Attached files

file filename
8-K - 8-K - NELNET INCnni8615form8-k.htm
EX-99.2 - EXHIBIT 99.2 - NELNET INCexhibit992-nnix8615x10qxsu.htm


Nelnet Reports Second Quarter 2015 Results

GAAP net income $1.54 per share, $1.38 per share excluding adjustments
27 percent increase in Tuition Payment Processing and Campus Commerce revenue
Repurchased nearly one million shares of Class A common stock
Purchased $1.5 billion of FFELP student loans on August 3

LINCOLN, Neb., August 6, 2015-Nelnet (NYSE: NNI) today reported GAAP net income of $70.9 million, or $1.54 per share, for the second quarter of 2015, compared with GAAP net income of $75.0 million, or $1.61 per share, for the same period a year ago.

Excluding derivative market value and foreign currency adjustments, net income was $63.5 million, or $1.38 per share, for the second quarter of 2015, compared with $70.2 million, or $1.51 per share, for the same period in 2014. The company reported income from derivative market value and foreign currency adjustments of $7.4 million after tax, or $0.16 per share, for the second quarter of 2015, compared with income of $4.8 million after tax, or $0.10 per share, for the second quarter of 2014.

"As a result of our ongoing success, we are in a strong position financially and continue to generate significant cash flow from our portfolio and operations," said Jeff Noordhoek, chief executive officer of Nelnet. "With our focus on delivering long-term value, we deployed capital in the second quarter to repurchase shares and acquire student loan portfolios. We continue to look for additional strategic investments in our core businesses and other opportunities."

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

As expected, net income decreased for the second quarter of 2015, compared with the same period a year ago, due to decreases in earnings from the company’s Student Loan and Guaranty Servicing segment and investment advisory fees.

Asset Generation and Management

Historically low interest rates continue to provide the opportunity for the company to generate substantial cash flow from its student loan portfolio. For the second quarter of 2015, Nelnet reported net interest income of $105.1 million, compared with $107.7 million for the same period a year ago.  Net interest income included $45.1 million and $43.6 million of fixed rate floor income in the second quarters of 2015 and 2014, respectively. As a result of recent acquisitions of lower margin but longer term consolidation loans, core student loan spread decreased to 1.41 percent for the three months ended June 30, 2015, compared with 1.46 percent for the same period in 2014.

The company intends to use its strong liquidity position to acquire legacy Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans and private education loans. The company acquired $1.2 billion of student loans during the second quarter of 2015. As of June 30, 2015, Nelnet’s student loan portfolio was $28.1 billion. On August 3, 2015, Nelnet acquired the residual interests in two securitized student loan trusts, which collectively hold $1.5 billion of FFELP student loans.

Student Loan and Guaranty Servicing

The company was servicing $141.5 billion of loans for 5.8 million borrowers on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education as of June 30, 2015, compared with $123.2 billion of loans for 5.5 million borrowers as of June 30, 2014. Revenue from this contract increased 8 percent to $33.6 million for the second quarter of 2015, up from $31.0 million for the same period a year ago.

The growth in government servicing revenue partially offset the impact of federal legislative changes that reduced the collections revenue earned for guaranty servicing. As a result, total revenue from the Student Loan and Guaranty Servicing segment decreased 4 percent, or $2.6 million, to $63.8 million for the second quarter of 2015, compared with the same period in 2014.

A significant amount of the company's guaranty servicing revenue comes from a single guaranty servicing client. The current term of the contract with this client expires on October 31, 2015. During the second quarter of 2015, the client notified the company of their intent to not renew this contract.









Tuition Payment Processing and Campus Commerce

For the second quarter of 2015, revenue from the Tuition Payment Processing and Campus Commerce segment was $27.7 million, an increase of $5.9 million, or 27 percent, from the same period in 2014. The increase in revenue was primarily driven by the acquisition of RenWeb in June 2014, along with growth in managed tuition payment plans, campus commerce transaction volume, and new school customers.

Other Income

Other income decreased $7.8 million to $7.5 million for the second quarter of 2015, compared with $15.3 million for the same period in 2014. During the three months ended June 30, 2015, investment advisory fees were $0.8 million, compared with $7.0 million for the same period a year ago. Due to improvements in the capital markets, the opportunities to earn performance fees on the sale of student loan asset-backed securities are becoming increasingly limited.

Stock Repurchases

During the six months ended June 30, 2015, the company repurchased a total of 1,174,008 shares of Class A common stock for $51.0 million, including 998,210 shares for $43.1 million during the second quarter.

Board of Directors Approves Dividend

The Nelnet Board of Directors declared a third 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 Tuesday, September 15, 2015, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Tuesday, September 1, 2015.

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 and private education loan purchases and initiatives to purchase additional FFELP and private education loans; financing and liquidity risks, including risks of changes in the securitization and other financing markets for student loans; risks related to the company's ability to maintain and increase volumes under the company’s loan servicing contract with the Department of Education 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, including potential adverse effects on the Company's guaranty servicing contracts; 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 second quarter ended June 30, 2015.  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
 
Six months ended
 
June 30,
2015
 
March 31,
2015
 
June 30,
2014
 
June 30, 2015
 
June 30, 2014
Interest income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loan interest
$
175,835

 
171,944

 
175,466

 
347,779

 
332,362

Investment interest
1,887

 
2,205

 
1,482

 
4,092

 
3,461

Total interest income
177,722

 
174,149

 
176,948

 
351,871

 
335,823

Interest expense:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest on bonds and notes payable
72,626

 
71,554

 
69,235

 
144,180

 
129,239

Net interest income
105,096

 
102,595

 
107,713

 
207,691

 
206,584

Less provision for loan losses
2,150

 
2,000

 
1,500

 
4,150

 
4,000

Net interest income after provision for loan losses
102,946

 
100,595

 
106,213

 
203,541

 
202,584

Other income (expense):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loan and guaranty servicing revenue
63,833

 
57,811

 
66,460

 
121,644

 
131,217

Tuition payment processing, school information, and campus commerce revenue
27,686

 
34,680

 
21,834

 
62,366

 
47,069

Enrollment services revenue
17,161

 
17,863

 
20,145

 
35,024

 
42,156

Other income
7,504

 
6,918

 
15,315

 
14,422

 
33,446

Gain on sale of loans and debt repurchases, net
1,515

 
2,875

 
18

 
4,390

 
57

Derivative settlements, net
(5,442
)
 
(5,215
)
 
(6,214
)
 
(10,657
)
 
(12,443
)
Derivative market value and foreign currency adjustments, net
11,944

 
2,137

 
7,784

 
14,081

 
9,748

Total other income
124,201

 
117,069

 
125,342

 
241,270

 
251,250

Operating expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Salaries and benefits
58,787

 
61,050

 
53,888

 
119,837

 
106,372

Cost to provide enrollment services
11,162

 
11,702

 
13,311

 
22,864

 
27,786

Loan servicing fees
7,420

 
7,616

 
7,317

 
15,036

 
12,720

Depreciation and amortization
6,501

 
5,662

 
5,214

 
12,163

 
9,997

Other
31,958

 
29,198

 
33,060

 
61,156

 
63,284

Total operating expenses
115,828

 
115,228

 
112,790

 
231,056

 
220,159

Income before income taxes
111,319

 
102,436

 
118,765

 
213,755

 
233,675

Income tax expense
40,356

 
37,630

 
43,078

 
77,986

 
83,689

Net income
70,963

 
64,806

 
75,687

 
135,769

 
149,986

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest
54

 
41

 
693

 
95

 
1,206

Net income attributable to Nelnet, Inc.
$
70,909

 
64,765

 
74,994

 
135,674

 
148,780

Earnings per common share:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income attributable to Nelnet, Inc. shareholders - basic and diluted
$
1.54

 
1.40

 
1.61

 
2.94

 
3.20

Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic and diluted
45,946,415

 
46,290,590

 
46,529,377

 
46,127,207

 
46,528,651









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

 
As of
 
As of
 
As of
 
June 30, 2015
 
December 31, 2014
 
June 30, 2014
Assets:
 
 
 
 
 
Student loans receivable, net
$
28,095,775

 
28,005,195

 
29,342,430

Cash, cash equivalents, investments, and notes receivable
428,028

 
366,190

 
289,893

Restricted cash and investments
975,673

 
968,928

 
960,039

Goodwill and intangible assets, net
163,984

 
168,782

 
171,049

Other assets
583,363

 
589,048

 
607,611

Total assets
$
30,246,823

 
30,098,143

 
31,371,022

Liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
Bonds and notes payable
$
28,070,423

 
28,027,350

 
29,492,560

Other liabilities
370,908

 
345,115

 
298,334

Total liabilities
28,441,331

 
28,372,465

 
29,790,894

Equity:
 
 
 
 
 
Total Nelnet, Inc. shareholders' equity
1,805,192

 
1,725,448

 
1,579,742

Noncontrolling interest
300

 
230

 
386

Total equity
1,805,492

 
1,725,678

 
1,580,128

Total liabilities and equity
$
30,246,823

 
30,098,143

 
31,371,022


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