What: Shares of voice and language software provider Nuance Communications (NUAN +0.00%) jumped on Tuesday following the company's fiscal fourth quarter earnings report. The company beat analyst estimates for both revenue and earnings, while also providing guidance that was in-line with expectations. At noon Tuesday, the stock was up about 17%.
So what: Nuance reported quarterly non-GAAP revenue of $513.3 million, down 1.4% year-over-year but about $5.5 million higher than analysts were expecting. Currency had a negative impact on revenue -- adjusted for currency, Nuance's organic revenue would have grown by approximately 1% year-over-year during the fourth quarter. Net new bookings of $357.4 million were up 8.7% year-over-year, or up 12% adjusted for currency impacts.
Non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.41, up from $0.33 during the same period last year and $0.06 higher than analysts were expecting. GAAP EPS came in at a loss of $0.04, with the difference being the result of stock-based compensation, restructuring charges, and non-cash charges related to acquisitions.
Nuance CFO Dan Tempesta had this to say: "Nuance delivered a strong finish to its fiscal year, reporting revenue, EPS, cash flow from operations, margins and net new bookings that all exceeded our expectations. We made substantial progress on our company-wide transformation project, and continued to prioritize resources and focus toward our most significant market opportunities. We expect to continue our improvements in financial performance and lead the company to improved growth in 2016 and beyond."
Now what: In addition to beating analyst estimates for revenue and earnings, Nuance provided guidance that was in-line with analyst expectations. Nuance expects fiscal first quarter revenue to be between $486 million and $498 million, compared to analyst estimates of $490.6 million, while non-GAAP EPS is expected to be between $0.31 and $0.33, compared to analyst estimates of $0.31.
Nuance's profits were helped by both cost cuts and share buybacks. Total GAAP operating expenses fell by about 6.5% year-over-year, while the share count was reduced by 3%, driven by nearly $300 million of share buybacks over the past twelve months. Overall, Nuance put together a solid quarter that bested analyst expectations, and investors are pushing the stock higher as a result.
