ICF Reports First Quarter 2025 Results

May 1, 2025

―Revenue Metrics In Line with Expectations, Led by 21% Growth in Commercial Energy―

―Margins Benefited From Favorable Business Mix―

―Maintains Full Year Guidance Framework for 2025―

First Quarter Highlights: 

  • Revenue Was $488 Million
  • Net Income Was $27 Million; GAAP EPS Was $1.44
  • Non-GAAP EPS1 Was $1.94
  • EBITDA1 Was $52.1 Million; Adjusted EBITDA1 Was $55.2 Million, or 11.3% of Total Revenues
  • Contract Awards Were $467 Million for a Quarterly Book-to-Bill Ratio of 0.96

RESTON, Va., May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ICF (NASDAQ: ICFI), a global consulting and technology services provider, reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

Commenting on the results, John Wasson, chair and chief executive officer, said "First quarter revenues were in line with our expectations. Revenues from our commercial, state and local and international government clients increased 12.6% in the aggregate to now account for approximately 51% of first quarter revenues. This performance essentially offset a 12.6% decline in federal government revenue due to changes in spending priorities by the new administration.

"Revenues from commercial energy clients increased 21% year-on-year and represented 87% of first quarter commercial revenues. Anchored by ICF's market-leading position in developing and implementing energy efficiency programs, we have expanded our commercial energy services considerably to include a broad range of advisory work and program management for utility clients in the areas of flexible load management, electrification and grid resilience. Demand for ICF's expertise in these areas has consistently increased as utility clients face greater demands for electricity to support data center requirements and seek to manage distributed energy resources.

"First quarter margin performance benefited from favorable business and contract mix, careful cost management and a 170-basis point reduction in the percent of subcontractor and other direct costs as compared to total revenue. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 11.3% of total revenues, 10 basis points ahead of the comparable period last year. Fixed price contracts accounted for 49% of the period's revenues, up from 46% in the year-ago period.

"ICF was awarded $467 million in contracts in the first quarter resulting in a quarterly book-to-bill ratio of 0.96. Our business development pipeline exceeded $10 billion at the end of the first quarter after considering adjustments to reflect the new administration's spending priorities."

First Quarter 2025 Results

First quarter 2025 total revenue was $487.6 million, compared to $494.4 million reported in the first quarter of 2024. Subcontractor and other direct costs were 22.7% of total revenues, compared to 24.4% in last year's first quarter. Operating income was $38.4 million, with an operating margin on total revenue of 7.9%, compared to operating income of $40.9 million, with an operating margin of 8.3% in the prior year period. Net income totaled $26.9 million, versus $27.3 million reported in the first quarter of 2024. GAAP EPS was $1.44 per share, in line with the comparable prior year period. GAAP EPS included $3.1 million, or $0.12 per share of tax-effected special charges primarily related to severance and M&A expenses and a one-time tax benefit of $0.13 per share. This resulted in an effective tax rate of 10.5% in 2025 compared to 20.4% in the 2024 first quarter.

Non-GAAP EPS increased 9.6% to $1.94 per share, from $1.77 per share reported in the comparable period in 2024. EBITDA was $52.1 million, compared to $56.4 million reported in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA was $55.2 million, and Adjusted EBITDA margin on total revenues was 11.3%, 10 basis points above first quarter 2024 levels.

Backlog and New Business

Total backlog was $3.4 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2025. Funded backlog was $1.9 billion, or approximately 56% of the total backlog. The total value of contracts awarded in the 2025 first quarter was $467 million.

Government Revenue First Quarter 2025 Highlights

Revenue from government clients was $343.6 million.

  • U.S. federal government revenue was $239.6 million, down 12.6% compared to $274.2 million in the year-ago first quarter, and was impacted by contract funding curtailments and a slower pace of new RFPs, as well as a year-over-year decline in subcontractor and other direct costs estimated at $12 million in the quarter. Federal government revenue accounted for 49.1% of total revenue, compared to 55.5% of total revenue in the first quarter of 2024.
  • U.S. state and local government revenue was $76.9 million, stable with the $77.0 million reported in the year-ago quarter. State and local government clients represented 15.8% of total revenue, up from 15.6% in the first quarter of 2024.
  • International government revenue was $27.1 million, up 7.2% from the $25.3 million reported in the year-ago quarter, driven by the initial ramp-up of recent program wins. International government revenue represented 5.6% of total revenue, compared to 5.1% in the first quarter of 2024.

Key Government Contracts Awarded in the First Quarter of 2025

Notable government contract awards won in the first quarter of 2025 included:

IT Modernization / Digital Transformation

  • Two new subcontracts with a combined value of $39.8 million to support the modernization of critical data systems for a U.S. federal agency.
  • A contract extension with a value of $7.4 million to modernize a data system for a U.S. federal agency.

Disaster Management

  • A new contract with a value of $7.0 million with a U.S. state risk management office to provide disaster recovery services.

Energy and Environment

  • A recompete subcontract with a value of $18.2 million to support a U.S. federal agency's program to reduce energy costs of homes, commercial buildings and industrial plants.

Health and Social Programs

  • A recompete contract with a value of $75.3 million with a U.S. federal agency to provide innovative technical solutions and services related to child welfare information systems to ensure compliance with federal mandates.
  • A new subcontract with a value of $9.1 million to improve the functionality of a U.S. federal agency's web-based technical assistance platform that supports affordable housing and community development programs.

Commercial Revenue First Quarter 2025 Highlights

Commercial revenue was $144.1 million.

  • Commercial revenue accounted for 29.5% of total revenue, up from 23.9% in the 2024 first quarter.
  • Energy markets revenue, which includes energy efficiency programs, increased 21.0% and represented 87.3% of commercial revenue.

Key Commercial Contracts Awarded in the First Quarter of 2025

Notable commercial awards won in the first quarter of 2025 included:

  • A recompete contract under a master services agreement with a multimillion-dollar value to implement energy efficiency/demand-side management (DSM) programs for a large U.S. public utility.
  • A recompete contract with a multimillion-dollar value with a Southern U.S. utility to implement its DSM programs and provide related services.
  • A recompete contract with a multimillion-dollar value with a Mid-Atlantic U.S. utility to implement its energy efficiency/DSM program.
  • A recompete multimillion-dollar contract with a Southern U.S. utility to implement its energy efficiency home rebates program.
  • A contract modification with a Northeastern U.S. utility to implement its weatherization and new homes energy efficiency pilot program.

Dividend Declaration

On May 1, 2025, ICF declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share, payable on July 11, 2025, to shareholders of record on June 6, 2025.

Summary and Outlook

"ICF's diversified business model is enabling us to manage through a dynamic federal government business environment, while remaining agile to capture future business opportunities.

"We are maintaining the guidance framework we provided at the time of our fourth quarter 2024 earnings release, namely for ICF's 2025 total revenues, GAAP EPS and Non-GAAP EPS to range from flat to down 10% from last year's levels. A 10% decline represents the floor we foresee from the loss of business primarily from federal government clients during this first year of the new administration. Supporting this framework is our projection that ICF's revenues from commercial energy, state and local and international government clients will grow at least 15% in the aggregate for the year, offsetting or partially offsetting lower revenues from our federal government clients due to potential funding curtailments and a slower pace of new RFPs. This framework does not contemplate an extensive government shutdown this year, nor a prolonged period of pauses in funding modifications to existing contracts or new procurements.

"Our first quarter margin performance reflects the successful implementation of our planned efforts to manage expenses in 2025 to maintain adjusted EBITDA margins similar to those of 2024. Our GAAP and Non-GAAP EPS framework for 2025 is exclusive of the special tax benefit accrued in this year's first quarter which benefited EPS by $0.13. Our operating cash flow projection for the full year continues to be approximately $150 million.

"We repurchased 313,000 shares in the first quarter of 2025, demonstrating our confidence in ICF's long-term growth outlook and our intention to deliver value to shareholders. We appreciate the support of our professional staff, who have shown a strong commitment to ICF and our clients and have helped us navigate challenging business conditions." Mr. Wasson concluded.

1 Non-GAAP EPS, EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measurements. A reconciliation of all non-GAAP measurements to the most applicable GAAP number is set forth below. Special charges are items that were included within our consolidated statements of comprehensive income but are not indicative of ongoing performance and have been presented net of applicable U.S. GAAP taxes. The presentation of non-GAAP measurements may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies.

About ICF 
ICF is a global consulting and technology services company with approximately 9,000 employees, but we are not your typical consultants. At ICF, business analysts and policy specialists work together with digital strategists, data scientists and creatives. We combine unmatched industry expertise with cutting-edge engagement capabilities to help organizations solve their most complex challenges. Since 1969, public and private sector clients have worked with ICF to navigate change and shape the future. Learn more at icf.com.

Caution Concerning Forward-looking Statements 
Statements that are not historical facts and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may concern our current expectations about our future results, plans, operations and prospects and involve certain risks, including those related to the government contracting industry generally; our particular business, including our dependence on contracts with U.S. federal government agencies; and our ability to acquire and successfully integrate businesses. These and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ from those indicated in forward-looking statements that are included in the "Risk Factors" section of our securities filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included herein are only made as of the date hereof, and we specifically disclaim any obligation to update these statements in the future.

Note on Forward-Looking Non-GAAP Measures
The company does not reconcile its forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the corresponding U.S. GAAP measures, due to the variability and difficulty in making accurate forecasts and projections and because not all of the information necessary for a quantitative reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures (such as the effect of share-based compensation or the impact of future extraordinary or non-recurring events like acquisitions) is available to the company without unreasonable effort. For the same reasons, the company is unable to estimate the probable significance of the unavailable information. The company provides forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures that it believes will be achievable, but it cannot accurately predict all of the components of the adjusted calculations, and the U.S. GAAP financial measures may be materially different than the non-GAAP financial measures.

Investor Contacts:

Lynn Morgen, ADVISIRY PARTNERS, lynn.morgen@advisiry.com +1.212.750.5800
David Gold, ADVISIRY PARTNERS, david.gold@advisiry.com +1.212.750.5800

Company Information Contact: 
Lauren Dyke, ICF, lauren.dyke@ICF.com +1.571.373.5577

 

ICF International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(Unaudited)








Three Months Ended



March 31,

(in thousands, except per share amounts)  


2025


2024

Revenue


$                    487,618


$                  494,436

Direct costs


302,542


310,533

Operating costs and expenses:





Indirect and selling expenses


131,891


129,094

Depreciation and amortization


14,795


13,865

Total operating costs and expenses


146,686


142,959

Operating income


38,390


40,944

Interest, net


(7,337)


(8,238)

Other (expense) income


(1,052)


1,630

Income before income taxes


30,001


34,336

Provision for income taxes


3,150


7,019

Net income


$                      26,851


$                    27,317






Earnings per Share:





Basic


$                          1.45


$                        1.46

Diluted


$                          1.44


$                        1.44






Weighted-average Shares:





Basic


18,506


18,757

Diluted


18,613


18,946






Cash dividends declared per common share


$                          0.14


$                        0.14






Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax


(2,713)


684

Comprehensive income, net of tax


$                      24,138


$                    28,001

 






ICF International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP financial measures (2) 

(Unaudited)








Three Months Ended



March 31,

(in thousands, except per share amounts)


2025


2024

Reconciliation of  EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (3)





Net income


$                    26,851


$                    27,317

Interest, net


7,337


8,238

Provision for income taxes


3,150


7,019

Depreciation and amortization 


14,795


13,865

EBITDA 


52,133


56,439

Acquisition and divestiture-related expenses (4)


259


66

Severance and other costs related to staff realignment (5)


2,550


365

Charges related to office closures (6)


256


Pre-tax gain from divestiture of a business (7)



(1,715)

Total Adjustments


3,065


(1,284)

Adjusted EBITDA


$                    55,198


$                    55,155






Net Income Margin Percent on Revenue (8)


5.5 %


5.5 %

EBITDA Margin Percent on Revenue (9)


10.7 %


11.4 %

Adjusted EBITDA Margin Percent on Revenue (9)


11.3 %


11.2 %






Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Diluted EPS (3)





U.S. GAAP Diluted EPS


$                        1.44


$                        1.44

Acquisition and divestiture-related expenses


0.01


Severance and other costs related to staff realignment


0.14


0.02

Charges related to office closures (10)


0.01


0.04

Pre-tax gain from divestiture of a business



(0.09)

Amortization of intangible assets acquired in business combinations (11)


0.51


0.44

Income tax effects of the adjustments (12)


(0.17)


(0.08)

Non-GAAP Diluted EPS


$                        1.94


$                        1.77






(2) These tables provide reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most applicable GAAP numbers. While we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures may be useful in evaluating our financial information, they should be considered supplemental in nature and not as a substitute for financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. Other companies may define similarly titled non-GAAP measures differently and, accordingly, care should be exercised in understanding how we define these measures. 






(3) Reconciliations of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Non-GAAP Diluted EPS were calculated using numbers as reported in U.S. GAAP.






(4) These are primarily third-party costs related to acquisitions and integration of acquisitions.






(5) These costs are mainly due to involuntary employee termination benefits for our officers, and employees who have been notified that they will be terminated as part of a business reorganization or exit.






(6) These are charges related to the closure of certain international offices.






(7) Pre-tax gain related to the 2023 divestiture of our U.S. commercial marketing business which include contingent gains realized in the first quarter of 2024.






(8) Net Income Margin Percent on Revenue was calculated by dividing net income by revenue.






(9) EBITDA Margin Percent and Adjusted EBITDA Margin Percent on Revenue were calculated by dividing the non-GAAP measure by the corresponding revenue.






(10) These are office closure charges previously included in Adjusted EBITDA and accelerated depreciation related to fixed assets for planned office closures.






(11) For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, amortization of intangible assets acquired from business combinations totaled $9.5 million and $8.3 million, respectively.






(12) Income tax effects were calculated using the effective tax rate, adjusted for certain discrete items, if any, of 25.3% and 20.4% for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. 

 

ICF International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)






(in thousands, except share amounts)


March 31, 2025


December 31, 2024

ASSETS





Current Assets:





Cash and cash equivalents


$                        5,718


$                       4,960

Restricted cash


18,374


13,857

Contract receivables, net


236,161


256,923

Contract assets


228,314


188,941

Prepaid expenses and other assets


21,189


21,133

Income tax receivable


1,073


6,260

Total Current Assets


510,829


492,074

Property and Equipment, net


63,569


66,503

Other Assets:





Goodwill


1,251,199


1,248,855

Other intangible assets, net


102,617


111,701

Operating lease - right-of-use assets


112,954


115,531

Deferred tax assets


4,113


1,603

Other assets


29,817


30,086

Total Assets


$                 2,075,098


$                2,066,353






LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current Liabilities:





Accounts payable


$                    122,089


$                   159,522

Contract liabilities


27,407


24,580

Operating lease liabilities 


19,792


20,721

Finance lease liabilities


2,635


2,612

Accrued salaries and benefits


75,533


105,773

Accrued subcontractors and other direct costs


51,876


49,271

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities


82,195


86,701

Total Current Liabilities


381,527


449,180

Long-term Liabilities:





Long-term debt


502,044


411,743

Operating lease liabilities - non-current


152,128


155,935

Finance lease liabilities - non-current


10,593


11,261

Other long-term liabilities


59,938


55,775

Total Liabilities


1,106,230


1,083,894






Commitments and Contingencies










Stockholders' Equity:





Preferred stock, par value $.001; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued



Common stock, par value $.001; 70,000,000 shares authorized; 24,302,825 and 24,186,962 shares issued at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively; 18,426,295 and 18,666,290 shares outstanding at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively


24


24

Additional paid-in capital


447,649


443,463

Retained earnings


899,051


874,772

Treasury stock, 5,876,530 and 5,520,672 shares at March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively


(359,397)


(320,054)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss


(18,459)


(15,746)

Total Stockholders' Equity


968,868


982,459

Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity


$                 2,075,098


$                2,066,353

 

ICF International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)



Three Months Ended



March 31,

(in thousands)


2025


2024

Cash Flows from Operating Activities





Net income


$                    26,851


$                    27,317

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:





Provision for credit losses


(92)


1,347

Deferred income taxes and unrecognized income tax benefits


(2,594)


(4,786)

Non-cash equity compensation


4,186


3,551

Depreciation and amortization


14,795


13,865

Gain on divestiture of a business



(1,715)

Other operating adjustments, net


1,435


46

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of the effects of acquisitions:





   Net contract assets and liabilities


(34,610)


(29,024)

   Contract receivables


21,340


1,604

   Prepaid expenses and other assets


(1,314)


(192)

   Operating lease assets and liabilities, net


(1,862)


523

   Accounts payable


(37,674)


(15,119)

   Accrued salaries and benefits


(30,465)


(17,775)

   Accrued subcontractors and other direct costs


2,064


3,303

   Accrued expenses and other current liabilities


80


(3,988)

   Income tax receivable and payable


5,235


11,375

   Other liabilities


(409)


(333)

Net Cash Used in Operating Activities


(33,034)


(10,001)






Cash Flows from Investing Activities





Payments for purchase of property and equipment and capitalized software


(3,452)


(5,226)

Proceeds from divestiture of a business



1,715

Net Cash Used in Investing Activities


(3,452)


(3,511)






Cash Flows from Financing Activities





Advances from working capital facilities


512,430


355,877

Payments on working capital facilities


(422,406)


(311,813)

Proceeds from other short-term borrowings


2,780


24,356

Repayments of other short-term borrowings


(9,172)


(23,950)

Receipt of restricted contract funds



1,261

Payment of restricted contract funds



(3,391)

Dividends paid


(2,620)


(2,636)

Net payments for stock issuances and share repurchases


(39,342)


(30,355)

Other financing, net


(646)


(516)

Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities


41,024


8,833

Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash


737


(171)






Net Change in Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash


5,275


(4,850)

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period


18,817


9,449

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, End of Period


$                    24,092


$                      4,599






Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information





Cash paid during the period for:





Interest


$                      4,544


$                      7,740

Income taxes


$                      1,095


$                      1,133

 

ICF International, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Supplemental Schedule (13)











Revenue by client markets


Three Months Ended



March 31, 



2025


2024

Energy, environment, infrastructure, and disaster recovery


49 %


45 %

Health and social programs


35 %


39 %

Security and other civilian & commercial


16 %


16 %

Total


100 %


100 %











Revenue by client type


Three Months Ended



March 31, 



2025


2024

U.S. federal government


49 %


55 %

U.S. state and local government


16 %


16 %

International government


5 %


5 %

Total Government


70 %


76 %

Commercial


30 %


24 %

Total


100 %


100 %











Revenue by contract mix


Three Months Ended



March 31, 



2025


2024

Time-and-materials


43 %


42 %

Fixed-price


49 %


45 %

Cost-based


8 %


13 %

Total


100 %


100 %











(13) As is shown in the supplemental schedule, we track revenue by key metrics that provide useful information about the nature of our operations. Client markets provide insight into the breadth of our expertise.  Client type is an indicator of the diversity of our client base.  Revenue by contract mix provides insight in terms of the degree of performance risk that we have assumed.

 

SOURCE ICF