Graham Holdings Company Reports Third Quarter Earnings

ARLINGTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC) today reported a net loss attributable to common shares of $23.0 million ($5.02 per share) for the third quarter of 2023, compared to net income attributable to common shares of $32.8 million ($6.76 per share) for the third quarter of 2022.

The results for the third quarter of 2023 and 2022 were affected by a number of items as described in the following paragraphs. Excluding these items, net income attributable to common shares was $48.9 million ($10.45 per share) for the third quarter of 2023, compared to $74.2 million ($15.30 per share) for the third quarter of 2022. (Refer to the Non-GAAP Financial Information schedule at the end of this release for additional details.)

Items included in the Company’s net loss for the third quarter of 2023:

• $98.3 million in goodwill and other long-lived asset impairment charges (after-tax impact of $84.4 million, or $18.18 per share);
• $16.8 million in net gains on marketable equity securities (after-tax impact of $12.3 million, or $2.66 per share);
• $2.8 million in net losses of affiliates whose operations are not managed by the Company (after-tax impact of $2.1 million, or $0.45 per share);
• a $4.6 million credit to interest expense resulting from gains realized related to the termination of interest rate swaps (after-tax impact of $3.3 million, or $0.72 per share); and
• $1.1 million in interest expense to adjust the fair value of the mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interest (after-tax impact of $1.0 million, or $0.22 per share).

Items included in the Company’s net income for the third quarter of 2022:

• a $1.7 million net credit related to a fair value change in contingent consideration from a prior acquisition at the education division ($0.35 per share);
• $54.2 million in net losses on marketable equity securities (after-tax impact of $40.2 million, or $8.28 per share);
• $2.7 million in net losses of affiliates whose operations are not managed by the Company (after-tax impact of $2.0 million, or $0.42 per share);
• a net non-operating gain of $0.6 million from the write-up of a cost method investment (after-tax impact of $0.4 million, or $0.09 per share); and
• $1.4 million in interest expense to adjust the fair value of the mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interest (after-tax impact of $1.3 million, or $0.28 per share).

Revenue for the third quarter of 2023 was $1,111.5 million, up 10% from $1,012.4 million in the third quarter of 2022. Revenues increased at education, healthcare and automotive, partially offset by declines at television broadcasting, manufacturing and other businesses. The Company reported an operating loss of $57.1 million for the third quarter of 2023, compared to operating income of $59.5 million for the third quarter of 2022. The decrease in operating results is due to goodwill impairment charges at World of Good Brands (WGB, formerly Leaf Media) and Dekko and declines at television broadcasting, manufacturing, automotive and other businesses, partially offset by an increase at education. The Company reported adjusted operating cash flow (non-GAAP) of $83.7 million for the third quarter of 2023, compared to $99.4 million for the third quarter of 2022. Adjusted operating cash flow declined at television broadcasting, manufacturing, automotive and other businesses, partially offset by increases at education and healthcare.

For the first nine months of 2023, the Company recorded net income attributable to common shares of $152.0 million ($32.14 per share), compared to $60.9 million ($12.48 per share) for the first nine months of 2022. The results for the first nine months of 2023 and 2022 were affected by a number of items as described in the following paragraphs. Excluding these items, net income attributable to common shares was $151.2 million ($31.96 per share) for the first nine months of 2023, compared to $196.6 million ($40.27 per share) for the first nine months of 2022. (Refer to the Non-GAAP Financial Information schedule at the end of this release for additional details.)

Items included in the Company’s net income for the first nine months of 2023:

• a $4.2 million net credit related to a fair value change in contingent consideration from a prior acquisition at Corporate (after-tax impact of $4.1 million, or $0.89 per share);
• $99.1 million in goodwill and other-long lived asset impairment charges (after-tax impact of $85.0 million, or $18.30 per share);
• $9.6 million in expenses related to non-operating Separation Incentive Programs (SIPs) at other businesses and the education and television broadcasting divisions (after-tax impact of $7.2 million, or $1.54 per share);
• $113.4 million in net gains on marketable equity securities (after-tax impact of $83.6 million, or $17.99 per share);
• $9.7 million in net losses of affiliates whose operations are not managed by the Company (after-tax impact of $7.1 million, or $1.53 per share);
• a non-operating gain of $10.0 million on the sale of Pinna (after-tax-impact of $7.4 million, or $1.59 per share);
• non-operating gain of $3.9 million from the write-up and sales of cost method investments (after-tax impact of $2.9 million, or $0.63 per share);
• a $4.6 million credit to interest expense resulting from gains realized related to the termination of interest rate swaps (after-tax impact of $3.3 million, or $0.72 per share); and
• $1.4 million in net interest expense to adjust the fair value of the mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interest (after-tax impact of $1.3 million, or $0.27 per share).

Items included in the Company’s net income for the first nine months of 2022:

• a $4.9 million net credit related to fair value changes in contingent consideration from prior acquisitions (after-tax impact of $4.9 million, or $1.00 per share);
• $172.9 million in net losses on marketable equity securities (after-tax impact of $127.9 million, or $26.19 per share);
• $2.8 million in net losses of affiliates whose operations are not managed by the Company (after-tax impact of $2.1 million, or $0.43 per share);
• Non-operating gain of $2.2 million from sales and write-up of cost and equity method investments (after-tax impact of $1.7 million, or $0.34 per share); and
• $12.8 million in interest expense to adjust the fair value of the mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interest (after-tax impact of $12.3 million, or $2.51 per share).

Revenue for the first nine months of 2023 was $3,248.1 million, up 14% from $2,860.5 million in the first nine months of 2022. Revenues increased at education, healthcare and automotive, partially offset by declines at television broadcasting, manufacturing and other businesses. The Company reported operating income of $28.6 million for the first nine months of 2023, compared to $138.8 million for the first nine months of 2022. The decrease in operating results is due to goodwill impairment charges at WGB and Dekko and declines at television broadcasting, healthcare, and other businesses, partially offset by increases at education and automotive. The Company reported adjusted operating cash flow (non-GAAP) of $255.3 million for the first nine months of 2023, compared to $258.4 million for the first nine months of 2022. Adjusted operating cash flow declined at television broadcasting and other businesses, partially offset by increases at education, healthcare and automotive.

Division Results

Education

Education division revenue totaled $411.8 million for the third quarter of 2023, up 16% from $355.1 million for the same period of 2022. Kaplan reported operating income of $29.9 million for the third quarter of 2023, compared to $18.6 million for the third quarter of 2022.

For the first nine months of 2023, education division revenue totaled $1,192.1 million, up 12% from $1,066.1 million for the same period of 2022. Kaplan reported operating income of $83.0 million for the first nine months of 2023, compared to $57.8 million for the first nine months of 2022.

In the second quarter of 2023, Kaplan modified its segment reporting for Kaplan India, a shared services center that supports Higher Education (previously included in Kaplan corporate and other); prior periods have been reclassified to conform with the current presentation.

A summary of Kaplan’s operating results is as follows:

Kaplan International includes postsecondary education, professional training and language training businesses largely outside the United States. Kaplan International revenue increased 29% and 19% for the third quarter and first nine months of 2023, respectively (25% and 21%, respectively, on a constant currency basis). The increases are due largely to growth at Pathways, Australia, Languages and UK Professional, partially offset by a decline at Singapore. Kaplan International reported operating income of $22.2 million in the third quarter of 2023, compared to $8.5 million in the third quarter of 2022. The improved results are due largely to improved results at Australia, Pathways, UK Professional and Languages. Operating income increased to $64.3 million in the first nine months of 2023, compared to $48.1 million in the first nine months of 2022. The improved results are due largely to improved results at Australia, Pathways and Languages, partially offset by declines at UK Professional and Singapore.

Higher Education includes the results of Kaplan as a service provider to higher education institutions. Higher Education revenue was flat compared to the third quarter of 2022 and increased 7% for the first nine months of 2023. For the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 and 2022, Kaplan recorded a portion of the fee with Purdue Global based on an assessment of its collectability under the TOSA. Enrollments at Purdue Global for the first nine months of 2023 increased 5% compared to the first nine months of 2022. The Company will continue to assess the collectability of the fee with Purdue Global on a quarterly basis to make a determination as to whether to record all or part of the fee in the future and whether to make adjustments to fee amounts recognized in earlier periods. Higher Education results declined in the third quarter of 2023 due to a lower Purdue Global fee recorded compared to the third quarter of 2022, partially offset by a decline in other higher education development costs. Higher Education results improved in the first nine months of 2023 due to an increase in the Purdue Global fee recorded, and a decline in other higher education development costs.

Supplemental Education includes Kaplan’s standardized test preparation programs and domestic professional and other continuing education businesses. Supplemental Education revenue declined 2% and 3% for the third quarter and first nine months of 2023, respectively, driven mostly by softness in Real Estate, Securities and Medical Licensure test preparation, offset in part by growth in CFP, CFA, Architecture and Engineering and MCAT test preparation and publishing activities. Overall, demand for graduate and pre-college test preparation programs has declined due to the strength of U.S. employment markets and the decline in test-takers, while demand for professional programs remained stable. Operating results improved in the third quarter of 2023 due to savings from reduced headcount, partially offset by lower revenues. Operating results declined in the first nine months of 2023 due to lower revenues, partially offset by savings from reduced headcount.

Kaplan corporate and other represents unallocated expenses of Kaplan, Inc.’s corporate office, other minor businesses and certain shared activities. Kaplan corporate and other expenses increased in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023, largely due to increased incentive compensation costs.

Television Broadcasting

Graham Media Group, Inc. owns seven television stations located in Houston, TX; Detroit, MI; Orlando, FL; San Antonio, TX; Jacksonville, FL; and Roanoke, VA, as well as SocialNewsDesk, a provider of social media management tools designed to connect newsrooms with their users. Revenue at the television broadcasting division decreased 14% to $116.1 million in the third quarter of 2023, from $135.2 million in the same period of 2022. The revenue decline is due primarily to a $20.3 million decline in political advertising revenue, partially offset by a modest increase in retransmission revenues. Operating income for the third quarter of 2023 declined 39% to $31.9 million, from $52.3 million in the same period of 2022, due to reduced revenues and higher network fees.

Revenue at the television broadcasting division decreased 9% to $347.8 million in the first nine months of 2023, from $381.0 million in the same period of 2022. The revenue decline is due primarily to a $23.8 million decline in political advertising revenue, winter Olympics and Super Bowl advertising at the Company’s NBC affiliates in the first quarter of 2022, as well as modest declines in digital advertising and retransmission revenues. Operating income for the first nine months of 2023 declined 29% to $93.7 million, from $131.9 million in the same period of 2022, due to reduced revenues and higher network fees. While per subscriber rates from cable, satellite and OTT providers have grown, overall cable and satellite subscribers are down due to cord cutting, resulting in retransmission revenue net of network fees in 2023 expected to be down modestly compared with 2022, and this trend is expected to continue in the future.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing includes four businesses: Hoover, a supplier of pressure impregnated kiln-dried lumber and plywood products for fire retardant and preservative applications; Dekko, a manufacturer of electrical workspace solutions, architectural lighting and electrical components and assemblies; Joyce/Dayton, a manufacturer of screw jacks and other linear motion systems; and Forney, a global supplier of products and systems that control and monitor combustion processes in electric utility and industrial applications.

Manufacturing revenues decreased 11% and 6% in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023, respectively. The revenue declines are due primarily to lower revenues at Hoover and Dekko, partially offset by increased revenues at Joyce and Forney. Revenues declined in the third quarter of 2023 at Hoover due largely to lower wood prices and a decrease in product demand. Revenues declined in the first nine months of 2023 at Hoover due largely to lower wood prices, partially offset by overall increased rates and higher product demand. Revenues declined at Dekko due largely to lower product demand, particularly in the commercial office electrical products sector. Overall, Hoover results included wood gains on inventory sales in the first nine months of 2023 and 2022, with gains in the first nine months of 2023 modestly higher than the prior year. For the third quarter of 2023, Hoover results included wood gains on inventory sales, compared with modest wood losses on inventory sales in the third quarter of 2022. Manufacturing operating results declined in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 due primarily to a $47.8 million goodwill impairment charge at Dekko, resulting from continued sustained weakness in demand for certain Dekko power and data products, primarily in the commercial office sector. Excluding the impairment charge at Dekko, manufacturing operating results were down in the third quarter of 2023, due to declines at Dekko and Hoover, partially offset by improved results at Joyce and Forney. Excluding the impairment charge at Dekko, manufacturing operating results were down slightly in the first nine months of 2023, due to declines at Dekko, partially offset by improvements at Hoover and Joyce.

Healthcare

Graham Healthcare Group (GHG) provides home health and hospice services in seven states. GHG also provides other healthcare services, including nursing care and prescription services for patients receiving in-home infusion treatments through its 76.5% interest in CSI Pharmacy Holdings Company, LLC (CSI). In May 2022, GHG acquired two small businesses, one of which expanded GHG’s home health operations into Kansas and Missouri. In July 2022, GHG acquired a 100% interest in a multi-state provider of Applied Behavior Analysis clinics and in August 2022, GHG acquired two small businesses, which expanded GHG’s hospice services into Missouri and Ohio. Healthcare revenues increased 33% and 44% for the third quarter and first nine months of 2023, respectively, largely due to significant growth at CSI and from businesses acquired in 2022, along with growth in home health and hospice services.

In 2022, GHG implemented a new pension credit retention program in order to improve employee retention and utilize the Company’s surplus pension assets. The GHG pilot program offers a pension credit up to $50,000 per employee, cliff vested after three years of continuous employment for certain existing employees and new employees hired from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024. GHG recorded pension expense of $3.4 million and $10.1 million related to this program in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023, respectively.

The decline in GHG operating results in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 is due largely to an increase in pension expense related to the new GHG pension credit retention program, partially offset by improved results at CSI and in home health and hospice. Excluding pension expense, GHG operating results increased in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023. Adjusted operating cash flow (non-GAAP) at GHG increased to $11.8 million in the third quarter of 2023, from $7.7 million in the third quarter of 2022. Adjusted operating cash flow (non-GAAP) at GHG increased to $34.4 million in the first nine months of 2023, from $23.4 million in the first nine months of 2022.

The Company also holds interests in four home health and hospice joint ventures managed by GHG, whose results are included in equity in earnings of affiliates in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company recorded equity in earnings of $1.9 million and $1.5 million for the third quarter of 2023 and 2022, respectively, from these joint ventures. The Company recorded equity in earnings of $6.9 million and $5.1 million for the first nine months of 2023 and 2022, respectively. During the first quarter of 2022, GHG, through its Residential Home Health Illinois and Residential Hospice Illinois affiliates, acquired an interest in the home health and hospice assets of NorthShore University HealthSystem, an integrated healthcare delivery system serving patients throughout the Chicago, IL area. The transaction resulted in a decrease to GHG’s interest in Residential Hospice Illinois and a $0.6 million non-operating gain was recorded in the first quarter of 2022 related to the change in interest.

Automotive

Automotive includes seven automotive dealerships in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and Richmond, VA: Ourisman Lexus of Rockville, Ourisman Honda of Tysons Corner, Ourisman Jeep Bethesda, Ourisman Ford of Manassas, and Toyota of Woodbridge and Ourisman Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram (CDJR) of Woodbridge, which were acquired on July 5, 2022 from the Lustine Automotive Group. In addition, on September 27, 2023, the Company acquired a Toyota dealership in Henrico, VA from McGeorge Toyota. Christopher J. Ourisman, a member of the Ourisman Automotive Group family of dealerships, and his team of industry professionals operate and manage the dealerships; the Company holds a 90% stake. The automotive group has also been awarded a KIA Open Point dealership in Bethesda, MD with plans to commence operations by the end of the year.

Revenues for the third quarter of 2023 increased 29% due to sales growth at all dealerships, except for the Jeep dealership, which had lower revenues due to a decline in new vehicle sales. Revenues for the first nine months of 2023 increased 50% due to the acquisitions of the Toyota of Woodbridge and CDJR dealerships and sales growth at the other dealerships, except for the Jeep dealership, which had lower revenues due to a decline in new vehicle sales. Additionally, all of the dealerships reported sales growth for services and parts for the first nine month of 2023. Operating results for the third quarter of 2023 decreased due to declines at the Jeep, CDJR, Ford, and Lexus dealerships and transaction costs related to the McGeorge Toyota acquisition, partially offset by improved results at the Toyota of Woodbridge and Honda dealerships. Operating results for the first nine months of 2023 improved due largely to the Toyota of Woodbridge and CDJR acquisitions, and improved results at the Honda and Lexus dealerships, partially offset by declines at the Jeep dealership due primarily to declines in new vehicle sales and related margins, and declines at the Ford dealership in margins on new vehicle sales.

Other Businesses

A summary of revenue by category for other businesses:

Overall, revenue from other businesses declined 14% and 13% in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023, respectively. Retail revenue declined in the first nine months of 2023 largely due to significantly lower revenue at Society6, partially offset by revenue growth at Framebridge. Media revenue declined in the first nine months of 2023 due to lower revenue at WGB and Code3, partially offset by revenue growth at Slate and Foreign Policy. Specialty revenue increased in the first nine months of 2023 due to revenue growth at Clyde’s Restaurant Group (CRG). Excluding the former Leaf businesses, revenue from other businesses grew in the third quarter and first nine months of 2023.

Overall, operating results at other businesses declined in the first nine months of 2023 due to a $50.

Contacts

Wallace R. Cooney

(703) 345-6470

Read full story here