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Axway Software

Earnings Release Feb 22, 2022

1136_iss_2022-02-22_4443cd1b-e0ad-4c3f-8c3d-55868b9b4ead.pdf

Earnings Release

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Contacts Investor Relations: Arthur Carli – +33 (0)1 47 17 24 65 – [email protected] Press Relations: Sylvie Podetti – +33 (0)1 47 17 22 40 – [email protected]

Press release

Axway Software: 2021 Full-Year Results

  • 2021 Full-year revenue of €285.5m, an organic decline of 2.7%, in line with the announcement of January 19, 2022
  • Dynamic Subscription activity, with organic growth of 18.9% over the year
  • Recurring revenue representing 82% of total revenue and 93% of product revenue
  • Margin on operating activities up 110 basis points year-on-year to 11.5% of revenue, or €32.9m

Paris, February 22, 2022 - Axway Software's Board of Directors, chaired by Pierre Pasquier, today conducted an in-depth review of the consolidated and annual financial statements1 for the year ended December 31, 2021. Axway announces the following results for 2021:

Axway Software: 2021 Full-year results

Key income statement items* 2021 2020
(€m) (% Rev) (€m) (% Rev)
Revenue 285.5 297.2
Organic growth - 2.7%
Growth at constant exchange rates - 2.7%
Total growth - 3.9%
Profit on Operating Activities 32.9 11.5% 30.8 10.4%
Profit from Recurring Operations 19.9 7.0% 17.6 5.9%
Operating Profit 17.3
6.1%
17.6 5.9%
Net Profit attributable to the Group 9.6 3.4% 8.5 2.9%
Basic earnings per share (in €) 0.45 0.40

* Alternative performance measures are defined in the glossary at the end of this document

Patrick Donovan, Chief Executive Officer, declared:

" In 2021, I was pleased with our teams' efforts to implement our new strategy. Although we faced unusual buying patterns in Q4, which, as announced a few weeks ago, prevented us from achieving our annual growth target, we still had several positive results for the year. First, it should be noted that our sales teams met or exceeded their objectives for 7 consecutive quarters before the Q4 2021 challenge. In fact, our main products grew year over year. In addition, as in 2020, we continued to move forward, by improving our profitability through a stable gross margin and lower operating expenses. The continued growth of our Net Promoter Score confirmed the high level of customer satisfaction and we also managed to maintain strong engagement among our employees despite the significant attrition observed in our markets. The pipeline reassessment we have just completed, and the technological excellence of our products allow me to reiterate my confidence in our project and our strategy. Thanks to its clearly differentiating added value, the Amplify API platform will drive Axway's future growth and we will therefore continue to invest to fuel its development. Organizational and strategic adjustments are underway to enable us to sustain the independent, growing, and profitable model we believe in for Axway. We therefore begin 2022 with commitment, ready to meet the challenges of a market with limited visibility and strong competition, leveraging the solid foundation we have built since 2018."

1 Audit procedures have been carried out on the financial statements. The Statutory Auditors' report is in the process of being issued.

Comments on business activity in 2021

In 2021, in an economic and health context that remained highly uncertain, Axway launched a new 3-year strategic plan based on a strong product vision. There were a number of important developments throughout the year:

  • Axway strengthened its business model, aiming to capitalize on its leader position in its most dynamic market, that of API management. While the anticipated spread of APIs is now a market reality, investment in Amplify over recent years has made it one of the first offerings capable of addressing the complex data governance issues faced by large organizations. This vision has enabled the company to continue to win new customers at a sustained pace and has largely fueled the business pipeline throughout the year.
  • Efforts to constantly improve the Axway customer experience continued and were reflected in important reorganizations. To strengthen the privileged partner relationship that the company seeks to offer each of its customers, teams were created to unify a global vision by product line. Several major contracts were won with long-standing customers who were particularly satisfied with the relationship of trust established with Axway. Over the year, the customer satisfaction indicator increased 4 points compared to 2020, with a Net Promoter Score reaching 29.
  • Axway employee engagement remained strong despite the turbulent environment. The Employee Engagement Score was 66% for the year, once again reflecting the regular and transparent dialogue established with all employees.
  • Marketing investments were continued and bore fruit. The digitalization of events and campaigns did not prevent Axway from interacting effectively with its existing customers and prospects, as evidenced by the 25% growth in Amplify's pipeline over the year.

Comments on operational performance in 2021

In 2021, Axway generated revenue of €285.5m, down 2.7% organically and 3.9% in total. While the scope of consolidation did not change during the year, exchange rate fluctuations negatively impacted revenue by €3.7m, mainly due to the depreciation of the US dollar and the Brazilian real against the euro. Profit on operating activities improved for the second year in a row, finishing at €32.9m for the period, or 11.5% of revenue, compared to 10.4% in 2020. Optimized cost management and the planned reduction in Research & Development expenses after several years of major investment made it possible to improve profitability despite lower business volumes.

Axway Software: Revenue by business line
Full-year 2021 (€m) 2021 2020 2020 Total Organic
Restated* Reported Growth Growth
License 18.6 25.3 25.8 - 28.0% - 26.6%
Subscription 114.2 96.1 97.3 + 17.4% + 18.9%
Maintenance 119.0 136.6 138.2 - 13.9% - 12.9%
Services 33.8 35.6 36.0 - 6.0% - 4.9%
Axway Software 285.5 293.5 297.2 - 3.9% - 2.7%
License revenue was €18.6m in 2021 (6% of total revenue), an organic decrease of 26.6%. As customers favor more than ever the
economic and technological flexibility of subscription offers, the License activity fell sharply over the year as expected. This decline
is explained in particular by the drop in the number of significant contracts signed by the company at the end of the year.
The Subscription activity generated revenue of €114.2m in 2021, with organic growth of 18.9% and 17.4% in total. Having grown
steadily over the past three years, the activity now represents 40% of Axway's annual revenue. New customer wins accelerated
throughout the year for key products in Axway's portfolio, including the Amplify API management offering which won 51 new
customers in 2021. Certain specialized products operating in the cloud suffered from a high attrition rate, slowing overall activity
growth. Sales performance over the period was satisfactory, as evidenced by the signing of new subscription contracts for an annual
contract value (ACV) of €33.2m, up 4.2% compared to the very high comparison base in 2020.
The Signature Metric therefore fell 2.2% in 2021.
Maintenance revenue was €119.0m in 2021, or 42% of total revenue. As expected, and in line with the first nine months of the year,
the activity reported a full-year organic decline of 12.9%. This trend is explained by the migration of the value of certain maintenance
operations to the Subscription revenue line, as customers adopt more flexible contractual models.
Axway's recurring revenue, which includes Subscription and Maintenance contracts, represented 82% of the company's revenue in
2021, i.e., €233.2m, an increase compared to 2020 (79%). This includes €51.5m of upfront revenue, recognized on the signing of
subscription contracts.
Recurring revenue also represented 93% of Axway's product revenue (Licenses, Maintenance and
Subscription) over the year, confirming the effective transition to recurring contracts, which should offer better visibility and more

The Signature Metric therefore fell 2.2% in 2021.

Axway's recurring revenue, which includes Subscription and Maintenance contracts, represented 82% of the company's revenue in 2021, i.e., €233.2m, an increase compared to 2020 (79%). This includes €51.5m of upfront revenue, recognized on the signing of subscription contracts. Recurring revenue also represented 93% of Axway's product revenue (Licenses, Maintenance and Subscription) over the year, confirming the effective transition to recurring contracts, which should offer better visibility and more stable forecasts from 2023.

Still impacted by the health crisis and associated restrictions, the Services activity generated revenue of €33.8m (12% of total revenue) in 2021, down 4.9% organically. While activity grew in some regions where remote services are possible, the situation was much less favorable in most major European countries and in the United States.

Axway Software: Revenue by geographic area

Full-year 2021 (€m) 2021 2020 2020 Total Organic
Restated* Reported Growth Growth
France 81.4 93.5 93.5 - 12.9% - 12.9%
Rest of Europe 67.4 62.9 62.3 + 8.1% + 7.2%
Americas 119.4 120.8 125.3 - 4.7% - 1.2%
Asia/Pacific 17.3 16.4 16.1 + 7.4% + 5.8%
Axway Software 285.5 293.5 297.2 - 3.9% - 2.7%

* Revenue at 2021 scope and exchange rates

France reported revenue of €81.4m in 2021 (28% of total revenue), an organic decline of 12.9%. In the country, at the end of the year, several large deals were postponed, causing a significant decrease in sales compared to the particularly high comparison base of Q4 2020.

The Rest of Europe region achieved organic growth of 7.2% in 2021, with revenue of €67.4m, representing 24% of total revenue. The robust momentum of the Subscription activity (+50.9%) and the resilience of the License activity (+6.7%) helped offset the decline in other activities.

The Americas (USA & Latin America) generated revenue of €119.4m over the year (42% of total revenue), with an organic decrease of 1.2%. Although not sufficient to compensate for the decline in License activity, Subscription activity accelerated significantly over the year as expected (+18.4%).

Asia/Pacific achieved annual revenue of €17.3m (6% of total revenue), with organic growth of 5.8%. Thanks to growth in excess of 20% in the Subscription and Services activities, and more generally a return to normal business levels, Axway enjoyed a good year in the region.

Comments on 2021 net profit

Profit from recurring operations was €19.9m in 2021, or 7.0% of revenue, compared to 5.9% the previous year. It includes amortization of allocated intangible assets of €8.6m and a share-based payment expense of €4.4m.

Operating profit for the year was €17.3m, or 6.1% of revenue.

Net profit for the period was €9.6m, representing 3.4% of revenue compared to 2.9% (€8.5m) in 2020 and 1.8% (€5.4m) in 2019.

Basic earnings per share were €0.45 for the year, up from €0.40 in 2020.

Financial position at December 31, 2021

At December 31, 2021, Axway's financial position was solid, with cash of €25.4m and bank debt of €61.8m.

Free cash flow was €2.9m in 2021, compared to -€0.7m a year earlier. The accumulation of Subscription contract signatures should lead to an improvement in net cash from operating activities from 2022.

Shareholders' equity stood at €372.2m at December 31, 2021, compared to €355.5m at the end of 2020.

As a reminder, Axway renegotiated its bank lines until 2026, thereby securing financing of up to €125.0m.

Change in the workforce

At December 31, 2021, Axway had 1,712 employees compared to 1,888 at December 31, 2020.

Proposed dividend for financial year 2021

At its upcoming Annual General Meeting scheduled for May 24, 2022, Axway will ask shareholders to approve the distribution of a dividend with a value of €0.40 per share.

2022 Targets & Outlook

For 2022, Axway's objective is to achieve organic revenue growth of between 1% and 3%. The company also aims to improve its profitability, with a margin on operating activities of between 12% and 14% of revenue for the year.

In the medium term, Axway's ambitions remain:

  • ➔ to achieve revenue of €500m through organic growth in sales and through acquisitions
  • ➔ to return to operating margin on business activity rates above 15%
  • ➔ to sustainably increase earnings per share to above €1

Today, Tuesday, February 22, 2022, 6.30 p.m. (UTC+1): 2021 Full-Year Results Virtual Analyst Conference

  • Virtual conference registration: Click here
    • Or join by phone by dialing one of the numbers below and announcing "Axway" at the operator's request:
    • International: +44 (0) 33 0551 0200 / France: +33 (0) 1 7037 7166 / USA: +1 212 999 6659

Please note that the meeting will be held in English.

Financial Calendar

Thursday, March 24, 2022: Filing of the 2021 Universal Registration Document Thursday, April 28, 2022, before market opening: Publication of Q1 2022 Revenue Tuesday, May 24, 2022, 2:30 p.m. (UTC+1): Annual Shareholders' Meeting Tuesday, July 26, 2022, after market closing: Publication of 2022 Half-Year Results Tuesday, July 26, 2022, 6:30 pm (UTC+1): 2022 Half-Year Results Virtual Analyst Conference

Glossary – Alternative Performance Measures

Restated revenue: Revenue for the prior year, adjusted for the consolidation scope and exchange rates of the current year.

Organic growth: Growth in revenue between the period under review and the prior period, restated for consolidation scope and exchange rate impacts.

Growth at constant exchange rates: Growth in revenue between the period under review and the prior period restated for exchange rate impacts.

ACV: Annual Contract Value – Annual contract value of a subscription agreement.

TCV: Total Contract Value – Full contracted value of a subscription agreement over the contract term.

Signature metric: Amount of license sales plus three times the annual contract value (3xACV) of new subscription contracts signed over a given period.

Net Signature metric: Signature metric net of the maintenance attrition by migration to new subscription contracts

Profit on operating activities: Profit from recurring operations adjusted for the non-cash share-based payment expense, as well as the amortization of allocated intangible assets.

NPS: Net Promoter Score – Customer satisfaction and recommendation indicator for a company.

Employee Engagement Score: Measurement of employee engagement through an independent annual survey.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements that may be subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning Axway's growth and profitability, notably in the event of future acquisitions. Axway highlights that contract signatures, which represent investments for customers, are more significant in the second half of the year and may therefore have a more or less favorable impact on full-year performance. In addition, Axway notes that potential acquisition(s) could also impact this financial data. Furthermore, activity during the year and/or actual results may differ from those described in this document as a result of a number of risks and uncertainties set out in the 2020 Universal Registration Document filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorité des Marchés Financiers, AMF) on March 18, 2021, under number D.21- 0147. The distribution of this document in certain countries may be subject to prevailing laws and regulations. Natural persons present in these countries and in which this document is disseminated, published, or distributed, should obtain information about such restrictions, and comply with them.

About Axway

Axway (Euronext: AXW.PA) empowers customers to succeed using hybrid integration to connect people, systems, businesses, and digital ecosystems. Axway's hybrid integration platform, Amplify, helps enterprise power users, IT specialists, developers, and partners accelerate digital transformation, create captivating experiences, and innovate new services. Amplify speeds integrations by combining traditional integration patterns with API Management and Application Integration (providing over 150 prebuilt connectors). Over 11,000 organizations in 100 countries rely on Axway for their data integration challenges. To learn more, visit www.investors.axway.com/en

Appendices (1/5)

Axway Software: Revenue by business line

st Quarter 2021 (€m)
1
Q1 2021 Q1 2020 Q1 2020 Total Organic
Restated* Reported Growth Growth
License 3.8 3.7 3.9 -2.0% 2.8%
Subscription 23.7 14.8 15.7 50.9% 59.6%
Maintenance 29.8 34.1 35.4 -15.9% -12.7%
Services 9.0 9.0 9.3 -3.1% 0.1%
Axway Software 66.3 61.7 64.4 3.1% 7.5%
nd Quarter 2021 (€m)
2
Q2 2021 Q2 2020 Q2 2020 Total Organic
Restated* Reported Growth Growth
License 5.4 6.3 6.6 -17.4% -13.7%
Subscription 28.1 20.9 21.5 30.5% 34.6%
Maintenance 30.2 34.1 35.3 -14.3% -11.4%
Services 8.3 8.6 8.8 -6.0% -3.1%
Axway Software 72.1 69.9 72.2 -0.2% 3.2%
r d Quarter 2021 (€m)
3
Q3 2021 Q3 2020 Q3 2020 Total Growth Organic Growth
Restated* Reported
License 4.7 8.1 8.3 -42.8% -41.3%
Subscription 27.8 21.9 21.9 26.9% 27.2%
Maintenance 29.5 33.7 33.6 -12.2% -12.5%
Services 7.7 8.9 8.9 -13.5% -13.4%
Axway Software 69.8 72.6 72.8 -4.1% -3.8%
th
Quarter 2021 (€m)
4
Q4 2021 Q4 2020 Q4 2020 Total Organic
Restated* Reported Growth Growth
License 4.6 7.2 7.0 - 34.9% - 36.8%
Subscription 34.6 38.5 38.1 - 9.3% - 10.1%
Maintenance 29.4 34.7 33.9 - 13.1% - 15.0%
Services 8.8 9.1 8.9 - 1.5% - 3.3%
Axway Software 77.3 89.4 87.9 - 12.0% - 13.5%

* Revenue at 2021 scope and exchange rates

Appendices (2/5)

Axway Software: Revenue by geographic area

st Quarter 2021 (€m)
1
Q1 2021 Q1 2020 Q1 2020 Total Organic
Restated* Reported Growth Growth
France 18.8 17.9 17.9 5.1% 5.1%
Rest of Europe 16.7 13.6 13.5 23.2% 22.9%
Americas 26.5 27.4 30.1 -11.8% -3.1%
Asia/Pacific 4.4 2.9 2.9 50.7% 50.8%
Axway Software 66.3 61.7 64.4 3.1% 7.5%
nd Quarter 2021 (€m)
2
Q2 2021 Q2 2020 Q2 2020 Total Organic
Restated* Reported Growth Growth
France 20.6 23.0 23.0 -10.6% -10.6%
Rest of Europe 17.3 16.2 16.0 7.7% 6.8%
Americas 30.6 26.7 29.2 4.7% 14.5%
Asia/Pacific 3.6 4.0 4.0 -8.2% -8.8%
Axway Software 72.1 69.9 72.2 -0.2% 3.2%
r d Quarter 2021 (€m)
3
Q3 2021 Q3 2020 Q3 2020 Total
Restated* Reported Growth Organic Growth
France 19.3 20.3 20.3 -4.9% -4.9%
Rest of Europe 14.0 14.3 14.2 -0.9% -2.1%
Americas 32.2 32.8 33.2 -2.9% -1.7%
Asia/Pacific 4.3 5.2 5.2 -17.1% -17.9%
Axway Software 69.8 72.6 72.8 -4.1% -3.8%
th
Quarter 2021 (€m)
4
Q4 2021 Q4 2020 Q4 2020 Total Organic
Restated* Reported Growth Growth
France 22.8 32.3 32.3 - 29.5% - 29.5%
Rest of Europe 19.4 18.8 18.6 + 4.4% + 3.4%
Americas 30.1 34.0 32.8 - 8.4% - 11.5%
Asia/Pacific 5.0 4.3 4.1 + 22.6% + 18.1%
Axway Software 77.3 89.4 87.9 - 12.0% - 13.5%

* Revenue at 2021 scope and exchange rates

Axway Software : Consolidated Income Statement

2021 2020 2019
Full-year 2021 €m % Rev. €m % Rev. €m % Rev.
Revenue 285.5 297.2 300.0
of which License 18.6 25.8 52.8
of which Subscription 114.2 97.3 59.6
of which Maintenance 119.0 138.2 146.7
Sub-total Products 251.7 261.3 259.1
Services 33.8 36.0 40.8
Cost of sales 83.3 87.6 88.4
of which License and Maintenance 24.6 24.9 23.4
of which Subscription 27.0 28.3 26.7
of which Services 31.7 34.4 38.3
Gross profit 202.3 70.8% 209.7 70.5% 211.5 70.5%
Operating expenses 169.4 178.8 185.6
of which Sales and marketing 89.0 92.9 99.1
of which Research and development 55.3 60.4 61.3
of which General and administrative 25.0 25.5 25.1
Profit on operating activities 32.9 11.5% 30.8 10.4% 25.9 8.6%
Stock option expense -4.4 -5.1 -2.7
Amortization of intangible assets -8.6 -8.2 -8.6
Profit from recurring operations 19.9 7.0% 17.6 5.9% 14.6 4.9%
Other income and expenses -2.7 0.0 -0.3
Operating profit 17.3 6.1% 17.6 5.9% 14.3 4.8%
Cost of net financial debt -1.3 -1.4 -1.6
Other financial revenues and expenses 0.5 -2.7 -0.6
Income taxes -6.9 -5.1 -6.8
Net profit 9.6 3.4% 8.5 2.9% 5.4 1.8%
Basic earnings per share (in €) 0.45 0.40 0.25

Axway Software: Simplified Balance Sheet

31/12/2021 31/12/2020 31/12/2019
Full-year 2021 (€m) (€m) (€m)
Assets
Goodwill 348.3 330.3 350.0
Intangible assets 15.1 23.4 33.9
Property, plant and equipment 14.3 15.4 12.5
Lease right-of-use assets 23.5 28.9 23.5
Other non-current assets 23.4 24.9 22.8
Non-current assets 424.6 422.9 442.7
Trade receivables 105.1 88.1 71.9
Other current assets 27.8 32.2 33.2
Cash and cash equivalents 25.4 16.2 21.1
Current assets 158.3 136.4 126.2
Total Assets 582.9 559.3 568.8
Equity and Liabilities
Share capital 43.3 42.7 42.5
Reserves and net profit 328.9 312.8 320.1
Total Equity 372.2 355.5 362.6
Financial debt - long-term portion 60.1 37.3 39.2
Lease liabilities - long-term portion 27.2 32.2 22.9
Other non-current liabilities 13.6 13.1 13.6
Non-current liabilities 100.9 82.5 75.7
Financial debt - short-term portion 1.7 2.9 3.5
Lease liabilities - short-term portion 6.2 5.6 6.8
Deferred Revenues 55.8 54.7 60.6
Other current liabilities 46.0 58.1 59.7
Current liabilities 109.8 121.4 130.6
Total Liabilities 210.7 203.9 206.2
Total Equity and Liabilities 582.9 559.3 568.8

Axway Software: Cash Flow Statement

2021 2020 2019
Full-year 2021 (€m) (€m) (€m)
Net profit for the period 9.6 8.5 5.4
Net charges to amortization, depreciation and provisions 20.2 19.9 20.5
Other income and expense items 3.9 4.4 2.8
Cash from operations after cost of net debt and tax 33.7 32.8 28.7
Change in operating working capital requirements (incl. employee benefits liability) -26.2 -23.7 -19.3
Cost of net financial debt 1.3 1.4 1.6
Income tax paid net of accrual 4.1 1.6 2.6
Net cash from operating activities 12.9 12.1 13.6
Net cash used in investing activities -2.8 -8.1 -5.2
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options 2.0 0.6 0.0
Purchases and proceeds from disposal of treasury shares -9.5 -0.2 -1.2
Dividends paid -8.6 0.0 -8.5
Change in loans 21.5 -2.4 -3.6
Change in lease liabilities -6.7 -4.4 -7.7
Net interest paid -0.6 -0.7 -0.8
Other flows 0.1 -0.9 -1.5
Net cash from (used in) financing activities -1.7 -7.9 -23.2
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes 0.7 -1.1 0.1
Net change in cash and cash equivalents 9.0 -4.9 -14.7
Opening cash position 16.2 21.1 35.8
Closing cash position 25.2 16.2 21.1

Axway Software: Impact on revenue of changes in scope and exchange rates

Full-year 2021 (€m) 2021 2020 Growth
Revenue 285.5 297.2 - 3.9%
Changes in exchange rates -3.7
Revenue at constant exchange rates 285.5 293.5 - 2.7%
Changes in scope +0.0
Revenue at constant scope and exchange rates 285.5 293.5 - 2.7%

Axway Software: Changes in exchange rates

Full-year 2021
For 1€
Average rate
2021
Average rate
2020
Change
US Dollar 1.183 1.142 - 3.4%
Brazilian Real 6.378 5.894 - 7.6%

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