Mobico Shares Dive as Profits Shrink and CFO Resigns Amid Accounting Blunders

Shares in Mobico, the former National Express, plummeted after the company reported disappointing financial results and announced the resignation of its chief financial officer. The group saw a 36% drop in pre-tax profits to £92.9 million due to accountancy issues in its German railway division that delayed annual results twice. Despite revenue growth, CEO Ignacio Garat acknowledged that the results fell short of expectations and hinted at further fare increases. The company expects an uptick in earnings for 2024 but foreshadowed potential restructuring and downsizing in its struggling private coach hire business, National Express Transport Solutions.

Wipro Accelerates Growth, Reports Strong Cash Flow Amidst Challenging Environment

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT), a leading global information technology, consulting, and business process services company, has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024.

In a conference call led by CEO Srinivas Pallia, the company reported a slight 0.1% sequential growth in IT services revenue for Q4, with large deal bookings of $1.2 billion. For the full year, Wipro achieved a revenue of $10.8 billion and expanded its margins to 16.1%. Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, the company saw a 5.2% increase in net income and earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, while full-year EPS grew by 0.8%.

Wipro’s cash flow was robust, with $626 million generated in Q4 and $2.1 billion for the full year. The company expects a sequential growth of -1.5% to +0.5% in constant currency for the first quarter of 2025, with IT Services business segment revenue projected to be between $2.617 billion and $2.670 billion.

Key Takeaways:

– Wipro’s IT services revenue grew marginally by 0.1% sequentially in Q4.
– The company booked large deals worth $1.2 billion and reported full-year revenue of $10.8 billion.
– Margins expanded to 16.1% for the full year, with a margin improvement of 235 basis points.
– Net income and EPS for Q4 increased by 5.2%, while full-year EPS grew by 0.8%.
– Cash flow was strong, with $626 million in Q4 and $2.1 billion for the full year.

– Wipro expects Q1 ’25 sequential growth of -1.5% to +0.5% in constant currency.

Company Outlook:

– Wipro anticipates Q1 2025 IT Services business segment revenues to range between $2.617 billion and $2.670 billion.
– The company remains cautious due to the overall demand environment and sector-specific softness.
– Focus areas include accelerating large deal momentum, simplifying the operating model, and leveraging Capco’s BFSI consulting capabilities.

Bearish Highlights

– Wipro faces challenges due to high discretionary spending in the BFSI sector.
– There is a weaker performance in the communications and high-tech sectors.
– The conversion of large deal total contract value to revenue is lower because of discretionary spending and slower buoyancy in smaller deals.

Bullish Highlights

– The company saw growth in the BFSI and healthcare sectors.
– Strategic acquisitions and the launch of the Wipro Enterprise Artificial Intelligence Ready Platform with IBM (NYSE: IBM) are expected to bolster business.
– Capco’s performance has shown an uptick, contributing to synergy wins and revenue acceleration.

Misses

– The company reported a marginal sequential growth in IT services revenue for Q4, reflecting a challenging macroeconomic climate.

Q&A Highlights

– Strategies to reduce churn levels include providing growth opportunities and focusing on internal talent development.
– Wipro aims to improve win rates by proactively creating pipelines and shaping deals specific to industries and clients.
– The company has generated 85% to 110% of free cash flow as a percentage of net income historically and aims to continue improving cash flow generation.

LiveOne Anticipates Strong Revenue Growth and Positive Cash Flow in FY25

**LiveOne (LVO)** had a strong year with subscription and sponsorship revenue growth. The company anticipates further revenue growth in FY25, with a focus on its Audio Division and share buybacks. Here’s a summary of the key highlights:

– FY24 Revenue: $118.5M, Adjusted EBITDA: $14.4M
– Q4 FY24 Revenue: $30.3M, Adjusted EBITDA: $4.3M
– FY25 Revenue Guidance: $140M-$155M, Adjusted EBITDA: $16M-$20M
– Audio Division FY25 Guidance: Revenue: $130M-$140M, Adjusted EBITDA: $20M-$25M, Positive Cash Flow: $17M+
– Shared Repurchased: ~4M, $5M Remaining for Continued Repurchases
– Current Cash Position: $10.6M

LiveOne believes its stock is undervalued and will continue to focus on delivering results for shareholders.

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