AECOM reports fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2023 results

November 14, 2023

Initiated strong fiscal 2024 financial guidance, including adjusted EPS of $4.35 to $4.55 or 20% year-over-year growth at the mid-point
Exceeded mid-points of initial and increased fiscal 2023 financial guidance, driven by double-digit NSR growth in the design business in the fourth quarter
Delivered a record segment adjusted operating margin for the full year
Design contracted backlog increased 15% to an all-time high
Increased share repurchase authorization to $1 billion and quarterly dividend by 22%

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AECOM (NYSE:ACM), the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, today reported fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2023 results.

	Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2023				Full Year Fiscal 2023
*(from Continuing Operations;* *$ in millions, except EPS)*	As Reported	Adjusted¹ (Non-GAAP)	As Reported YoY % Change	Adjusted YoY % Change	As Reported	Adjusted¹ (Non-GAAP)	As Reported YoY % Change	Adjusted YoY % Change
Revenue	$3,842	—	12%	—	$14,378	—	9%	—
Net Service Revenue (NSR)²	—	$1,727	—	8%	—	$6,703	—	8%
Operating Income	$80	$225	(56%)	15%	$324	$847	(50%)	12%
Segment Operating Margin³ (NSR)	—	15.2%	—	+60 bps	—	14.7%	—	+60 bps
Net Income	$34	$141	(71%)	21%	$114	$520	(71%)	7%
EPS (Fully Diluted)	$0.24	$1.01	(71%)	22%	$0.81	$3.71	(70%)	9%
EBITDA⁴	—	$252	—	10%	—	$964	—	9%
Operating Cash Flow	$285	—	(10%)	—	$696	—	(2%)	—
Free Cash Flow⁵	—	$263	—	2%	—	$591	—	1%
Design Backlog	$21,435	—	12%⁶	—

Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2023 Highlights

Fourth quarter revenue increased 12% to $3.8 billion, operating income decreased by 56% to $80 million, the operating margin decreased by 330 basis points to 2.1%, net income decreased 71% to $34 million and diluted earnings per share decreased 71% to $0.24.
- Reported results for the fourth quarter included approximately $138 million of costs primarily related to accelerated margin expansion initiatives, including the optimization of office real estate, with a benefit beginning in fiscal 2024 and beyond.
Fourth quarter organic NSR² in the design business increased by 10% for a second consecutive quarter and increased by 9% for the full year.
- Growth was led by the transportation and water markets, which account for approximately 60% of the Company’s NSR².
The segment adjusted¹ operating margin³ was 15.2% in the fourth quarter, an increase of 60 basis points from the prior year.
- The full year segment adjusted¹ operating margin³ of 14.7% exceeded guidance and increased 60 basis points from the prior year to an all-time high.
Full year adjusted¹ EBITDA⁴ and adjusted¹ EPS of $964 million and $3.71, respectively, exceeded both the Company’s original and increased guidance mid-points.
- Adjusted¹ EPS increased by 12% compared to the prior year on a constant-currency basis, which outperformed prior guidance for a 10% year-over-year increase.
Backlog in the design business increased by 12%⁶ to a record high, driven by strength in the Company’s global water, transportation and environment businesses, which are benefitting from increased investment in infrastructure, sustainability and resilience, and the energy transition.

Fiscal 2024 Financial Guidance

Building on the successes of fiscal 2023, AECOM expects to deliver another year of strong organic NSR² growth, record segment adjusted¹ operating margins³, and double-digit adjusted¹ earnings per share growth, including:
- Organic NSR² growth of approximately 8% to 10%.
- A segment adjusted¹ operating margin³ of approximately 15.6%, a 90 basis point increase from fiscal 2023, which includes:
  - Approximately two-thirds of the margin expansion from high-returning organic growth, which alone puts the Company ahead of its 15% target for fiscal 2024.
  - Approximately one-third of the margin expansion from the acceleration of the Company’s continuous improvement initiatives, primarily related to real estate efficiencies.
- Adjusted¹ EBITDA⁴ of between $1,065 million and $1,105 million, representing a 13% increase at the mid-point over fiscal 2023.
- Adjusted¹ EPS of between $4.35 and $4.55, reflecting a 20% increase at the mid-point over fiscal 2023.
Other assumptions incorporated into guidance:
- Reflecting the highly cash generative nature of its Professional Services business, the Company expects 100%+ adjusted¹ net income to free cash flow⁵ conversion.
- An average fully diluted share count of 138 million, which reflects only shares repurchased to-date, though the Company intends to continue repurchasing stock that would provide a benefit to per share earnings.
- An effective tax rate of between 24% and 26%.
The Company expects a return on invested capital⁷ (ROIC) of approximately 20% in fiscal 2024, reflecting its achievement in fiscal 2023 of its previously increased 17% target.

Cash Flow, Balance Sheet and Capital Allocation Update

Full year operating cash flow was $696 million and free cash flow⁵ was $591 million, reflecting the achievement of the Company’s cash flow guidance for a ninth consecutive year.
The Company also affirmed its returns-focused capital allocation policy, including:
- The Board of Directors approved an increase to its share repurchase authorization to $1 billion, reflecting the Company’s commitment to returning substantially all available cash flow to investors after investments in accelerating organic growth.
- Increased the quarterly dividend by 22% to $0.22 per share, marking a second consecutive year of 20%+ increases and fulfilling the Company’s ongoing commitment to raise the dividend per share by double-digits annually.
- Allocated approximately $475 million to stockholders in fiscal 2023 through share repurchases and dividends.
  - In total, shares outstanding has declined by 19% since the initiation of the repurchase program in September 2020.
The Company continues to operate with a strong balance sheet that provides a competitive advantage, with approximately 80% of its debt fixed, swapped to fixed, or capped over the next several years and no near-term bond maturities.

“I am proud of our performance in fiscal 2023, including exceeding our initial and increased earnings guidance mid-points and enhancing our long-term visibility through a record design backlog and 20% pipeline growth,” said Troy Rudd, AECOM’s chief executive officer. “We have focused our capital and technical expertise on the fastest-growing markets around the globe, which has resulted in a record win rate on the highest-returning opportunities. As reflected in our strong fiscal 2024 guidance, which includes 20% expected adjusted EPS growth, we have built an enviable leadership position and competitive advantage to fully capitalize on robust end market growth ahead.”

“Our unrivaled technical expertise and culture of collaboration is evident in the many transformational wins of the past year that reaffirm our leadership position in key markets including water, transportation, and environment,” said Lara Poloni, AECOM’s president. “The secular megatrends of global investments in infrastructure, sustainability, resilience and the energy transition are converging to create an undeniable growth cycle and we are well positioned to lead. Through our Think and Act Globally strategy, we are magnifying our competitive advantages by collaborating to bring the best technical resources to our clients for their most complex and challenging projects.”

“Our consistently strong financial performance is a testament to the inherent attributes of our Professional Services business, including high-returning, lower risk consulting activities for well-funded clients, that result in consistently strong cash flow,” said Gaurav Kapoor, AECOM’s chief financial officer. “Through our returns-focused capital allocation policy, we have returned $2 billion to stockholders since 2020. We are furthering this focus with our increased repurchase authorization and increased quarterly dividend, which reflects our confidence in continued earnings and cash flow growth.”

Business Segments

Americas

Revenue in the fourth quarter was $2.9 billion, a 12% increase from the prior year. Full year revenue was $11.0 billion, a 10% increase from the prior year.

NSR² in the fourth quarter was $1.0 billion. This included 9% growth in the design business, which was led by the Company’s water, transportation, and environment markets. Full year NSR was $3.9 billion, a 6% increase from the prior year, highlighted by 8% growth in the design business.

Fourth quarter operating income increased by 10% over the prior year to $186 million and increased by 9% for the full year to $715 million. On an adjusted¹ basis, fourth quarter operating income increased by 10% to $190 million and increased by 9% to $732 million for the full year. The fourth quarter adjusted operating margin on NSR² was 19.0% and reflected a 60 basis point increase over the prior year, which contributed to a full year adjusted operating margin of 18.7%, which marked a 60 basis point increase over the prior year and included increased investments to capitalize on organic growth opportunities.

International

Revenue in the fourth quarter was $905 million, a 12% increase from the prior year. Full year revenue was $3.4 billion, a 6% increase from the prior year.

NSR² in the fourth quarter was $722 million, an 11% increase from the prior year. Full year NSR was $2.8 billion, an 11% increase from the prior year.

Fourth quarter operating income increased by 25% over the prior year to $72 million and increased by 15% to $255 million for the full year. On an adjusted basis¹, operating income increased by 25% to $72 million in the fourth quarter and increased by 15% to $256 million for the full year. The fourth quarter adjusted operating margin on NSR² increased by 100 basis points to 10.0%, which marked the achievement of the Company’s target to deliver a double-digit margin in the International business. The full year adjusted operating margin increased by 60 basis points over the prior year to 9.2%.

Backlog

Total backlog in the design business increased by 12%⁶ over the prior year to $21.4 billion, which set a new record, and included strong growth in both the Americas and International regions. This performance contributed to a full year book-to-burn ratio of 1.3 in the design business. Design backlog also included a record level of contracted backlog that provides for significant visibility into growth in the coming year. Total backlog of $41.2 billion marked a 2% increase over the prior year.

Balance Sheet

As of September 30, 2023, AECOM had $1.3 billion of total cash and cash equivalents, $2.2 billion of total debt and $957 million of net debt (total debt less cash and cash equivalents). Net leverage⁸ was 0.9x.

Tax Rate

The effective tax rate was 16.2% in the fourth quarter and 26.3% in the full year. On an adjusted¹ basis, the effective tax rate was 25.2% and 25.5% in the full year. The adjusted tax rate was derived by re-computing the quarterly effective tax rate on adjusted net income⁹. The adjusted tax expense differs from the GAAP tax expense based on the taxability or deductibility and tax rate applied to each of the adjustments.

Conference Call

AECOM is hosting a conference call tomorrow at 8 a.m. Eastern Time, during which management will make a brief

presentation focusing on the Company’s results, strategy and operating trends, and outlook. Interested parties can listen to the conference call and view accompanying slides via webcast at https://investors.aecom.com. The webcast will be available for replay following the call.

¹ Excludes the impact of certain items, such as restructuring costs, amortization of intangible assets, non-core AECOM Capital and other items. See Regulation G Information for a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the comparable GAAP measures.

² Revenue, less pass-through revenue; growth rates are presented on a constant-currency basis.

³ Reflects segment operating performance, excluding AECOM Capital and G&A.

⁴ Net income before interest expense, tax expense, depreciation and amortization.

⁵ Free cash flow is defined as cash flow from operations less capital expenditures, net of proceeds from disposals of property and equipment.

⁶ On a constant-currency basis.

⁷ Return on invested capital, or ROIC, reflects continuing operations and is calculated as the sum of adjusted net income as presented in the Company’s Regulation G Information and adjusted interest expense, net of interest income, divided by average quarterly invested capital as defined as the sum of attributable shareholder’s equity and total debt, less cash and cash equivalents.

⁸ Net leverage is comprised of EBITDA as defined in the Company’s credit agreement dated October 17, 2014, as amended, and total debt on the Company’s financial statements, net of total cash and cash equivalents.

⁹ Inclusive of non-controlling interest deduction and adjusted for financing charges in interest expense, the amortization of intangible assets and is based on continuing operations.

About AECOM

AECOM (NYSE: ACM) is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy, and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this communication other than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives for future operations, profitability, strategic value creation, risk profile and investment strategies, and any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance, and the expected financial and operational results of AECOM. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in any of our forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results, performance and achievements, or industry results to differ materially from estimates or projections contained in our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: our business is cyclical and vulnerable to economic downturns and client spending reductions; limited control over operations that run through our joint venture entities; liability for misconduct by our employees or consultants; failure to comply with laws or regulations applicable to our business; maintaining adequate surety and financial capacity; potential high leverage and inability to service our debt and guarantees; ability to continue payment of dividends; exposure to political and economic risks in different countries, including tariffs; currency exchange rate and interest fluctuations; retaining and recruiting key technical and management personnel; legal claims; inadequate insurance coverage; environmental law compliance and adequate nuclear indemnification; unexpected adjustments and cancellations related to our backlog; partners and third parties who may fail to satisfy their legal obligations; AECOM Capital real estate development projects; managing pension cost; cybersecurity issues, IT outages and data privacy; risks associated with the expected benefits and costs of the sale of our Management Services and self-perform at-risk civil infrastructure, power construction and oil and gas construction businesses, including the risk that any contingent purchase price adjustments from those transactions could be unfavorable and result in lower aggregate cash proceeds and any future proceeds owed to us under those transactions could be lower than we expect; as well as other additional risks and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements set forth in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement.

Non-GAAP Financial Information

This press release contains financial information calculated other than in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The Company believes that non-GAAP financial measures such as adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net/operating income, adjusted tax rate, net service revenue and free cash flow provide a meaningful perspective on its business results as the Company utilizes this information to evaluate and manage the business. We use adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EPS to exclude the impact of certain items, such as amortization expense and taxes to aid investors in better understanding our core performance results. We use free cash flow to present the cash generated from operations after capital expenditures to maintain our business. We present net service revenue (NSR) to exclude pass-through subcontractor costs from revenue to provide investors with a better understanding of our operational performance. We present adjusted operating margin to reflect segment operating performance of our Americas and International segments, excluding AECOM Capital.

Our non-GAAP disclosure has limitations as an analytical tool, should not be viewed as a substitute for financial information determined in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP, nor is it necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. A reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures is found in the Regulation G Information tables at the back of this release. The Company is unable to reconcile its non-GAAP financial guidance and long-term financial targets due to uncertainties in these non-operating items as well as other adjustments to net income. The Company is unable to provide a reconciliation of its guidance for NSR to GAAP revenue because it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty its pass-through revenue.

AECOM Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited – in thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended								Twelve Months Ended
	Sept 30, 2022			Sept 30, 2023			% Change		Sept 30, 2022			Sept 30, 2023			% Change

Revenue	$	3,426,113		$	3,842,385		12.1	%	$	13,148,182		$	14,378,461		9.4	%
Cost of revenue	3,208,845			3,590,080			11.9	%	12,300,208			13,432,996			9.2	%
Gross profit	217,268			252,305			16.1	%	847,974			945,465			11.5	%
Equity in earnings (losses) of joint ventures	26,282			6,866			(73.9	)%	53,640			(279,352		)	(620.8	)%
General and administrative expenses	(40,944		)	(40,933		)	(0.0	)%	(147,309		)	(153,575		)	4.3	%
Restructuring costs	(18,574		)	(137,857		)	642.2	%	(107,501		)	(188,404		)	75.3	%
Income from operations	184,032			80,381			(56.3	)%	646,804			324,134			(49.9	)%
Other income	1,295			2,075			60.2	%	5,942			8,357			40.6	%
Interest income	2,340			15,759			573.5	%	8,210			40,251			390.3	%
Interest expense	(33,302		)	(41,402		)	24.3	%	(110,274		)	(159,342		)	44.5	%
Income from continuing operations before taxes	154,365			56,813			(63.2	)%	550,682			213,400			(61.2	)%
Income tax expense for continuing operations	32,967			9,182			(72.1	)%	136,051			56,052			(58.8	)%
Income from continuing operations	121,398			47,631			(60.8	)%	414,631			157,348			(62.1	)%
Loss from discontinued operations	(8,395		)	(7,437		)	(11.4	)%	(79,929		)	(57,207		)	(28.4	)%
Net income	113,003			40,194			(64.4	)%	334,702			100,141			(70.1	)%

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests from continuing operations	(5,986		)	(13,700		)	128.9	%	(25,521		)	(43,262		)	69.5	%
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests from discontinued operations	(1,399		)	(1,021		)	(27.0	)%	1,430			(1,547		)	(208.2	)%
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(7,385		)	(14,721		)	99.3	%	(24,091		)	(44,809		)	86.0	%

Net income attributable to AECOM from continuing operations	115,412			33,931			(70.6	)%	389,110			114,086			(70.7	)%
Net loss attributable to AECOM from discontinued operations	(9,794		)	(8,458		)	(13.6	)%	(78,499		)	(58,754		)	(25.2	)%
Net income attributable to AECOM	$	105,618		$	25,473		(75.9	)%	$	310,611		$	55,332		(82.2	)%

Net income (loss) attributable to AECOM per share:
Basic continuing operations per share	$	0.83		$	0.25		(69.9	)%	$	2.76		$	0.82		(70.3	)%
Basic discontinued operations per share		(0.07	)		(0.07	)	0.0	%		(0.55	)		(0.42	)	(23.6	)%
Basic earnings per share	$	0.76		$	0.18		(76.3	)%	$	2.21		$	0.40		(81.9	)%

Diluted continuing operations per share	$	0.82		$	0.24		(70.7	)%	$	2.73		$	0.81		(70.3	)%
Diluted discontinued operations per share		(0.07	)		(0.06	)	(14.3	)%		(0.55	)		(0.42	)	(23.6	)%
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.75		$	0.18		(76.0	)%	$	2.18		$	0.39		(82.1	)%

Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic	139,626			138,103			(1.1	)%	140,768			138,614			(1.5	)%
Diluted	141,344			139,418			(1.4	)%	142,696			140,109			(1.8	)%

AECOM Balance Sheet Information (unaudited – in thousands)

	September 30, 2022		September 30, 2023
Balance Sheet Information:
Total cash and cash equivalents	$	1,172,209	$	1,260,206
Accounts receivable and contract assets – net		3,723,111		4,069,504
Working capital		418,639		319,228
Total debt, excluding unamortized debt issuance costs		2,224,602		2,217,255
Total assets		11,139,315		11,233,398
Total AECOM stockholders’ equity		2,476,654		2,212,332

AECOM Reportable Segments (unaudited – in thousands)

	Americas			International			AECOM Capital			Corporate			Total
Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
Revenue	$	2,936,616		$	905,231		$	538		$	–		$	3,842,385
Cost of revenue		2,756,041			834,039			–			–			3,590,080
Gross profit		180,575			71,192			538			–			252,305
Equity in earnings of joint ventures		5,612			718			536			–			6,866
General and administrative expenses		–			–			(2,993	)		(37,940	)		(40,933	)
Restructuring costs		–			–			–			(137,857	)		(137,857	)
Income (loss) from operations	$	186,187		$	71,910		$	(1,919	)	$	(175,797	)	$	80,381

Gross profit as a % of revenue		6.1	%		7.9	%		–			–			6.6	%

Three Months Ended September 30, 2022
Revenue	$	2,618,964		$	806,724		$	425		$	–		$	3,426,113
Cost of revenue		2,454,144			754,701			–			–			3,208,845
Gross profit		164,820			52,023			425			–			217,268
Equity in earnings of joint ventures		4,647			5,585			16,050			–			26,282
General and administrative expenses		–			–			(4,005	)		(36,939	)		(40,944	)
Restructuring costs		–			–			–			(18,574	)		(18,574	)
Income from operations	$	169,467		$	57,608		$	12,470		$	(55,513	)	$	184,032

Gross profit as a % of revenue		6.3	%		6.4	%		–			–			6.3	%

Twelve Months Ended September 30, 2023
Revenue	$	10,975,616		$	3,402,110		$	735		$	–		$	14,378,461
Cost of revenue		10,275,939			3,157,057			–			–			13,432,996
Gross profit		699,677			245,053			735			–			945,465
Equity in earnings (losses) of joint ventures		14,890			9,661			(303,903	)		–			(279,352	)
General and administrative expenses		–			–			(12,598	)		(140,977	)		(153,575	)
Restructuring costs		–			–			–			(188,404	)		(188,404	)
Income (loss) from operations	$	714,567		$	254,714		$	(315,766	)	$	(329,381	)	$	324,134

Gross profit as a % of revenue		6.4	%		7.2	%		–			–			6.6	%

Contracted backlog	$	18,394,732		$	4,173,690		$	–		$	–		$	22,568,422
Awarded backlog		14,896,277			2,097,917			–			–			16,994,194
Unconsolidated JV backlog		1,605,514			–			–			–			1,605,514
Total backlog	$	34,896,523		$	6,271,607		$	–		$	–		$	41,168,130

Total backlog – Design only	$	15,163,845		$	6,271,607		$	–		$	–		$	21,435,452

Twelve Months Ended September 30, 2022
Revenue	$	9,939,333		$	3,206,625		$	2,224		$	–		$	13,148,182
Cost of revenue		9,299,436			3,000,772			–			–			12,300,208
Gross profit		639,897			205,853			2,224			–			847,974
Equity in earnings of joint ventures		13,871			15,313			24,456			–			53,640
General and administrative expenses		–			–			(12,649	)		(134,660	)		(147,309	)
Restructuring costs		–			–			–			(107,501	)		(107,501	)
Income from operations	$	653,768		$	221,166		$	14,031		$	(242,161	)	$	646,804

Gross profit as a % of revenue		6.4	%		6.4	%		–			–			6.4	%

Contracted backlog	$	17,507,944		$	3,855,488		$	–		$	–		$	21,363,432
Awarded backlog		17,355,035			1,215,786			–			–			18,570,821
Unconsolidated JV backlog		249,492			–			–			–			249,492
Total backlog	$	35,112,471		$	5,071,274		$	–		$	–		$	40,183,745

Total backlog – Design only	$	13,954,382		$	5,071,274		$	–		$	–		$	19,025,656