Q4 2024 Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc Earnings Call
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Speaker Change: Greetings and welcome to Bright Horizons Family Solutions fourth quarter 2024 earnings call.
At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode.
A question and answer session will follow the formal presentation.
Speaker Change: If anyone should require operator assistance, please press star zero on your telephone keypad.
Speaker Change: As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce Michael Flanagan, Vice President, Investor Relations. Thank you, Mr. Flanagan, you may begin.
Speaker Change: Thank You Sherry and welcome to Bright Horizons fourth quarter earnings call. Before we begin please note that today's call is being webcast and reporting will be available under the investor relations section of our website brighthorizons.com
Speaker Change: As a reminder to participants, any forward-looking statements made on this call, including those regarding future business, financial performance, and outlook, are subject to the Safe Harbor Statement included in our earnings release.
Speaker Change: Forward-looking statements inherently involves risks and uncertainties that may cause actual operating and financial results to differ materially and should be considered in conjunction with the cautionary statements that are described in detail in our earnings release 123 Form 10-K and other SEC filings.
Speaker Change: Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date in which it is made and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Speaker Change: which is available under the IR section of our website at investors.brighthorizons.com
Speaker Change: Joining me on today's call is our Chief Executive Officer Stephen Kramer and our Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Boland. Stephen will start by reviewing our results and provide an update on the business. Elizabeth will follow with a more detailed review of the numbers before we open it up to your questions.
Speaker Change: So with that, let me turn the call over to Stephen.
Thanks, Mike, and good evening to everyone on the call.
Stephen Kramer: I am pleased with our strong performance in the fourth quarter and how we finished the year.
Stephen Kramer: Total revenue and adjusted EPS exceeded our expectations for the quarter, largely driven by the outstanding performance of our backup care segment on the top and bottom line.
Stephen Kramer: For the year, total revenue increased by 11%, while adjusted EPS grew by 22%, significantly surpassing our initial projections for the year.
Stephen Kramer: We achieved the highest operating income in the company's history with our backup care segment generating $170 million of EBIT, which represents earnings performance in excess of the contribution of our entire full-service segment prior to the COVID pandemic.
Stephen Kramer: This impressive growth spanning more than 1,100 clients and multiple geographies has fundamentally changed and strengthened the overall business mix and we believe the growth trajectory of Bright Horizons for the years ahead.
Stephen Kramer: To get into some of the specifics on the recent quarter, revenue increased 10% to $674 million in Q4, with adjusted EBITDA up 12% to $111 million, and adjusted EPS growing 18% to $0.98 per share.
Stephen Kramer: In our full-service child care segment, revenue increased 8% to $485 million.
Stephen Kramer: We added seven centers in the fourth quarter, including client centers for Ragon Institute and St. Jude's Hospital.
and our second center in India for Morgan Stanley.
Stephen Kramer: For the full year, we opened 26 centers, of which 17 were for client-employers, most of which are new to the Bright Horizons family.
Stephen Kramer: Enrollment in centers open for more than one year increased at a low single-digit rate in Q4 across our U.S. and international operations.
Stephen Kramer: with average occupancy percentage in the low 60s consistent with the prior quarter.
Stephen Kramer: As a reminder, Q3 and Q4 are historically our lowest occupancy quarters due to traditional enrollment seasonality.
Stephen Kramer: We are pleased to see our top cohort of centers, nearly 40% of our portfolio, continue to demonstrate very high levels of occupancy.
averaging more than 80% in the fourth quarter.
Stephen Kramer: As such, our enrollment growth opportunity continues to be concentrated in our middle and bottom cohorts, which saw mid-single-digit enrollment growth in the fourth quarter.
Stephen Kramer: With that said, the pace of growth in our underperforming centers remains below our expectations and we continue to intensify our efforts to drive improved results.
Stephen Kramer: In a number of our underperforming centers located in the business districts of DC, New York City, and Seattle, we have seen some early signs that return-to-office policy changes by employers are driving an uptick in enrollment inquiries.
Stephen Kramer: I'm encouraged by the shift in trends we have seen at these locations, and we are well-suited to accommodate families' child care needs as they readjust to return to office mandates.
Stephen Kramer: In the UK, we continue to make operational and financial progress in the fourth quarter, narrowing the losses as compared to last year.
Stephen Kramer: For the full year, we delivered much improved financial and operational performance across our UK portfolio on strong enrollment growth, improved centre staff retention, and lower agency spend.
Stephen Kramer: While the UK is still a headwind to our overall full service margins, I'm encouraged by the steady progress and momentum in the business.
Stephen Kramer: We see a clear path to earnings break-even performance in 2025, with continued improvement of results in the years that follow.
Stephen Kramer: Let me now turn to BackupCare, which delivered a strong quarter with 15% revenue growth to $157 million.
Stephen Kramer: Traditional network use trended higher than our expectations as we ended the year with use in center-based and in-home care showing particularly strong growth.
Stephen Kramer: We also continue to add to our client base with new employer launches in the fourth quarter, including Harris Health and Lonza.
Stephen Kramer: As I mentioned earlier, 2024 was another standout year for backup care.
Stephen Kramer: Greater adoption of the Backup Care Benefit among eligible employees drove revenue topping $600 million with operating income of $170 million.
Stephen Kramer: We were pleased to see the continued expansion of the Backup Care Benefit, with more unique users utilizing the benefit, and users consuming more of their annual use banks.
Stephen Kramer: This increased adoption has been supported by our marketing initiatives, expanded suite of care types, and greater provider availability.
Stephen Kramer: With the momentum we saw exiting the year and the outlook we have for 2025, I remain confident that backup care will be a significant growth engine for the company's top and bottom line for many years.
Stephen Kramer: Our education advisory business grew to $32 million in the quarter, an operating margin of 29% ticked up slightly from the same quarter last year.
Stephen Kramer: We added new clients to the portfolio, notably launching Atlantic Health Systems and United Natural Foods, and continue to see more adoption of our student loan repayment products.
Stephen Kramer: As this segment continues to execute on its transformation, focused on meeting the evolving upskilling and reskilling needs of employers and their employees,
Stephen Kramer: We continue to believe in, and are investing for, the large opportunity available in this market.
Stephen Kramer: Before I wrap up, I want to take a moment to express our heartfelt sympathies for those affected by the devastating fires in Los Angeles.
Stephen Kramer: While the overall operational impact for Bright Horizons was quite limited, we have many in our community, employees, families, and clients who have been significantly impacted.
Stephen Kramer: We share the deep sense of loss that permeates across Southern California.
Stephen Kramer: Over the past few months, we have witnessed a series of natural disasters and unimaginable tragedies, and I'm very proud of the way our team has stepped up.
Stephen Kramer: While our employees are not first responders, they are supporting many who have been called on in the wake of these devastating tragedies.
Stephen Kramer: Looking ahead to 2025, I remain excited about our growth prospects, and I continue to have tremendous confidence in the resiliency of our business model, the strength of our more than 1,450 client relationships, and our ability to drive long-term value to all stakeholders.
We enter 2025 with a strong foundation.
Stephen Kramer: and expect to deliver a range of $2.85 billion to $2.9 billion of revenue.
Stephen Kramer: And on the earnings side, we are projecting adjusted EPS of $3.95 to $4.15 per share for growth of approximately 15% to 20% for the year.
Stephen Kramer: With that, I'll turn the call over to Elizabeth, who will dive into the quarterly numbers and share more details around our 2025 Outlook.
Elizabeth Boland: Thanks, Stephen, and hello to everybody who is able to join the call.
Elizabeth Boland: To recap the fourth quarter, overall revenue increased 10% to $674 million.
Elizabeth Boland: Adjusted operating income of $79 million, or 11.8% of revenue, increased 25% over Q4 of 2023, while adjusted EBITDA of $111 million, or 16.4% of revenue, increased 12% over the prior year.
Elizabeth Boland: We ended the year with 1,019 centers, having added seven and closed 16 locations in the fourth quarter.
Elizabeth Boland: To break this down a bit further, full service revenue was $485 million and was up 8% in Q4. On pricing increases,
Elizabeth Boland: low single-digit enrollment growth, and approximately 50 basis points of tailwind from FX.
Stephen Kramer: As Stephen mentioned, Q4 occupancy levels across our portfolio of centers that have been open for more than one year increased over the prior year and remained relatively consistent from Q3 levels in a low 60% utilization.
Stephen Kramer: In the center cohorts we have discussed on prior calls, we continued to increase the number of centers in the top cohorts over the prior year period.
Stephen Kramer: In Q4, our top performing cohort, defined as above 70% occupancy, improved from 36% of these centers in Q4 of 23 to 39% in Q4 of 24.
Stephen Kramer: And our bottom cohort of centers, those under 40% occupied, now represent 16% of centers, improving from 18% in the prior year period.
Stephen Kramer: Adjusted operating income of $17 million in the full service segment increased $4.5 million over the prior year.
Stephen Kramer: Higher enrollment and improved operating leverage, particularly in our U.S. and U.K. operations, helped drive the growth in earnings.
Stephen Kramer: Turning to backup care, revenue grew more than $20 million or 15% in the fourth quarter to $157 million.
Stephen Kramer: Strong overall use in Q4 drove the better than expected revenue growth, as well as the adjusted operating income of $53 million in Q4 of 24, or 33% of revenue.
Stephen Kramer: For the year, revenue grew 16% to $610 million, topping our expectations of 14% to 15% growth.
Stephen Kramer: Lastly, our revenue in the educational advising segment ticked up to $32.5 million in Q4 and delivered operating margin of 29%, modestly higher than the prior year, reflecting improved operating leverage.
Stephen Kramer: Net interest expense in the quarter of eleven and a half million was down over the prior year largely due to incremental interest income on invested cash.
Stephen Kramer: The structural effective tax rate on adjusted net income was 27.5% in the quarter, roughly in line with the full year effective rate.
Stephen Kramer: Turning to the balance sheet and cash flow, for the full year 2024, we generated $337 million in cash from operations, compared to $256 million in 2023.
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Stephen Kramer: We made fixed asset investments totaling $95 million in 2024 as compared to $91 million in 2023.
Stephen Kramer: And lastly, with the continued cash build, and specifically free cash flow generated in Q4, we repurchased roughly $85 million of stock in the quarter, our first repurchase activity since the summer of 2022.
Stephen Kramer: We ended the year with 110 million of cash, a leverage ratio of roughly two times net debt to adjusted EBITDA, and approximately 58 and a half million weighted average shares outstanding.
Now moving on to our 2025 outlook.
Stephen Kramer: In terms of the top line, we currently expect 2025 revenue to be in the range of $2.85 billion to $2.9 billion.
Stephen Kramer: This growth of 6-8% includes a 115 basis point year-over-year headwind from the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against our foreign currencies.
Stephen Kramer: As a result, we expect constant currency revenue to grow approximately 7 to 9 percent.
Stephen Kramer: Looking at a segment level, in full service, we expect reported revenue to grow in the range of 4.5% to 6.5%.
Stephen Kramer: with constant currency revenue growth of 6-8% on enrollment gains and tuition increases offset by a modest headwind from NetCenter closings.
Stephen Kramer: In backup care, we expect reported revenue to increase 11% to 13%, driven by the continued expansion of use.
Stephen Kramer: And in that advisory, we expect to grow in the low to mid-single digits.
Thank you.
Stephen Kramer: As Stephen previewed in terms of earnings, we expect 2025 adjusted EPS to be in the range of $3.95 to $4.15 a share.
Stephen Kramer: Turning now to specifically to the first quarter of 2025, our outlook is for total top-line growth in the range of 6 to 8 percent on a reported basis to 660 million to 670 million, reflecting roughly 100 basis points headwind from FX over the prior year.
Stephen Kramer: We expect full service to grow reported revenue again in the range of four and a half percent to six and a half percent or six to eight percent in constant currency.
Stephen Kramer: back up to grow 11 to 13% and add advisory in the mid-single digits.
Stephen Kramer: In terms of earnings, we expect Q1 adjusted EPS to be in the range of $0.63 to $0.68 a share.
Stephen Kramer: So with that, Sherry, we are ready to go to Q&A.
Speaker Change: Thank you. If you would like to ask a question, please press star 1 on your telephone keypad.
Speaker Change: A confirmation tone will indicate your line is in the question queue. You may press star 2 if you would like to remove your question from the queue. And for participants using speaker equipment, it may be necessary to pick up your handset before pressing the star keys. One moment while we pull for questions.
Speaker Change: Our first question is from Manav Patnik with Barclays. Please proceed.
Manav Patnik: Thank you. Elizabeth, I was hoping you could just break out that 6-8% I suppose constant currency.
Redman.
I know you said pricing.
those three components were basically.
Manav Patnik: So, Manav, if I heard your question right, this is for the 2025.
Yeah, for the 68% full center guide specifically.
Manav Patnik: Yeah, sorry, I just was, you were breaking up a little bit.
Speaker Change: Yes, overall we would be looking at price increase in the 4 to 5 percent range.
Manav Patnik: enrollment in the two and a half to three and a half percent range.
Manav Patnik: closure effect if you will the openings offset by the effect of centers we have closed in the you know half a percent or so offsetting those two growth items and then the foreign exchange is is a point and a half so 150 basis points
Edwin. Okay, got it.
Manav Patnik: Understood. Helpful. And then, you know, just like you have before, could you just help us with, you know, the margins?
Manav Patnik: perhaps for the full year and the three segments. I know you've done that before for that in the quarter.
Sure, so
Manav Patnik: So this year we're, you know, we're in the, in the...
Manav Patnik: lowish to mid-single digits for the full-service segment, so around 4%. We would be looking to improve that to mid-single digits, 150 basis points or so. That comes from, you know, some of the leverage from the enrollment and the pricing to cost, etc.
of full service in that range.
Manav Patnik: Our backup business for the year, we would expect it to be similar to what we've delivered in 2024.
Manav Patnik: in that 25-30% range, but in the higher end of that, similar to what we did this year. There's a little bit of different phasing for that. It would be mid to high teens.
Manav Patnik: for the first quarter specifically, so a little bit of difference versus the full year, but you know, you can see the trend of that this year, next year as well.
Manav Patnik: and then in the yet advising business overall again some phasing throughout the year but in the the mid to high teens operating income.
for the year.
Thank you.
Sure.
Manav Patnik: Our next question is from George Tong with Goldman Sachs. Please proceed.
George Tong: Hi, thanks. Good afternoon. You mentioned that occupancy is currently in the low 60s, consistent with a 3Q. Can you provide your latest views on how occupancy rates will trend over the course of 2025?
Speaker Change: Yeah, I mean, our expectation is for overall for enrollment growth in the two and a half to three and a half percent range.
Speaker Change: maybe a little bit, you know, a little bit more. We have harder comps in the first half than the second half, modestly, but, you know, fairly steady growth through the year, but maybe weighted slightly to the back end.
Speaker Change: And what about the percentage? Would you expect the low 60s to reach mid-60s, mid to high 60s? Yeah, sorry, George. It would be in the mid-60s, yeah. That's where we would expect it.
Speaker Change: And I know there's seasonality over the course of the year. How would you expect? I'm assuming the step-up happens in the first half of the year and then steps back down in the second half.
Speaker Change: yes exactly it would be because the enrollment we would expect the growth to be fairly consistent it would be higher in the first half like it was this year and then tapering back in the second half
Got it, thank you.
Thank you. Bye-bye.
Speaker Change: Our next question is from Andrew Steinerman with J.P. Morgan. Please proceed.
Andrew Steinerman: Hey, Elizabeth, I thought I heard you say that the number of center closings in 25 would only drag revenues by a half a point. Maybe you could mention how many centers that would be. It just sounds low to me because when I think about the pre-COVID years, the many years,
Andrew Steinerman: of center pruning, which was normal, would drag about 1 or 2% a year. So if it's only a half a percent this year, it just seems like you're not pruning even like kind of a normal amount of pre-COVID centers for a year.
Andrew Steinerman: Yeah, so I think that the the factor there, Andrew, I mean it's a we're trying to quantify the point about it, but I think it's it's net of course of the openings so
Andrew Steinerman: are two and a quarter and openings are one and one and a quarter, then that, you know, shapes down to less than 1% net.
Andrew Steinerman: We do have, I think I'll point out one thing though about that, which is that
Andrew Steinerman: We are opening centers. We opened 26 centers here in 2024. We would expect a similar number of openings based on what is in the pipeline and in development right now.
Those centers open and they are ramping up.
Andrew Steinerman: and delivering a, you know, sort of a more typical historic ramp profile. The centers we are closing have been under...
Andrew Steinerman: enrolled there at a revenue level that is already somewhat tapered down. So the effect of it is a headwind on revenue, but perhaps not completely representative of what you might have seen in the past.
Andrew Steinerman: Right, and what was in the fourth quarter, the same question, what was the revenue drag from center closings in the fourth quarter just reported?
Andrew Steinerman: From a yeah from a gross basis of about a 250 basis point headwind from from center closing We had some new centers. So the net the net was closer to a hundred basis point drag you for Okay. Thank you
Jeff Mueller: Our next question is from Jeff Mueller with Baird. Please proceed.
Yeah, thank you. Good afternoon.
Jeff Mueller: Stephen, you mentioned just the disappointment with the underperforming centers and intensifying efforts. Can you go into more detail on what the intensifying efforts part means? Like what are you doing differently going into 25 than you've been doing throughout the COVID recovery just from a...
operational side to drive that up in full service.
Jeff Mueller: Yeah, so I think a lot of it, Jeff, thank you for the question. I think a lot of it is really focused on continuing to refine.
the prospect family experience.
Jeff Mueller: So, again, I think what we have continued to do and are, you know, again, redoubling our efforts on are things like, you know, how a respective family is handled as an inquiry, and so really making sure that we're intensifying the personal touch that those families are receiving through the process.
I think we continue to...
Jeff Mueller: improve our tour experience and making sure that we are providing greater visibility into the great experience that family will have once they enroll in the center. And then I would say that we are also, you know, improving our ability to leverage
Jeff Mueller: the backup care use within our own centers and using more systems to convert.
Jeff Mueller: backup users into full-time enrollments and really providing them that first experience
Jeff Mueller: through a backup use, and then ultimately having them enroll on a permanent basis. So I would say a lot of it is down to how we're managing that funnel and making sure that the family has as many opportunities.
Jeff Mueller: to see the great work that happens within our centers and expose them to that so they can differentiate with other options in the community.
Speaker Change: Got it. And then just on backup care, could you just talk about client budget discussions or annual budget adjustments going into 25 as we think about
Jeff Mueller: that as a growth driver versus driving up allowance of the existing use banks and new clients. Thanks.
Jeff Mueller: Yeah, sure. So, first of all, just to take a step back, obviously, we're really pleased with how Backup performed.
throughout 2024 growing, you know, 16 percent.
Jeff Mueller: which again gives us the confidence to guide to 11 or 13% for 2025.
Jeff Mueller: I would say specifically related to the renewal season, we had really positive conversations in this.
Jeff Mueller: third and fourth quarter as it relates to the conversations and discussions we had with our existing client base.
Jeff Mueller: Obviously, they invested more than they had in the prior year. We got really good signals from our clients through both renewal as well as anecdotal evidence that they are interested in continuing to grow those investments.
Again, their focus, as is ours.
Jeff Mueller: is on continuing to grow the number of unique users. So, in terms of the lever that we see as the important one and our employer clients are aligned with, we are looking to broaden the base of users.
Jeff Mueller: within our client base, and only in a really small incremental way grow the number of uses per user.
Jeff Mueller: And so we're not seeing many changes as it relates to the use banks that employers are offering, but instead
They are continuing to
Jeff Mueller: allow for a broader set of unique users that ultimately will come with additional use. So we felt really good about Q3 and Q4 in terms of the renewal season, feel good about our ability to continue to drive marketing and other efforts.
as well as supply against the increased demand.
Got it. Thank you.
Thank you.
Jeff Mueller: Our next question is from Josh Chan with UBS. Please proceed.
Josh Chan: Hi, good afternoon. Thanks for taking my question. Stephen, I think you mentioned the return to office potentially being a little bit of a tailwind.
Speaker Change: important of a factor is that to you would you attribute that factor to explain much the difference between your current occupancy and your pre-COVID occupancy just kind of kind of ballpark how impactful office might be to you in your in your mind
Speaker Change: Yeah, look, I think that, you know, as we have grown the enrollment across the base of centers, clearly there have been a number of factors that have
Speaker Change: have gone into us continuing to be able to increase and improve enrollment.
I would say was some of the most stubborn.
Speaker Change: of Enrollment Challenges. So think about the ones that are in the third cohort.
There are a selection of those, and I think I
Speaker Change: I alluded to them in the prepared remarks, which is there is a selection of those in that bottom cohort.
Speaker Change: that are in urban business districts. So think about D.C., think about...
you know midtown to downtown Manhattan, think about downtown Seattle.
and in those isolated markets.
certainly returned to office.
increased inquiries in some of those
Speaker Change: Markets that historically have been particularly stubborn. I wouldn't say it's the, you know, key driver in terms of our enrollment progress to date nor going forward, but there are a selection of centers that certainly will and hopefully will get assisted by return to office policies.
Speaker Change: Thank you for the color there. And in the UK, I think you mentioned a path to break even. Does that mean that you expect to
Thank you.
Speaker Change: Sure, so I think we had shared in previous calls that we had an expectation of a loss
Speaker Change: within, you know, the full service segment in the UK of 15 million and, you know, it's going to be actually closer to
10 this year, 2024.
Speaker Change: And certainly in 2025, our expectation is we're going to be able to get that to break even. I think what allowed us to do better in 2024 and start to see the kinds of improvements that we saw was down to enrollment growth.
Speaker Change: So our teams in the UK did a really nice job of growing our enrollment.
Speaker Change: they certainly worked really diligently on getting better and more efficient staffing and as a result we're able to really reduce our reliance on agency third-party staffing accommodations.
Speaker Change: We will continue to roll all of those efforts forward into this year, 2025. And then the only other sort of additional piece of the puzzle for 2025 is that we have an expectation, given that the government has announced.
that for zero to three-year-olds...
Speaker Change: there will be increased numbers of hours so they're going to go from 15 hours of free entitlement to 30 hours of free entitlement and so our expectation is that you know that will create some additional velocity in Q3 and Q4.
Speaker Change: Great. Thank you for the call there and good luck in 25.
Thank you.
Speaker Change: Our next question is from Tony Kaplan with Morgan Stanley. Please proceed.
Thank you
Tony Kaplan: I wanted to start out with enrollment trends in third quarter and fourth quarter.
You had the low single-digit enrollment and
Tony Kaplan: you've got it to about two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half for the coming year. And this was all...
Tony Kaplan: laid out last quarter, so I don't feel like there was a lot new here, but just what do you think has
Tony Kaplan: has driven the slower enrollment than you had seen previously. Just thinking about it in the post-COVID period, I guess enrollment was a lot higher because you were still, you know, sort of seeing people come back to center care, but just wanted to get your thoughts on the enrollment trends. Thanks.
Yeah, thanks, Tony. I think the...
Tony Kaplan: Parsing it a little bit is helpful in terms of where we are actually seeing the opportunity for enrollment growth. So in our best-performing centers, we are over 80% occupied. Those centers are, they may,
Tony Kaplan: for a period of time gain some enrollment, but ultimately when you've got a center that's that full, there will always be cycling out of older children into elementary school, et cetera. So maintaining those centers.
Tony Kaplan: in the same enrollment level means not much enrollment growth from that cohort.
Tony Kaplan: at all, the real growth opportunity is in those centers that are sub-70% enrolled and that's where we have seen good improvement in the middle, sort of the middle cohort that we've characterized as 40-70% occupied, mid-single digits.
We are...
Tony Kaplan: in the stage of enrollment in those centers where it's always a little bit difficult to piece the age of children and the availability of spaces together in all cases.
Speaker Change: Where Stephen mentioned it and we talked a little bit earlier, not as in reflecting on where the improvement has been slower, slower than we would have expected, even though the most underperforming centers have
You know have a
you know stubbornly below
Speaker Change: 40%, and that is, in some cases, it's down to where they are located in a very
Speaker Change: work-centric environment where there has been less opportunity to enroll families who are coming to that area. They've made other choices closer to their home. But it is also, you know, I think that the
Speaker Change: the environment during the pandemic recovery for families who can afford child care. They've explored other options and we're needing to grow back and an awareness and an interest level in this kind of solution in some of these environments. So we are we're serving a population that is
Speaker Change: has other choices. We are serving generally in urban, near urban environments and we continue to see, as we've talked about, we continue to see good enrollment at our...
Speaker Change: Our client centers tend to be more enrolled. Centers that have been open longer tend to be more enrolled. And so those that are under-enrolled may have characteristics of being what I just described or even just newer to open or reopen.
terrific
Speaker Change: Then, in backup care, you mentioned the strengths in in-home care.
Speaker Change: I was wondering if the financials of that are sort of higher revenue with lower margin or how to think about the profile there and is that large enough within Backup Care to move the needle or is it still just a very nascent offering that you're providing?
Speaker Change: The in-home care is a really important part of the overall solution. Many families appreciate that alternative, but the majority of our care is actually center-based.
Speaker Change: our own centers primarily, that's the top group, and then our network partners is the next group.
Speaker Change: So in-home care, it's not nascent or incidental. It's an important portion of our service delivery. And it's more expensive than providing care within our own centers or a center-based solution, but it's an important...
part of the overall solution in terms of providing
Speaker Change: optionality and having having it meet the needs of the parent population. So we see it as continuing to grow that
that in-home capacity.
but
Speaker Change: Along with that, having enough of our own center-based capacity and or our network partners is, you know, certainly where economics are most optimal, but because the service delivery in the round is critical, we want to have as many care types as we can to serve the needs that the end consumer has.
Thank you.
Speaker Change: As a reminder, it is star 1 on your telephone keypad if you would like to ask a question. Our next question is from Jeff Silver with BMO Capital Markets. Please proceed.
Speaker Change: Thanks so much. Wanted to shift gears and talk a little bit about labor supply and more specifically wage inflation I know we've started to see a tick up generally I'm just wondering what you are seeing and if it does go higher Do you have an opportunity to raise prices maybe mid-year to offset any increase going forward?
Speaker Change: Yeah, so I think that, you know, we're comfortable with the estimates that we have at this point. You know, again, we've made some significant wage investments over the last four years.
So we feel good about where
where our employees are being compensated.
Speaker Change: Again, in addition to wage itself, we obviously invest in benefits and other ways in which we enrich the package for those in our employ.
Speaker Change: I would say that in terms of, you know, seeing wage inflation that is greater than what we expect, first, we don't expect that, but in the event where that was the case...
Speaker Change: We always have the opportunity, especially for new families, to consider that, although again at this point that's not our expectation.
Okay, that's really helpful.
Speaker Change: You had mentioned the share we're purchasing in the quarter. I know it's been a first time in a little while I'm just curious if you can just talk about your thought process behind that what drove you to do that this quarter as opposed to using it for other purposes
Speaker Change: Yeah, I mean, we have been, you know, in the last couple of years, both between our investments in our business in Australia
Speaker Change: and sort of making sure that the overall performance is stabilized. We've been building cash.
Speaker Change: over the course of this year certainly have visibility to continued cash flow generation in the coming years and thought.
Speaker Change: We are as opportunistic as we can be. The plan has been out there, and we've just been, I think, being judicious about capital deployment, but we've got very well-priced debt, and it's a good option for us to be active in that plan at this time.
Okay, very helpful. Thanks so much.
You're welcome. Thank you
Speaker Change: Our next question is from Fazza Alway with Deutsche Bank. Please proceed.
Speaker Change: Yes, hi, thank you. So, I know you talked about potential store closings, and I'm curious where do you think the utilization cohort that's below 40% utilized would be, you know, next year around this time?
Speaker Change: So we are, as mentioned on the call, we are about 16% or so of that group of centers that are in that bottom cohort.
Speaker Change: Free COVID, we always have had centers in a, you know, sort of suboptimal performance.
Speaker Change: group. And so getting to somewhere between 16% and probably 5% or so of the portfolio is where we would target at the end of
of 25, based on
Speaker Change: based on what we would expect enrollment to grow this year, and we do have some continued
Speaker Change: pruning expected. We may not be all the way to that 5% threshold, but certainly expect to see at least a few points of improvement in the overall
Speaker Change: cohort group. I think it's a it's a matter of improving improving those by by enrollment gains in the in the centers that have been most affected but I think overall the look there would be that we also will have
Speaker Change: Some centers that are opening and ramping, so don't want you to think that that number would ever be getting to zero.
Speaker Change: Okay, understood. And then just on the full-service margin expansion, I know you talked about 150 basis points just coming from, you know, enrollment, etc. So, but I'm curious, like, I know we just
Speaker Change: talked about the margins within each of these utilization cohorts. And so could you give us an update on sort of how to think about, you know, those margins in the above 70 percent utilization cohort versus the 40 to 70 percent at this point?
Speaker Change: Yeah, I mean, broadly speaking, the best, the most enrolled centers, the group that's above 70% is essentially back to pre-COVID operating margin level.
Speaker Change: in the full-service business, we were at 10% or so EBIT margins and those centers are certainly back to that level, even better, they were the better performers and so
doing well. The middle cohort...
Speaker Change: enrolled in that 40 to 70 percent are, you know, less than that. They're positive, but call it more like our overall average in the...
Speaker Change: the mid-single digits range. It's the underperforming group, that 16% we were just talking about that is
Speaker Change: They are actually losing money, and so, as a group, they lose.
Speaker Change: you know, some level. So we're not quoting, it's not really that relevant to quote it as a percentage of revenue. They're under enrolled. The revenue isn't that.
Speaker Change: representative of where they would be if they were performing, but they are, they're losing on a unit basis, they're losing money. So that's where the headwind and the improvement to margins will come from, getting those to break even and then positive.
Speaker Change: And then ultimately the bigger opportunity really is almost in that middle group of centers where, you know, call it 40, 45% or so of the centers are in that middle group and have the opportunity to move from mid-single digits back closer to that 10% level.
Great, thank you so much.
You're welcome. Thank you.
Speaker Change: Okay, thank you all very much for joining us this evening and wishing you all a great night.
Thanks everyone. Take care.
Speaker Change: Thank you. This will conclude today's conference. You may disconnect your lines at this time and thank you for your participation.
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