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8-K - 8-K - NELNET INCnni11614form8-k.htm
EX-99.2 - SUPPLEMENT - NELNET INCexhibit992-nnix11614x10qxs.htm


Nelnet Reports Third Quarter 2014 Results

GAAP net income $1.84 per share, $1.45 per share excluding adjustments
Servicing $130.8 billion student loans for 5.8 million borrowers under government contract
32 percent increase in payment processing revenue driven by RenWeb acquisition

LINCOLN, Neb., November 6, 2014-Nelnet (NYSE: NNI) today reported GAAP net income of $85.2 million, or $1.84 per share, for the third quarter of 2014, compared with GAAP net income of $62.8 million, or $1.35 per share, for the same period a year ago.

Excluding derivative market value and foreign currency adjustments, net income was $67.2 million, or $1.45 per share, for the third quarter of 2014, compared with $69.0 million, or $1.48 per share, for the same period in 2013. The company reported income from derivative market value and foreign currency adjustments of $18.0 million after tax, or $0.39 per share, for the third quarter of 2014, compared with an expense of $6.2 million after tax, or $0.13 per share, for the third quarter of 2013.

"We are pleased to be delivering strong financial results consistently over many quarters,” said Jeff Noordhoek, Nelnet Chief Executive Officer. “In the third quarter, we continued the trend by reporting solid earnings, growing our servicing volume, and maximizing the value of our loan portfolio. As a result, we are strategically positioned to provide excellent customer experiences and to deploy capital in existing and new businesses."

Nelnet operates four primary business segments, earning interest income on student loans in its Asset Generation and Management operating segment, and fee-based revenue in its Student Loan and Guaranty Servicing, Tuition Payment Processing and Campus Commerce, and Enrollment Services operating segments.

For the quarter ended September 30, 2014, the company experienced strong performance from its student loan portfolio, which offset the expected decrease in net income from the servicing segment.

Asset Generation and Management

Historically low interest rates continue to provide the opportunity for the company to generate substantial near-term value and cash flow from its student loan portfolio. For the third quarter of 2014, Nelnet reported net interest income of $117.5 million, compared with $104.9 million for the same period a year ago.  Net interest income included $49.2 million and $37.8 million of fixed rate floor income in the third quarters of 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Year to date, the company has purchased $5.6 billion of student loans, bringing its total student loan portfolio to $28.7 billion as of September 30, 2014.

Student Loan and Guaranty Servicing

Under the company's servicing contract with the U.S. Department of Education (Department), the number of borrowers serviced increased 13 percent as of September 30, 2014 and the revenue increased 20 percent for the third quarter of 2014, when compared with September 30, 2013 and the third quarter of 2013, respectively. The company was servicing $130.8 billion of loans for 5.8 million borrowers on behalf of the Department as of September 30, 2014, compared with $106.9 billion of loans for 5.1 million borrowers as of September 30, 2013. Revenue from this contract increased to $31.2 million for the third quarter of 2014, up from $26.0 million for the same period a year ago. The growth in government servicing revenue partially offset the continued expected run off of the company’s commercial servicing portfolio and anticipated impact of legislative changes that reduced the revenue earned by guaranty agencies for collections. As a result, total revenue from the company's Student Loan and Guaranty Servicing segment decreased 18 percent, or $11.9 million, to $52.7 million for the third quarter of 2014, down from $64.6 million for the third quarter of 2013. As the volume of loans serviced under the Department servicing contract continues to grow and loans serviced under the legacy commercial programs continue to run off, the company expects the operating margins to tighten accordingly.









Tuition Payment Processing and Campus Commerce

For the third quarter of 2014, revenue from the company's Tuition Payment Processing and Campus Commerce segment was $26.4 million, an increase of $6.5 million, or 32 percent, from the same period in 2013. The increase in revenue was the result of the acquisition of RenWeb in June 2014, in addition to increases in managed tuition payment plans, campus commerce transaction volume, and new school customers. Operating margin for this segment decreased in the third quarter of 2014 as compared to the same period in 2013 due to lower margins on new services and the amortization of intangible assets from recent acquisitions.





Amortization of intangible assets in this segment was $2.0 million and $0.8 million for the third quarters of 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Operating Expenses

The company reported consolidated operating expenses of $117.4 million for the third quarter of 2014, compared with $107.6 million for the same period in 2013.

Board of Directors Approves Dividend

The Nelnet Board of Directors declared a fourth quarter cash dividend on the company's outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock of $0.10 per share. The dividend will be paid on Monday, December 15, 2014, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Monday, December 1, 2014.

Non-GAAP Performance Measures

The company provides additional non-GAAP financial information related to specific items management believes to be important in the evaluation of its operating results, including specifically, the impact of unrealized gains and losses resulting from changes in fair values of derivative instruments which do not qualify for “hedge treatment” under GAAP and foreign currency transaction gains or losses resulting from the re-measurement of the company's Euro-denominated bonds to U.S. dollars. The company believes these point in time estimates of asset and liability values related to financial instruments that are subject to interest and currency rate fluctuations, and items whose timing and/or amount cannot be reasonably estimated in advance, affect the period to period comparability of the results of the company's fundamental business operations on a recurring basis. Accordingly, the company provides operating results excluding these items for comparability purposes.

Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws.  These statements are based on management's current expectations as of the date of this release and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks include, among others, risks related to the company's student loan portfolio such as interest rate basis and repricing risk, the use of derivatives to manage exposure to interest rate fluctuations, and the uncertain nature of expected benefits from recent FFELP loan purchases; the company's funding requirements to satisfy asset financing needs; risks related to the company's ability to maintain and increase volumes under the company’s loan servicing contract with the Department to service federally owned student loans; changes in the educational credit and services marketplace resulting from changes in applicable laws, regulations, and government programs and budgets; risks related to the recent reduction in government payments to guaranty agencies to rehabilitate defaulted FFELP loans and services in support of those activities; and changes in general economic and credit market conditions. For more information, see the "Risk Factors" sections and other cautionary discussions of risks and uncertainties included in documents filed or furnished by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the cautionary information about forward-looking statements contained in the company's supplemental financial information for the third quarter ended September 30, 2014.  All forward-looking statements in this release are as of the date of this release. Although the company may from time to time voluntarily update or revise its forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in the company's expectations, the company disclaims any commitment to do so except as required by securities laws.






Consolidated Statements of Income
(Dollars in thousands, except share data)
(unaudited)
 
Three months ended
 
Nine months ended
 
September 30,
2014
 
June 30,
2014
 
September 30,
2013
 
September 30, 2014
 
September 30, 2013
Interest income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loan interest
$
187,862

 
175,466

 
158,675

 
520,224

 
472,277

Investment interest
1,562

 
1,482

 
1,562

 
5,023

 
4,662

Total interest income
189,424

 
176,948

 
160,237

 
525,247

 
476,939

Interest expense:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest on bonds and notes payable
71,937

 
69,235

 
55,315

 
201,176

 
171,800

Net interest income
117,487

 
107,713

 
104,922

 
324,071

 
305,139

Less provision for loan losses
2,000

 
1,500

 
5,000

 
6,000

 
15,000

Net interest income after provision for loan losses
115,487

 
106,213

 
99,922

 
318,071

 
290,139

Other income (expense):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loan and guaranty servicing revenue
52,659

 
66,460

 
64,582

 
183,876

 
180,261

Tuition payment processing and campus commerce revenue
26,399

 
21,834

 
19,927

 
73,468

 
61,694

Enrollment services revenue
22,936

 
20,145

 
22,563

 
65,092

 
76,343

Other income
7,650

 
15,315

 
8,613

 
41,096

 
30,317

Gain on sale of loans and debt repurchases

 
18

 
2,138

 
57

 
10,900

Derivative settlements, net
(4,834
)
 
(6,214
)
 
(6,688
)
 
(17,277
)
 
(23,229
)
Derivative market value and foreign currency adjustments, net
29,037

 
7,784

 
(9,960
)
 
38,785

 
47,841

Total other income
133,847

 
125,342

 
101,175

 
385,097

 
384,127

Operating expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Salaries and benefits
61,098

 
53,888

 
48,712

 
167,470

 
144,049

Cost to provide enrollment services
14,178

 
13,311

 
14,668

 
41,964

 
51,097

Depreciation and amortization
5,493

 
5,214

 
4,340

 
15,490

 
13,037

Other
36,676

 
40,377

 
39,887

 
112,680

 
109,193

Total operating expenses
117,445

 
112,790

 
107,607

 
337,604

 
317,376

Income before income taxes
131,889

 
118,765

 
93,490

 
365,564

 
356,890

Income tax expense
46,513

 
43,078

 
30,444

 
130,202

 
123,637

Net income
85,376

 
75,687

 
63,046

 
235,362

 
233,253

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest
157

 
693

 
216

 
1,363

 
1,101

Net income attributable to Nelnet, Inc.
$
85,219

 
74,994

 
62,830

 
233,999

 
232,152

Earnings per common share:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income attributable to Nelnet, Inc. shareholders - basic and diluted
$
1.84

 
1.61

 
1.35

 
5.03

 
4.98

Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic and diluted
46,432,680

 
46,529,377

 
46,496,612

 
46,496,309

 
46,593,241









Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)

 
As of
 
As of
 
As of
 
September 30, 2014
 
December 31, 2013
 
September 30, 2013
Assets:
 
 
 
 
 
Student loans receivable, net
$
28,701,344

 
25,907,589

 
24,729,592

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments
222,359

 
255,307

 
284,054

Restricted cash and investments
940,343

 
902,699

 
768,621

Goodwill and intangible assets, net
169,076

 
123,250

 
124,050

Other assets
665,527

 
582,004

 
630,611

Total assets
$
30,698,649

 
27,770,849

 
26,536,928

Liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
Bonds and notes payable
$
28,737,456

 
25,955,289

 
24,858,455

Other liabilities
303,636

 
371,570

 
300,560

Total liabilities
29,041,092

 
26,326,859

 
25,159,015

Equity:
 
 
 
 
 
Total Nelnet, Inc. shareholders' equity
1,657,289

 
1,443,662

 
1,377,863

Noncontrolling interest
268

 
328

 
50

Total equity
1,657,557

 
1,443,990

 
1,377,913

Total liabilities and equity
$
30,698,649

 
27,770,849

 
26,536,928



Contacts:
Media, Ben Kiser, +1-402-458-3024, or Investors, Phil Morgan, +1-402-458-3038, both of Nelnet, Inc.