Neustar Announces 2010 Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Results

STERLING, Va., Feb. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Neustar, Inc. (NYSE: NSR), a provider of market-leading, innovative solutions and directory services to enable trusted communication across networks, applications, and enterprises around the world, today announced results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2010 and provided guidance for 2011.

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Summary of Consolidated 2010 Results

• Revenue increased 10% from 2009 to $526.8 million
• Net income totaled $106.2 million; Net income, as adjusted, increased by 13% over 2009 to $114.7 million, which reflects adjustments to exclude the impairment of long-lived assets and management transition costs
• Earnings per diluted share of $1.40; Earnings per diluted share, as adjusted, increased by 13% over 2009 to $1.51
• EBITDA totaled $215.7 million; EBITDA, as adjusted, increased by 12% over 2009 to $230.1 million, a margin of 44%
• Neustar NPAC database had 429.3 million telephone number records and as a result our customers earned the contractual $7.5 million annual credit for 2010
• Repurchased 1.7 million shares of common stock for a total purchase price of $40.4 million
• Cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $382.4 million as of December 31, 2010

"Neustar made significant progress on several fronts in 2010.  We continued to increase revenue while we executed a CEO transition, restructured certain aspects of our business to drive future earnings growth and realigned our business and reporting segments to reflect an efficient common infrastructure and customer-oriented approach.  Our team is working diligently to capture opportunities for growth in our existing core business while also pursuing innovative projects, such as UltraViolet™ and other digital media directories," said Lisa Hook, Neustar's president and chief executive officer.

"Our full-year and fourth quarter results continue to demonstrate the strong fundamentals driving our growth.  Excluding pre-tax charges related to restructuring and realigning our business to enhance future earnings potential – including an $8.5 million non-cash impairment of long-lived assets related to our converged messaging services and a $6.0 million charge for restructuring and severance –  we continue to see considerable momentum in revenue growth and profitability.  As such, we again expect to generate year-over-year increases in both revenue and EBITDA in 2011," commented Paul Lalljie, Neustar's chief financial officer.

Business Outlook for 2011

• Revenue to range from $585 to $600 million, an increase of 11% to 14% over 2010
• EBITDA to range from $244 to $254 million

Discussion of Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Results

Consolidated revenue for the quarter totaled $138.3 million, a 3% increase from $134.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2009 included a $7.5 million increase to revenue for a credit that our customers did not earn resulting in higher revenue.  As of December 31, 2010, our customers exceeded the telephone number inventory threshold for our U.S. NPAC database resulting in no corresponding increase to the fourth quarter 2010 revenue.  Without the impact of credits, fourth quarter 2010 revenue grew 9% over the fourth quarter of 2009.  This growth was primarily driven by the Enterprise Services business segment.

Fourth Quarter Revenue

• Carrier Services revenue totaled $101.2 million, a 2% decrease from $103.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  IP Services revenue decreased $2.7 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2009, due to low customer adoption for converged messaging services.  Revenue from U.S. NPAC services totaled $80.5 million compared to $78.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2009, offsetting a portion of the decrease in IP Services
• Enterprise Services revenue totaled $37.1 million, a 20% increase from $31.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  Internet Infrastructure Services revenue increased $3.7 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2009, driven by our expanded service offerings, such as IP geolocation services. Additionally, a larger number of common short codes and domain names under management drove an increase of $2.4 million this quarter in Registry Services

Consolidated revenue for the full year totaled $526.8 million, a 10% increase from $480.4 million in the full year of 2009.  This increase was driven by growth in both the Carrier Services and Enterprise Services business segments.  Revenue for the full-year 2009 included a $7.5 million increase to revenue for a credit that our customers did not earn resulting in higher revenue.  As of December 31, 2010, our customers exceeded the telephone number inventory threshold for our U.S. NPAC database resulting in no corresponding increase to revenue for 2010.  A year-over-year comparison of full-year 2010 revenue without the impact of credits would result in an 11% increase over 2009.

Full-Year Revenue

• Carrier Services revenue totaled $397.7 million, a 7% increase from $370.5 million for 2009.  Revenue from U.S. NPAC services totaled $322.1 million, an increase of $29.6 million over 2009.  This increase was reduced by IP Services revenue, which decreased $3.9 million in 2010
• Enterprise Services revenue totaled $129.1 million, a 17% increase from $109.9 million for 2009.  Internet Infrastructure Services revenue increased $13.5 million compared to 2009, driven by new customers and our expanded service offerings, such as IP geolocation services. Additionally, a larger number of common short codes and domain names under management drove an increase of $5.7 million in Registry Services revenue

Total operating expense for the fourth quarter was $99.5 million.  This total includes a non-cash charge for the impairment of long-lived assets of $8.5 million related to our converged messaging services.  Also included is $6.0 million of management transition costs comprised of a restructuring charge of $3.8 million related to the reduction of employee headcount as part of a realignment and CEO severance costs of $2.2 million.  Excluding these charges and the related depreciation impact, total operating expense totaled $85.5 million compared to $85.9 million of total operating expense for the fourth quarter of 2009.  

Total operating expense for the full year was $351.3 million.  Excluding the charges mentioned above, total operating expense was $337.3 million for 2010 compared to $312.8 million for 2009.  This increase was primarily due to additional personnel and personnel-related expense to support expansion of the company's operations and new services.

Segment contribution, which excludes unallocated indirect operating costs, is as follows:

• Carrier Services segment contribution decreased 2% to $87.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 and increased 10% to $340.4 million in the full year of 2010, primarily driven by an increase in revenue from the company's Numbering Services; and
• Enterprise Services segment contribution increased 31% to $17.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 and increased 29% to $59.3 million in the full year of 2010, primarily due to an increase in revenue from the company's Internet Infrastructure Services.

Cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $382.4 million as of December 31, 2010, compared to $377.5 million as of September 30, 2010 and $342.2 million as of December 31, 2009.

The company repurchased approximately 586,000 shares at an average price of $25.56 per share for a total of $15.0 million in the fourth quarter.  On a full-year basis, the company repurchased approximately 1.7 million shares at an average price of $24.21 per share for a total $40.4 million.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this press release and in other public statements, Neustar presents certain non-GAAP financial data. To place this data in an appropriate context, the following is a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to net income for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2009 and 2010.  The reconciliation allows investors to appropriately consider each non-GAAP financial measure.  These non-GAAP financial measures, however, should not be considered a substitute for or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP, and the financial results calculated in accordance with GAAP and reconciliations from these results should be carefully evaluated.  Management believes that these measures enhance investors' understanding of the company's financial performance and the comparability of the company's operating results to prior periods, as well as against the performance of other companies.  However, these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable with similar non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.  

Conference Call

As announced on January 19, 2011, Neustar will conduct an investor conference call to discuss the company's results today at 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time).  Prior to the call, investors may access the conference call over the Internet via the Investor Relations tab of the company's website (www.neustar.biz).  Those listening via the Internet should go to the site 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software.

The conference call is also accessible via telephone by dialing (877) 879-6201 (international callers dial (719) 325-4888).  For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available through 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) Wednesday, February 9, 2011 by dialing (877) 870-5176 (international callers dial (858) 384-5517) and entering replay PIN 1254438, or by going to the Investor Relations tab of the company's website (www.neustar.biz).

Neustar will take live questions from securities analysts and institutional portfolio managers; the complete call is open to all other interested parties on a listen-only basis.

This press release, the financial tables and other supplemental information, including reclassified historical segment information, reconciliation of segment contribution to the nearest comparable GAAP measure and reconciliations of certain other non-GAAP measures to their nearest comparable GAAP measures that may be used periodically by management when discussing the company's financial results with investors and analysts, are available on the company's website under the Investor Relations tab.

About Neustar, Inc.

Neustar, Inc. (NYSE: NSR) solves complex communications challenges and provides market-leading, innovative solutions and directory services to enable trusted communication across networks, applications, and enterprises around the world.  Visit Neustar online at www.neustar.biz.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This press release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements about the company's expectations, beliefs and business results in the future, such as guidance regarding its 2011 results.  The company has attempted, whenever possible, to identify these forward-looking statements using words such as "may," "will," "should," "projects," "estimates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes" and variations of these words and similar expressions.  Similarly, statements herein that describe the company's business strategy, prospects, opportunities, outlooks, objectives, plans, intentions or goals are also forward-looking statements.  The company cannot assure you that its expectations will be achieved or that any deviations will not be material.  Forward-looking statements are subject to many assumptions, risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated.  These potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results due to such factors as disruptions to the company's operations; modifications to or terminations of its material contracts; its ability to successfully identify and complete acquisitions; the ability to successfully integrate and support the operations of businesses the company acquires; increasing competition; market acceptance of its existing services; its ability to successfully develop and market new services; the uncertainty of whether new services will achieve market acceptance or result in any revenue; and business, regulatory and statutory changes in the communications industry.  More information about potential factors that could affect the company's business and financial results is included in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, the company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2010 and subsequent periodic and current reports.  All forward-looking statements are based on information available to the company on the date of this press release, and the company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.

SOURCE Neustar, Inc.