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Yahoo Earnings Better Than Expected With Some Help From Search

Yahoo just released its earnings for the fourth quarter and full year 2012, beating analysts’ expectations, and perhaps more noteworthy, showing solid signs for Yahoo’s search business. GA...
Yahoo Earnings Better Than Expected With Some Help From Search
Written by Chris Crum
  • Yahoo just released its earnings for the fourth quarter and full year 2012, beating analysts’ expectations, and perhaps more noteworthy, showing solid signs for Yahoo’s search business.

    GAAP revenue for the quarter was $1,346 million. For the year, it was $4,987 million. Revenue ex-TAC for the quarter were $1,221 million. For the year, they were $4,468 million. Non-GAAP income from operations was $283 million. For the year, it was $825 million.

    GAAP search revenue for the quarter was $482 million, up 4% year-over-year. GAAP search revenue was $1,886 million for the year, up 2% year-over-year. Search revenue ex-TAC was $427 million for the quarte (up 14% year-over-year) and $1,611 million for the year (up 9% year-over-year). Paid clicks were up 11% year-over-year and 8% quarter over quarter. PPCs increased by 1% year-over-year, but decreased by 2% quarter-over-quarter.

    CEO Marissa Mayer said, “I’m proud of Yahoo!’s 2012 and fourth quarter results. In 2012, Yahoo! exhibited revenue growth for the first time in 4 years, with revenue up 2 percent year-over-year. During the quarter we made progress by growing our executive team, signing key partnerships including those with NBC Sports and CBS Television, and launching terrific mobile experiences for Yahoo! Mail and Flickr. At the same time, we achieved tremendous internal transformation in the culture, energy and execution of the Company.”

    Here’s the release in its entirety:

    SUNNYVALE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) today reported results for the fourth quarter and full year endedDecember 31, 2012.

    Q4 2012 Full Year 2012
    GAAP revenue $1,346 million $4,987 million
    Revenue ex-TAC $1,221 million $4,468 million
    GAAP income from operations $190 million $566 million
    Non-GAAP income from operations $283 million $825 million
    GAAP net earnings per diluted share $0.23 $3.28
    Non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share $0.32 $1.17

    “I’m proud of Yahoo!’s 2012 and fourth quarter results. In 2012, Yahoo! exhibited revenue growth for the first time in 4 years, with revenue up 2 percent year-over-year,” said Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer. “During the quarter we made progress by growing our executive team, signing key partnerships including those with NBC Sports and CBS Television, and launching terrific mobile experiences for Yahoo! Mail and Flickr. At the same time, we achieved tremendous internal transformation in the culture, energy and execution of the Company.”

    GAAP revenue was $1,346 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, a 2 percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2011. Revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs (“revenue ex-TAC”) was $1,221 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, a 4 percent increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2011. GAAP revenue was $4,987 million for the full year of 2012, flat compared to the prior year. Revenue ex-TAC was $4,468 million for the full year of 2012, a 2 percent increase from the prior year.

    Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2012 was $509 million, an 8 percent increase from the same period of 2011. Adjusted EBITDA was$1,699 million for the full year of 2012, a 3 percent increase from the prior year.

    GAAP income from operations decreased 22 percent to $190 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to $242 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP income from operations was $283 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to $259 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. GAAP income from operations for the full year of 2012 was $566 million, compared to $800 million for the prior year. Non-GAAP income from operations was $825 million in both years.

    GAAP net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2012 was $272 million, an 8 percent decrease from the same period of 2011. Non-GAAP net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2012 was $370 million, a 20 percent increase from the same period of 2011. GAAP net earnings for the full year of 2012 was $3,945 million, compared to $1,049 million for the prior year. For the full year of 2012, GAAP net earnings included a net gain of $2,755 million related to the sale of Alibaba shares. Non-GAAP net earnings for the full year of 2012 was $1,407 million, a 35 percent increase from the prior year.

    GAAP net earnings per diluted share was $0.23 in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to $0.24 in the fourth quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share was $0.32 in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to $0.25 in the fourth quarter of 2011. GAAP net earnings per diluted share was $3.28 for the full year of 2012, compared to $0.82 for the prior year. For the full year of 2012, GAAP net earnings included a net gain of $2,755 million, or $2.29 per diluted share, related to the sale of Alibaba shares. Non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share was$1.17 for the full year of 2012, compared to $0.81 for the prior year.

    Business Highlights

    • Yahoo! further strengthened its board of directors, appointing Max Levchin, a computer scientist, serial entrepreneur and angel investor with extensive experience building enduring Internet companies.
    • The Company made significant improvements to two of its core products, Yahoo! Mail and Flickr. The new Yahoo! Mail is faster, easier to use and available across the Web and on Windows 8, iPhone/iPod touch and Android. Yahoo!’s redesigned Flickr app for iPhone and iPod touch makes it easier to capture, share and discover photos. The new app allows users to share photos by email, with the Flickr community or via Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr.
    • Yahoo! signed distribution and branding deals to strengthen two of its leading media properties.
      • Yahoo! Sports and NBC Sports announced a partnership to deliver news, fantasy games, and video coverage of sporting events — combining two of the most trusted names in sports.
      • Yahoo! and CBS Television Distribution launched omg! Insider, a multiplatform entertainment news series that combines the popularity of CBS Television Distribution’s The Insider with the online reach of omg!.
    • The Company also announced a deal with Wenner Media to further enhance the content and reach of omg! and Yahoo! Music by joining forces with the Us WeeklyRolling Stone, and Men’s Journal franchises.
    • Yahoo! acquired mobile app developers Stamped and OnTheAir, accelerating the Company’s efforts to build a world-class team of mobile engineers, product managers and designers.
    • Yahoo! expanded its partnership with Samsung, enabling Samsung SmartTV users to engage more with their favorite shows and commercials. With the touch of a remote, connected tablet or phone, Samsung SmartTV viewers who use Yahoo!’s Connected TV technologies, can easily access content or offers related to their favorite TV shows or commercials.

    Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2012 Financial Highlights

    Display

    • GAAP display revenue was $591 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, a 3 percent decrease compared to $612 million for the fourth quarter of 2011. GAAP display revenue was $2,143 million for the full year of 2012, a 1 percent decrease compared to $2,160 millionfor the prior year.
    • Display revenue ex-TAC was $520 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, a 5 percent decrease compared to $546 million for the fourth quarter of 2011. Display revenue ex-TAC was $1,899 million for the full year of 2012, a 2 percent decrease compared to $1,932 millionfor the prior year.
    • The number of ads sold on core Yahoo! Properties decreased approximately 10 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2011 and increased approximately 3 percent compared to the third quarter of 2012.
    • Price-per-ad on core Yahoo! Properties increased approximately 7 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2011 and increased approximately 15 percent compared to the third quarter of 2012.

    Search

    • GAAP search revenue was $482 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, a 4 percent increase compared to $465 million for the fourth quarter of 2011. GAAP search revenue was $1,886 million for the full year of 2012, a 2 percent increase compared to $1,853 million for the prior year.
    • Search revenue ex-TAC was $427 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, a 14 percent increase compared to $376 million for the fourth quarter of 2011. Search revenue ex-TAC was $1,611 million for the full year of 2012, a 9 percent increase compared to $1,478 millionfor the prior year.
    • Paid clicks, or the number of clicks on sponsored listings on Yahoo! Properties and Affiliate sites, increased approximately 11 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2011 and increased approximately 8 percent compared to the third quarter of 2012.
    • Price-per-click increased approximately 1 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2011 and decreased approximately 2 percent compared to the third quarter of 2012.

    Cash Balance

    • Cash, cash equivalents, and investments in marketable debt securities were $6 billion at December 31, 2012 compared to $2.5 billionat December 31, 2011, an increase of $3.5 billion.
    • During the fourth quarter of 2012, Yahoo! repurchased 80 million shares for $1.5 billion. During the year ended December 31, 2012,Yahoo! repurchased 126 million shares for $2.2 billion.

    Conference Call

    Yahoo! will host a conference call to discuss fourth quarter and full year 2012 results at 5 p.m. Eastern Time today. On the conference call,Yahoo! will also provide its business outlook for the first quarter and full year of 2013. A live Webcast of the conference call, together with supplemental financial information, can be accessed through the Company’s Investor Relations Website athttp://investor.yahoo.com/results.cfm. In addition, an archive of the Webcast can be accessed through the same link. An audio replay of the call will be available for one week following the conference call by calling (888) 286-8010 or (617) 801-6888, reservation number: 30622830.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release and its attachments include the following financial measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”): revenue ex-TAC; adjusted EBITDA; non-GAAP income from operations; non-GAAP net earnings; non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share; and free cash flow.

    Revenue ex-TAC is GAAP revenue less traffic acquisition costs. Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share exclude certain gains, losses, and expenses that we do not believe are indicative of ongoing results. Adjusted EBITDA also excludes taxes, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense, other income, net (which includes interest), earnings in equity interests, and net income attributable to noncontrolling interests. Free cash flow is GAAP net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (adjusted to include excess tax benefits from stock-based awards), less acquisition of property and equipment, net and dividends received from equity investees.

    These measures may be different than non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The presentation of this financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Explanations of the Company’s non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations of these financial measures to the GAAP financial measures the Company considers most comparable are included in the accompanying “Note to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements,” “Supplemental Financial Data and GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations,” and “GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations.”

    About Yahoo!

    Yahoo! is focused on making the world’s daily habits inspiring and entertaining. By creating highly personalized experiences for our users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe. In turn, we create value for advertisers by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., and has offices located throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the company blog (yodel.yahoo.com).

    “Affiliates” refers to the third-party entities that have integrated Yahoo!’s advertising offerings into their Websites or other offerings (those Websites and other offerings, “Affiliate sites”).

    “Alibaba” means Alibaba Group Holding Limited.

    “Search Agreement” refers to the Search and Advertising Services and Sales Agreement between Yahoo! and Microsoft Corporation, as amended.

    “TAC” refers to traffic acquisition costs. TAC consists of payments to Affiliates and payments made to companies that direct consumer and business traffic to Yahoo! Properties.

    “Yahoo! Properties” refers to the online properties and services that Yahoo! provides to users.

    This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Yahoo!’s expected financial performance and Yahoo!’s strategic and operational plans (including, without limitation, the quotation from management). Risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the impact of changes to our management, organizational structure and strategic business plan;Yahoo!’s ability to compete with new or existing competitors; reduction in spending by, or loss of, advertising customers; risks associated with the Search Agreement with Microsoft Corporation; risks related to Yahoo!’s regulatory environment; interruptions or delays in the provision of Yahoo!’s services; security breaches; acceptance by users of new products and services; risks related to joint ventures and the integration of acquisitions; risks related to Yahoo!’s international operations; adverse results in litigation; Yahoo!’s ability to protect its intellectual property and the value of its brands; dependence on third parties for technology, services, content, and distribution; and general economic conditions. All information set forth in this press release and its attachments is as of January 28, 2013. Yahoo! does not intend, and undertakes no duty, to update this information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. More information about potential factors that could affect the Company’s business and financial results is included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, as amended, and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2012, which are on file with the SEC and available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Additional information will also be set forth in those sections in Yahoo!’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, which will be filed with the SEC in the first quarter of 2013.

    Yahoo!, the Yahoo! logos, omg! and Flickr are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

    Yahoo! Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (in thousands)
    December 31, December 31,
    2011 2012
    ASSETS
    Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,562,390 $ 2,667,778
    Short-term marketable debt securities 493,189 1,516,175
    Accounts receivable, net 1,037,474 1,008,448
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets 359,483 460,312
    Total current assets 3,452,536 5,652,713
    Long-term marketable debt securities 474,338 1,838,425
    Alibaba Group Preference Shares 816,261
    Property and equipment, net 1,730,888 1,685,845
    Goodwill 3,900,752 3,826,749
    Intangible assets, net 254,600 153,973
    Other long-term assets 220,628 289,130
    Investments in equity interests 4,749,044 2,840,157
    Total assets $ 14,782,786 $ 17,103,253
    LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
    Current liabilities:
    Accounts payable $ 166,595 $ 184,831
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 846,044 808,475
    Deferred revenue 194,722 296,926
    Total current liabilities 1,207,361 1,290,232
    Long-term deferred revenue 43,639 407,560
    Capital lease and other long-term liabilities 134,905 124,587
    Deferred and other long-term tax liabilities, net 815,534 675,271
    Total liabilities 2,201,439 2,497,650
    Total Yahoo! Inc. stockholders’ equity 12,541,067 14,560,200
    Noncontrolling interests 40,280 45,403
    Total equity 12,581,347 14,605,603
    Total liabilities and equity $ 14,782,786 $ 17,103,253

     

    Yahoo! Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
    (in thousands, except per share amounts)
    Three Months Ended Year Ended
    December 31, December 31,
    2011 2012 2011 2012
    Revenue $ 1,324,153 $ 1,345,807 $ 4,984,199 $ 4,986,566
    Operating expenses:
    Cost of revenue – Traffic acquisition costs 155,453 124,961 603,371 518,906
    Cost of revenue – Other 263,609 287,147 983,626 1,101,660
    Sales and marketing 289,366 274,122 1,122,193 1,101,572
    Product development 235,810 240,417 919,368 885,824
    General and administrative 112,614 144,610 497,288 540,247
    Amortization of intangibles 8,525 7,926 33,592 35,819
    Restructuring charges, net 16,329 76,634 24,420 236,170
    Total operating expenses 1,081,706 1,155,817 4,183,858 4,420,198
    Income from operations 242,447 189,990 800,341 566,368
    Other income, net 9,768 17,730 27,175 4,647,839
    Income before income taxes and earnings in equity interests 252,215 207,720 827,516 5,214,207
    Provision for income taxes (78,287 ) (83,007 ) (241,767 ) (1,940,043 )
    Earnings in equity interests 127,063 148,939 476,920 676,438
    Net income 300,991 273,652 1,062,669 3,950,602
    Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (5,419 ) (1,385 ) (13,842 ) (5,123 )
    Net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. $ 295,572 $ 272,267 $ 1,048,827 $ 3,945,479
    Net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. common stockholders per share – diluted $ 0.24 $ 0.23 $ 0.82 $ 3.28
    Shares used in per share calculation – diluted 1,241,009 1,168,336 1,282,282 1,202,906
    Stock-based compensation expense by function:
    Cost of revenue – Other $ 1,010 $ 2,207 $ 3,489 $ 10,078
    Sales and marketing 22,291 22,161 65,120 82,115
    Product development 25,291 19,955 89,587 74,284
    General and administrative 10,255 13,139 45,762 57,888
    Restructuring expense accelerations (reversals), net 1,492 214 (3,429 )
    Supplemental Financial Data:
    Revenue ex-TAC $ 1,168,700 $ 1,220,846 $ 4,380,828 $ 4,467,660
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 469,453 $ 509,024 $ 1,654,583 $ 1,698,839
    Free cash flow(1)(2) $ 327,013 $ (2,044,502 ) $ 725,801 $ (834,865 )
    (1) The year ended December 31, 2012 includes a payment of $550 million from Alibaba in satisfaction of certain future royalty payments under the existing technology and intellectual property license agreement with Alibaba.
    (2) The three months and year ended December 31, 2012 include a cash tax payment of $2.3 billion which is related to the sale of Alibabashares.

     

    Yahoo! Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (in thousands)
    Three Months Ended Year Ended
    December 31, December 31,
    2011 2012 2011 2012
    CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
    Net income $ 300,991 $ 273,652 $ 1,062,669 $ 3,950,602
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
    Depreciation 125,693 148,213 530,516 549,235
    Amortization of intangible assets 29,939 21,279 117,723 105,366
    Stock-based compensation expense, net 60,339 57,462 204,172 220,936
    Non-cash restructuring charges 990 69,434 990 109,896
    Accrued dividend income related to Alibaba Group Preference Shares (20,000 ) (20,000 )
    Tax benefits (detriments) from stock-based awards 23,523 (21,969 ) 33,497 (31,440 )
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based awards (25,966 ) (5,093 ) (70,680 ) (35,844 )
    Deferred income taxes 1,652 121,968 70,392 (769,320 )
    Earnings in equity interests (127,063 ) (148,939 ) (476,920 ) (676,438 )
    Dividends received from Yahoo Japan 75,391 83,648
    Gain related to sale of Alibaba Group shares (4,603,322 )
    Gain from sale of investments, assets, and other, net (8,416 ) 6,468 4,405 (11,840 )
    Changes in assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions:
    Accounts receivable, net (117,992 ) (52,190 ) 38,100 34,752
    Prepaid expenses and other 87,441 37,470 97,849 78,529
    Accounts payable 27,000 35,204 (316 ) 12,747
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities 61,012 (2,373,163 ) (290,070 ) 255,799
    Deferred revenue (7,809 ) (49,671 ) (73,912 ) 465,140
    Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (1)(2) 431,334 (1,899,875 ) 1,323,806 (281,554 )
    CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
    Acquisition of property and equipment, net (130,287 ) (149,720 ) (593,294 ) (505,507 )
    Purchases of marketable debt securities (95,232 ) (1,681,467 ) (1,708,530 ) (3,520,327 )
    Proceeds from sales of marketable debt securities 441,719 56,968 1,508,948 741,947
    Proceeds from maturities of marketable debt securities 89,305 130,750 1,316,197 381,403
    Proceeds related to sale of Alibaba shares, net 6,247,728
    Purchases of intangible assets (799 ) (711 ) (11,819 ) (3,799 )
    Proceeds from the sale of investments 21,271 26,132
    Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (255,018 ) (5,716 ) (323,830 ) (5,716 )
    Other investing activities, net (818 ) 9,604 (6,581 ) 183
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 48,870 (1,640,292 ) 202,362 3,362,044
    CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
    Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net 49,529 101,951 156,226 218,371
    Repurchases of common stock (416,237 ) (1,451,462 ) (1,618,741 ) (2,167,841 )
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based awards 25,966 5,093 70,680 35,844
    Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units (8,712 ) (12,842 ) (44,761 ) (60,939 )
    Other financing activities, net (11,029 ) (1,373 ) (19,362 ) (4,892 )
    Net cash used in financing activities (360,483 ) (1,358,633 ) (1,455,958 ) (1,979,457 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (21,550 ) 6,178 (34,247 ) 4,355
    Net change in cash and cash equivalents 98,171 (4,892,622 ) 35,963 1,105,388
    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 1,464,219 7,560,400 1,526,427 1,562,390
    Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 1,562,390 $ 2,667,778 $ 1,562,390 $ 2,667,778
    (1) The year ended December 31, 2012 includes a payment of $550 million from Alibaba in satisfaction of certain future royalty payments under the existing technology and intellectual property license agreement with Alibaba.
    (2) The three months and year ended December 31, 2012 include a cash tax payment of $2.3 billion which is related to the sale of Alibabashares.

     

    Yahoo! Inc.

    Note to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

    This press release and its attachments include the non-GAAP financial measures of revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs (“revenue ex-TAC”); adjusted EBITDA; non-GAAP income from operations; non-GAAP net earnings; non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share; and free cash flow, which are reconciled to revenue; net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. (in the case of adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP net earnings); income from operations; net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. common stockholders per share — diluted; and net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, which we believe are the most comparable GAAP measures. We use these non-GAAP financial measures for internal managerial purposes and to facilitate period-to-period comparisons. We describe limitations specific to each non-GAAP financial measure below. Management generally compensates for limitations in the use of non-GAAP financial measures by relying on comparable GAAP financial measures and providing investors with a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure or measures. Further, management uses non-GAAP financial measures only in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business. These non-GAAP measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, revenue, net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc., income from operations, net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. common stockholders per share – diluted and net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, calculated in accordance with GAAP.

    Revenue ex-TAC is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as GAAP revenue less TAC. TAC consists of payments made to third-party entities that have integrated our advertising offerings into their Websites or other offerings (those Websites and other offerings, “Affiliate sites”) and payments made to companies that direct consumer and business traffic to Yahoo!’s online properties and services (“Yahoo! Properties”). Based on the terms of the Search Agreement with Microsoft, Microsoft retains a revenue share of 12 percent of the net (after TAC) search revenue generated on Yahoo! Properties and Affiliate sites in transitioned markets. Yahoo! reports the net revenue it receives under the Search Agreement as revenue and no longer presents the associated TAC. Accordingly, for transitioned markets Yahoo! reports GAAP revenue associated with the Search Agreement on a net (after TAC) basis rather than a gross basis. For markets that have not yet transitioned, revenue continues to be recorded on a gross basis, and TAC is recorded as a part of operating expenses. We present revenue ex-TAC to provide investors a metric used by the Company for evaluation and decision-making purposes during the Microsoft transition and to provide investors with comparable revenue numbers when comparing periods preceding, during and following the transition period. A limitation of revenue ex-TAC is that it is a measure which we have defined for internal and investor purposes that may be unique to the Company, and therefore it may not enhance the comparability of our results to other companies in our industry who have similar business arrangements but address the impact of TAC differently. Management compensates for these limitations by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measures of revenue and total operating expenses, which includes TAC in non-transitioned markets.

    Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. before taxes, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense, other income, net (which includes interest), earnings in equity interests, net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and other gains, losses, and expenses that we do not believe are indicative of our ongoing results. Yahoo! presents adjusted EBITDA because the exclusion of certain gains, losses, and expenses facilitates comparisons of the operating performance of our Company on a period to period basis. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results reported under GAAP. These limitations include: adjusted EBITDA does not reflect tax payments and such payments reflect a reduction in cash available to us; adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the periodic costs of certain capitalized tangible and intangible assets used in generating revenues in our businesses; adjusted EBITDA does not include stock-based compensation expense related to the Company’s workforce; adjusted EBITDA also excludes other income, net (which includes interest), earnings in equity interests, net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and other gains, losses, and expenses that we do not believe are indicative of our ongoing results, and these items may represent a reduction or increase in cash available to us; and adjusted EBITDA is a measure that may be unique to the Company, and therefore it may not enhance the comparability of our results to other companies in our industry. Management compensates for these limitations by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measure of net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc., which includes taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation expense, other income, net (which includes interest), earnings in equity interests, net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and the other gains, losses and expenses that are excluded from adjusted EBITDA.

    Non-GAAP income from operations is defined as income from operations excluding certain gains, losses, and expenses that we do not believe are indicative of our ongoing operating results. We consider non-GAAP income from operations to be a profitability measure which facilitates the forecasting of our operating results for future periods and allows for the comparison of our results to historical periods. A limitation of non-GAAP income from operations is that it does not include all items that impact our income from operations for the period. Management compensates for this limitation by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measure of income from operations which includes the gains, losses, and expenses that are excluded from non-GAAP income from operations.

    Non-GAAP net earnings is defined as net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. excluding certain gains, losses, expenses, and their related tax effects that we do not believe are indicative of our ongoing results. We consider non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share to be profitability measures which facilitate the forecasting of our results for future periods and allow for the comparison of our results to historical periods. A limitation of non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share is that they do not include all items that impact our net income and net income per diluted share for the period. Management compensates for this limitation by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measures of net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. and net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc.common stockholders per share – diluted, both of which include the gains, losses, expenses and related tax effects that are excluded from non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share.

    Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (adjusted to include excess tax benefits from stock-based awards), less acquisition of property and equipment, net and dividends received from equity investees. We consider free cash flow to be a liquidity measure which provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business after the acquisition of property and equipment, which can then be used for strategic opportunities including, among others, investing in the Company’s business, making strategic acquisitions, strengthening the balance sheet, and repurchasing stock. A limitation of free cash flow is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance for the period. Management compensates for this limitation by also relying on the net change in cash and cash equivalents as presented in the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated statements of cash flows prepared in accordance with GAAP which incorporates all cash movements during the period.

    Yahoo! Inc.
    Supplemental Financial Data and GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations
    (in thousands)
    Three Months Ended Year Ended
    December 31, December 31,
    2011 2012 2011 2012
    Revenue for groups of similar services:
    Display $ 612,047 $ 590,627 $ 2,160,309 $ 2,142,818
    Search 464,530 481,957 1,853,110 1,885,860
    Other 247,576 273,223 970,780 957,888
    Total revenue $ 1,324,153 $ 1,345,807 $ 4,984,199 $ 4,986,566
    Revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs (“revenue ex-TAC”) for groups of similar services:
    GAAP display revenue $ 612,047 $ 590,627 $ 2,160,309 $ 2,142,818
    TAC associated with display revenue (66,426 ) (70,218 ) (227,822 ) (243,557 )
    Display revenue ex-TAC $ 545,621 $ 520,409 $ 1,932,487 $ 1,899,261
    GAAP search revenue $ 464,530 $ 481,957 $ 1,853,110 $ 1,885,860
    TAC associated with search revenue for non-transitioned markets (89,027 ) (54,743 ) (375,409 ) (275,349 )
    Search revenue ex-TAC $ 375,503 $ 427,214 $ 1,477,701 $ 1,610,511
    Other GAAP revenue $ 247,576 $ 273,223 $ 970,780 $ 957,888
    TAC associated with other GAAP revenue (140 )
    Other revenue ex-TAC $ 247,576 $ 273,223 $ 970,640 $ 957,888
    Revenue ex-TAC:
    GAAP revenue $ 1,324,153 $ 1,345,807 $ 4,984,199 $ 4,986,566
    TAC (155,453 ) (124,961 ) (603,371 ) (518,906 )
    Revenue ex-TAC $ 1,168,700 $ 1,220,846 $ 4,380,828 $ 4,467,660
    Revenue ex-TAC by segment:
    Americas:
    GAAP revenue $ 884,780 $ 960,118 $ 3,302,989 $ 3,461,633
    TAC (45,072 ) (52,357 ) (160,110 ) (182,511 )
    Revenue ex-TAC $ 839,708 $ 907,761 $ 3,142,879 $ 3,279,122
    EMEA:
    GAAP revenue $ 164,238 $ 113,527 $ 629,383 $ 472,061
    TAC (54,559 ) (16,982 ) (221,916 ) (114,230 )
    Revenue ex-TAC $ 109,679 $ 96,545 $ 407,467 $ 357,831
    Asia Pacific:
    GAAP revenue $ 275,135 $ 272,162 $ 1,051,827 $ 1,052,872
    TAC (55,822 ) (55,622 ) (221,345 ) (222,165 )
    Revenue ex-TAC $ 219,313 $ 216,540 $ 830,482 $ 830,707
    Total revenue ex-TAC $ 1,168,700 $ 1,220,846 $ 4,380,828 $ 4,467,660
    Direct costs by segment (3):
    Americas $ 187,467 $ 183,236 $ 696,103 $ 733,316
    EMEA 41,615 41,325 165,750 161,990
    Asia Pacific 55,361 60,046 225,417 224,114
    Global operating costs (4) 414,804 443,272 1,638,975 1,671,958
    Restructuring charges, net 16,329 76,634 24,420 236,170
    Depreciation and amortization 151,830 168,769 625,864 649,267
    Stock-based compensation expense 58,847 57,574 203,958 224,477
    Income from operations $ 242,447 $ 189,990 $ 800,341 $ 566,368
             
    Reconciliation of net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. to adjusted EBITDA:
    Net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. $ 295,572 $ 272,267 $ 1,048,827 $ 3,945,479
    Costs associated with the Korea business and its closure (5) 99,485 99,485
    Deal-related costs related to the sale of Alibaba shares 6,500
    Depreciation and amortization 151,830 168,769 625,864 649,267
    Stock-based compensation expense 58,847 57,574 203,958 224,477
    Restructuring charges, net (5) 16,329 (6,794 ) 24,420 152,742
    Other income, net  (9,768 )  (17,730 )  (27,175 )  (4,647,839 )
    Provision for income taxes  78,287  83,007  241,767  1,940,043
    Earnings in equity interests  (127,063 )  (148,939 )  (476,920 )  (676,438 )
    Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests  5,419  1,385  13,842  5,123
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 469,453 $ 509,024 $ 1,654,583 $ 1,698,839
    Reconciliation of net cash provided by (used in) operating activities to free cash flow:  
    Cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 431,334 $ (1,899,875 ) $ 1,323,806 $ (281,554 )
    Acquisition of property and equipment, net (130,287 ) (149,720 ) (593,294 ) (505,507 )
    Dividends received from equity investees (75,391 ) (83,648 )
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based awards 25,966 5,093 70,680 35,844
    Free cash flow (1)(2) $ 327,013 $ (2,044,502 ) $ 725,801 $ (834,865 )
    (1) The year ended December 31, 2012 includes a payment of $550 million from Alibaba in satisfaction of certain future royalty payments under the existing technology and intellectual property license agreement with Alibaba.
    (2) The three months and year ended December 31, 2012 include a cash tax payment of $2.3 billion which is related to the sale of Alibabashares.
    (3) Direct costs for each segment include cost of revenue (excluding TAC) and other operating expenses that are directly attributable to the segment such as employee compensation expense (excluding stock-based compensation expense), local sales and marketing expenses, and facilities expenses. Beginning in 2012, marketing and customer advocacy costs are managed locally and included as direct costs for each segment. Prior period amounts have been revised to conform to the current presentation.
    (4) Global operating costs include product development, service engineering and operations, general and administrative, and other corporate expenses that are managed on a global basis and that are not directly attributable to any particular segment. Prior to 2012, marketing and customer advocacy costs were managed on a global basis and included as global operating costs. Prior period amounts have been revised to conform to the current presentation.
    (5) For the three months and year ended December 31, 2012, costs associated with the Korea business and its closure include $83 million of restructuring charges.

     

    Yahoo! Inc.
    GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations
    (in thousands, except per share amounts)
    Three Months Ended
    December 31,
    2011 2012
    GAAP Income from operations $ 242,447 $ 189,990
    (a) Costs associated with the Korea business and its closure 99,485
    (b) Restructuring charges, net (6) 16,329 (6,794 )
    Non-GAAP Income from operations $ 258,776 $ 282,681
    GAAP Net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. $ 295,572 $ 272,267
    (a) Costs associated with the Korea business and its closure 99,485
    (b) Restructuring charges, net (6) 16,329 (6,794 )
    (c) To adjust the provision for income taxes to exclude the tax impact of items (a) and (b) above for the three months ended December 31, 2011 and 2012 (5,192 ) 4,626
    Non-GAAP Net earnings $ 306,709 $ 369,584
    GAAP Net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. common stockholders per share – diluted $ 0.24 $ 0.23
    Non-GAAP Net earnings per share – diluted $ 0.25 $ 0.32
    Shares used in per share calculation – diluted 1,241,009 1,168,336
    Year Ended
    December 31,
    2011 2012
    GAAP Income from operations $ 800,341 $ 566,368
    (a) Costs associated with the Korea business and its closure 99,485
    (b) Restructuring charges, net (6) 24,420 152,742
    (c) Deal-related costs related to the sale of Alibaba shares 6,500
    Non-GAAP Income from operations $ 824,761 $ 825,095
    GAAP Net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. $ 1,048,827 $ 3,945,479
    (a) Costs associated with the Korea business and its closure 99,485
    (b) Restructuring charges, net (6) 24,420 152,742
    (c) Deal-related costs related to the sale of Alibaba shares 6,500
    (d) Gain related to sale of Alibaba shares (4,603,322 )
    (e) Non-cash gain related to the dilution of the Company’s ownership interest in Alibaba Group, which is included in earnings in equity interests (25,083 )
    (f) To adjust the provision for income taxes to exclude the tax impact of items (a) through (d) above for the year ended December 31, 2011 and 2012 (7,764 ) 1,805,940
    Non-GAAP Net earnings $ 1,040,400 $ 1,406,824
    GAAP Net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. common stockholders per share – diluted $ 0.82 $ 3.28
    Non-GAAP Net earnings per share – diluted $ 0.81 $ 1.17
    Shares used in per share calculation – diluted 1,282,282 1,202,906
    (6) For the three months and year ended December 31, 2012, this amount excludes the restructuring charges related to the Korea business and its closure of $83 million, which is included in item (a) above.

     

    Yahoo! Inc.

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