Yahoo beats Q2 earnings with $0.27 per share as new CEO Marissa Mayer takes the reins

Yahoo! Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results

$190 Million Operating Income, Excluding Restructuring and Other Charges, Exceeds Midpoint of Business Outlook

$0.27 EPS, Excluding Restructuring and Other Charges, Grows 47% Year-Over-Year

SUNNYVALE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) today reported results for the quarter ended June 30, 2012.

“Note to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income”

Revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs (“Revenue ex-TAC”) was $1,081 million for the second quarter of 2012, flat compared to the second quarter of 2011. GAAP revenue was $1,218 million for the second quarter of 2012, a 1 percent decrease from the second quarter of 2011.

Non-GAAP income from operations of $190 million in the second quarter of 2012 was flat compared to $191 million in the second quarter of 2011. Non-GAAP income from operations excludes restructuring charges and deal-related expenses of less than $1 million in the second quarter of 2011 and $136 million in the second quarter of 2012. On a GAAP basis, income from operations decreased 71 percent to $55 million in the second quarter of 2012, compared to $191 million in the second quarter of 2011.

In the second quarter of 2012, non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share increased 47 percent year over year to $0.27. Non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share excludes restructuring charges and deal-related expenses of less than $1 million in the second quarter of 2011 and $136 million, as well as the related tax impact of $36 million, in the second quarter of 2012. On a GAAP basis, net earnings per diluted share was $0.18 in the second quarter of 2012.

“In the second quarter, non-GAAP earnings per share exceeded consensus and both display and search revenue ex-TAC showed modest growth,” said Tim Morse, chief financial officer. “We also moved aggressively with new strategic agreements with Alibaba and Facebook and announced several new partnerships including CNBC, Clear Channel and Spotify.”

Business Highlights

Second Quarter 2012 Revenue Highlights

Cash Flow and Cash Balance

Conference Call

Yahoo! will host a conference call to discuss second quarter 2012 results at 5 p.m. Eastern Time today. A live Webcast of the conference call, together with supplemental financial information, can be accessed through the Company’s Investor Relations Website at http://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: 98876440.

Note Regarding 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; free cash flow; non-GAAP income from operations; non-GAAP net income; and non-GAAP net income per diluted share. 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 Statements of Income,” “Supplemental Financial Data,” and “GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations.”

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! is a technology-powered media company, creating deeply personal digital experiences that keep more than half a billion people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe. Yahoo!’s unique combination of Science + Art + Scale connects advertisers to the consumers who build their businesses. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the company’s blog, Yodel Anecdotal (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”).

“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, as well as Yahoo!’s strategic and operational plans. 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 management and organizational changes; the implementation and results of Yahoo!’s ongoing strategic and cost initiatives; Yahoo!’s ability to compete with new or existing competitors; reduction in spending by, or loss of, advertising customers; 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; failure to manage growth and diversification; adverse results in litigation, including intellectual property infringement claims and derivative and class actions; Yahoo!’s ability to protect its intellectual property and the value of its brands; dependence on key personnel; dependence on third parties for technology, services, content, and distribution; general economic conditions and changes in economic conditions; transition and implementation risks associated with the Search Agreement with Microsoft Corporation; and risks that the benefits of the agreement Yahoo! entered into with Alibaba regarding Yahoo!’s stake in Alibaba or the Framework Agreement Yahoo! entered into with Alibaba, Softbank Corporation and certain other parties regarding Alipay may not be realized. All information set forth in this press release and its attachments is as of July 17, 2012. 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 March 31, 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 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2012, which will be filed with the SEC in the third quarter of 2012.

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

Yahoo! Inc.
Note to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

This press release and its attachments include the non-GAAP financial measures of revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs (“revenue ex-TAC”), free cash flow, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP net income, and non-GAAP net income per diluted share, which are reconciled to revenue, cash flow from operating activities, income from operations, net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc., and net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. common stockholders per share – diluted, 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 and operating costs. These non-GAAP measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, revenue, cash flow from operating activities, income from operations, net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc., and net income attributable to Yahoo! Inc. common stockholders per share – diluted 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.

Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as cash flow from 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.

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 income 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 income and non-GAAP net income 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 income and non-GAAP net income 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 income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share.