GRID DYNAMICS HOLDINGS, INC. (GDYN) FY 2023 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current plans, expectations, and beliefs, involving risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. You should review the section titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of forward-looking statements and in Item 1A, “Risk Factors” for a discussion of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any period in the future.
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Overview
Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. (“Grid Dynamics,” “GDH,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a leading provider of technology consulting, platform and product engineering, and advanced analytics services. As a forefront provider of technology consulting, platform and product engineering services, and bespoke software development, we draw from over 7 years of leadership in Enterprise artificial intelligence (“AI”), coupled with profound expertise in cloud, data, and advanced analytics. Our commitment to engineering excellence, R&D leadership, a co-innovation ethos, globally efficient “Follow-the-Sun” delivery model, and an unwavering “whatever it takes” dedication to client success empower us to solve even the most complex enterprise challenges, ensuring profitable business outcomes and future-proof growth.
Founded in 2006, Grid Dynamics is headquartered in Silicon Valley and has a global talent pool of intellectually curious problem solvers in offices across the U.S., Mexico, Jamaica, the U.K., Europe, and India.
Fiscal Year Highlights
The following table sets forth a summary of Grid Dynamics’ financial results for the annual periods indicated:
| Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
| % of revenue | % of revenue | % of revenue | ||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages and per share data) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 312,910 | 100.0 | % | $ | 310,482 | 100.0 | % | $ | 211,280 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||
| Gross profit | 113,146 | 36.2 | % | 120,590 | 38.8 | % | 87,728 | 41.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Income/(loss) from operations | (5,580) | (1.8) | % | (21,008) | (6.8) | % | 50 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Net loss | (1,765) | (0.6) | % | (29,214) | (9.4) | % | (7,700) | (3.6) | % | |||||||||||
| Diluted loss per share | $ | (0.02) | n/a | $ | (0.42) | n/a | (0.13) | n/a | ||||||||||||
| Non-GAAP Financial information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-GAAP EBITDA(1) | 44,246 | 14.1 | % | 58,213 | 18.7 | % | 39,077 | 18.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Non-GAAP net income(1) | 25,077 | 8.0 | % | 36,627 | 11.8 | % | 24,160 | 11.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Non-GAAP diluted EPS(1) | 0.32 | n/a | 0.51 | n/a | 0.36 | n/a |
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(1)Non-GAAP EBITDA, Non-GAAP net income and Non-GAAP diluted EPS are non-GAAP financial measures. See “Non-GAAP Measures” below for additional information and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.
Our key metrics for the year ended December 31, 2023 are presented below:
We recorded revenues of $312.9 million, an increase of $2.4 million, or 0.8% from the previous year. Our GAAP and Non-GAAP gross profit margins were 36.2% and 36.8% respectively, and were down from 38.8% and 39.3% respectively in 2022. The decline in gross profit margin, both on a GAAP and Non-GAAP basis was driven by a combination of increased personnel costs and foreign exchange effect. Loss from operations decreased by $15.4 million reaching $5.6 million during 2023 compared to the prior year, which was largely attributed to decreased levels of stock-based compensation, geographic reorganization, and relocation costs.
We managed to decrease net loss by 94.0% to $1.8 million due to lower levels of operating expenses. Non-GAAP EBITDA was $44.2 million, or 14.1% compared to $58.2 million, or 18.7% in 2022. The decline in Non-GAAP EBITDA was largely due to decreased gross profit, combined with increased operating expenses both from our acquisitions and our organic business. GAAP diluted loss per share decreased 95.2% reaching $0.02; Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share decreased by $0.19 to $0.32 during 2023. Operating cash flow increased by 29.8% reaching $41.1 million. Our capital expenditures were $7.9 million and continued to rise with increased investments in computer hardware, related equipment, and office facilities caused by expansion of our geographical presence.
The operating results in any period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future period.
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Recent Acquisitions
On April 18, 2023, we acquired NextSphere Technologies Inc. (“NextSphere”), a full-service custom application development firm. NextSphere is headquartered in Tampa, FL. It also has an engineering presence in Phoenix, AZ, and operates two large engineering centers in the India tech hubs of Hyderabad and Chennai. The acquisition of NextSphere will support our objectives of enhancing our technical offerings, expanding our global footprint, and increasing our client base.
On December 23, 2022, we acquired Mutual Mobile Inc. (“Mutual Mobile”), a company based out of Austin, Texas and with delivery operations in India. Mutual Mobile offers end-to-end design and development of next-generation applications, combining mobile, augmented/virtual/mixed reality, and cloud edge / IoT practices. It has developed wide-ranging, technical solutions for prominent global brands across numerous industry verticals, with Technology, Healthcare, Automotive, and Financial Services representing the top verticals by revenue. The acquisition of Mutual Mobile enhances our skills in the area of mobile technologies and user experience (“UX”) expertise, and accelerates our strategic expansion to India while supporting our commitment toward offering our customers a global engineering and delivery platform.
Business Update Regarding Military Action in Ukraine
On February 24, 2022, Russian forces launched significant military action against Ukraine, resulting in sustained conflict and disruption in the region that is likely to continue. The impact on Ukraine, coupled with the actions taken by other countries, including new and stricter sanctions imposed by the U.S., Canada, the U.K., the European Union, and other countries, companies and organizations against officials, individuals, regions, and industries in Russia and certain regions of Ukraine, and each country’s potential response to such sanctions, tensions, and military actions could have a material adverse effect on our operations. For example, in response to increased sanctions, Russia could attempt to take control of assets in Ukraine belonging to companies registered in the U.S., such as Grid Dynamics. Any such material adverse effect from the conflict and enhanced sanctions activity may disrupt our delivery of services, impair our ability to complete financial or banking transactions, cause us to continue to shift all or portions of our work occurring in the region to other countries, and may restrict our ability to engage in certain projects in the region or involving certain customers in the region.
We are actively monitoring the security of our personnel and the stability of our infrastructure, including communications and internet availability. We executed our business continuity plan and have adapted to developments as they occur to protect the safety of our people and handle potential impacts to our delivery infrastructure. This includes moving affected employees to safer locations in Western Ukraine and, where permissible, outside Ukraine, and reallocating work to other geographies within our global footprint. We are actively working with our personnel and with our customers to meet their needs and to ensure smooth delivery of services.
In April 2022, Grid Dynamics also announced it would cease remaining operations in the Russian Federation. We have worked towards the safe and expedient relocation of willing employees and ongoing management of projects to eliminate delivery impact to clients. In addition we announced our expansion to a new European hub with an office in Zug, Switzerland, a new engineering office in Yerevan, Armenia and workforce expansion in India. As of May 2023, our former subsidiary in Russia is liquidated and we are not performing any client services from Russia.
We have no way to predict the progress or outcome of the military action in Ukraine, as the conflict and government reactions continue to develop and are beyond our control. Prolonged unrest, military activities, expansion of hostilities, or broad-based sanctions, could have a material adverse effect on our operations and business outlook. For example, if Russia were to invade other countries, such as Moldova, it could adversely affect our business, including preventing the relocation of our employees from Russia. In addition, the current geopolitical situations in Armenia and separately in Serbia create additional uncertainty in the region, and could adversely affect our business.
The information contained in this section is accurate as of the date hereof, but may become outdated due to changing circumstances beyond our present awareness or control.
For additional information on the various risks posed by the military action in Ukraine and the impact in the region, as well as other macroeconomic factors affecting our business, please read “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors” included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Key Performance Indicators and Other Factors Affecting Performance
Grid Dynamics uses the following key performance indicators and assesses the following other factors to analyze its business performance, to make budgets and financial forecasts and to develop strategic plans:
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Employees by Region
Attracting and retaining the right employees is critical to the success of Grid Dynamics’ business and is a key factor in Grid Dynamics’ ability to meet customers’ needs and grow its revenue base. Grid Dynamics’ revenue prospects and long-term success depend significantly on its ability to recruit and retain qualified IT professionals. A substantial majority of Grid Dynamics’ personnel is comprised of such IT professionals.
The following table shows the number of Grid Dynamics personnel (including full-time and part-time employees and contractors serving in similar capacities) by region, as of the dates indicated:
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| Americas (1) | 567 | 521 | 386 | ||||
| Europe (2) | 2,806 | 3,034 | 2,888 | ||||
| Rest of the world (3) | 547 | 243 | — | ||||
| Total | 3,920 | 3,798 | 3,274 |
__________________________
(1)Americas includes personnel located in North, Central and South America.
(2)Europe includes personnel located in Western, Central and Eastern Europe.
(3)Rest of the world includes personnel located in India and other countries not included in regions described above.
Attrition
There is competition for IT professionals in the regions in which Grid Dynamics operates, and any increase in such competition may adversely impact Grid Dynamics’ business and gross profit margins. Employee retention is one of Grid Dynamics’ main priorities and is a key driver of operational efficiency. Grid Dynamics seeks to retain top talent by providing the opportunity to work on exciting, cutting-edge projects for high profile clients, a flexible work environment and training and development programs. Grid Dynamics’ management targets a voluntary attrition rate no higher than the mid-teen percentages, in line with the industry.
Hours and Utilization
As most of Grid Dynamics’ customer projects are performed and invoiced on a time and materials basis, Grid Dynamics’ management tracks and projects billable hours as an indicator of business volume and corresponding resource needs for IT professionals. To maintain its gross profit margins, Grid Dynamics must effectively utilize its IT professionals, which depends on its ability to integrate and train new personnel, to efficiently transition personnel from completed projects to new assignments, to forecast customer demand for services and to deploy personnel with appropriate skills and seniority to projects. Grid Dynamics’ management generally tracks utilization with respect to subsets of employees, by location or by project, and calculates the utilization rate for each subset by dividing (x) the aggregate number of billable hours for a period by (y) the aggregate number of total available hours for the same period. Grid Dynamics’ management analyzes and projects utilization to measure the efficiency of its workforce and to inform management’s budget and personnel recruiting decisions.
Customer Concentration
Grid Dynamics' ability to retain and expand its relationships with existing customers and add new customers are key indicators of its revenue potential. In 2023, the total number of customers was 275, comparable to 272 customers in 2022. Grid Dynamics’ procurement of new customers has a direct impact on its ability to diversify its sources of revenue and replace customers that may no longer require its services. Grid Dynamics has a relatively high level of revenue concentration with certain customers and constantly works toward decreasing those levels. During the year ended December 31, 2023, one customer accounted for 10% or more of our revenues for the period, compared to two customers each accounting for 10% or more of our revenues during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We expect to continue our focus on maintaining our long-term relationships with customers while diversifying our customer base.
The following table presents revenues concentration by amount and as a percentage of our revenues for the periods indicated:
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| Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Top one customer | $ | 44,961 | 14.4 | % | $ | 39,084 | 12.6 | % | $ | 24,603 | 11.6 | % | ||
| Top five customers | $ | 115,862 | 37.0 | % | $ | 134,955 | 43.5 | % | $ | 92,768 | 43.9 | % | ||
| Top ten customers | $ | 175,588 | 56.1 | % | $ | 185,253 | 59.7 | % | $ | 127,564 | 60.4 | % | ||
| Top twenty customers | $ | 213,790 | 68.3 | % | $ | 225,303 | 72.6 | % | $ | 153,229 | 72.5 | % | ||
| Customers below top twenty | $ | 99,120 | 31.7 | % | $ | 85,180 | 27.4 | % | $ | 58,051 | 27.5 | % |
The following table shows the evolution of Grid Dynamics’ customer base where customers are grouped by revenues recognized for each annual period presented:
| Year ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| $5.0 million | 10 | 13 | 9 | ||||
| $2.5 - 5.0 million | 11 | 8 | 5 | ||||
| $1.0 - 2.5 million | 27 | 27 | 20 | ||||
| $0.5 - 1 million | 32 | 21 | 19 |
Seasonality
Grid Dynamics’ business is subject to seasonal trends that impact its revenues and profitability between quarters. Some of the factors that influence the seasonal trends include the timing of holidays in the countries in which Grid Dynamics operates and the U.S. retail cycle, which drives the behavior of Grid Dynamics’ retail customers. Excluding the impact of growth in its book of business, Grid Dynamics has historically recorded higher revenue and gross profit in the second and third quarters of each year compared to the first and fourth quarters of each year. In addition, many of Grid Dynamics’ retail sector customers tend to slow their discretionary spending during the holiday sale season, which typically lasts from late November (before Thanksgiving) through late December (after Christmas).
Critical Accounting Estimates
Management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on the consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Preparation of the financial statements requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amount of revenue and expenses, assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We consider an accounting judgment, estimate or assumption to be critical when (1) an estimate or assumption is complex in nature or requires a high degree of judgment, and (2) the use of different judgments, estimates and assumptions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 in the notes to our consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Revenues
Determining the amount of revenue to be recognized requires from us significant estimates and judgements, including whether services specified in the agreements are single or distinct performance obligations, whether obligations are satisfied over time or at a point in time and what is the best method to measure our progress to completion.
We derive our revenues through time and materials and fixed fee contracts. Although the majority of revenues have been derived through time and material contracts, our fixed-fee customer contracts business is constantly increasing. Grid Dynamics recognizes revenue for services over time as hours are incurred by Grid Dynamics’ engineering personnel. For all contracts, the customer derives value from the Company providing daily consulting services, and the value derived corresponds to the labor hours expended. Therefore, the Company measures the progress and recognizes revenue using an effort-based input method.
Revenues related to fixed fee contracts are recorded as work is performed based upon actual labor hours incurred and level of effort expended throughout the duration of the contract. The accuracy of revenue recognized for these contracts during the
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reporting period largely depends on our ability to correctly estimate the total expected efforts required to fulfill the performance obligation. We constantly evaluate our estimates of total efforts required based on available information and experience.
Some of our contracts give rise to variable considerations, including volume discounts. Volume discounts apply once the customer reaches certain contractual spend thresholds. If the consideration promised in a contract includes a variable amount, we include estimated amounts of consideration in the transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved.
Income Taxes
The determination of the provision for income taxes requires significant judgment, the use of estimates and the interpretation and application of complex tax laws. The provision for income taxes reflects a combination of income earned and taxed in the various U.S. federal and state and non-U.S. jurisdictions. Changes in tax law, increases or decreases in permanent differences between book and tax items, accruals or adjustments of accruals for tax contingencies or valuation allowances, and the change in the mix of earnings across taxing jurisdictions all affect the overall effective tax rate.
In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, we consider whether it is more-likely-than-not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Management considers all available evidence, both positive and negative, in determining whether a valuation allowance is required, including prior earnings history, the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, carryback and carryforward periods of tax attributes, and tax planning strategies that could potentially enhance the likelihood of realization of a deferred tax asset in making this assessment. The weight given to the positive and negative evidence is commensurate with the extent to which the evidence may be objectively verified.
We are subject to tax payments and filling of tax returns in various tax jurisdictions. Our tax returns are routinely examined by tax authorities in various countries. Such inspections may result in future tax expenses, interest and penalties. We evaluate for such uncertain tax positions at each balance sheet date. When it is more likely than not that a position will be sustained upon examination by a tax authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information, we measure the amount of tax benefit from the position and record the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely to be realized after settlement with a tax authority. We believe our estimates for uncertain tax positions are appropriate and sufficient. We recognize both accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.
Business Combinations
We account for business combinations under the acquisition method of accounting, which requires recognition of any assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their respective fair values. Any excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the fair value of the assets acquired less liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. We use significant management estimates and assumptions as well as available industry data to arrive at the acquisition date fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, especially with respect to intangible assets and contingent consideration granted, if any.
Significant estimates used in valuation of intangible assets may include, but are not limited to, revenue projections, expected economic life of customer relations, royalty rates, useful lives and discount rates. The fair value of any contingent consideration is determined using the Monte Carlo model which involves a simulation of future revenues and earnings during the earn-out period using projected financial results adjusted to market risk assumptions, discount rates and probability assumptions with respect to the likelihood of achieving the various earn-out criteria.
We consider our assumptions and estimates used to determine fair values to be reasonable, but any changes due to inherent uncertainty and unpredictability may result in significant differences between actual and estimated results.Stock-based Compensation
We have in the past issued, currently issue and intend to continue issuing incentive stock options and non-qualifying stock options, performance stock units and restricted stock units. Stock-based compensation expense is measured based on the grant-date fair value of the share-based awards. Forfeitures are recognized as incurred. We estimate grant date fair value of stock using a number of objective and subjective factors, as described in more detail below, and the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model to estimate the grant date fair value of option grants. The model requires management to make a number of key assumptions, including expected volatility, expected term, risk free interest rate and expected dividends. As our shares do not have sufficient trading history, expected volatility is estimated based on the average historical volatility of similar entities with publicly traded shares. The risk free rate for the expected term of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve at the date of grant. The expected term is estimated using the simplified method, which takes into account vesting and contractual term. Management elected to use the simplified method instead of historical experience due to a lack of relevant historical data
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resulting from changes in option vesting schedules and changes in the pool of employees receiving option grants. We evaluate the assumptions used to value stock-based awards on each grant date. Grants are approved by our Board of Directors.
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements
Recently issued and adopted accounting pronouncements are described in Note 1 in the notes to our consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Results of Operations
Year Ended December 31, 2023 compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022
The following table sets forth a summary of Grid Dynamics’ consolidated results of operations for the periods indicated, and the changes between periods:
| Year ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Dollars | Percentage | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 312,910 | $ | 310,482 | $ | 2,428 | 0.8 | % | ||||||
| Cost of revenue | 199,764 | 189,892 | 9,872 | 5.2 | % | |||||||||
| Gross profit | 113,146 | 120,590 | (7,444) | (6.2) | % | |||||||||
| Engineering, research, and development | 14,741 | 15,772 | (1,031) | (6.5) | % | |||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 24,151 | 19,808 | 4,343 | 21.9 | % | |||||||||
| General and administrative | 79,834 | 106,018 | (26,184) | (24.7) | % | |||||||||
| Total operating expense | 118,726 | 141,598 | (22,872) | (16.2) | % | |||||||||
| Loss from operations | (5,580) | (21,008) | 15,428 | (73.4) | % | |||||||||
| Other income/(expenses), net | 10,418 | 555 | 9,863 | 1,777.1 | % | |||||||||
| Income/(loss) before income taxes | 4,838 | (20,453) | 25,291 | (123.7) | % | |||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 6,603 | 8,761 | (2,158) | (24.6) | % | |||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (1,765) | $ | (29,214) | $ | 27,449 | (94.0) | % |
Revenues
We recorded revenues of $312.9 million, which was a slight increase of $2.4 million, or 0.8% from the previous year.
Revenues by Vertical. We assign our customers into one of four main vertical markets or a group of various industries where we are increasing our presence, labeled as “Verticals”. The following table presents our revenues by vertical and revenues as a percentage of total revenues by vertical for the periods indicated:
| Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
| % of revenue | % of revenue | % of revenue | ||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Retail | $ | 102,551 | 32.8 | % | $ | 99,681 | 32.1 | % | $ | 61,717 | 29.2 | % | ||||||||
| Tech, Media and Telecom | 98,830 | 31.6 | % | 98,334 | 31.7 | % | 67,689 | 32.0 | % | |||||||||||
| CPG/Manufacturing | 42,861 | 13.7 | % | 61,216 | 19.7 | % | 43,461 | 20.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Finance | 28,842 | 9.2 | % | 21,893 | 7.1 | % | 17,515 | 8.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Other | 39,826 | 12.7 | % | 29,358 | 9.4 | % | 20,898 | 9.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 312,910 | 100.0 | % | $ | 310,482 | 100.0 | % | $ | 211,280 | 100.0 | % |
During the year ended December 31, 2023, our Retail vertical remained the largest comprising 32.8% of total revenues and grew 2.9% compared to the prior year. The increase was due to a combination of new customers, existing business and acquisitions.
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The Technology, Media and Telecom (“TMT”) vertical remained flat compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 and reached $98.8 million during 2023. During 2023, we added several new TMT customers offset by lower project activity from our existing customers.
Our CPG and Manufacturing vertical, representing 13.7% of our revenues for 2023, showed a decrease of 30.0%. The key reasons for the decline were a combination of macro-related uncertainty resulting in a more cautionary outlook towards spending and customer specific factors at some of our larger customers.
Our Finance and Other verticals, representing 9.2% and 12.7% of total revenues, respectively, continued to steadily grow with each increasing by more than 30.0% during 2023. Revenue growth was driven by increased demand from existing clients as well as newly added customers.
Cost of Revenues and Gross Margin
Our cost of revenues consists primarily of salaries and employee benefits, including performance bonuses and stock-based compensation, and project-related travel expenses of client-serving professionals. Cost of revenues also includes depreciation and amortization expense related to client-serving activities.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, our cost of revenues were $199.8 million, an increase of $9.9 million, or 5.2%, from $189.9 million recorded in 2022. Main drivers of growth include recent acquisitions as well as increased compensation of our delivery professionals due to increased presence in higher cost geographies.
The factors discussed above caused a decrease in our gross profit from $120.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 to $113.1 million during 2023. Expressed as a percentage of revenues, our gross margin declined by 2.6 percentage points from 38.8% in 2022 to 36.2% in the year ended December 31, 2023.
Engineering, Research and Development
The principal components of engineering, research and development expenses are salaries and employee benefits including performance bonuses and stock-based compensation for personnel engaged in the design and development of solutions, as well as depreciation and amortization expenses related to engineering, research and development activities.
Engineering, research and development expenses decreased by $1.0 million or 6.5%, to $14.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2023 from $15.8 million recorded last year. The decrease was primarily due to decline in stock-based compensation expenses, that was partially offset by increase in staffing and greater investments in customer delivery operations. Expressed as a percentage of revenues, engineering research and development expenses decreased to 4.7% during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to 5.1% in 2022.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses represent spending associated with promoting and selling of our services. These expenses comprise of personnel costs, including performance bonuses and stock-based compensation, marketing events, travel expenses, as well as depreciation and amortization related to such activities.
Our sales and marketing expenses were $24.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $4.3 million, or 21.9%, from $19.8 million in 2022. The increase in sales and marketing expenses was mainly due to a $4.5 million increase of employee-related costs driven by growth in sales personnel, that was partially offset by decrease in stock-based compensation expenses.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses include costs to support the business and consist primarily of administrative personnel and officers’ salaries, employee benefits including performance bonuses, stock-based compensation, legal and audit expenses, insurance, operating lease expenses of office premises and other facility costs, workforce global mobility initiatives, restructuring and employee relocations cost not directly related to customer projects, and depreciation and amortization expenses related to such activities. General and administrative expenses include a substantial majority of Grid Dynamics’ stock-based compensation costs for the financial periods discussed herein.
General and administrative expenses decreased by $26.2 million, or 24.7%, to $79.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2023 from $106.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease is largely explained by a combination of considerably lower stock-based compensation and geographic reorganization costs partially offset by increased levels of
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investments in infrastructure, physical assets and facilities. As a result, expressed as a percentage of revenues, our general and administrative expenses decreased bv 8.6% to 25.5% during 2023.
Other Income/(Expenses), Net
Other income/(expense), net represents interest earned on our cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds, interest expense related to our borrowings, foreign exchange gains and losses as well as changes in the fair value of contingent considerations.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, other income/(expenses), net increased to $10.4 million from $0.6 million reported in the prior year. The increase was primarily driven by income generated by our money market funds which we started to receive during the third quarter of 2022. Additionally we have written-off our contingent consideration liability related to Mutual Mobile and NextSphere acquisitions in the amount of $4.2 million.
Provision for Income Tax
Grid Dynamics follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. The provision for income taxes reflects income earned and taxed in the various U.S. federal and state and non-U.S. jurisdictions. Jurisdictional tax law changes, increases or decreases in permanent differences between book and tax items, accruals or adjustments of accruals for tax contingencies or valuation allowances, and the change in the mix of earnings from these taxing jurisdictions all affect the overall effective tax rate.
Provision for income tax was $6.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $8.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2022. The effective tax rate increased between periods from (42.8)% in 2022 to 136.5% in 2023. The difference in the tax provision was mainly attributable to Section162 (m) compensation deduction limitations, tax credit utilization, and foreign inclusion adjustments.
Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 includes a discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations between the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 in Item 7 of Part II, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Non-GAAP Measures
To supplement Grid Dynamics’ consolidated financial data presented on a basis consistent with U.S. GAAP, this Annual Report contains certain non-GAAP financial measures, including Non-GAAP EBITDA, Non-GAAP net income and Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share, or Non-GAAP diluted EPS. Grid Dynamics has included these non-GAAP financial measures because they are financial measures used by Grid Dynamics’ management to evaluate Grid Dynamics’ core operating performance and trends, to make strategic decisions regarding the allocation of capital and new investments and are among the factors analyzed in making performance-based compensation decisions for key personnel. These measures exclude certain expenses that are required under U.S. GAAP. Grid Dynamics excludes these items because they are not part of core operations or, in the case of stock-based compensation, non-cash expenses that are determined based in part on Grid Dynamics’ underlying performance.
Grid Dynamics believes these supplemental performance measurements are useful in evaluating operating performance, as they are similar to measures reported by its public industry peers and those regularly used by security analysts, investors and other interested parties in analyzing operating performance and prospects. These non-GAAP financial measures are not intended to be a substitute for any GAAP financial measures and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of performance of other companies in other industries or within the same industry.
There are significant limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures. Further, these measures may differ from the non-GAAP information, even where similarly titled, used by other companies and therefore should not be used to compare our performance to that of other companies. Grid Dynamics compensates for these limitations by providing investors and other users of its financial information a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the related GAAP financial measures. Grid Dynamics encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety, not to rely on any single financial measure and to view its non-GAAP measures in conjunction with GAAP financial measures.
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Grid Dynamics defines and calculates its non-GAAP financial measures as follows:
•Non-GAAP EBITDA: Net income/(loss) before interest income/expense, provision for income taxes and depreciation and amortization, and further adjusted for the impact of stock-based compensation expense, transaction-related costs (which include, when applicable, professional fees, retention bonuses, and consulting, legal and advisory costs related to Grid Dynamics’ merger and acquisition and capital-raising activities), impairment of goodwill and other income/(expenses), net (which includes mainly interest income and expense, foreign currency transaction losses and gains, fair value adjustments and other miscellaneous expenses), and restructuring costs.
•Non-GAAP net income: Net income/(loss) adjusted for the impact of stock-based compensation, impairment of goodwill, transaction-related costs, restructuring costs, other income/expenses, net, and the tax impacts of these adjustments.
•Non-GAAP diluted EPS: Non-GAAP net income, divided by the diluted weighted-average number of diluted shares outstanding for the period.
The following table presents the reconciliation of Grid Dynamics’ Non-GAAP EBITDA to its consolidated net loss, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, for the annual periods indicated:
| Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||||
| GAAP net loss | $ | (1,765) | $ | (29,214) | $ | (7,700) | ||||
| Adjusted for: | ||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 8,926 | 6,626 | 5,049 | |||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 6,603 | 8,761 | 5,248 | |||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 35,516 | 60,968 | 33,036 | |||||||
| Geographic reorganization(1) | 1,858 | 11,023 | — | |||||||
| Transaction and transformation-related costs(2) | 2,038 | 604 | 942 | |||||||
| Restructuring(3) | 1,488 | — | — | |||||||
| Other (income)/expense, net(4) | (10,418) | (555) | 2,502 | |||||||
| Non-GAAP EBITDA | $ | 44,246 | $ | 58,213 | $ | 39,077 |
__________________________
(1)Geographic reorganization includes expenses connected with military actions of Russia against Ukraine and the exit plan announced by the Company and includes travel and relocation-related expenses of employees from the aforementioned countries, severance payments, allowances as well as legal and professional fees related to geographic repositioning in various locations. These expenses are incremental to those expenses incurred prior to the crisis, clearly separable from normal operations, and not expected to recur once the crisis has subsided and operations return to normal.
(2)Transaction and transformation-related costs include, when applicable, external deal costs, transaction-related professional fees, transaction-related retention bonuses, which are allocated proportionally across cost of revenue, engineering, research and development, sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses as well as other transaction-related costs including integration expenses consisting of outside professional and consulting services.
(3)We implemented a restructuring plan during the first quarter of 2023. Our restructuring costs comprised of severance charges and respective taxes and are included in General and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statement of loss and comprehensive income/(loss). We did not incur any restructuring expenses during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
(4)Other (income)/expense, net consist primarily of gains and losses on foreign currency transactions, fair value adjustments, and other miscellaneous non-operating expenses and other income consists primarily of interest on cash held at banks and returns on investments in money-market funds.
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The following table presents a reconciliation of Grid Dynamics’ Non-GAAP diluted EPS and its Non-GAAP net income to its consolidated net loss for the annual periods indicated:
| Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| (in thousands, except per share data) | ||||||||||
| GAAP net loss | $ | (1,765) | $ | (29,214) | $ | (7,700) | ||||
| Adjusted for: | ||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 35,516 | 60,968 | 33,036 | |||||||
| Geographic reorganization(1) | 1,858 | 11,023 | — | |||||||
| Transaction and transformation-related costs(2) | 2,038 | 604 | 942 | |||||||
| Restructuring(3) | 1,488 | — | — | |||||||
| Other (income)/expense, net(4) | (10,418) | (555) | 2,502 | |||||||
| Tax impact of non-GAAP adjustments(5) | (3,640) | (6,199) | (4,620) | |||||||
| Non-GAAP net income | $ | 25,077 | $ | 36,627 | $ | 24,160 | ||||
| Number of shares used in the GAAP diluted EPS | 75,193 | 69,197 | 58,662 | |||||||
| GAAP diluted EPS | $ | (0.02) | $ | (0.42) | $ | (0.13) | ||||
| Number of shares used in the Non-GAAP diluted EPS | 77,651 | 72,223 | 67,305 | |||||||
| Non-GAAP diluted EPS | $ | 0.32 | $ | 0.51 | $ | 0.36 |
__________________________
(1)Geographic reorganization includes expenses connected with military actions of Russia against Ukraine and the exit plan announced by the Company and includes travel and relocation-related expenses of employees from the aforementioned countries, severance payments, allowances as well as legal and professional fees related to geographic repositioning in various locations. These expenses are incremental to those expenses incurred prior to the crisis, clearly separable from normal operations, and not expected to recur once the crisis has subsided and operations return to normal.
(2)Transaction and transformation-related costs include, when applicable, external deal costs, transaction-related professional fees, transaction-related retention bonuses, which are allocated proportionally across cost of revenue, engineering, research and development, sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses as well as other transaction-related costs including integration expenses consisting of outside professional and consulting services.
(3)We implemented a restructuring plan during the first quarter of 2023. Our restructuring costs comprised of severance charges and respective taxes and are included in general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statement of loss and comprehensive income/(loss). We did not incur any restructuring expenses during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
(4)Other (income)/expense, net consist primarily of losses and gains on foreign currency transactions, fair value adjustments, and other miscellaneous non-operating expenses and other income consists primarily of interest on cash held at banks and returns on investments in money-market funds.
(5)Reflects the estimated tax impact of the non-GAAP adjustments presented in the table.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We measure liquidity in terms of our ability to fund the cash requirements for business operations, including working capital needs, capital expenditures, contractual obligations and other commitments with cash flows from operations and other sources of funding. Our current liquidity needs relate mainly to compensation and benefits of our employees and contractors and capital investments to support our growth and geographical expansion. Our ability to expand and grow our business will depend on many factors including capital expenditure needs and the evolution of our operating cash flows. We may need more cash resources due to changing business conditions or other developments, including investments or acquisitions.
Our principal source of liquidity continues to be cash generated from our operations. Additionally, on March 15, 2022, we entered into an agreement establishing a revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as an administrative agent for the lenders. The revolving credit facility provides us with $30.0 million of available borrowing capacity. See Note 7 “Debt” in the notes to our consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
As of December 31, 2023, Grid Dynamics had cash and cash equivalents amounting to $257.2 million compared to $256.7 million at December 31, 2022. Of this amount, $21.2 million was held in countries outside the U.S, and included among others
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the U,K., Netherlands, India, Poland, Ukraine and other countries (compared to $16.8 million as of December 31, 2022). We did not have any debt outstanding under the revolving credit facility at any balance sheet date presented. We believe that our cash and cash equivalents balance and cash generated from operating activities will be sufficient to fund currently expected levels of operating, investing and financing expenditures for a period of twelve months from the date of this filing. However, if our resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may need to seek additional equity or debt financing, which may be subject to conditions outside of our control and may not be available on terms acceptable to our management or at all.
See Note 7 “Debt”, Note 8 “Leases” and Note 15 “Commitments and contingencies” in the notes to our consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for detailed information on our contractual obligations and commitments.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes Grid Dynamics’ cash flows for the annual periods indicated:
| Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 41,093 | $ | 31,652 | $ | 17,973 | ||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (25,950) | (16,323) | (35,366) | |||||||
| Net cash (used in)/provided by financing activities | (16,321) | 97,758 | 49,134 | |||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | 1,676 | (722) | (122) | |||||||
| Net increase in cash and cash equivalents | 498 | 112,365 | 31,619 | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents (beginning) | 256,729 | 144,364 | 112,745 | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents (ending) | $ | 257,227 | $ | 256,729 | $ | 144,364 |
Operating Activities. Net cash provided by operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $9.4 million, or 29.8%, to $41.1 million from $31.7 million in the same period in 2022. The increase in operating cash flow was largely due to a decrease in geographical reorganization costs.
Investing Activities. Net cash used in investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2023 was $26.0 million compared to $16.3 million used in the same period in 2022, primarily due to larger closing payment for the 2023 acquisition compared to the 2022 acquisition.
Financing Activities. Net cash used for financing activities was $16.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2023, reflected primarily the tax withholding obligations due to issuance of shares in connection with vested stock awards and was $11.1 million higher compared to 2022. Cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2022 of $97.8 million was generated by the equity offering during the third quarter of 2022 that was slightly offset by the payment of contingent consideration related to acquisitions and the tax withholding noted above.
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 includes a discussion and analysis of our cash flows between the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 in Item 7 of Part II, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Commitments
We do not have any material off-balance sheet commitments or contractual arrangements other than those disclosed in Note 8 “Leases” and Note 15 “Commitments and contingencies” in the notes to our consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
As a result of analysis related to Grid Dynamics’ functional control of its subcontractors one was determined to be a variable interest entity (“VIE”) and is therefore consolidated in Grid Dynamics’ financial statements. The assets and liabilities of this VIE consist primarily of intercompany balances and transactions, all of which have been eliminated in consolidation.
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