LendingTree Reports Record 3Q 2018 Results
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE), operator of LendingTree.com, the nation's leading online loan marketplace, today announced results for the quarter ended September 30, 2018.
"I'm incredibly pleased to report yet another solid quarter at LendingTree where the Company delivered record revenue, variable marketing margin and adjusted EBITDA," said Doug Lebda, Chairman and CEO. "The diversification of the business continues to power our results as non-mortgage revenue grew 45% year-over-year and composed 72% of total revenue. And, thanks in part to ongoing diversification of our marketing mix, Variable Marketing Margin and Adjusted EBITDA grew 30% and 31%, respectively. We remain solidly on track to achieve the goals we set out at the beginning of the year. While the mortgage industry remains under a great deal of pressure, we're fortunate to be able to continue to innovate and affect our mission to empower both consumers and our partners."
J.D. Moriarty, Chief Financial Officer, added "Although the mortgage environment continues to worsen, our other businesses are picking up the slack, enabling us to stay focused on enhancing the mortgage experience. And with the QuoteWizard acquisition officially closed as of yesterday, we're thrilled to be a leading player, at scale, in yet another large and growing non-mortgage category. We continue to meet our financial commitments, we're increasing our full-year guidance to reflect the impact of the acquisition, and we remain optimistic about the outlook for the remainder of the year and beyond."
Third Quarter 2018 Business Highlights
-- Record revenue from non-mortgage products of $141.8 million in the third
quarter represents an increase of 45% over the third quarter 2017.
-- Record personal loans revenue of $38.6 million grew 52% over third
quarter 2017.
-- Revenue from our credit card offerings grew to $42.7 million, up 8% over
the third quarter 2017 and up 10% sequentially.
-- Several other non-mortgage categories experienced year-over-year revenue
growth of more than 100%, including student loans, small business loans,
and deposits.
-- Mortgage revenue of $55.3 million declined 25% compared to the third
quarter 2017, driven by a decline in refinance revenue.
-- More than 9.6 million consumers have now signed up for My LendingTree.
Revenue contribution from My LendingTree grew 68% in the third quarter
compared to the prior year period.
LendingTree Selected Financial Metrics
(In millions, except per share amounts)
Q/Q Y/Y
3Q 2018 2Q 2018 % Change 3Q 2017 % Change
Revenue
Mortgage Products (1) $
55.3 $
66.9 (17)% $
73.8 (25)%
Non-Mortgage Products (2) 141.8 117.2 21% 97.7 45%
Total Revenue $
197.1 $
184.1 7% $
171.5 15%
Non-Mortgage % of Total 72% 64% 57%
Income Before Income Taxes $
17.8 $
15.1 18% $
14.4 24%
Income Tax Benefit (Expense) $
10.5 $
29.7 (65)% $
(4.3) N/A
Net Income from Continuing Operations $
28.4 $
44.8 (37)% $
10.1 181%
Net Income from Cont. Ops. % of Revenue 14% 24% 6%
Net Income per Share from Cont. Ops.
Basic $
2.22 $
3.61 (39)% $
0.84 164%
Diluted $
2.05 $
3.17 (35)% $
0.74 177%
Variable Marketing Margin
Total Revenue $
197.1 $
184.1 7% $
171.5 15%
Variable Marketing Expense (3) (4) $
(120.3) $
(116.4) 3% $
(112.4) 7%
Variable Marketing Margin (4) $
76.8 $
67.7 13% $
59.1 30%
Variable Marketing Margin % of Revenue 39% 37% 34%
Adjusted EBITDA (4) $
45.3 $
37.1 22% $
34.7 31%
Adjusted EBITDA % of Revenue (4) 23% 20% 20%
Adjusted Net Income (4) $
26.6 $
20.8 28% $
16.1 65%
Adjusted Net Income per Share (4) $
1.92 $
1.47 31% $
1.17 64%
(1) Includes the purchase mortgage and refinance mortgage products.
(2) Includes the home equity, reverse mortgage, personal loan, credit card, small business loan, student loan, auto loan, home services, insurance, deposit and personal credit products.
(3) Represents the portion of selling and marketing expense attributable to variable costs paid for advertising, direct marketing and related expenses. Also includes the portion of cost of revenue attributable to costs paid for advertising re-sold to third parties. Excludes overhead, fixed costs and personnel-related expenses.
(4) Variable Marketing Expense, Variable Marketing Margin, Variable Marketing Margin % of Revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA % of revenue, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Net Income per Share are non-GAAP measures. Please see "LendingTree's Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to GAAP" and "LendingTree's Principles of Financial Reporting"
below for more information.
Third Quarter 2018 Financial Highlights
-- Record consolidated revenue of $197.1 million represents an increase of
15% over revenue in the third quarter 2017.
-- GAAP net income from continuing operations of $28.4 million, or $2.05
per diluted share.
-- Record Variable Marketing Margin of $76.8 million represents 39% of
revenue and grew 30% over third quarter 2017.
-- Record Adjusted EBITDA of $45.3 million increased 31% over third quarter
2017.
-- Adjusted Net Income per share of $1.92 represents growth of 64% over
third quarter 2017.
-- During the quarter, the company repurchased 49 thousand shares of its
stock at a weighted-average price per share of $230 for aggregate
consideration of $11.2 million. As of September 30, 2018, the company
had approximately $70.6 million in repurchase authorization remaining.
Business Outlook - 2018
Inclusive of two months' impact from the QuoteWizard acquisition, LendingTree is increasing Revenue, Variable Marketing Margin and Adjusted EBITDA guidance for full-year 2018, as follows:
Full-year 2018:
-- Revenue is now anticipated to be in the range of $765 - $775 million, up
from prior range of $745 - $765 million.
-- Variable Marketing Margin is expected in the range of $283 - $288
million, up from prior range of $275 - $285.
-- Adjusted EBITDA is now anticipated in the range of $152 - $155 million,
up from prior range of $148 - $152 million, and representing growth of
32% - 35% over 2017.
LendingTree is not able to provide a reconciliation of projected Variable Marketing Margin or Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable expected GAAP results due to the unknown effect, timing and potential significance of the effects of legal matters, tax considerations, and income and expense from changes in fair value of contingent consideration from acquisitions. Expenses associated with legal matters, tax consequences, and income and expense from changes in fair value of contingent consideration from acquisitions have in the past, and may in the future, significantly affect GAAP results in a particular period.
Quarterly Conference Call
A conference call to discuss LendingTree's second quarter 2018 financial results will be webcast live today, November 1, 2018 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time (ET). The live audiocast is open to the public and will be available on LendingTree's investor relations website at http://investors.lendingtree.com/. The call may also be accessed toll-free via phone at (877) 606-1416. Callers outside the United States and Canada may dial (707) 287-9313. Following completion of the call, a recorded replay of the webcast will be available on LendingTree's investor relations website until 12:00 PM ET on Thursday, November 8, 2018. To listen to the telephone replay, call toll-free (855) 859-2056 with passcode #3246478. Callers outside the United States and Canada may dial (404) 537-3406 with passcode #3246478.
LENDINGTREE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2018 2017 2018 2017
---
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Revenue $
197,057 $
171,494 $
562,193 $
456,782
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown 10,838 4,388 22,577 12,143
separately below) (1)
Selling and marketing expense (1) 124,400 118,538 374,390 320,930
General and administrative expense (1) 22,980 17,920 70,553 41,561
Product development (1) 6,608 4,805 18,835 12,492
Depreciation 1,895 1,798 5,199 5,309
Amortization of intangibles 5,701 3,817 13,628 9,034
Change in fair value of contingent consideration 2,105 2,501 1,197 20,640
Severance 2,328 2,331 404
Litigation settlements and contingencies (88) 272 (280) 961
Total costs and expenses 176,767 154,039 508,430 423,474
---
Operating income 20,290 17,455 53,763 33,308
Other expense, net:
Interest expense, net (2,393) (2,804) (8,305) (4,048)
Other expense (69) (228) (106) (215)
---
Income before income taxes 17,828 14,423 45,352 29,045
Income tax benefit (expense) 10,534 (4,292) 63,716 (3,109)
---
Net income from continuing operations 28,362 10,131 109,068 25,936
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax (2,634) (1,011) (9,269) (2,632)
---
Net income and comprehensive income $
25,728 $
9,120 $
99,799 $
23,304
---
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic 12,799 11,999 12,437 11,931
Diluted 13,850 13,774 14,299 13,625
Income per share from continuing operations:
Basic $
2.22 $
0.84 $
8.77 $
2.17
Diluted $
2.05 $
0.74 $
7.63 $
1.90
Loss per share from discontinued operations:
Basic $
(0.21) $
(0.08) $
(0.75) $
(0.22)
Diluted $
(0.19) $
(0.07) $
(0.65) $
(0.19)
Net income per share:
Basic $
2.01 $
0.76 $
8.02 $
1.95
Diluted $
1.86 $
0.66 $
6.98 $
1.71
---
(1) Amounts include non-cash compensation, as follows:
Cost of revenue $
123 $
41 $
260 $
129
Selling and marketing expense 1,577 1,366 4,511 2,543
General and administrative expense 8,388 5,864 25,617 8,684
Product development 2,009 667 3,996 1,712
LENDINGTREE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
September 30, December 31,
2018 2017
---
(in thousands, except par value
and share amounts)
ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents $
265,194 $
368,550
Restricted cash and cash
equivalents 47 4,091
Accounts receivable, net 79,444 53,444
Prepaid and other current
assets 16,411 11,881
Current assets of discontinued
operations 175 75
---
Total current assets 361,271 438,041
Property and equipment, net 40,448 36,431
Goodwill 166,330 113,368
Intangible assets, net 95,970 81,125
Deferred income tax assets 75,484 20,156
Other non-current assets 1,708 1,910
Non-current assets of
discontinued operations 2,428 2,428
Total assets $
743,639 $
693,459
---
LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable, trade $
13,355 $
9,250
Accrued expenses and other
current liabilities 68,711 77,183
Current contingent
consideration 7,327 46,576
Current liabilities of
discontinued operations 18,988 14,507
---
Total current liabilities 108,381 147,516
Long-term debt 247,696 238,199
Non-current contingent
consideration 9,019 11,273
Other non-current liabilities 2,077 1,597
Total liabilities 367,173 398,585
---
Commitments and contingencies
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Preferred stock $.01 par value;
5,000,000 shares authorized;
none issued or outstanding -
Common stock $.01 par value;
50,000,000 shares authorized;
15,390,409 and 14,218,572
shares issued, respectively,
and 12,945,961 and 11,979,434
shares outstanding,
respectively 154 142
Additional paid-in capital 1,125,185 1,087,582
Accumulated deficit (607,182) (708,354)
Treasury stock; 2,444,448 and
2,239,138 shares, respectively (142,268) (85,085)
Noncontrolling interest 577 589
---
Total shareholders' equity 376,466 294,874
---
Total liabilities and
shareholders' equity $
743,639 $
693,459
---
LENDINGTREE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2018 2017
---
(in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities attributable to
continuing operations:
Net income and comprehensive income $
99,799 $
23,304
Less: Loss from discontinued
operations, net of tax 9,269 2,632
---
Income from continuing operations 109,068 25,936
Adjustments to reconcile income from continuing
operations to net cash provided by operating
activities attributable to continuing operations:
Loss on impairments and disposal of
assets 1,986 673
Amortization of intangibles 13,628 9,034
Depreciation 5,199 5,309
Rental amortization of intangibles
and depreciation 554 1,011
Non-cash compensation expense 34,384 13,068
Deferred income taxes (64,435) (5,571)
Change in fair value of contingent
consideration 1,197 20,640
Bad debt expense 922 401
Amortization of debt issuance costs 1,308 622
Amortization of convertible debt
discount 8,497 3,635
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable (23,387) (22,271)
Prepaid and other current assets (2,970) (5,070)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses
and other current liabilities (7,910) 19,361
Current contingent consideration (21,900)
Income taxes receivable 4,223 (1,399)
Other, net (137) (296)
Net cash provided by operating
activities attributable to
continuing operations 60,227 65,083
---
Cash flows from investing activities attributable to
continuing operations:
Capital expenditures (10,640) (5,925)
Acquisition of Student Loan Hero,
net of cash acquired (57,448)
Acquisition of Ovation, net of cash
acquired (11,683)
Acquisition of SnapCap (10) (11,886)
Acquisition of DepositAccounts - (25,000)
Acquisition of MagnifyMoney, net of
cash acquired - (29,511)
Other investing activities (12)
Net cash used in investing
activities attributable to
continuing operations (79,793) (72,322)
---
Cash flows from financing activities attributable to
continuing operations:
Proceeds from exercise of stock
options, net of payments related
to net-share settlement of stock-
based compensation 3,236 1,065
Contingent consideration payments (26,600)
Proceeds from the issuance of
0.625% Convertible Senior Notes - 300,000
Payment of convertible note hedge
transactions - (61,500)
Proceeds from the sale of warrants - 43,410
Payment of debt issuance costs (100) (9,264)
Purchase of treasury stock (57,018) (10,001)
Net cash (used in) provided by
financing activities attributable
to continuing operations (80,482) 263,710
Total cash (used in) provided by
continuing operations (100,048) 256,471
---
Discontinued operations:
Net cash used in operating
activities attributable to
discontinued operations (7,352) (2,365)
Total cash used in discontinued
operations (7,352) (2,365)
---
Net (decrease) increase in cash,
cash equivalents, restricted cash
and restricted cash equivalents (107,400) 254,106
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted
cash and restricted cash
equivalents at beginning of period 372,641 95,220
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted
cash and restricted cash
equivalents at end of period $
265,241 $
349,326
---
LENDINGTREE'S RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES TO GAAP
Below is a reconciliation of selling and marketing expense to Variable Marketing Expense. See "Lending Tree's Principles of Financial Reporting" for further discussion of the Company's use of this non-GAAP measure.
Three Months Ended
September 30, June 30, September 30,
2018 2018 2017
---
Selling and marketing expense $
124,400 $
123,946 $
118,538
---
Non-variable selling and marketing expense (1) (7,770) (7,571) (6,118)
Cost of advertising re-sold to third parties (2) 3,628
---
Variable Marketing Expense $
120,258 $
116,375 $
112,420
---
(1) Represents the portion of selling and marketing expense not attributable to variable costs paid for advertising, direct marketing and related expenses. Includes overhead, fixed costs and personnel-related expenses.
(2) Represents the portion of cost of revenue attributable to costs paid for advertising re-sold to third parties. Excludes overhead, fixed costs, and personnel-related expenses.
Below is a reconciliation of net income from continuing operations to Variable Marketing Margin and net income from continuing operations % of revenue to Variable Marketing Margin % of revenue. See "LendingTree's Principles of Financial Reporting" for further discussion of the Company's use of these non-GAAP measures.
Three Months Ended
September 30, June 30, September 30,
2018 2018 2017
---
Net income from continuing operations $
28,362 $
44,849 $
10,131
---
Net income from continuing operations % of revenue 14 24 6
%
% %
Adjustments to reconcile to Variable Marketing Margin:
Cost of revenue 10,838 6,043 4,388
Cost of advertising re-sold to third parties (1) (3,628)
Non-variable selling and marketing expense (2) 7,770 7,571 6,118
General and administrative expense 22,980 24,759 17,920
Product development 6,608 5,967 4,805
Depreciation 1,895 1,633 1,798
Amortization of intangibles 5,701 3,964 3,817
Change in fair value of contingent consideration 2,105 (167) 2,501
Severance 2,328 3
Litigation settlements and contingencies (3) (88) (170) 272
Interest expense, net 2,393 2,924 2,804
Other expense 69 71 228
Income tax (benefit) expense (10,534) (29,721) 4,292
Variable Marketing Margin $
76,799 $
67,726 $
59,074
---
Variable Marketing Margin % of revenue 39 37 34
%
%
%
(1) Represents the portion of cost of revenue attributable to costs paid for advertising re-sold to third parties. Excludes overhead, fixed costs, and personnel-related expenses.
(2) Represents the portion of selling and marketing expense not attributable to variable costs paid for advertising, direct marketing and related expenses. Includes overhead, fixed costs and personnel-related expenses.
(3) Includes legal fees for certain patent litigation.
Below is a reconciliation of net income from continuing operations to adjusted EBITDA and net income from continuing operations % of revenue to adjusted EBITDA % of revenue. See "LendingTree's Principles of Financial Reporting" for further discussion of the Company's use of these non-GAAP measures.
Three Months Ended
September 30, June 30, September 30,
2018 2018 2017
---
Net income from continuing operations $
28,362 $
44,849 $
10,131
---
Net income from continuing operations % of revenue 14 24 6
%
% %
Adjustments to reconcile to Adjusted EBITDA:
Amortization of intangibles 5,701 3,964 3,817
Depreciation 1,895 1,633 1,798
Severance 2,328 3
Loss on impairments and disposal of assets 97 1,797 364
Non-cash compensation 12,097 11,178 7,938
Change in fair value of contingent consideration 2,105 (167) 2,501
Acquisition expense 765 625 320
Litigation settlements and contingencies (1) (88) (170) 272
Interest expense, net 2,393 2,924 2,804
Rental depreciation and amortization of intangibles 158 194 486
Income tax (benefit) expense (10,534) (29,721) 4,292
---
Adjusted EBITDA $
45,279 $
37,109 $
34,723
---
Adjusted EBITDA % of revenue 23 20 20
%
%
%
(1) Includes legal fees for certain patent litigation.
Below is a reconciliation of net income from continuing operations to Adjusted Net Income and net income per diluted share from continuing operations to Adjusted Net Income per share. See "LendingTree's Principles of Financial Reporting" for further discussion of the Company's use of these non-GAAP measures.
Three Months Ended
September 30, June 30, September 30,
2018 2018 2017
---
Net income from
continuing operations $
28,362 $
44,849 $
10,131
---
Adjustments to reconcile to Adjusted Net
Income:
Non-cash compensation 12,097 11,178 7,938
Loss on impairments and
disposal of assets 97 1,797 364
Acquisition expense 765 625 320
Change in fair value of
contingent consideration 2,105 (167) 2,501
Severance 2,328 3
Litigation settlements
and contingencies (1) (88) (170) 272
Income tax benefit from
adjusted items (4,760) (3,639) (4,581)
Excess tax benefit from
stock-based
compensation (14,321) (33,667) (811)
Adjusted net income $
26,585 $
20,809 $
16,134
---
Net income per diluted
share from continuing
operations $
2.05 $
3.17 $
0.74
---
Adjustments to reconcile
net income from
continuing operations to
Adjusted Net Income (0.13) (1.70) 0.43
Adjusted net income per
share $
1.92 $
1.47 $
1.17
---
Weighted average diluted
shares outstanding 13,850 14,147 13,774
(1) Includes legal fees for certain patent litigation.
LENDINGTREE'S PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL REPORTING
LendingTree reports the following non-GAAP measures as supplemental to GAAP:
-- Variable Marketing Margin, including Variable Marketing Expense
-- Variable Marketing Margin % of revenue
-- Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization, as
adjusted for certain items discussed below ("Adjusted EBITDA")
-- Adjusted EBITDA % of revenue
-- Adjusted Net Income
-- Adjusted Net Income per share
Variable Marketing Margin is a measure of the efficiency of the Company's operating model, measuring revenue after subtracting variable marketing and advertising costs that directly influence revenue. The Company's operating model is highly sensitive to the amount and efficiency of variable marketing expenditures, and the Company's proprietary systems are able to make rapidly changing decisions concerning the deployment of variable marketing expenditures (primarily but not exclusively online and mobile advertising placement) based on proprietary and sophisticated analytics. Variable Marketing Margin and Variable Marketing Margin % of revenue are primary metrics by which the Company measures the effectiveness of its marketing efforts.
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA % of revenue are primary metrics by which LendingTree evaluates the operating performance of its businesses, on which its marketing expenditures and internal budgets are based and, in the case of Adjusted EBITDA, by which management and many employees are compensated.
Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Net Income per share supplement GAAP income from continuing operations and GAAP income per diluted share from continuing operations by enabling investors to make period to period comparisons of those components of the nearest comparable GAAP measures that management believes better reflect the underlying financial performance of the Company's business operations during particular financial reporting periods. Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Net Income per share exclude certain amounts, such as non-cash compensation, non-cash asset impairment charges, gain/loss on disposal of assets, severance, litigation settlements, contingencies and legal fees for certain patent litigation, acquisition and disposition income or expenses including with respect to changes in fair value of contingent consideration, one-time items which are recognized and recorded under GAAP in particular periods but which might be viewed as not necessarily coinciding with the underlying business operations for the periods in which they are so recognized and recorded, the effects to income taxes of the aforementioned adjustments and any excess tax benefit or expense associated with stock-based compensation recorded in net income in conjunction with FASB pronouncement ASU 2016-09. LendingTree believes that Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Net Income per share are useful financial indicators that provide a different view of the financial performance of the Company than Adjusted EBITDA (the primary metric by which LendingTree evaluates the operating performance of its businesses) and the GAAP measures of net income from continuing operations and GAAP income per diluted share from continuing operations.
These non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for or superior to GAAP results. LendingTree provides and encourages investors to examine the reconciling adjustments between the GAAP and non-GAAP measures set forth above.
Definition of LendingTree's Non-GAAP Measures
Variable Marketing Margin is defined as revenue less Variable Marketing Expense. Variable Marketing Expense is defined as the expense attributable to variable costs paid for advertising, direct marketing and related expenses, including the portion of cost of revenue attributable to costs paid for advertising re-sold to third parties, and excluding overhead, fixed costs and personnel-related expenses. The majority of these variable advertising costs are expressly intended to drive traffic to our websites and these variable advertising costs are included in selling and marketing expense on the company's consolidated statements of operations and consolidated income. When advertising inventory is re-sold to third parties, the proceeds of such transactions are included in revenue for the purposes of calculating Variable Marketing Margin, and the costs of such re-sold advertising are included in cost of revenue in the company's consolidated statements of operations and consolidated income and are included in Variable Marketing Expense for purposes of calculating Variable Marketing Margin.
EBITDA is defined as net income from continuing operations excluding interest, income taxes, amortization of intangibles and depreciation.
Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA excluding (1) non-cash compensation expense, (2) non-cash impairment charges, (3) gain/loss on disposal of assets, (4) restructuring and severance expenses, (5) litigation settlements, contingencies and legal fees for certain patent litigation, (6) acquisitions and dispositions income or expense (including with respect to changes in fair value of contingent consideration), and (7) one-time items.
Adjusted Net Income is defined as net income (loss) from continuing operations excluding (1) non-cash compensation expense, (2) non-cash impairment charges, (3) gain/loss on disposal of assets, (4) restructuring and severance expenses, (5) litigation settlements, contingencies and legal fees for certain patent litigation, (6) acquisitions and dispositions income or expense (including with respect to changes in fair value of contingent consideration), (7) one-time items, (8) the effects to income taxes of the aforementioned adjustments, and (9) any excess tax benefit or expense associated with stock-based compensation recorded in net income in conjunction with FASB pronouncement ASU 2016-09.
Adjusted Net Income per share is defined as Adjusted Net Income divided by the adjusted weighted average diluted shares outstanding. For periods which the Company reports GAAP loss from continuing operations, the effects of potentially dilutive securities are excluded from the calculation of net loss per diluted share from continuing operations because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive. In periods where the Company reports GAAP loss from continuing operations but reports positive non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income, the effects of potentially dilutive securities are included in the denominator for calculating Adjusted Net Income per share.
LendingTree endeavors to compensate for the limitations of these non-GAAP measures by also providing the comparable GAAP measures with equal or greater prominence and descriptions of the reconciling items, including quantifying such items, to derive the non-GAAP measures. These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.
One-Time Items
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income are adjusted for one-time items, if applicable. Items are considered one-time in nature if they are non-recurring, infrequent or unusual, and have not occurred in the past two years or are not expected to recur in the next two years, in accordance with SEC rules. For the periods presented in this report, there are no adjustments for one-time items.
Non-Cash Expenses That Are Excluded From LendingTree's Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income
Non-cash compensation expense consists principally of expense associated with the grants of restricted stock, restricted stock units and stock options. These expenses are not paid in cash and LendingTree includes the related shares in its calculations of fully diluted shares outstanding. Upon settlement of restricted stock units, exercise of certain stock options or vesting of restricted stock awards, the awards may be settled on a net basis, with LendingTree remitting the required tax withholding amounts from its current funds. Cash expenditures for employer payroll taxes on non-cash compensation are included within Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income.
Amortization of intangibles are non-cash expenses relating primarily to acquisitions. At the time of an acquisition, the intangible assets of the acquired company, such as purchase agreements, technology and customer relationships, are valued and amortized over their estimated lives. Amortization of intangibles are only excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
The matters contained in the discussion above may be considered to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations or anticipations of LendingTree and members of our management team. Factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the following: adverse conditions in the primary and secondary mortgage markets and in the economy, particularly interest rates; default rates on loans, particularly unsecured loans; demand by investors for unsecured personal loans; the effect of such demand on interest rates for personal loans and consumer demand for personal loans; seasonality of results; potential liabilities to secondary market purchasers; changes in the Company's relationships with network lenders, including dependence on certain key network lenders; breaches of network security or the misappropriation or misuse of personal consumer information; failure to provide competitive service; failure to maintain brand recognition; ability to attract and retain consumers in a cost-effective manner; the effects of potential acquisitions of other businesses, including the ability to integrate them successfully with LendingTree's existing operations; accounting rules related to contingent consideration and excess tax benefits or expenses on stock-based compensation that could materially affect earnings in future periods; ability to develop new products and services and enhance existing ones; competition; allegations of failure to comply with existing or changing laws, rules or regulations, or to obtain and maintain required licenses; failure of network lenders or other affiliated parties to comply with regulatory requirements; failure to maintain the integrity of systems and infrastructure; liabilities as a result of privacy regulations; failure to adequately protect intellectual property rights or allegations of infringement of intellectual property rights; and changes in management. These and additional factors to be considered are set forth under "Risk Factors" in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2018, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2017 and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. LendingTree undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results or expectations.
About LendingTree, Inc.
LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE) is the nation's leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to shop for financial services the same way they would shop for airline tickets or hotel stays, comparing multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search, and can choose the option that best fits their financial needs. Services include mortgage loans, mortgage refinances, auto loans, personal loans, business loans, student refinances, credit cards and more. Through the My LendingTree platform, consumers receive free credit scores, credit monitoring and recommendations to improve credit health. My LendingTree proactively compares consumers' credit accounts against offers on our network, and notifies consumers when there is an opportunity to save money. In short, LendingTree's purpose is to help simplify financial decisions for life's meaningful moments through choice, education and support.
LendingTree, Inc. is headquartered in Charlotte, NC and maintains operations solely in the United States. For more information, please visit www.lendingtree.com.
Investor Relations Contact:
Trent Ziegler
trent.ziegler@lendingtree.com
704-943-8294
Media Contact:
Megan Greuling
megan.greuling@lendingtree.com
704-943-8208
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SOURCE LendingTree, Inc.
