Nelnet Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results

LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Nelnet (NYSE: NNI) today reported GAAP net income of $45.3 million, or $1.21 per share, for the third quarter of 2023, compared with GAAP net income of $104.8 million, or $2.80 per share, for the same period a year ago.

Net income, excluding derivative market value adjustments¹, was $42.9 million, or $1.15 per share, for the third quarter of 2023, compared with $64.5 million, or $1.73 per share, for the same period in 2022.

“While Nelnet’s earnings are affected by the anticipated runoff of our legacy student loan portfolio, we continue to be pleased with the growth opportunities in our core fee-based businesses,” said Jeff Noordhoek, chief executive officer of Nelnet. “During the quarter, all federal student loan borrowers were asked to begin making payments for the first time since the pandemic began in March 2020. This unprecedented event, along with frequent program changes, has generated extraordinary call volume and web traffic. After supporting borrowers for more than 45 years, we remain committed and are working hard to be part of the solution with the help of our federal partners.”

Nelnet operates four primary business segments, earning interest income on loans in its Asset Generation and Management (AGM) and Nelnet Bank segments, and fee-based revenue in its Loan Servicing and Systems and Education Technology, Services, and Payment Processing segments. Other business activities and operating segments that are not reportable are combined and included in corporate activities. Corporate activities also includes income earned on the majority of the company’s investments.

Asset Generation and Management

The AGM operating segment reported net interest income of $51.5 million during the third quarter of 2023, compared with $62.9 million for the same period a year ago. The decrease in 2023 was due to the expected runoff of the loan portfolio and a decrease in loan spread². The average balance of loans outstanding decreased from $15.5 billion for the third quarter of 2022 to $13.2 billion for the same period in 2023.

AGM recognized net income after tax of $30.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared with $85.0 million for the same period in 2022.

AGM recognized income of $1.2 million ($0.9 million after tax) related to changes in the fair value of derivative instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting, compared with income of $53.0 million ($40.3 million after tax) for the same period in 2022.

Nelnet Bank

As of September 30, 2023, Nelnet Bank had a $468.8 million loan portfolio and total deposits, including intercompany deposits, of $947.4 million. Nelnet Bank recognized net income after tax for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 of $1.7 million, compared with $0.8 million for the same period in 2022.

Loan Servicing and Systems

Revenue from the Loan Servicing and Systems segment was $127.9 million for the third quarter of 2023, compared with $134.2 million for the same period in 2022.

As of September 30, 2023, the company was servicing $539.3 billion in government-owned, FFEL Program, private education, and consumer loans for 16.2 million borrowers, compared with $590.4 billion in servicing volume for 17.5 million borrowers as of September 30, 2022.

The Loan Servicing and Systems segment reported net income after tax of $18.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared with $16.7 million for the same period in 2022. Operating margin improved in 2023 compared with 2022 due to a decrease in operating expenses, primarily salaries and benefits. The company reduced staff in the first and second quarters of 2023 to manage expenses due to the postponement of the return to repayment for federal student loan borrowers and lower pricing and reduced servicing volume for the company’s federal servicing contracts. In August 2023, the company began to hire additional associates to support borrowers returning to repayment.

Education Technology, Services, and Payment Processing

For the third quarter of 2023, revenue from the Education Technology, Services, and Payment Processing operating segment was $113.8 million, an increase from $106.9 million for the same period in 2022. Revenue less direct costs to provide services for the third quarter of 2023 was $70.1 million, compared with $64.2 million for the same period in 2022.

Net income after tax for the Education Technology, Services, and Payment Processing segment was $16.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared with $14.1 million for the same period in 2022. Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 included $8.9 million ($6.8 million after tax) and $3.7 million ($2.8 million after tax) of interest income, respectively. The increase in interest income was due to an increase in interest rates in 2023 compared with 2022.

Corporate Activities

During the third quarter of 2023, the company recognized a loss of $17.3 million ($13.1 million after tax) on its 45 percent voting membership interests in ALLO Holdings LLC, a holding company for ALLO Communications LLC (ALLO), compared with a loss of $17.6 million ($13.4 million after tax) for the same period in 2022.

Also included in corporate activities is the operating results of GRNE Solar (GRNE) that was acquired by the company on July 1, 2022. GRNE is a solar contracting company that provides full-service engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services to residential homes and commercial entities. GRNE incurred a net loss after tax of $3.0 million during the third quarter of 2023.

The company recognized net investment and interest income of $8.6 million ($6.5 million after tax) for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared with $14.5 million ($11.0 million after tax) for the same period in 2022.

During the third quarter of 2023, the company recognized an impairment charge of $5.0 million ($3.8 million after tax) related to real estate leases as the company continues to downsize its facility footprint as a result of associates continuing to work from home.

Board of Directors Declares Fourth Quarter Dividend

The Nelnet Board of Directors declared a fourth-quarter cash dividend on the company’s outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock of $0.28 per share. The dividend will be paid on December 15, 2023, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 1, 2023.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. The words “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “ensure,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “scheduled,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions, as well as statements in future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s current expectations as of the date of this release and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the actual results and performance to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks related to the ability to successfully maintain and increase allocated volumes of student loans serviced by the company under existing and future servicing contracts with the Department and risks related to the company’s ability to comply with agreements with third-party customers for the servicing of Federal Direct Loan Program, FFEL Program, private education, and consumer loans; loan portfolio risks such as credit risk, interest rate basis and repricing risk, risks related to the use of derivatives to manage exposure to interest rate fluctuations, uncertainties regarding the expected benefits from purchased securitized and unsecuritized FFEL Program, private education, consumer, and other loans, or investment interests therein, and initiatives to purchase additional FFEL Program, private education, consumer, and other loans, and risks from changes in levels of loan prepayment or default rates; financing and liquidity risks, including risks of changes in the interest rate environment; risks from changes in the terms of education loans and in the educational credit and services markets resulting from changes in applicable laws, regulations, and government programs and budgets; risks related to a breach of or failure in the company’s operational or information systems or infrastructure, or those of third-party vendors, including disclosure of confidential or personal information and/or damage to reputation resulting from cyber-breaches; uncertainties inherent in forecasting future cash flows from student loan assets and related asset-backed securitizations; risks and uncertainties of the expected benefits from the November 2020 launch of Nelnet Bank operations, including the ability to successfully conduct banking operations and achieve expected market penetration; risks related to the expected benefits to the company from its continuing investment in ALLO, and risks related to investments in solar projects, including risks of not being able to realize tax credits which remain subject to recapture by taxing authorities; risks and uncertainties related to other initiatives to pursue additional strategic investments (and anticipated income therefrom), acquisitions, and other activities, including activities that are intended to diversify the company both within and outside of its historical core education-related businesses; risks and uncertainties associated with climate change; risks from changes in economic conditions and consumer behavior; risks related to the company’s ability to adapt to technological change; risks related to the exclusive forum provisions in the company’s articles of incorporation; risks related to the company’s executive chairman’s ability to control matters related to the company through voting rights; risks related to related party transactions; concerns about the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating; risks related to natural disasters, terrorist activities, or international hostilities; and risks and uncertainties associated with litigation matters and with maintaining compliance with the extensive regulatory requirements applicable to the company’s businesses.

For more information, see the “Risk Factors” sections and other cautionary discussions of risks and uncertainties included in documents filed or furnished by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements in this release are as of the date of this release. Although the company may voluntarily update or revise its forward-looking statements from time to time to reflect actual results or changes in the company’s expectations, the company disclaims any commitment to do so except as required by law.

Non-GAAP Performance Measures

The company prepares its financial statements and presents its financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP. However, it also provides additional non-GAAP financial information related to specific items management believes to be important in the evaluation of its operating results and performance. Reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP financial information, and a discussion of why the company believes providing this additional information is useful to investors, is provided in the “Non-GAAP Disclosures” section below.

¹ Net income, excluding derivative market value adjustments, is a non-GAAP measure. See “Non-GAAP Performance Measures” at the end of this press release and the “Non-GAAP Disclosures” section below for explanatory information and reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP financial information.

² Loan spread represents the spread between the yield earned on loan assets and the costs of the liabilities and derivative instruments used to fund the assets.

Non-GAAP Disclosures

(Dollars in thousands, except share data)

(unaudited)

Non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by management are meant to provide additional information and insight relative to business trends to investors and, in certain cases, to present financial information as measured by rating agencies and other users of financial information. These measures are not in accordance with, or a substitute for, GAAP and may be different from, or inconsistent with, non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The company reports this non-GAAP information because the company believes that it provides additional information regarding operational and performance indicators that are closely assessed by management. There is no comprehensive, authoritative guidance for the presentation of such non-GAAP information, which is only meant to supplement GAAP results by providing additional information that management utilizes to assess performance.