• Revenue: Decreased 1% to $335 million in Q4 2024.
• Technical Services Revenue: Represented 94% of total revenues, essentially unchanged.
• Support Services Revenue: Decreased 14%, representing 6% of total Q4 revenues.
• Cost of Revenues: Increased by $2.7 million to $250.2 million.
• SG&A Expenses: Increased to $41.2 million from $37.7 million.
• Effective Tax Rate: 9.1% for the fourth quarter.
• Diluted EPS: $0.06, down from $0.09 in the previous quarter.
• EBITDA: $46.1 million, down from $55.2 million; EBITDA margins decreased to 13.7%.
• Operating Cash Flow: $94.2 million for the quarter.
• Free Cash Flow: $53.7 million after CapEx of $40.5 million for the quarter.
• Year-End Cash: $326 million with no debt.
• Dividends Paid: $8.6 million in Q4, totaling over $34 million for 2024.
• Stock Repurchase: Nearly $10 million repurchased during the year.
• Capital Expenditures: $220 million in 2024, projected $150-$200 million for 2025.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Sign with DGX.

Release Date: January 30, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

• RPC Inc (NYSE:RES) is well-positioned to capture market share in the North American land frac plug market, which could serve as a growth catalyst independent of broader oilfield services demand.
• The company maintained a strong balance sheet with $326 million in cash and no debt at year-end, providing financial flexibility for future growth opportunities.
• RPC Inc (NYSE:RES) generated significant free cash flow of $53.7 million in the fourth quarter and $129.5 million for the full year, supporting steady capital returns to investors.
• The company paid $8.6 million in dividends during the quarter, totaling over $34 million for 2024, and repurchased nearly $10 million of stock, demonstrating a commitment to returning capital to shareholders.
• RPC Inc (NYSE:RES) is focused on strategic imperatives such as improving margins, optimizing assets, and increasing operational scale through mergers and acquisitions, which could drive long-term growth and profitability.

Negative Points

• Fourth-quarter revenues decreased by 1% to $335 million, primarily due to lower non-pressure pumping activity, which offset growth in pressure pumping.
• Cost of revenues increased by $2.7 million due to higher insurance and employee costs, impacting overall profitability.
• SG&A expenses rose to $41.2 million from $37.7 million, reflecting higher fixed costs and year-end incentive amounts.
• Diluted EPS decreased to $0.06 from $0.09 in the third quarter, indicating a decline in profitability.
• EBITDA margins decreased by 270 basis points sequentially to 13.7%, reflecting margin compression in the technical services segment.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Margins in the technical services segment compressed in the fourth quarter. Was this due to cost issues, and do you expect a rebound in the first quarter? A: Michael Schmit, CFO, explained that higher-than-normal insurance costs impacted margins. These costs were due to resetting insurance deductibles, which is not expected to recur, suggesting a potential rebound in margins.

Q: With pressure pumping weakening in the fourth quarter, do you anticipate reductions in 2025 due to increased competition? A: Benjamin Palmer, CEO, noted that while predicting future trends is challenging, they saw improvement in the fourth quarter and have ongoing opportunities with customers into 2025. They do not currently anticipate significant softness.

Q: Given the cash reserves and interest in M&A, how is the market looking for potential acquisitions? A: Benjamin Palmer stated that while they are interested in growth through accretive acquisitions, the market remains volatile, making it difficult to predict bid-ask spread trends. They continue to evaluate opportunities for deals that are mutually beneficial.

Q: Can you provide details on the elevated insurance costs and their impact on margins and EBITDA? A: Michael Schmit mentioned that the insurance costs were a few million dollars, resulting from changes in deductibles and general increases in insurance costs, which significantly impacted margins.

Q: Regarding the dual-fuel fleet, are there plans to invest in electric fleets, given market preferences? A: Benjamin Palmer indicated that while dual fuel offers flexibility, RPC Inc does not plan to invest in electric fleets organically. They will continue to monitor technological advancements and customer preferences.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.