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MediaAlpha Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results

1. Q4 revenue rose 157%, driven by a record $499M P&C transaction value. 2. Full-year revenue climbed 123% to $865M; transaction value hit $1.5B. 3. Net income turned positive, reaching $22.1M for full-year and $7.3M in Q4. 4. FTC settlement discussions resulted in a $7M reserve, adding regulatory risk. 5. Q1 2025 guidance expects strong P&C growth while Health vertical softens.

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FAQ

Why Very Bullish?

The record revenue and transaction growth along with net income turnaround signal robust investor sentiment. Historical market reactions to earnings surprises in tech-driven insurance platforms suggest strong upward momentum.

How important is it?

The strong revenue growth, profit turnaround, and improved margins are likely to have a significant effect on MAX’s stock. Although the FTC matter adds caution, the overall performance drives an optimistic outlook.

Why Long Term?

Sustainable performance in core P&C and an expanding marketplace model indicate long-lasting benefits. Similar companies with strong operational metrics have enjoyed prolonged market gains.

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Exceeds Fourth Quarter Guidance with Revenue Growth of 157% and Transaction Value Growth of 202%; Delivers Record Transaction Value of $401 million in Property & Casualty Vertical Full-Year 2024 Revenue Grew 123% to $865 million; Transaction Value Grew 151% to $1.5 billion, Driven by Robust Volume and Pricing Full-Year 2024 Net Income Significantly Improved to $22.1 million; Record Adjusted EBITDA(1)of $96.1 million LOS ANGELES, Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE: MAX) ("MediaAlpha" or the "Company") today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. “Our fourth quarter financial results surpassed our expectations, closing out a year of record-breaking performance,” said MediaAlpha co-founder and CEO Steve Yi. “Our Property & Casualty insurance vertical reached new highs, fueled by favorable trends in the auto insurance sector, including improving profitability and continued robust advertising spend by our key auto carrier partners, and we made meaningful market share gains driven by our leading marketplace model. As we look ahead, we remain confident that our commitment to our partnerships and industry leading scale and efficiency will drive long-term sustainable growth and shareholder value creation.” Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Results Revenue of $300.6 million, an increase of 157% year over year;Transaction Value of $499.2 million, an increase of 202% year over year; Transaction Value from Property & Casualty of $401 million, an increase of 639% year over year;Transaction Value from Health of $90 million, a decrease of 8% year over year; Gross margin of 16.3%, compared with 19.0% in the fourth quarter of 2023;Contribution Margin(1) of 17.1%, compared with 21.4% in the fourth quarter of 2023;Net income of $7.3 million, compared with a net loss of $3.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2023; andAdjusted EBITDA(1) of $36.7 million, compared with $12.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.Additionally, the Company remains in active settlement discussions with the FTC and has recorded a $7.0 million reserve related to this matter in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Full Year 2024 Financial Results Revenue of $864.7 million, an increase of 123% year over year;Transaction Value of $1.5 billion, an increase of 151% year over year; Transaction Value from Property & Casualty of $1.2 billion, an increase of 325% year over year;Transaction Value from Health of $270 million, an increase of 4% year over year; Gross margin of 16.6%, compared with 17.2% in 2023;Contribution Margin(1) of 17.9%, compared with 20.1% in 2023;Net income of $22.1 million, compared with a net loss of $56.6 million in 2023; andAdjusted EBITDA(1) of $96.1 million, compared with $27.1 million in 2023. (1) A reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP financial measures has been provided at the end of this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.” Financial Outlook MediaAlpha's guidance for the first quarter of 2025 reflects approximately 170% year-over-year growth in P&C Transaction Value, representing a high single-digit sequential decline as pricing moderates from fourth quarter levels, offset in part by rising volumes. In its Health vertical, the Company expects Transaction Value to decline by a high-teens percentage year over year as conditions in under-65 continue to soften. For the first quarter of 2025, MediaAlpha currently expects the following: Transaction Value of $415 million to $440 million, representing a 95% year-over-year increase at the midpoint of the guidance range;Revenue of $225 million to $245 million, representing a 86% year-over-year increase at the midpoint of the guidance range;Adjusted EBITDA of $24.5 million to $26.5 million, representing a 77% year-over-year increase at the midpoint of the guidance range. The Company expects Contribution less Adjusted EBITDA to be approximately $0.5 - $1.0 million higher than in the fourth quarter of 2024. With respect to the Company’s projections of Adjusted EBITDA and Contribution under “Financial Outlook,” MediaAlpha is not providing a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss), or of Contribution to gross profit, because the Company is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the reconciling items that may affect the corresponding GAAP measures without unreasonable effort. These reconciling items are uncertain, depend on various factors and could significantly impact, either individually or in the aggregate, the corresponding GAAP measures for the applicable period. For a detailed explanation of the Company’s non-GAAP measures, please refer to the appendix section of this press release. Conference Call InformationMediaAlpha will host a Q&A conference call today to discuss the Company's fourth quarter and full year 2024 results and its financial outlook for the first quarter of 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time). A live audio webcast of the call will be available on the MediaAlpha Investor Relations website at https://investors.mediaalpha.com. To register for the webcast, click here. Participants may also dial-in, toll-free, at (800) 715-9871 or (646) 307-1963, with passcode 2616289. An audio replay of the conference call will be available following the call and available on the MediaAlpha Investor Relations website at https://investors.mediaalpha.com. The Company has also posted a letter to shareholders on its investor relations website. MediaAlpha has used, and intends to continue to use, its investor relations website at https://investors.mediaalpha.com as a means of disclosing material nonpublic information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including without limitation our expectation that our commitment to our partnerships and industry leading scale and efficiency will drive long-term sustainable growth and shareholder value creation, and our financial outlook for the first quarter of 2025. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and our financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “predict,” “potential,” “believe,” “will likely result,” “expect,” “continue,” “will,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “would,” and “outlook,” or the negative version of those words or other comparable words or phrases of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. Accordingly, we caution you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. There are or will be important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements, including those more fully described in MediaAlpha’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the Form 10-K as of and for the year ended December 31, 2024 to be filed on February 24, 2025. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. MediaAlpha disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release. Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Operating Metrics This press release includes Adjusted EBITDA and Contribution Margin, which are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company also presents Transaction Value, which is an operating metric not presented in accordance with GAAP. See the appendix for definitions of Adjusted EBITDA, Contribution, Contribution Margin and Transaction Value, as well as reconciliations to the corresponding GAAP financial metrics, as applicable. We present Transaction Value, Adjusted EBITDA, Contribution, and Contribution Margin because they are used extensively by our management and board of directors to manage our operating performance, including evaluating our operational performance against budget and assessing our overall operating efficiency and operating leverage. Accordingly, we believe that Transaction Value, Adjusted EBITDA and Contribution Margin provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results in the same manner as our management team and board of directors. Each of Transaction Value, Adjusted EBITDA and Contribution Margin has limitations as a financial measure and investors should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. About MediaAlpha We believe we are the insurance industry’s leading programmatic customer acquisition platform. With more than 1,200 active partners, excluding our agent partners, we connect insurance carriers with online shoppers and generated nearly 119 million Consumer Referrals in 2024. Our programmatic advertising technology over the last twelve months powered $1.5 billion in spend on brand, comparison, and metasearch sites across property & casualty insurance, health insurance, life insurance, and other industries. For more information, please visit www.mediaalpha.com.  Contacts: InvestorsDenise GarciaHayflower PartnersDenise@HayflowerPartners.com MediaAlpha, Inc. and subsidiariesConsolidated Balance Sheets(In thousands, except share data and per share amounts)  As of December 31, 2024(unaudited)  2023 Assets   Current assets   Cash and cash equivalents$43,266  $17,271 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $1,005 and $537, respectively 142,932   53,773 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,711   3,529 Total current assets$189,909  $74,573 Intangible assets, net 19,985   26,015 Goodwill 47,739   47,739 Other assets 4,814   5,598 Total assets$262,447  $153,925 Liabilities and stockholders' deficit   Current liabilities   Accounts payable 105,563   56,279 Accrued expenses 18,542   11,588 Current portion of long-term debt 8,849   11,854 Total current liabilities$132,954  $79,721 Long-term debt, net of current portion 153,596   162,445 Liabilities under tax receivables agreement, net of current portion 7,006   — Other long-term liabilities 15,123   6,184 Total liabilities$308,679  $248,350 Commitments and contingencies   Stockholders’ deficit   Class A common stock, $0.01 par value - 1.0 billion shares authorized; 55.5 million and 47.4 million shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively 555   474 Class B common stock, $0.01 par value - 100 million shares authorized; 11.6 million and 18.1 million shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively 116   181 Preferred stock, $0.01 par value - 50 million shares authorized; 0 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 —   — Additional paid-in capital 507,640   511,613 Accumulated deficit (505,933)  (522,562)Total stockholders’ equity (deficit) attributable to MediaAlpha, Inc.$2,378  $(10,294)Non-controlling interests (48,610)  (84,131)Total stockholders' deficit$(46,232) $(94,425)Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit$262,447  $153,925    MediaAlpha, Inc. and subsidiariesConsolidated Statements of Operations(In thousands, except share data and per share amounts)  Year ended December 31, 2024(unaudited)  2023Revenue$864,704 $388,149 Cost and operating expenses   Cost of revenue 721,131  321,437 Sales and marketing 24,725  25,432 Product development 19,764  18,458 General and administrative 56,359  62,746 Total cost and operating expenses 821,979  428,073 Income (loss) from operations 42,725  (39,924)Other expense, net 4,872  1,779 Interest expense 14,351  15,315 Total other expense, net 19,223  17,094 Income (loss) before income taxes 23,502  (57,018)Income tax expense (benefit) 1,384  (463)Net income (loss)$22,118 $(56,555)Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest 5,489  (16,135)Net income (loss) attributable to MediaAlpha, Inc.$16,629 $(40,420)Net income (loss) per share of Class A common stock   -Basic and diluted$0.31 $(0.89)Weighted average shares of Class A common stock outstanding   -Basic and diluted 53,043,576  45,573,416                MediaAlpha, Inc. and subsidiariesConsolidated Statements of Operations(In thousands, except share data and per share amounts)  Three months ended December 31, 2024(unaudited) 2023(unaudited)Revenue$300,648 $117,174 Cost and operating expenses   Cost of revenue 251,666  94,892 Sales and marketing 6,117  5,630 Product development 5,021  3,933 General and administrative 19,592  12,273 Total cost and operating expenses 282,396  116,728 Income from operations 18,252  446 Other expense, net 6,843  614 Interest expense 3,193  3,918 Total other expense, net 10,036  4,532 Income (loss) before income taxes 8,216  (4,086)Income tax expense (benefit) 915  (793)Net income (loss)$7,301 $(3,293)Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest 2,661  (927)Net income (loss) attributable to MediaAlpha, Inc.$4,640 $(2,366)Net income (loss) per share of Class A common stock   -Basic and diluted$0.08 $(0.05)Weighted average shares of Class A common stock outstanding   -Basic and diluted 55,277,134  46,991,824                MediaAlpha, Inc. and subsidiariesConsolidated Statements of Cash Flows(In thousands)  Year ended December 31, 2024(unaudited)  2023 Cash Flows from operating activities   Net income (loss)$22,118  $(56,555)Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:   Equity-based compensation expense 34,083   53,321 Non-cash lease expense 803   695 Depreciation expense on property and equipment 252   353 Amortization of intangible assets 6,430   6,917 Amortization of deferred debt issuance costs 755   793 Impairment of cost method investment —   1,406 Credit losses 497   5 Tax receivables agreement liability related adjustments 7,006   6 Changes in operating assets and liabilities:   Accounts receivable (89,656)  6,220 Prepaid expenses and other current assets (244)  2,287 Other assets 500   500 Accounts payable 49,284   2,287 Accrued expenses 14,044   1,996 Net cash provided by operating activities$45,872  $20,231 Cash flows from investing activities   Purchases of property and equipment (254)  (73)Acquisition of intangible assets (400)  — Net cash (used in) investing activities$(654) $(73)Cash flows from financing activities   Payments made for / proceeds received from:   Repayments on long-term debt (12,547)  (9,500)Payments pursuant to tax receivables agreement —   (2,822)Shares withheld for taxes on vesting of restricted stock units (6,308)  (3,721)Contributions from QLH’s members 854   1,464 Distributions (1,222)  (2,850)Net cash (used in) financing activities$(19,223) $(17,429)Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 25,995   2,729 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 17,271   14,542 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period$43,266  $17,271  Key business and operating metrics and Non-GAAP financial measures Transaction Value We define “Transaction Value” as the total gross dollars transacted by our partners on our platform. Transaction Value is an operating metric not presented in accordance with GAAP, and is a driver of revenue based on the economic relationships we have with our partners. Our partners use our platform to transact via Open and Private Marketplace transactions. In our Open Marketplace model, revenue recognized represents the fees paid by our Demand Partners for Consumer Referrals sold and is equal to the Transaction Value and revenue share payments to our Supply Partners represent costs of revenue. In our Private Marketplace model, revenue recognized represents a platform fee billed to the Demand Partner or Supply Partner based on an agreed-upon percentage of the Transaction Value for the Consumer Referrals transacted, and accordingly there are no associated costs of revenue. We utilize Transaction Value to assess the overall level of transaction activity through our platform. We believe it is useful to investors to assess the overall level of activity on our platform and to better understand the sources of our revenue across our different transaction models and verticals. The following table presents Transaction Value by platform model for the three months and full years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:   Three months endedDecember 31, Full year ended December 31,(dollars in thousands)  2024   2023   2024   2023 Open Marketplace transactions $294,655  $115,162  $841,604  $378,730 Percentage of total Transaction Value  59.0%  69.6%  56.4%  63.8%Private Marketplace transactions  204,514   50,184   650,256   214,708 Percentage of total Transaction Value  41.0%  30.4%  43.6%  36.2%Total Transaction Value $499,169  $165,346  $1,491,860  $593,438  The following table presents Transaction Value by vertical for the three months and full years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:   Three months endedDecember 31, Full year ended December 31,(dollars in thousands)  2024   2023   2024   2023 Property & Casualty insurance $400,976  $54,247  $1,178,497  $277,552 Percentage of total Transaction Value  80.3%  32.8%  79.0%  46.8%Health insurance  90,305   98,372   270,285   259,822 Percentage of total Transaction Value  18.1%  59.5%  18.1%  43.8%Life insurance  6,278   8,015   30,662   34,057 Percentage of total Transaction Value  1.3%  4.8%  2.1%  5.7%Other(1)  1,610   4,712   12,416   22,007 Percentage of total Transaction Value  0.3%  2.9%  0.8%  3.7%Total Transaction Value $499,169  $165,346  $1,491,860  $593,438  (1)   Our other verticals include Travel and Consumer Finance.Contribution and Contribution Margin We define “Contribution” as revenue less revenue share payments and online advertising costs, or, as reported in our consolidated statements of operations, revenue less cost of revenue (i.e., gross profit), as adjusted to exclude the following items from cost of revenue: equity-based compensation; salaries, wages, and related costs; internet and hosting costs; amortization; depreciation; other services; and merchant-related fees. We define “Contribution Margin” as Contribution expressed as a percentage of revenue for the same period. Contribution and Contribution Margin are non-GAAP financial measures that we present to supplement the financial information we present on a GAAP basis. We use Contribution and Contribution Margin to measure the return on our relationships with our Supply Partners (excluding certain fixed costs), the financial return on and efficacy of our online advertising costs to drive consumers to our proprietary websites, and our operating leverage. We do not use Contribution and Contribution Margin as measures of overall profitability. We present Contribution and Contribution Margin because they are used by our management and board of directors to manage our operating performance, including evaluating our operational performance against budget and assessing our overall operating efficiency and operating leverage. For example, if Contribution increases and our headcount costs and other operating expenses remain steady, our Adjusted EBITDA and operating leverage increase. If Contribution Margin decreases, we may choose to re-evaluate and re-negotiate our revenue share agreements with our Supply Partners, to make optimization and pricing changes with respect to our bids for keywords from primary traffic acquisition sources, or to change our overall cost structure with respect to headcount, fixed costs and other costs. Other companies may calculate Contribution and Contribution Margin differently than we do. Contribution and Contribution Margin have their limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results presented in accordance with GAAP. The following table reconciles Contribution with gross profit, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, for the three months and full years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:   Three months endedDecember 31, Full year ended December 31,(in thousands)  2024   2023   2024   2023 Revenue $300,648  $117,174  $864,704  $388,149 Less cost of revenue  (251,666)  (94,892)  (721,131)  (321,437)Gross profit $48,982  $22,282  $143,573  $66,712 Adjusted to exclude the following (as related to cost of revenue):        Equity-based compensation  372   916   3,026   3,875 Salaries, wages, and related  913   850   3,387   3,682 Internet and hosting  168   161   570   579 Depreciation  6   8   21   38 Other expenses  257   179   796   692 Other services  729   696   2,737   2,491 Merchant-related fees  89   18   306   32 Contribution $51,516  $25,110  $154,416  $78,101 Gross Margin  16.3%  19.0%  16.6%  17.2%Contribution Margin  17.1%  21.4%  17.9%  20.1% Adjusted EBITDA We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as net income (loss) excluding interest expense, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation expense on property and equipment, amortization of intangible assets, as well as equity-based compensation expense and certain other adjustments as listed in the table below. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that we present to supplement the financial information we present on a GAAP basis. We monitor and present Adjusted EBITDA because it is a key measure used by our management to understand and evaluate our operating performance, to establish budgets and to develop operational goals for managing our business. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA helps identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of the expenses that we exclude in the calculations of Adjusted EBITDA. Accordingly, we believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects. In addition, presenting Adjusted EBITDA provides investors with a metric to evaluate the capital efficiency of our business. Adjusted EBITDA is not presented in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered in isolation of, or as an alternative to, measures presented in accordance with GAAP. There are a number of limitations related to the use of Adjusted EBITDA rather than net income, which is the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. These limitations include the fact that Adjusted EBITDA excludes interest expense on debt, income tax expense (benefit), equity-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, and certain other adjustments that we consider to be useful to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results. In addition, other companies may use other measures to evaluate their performance, including different definitions of “Adjusted EBITDA,” which could reduce the usefulness of our Adjusted EBITDA as a tool for comparison. The following table reconciles Adjusted EBITDA with net income (loss), the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, for the three months and full years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:   Three months endedDecember 31, Full year ended December 31,(in thousands)  2024  2023   2024   2023 Net income (loss) $7,301 $(3,293) $22,118  $(56,555)Equity-based compensation expense  7,631  9,378   34,083   53,321 Interest expense  3,193  3,918   14,351   15,315 Income tax expense (benefit)  915  (793)  1,384   (463)Depreciation expense on property and equipment  61  78   252   353 Amortization of intangible assets  1,603  1,729   6,430   6,917 Transaction expenses(1)  —  88   1,172   641 Impairment of cost method investment  —  —   —   1,406 Contract Settlement(2)  —  —   (1,725)  — Changes in TRA related liability(3)  7,006  —   7,006   6 Changes in Tax Indemnification Receivable  34  687   (52)  639 Settlement of federal and state income tax refunds  —  2   —   5 Legal expenses(4)  8,937  885   11,092   4,303 Reduction in force costs (5)  —  —   —   1,233 Adjusted EBITDA $36,681 $12,679  $96,111  $27,121  (1) Transaction expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 consist of $1.2 million of legal and accounting fees incurred by us in connection with resale registration statements filed with the SEC. Transaction expenses for the three months and year ended December 31, 2023 consist of $0.1 million and $0.6 million, respectively, of legal and accounting fees incurred by us in connection with the amendment to the 2021 Credit Facilities, the tender offer filed by the Company's largest shareholder in May 2023, and a resale registration statement filed with the SEC.(2) Contract settlement consists of $1.7 million of income for the year ended December 31, 2024 recorded in connection with a one-time contract termination fee received from one of our Supply Partners in the Health and Life insurance verticals that ceased operations during the year ended December 31, 2024.(3) Changes in TRA related liability for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 consist of a $7.0 million charge to increase the TRA liability as a result of remeasuring the non-current portion of the liability to the amount of payment under the agreement considered to be probable. Changes in TRA related liability for the year ended December 31, 2023 consist of immaterial expense.(4) Legal expenses of $8.9 million and $11.1 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively, consist of a $7.0 million loss reserve established in connection with the FTC Matter and legal fees incurred in connection with such matter. Legal expenses of $0.9 million and $4.3 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2023, respectively, consist of legal fees incurred in connection with the FTC Matter and costs associated with a legal settlement unrelated to our core operations.(5) Reduction in force costs for the year ended December 31, 2023 consist of $1.2 million of severance benefits provided to the terminated employees in connection with the RIF Plan. Additionally, equity-based compensation expense includes $0.3 million of charges related to the RIF Plan for the year ended December 31, 2023.   

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