“We delivered solid results in the first quarter, once again achieving double-digit ACV growth on strong demand across most markets,” said Antonio Pietri, President and Chief Executive Officer of AspenTech. “While our first year as new AspenTech was centered on building the foundation, our focus in fiscal 2024 is on execution and expansion. Our work in these areas is off to a strong start, and we remain committed to helping our customers to run their assets safer, greener, longer, and faster through our expanded portfolio and greater market reach.”

Pietri continued, “AspenTech solutions are mission-critical to customers around the world. We are seeing numerous opportunities to help asset-intensive companies better meet their profitability and sustainability objectives as well as promising signs of growth across many different sustainability pathways. We remain confident in our business outlook and are reiterating our guidance for fiscal 2024.”

Fiscal Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Recent Business Highlights          

Summary of First Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results

AspenTech’s total revenue was $249.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 and included the following:

Loss from operations was $60.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to loss from operations of $51.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Non-GAAP income from operations was $77.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $92.6 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results is presented in the financial tables included in this press release.

Net loss was $34.5 million, or $0.54 per diluted share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to a net loss of $11.2 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. AspenTech has increased amortization of intangible assets following the close of its transaction with Emerson Electric Co. As a result, AspenTech expects its amortization of intangible assets to remain at higher levels for the next several years as the related asset balance is amortized over the respective expected useful lives of the intangible assets.

Non-GAAP net income was $74.9 million, or $1.16 per share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to non-GAAP net income of $142.0 million, or $2.20 per share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. The year-over-year decrease in non-GAAP net income was mainly due to the lower benefit from income taxes in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, following AspenTech's change in approach to computing its tax provision, which initially occurred in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.

AspenTech had cash and cash equivalents of $120.5 million as of September 30, 2023, compared to $241.2 million as of June 30, 2023. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents was due to the impact of share repurchase activity under AspenTech’s $300.0 million share repurchase authorization in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. AspenTech had no borrowings and $197.7 million available under its revolving credit facility as of September 30, 2023.

AspenTech generated $17.0 million in cash flow from operations and $16.0 million in free cash flow2 in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, compared to $5.1 million in cash flow from operations and $3.7 million in free cash flow in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP metric that is calculated as net cash provided by operating activities adjusted for the net impact of purchases of property, equipment and leasehold improvements and payments for capitalized computer software development costs.

Recent Developments

Chief Financial Officer Transition

On October 19, 2023, AspenTech announced that Chantelle Breithaupt had informed the Company that she plans to step down as Chief Financial Officer for another opportunity. Ms. Breithaupt will continue in her role through December 31, 2023. Christopher Stagno, who currently serves as SVP, Chief Accounting Officer, will assume the role of Interim CFO, effective January 1, 2024, should a permanent CFO not have been named.

Share Repurchase Programs Update

AspenTech settled its $100 million accelerated share repurchase program in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, which resulted in the delivery of an additional 107,045 shares of AspenTech common stock, for a total of 594,671 shares delivered under the program. Upon completion of the accelerated share repurchase program, AspenTech began purchasing shares pursuant to its $300.0 million share repurchase authorization announced on August 1, 2023. During the first quarter of fiscal 2024, AspenTech repurchased 579,798 shares for $114.2 million under the share repurchase authorization. The total value remaining under the share repurchase authorization as of September 30, 2023, was $185.8 million, which AspenTech expects to utilize in the remainder of fiscal 2024.

Fiscal Year 2024 Business Outlook

Based on information as of today, November 6, 2023, AspenTech is issuing the following guidance for fiscal 2024.

These statements are forward-looking and actual results may differ materially. Refer to the Forward-Looking Statements safe harbor below for information on the factors that could cause AspenTech’s actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. 

Conference Call and Webcast

AspenTech will host a conference call and webcast presentation on Monday, November 6, 2023, at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss its financial results, business outlook, and related corporate and financial matters. A live webcast of the call will be available on AspenTech's Investor Relations website, ir.aspentech.com, via its “Webcasts” page. To access the call by phone, please use the following registration link. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. A replay of the webcast also will be available for a limited time at http://ir.aspentech.com/.

AspenTech has provided an earnings presentation for its first quarter of fiscal 2024. The Company asks that shareholders refer to this presentation in conjunction with today’s conference call, which can be found at ir.aspentech.com.

Footnotes

About AspenTech

Aspen Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AZPN) is a global software leader helping industries at the forefront of the world’s dual challenge meet the increasing demand for resources from a rapidly growing population in a profitable and sustainable manner. AspenTech solutions address complex environments where it is critical to optimize the asset design, operation and maintenance lifecycle. Through our unique combination of deep domain expertise and innovation, customers in capital-intensive industries can run their assets safer, greener, longer and faster to improve their operational excellence. To learn more, visit AspenTech.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical may be “forward-looking” statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties, and AspenTech undertakes no obligation to update any such statements to reflect later developments. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our guidance for fiscal 2024, our expectations regarding cash collections and completion of our share repurchase authorization. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “strategy,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “opportunity” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of our transaction with Emerson Electric Co.; risks resulting from our status as a controlled company; the scope, duration and ultimate impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Israeli-Hamas conflict; as well as economic and currency conditions, market demand (including related to the pandemic and adverse changes in the process or other capital-intensive industries such as materially reduced spending budgets due to oil and gas price declines and volatility), pricing, protection of intellectual property, cybersecurity, natural disasters, tariffs, sanctions, competitive and technological factors, and inflation; and others, as set forth in AspenTech’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The outlook contained herein represents AspenTech’s expectation for its consolidated results, other than as noted herein.

© 2023 Aspen Technology, Inc. AspenTech, aspenONE, asset optimization and the Aspen leaf logo are trademarks of Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks not owned by AspenTech are property of their respective owners.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains “non-GAAP financial measures” under the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Non-GAAP financial measures are not based on a comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. This non-GAAP information supplements, and is not intended to represent a measure of performance in accordance with, disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP.  Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or superior to, financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results is included in the financial tables included in this press release.

Management considers both GAAP and non-GAAP financial results in managing AspenTech’s business. As the result of adoption of new licensing models, management believes that a number of AspenTech’s performance indicators based on GAAP, including revenue, gross profit, operating income and net income, should be viewed in conjunction with certain non-GAAP and other business measures in assessing AspenTech’s performance, growth and financial condition. Accordingly, management utilizes a number of non-GAAP and other business metrics, including the non-GAAP metrics set forth in this press release, to track AspenTech’s business performance. None of these non-GAAP metrics should be considered as an alternative to any measure of financial performance calculated in accordance with GAAP.