GFI Group Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2013 Results; Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — GFI Group Inc. (NYSE: GFIG), a leading intermediary and provider of trading technologies and support services to the global OTC and listed markets, reported today its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2013.

Colin Heffron, Chief Executive Officer commented:  “Challenging trading conditions remained in the fourth quarter due to continued regulatory change, modest trading volumes and low market volatility.  Net revenues and brokerage revenues were down 1.5% and 4.6%, respectively.  However, GFI’s software, analytics and market data revenues were up 7.2%. 

“We continue to invest in our electronic trading and Swaps Execution Facility (“SEF”) platforms to provide effective trading solutions for our customers.  In October of 2013, following the creation of SEFs, the swaps markets began their transformation to more regulated, transparent and centrally cleared marketplaces.  This transformation is ongoing, as customers seek clarification of certain rules and await the mandated SEF trading deadlines for certain interest rate and fixed income derivative products.  We believe that the uncertain impact of ongoing regulatory change continued to negatively impact trading volumes across derivative markets.  

“GFI’s electronic matching sessions continued to provide substantial revenues in the fourth quarter.  In the Americas and EMEA, matching session revenues represented approximately 46% and 21% of fixed income product revenues, respectively.  In fixed income products globally, matching session revenues nearly tripled in derivatives and more than doubled in cash products, year over year.        

“GFI’s Trayport and FENICS businesses had record revenues and profits in 2013 as they leveraged their customer base and expanded their products and services.  Trayport’s software revenues grew 7% in the fourth quarter and 9% for the full year 2013.

“We remain focused on reducing GFI’s overall cost structure and are pleased with the lower, performance-based compensation arrangements implemented over the past eighteen months.  GFI’s non-GAAP compensation ratio improved despite lower revenues in the fourth quarter, year over year. 

“Through the second week in February, GFI’s preliminary total revenues are tracking down approximately 4% year over year.  

“GFI’s fourth quarter cash earnings were $0.10 per diluted share, or approximately $12.4 million.  We are pleased to declare a quarterly cash dividend to GFI shareholders of $0.05 per share.”

GAAP Results: Fourth Quarter 2013

Net revenues were $170.8 million, compared to $173.4 million in the prior year.   Our net loss was $30.9 million, or $(0.25) per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $11.4 million, or $(0.10) per diluted share.  Compensation and employee benefits expense was 72.3% of net revenues, as compared with 71.8% in the prior year. Non-compensation expenses were $75.2 million, or 44.0% of net revenues, compared to $58.3 million, or 33.6% of net revenues in the prior year. 

The fourth quarter 2013 GAAP results include a $19.6 million charge relating to impairment of goodwill and intangibles, which includes $18.9 million at Kyte.  At the time of acquisition, a $19.3 million liability was recorded related to a potential earn out payment to Kyte’s selling shareholders, which resulted in a corresponding increase to goodwill.  Over time, the $19.3 million estimated earn out liability was written down to $0.8 million through the GAAP results and was removed from non-GAAP results, as this was a non-cash and non-operating item.  The impairment of goodwill and intangibles recorded in this quarter likewise has no cash impact and was excluded from non-GAAP results. 

Also in the fourth quarter we established a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets in certain overseas jurisdictions. The total valuation allowance taken on these items was $4.9 million of which $3.4 million related to deferred tax assets recognized in prior years.

Non-GAAP Results: Fourth Quarter 2013

Revenues

Net revenues were $171.4 million, as compared to $174.9 million.

Brokerage revenues were $143.5 million, compared to $151.0 million.  Revenues from fixed income, financial, commodity and equity products were down 1.2%, 2.0%, 4.5% and 14.3%, respectively.  By geographic region, brokerage revenues decreased 0.3%, 8.7% and 4.1% in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific, respectively.

Revenues from trading software, analytics and market data products were $24.1 million, up 7.2% from $22.5 million, in the prior year.

Expenses

Our compensation and employee benefit expenses were $123.3 million, or 71.9% of net revenues, compared with $128.0 million, or 73.2% in fourth quarter 2012.  Non-compensation expenses were $53.2 million, or 31.1% of net revenues, compared with $53.3 million, or 30.5% in the prior year.

Earnings

GFI’s net loss was $6.6 million, or $(0.05) per diluted share, compared with a loss of $2.9 million, or $(0.02) per diluted share.

The effective tax rate for 2013 was approximately 36.0%, as compared to 11.9% in 2012. The increase was primarily driven by valuation allowances recognized in the fourth quarter of 2013 on certain non-U.S. deferred tax assets, as well as the release of a tax liability in 2012 which reduced that year’s effective rate.

GAAP Results: Full Year 2013

GAAP net revenues were $747.0 million for the full year 2013, compared with $787.0 million in 2012.  GAAP net loss was $20.0 million, or $(0.17) per diluted share for 2013, compared with a loss of $10.0 million, or $(0.09) per diluted share in 2012.  The compensation and employee benefits ratio in 2013 was 69.1%, down from 69.4% in 2012.  Non-compensation expenses, for the full year 2013 were $252.1 million, or 33.7% compared with $241.8 million, or 30.7% in 2012.  Non-compensation expenses include a $19.6 million non-cash, pre-tax charge for the impairment of goodwill and intangible assets, primarily relating to GFI’s Kyte subsidiary.   

Non-GAAP Results: Full Year 2013

On a non-GAAP basis, net revenues for the full year 2013 were $745.5 million, compared to $781.5 million in 2012.  Net income was $9.1 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, for the full year 2013, compared with net income of $8.9 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, in 2012. 

Dividend Declaration

The Board of Directors of GFI has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.05 per share payable on March 28, 2014 to shareholders of record as of March 14, 2014.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement GFI’s unaudited financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, the Company uses certain non-GAAP measures of financial performance. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.  In addition, these non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with the Company’s results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures used by GFI include non-GAAP total revenues, non-GAAP net revenues, non-GAAP provision for or benefit from income taxes, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted earnings per share, cash earnings and cash earnings per share.  These non-GAAP financial measures currently exclude from the Company’s statement of income amortization of acquired intangibles and certain other items that management views as non-operating, non-recurring or non-cash as detailed in the reconciliation included in the financial tables attached to this release.

In addition, GFI may consider whether other significant non-operating, non-recurring or non-cash items that arise in the future should also be excluded in calculating the non-GAAP financial measures it uses.  The non-GAAP financial measures also take into account estimated adjustments to income tax expense with respect to the excluded items.

GFI believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company’s performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of the Company’s core business, operating results or future outlook. GFI’s management uses, and believes that investors benefit from referring to, these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing the Company’s operating results, as well as when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate comparisons of the Company’s performance to prior periods.

In addition to the reasons stated above, which are generally applicable to each of the items GFI excludes from its non-GAAP financial measures, the Company believes it is appropriate to exclude amortization of acquired intangibles because when analyzing the operating performance of an acquired business, GFI’s management focuses on the total return provided by the investment (i.e., operating profit generated from the acquired entity, as compared to the purchase price paid) without taking into consideration any charges for allocations made for accounting purposes. Further, because the purchase price for an acquisition necessarily reflects the accounting value assigned to intangible assets, when analyzing the operating performance of an acquisition in subsequent periods, the Company’s management excludes the GAAP impact of acquired intangible assets on its financial results. GFI believes that such an approach is useful in understanding the long-term return provided by an acquisition and that investors benefit from a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the accounting expense associated with acquired intangible assets.

A reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP is included in the financial tables attached to this release.

Conference Call

GFI has scheduled an investor conference call to discuss its fourth quarter results at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Friday, February 14, 2014. Those wishing to listen to the live conference call via telephone should dial 1-877-870-4263 in North America and +1-412-317-0790 outside of North America, and ask for “GFI”.

A live audio web cast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of GFI’s Website. For web cast registration information, please visit: http://www.gfigroup.com. Following the conference call, an archived recording will be available.

Supplementary Financial Information

GFI has posted details of its historical monthly brokerage revenues on the Investor Relations page of its web site under the heading Supplementary Financial Information. The Company currently plans to post this information quarterly in conjunction with its announcement of earnings, but does not undertake a responsibility to continue to provide or update such information.

About GFI Group Inc.

GFI Group Inc. (NYSE: GFIG) is a leading intermediary in the global OTC and Listed markets offering an array of sophisticated trading technologies and products to a broad range of financial market participants.  More than 2,600 institutional clients benefit from GFI’s know-how and experience in operating electronic and hybrid markets for cash and derivative products across multiple asset classes, including fixed income, interest rates, foreign exchange, equities, energy and commodities.  GFI’s brands include Trayport®, a leading provider of trading solutions for energy markets worldwide and FENICS ®, a market leader in FX options software.  

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in New York, GFI employs over 2,000 people globally, with additional offices in London, Paris, Nyon, Dublin, Madrid, Sugar Land (TX), Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Manila, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Cape Town, Santiago, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Lima and Mexico City.

Forward-looking Statement

Certain matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “may,” “might,” “intend,” “expect” and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of GFI Group Inc. (the “Company”) and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: economic, political and market factors affecting trading volumes; securities prices or demand for the Company’s brokerage services; competition from current and new competitors; the Company’s ability to attract and retain key personnel, including highly-qualified brokerage personnel; the Company’s ability to identify and develop new products and markets; changes in laws and regulations governing the Company’s business and operations or permissible activities; the Company’s ability to manage its international operations; financial difficulties experienced by the Company’s customers or key participants in the markets in which the Company focuses its brokerage services; the Company’s ability to keep up with technological changes; uncertainties relating to litigation and the Company’s ability to assess and integrate acquisition prospects. Further information about factors that could affect the Company’s financial and other results is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

– FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW –

SOURCE GFI Group Inc.