• Consolidated net sales increased 4.9% to $342.6 million.
• Technology segment net sales increased 4.5% to $332.6 million; financing segment net sales increased 19.0% to $9.9 million.
• Technology segment adjusted gross billings of product and services increased 7.3% to $464.1 million.
• Consolidated gross profit increased 3.9% to $76.7 million; consolidated gross margin decreased 20 basis points to 22.4%.
• Net earnings increased 23.5% to $15.6 million.
• Adjusted EBITDA decreased 16.9% to $19.3 million.
• Diluted earnings per share increased 22.0% to $1.11. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share decreased 13.4% to $0.97.

Nine Months Ended December 31, 2017

• Consolidated net sales increased 8.4% to $1,080.6 million.
• Technology segment net sales increased 7.9% to $1,049.5 million; financing segment net sales increased 28.7% to $31.1 million.
• Technology segment adjusted gross billings of product and services increased 10.0% to $1,449.4 million.
• Consolidated gross profit increased 8.3% to $241.9 million; consolidated gross margin was 22.4%, consistent with last year.
• Net earnings increased 15.4% to $46.2 million.
• Adjusted EBITDA increased 0.6% to $72.8 million.
• Diluted earnings per share increased 15.4% to $3.30. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share increased 0.6% to $3.14.

HERNDON, Va., Feb. 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ePlus inc. (NASDAQ:PLUS), a leading provider of technology solutions, today announced financial results for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2017.

Management Comment

“In our third quarter, we achieved solid year-on-year growth in revenue, adjusted gross billings of products and services, and gross profit, due in part to our continued focus on high value solutions that help drive our customers’ IT transformation.  The expansion of our cloud solution offerings, including the acquisitions of OneCloud and IDS, has positioned ePlus as a valued partner for our customers’ multi-cloud environments,” stated Mark Marron, president and chief executive officer..  “In addition, security remains a critical customer priority, as our year-to-date sales of security solutions increased at a double-digit rate and accounted for 17.6% of year-to-date adjusted gross billings, up from 16.7% in the same period last year.”

Mr. Marron continued, “Our operating costs were impacted in the quarter by increased acquisition and integration related costs, as the pace of acquisition activity was higher than in prior years.  Despite positive trends in revenue and gross profit, we continue to focus on improving our operating metrics while making the necessary investments to capture future marketplace opportunities.  We are very focused on expanding our solutions, geographic footprint, and developing upselling and cross-selling programs to capture wallet share with new and existing clients.”

“We believe our year-to-date gross profit performance reflected a favorable mix of products and services, and a positive contribution from financing activities.  Our culture and solution portfolio helps to attract and retain highly-credentialed client-facing sales and services professionals, which in turn allows us to address the complex IT needs of our more than 3,200 enterprise and mid-market customers."

Prior Period Reclassifications due to Stock Split

Reclassifications of prior period amounts related to numbers of shares and per share amounts have been made to conform to the current period presentation due to the 2 for 1 stock split completed on March 31, 2017.

Third Quarter Fiscal 2018 Results

For the third quarter ended December 31, 2017 as compared to the third quarter of the prior fiscal year ended December 31, 2016:

Consolidated net sales increased 4.9% to $342.6 million, from $326.7 million.

Technology segment net sales increased 4.5% to $332.6 million, from $318.3 million.

Adjusted gross billings of product and services increased 7.3% to $464.1 million. Adjusted gross billings are sales of product and services adjusted to exclude the costs incurred of applicable third-party software assurance, maintenance, and services.

Financing segment net sales increased 19.0% to $9.9 million, from $8.4 million.

Consolidated gross profit rose 3.9% to $76.7 million, from $73.8 million.

Consolidated operating income decreased 23.1% to $16.4 million, from $21.3 million.

Net earnings rose 23.5% to $15.6 million.

Adjusted EBITDA decreased 16.9% to $19.3 million, from $23.2 million.

Our provision for income tax expense was $0.7 million and $19.5 million for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2017, as compared to $8.7 million and $27.3 million for the same periods in the prior year. Our effective income tax rate for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2017, was 4.2% and 29.7%, respectively, compared to 40.8% and 40.5% for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2016, respectively. In the third quarter, the Company revised its estimated annual effective tax rate to reflect a change in the U.S. federal statutory rate from 35% to 21%, resulting from legislation that was enacted on December 22, 2017. The rate change is administratively effective at the beginning of our 2018 fiscal year, using a blended rate for the annual period. As a result, the blended U.S. statutory tax rate for the 2018 fiscal year is 31.5%, and our total estimated effective tax rate for fiscal year 2018 is 37%. As a result, we recognized an estimated tax benefit in our tax provision of $5.7 million for the quarter related to the provisional adjustment our deferred tax balance to reflect the new corporate tax rate as well as adjustment of our tax provision from the beginning of our fiscal year to the new blended rate.  In addition, the effective tax rate for fiscal year 2019 is expected to be approximately 29%.

Diluted earnings per share was $1.11, compared with $0.91 in the prior year quarter. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.97, compared with $1.12 last year. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share is based on net earnings calculated in accordance with GAAP, adjusted to exclude other income and acquisition related amortization expense, net of taxes, the tax (benefit) expense recognized due to the vesting of share based compensation, the tax benefit associated with the remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities at the new tax rates, as well as an adjustment to our tax expense in the prior year assuming a 31.5% effective annual income tax rate for U.S. operations.

Fiscal Year to Date Results

For the nine months ended December 31, 2017 as compared to the nine months of the prior fiscal year ended December 31, 2016:

Consolidated net sales rose 8.4% to $1,080.6 million, from $996.6 million.

Technology segment net sales rose 7.9% to $1,049.5 million, from $972.5 million.

Adjusted gross billings of product and services increased 10.0% to $1,449.4 million.

Financing segment net sales increased 28.7% to $31.1 million, from $24.1 million.

Consolidated gross profit rose 8.3% to $241.9 million, from $223.4 million.

Consolidated operating income decreased 1.9% to $65.7 million, from $67.0 million.

Net earnings rose 15.4% to $46.2 million.

Adjusted EBITDA rose 0.6% to $72.8 million, from $72.4 million.

Diluted earnings per share was $3.30, compared with $2.86 in the prior year quarter. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share was $3.14, compared with $3.12 last year. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share is based on net earnings calculated in accordance with GAAP, adjusted to exclude other income and acquisition related amortization expense, net of taxes, the tax (benefit) expense recognized due to the vesting of share based compensation, the tax benefit associated with the remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities at the new tax rates, as well as an adjustment to our tax expense in the prior year assuming a 31.5% effective annual income tax rate for U.S. operations.

Balance Sheet Highlights

As of December 31, 2017, ePlus had cash and cash equivalents of $76.1 million, compared with $109.8 million as of March 31, 2017.  Inventory decreased 45.2% to $51.3 million and current deferred revenue decreased 22.3% to $50.7 million primarily due to the shipment of large projects within the first nine months of the fiscal year.  Total stockholders' equity was $383.6 million and total shares outstanding were 14.0 million, compared with $345.9 million and shares outstanding of 14.2 million on March 31, 2017.  During the quarter, we purchased 125,605 shares of our outstanding common stock at an average cost of $77.88 per share for a total purchase price of $9.8 million under the current share repurchase program.

Summary and Outlook

“Year-to-date results have positioned ePlus for another year of growth across key operating and financial metrics in fiscal 2018.  We will continue to focus on scaling those investments that increase our capabilities in emerging technologies, and managing our cost structure.

“Tax reform provides ePlus the dual benefit of a lower tax rate, yielding additional cash for investment, and additional purchasing power for our clients for the products and services we provide.  The organic expansion of our platform and acquisition growth initiatives are key elements of our capital allocation strategy, along with investments to further improve efficiencies across the organization, and our stock buyback program,” concluded Mr. Marron.

Results of Operations – Three Months Ended December 31, 2017

The Company's operations are conducted through two business segments. The technology segment includes sales of information technology products, third-party software, third-party maintenance contracts, advanced professional services and managed services, and the Company's proprietary software to commercial entities and state and local governments. The financing segment consists of the financing of equipment, software, and related services to commercial entities, state and local governments, and government contractors.

Technology Segment

The results of operations for the technology segment for the three months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

		Three Months Ended December 31,
			2017			2016		Change
Sales of product and services		$	330,953		$	317,391		$	13,562				4.3	%
Fee and other income			1,678			915			763				83.4	%
Net sales			332,631			318,306			14,325				4.5	%
Cost of sales, product and services			264,487			251,729			12,758				5.1	%
Gross profit			68,144			66,577			1,567				2.4	%
Selling, general and administrative			53,836			47,780			6,056				12.7	%
Depreciation and amortization			2,893			1,908			985				51.6	%
Operating expenses			56,729			49,688			7,041				14.2	%
Operating income		$	11,415		$	16,889		$	(5,474		)		(32.4	%)
Key Business Metrics
Adjusted gross billings, product and services		$	464,105		$	432,407		$	31,698				7.3	%
Adjusted EBITDA		$	14,308		$	18,797		$	(4,489		)		(23.9	%)

Net sales were $332.6 million, up 4.5% from $318.3 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2017.

Adjusted gross billings of products and services grew 7.3% to $464.1 million, from $432.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2017, as a result of an increase in demand for products and services from our customers in the Technology, Financial Services and Healthcare industries, and the acquisitions of Consolidated Communication’s IT services and equipment integration business in December 2016, OneCloud Consulting in May 2017, and IDS in September 2017.

Gross margin on sales of product and services was 20.1%, compared with 20.7% in the third quarter of fiscal 2017.  The decrease in margins was due to lower margins from sales of product partially related to large competitively priced projects, offset by increases in sales of services and a higher proportion of the sales of third party software assurance, maintenance and services.

Operating expenses rose 14.2% to $56.7 million, from $49.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2017, mainly attributable to an increase of $4.3 million, or 10.8%, in salaries and benefits due to an increase of 123, or 11.1%, in personnel to 1,236 from 1,113, of which 50 related to the acquisition of IDS in September 2017 and 57 related to the acquisition of OneCloud Consulting in May 2017. The position additions included 107 sales and engineering positions with the remaining additions being administrative hires. The increase in salaries and benefits was also attributable to higher variable compensation as a result of higher gross profit. General administrative expenses increased $1.5 million primarily due to $0.7 million from adjustments to the fair value of contingent consideration for acquisitions, higher expenses in travel, advertising and marketing, and additional expenses from recent acquisitions.

Segment operating income was $11.4 million, compared with $16.9 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2017.  Adjusted EBITDA was $14.3 million for the current quarter, compared with $18.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2017. 

Financing Segment

The results of operations for the financing segment for the three months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

		Three Months Ended December 31,
			2017			2016		Change
		$	9,592		$	8,190		$	1,402				17.1				%
Fee and other income			346			161			185				114.9				%
Net sales			9,938			8,351			1,587				19.0				%
Direct lease costs			1,394			1,142			252				22.1				%
Gross profit			8,544			7,209			1,335				18.5		%
Selling, general and administrative			3,298			2,380			918				38.6				%
Depreciation and amortization			1			2			(1	)			(50.0				%)
Interest and financing costs			270			409			(139	)			(34.0				%)
Operating expenses			3,569			2,791			778				27.9				%
Operating income		$	4,975		$	4,418		$	557				12.6				%
Key Business Metrics
Adjusted EBITDA		$	4,976		$	4,420		$	556				12.6				%

Net sales were $9.9 million, up 19.0% from $8.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2017, due to increases in post-contract earnings and transactional gains. Post contract earnings increased $1.4 million due to the sale of residual assets associated with terminated leases.  Direct lease costs increased $0.3 million or 22.1% over the previous year period due to higher depreciation expense from operating leases.

Operating expenses increased $0.8 million, or 27.9%, mainly due to higher variable compensation as a result of the increase in gross profit, as well as the changes in reserve for credit losses.

Segment operating income and adjusted EBITDA both increased to $5.0 million from $4.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2017.

Results of Operations – Nine Months Ended December 31, 2017

Technology Segment

The results of operations for the technology segment for the nine months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

		Nine Months Ended December 31,
			2017			2016		Change
Sales of product and services		$	1,045,792		$	968,799		$	76,993					7.9	%
Fee and other income			3,707			3,679			28					0.8	%
Net sales			1,049,499			972,478			77,021					7.9	%
Cost of sales, product and services			834,873			769,780			65,093					8.5	%
Gross profit			214,626			202,698			11,928					5.9	%
Selling, general and administrative			158,838			141,295			17,543					12.4	%
Depreciation and amortization			7,084			5,400			1,684					31.2	%
Operating expenses			165,922			146,695			19,227					13.1	%
Operating income		$	48,704		$	56,003		$	(7,299		)			(13.0	%)
Key Business Metrics
Adjusted gross billings, product and services		$	1,449,371		$	1,317,188		$	132,183					10.0	%
Adjusted EBITDA		$	55,788		$	61,403		$	(5,615		)			(9.1	%)

Net sales rose 7.9% to $1,049.5 million, from $972.5 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2017.

Adjusted gross billings grew 10.0% to $1,449.4 million, from $1,317.2 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2017. The increase in net sales and adjusted gross billings of products and services was a result of an increase in demand for products and services from our customer in the technology, financial and healthcare sectors, and the acquisitions of Consolidated Communication’s IT services and equipment integration business in December 2016, OneCloud Consulting in May 2017, and IDS in September 2017.

Gross margin on sales of product and services was 20.2%, compared with 20.5% in the first nine months of fiscal 2017.  The decrease in gross margin was due to lower margins from sales of product primarily related to a large competitively bid project, most of which was delivered in the first nine months of fiscal year 2018, partially offset by increases in sales of services and a higher proportion of the sales of third party software assurance, maintenance and services.

Operating expenses rose 13.1% to $165.9 million, from $146.7 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2017, reflecting increased salaries and benefits due to increased variable compensation and an 11.1% increase in personnel to 1,236 from 1,113. Also contributing to the increase in salaries and benefits was higher healthcare cost. General and administrative expenses increased $3.9 million primarily due to higher expenses in advertising and marketing, travel, and communications, as well as the incremental expenses from contingent consideration for acquisitions, and additional expenses from recent acquisitions. Depreciation and amortization increased $1.7 million due to the acquisitions. Professional and other fees also increased $0.9 million or 20.7%, due to legal fees related to the acquisitions of IDS and OneCloud Consulting.

Segment operating income was $48.7 million, compared with $56.0 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2017.  Adjusted EBITDA was $55.8 million, compared with $61.4 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2017.

The Company maintained its balanced portfolio of customer-end markets. The breakdown of net sales by customer-end market for the twelve months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows:

	Twelve Months Ended December 31,
	2017			2016			Change
Technology	25	%		22	%		3		%
State & Local Government & Educational Institutions	17	%		21	%		(4		%)
Financial Services	16	%		12	%		4		%
Telecom, Media, and Entertainment	14	%		16	%		(2		%)
Healthcare	13	%		11	%		2		%
Other	15	%		18	%		(3		%)
Total	100	%		100	%

Financing Segment

The results of operations for the financing segment for the nine months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

		Nine Months Ended December 31,
			2017			2016		Change
Financing revenue		$	30,698		$	23,899		$	6,799				28.4		%
Fee and other income			374			245			129				52.7		%
Net sales			31,072			24,144			6,928				28.7		%
Direct lease costs			3,846			3,459			387				11.2		%
Gross profit			27,226			20,685			6,541				31.6		%
Selling, general and administrative			9,300			8,526			774				9.1		%
Depreciation and amortization			2			8			(6		)		(75.0		%)
Interest and financing costs			903			1,158			(255		)		(22.0		%)
Operating expenses			10,205			9,692			512				5.3		%
Operating income		$	17,021		$	10,993			6,028				54.8		%
Key Business Metrics
Adjusted EBITDA		$	17,023		$	11,001		$	6,022				54.7		%

Net sales were $31.1 million, up 28.7% from $24.1 million in the nine months of fiscal 2017, as a result of higher post-contract earnings due to the early termination of several large leases, as well as revenues earned from consumption based financing arrangements.

Direct lease costs increased $0.4 million or 11.2% due to higher depreciation expense from operating leases.

Operating expenses were $10.2 million, up 5.3% from the prior year period due to higher variable compensation as a result of the increase in gross profit.

Segment operating income and adjusted EBITDA both increased to $17.0 million from $11.0 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2017.

Recent Corporate Developments

• On February 6, ePlus announced its subsidiary, IGXGlobal, achieved Cisco Gold Certification in the United Kingdom.
• On January 30, ePlus announced its subsidiary, ePlus Technology, was named Citrix Networking Partner of the Year at the Citrix Summit 2018, which was held January 8-10.
• On January 11, ePlus announced the successful completion of the Type 2 SSAE 18 examination for its Managed Services Center and OneSource family of software products. This examination provides customers and auditors with confidence that the description of services and solutions provided by ePlus are fairly presented. 
• On December 14, ePlus announced its subsidiary, ePlus Technology, was selected to join the AppDynamics Titan partner program.
• On November 9, ePlus announced it would host its annual Fast Forward 2017 conference on November 15 in Rosemont, Illinois.
• On November 1, ePlus announced its subsidiary, ePlus Technology, received a Cisco Partner Summit Global award for Lifecycle Management Partner of the Year at a Global Awards reception during Cisco’s annual partner conference.
• On October 25, ePlus announced management would present at the J.P. Morgan Ultimate Services Investor conference 2017 on November 14, 2017.

Conference Call Information

ePlus will hold a conference call and webcast at 4:30 p.m. ET on February 7, 2018:

Date:               Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Time:               4:30 p.m. ET
Live Call:         (877) 870-9226, domestic, (973) 890-8320, international
Replay:            (855) 859-2056, domestic, (404) 537-3406, international
Passcode:        8979043 (live and replay)
Webcast:         http://www.eplus.com/investors (live and replay)

The replay of this webcast will be available approximately two hours after the call and be available through February 15, 2018.

About ePlus inc.

ePlus is a leading consultative technology solutions provider that helps customers imagine, implement, and achieve more from their technology.  With the highest certifications from top technology partners and expertise in key technologies from cloud to security and digital infrastructure, ePlus transforms IT from a cost center to a business enabler.  Founded in 1990, ePlus has more than 1,200 associates serving a diverse set of customers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pac.  The Company is headquartered at 13595 Dulles Technology Drive, Herndon, VA, 20171.  For more information, visit http://www.eplus.com/, call 888-482-1122, or email info@eplus.com.  Connect with ePlus on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ePlusinc and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ePlus. 

ePlus. Where Technology Means More^®.

ePlus® and ePlus products referenced herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of ePlus inc. in the United States and/or other countries.  The names of other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Forward-looking statements

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements.”  Actual and anticipated future results may vary materially due to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, possible adverse effects resulting from financial market disruption and volatility in the U.S. economy such as our current and potential customers delaying or reducing technology purchases, increasing credit risk associated with our customers and vendors, reduction of vendor incentive programs, and restrictions on our access to capital necessary to fund our operations; our ability to successfully perform due diligence and integrate acquired businesses; disruptions or a security breach in our IT systems and data and audio communication networks; the possibility of goodwill impairment charges in the future; significant adverse changes in, reductions in, or losses of relationships with major customers or vendors; the demand for and acceptance of, our products and services; our ability to adapt our services to meet changes in market developments; our ability to implement comprehensive plans for the integration of sales forces, cost containment, asset rationalization, systems integration and other key strategies; our ability to reserve adequately for credit losses; our ability to secure our customers’ electronic and other confidential information and remain secure during a cyber-security attack; future growth rates in our core businesses; the impact of competition in our markets; the possibility of defects in our products or catalog content data; our ability to adapt to changes in the IT industry and/or rapid changes in product offerings, including the proliferation of the cloud, infrastructure as a service and software as a service; our ability to realize our investment in leased equipment; our ability to hire and retain sufficient qualified personnel; and other risks or uncertainties detailed in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  All information set forth in this press release is current as of the date of this release and ePlus undertakes no duty or obligation to update this information.

Contact:
Kleyton Parkhurst, SVP
ePlus inc.
kparkhurst@eplus.com
703-984-8150

ePlus inc. AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
		As of				As of
		December 31, 2017				March 31, 2017
ASSETS		(in thousands, except per share data)
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	76,105			$	109,760
Accounts receivable—trade, net			285,820				266,029
Accounts receivable—other, net			30,690				24,987
Inventories			51,295				93,557
Financing receivables—net, current			74,598				51,656
Deferred costs			24,740				7,971
Other current assets			25,970				43,364
Total current assets			569,218				597,324
Financing receivables and operating leases—net			72,575				71,883
Deferred tax assets			1,268				-
Property, equipment and other assets			17,632				11,956
Goodwill			76,546				48,397
Other intangible assets—net			27,414				12,160
TOTAL ASSETS		$	764,653			$	741,720
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
LIABILITIES
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		$	125,850			$	113,518
Accounts payable—floor plan			107,761				132,612
Salaries and commissions payable			20,568				18,878
Deferred revenue			50,739				65,312
Recourse notes payable—current			-				908
Non-recourse notes payable—current			27,649				26,085
Other current liabilities			26,116				19,179
Total current liabilities			358,683				376,492
Non-recourse notes payable—long term			3,840				10,431
Deferred tax liability—net			-				1,799
Other liabilities			18,518				7,080
TOTAL LIABILITIES			381,041				395,802
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Preferred stock, $.01 per share par value; 2,000 shares authorized;  none outstanding			-				-
Common stock, $.01 per share par value; 25,000 shares authorized; 14,046 outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 14,161 outstanding at March 31, 2017			142				142
Additional paid-in capital			128,392				123,536
Treasury stock, at cost, 6,414 shares as of December 31, 2017			(14,165	)			-
Retained earnings			269,048				222,823
Accumulated other comprehensive income—foreign currency    translation adjustment			195				(583			)
Total Stockholders' Equity			383,612				345,918
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY		$	764,653			$	741,720

 

ePlus inc. AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
					Three Months Ended												Nine Months Ended
					December 31,												December 31,
						2017							2016					2017								2016
					(in thousands, except per share data)
Net sales					$	342,569						$	326,657				$	1,080,5714							$	996,622
Cost of sales						265,881							252,871					838,719								773,239
Gross profit						76,688							73,786					241,852								223,383
Selling, general and administrative expenses						57,134							50,160					168,138								149,821
Depreciation and amortization						2,894							1,910					7,086								5,408
Interest and financing costs						270							409					903								1,158
Operating expenses						60,298							52,479					176,127								156,387
OPERATING INCOME						16,390							21,307					65,725								66,996
Other income (expense)						(131			)				-					(1				)				380
EARNINGS BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES						16,259							21,307					65,724								67,376
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES						678							8,687					19,499								27,310
NET EARNINGS					$	15,581						$	12,620				$	46,225							$	40,066
NET EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE—BASIC					$	1.12						$	0.92				$	3.34							$	2.88
NET EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE—DILUTED					$	1.11						$	0.91				$	3.30							$	2.86
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING—
BASIC						13,851							13,791					13,845								13,891
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING—
DILUTED						13,990							13,920					14,022								14,026

 

ePlus inc. AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP INFORMATION

We included reconciliations below for the following non-GAAP information: (i) Adjusted Gross Billings of Product and Services, (ii) Adjusted EBITDA, (iii) Segment Adjusted EBITDA, and (iv) non-GAAP Net Earnings per Common Share - Diluted. We define adjusted gross billings of product and services as our sales of product and services calculated in accordance with GAAP, adjusted to exclude the costs incurred related to sales of third-party software assurance, maintenance and services.  We define Adjusted EBITDA as net earnings calculated in accordance with GAAP, adjusted for the following: interest expense, depreciation and amortization, provision for income taxes, and other income. Segment Adjusted EBITDA is defined as operating income calculated in accordance with GAAP, adjusted for interest expense, and depreciation and amortization. We consider the interest on notes payable from our financing segment and depreciation expense presented within cost of sales, which includes depreciation on assets financed as operating leases, to be operating expenses.  Non-GAAP net earnings per common share are based on net earnings calculated in accordance with GAAP, adjusted to exclude other income and acquisition related amortization expense, and related effects on income taxes, the tax (benefit) expense recognized due to the vesting of share based compensation, the tax benefit associated with the remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities at the new tax rates, as well as an adjustment to our tax expense in the prior year assuming a 31.5% effective annual income tax rate for U.S. operations.

Our use of non-GAAP information as analytical tools has limitations, and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our financial results as reported under GAAP. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, might calculate similar non-GAAP Adjusted Gross Billings, Adjusted EBITDA, and non-GAAP Net Earnings per Common Share - Diluted or similarly titled measures differently, which may reduce their usefulness as comparative measures.

	Three Months Ended December 31,						Nine Months Ended December 31,
		2017			2016			2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Sales of product and services	$	330,953		$	317,391		$	1,045,792		$	968,799
Costs incurred related to sales of third party  software assurance, maintenance and services		133,152			115,016			403,579			348,389
Adjusted gross billings of product and services	$	464,105		$	432,407		$	1,449,371		$	1,317,188

 

	Three Months Ended December 31,						Nine Months Ended December 31,
		2017			2016			2017				2016
	(in thousands)
Consolidated
Net earnings	$	15,581		$	12,620		$	46,225			$	40,066
Provision for income taxes		678			8,687			19,499				27,310
Depreciation and amortization [1]		2,894			1,910			7,086				5,408
Other (income) expense [2]		131			-			1				(380			)
Adjusted EBITDA	$	19,284		$	23,217		$	72,811			$	72,404
	Three Months Ended December 31,						Nine Months Ended December 31,
		2017			2016			2017				2016
	(in thousands)
Technology Segment
Operating income	$	11,415		$	16,889		$	48,704			$	56,003
Depreciation and amortization [1]		2,893			1,908			7,084						5,400
Adjusted EBITDA	$	14,308		$	18,797		$	55,788			$	61,403
Financing Segment
Operating income	$	4,975		$	4,418		$	17,021			$	10,993
Depreciation and amortization [1]		1			2			2						8
Adjusted EBITDA	$	4,976		$	4,420		$	17,023			$			11,001

 

	Three Months Ended December 31,							Nine Months Ended December 31,
		2017			2016				2017			2016
	(in thousands, except per share data)
GAAP: Earnings before provision for income taxes	$	16,259		$	21,307			$	65,724		$	67,376
Acquisition related amortization expense [3]		1,871			1,035				4,178			3,098
Other (income) expense [2]		131			-				1			(380	)
Non-GAAP: Earnings before provision for income taxes		18,261			22,342				69,903			70,094
GAAP: Provision for income taxes		678			8,687				19,499			27,310
Acquisition related amortization expense		547			267				1,421			956
Other (income) expense		55			13				-			(144	)
Remeasurement of deferred taxes [4]		3,407			-				3,407			-
Adjustment to FY17 U.S. federal tax rate to 31.5% [5]		-			(2,252	)			-			(2,252	)
Tax benefit on restricted stock		-			6				1,563			514
Non-GAAP: Provision for income taxes		4,687			6,721				25,890			26,384
Non-GAAP: Net earnings	$	13,573		$	15,621			$	44,012		$	43,710
GAAP: Net earnings per common share – diluted	$	1.11		$	0.91			$	3.30		$	2.86
Non-GAAP: Net earnings per common share – diluted	$	0.97		$	1.12			$	3.14		$	3.12

 

[1] Amount consists of depreciation and amortization for assets used internally.

[2] Interest income and foreign currency transaction gains or losses.

[3] Amount consists of amortization of intangible assets from acquired businesses.

[4] Tax benefit for the re-measurement of U.S. deferred income tax assets and liabilities at the new corporate tax rate of 21%.

[5] Amount represents the adjustment of our tax expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2016 assuming a U.S. statutory income tax rate of 31.5% for both the quarter and nine month period.