage was more than offset by investments in marketing, student support services and other expenses. We continue to believe that our student facing investments aimed at expanding our reach and creating more seamless experience are enhancing our differentiation and market leading position. Our 3rd quarter total enrollment grew from new demand and increased persistence, which showcased the early return on investment. Speaker 300:15:41These investments are intended to continue delivering positive returns through increased future demand, persistence and academic outcomes. Turning to Walden. Revenue during the quarter was $150,600,000 an increase of 13.3% when compared with the prior year, driven primarily by enrollment growth. Total student enrollment accelerated in the quarter, up 8.4% compared with the prior year from robust enrollment across degree levels, notably in undergraduate and continued high persistence. Growth was led by our social and behavioral health and nursing programs. Speaker 300:16:25Adjusted EBITDA increased by 28.9 percent to $35,900,000 Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 290 basis points versus the prior year to 23.8 percent as our transformation and operational efficiencies leverage was partially offset by an increased level of investments and new student support in the quarter commensurate with the strong growth in new enrollments. Our strong operational and financial performance affords us the ability to continue to invest for future growth at Walden. For the Medical and Veterinary segment, revenue in the 3rd quarter increased 6.1% to $91,700,000 Total student enrollment decreased 4.5% compared with the prior year, primarily from our medical schools as our veterinary school continues to operate in their capacity. We are seeing early returns and indications to return the segment to total enrollment growth as we execute on our remediation plans. Our year over year enrollment trend sequentially improved by 300 basis points from the last reported MedVet student enrollment cycle. Speaker 300:17:42Adjusted EBITDA increased by 30.3% to $27,000,000 Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 540 basis points versus the prior year to 29.4 percent from revenue growth and our renewed operational focus. Shifting to cash flow and the balance sheet. We continue to bolster our financial strength through robust operating cash generation. Fiscal year to date 9 months free cash flow was $195,000,000 a $64,000,000 increase versus last year, inclusive of a $33,000,000 year over year increase in capital investments. Strong operational performance and working capital improvements were partially offset by these additional planned capital investments in student facing technologies and our physical expansion. Speaker 300:18:38Our top priority remains to reinvest into our institutions as we aim to achieve optimal capacity and deliver student outcomes. We will thoughtfully reduce long term financial obligations to strengthen our balance sheet and maximize flexibility, while we also continue a balanced approach to capital allocation. Also of note, our outstanding letters of credit were reduced by $76,100,000 during the Q3 as one of our letters of credit expired on January 31 and was not required to be renewed. As of March 31, 2024, we now have $241,900,000 of letters of credit outstanding. Turning to our guidance for fiscal year 2024. Speaker 300:19:28As performance accelerates through our growth with purpose strategy, we are raising our revenue guidance to be in the range of $1,560,000,000 to $1,580,000,000 representing high single digit year over year growth. We are also raising our adjusted earnings per share guidance to be in the range of $4.80 to $5 or mid to high teens growth. We anticipate continuing to generate strong cash flow, bolstering our balance sheet strength and providing us the ability to execute on our capital allocation philosophy. Let me provide additional context in relation to our fiscal 2024 outlook. 3rd quarter revenue came in ahead of our expectations. Speaker 300:20:15We continue to anticipate sustaining a higher level of revenue year over year growth for the Q4 with a reminder that our Q3 is seasonably higher than the Q4. We still plan to continue to make incremental growth investments in marketing and technology in the 4th quarter. Taken together with our sustained level of revenue, we still anticipate generating operational leverage in the 4th quarter and remain on track to achieve our stated goal of full year adjusted EBITDA margin profile to be consistent with last year at approximately 24%. Included within our rate of fiscal 2024 guidance are the recent capital allocation actions, specifically our lower term loan B balance and repricing as well as the lowered associated interest expense from the reduction of our outstanding letters of credit. Finally, we expect our 4th quarter adjusted effective tax rate to be a more normalized rate of slightly over 20%. Speaker 300:21:20In conclusion, our results demonstrate our ability to deliver short term performance while investing to achieve our long term growth targets to create sustainable returns for our owners. I'm excited about the opportunities and the momentum our team is generating as we stay focused on finishing the year strong and laying the foundation for fiscal year 2025. With that, I will now turn the call over to the operator for Q and A. Operator00:21:48Thank you. And our first question comes from Jeff Silber with BMO Capital Markets. Please state your question. Speaker 200:22:28Hey, thanks Speaker 400:22:28a lot. This is Ryan on for Jeff. Just with all the headlines surrounding all the FAFSA delays, I was curious how you're thinking about that in light of your fall enrollment season? Thanks. Speaker 200:22:42Thanks for the question. As you might imagine, we're monitoring those developments closely, both at the national level and specific to our institutions. As we sit here today, we've not uncovered any potential risks to our upcoming enrollment cycles. But again, our teams are staying close to our students, and we're ready to mitigate any challenges should they arise. But at the moment, no headwinds coming out of that dynamic. Speaker 400:23:11Got it. And I was just curious, looking at your FY 'twenty five guidance, can you give a refresher if you still feel good about the 4% to 6% for next year or you're feeling incrementally better since you provided that guidance in last June? Speaker 300:23:30Yes, I would say right now that the guidance we put out in Investor Day for fiscal 2025 is a good proxy. At this point, we will be coming back as we finish up the quarter, the Q4 that is and get into fiscal 'twenty five and we'll have more specific guidance at that point. But I do think it's a good proxy at this point. Speaker 400:23:51Got it. And then the last one for me. It just seems like every intake period, the med schools seem to be getting a little bit less worse. I was just curious if you have any estimation of when we start to see some growth there, either from a new enrollment perspective or the total enrollment? Speaker 200:24:09Yes. We remain encouraged that the remediation efforts we put in place a couple of quarters ago are working as we anticipated. So we've guided that we expect total enrollment at the segment to improve sequentially over time with the opportunity to go positive total enrollment year over year at some point early in our fiscal 'twenty five. That's still our expectation, and that's still what we're working towards. Speaker 400:24:38Great. Thanks a lot. Speaker 200:24:41Thank you. Operator00:24:44Our next question comes from Steven Pollack with Robert W. Baird. Please state your question. Speaker 500:24:50Yes. Thank you. It's Steven Polling on for Jeff Moyler. I obviously, the operating leverage in the business is coming through, but any additional color you can provide on maybe how you're thinking about the reinvestment back in the business versus letting the operational leverage flow to the bottom line, sort of any additional color on sort of how you're thinking about that balance? Speaker 200:25:17Yes. Obviously, we believe given current course and speed, the initiatives that we have in place related to our growth of purpose strategy that the most accretive use of cash is investing and driving the organic growth of the business. Beyond that, obviously, our philosophy around capital allocation focuses on managing down debt, returning capital to shareholders through share repurchase. Obviously, the highest priority is to ensure that the momentum that we enjoy now is momentum that we continue to enjoy over the near term and hopefully over Speaker 600:25:50the long Speaker 200:25:51term. So we started this fiscal year telling that we were going to keep margins flat year over year in relation to some of the investments we were making with both the purpose. But if you go back to the guide we gave at Investor Day over a multiyear cycle, we do expect to continue to expand margins going forward. But Bob can jump in with any additional specificity. Speaker 300:26:11No, I think that's great, Steve. The only thing I would say is that we had talked about before that the back half of this year, we would see the margin expansion. So that's what you're seeing come through in the Q3. We expect that in the Q4, getting back to Steve's point of roughly EBITDA level of 24% for the full year. And then we do anticipate, as we had said at Investor Day, expanding margins as we get into fiscal 2025 and 2026. Speaker 500:26:39Great. And obviously, the enrollment trends are better in Chamberlain and Walden, but maybe if you could kind of break down the magnitude of the pieces, I guess, between sort of the brand building and the marketing efforts of the growth for purpose as well as kind of a more stable nursing end market, easier comps? I guess, ultimately, how you think about the stability of the growth rate going or the sustainability of the growth rate going forward? Speaker 200:27:06Yes. So as we've discussed in prior cycles, where it starts with us is really on taking advantage of the opportunities to improve persistence across the portfolio. And at Walden and at Chamberlain, we're enjoying some of the best persistence rates we've had in years. When you layer on top of that new enrollment growth, you get the kind of total enrollment trend that we've seen over the last few quarters and that we expect will continue through the balance of this year and into next year. On a year over year basis, you get some more difficult comps as we get into fiscal 'twenty five, but on an absolute sequential basis, we believe there's still opportunity to continue to grow enrollments at both Chamberlain and Walden and in the MedVet segment, particularly at the medical schools. Speaker 200:27:46So we still got, we think, attractive capacity to do that within our existing framework. And when we think about some more online programs like BSN Online at Chamberlain and the portfolio of programs we have at Walden, we've really got lots of headroom to continue to take full advantage of everything we've done to raise awareness around our brands and programs and attract more students into them. Operator00:28:15Our next question comes from Alex Paris with Barrington Research. Speaker 600:28:20Hi, guys. Thanks for taking my questions and congratulations on the outperformance and the guidance raise. Speaker 200:28:29Thank you. Speaker 600:28:30Just diving into the segments a little bit, a couple of follow-up questions. At Chamberlain, impressive acceleration in year over year growth. You kind of called out BSN online, pre licensure BSN programs, growth in several graduate programs, I'm assuming. And then how is that stubborn RN to BSN program going? Speaker 200:28:58Well, it's going quite well actually. I mean, we the thing to remember about RN to BSN is that it is a market offering that is flat to down depending on how you measure it. But we continue to take share in R and D BSN because of the strong reputation Chamberlain enjoys and also Walden in R and D BSN. So relative to the overall market dynamics for that offering, we continue to do quite well across both institutions. Speaker 600:29:30Good to hear. I realize that was sort of kind of the last to come back, I would think, given the COVID demands on working nurses and so on. Speaker 200:29:42That's right. Post licensure nursing was the last component to come back post COVID. Speaker 600:29:48And you're up in both RN to BSN in both institutions? You said you're taking share, but are you taking share by declining less or increasing? Speaker 200:30:00We're up at both institutions. Speaker 600:30:03Great. And then a quick one or 2 on MedVet, starting with the medical schools. Again, sequential improvement, the rate of decline is diminishing. You're expecting increased enrollment in fiscal 2025 within the medical schools. How is that going to happen? Speaker 600:30:23What are your focus areas? I think you in the past have talked about increasing international students, increasing your affiliation with HSBCs and HSIs. Just hoping to get a little bit more color on initiatives within medical schools. Speaker 200:30:38Yes. So going back a couple of quarters, Alex, the decline in enrollments at the medical schools, we've been very clear, was not the reflection of a specific market dynamic applicable to medical education. It really was an execution challenge on our end, which is why the remediation efforts we've discussed are really about people and process on our end, how we better execute against the market opportunity we have, both at the top of the funnel, but most importantly, at the bottom of the funnel when it's time to actually convert those students into enrollees. That's what the remediation efforts are focused on. We believe that if we successfully implement those initiatives and maintain them over time, the market opportunity is still sufficiently attractive for us to grow enrollments over time at both medical schools. Speaker 200:31:22Even though medical school and medical education is incrementally more competitive because of DO schools and things happening in the Lower 48, the additional competition in that space has not kept up with demand and there are still many, many more applicants for medical schools than there are seats. And that creates an incredibly attractive opportunity for our schools, which have been doing this for over 40 years, have fantastic brands and reputations with students and offer differentiated experience on Island. So we still think we can win in medical education. It's just down to us to execute, and that's what just didn't flow through our results of operations over the last few quarters. Speaker 600:31:59Great. Thank you. And then last question on the veterinary school continuing to operate at or near capacity. In terms of Department of Education and gainful employment regulation, whether that takes effect on time or not, given lawsuits and so on. That was an area that seemed to be neglected when they wrote the rule. Speaker 600:32:24They gave some relief to medical schools and so on, but they didn't specifically mention vet schools. And I know you were working on that. Anything to share there? Any update on your efforts with the Department of Education? And what are your options if they don't give that relief, which they should? Speaker 200:32:46Well, what I can say is that we remain engaged with the department about extending a longer measurement period to DBM programs, not unlike what's available for medical programs and other mental health and behavioral sciences programs. It seems to be a very analogous logical move to make. And we've gotten what we believe is a constructive reception from the department in those discussions. So we are still working that path because we think it's a viable path and it's one that makes sense and other DBM programs, I think, agree with us there. Beyond that, if for some reason, we were not able to get that exception, if for some reason the rule as currently drafted survived all the various challenges it's facing from a litigation perspective. Speaker 200:33:34We have thought about a number of different strategies we could pursue to ensure that the country's largest DVM program and arguably, because of its scale, the most important DVM program in the country continues to operate in a way that serves the increasing demand for companion pet veterinarians in the United States. So I won't get into specifics based on a hypothetical, but we feel very confident about the ongoing viability of that program, and we're pursuing multiple paths to ensure that happens. Speaker 600:34:07That's great. I appreciate that extra color and I'm rooting for you guys. I'll get back into the queue. Speaker 200:34:14Thank you. Operator00:34:17Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. I'll hand the floor back to Steve Beard for closing comments. Speaker 200:34:24Yes. As I mentioned in our prepared remarks, we had a fantastic Match Day, and that's exactly the kind of strong academic outcome that has a second order effect that benefits all of us who leverage U. S. Healthcare that we're proud to be a part of that at Talend. So I just want to congratulate all of our colleagues across our 2 medical schools and more importantly, all of our fantastic students who are ready to go off to the residencies of their choice and begin the next chapter of their journey to become practicing physicians. Speaker 200:34:54Thanks for the time this afternoon, and we look forward to catching up next quarter. Operator00:34:58Thank you. This concludes today's conference. All parties may disconnect. Have a good day.Read morePowered by Key Takeaways Q3 outperformance and raised guidance: Total enrollment grew 7.8%, revenue rose 11.8% to $413 million, and adjusted EPS climbed 32.7% to $1.50, prompting FY 2024 revenue guidance to be lifted to $1.56–$1.58 billion and adjusted EPS to $4.80–$5.00. Chamberlain’s record nursing enrollment: Chamberlain surpassed 38,000 students across pre- and post-licensure programs, delivered triple-digit growth in its BSN Online offering, and enrolled over 1,700 students in new practice-ready specialty tracks. Walden’s adult learner momentum: Total enrollment at Walden climbed 8.4% with double-digit demand for nursing and social & behavioral sciences, and more than 23,000 students have benefited from its Believe and Achieve scholarship program. Medical & Veterinary segment recovery: Med schools’ enrollment declines narrowed to –4.5% as remediation efforts improve funnel conversion, while Ross Med and AUC/RUSM achieved a 98% first-time residency match rate, enhancing physician pipeline diversity. Margin expansion and cash flow strength: Adjusted EBITDA rose 24.6% to $107.1 million with a 25.9% margin (+260 bps), and YTD free cash flow reached $195 million, supporting continued investment in growth and debt reduction. AI Generated. May Contain Errors.Conference Call Audio Live Call not available Earnings Conference CallAdtalem Global Education Q3 202400:00 / 00:00Speed:1x1.25x1.5x2x Earnings DocumentsSlide DeckPress Release(8-K)Quarterly report(10-Q) Adtalem Global Education Earnings HeadlinesHere's How Much a $1000 Investment in Adtalem Global Education Made 10 Years Ago Would Be Worth TodayMay 23, 2025 | msn.comAdtalem Global Education to Present at the Baird 2025 Global Consumer, Technology & Services ConferenceMay 19, 2025 | businesswire.comJuly 2025 Rule Change to Impact Retirement InvestorsThere's a massive change from a new rule going into effect this July. And it's one the Big Banks are already using to their advantage… It allows them to treat this new asset like actual cash.May 29, 2025 | Premier Gold Co (Ad)Adtalem Names Megan Noel its New Chief Corporate Affairs OfficerMay 12, 2025 | gurufocus.comAdtalem Names Megan Noel its New Chief Corporate Affairs OfficerMay 12, 2025 | businesswire.comADTALEM GLOBAL EDUCATION Earnings Results: $ATGE Reports Quarterly EarningsMay 10, 2025 | nasdaq.comSee More Adtalem Global Education Headlines Get Earnings Announcements in your inboxWant to stay updated on the latest earnings announcements and upcoming reports for companies like Adtalem Global Education? Sign up for Earnings360's daily newsletter to receive timely earnings updates on Adtalem Global Education and other key companies, straight to your email. Email Address About Adtalem Global EducationAdtalem Global Education (NYSE:ATGE) provides workforce solutions worldwide. It operates through three segments, Chamberlain, Walden, and Medical and Veterinary. The Chamberlain segment offers degree and non-degree programs in the nursing and health professions postsecondary education industry. This segment operates Chamberlain University. The Walden segment offers online certificates, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, including nursing, education, counseling, business, psychology, public health, social work and human services, public administration and public policy, and criminal justice. This segment also operates Walden University. The Medical and Veterinary segment provides degree and non-degree programs in the medical and veterinary postsecondary education industry. This segment operates American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Ross University School of Medicine, and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. The company was formerly known as DeVry Education Group Inc. and changed its name to Adtalem Global Education Inc. in May 2017. 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There are 7 speakers on the call. Operator00:00:00Greetings, and welcome to the Adtalem Global Education Third Quarter Fiscal Year 20 24 Earnings Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. A brief question and answer session will follow the formal presentation. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Jonathan Spitzer, Vice President of Investor Relations. Operator00:00:32Thank you. You may begin. Speaker 100:00:34Good afternoon, and welcome to our earnings call for the Q3 of fiscal year 2024 results. On the call with me today are Steve Beard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Axsome Global Education and Bob Phelan, Chief Financial Officer. Before I hand the call over to Steve, I will as usual take you through the legal, safe harbor and cautionary declarations. Certain statements and projections of future results made in this presentation constitute as forward looking statements that are based on current market, competitive and regulatory expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward looking statements after this presentation whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise. Speaker 100:01:20Please see our latest Form 10 ks, Form 10 Q for a discussion of risk factors as it relates to forward looking statements. In today's presentation, we use certain non GAAP financial measures. We refer you to the appendix in the presentation materials available on our Investor Relations website for reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures and related information. You will find a link to the webcast on our Investor Relations website at investors. Attalum.com. Speaker 100:01:46After this call, the presentation and webcast will be archived on the website for 30 days. I will now hand you over to Steve. Speaker 200:01:53Thanks, Jay. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for taking the time to join our Q3 fiscal 2024 earnings call. We delivered another quarter of strong results with performance ahead of expectations. During the Q3, total enrollment grew by 7.8%, yielding revenue of $413,000,000 up 11.8% versus the prior year. In the quarter, we also surpassed another performance milestone. Speaker 200:02:22We expanded our operating margin at the same time as we increased our year over year investments in the business. This performance generated $1.50 in adjusted earnings per share, up 32.7% versus last year. We're very proud of these results. And more importantly, we see them as another mile marker on our journey to establish Atylam as a national leader in post secondary higher education and a systemically important partner to U. S. Speaker 200:02:49Healthcare. We take this journey at a time when the value proposition of higher education is under increasing scrutiny. For some, cost has become a barrier to entry. For many, there's growing concern about whether a college degree is a reliable path to a good job upon graduation, leading them to question the return on investment. Finally, the increasing availability of alternative forms of education, including online courses, certificate programs and vocational programs, many of which offering greater flexibility and sometimes more attractive pricing, have also contributed to a reevaluation of the relevance and effectiveness of traditional higher ed. Speaker 200:03:30At the same time, the workforce shortages in U. S. Healthcare are a significant and pressing issue. The demand for healthcare services continues to grow due to factors such as an aging population, increased access to healthcare coverage and advancements in medical technology. However, the supply of health care professionals, including doctors, nurses and other essential staff has not kept pace with this increasing demand, threatening the sustainability of the existing patient care model. Speaker 200:04:02At Atellon, we carefully monitor both of these dynamics. But as a backdrop, they serve only to strengthen our commitment to our mission, which is to expand access to high quality and market responsive academic programs for a community of learners long overlooked by traditional higher education and support those learners through an innovative, tech enabled and success focused student experience through graduation and into their careers. And just importantly, to do it with a deliberate and sorely needed emphasis on those roles and professions where our nation experiences healthcare workforce shortages most acutely. This is our 3rd consecutive quarter of total enrollment growth and our 5th consecutive quarter of revenue growth. And it's a testament to the success of our Growth With Purpose strategy, which seeks to accelerate the organic growth of our brands and businesses through transformational improvements and operational excellence. Speaker 200:05:01Our strategy calls for best in class execution across the 5 value creating levers of our operating model: marketing, enrollment, persistence, pricing and programs. And suffice it to say, we're encouraged by the progress today. Moreover, we're confident that these results will continue into the Q4. And as a result, we're raising our fiscal year 2024 revenue guidance to be $1,560,000,000 to $1,580,000,000 and our fiscal year 2024 adjusted EPS guidance to be $4.80 to $5 Now to results by segment. Chamberlain and Walden were the primary drivers of our strong performance in the Q3, and we continue to see encouraging total enrollment trends in the medical and veterinary segment. Speaker 200:05:51Chamberlain is the largest school of nursing in the country and its leadership position in nursing is expanding. During the quarter, we surpassed our highest ever total enrollment and nearly 38,000 students. This growth in enrollment was broad based and distributed across all of our programs and degree levels. Chamberlain continues to be a leading voice and leading choice for nursing students with this culture of care and its social determinants of learning framework that drives academic success across learners from all backgrounds. Chamberlain is a recognized innovator in nursing education and it expanded its practice ready specialty focused offering through a partnership with the Emergency Nurse Association. Speaker 200:06:34Across the practice ready specialty focused tracks, we now have over 1700 students, enabling them to gain familiarity with their chosen specialty area and be workforce ready on day 1. BSN Online continues to offer flexibility to 1700 students across 33 states, and we see a robust pipeline for growth in that program. By further expanding the online delivery capability of our pre licensure programs, we're able to bring nursing education to thousands of students who cannot otherwise pursue it. And through our expansive clinical affiliations across the country, enabled them to complete the practicum component of their education close to home. Turning to Walden. Speaker 200:07:19Total enrollment grew by 8.4% as Walden experienced some of the strongest new enrollment growth in its history. Our continued investments in the Walden brand have grown market awareness with demand up double digits year over year for the 4th straight quarter. New student growth, when paired with the robust persistence gains we achieved in prior periods, has led to increased enrollment across programs and degree levels particularly strong growth in advanced nursing degrees as well as social and behavioral sciences degrees. Walden continues to offer flexibility to working adults who value part time, self paced and competency based programs. And our Believe in Achieve scholarship sets Walden apart and rewards students for persisting through programs. Speaker 200:08:06In some instances, reducing tuition costs by as much 25% as they matriculate through the graduation. We now have over 23,000 students participating in Believe and Achieve. In our Medical and Veterinary segment, we welcome Scott Liles back to Adtalem to serve as President. Scott was most recently CEO of the Association of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists, known as ACAMS, which he successfully returned to growth prior to its divestiture. Remediation efforts in MedBed continued to deliver encouraging results as total enrollment trends improved sequentially, down just 4.5% year over year in the quarter. Speaker 200:08:47We continue to strengthen our enrollment processes with early indications of success starting to show on the top of the funnel. Walsh University School of Veterinary Medicine continues to operate at near capacity and we also continue to invest in innovations that drive a differentiated and superior student experience. One example is our clinical return home program at Ross Med, which leverages the extensive network of Adtalem clinical partnerships to provide students early clarity on where they'll complete their clinical rotations and enable them to do so at hospitals close to their homes. For the 2nd straight year, AUC and RUSM achieved a combined 98% first time residency match rate, placing more than 8 15 students and graduates into over 3 50 unique healthcare facilities, spanning 44 states and territories. Of these students, over 500 will enter primary care residencies, poised serve the more than 83,000,000 Americans living in areas lacking adequate access to primary care. Speaker 200:09:56Our medical students are a key component in addressing the nation's gaps in health equity. Of the 8 15 students and graduates who participated in Match Day, 189 identify as Black, African American or Hispanic. Helping diversify the pipeline of physicians in the U. S. Health care system. Speaker 200:10:17As of 2021, Black Americans made up 13% of the population, but only 6% of physicians. And Hispanics represent 19% of the population, but only 7% of physicians. The quality, reach and impact of our medical schools is undeniable. With this diverse and civic minded community of students and graduates making tangible contributions across some of the most prominent health systems in the U. S. Speaker 200:10:42To close, our growth with purpose strategy is delivering top and bottom line performance ahead of our expectations, and we expect that performance to continue through next quarter. As the country's largest health care educator, we're mindful of our critical role in addressing growing health care workforce shortages, and we're delighted to serve a student population poised to narrow health equity disparities across the country. Over the last 3 years, our 5 institutions have graduated over 81,000 students, nearly 55,000 in nursing alone, with another 2,300 in medicine and 3,300 in social work. They joined an existing network of over 300,000 Natallum alumni working to bring positive change to the communities in which they live and work. What drives all of us at Adtalem is to acknowledge that as our growth gains momentum, these positive outcomes multiply. Speaker 200:11:40And with that, I'll turn the call over to Bob for further discussion Speaker 300:11:43of our financial results. Thank you, Steve, and hello, everyone. Our 3rd quarter results reflect robust operating and financial performance. Growth with Purpose, our organic growth strategy, accelerated total enrollment growth and delivered enhanced profitability through a more efficient operating model, while we optimally balanced the continued increase in the level of investments for future growth. I'll begin with a review of our financial results and key drivers for our performance in the Q3. Speaker 300:12:15Later in my remarks, I'll discuss capital deployment and our expectations for the remainder of fiscal 2024. Starting with the top line. Revenue in the 3rd quarter increased by 11.8 percent to $412,700,000 driven by an increase in all three segments and primarily from accelerated enrollment growth at Chamberlain and Walden. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA came in at $107,100,000 up 24.6% compared to the prior year from profit growth in all three segments, led by Walvin, resulting in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 25.9%, a 260 basis points increase from last year. Adjusted operating income was $89,800,000 up 23% compared to the prior year as revenue growth and efficiencies generated operational leverage, which was partially offset by investments in strategic initiatives, higher employee benefit costs tied to our performance and other costs. Speaker 300:13:21Adjusted net income for the quarter was $59,400,000 up 15.1% compared to last year, attributed to adjusted operating income growth, partially offset by higher adjusted effective tax rate and higher year over year interest expense. As a reminder, the 3rd quarter only had a partial quarter benefit from the $50,000,000 term loan repayment, the 50 basis point savings from our term loan repricing and the interest savings from the $76,200,000 reduction in outstanding Department of Education letters of credit. Adjusted earnings per share was $1.50 or 32.7 percent increase compared with the prior year as we repurchased 1,800,000 shares within the 3rd quarter, resulting in a 3rd quarter diluted shares outstanding of 39,600,000 or $6,200,000 lower than last year. Next, I'll discuss financial highlights by segment. Chamberlain reported 3rd quarter revenue of $170,300,000 an increase of 13.8% when compared with the prior year, driven primarily by growth in enrollments. Speaker 300:14:34Total student enrollment for the quarter increased 9% compared with the prior year, a 5th consecutive quarter of both pre licensure and post licensure nursing program total enrollment growth. Notably, our pre licensure BSN online option is expanding rapidly to meet critical nursing shortages and grew total enrollment by over triple digits versus last year. Adjusted EBITDA increased by 12.3% to $50,500,000 Adjusted EBITDA margin of 29.6 percent was 40 basis points lower than the prior year as our underlying operational leverage was more than offset by investments in marketing, student support services and other expenses. We continue to believe that our student facing investments aimed at expanding our reach and creating more seamless experience are enhancing our differentiation and market leading position. Our 3rd quarter total enrollment grew from new demand and increased persistence, which showcased the early return on investment. Speaker 300:15:41These investments are intended to continue delivering positive returns through increased future demand, persistence and academic outcomes. Turning to Walden. Revenue during the quarter was $150,600,000 an increase of 13.3% when compared with the prior year, driven primarily by enrollment growth. Total student enrollment accelerated in the quarter, up 8.4% compared with the prior year from robust enrollment across degree levels, notably in undergraduate and continued high persistence. Growth was led by our social and behavioral health and nursing programs. Speaker 300:16:25Adjusted EBITDA increased by 28.9 percent to $35,900,000 Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 290 basis points versus the prior year to 23.8 percent as our transformation and operational efficiencies leverage was partially offset by an increased level of investments and new student support in the quarter commensurate with the strong growth in new enrollments. Our strong operational and financial performance affords us the ability to continue to invest for future growth at Walden. For the Medical and Veterinary segment, revenue in the 3rd quarter increased 6.1% to $91,700,000 Total student enrollment decreased 4.5% compared with the prior year, primarily from our medical schools as our veterinary school continues to operate in their capacity. We are seeing early returns and indications to return the segment to total enrollment growth as we execute on our remediation plans. Our year over year enrollment trend sequentially improved by 300 basis points from the last reported MedVet student enrollment cycle. Speaker 300:17:42Adjusted EBITDA increased by 30.3% to $27,000,000 Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 540 basis points versus the prior year to 29.4 percent from revenue growth and our renewed operational focus. Shifting to cash flow and the balance sheet. We continue to bolster our financial strength through robust operating cash generation. Fiscal year to date 9 months free cash flow was $195,000,000 a $64,000,000 increase versus last year, inclusive of a $33,000,000 year over year increase in capital investments. Strong operational performance and working capital improvements were partially offset by these additional planned capital investments in student facing technologies and our physical expansion. Speaker 300:18:38Our top priority remains to reinvest into our institutions as we aim to achieve optimal capacity and deliver student outcomes. We will thoughtfully reduce long term financial obligations to strengthen our balance sheet and maximize flexibility, while we also continue a balanced approach to capital allocation. Also of note, our outstanding letters of credit were reduced by $76,100,000 during the Q3 as one of our letters of credit expired on January 31 and was not required to be renewed. As of March 31, 2024, we now have $241,900,000 of letters of credit outstanding. Turning to our guidance for fiscal year 2024. Speaker 300:19:28As performance accelerates through our growth with purpose strategy, we are raising our revenue guidance to be in the range of $1,560,000,000 to $1,580,000,000 representing high single digit year over year growth. We are also raising our adjusted earnings per share guidance to be in the range of $4.80 to $5 or mid to high teens growth. We anticipate continuing to generate strong cash flow, bolstering our balance sheet strength and providing us the ability to execute on our capital allocation philosophy. Let me provide additional context in relation to our fiscal 2024 outlook. 3rd quarter revenue came in ahead of our expectations. Speaker 300:20:15We continue to anticipate sustaining a higher level of revenue year over year growth for the Q4 with a reminder that our Q3 is seasonably higher than the Q4. We still plan to continue to make incremental growth investments in marketing and technology in the 4th quarter. Taken together with our sustained level of revenue, we still anticipate generating operational leverage in the 4th quarter and remain on track to achieve our stated goal of full year adjusted EBITDA margin profile to be consistent with last year at approximately 24%. Included within our rate of fiscal 2024 guidance are the recent capital allocation actions, specifically our lower term loan B balance and repricing as well as the lowered associated interest expense from the reduction of our outstanding letters of credit. Finally, we expect our 4th quarter adjusted effective tax rate to be a more normalized rate of slightly over 20%. Speaker 300:21:20In conclusion, our results demonstrate our ability to deliver short term performance while investing to achieve our long term growth targets to create sustainable returns for our owners. I'm excited about the opportunities and the momentum our team is generating as we stay focused on finishing the year strong and laying the foundation for fiscal year 2025. With that, I will now turn the call over to the operator for Q and A. Operator00:21:48Thank you. And our first question comes from Jeff Silber with BMO Capital Markets. Please state your question. Speaker 200:22:28Hey, thanks Speaker 400:22:28a lot. This is Ryan on for Jeff. Just with all the headlines surrounding all the FAFSA delays, I was curious how you're thinking about that in light of your fall enrollment season? Thanks. Speaker 200:22:42Thanks for the question. As you might imagine, we're monitoring those developments closely, both at the national level and specific to our institutions. As we sit here today, we've not uncovered any potential risks to our upcoming enrollment cycles. But again, our teams are staying close to our students, and we're ready to mitigate any challenges should they arise. But at the moment, no headwinds coming out of that dynamic. Speaker 400:23:11Got it. And I was just curious, looking at your FY 'twenty five guidance, can you give a refresher if you still feel good about the 4% to 6% for next year or you're feeling incrementally better since you provided that guidance in last June? Speaker 300:23:30Yes, I would say right now that the guidance we put out in Investor Day for fiscal 2025 is a good proxy. At this point, we will be coming back as we finish up the quarter, the Q4 that is and get into fiscal 'twenty five and we'll have more specific guidance at that point. But I do think it's a good proxy at this point. Speaker 400:23:51Got it. And then the last one for me. It just seems like every intake period, the med schools seem to be getting a little bit less worse. I was just curious if you have any estimation of when we start to see some growth there, either from a new enrollment perspective or the total enrollment? Speaker 200:24:09Yes. We remain encouraged that the remediation efforts we put in place a couple of quarters ago are working as we anticipated. So we've guided that we expect total enrollment at the segment to improve sequentially over time with the opportunity to go positive total enrollment year over year at some point early in our fiscal 'twenty five. That's still our expectation, and that's still what we're working towards. Speaker 400:24:38Great. Thanks a lot. Speaker 200:24:41Thank you. Operator00:24:44Our next question comes from Steven Pollack with Robert W. Baird. Please state your question. Speaker 500:24:50Yes. Thank you. It's Steven Polling on for Jeff Moyler. I obviously, the operating leverage in the business is coming through, but any additional color you can provide on maybe how you're thinking about the reinvestment back in the business versus letting the operational leverage flow to the bottom line, sort of any additional color on sort of how you're thinking about that balance? Speaker 200:25:17Yes. Obviously, we believe given current course and speed, the initiatives that we have in place related to our growth of purpose strategy that the most accretive use of cash is investing and driving the organic growth of the business. Beyond that, obviously, our philosophy around capital allocation focuses on managing down debt, returning capital to shareholders through share repurchase. Obviously, the highest priority is to ensure that the momentum that we enjoy now is momentum that we continue to enjoy over the near term and hopefully over Speaker 600:25:50the long Speaker 200:25:51term. So we started this fiscal year telling that we were going to keep margins flat year over year in relation to some of the investments we were making with both the purpose. But if you go back to the guide we gave at Investor Day over a multiyear cycle, we do expect to continue to expand margins going forward. But Bob can jump in with any additional specificity. Speaker 300:26:11No, I think that's great, Steve. The only thing I would say is that we had talked about before that the back half of this year, we would see the margin expansion. So that's what you're seeing come through in the Q3. We expect that in the Q4, getting back to Steve's point of roughly EBITDA level of 24% for the full year. And then we do anticipate, as we had said at Investor Day, expanding margins as we get into fiscal 2025 and 2026. Speaker 500:26:39Great. And obviously, the enrollment trends are better in Chamberlain and Walden, but maybe if you could kind of break down the magnitude of the pieces, I guess, between sort of the brand building and the marketing efforts of the growth for purpose as well as kind of a more stable nursing end market, easier comps? I guess, ultimately, how you think about the stability of the growth rate going or the sustainability of the growth rate going forward? Speaker 200:27:06Yes. So as we've discussed in prior cycles, where it starts with us is really on taking advantage of the opportunities to improve persistence across the portfolio. And at Walden and at Chamberlain, we're enjoying some of the best persistence rates we've had in years. When you layer on top of that new enrollment growth, you get the kind of total enrollment trend that we've seen over the last few quarters and that we expect will continue through the balance of this year and into next year. On a year over year basis, you get some more difficult comps as we get into fiscal 'twenty five, but on an absolute sequential basis, we believe there's still opportunity to continue to grow enrollments at both Chamberlain and Walden and in the MedVet segment, particularly at the medical schools. Speaker 200:27:46So we still got, we think, attractive capacity to do that within our existing framework. And when we think about some more online programs like BSN Online at Chamberlain and the portfolio of programs we have at Walden, we've really got lots of headroom to continue to take full advantage of everything we've done to raise awareness around our brands and programs and attract more students into them. Operator00:28:15Our next question comes from Alex Paris with Barrington Research. Speaker 600:28:20Hi, guys. Thanks for taking my questions and congratulations on the outperformance and the guidance raise. Speaker 200:28:29Thank you. Speaker 600:28:30Just diving into the segments a little bit, a couple of follow-up questions. At Chamberlain, impressive acceleration in year over year growth. You kind of called out BSN online, pre licensure BSN programs, growth in several graduate programs, I'm assuming. And then how is that stubborn RN to BSN program going? Speaker 200:28:58Well, it's going quite well actually. I mean, we the thing to remember about RN to BSN is that it is a market offering that is flat to down depending on how you measure it. But we continue to take share in R and D BSN because of the strong reputation Chamberlain enjoys and also Walden in R and D BSN. So relative to the overall market dynamics for that offering, we continue to do quite well across both institutions. Speaker 600:29:30Good to hear. I realize that was sort of kind of the last to come back, I would think, given the COVID demands on working nurses and so on. Speaker 200:29:42That's right. Post licensure nursing was the last component to come back post COVID. Speaker 600:29:48And you're up in both RN to BSN in both institutions? You said you're taking share, but are you taking share by declining less or increasing? Speaker 200:30:00We're up at both institutions. Speaker 600:30:03Great. And then a quick one or 2 on MedVet, starting with the medical schools. Again, sequential improvement, the rate of decline is diminishing. You're expecting increased enrollment in fiscal 2025 within the medical schools. How is that going to happen? Speaker 600:30:23What are your focus areas? I think you in the past have talked about increasing international students, increasing your affiliation with HSBCs and HSIs. Just hoping to get a little bit more color on initiatives within medical schools. Speaker 200:30:38Yes. So going back a couple of quarters, Alex, the decline in enrollments at the medical schools, we've been very clear, was not the reflection of a specific market dynamic applicable to medical education. It really was an execution challenge on our end, which is why the remediation efforts we've discussed are really about people and process on our end, how we better execute against the market opportunity we have, both at the top of the funnel, but most importantly, at the bottom of the funnel when it's time to actually convert those students into enrollees. That's what the remediation efforts are focused on. We believe that if we successfully implement those initiatives and maintain them over time, the market opportunity is still sufficiently attractive for us to grow enrollments over time at both medical schools. Speaker 200:31:22Even though medical school and medical education is incrementally more competitive because of DO schools and things happening in the Lower 48, the additional competition in that space has not kept up with demand and there are still many, many more applicants for medical schools than there are seats. And that creates an incredibly attractive opportunity for our schools, which have been doing this for over 40 years, have fantastic brands and reputations with students and offer differentiated experience on Island. So we still think we can win in medical education. It's just down to us to execute, and that's what just didn't flow through our results of operations over the last few quarters. Speaker 600:31:59Great. Thank you. And then last question on the veterinary school continuing to operate at or near capacity. In terms of Department of Education and gainful employment regulation, whether that takes effect on time or not, given lawsuits and so on. That was an area that seemed to be neglected when they wrote the rule. Speaker 600:32:24They gave some relief to medical schools and so on, but they didn't specifically mention vet schools. And I know you were working on that. Anything to share there? Any update on your efforts with the Department of Education? And what are your options if they don't give that relief, which they should? Speaker 200:32:46Well, what I can say is that we remain engaged with the department about extending a longer measurement period to DBM programs, not unlike what's available for medical programs and other mental health and behavioral sciences programs. It seems to be a very analogous logical move to make. And we've gotten what we believe is a constructive reception from the department in those discussions. So we are still working that path because we think it's a viable path and it's one that makes sense and other DBM programs, I think, agree with us there. Beyond that, if for some reason, we were not able to get that exception, if for some reason the rule as currently drafted survived all the various challenges it's facing from a litigation perspective. Speaker 200:33:34We have thought about a number of different strategies we could pursue to ensure that the country's largest DVM program and arguably, because of its scale, the most important DVM program in the country continues to operate in a way that serves the increasing demand for companion pet veterinarians in the United States. So I won't get into specifics based on a hypothetical, but we feel very confident about the ongoing viability of that program, and we're pursuing multiple paths to ensure that happens. Speaker 600:34:07That's great. I appreciate that extra color and I'm rooting for you guys. I'll get back into the queue. Speaker 200:34:14Thank you. Operator00:34:17Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. I'll hand the floor back to Steve Beard for closing comments. Speaker 200:34:24Yes. As I mentioned in our prepared remarks, we had a fantastic Match Day, and that's exactly the kind of strong academic outcome that has a second order effect that benefits all of us who leverage U. S. Healthcare that we're proud to be a part of that at Talend. So I just want to congratulate all of our colleagues across our 2 medical schools and more importantly, all of our fantastic students who are ready to go off to the residencies of their choice and begin the next chapter of their journey to become practicing physicians. Speaker 200:34:54Thanks for the time this afternoon, and we look forward to catching up next quarter. Operator00:34:58Thank you. This concludes today's conference. All parties may disconnect. Have a good day.Read morePowered by