QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ:QNST) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

So that’s happening. It’s just insurance again. Top line is not fully back yet, nor is media efficiency, because not all the carriers are back fully yet, although we have some that just started coming back again this month. Obviously, we had a number of them coming back in January and then we have even more on their way. So, the outlook is very, very positive. I would also argue that, as we’ve looked at — we’ve been talking for the last couple of quarters about continuing to spend on these growth initiatives. I would argue suspending modesty momentarily that we’ve done that pretty optimally. We — in December, we spent — just we didn’t — we spent very aggressively on everything that we think made sense to spend on for the future in the noninsurance and insurance verticals.

And we still made $1 million EBITDA. So, we’re spending to the capacity we think makes sense, because we have great big long-term opportunities and we’re delivering opportunities. We’d see more opportunities to keep doing that and to keep growing at big scale and to keep big driving margins at big scale. So, I’d say right where we are, would we love for insurance to come back faster? It’s going to keep coming back. It does look very sustainable. And it looks — our own indications from the carriers are it’s going to continue to come and continue to scale and be sustainable because our rates are really reflective of the current environment and are delivering great results for them. But super happy with where we are. What’s happening is what we said was going to happen.

Jason Kreyer: Okay. Thank you for all that. Sorry, apologies in advance. I’ve got like a three-part question on Auto Insurance. So, I know January was a tougher comp for you and then the comps ease in February. So I just — first of all just, wondering if you can give a little bit more clarity on the cadence of what you’ve seen so far in early ’23. And then second question just if there’s any details you can provide on how traffic is ramping up like if there’s any numbers behind that? And then the third question. As you see these rate increases, I’m just curious if that means you’re making more money on all the opportunities that you’re delivering to the carriers.

Doug Valenti: Yes. Got you. The in early 2023 is kind of what we indicated quick snapback from a few of the bigger client carriers that are furthest along in terms of their rate and product adjustments are pretty immediate. And that’s why 60% Auto Insurance jumped from the December quarter to the March quarter. And we have other carriers, another big carrier I think just yesterday or maybe today coming back into the channel in a pretty significant way. And we’re talking to the carriers and they are all at different stages of coming back in. Some are back in very strongly, some are not yet, but planning it. We haven’t heard anybody say hey I’m just not going to be big in 2023. That’s just not something we’re hearing. So that’s kind of the cadence.

But again we’re — even with all that we’re $20 million shy of the pre-downturn peak in Auto Insurance revenue per quarter. So that gives you a sense and a feel for how much more top line leverage is to come. And also, as they — as more carriers come back, not unimportantly, we have more places to match consumers, which means we have better media efficiency, better media margins, better overall margins. So you have a double effect on overall margins as that happens. So it’s coming. It’s ramping. The ramp is — hard to say at this point the ramp is accelerating or not, but it’s a steep ramp 60% quarter-to-quarter is a steep ramp to begin with. And we expect, as we said continued ramping. That’s the indication, we’re getting from everybody. That’s the indication we’re getting from the industry in terms of the rate.