34 Million New .Com & .Net Domains Registered In 2014 (Same As In 2013)

VeriSign, Inc. reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2014.

Fourth Quarter GAAP Financial Results
VeriSign, Inc. and subsidiaries (“Verisign”) reported revenue of $256 million for the fourth quarter of 2014, up 4.2 percent from the same quarter in 2013. Verisign reported net income of $65 million and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.48 for the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to net income of $292 million and diluted EPS of $1.94 in the same quarter in 2013. The operating margin was 55.6 percent for the fourth quarter of 2014 compared to 53.0 percent for the same quarter in 2013. Fourth quarter 2014 net income was decreased by $26 million and diluted EPS was decreased by $0.19 primarily due to a non-U.S. income tax charge related to a reorganization of certain international operations and a change in estimate for U.S. income tax charges related to the repatriation of offshore assets in 2014.

As described in the fourth quarter 2013 earnings news release, results for the fourth quarter of 2013 included an income tax benefit related to a worthless stock deduction, pre-tax non-operating gains from the sale of certain cost-method investments, and an income tax expense related to estimated taxable income generated in the U.S. as a result of a planned repatriation of offshore assets in 2014, which collectively increased net income by $217.8 million and increased diluted EPS by $1.45.

Fourth Quarter Non-GAAP Financial Results
Verisign reported, on a non-GAAP basis, net income of $95 million and diluted EPS of $0.70 for the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to net income of $98 million and diluted EPS of $0.65 for the same quarter in 2013. The non-GAAP operating margin was 59.4 percent for the fourth quarter of 2014 compared to 56.9 percent for the same quarter in 2013. Results for the fourth quarter of 2013 included a pre-tax, non-operating gain of $15.8 million from the sale of certain cost-method investments which increased non-GAAP net income by $11.4 million and diluted EPS by $0.07.

A table reconciling the GAAP to the non-GAAP results (which excludes items described below) is appended to this release.

“In 2014, Verisign marked more than 17 years of uninterrupted availability of the .com and .net domain name system, and continued to build on its financial performance since completing the divestitures in 2010, including exceeding $1 billion in annual revenues. During the year we repurchased 16.3 million shares, returning $867 million to shareholders,” commented Jim Bidzos, executive chairman, president and chief executive officer.

2014 GAAP Financial Results
For the year ended Dec. 31, 2014, Verisign reported revenue of $1.01 billion, up 4.7 percent from $965 million in 2013. Verisign reported net income of $355 million and diluted EPS of $2.52 in 2014, compared to net income of $544 million and diluted EPS of $3.49 in 2013. The operating margin for 2014 was 55.9 percent compared to 54.7 percent in 2013. Net income for 2014 was decreased by $10 million and diluted EPS was decreased by $0.07 primarily due to the fourth quarter 2014 non-U.S. income tax charge related to a reorganization of certain international operations and changes in estimates during 2014 for U.S. income taxes related to the 2013 worthless stock deduction and the 2014 repatriation of offshore assets.

As described in the fourth quarter 2013 earnings news release, results for 2013 included an income tax benefit recognized in the fourth quarter related to a worthless stock deduction, pre-tax non-operating gains from the sale of certain cost-method investments, and income tax expense related to estimated taxable income generated in the U.S. as a result of a planned repatriation of offshore assets in 2014, which collectively increased net income by $217.8 million and increased diluted EPS by $1.39.

2014 Non-GAAP Financial Results
Verisign reported, on a non-GAAP basis, net income of $383 million and diluted EPS of $2.72 for 2014, compared to net income of $374 million and diluted EPS of $2.40 in 2013. The non-GAAP operating margin for 2014 was 60.2 percent compared to 58.5 percent in 2013. Results for 2013 included a pre-tax, non-operating gain of $15.8 million recognized during the fourth quarter from the sale of certain cost-method investments which increased non-GAAP net income by $11.4 million and diluted EPS by $0.07.

A table reconciling the GAAP to the non-GAAP results (which excludes items described below) is appended to this release.

Financial Highlights

• Verisign ended the fourth quarter with cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $1.4 billion, a decrease of $299 million as compared with year-end 2013.
• Cash flow from operations was $170 million for the fourth quarter of 2014 and $601 million for the full year 2014 compared with $147 million for the same quarter in 2013 and $579 million for the full year 2013.
• Deferred revenues on Dec. 31, 2014, totaled $890 million, an increase of $35 million from year-end 2013.
• Capital expenditures were $9 million in the fourth quarter and $39 million for the full year.
• During the fourth quarter, Verisign repurchased 3.7 million shares of its common stock for $209 million. During the full year 2014, Verisign repurchased 16.3 million shares of its common stock for $867 million.
• Effective Jan. 30, 2015, the Board of Directors approved an additional authorization for share repurchases of approximately $453 million of common stock, which brings the total amount to $1 billion authorized and available under Verisign’s share buyback program, which has no expiration.
• For purposes of calculating diluted EPS, the fourth quarter diluted share count included 14.7 million shares related to subordinated convertible debentures, compared with 13.7 million shares in the same quarter in 2013. These represent diluted shares and not shares that have been issued.

Business Highlights

• Verisign Registry Services added 0.59 million net new names during the fourth quarter, ending with 130.6 million .com and .net domain names in the domain name base, which represents a 2.7 percent increase over the base at the end of the fourth quarter in 2013.
• In the fourth quarter, Verisign processed 8.2 million new domain name registrations for .com and .net, the same as for the fourth quarter in 2013. During 2014, Verisign processed 34 million new domain name registrations, the same as in 2013.
• The final .com and .net renewal rate for the third quarter of 2014 was 72.0 percent compared with 72.7 percent for the same quarter in 2013. Renewal rates are not fully measurable until 45 days after the end of the quarter.