[May 02, 2013]

Blucora Announces First Quarter Results and Preliminary Tax Season Update

Blucora, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCOR) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013.

"Blucora is off to a strong start in 2013 in both the online search and tax preparation segments of the business," said Bill Ruckelshaus, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blucora. "We are especially pleased with the growth of TaxACT and our success in building DDIY market share in a highly-competitive and unpredictable tax season. The TaxACT results reflect the team's strong execution, successful product enhancements this season and our ability to drive consumer demand."

Highlights

• TaxACT consumer DDIY federal e-files were 5.3 million, up approximately 8% versus the same period last year
• TaxACT pro forma revenue expected to grow approximately 9% for the six months through June 30, 2013 versus the same period last year
• Search segment revenue and income up 34% and 37%, respectively, versus the first quarter of 2012
• Blucora issued $201.25 million of convertible senior notes

Segment Information

Search

Search segment revenue for the first quarter of 2013 reflects strong growth from search distribution and in our owned and operated properties, up 35 percent and 27 percent, respectively, over the first quarter of 2012. Search segment income for the first quarter of 2013 was $18.3 million, up 37 percent over the first quarter of 2012.

Tax Preparation

Tax preparation segment income for the first quarter of 2013 was $30.8 million, up 39 percent over the first quarter of 2012. The first quarter of 2012 excludes TaxACT operating results before January 31, 2012, as the Company acquired TaxACT on that date.

For the six months through June 30, 2013, TaxACT expects pro forma revenue growth of approximately 9 percent and pro forma segment income to be up approximately 7 - 8 percent compared to the same period last year.

TaxACT consumer DDIY federal e-files for the tax season were approximately 5.3 million, up approximately 8 percent compared to the same period last year. According to IRS statistics through April 19, total consumer DDIY federal e-files for the tax season were up 1.8 million, or 4 percent compared to the same period last year.

TaxACT professional preparer filings for the tax season grew approximately 10 percent compared to the same period last year. Combined TaxACT offerings assisted approximately 6.5 million filers this tax season.

Corporate Operating Expenses

Unallocated corporate operating expenses for the first quarter of 2013 were $3.2 million, down 16 percent from the first quarter of 2012.

Second Quarter Outlook

For the second quarter of 2013, the Company expects revenues to be between $113.0 million and $117.5 million, Adjusted EBITDA to be between $27.0 million and $28.5 million, Non-GAAP Net Income to be between $22.0 million and $23.5 million, or $0.51 to $0.55 per diluted share, and Net Income to be between $9.0 and $10.0 million, or $0.21 to $0.23 per diluted share. The Company's forward-looking guidance does not reflect potential gains or losses from derivative instruments.

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call and live webcast will be held today at 2 p.m. Pacific time / 5 p.m. Eastern time during which the Company will further discuss first quarter results and its outlook including tax preparation segment guidance for the second quarter of 2013, search segment guidance for the second quarter 2013, and search segment expectations for 2013. The supplemental materials are included in a current report on form 8-K filed today and can be accessed in the Investor Relations section of the Blucora corporate website at http://www.blucora.com. A replay of the call will also be available on our website for one year and are may be accessed under the "Events & Presentations" section of the Investor Center. You may also listen to the conference call audio on the Blucora YouTube Channel at www.YouTube.com/Blucora.

About Blucora™

Blucora operates two leading Internet businesses. Our InfoSpace business provides online search and monetization solutions to a network of more than 100 partners globally. Through TaxACT, we provide online tax preparation solutions to consumers and professional preparers. The Blucora team brings decades of experience operating and investing in desktop, online, and mobile businesses. We are passionate about the power of the Internet to improve the lives of consumers, and our businesses operate at the forefront of digital migration trends in their respective markets. More information about Blucora may be found at www.blucora.com. Follow and subscribe to us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations due to various risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to: general economic, industry, and market sector conditions; the timing and extent of market acceptance of developed products and services and related costs; our dependence on companies to distribute our products and services; the ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses; future acquisitions; the successful execution of the Company's strategic initiatives, operating plans, and marketing strategies; and the condition of our cash investments. A more detailed description of these and certain other factors that could affect actual results is included in Blucora, Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Blucora, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events, or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

⁽¹⁾ Blucora's Adjusted EBITDA is calculated by adjusting net income determined in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"), excluding the effects of discontinued operations (which includes loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes, and loss on sale of discontinued operations, net of taxes), income taxes, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense, and other loss (income), net (which includes such items as interest expense, interest income, gains or losses on derivative instruments, foreign currency gains or losses, gains or losses from the disposal of assets, adjustments to the fair values of contingent liabilities related to business combinations, gains on resolution of contingencies, and litigation settlements), as detailed above. Blucora's management believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company's performance. Blucora uses this non-GAAP financial measure for internal management and compensation purposes, when publicly providing guidance on possible future results, and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. Blucora believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a common measure used by investors and analysts to evaluate its performance, that it provides a more complete understanding of the results of operations and trends affecting the Company's business when viewed together with GAAP results, and that management and investors benefit from referring to this non-GAAP financial measure. Items excluded from Adjusted EBITDA should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, GAAP net income. Other companies may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently and, therefore, Blucora's Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Blucora defines non-GAAP net income differently for this report than the Company has defined it in the past, due to issuance of the senior convertible notes in March 2013. For this report, Blucora defines non-GAAP net income as net income, determined in accordance with GAAP, excluding the effects of loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, accretion of debt discount on convertible notes, gain or loss on derivative instruments, and the related cash tax impact of those adjustments, and non-cash income taxes from continuing operations as detailed in the accompanying table to the preliminary condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited). The Company excludes the non-cash portion of income tax expense because of its ability to offset a substantial portion of its cash tax liabilities by using these deferred tax assets (which consist primarily of U.S. federal net operating losses). The Company's management believes that excluding the non-cash portion of income tax expense from its GAAP net income provides meaningful supplemental information to investors and analysts regarding the Company's performance and the valuation of its business because of its ability to offset a substantial portion of its cash tax liabilities by using these deferred tax assets. The majority of these deferred tax assets will expire if unutilized in 2020.

Blucora's management believes that non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP earnings per share provide meaningful supplemental information to management, investors and analysts regarding the Company's performance and the valuation of its business by excluding items in the statement of operations that management does not consider part of the Company's ongoing operations or have not been, or are not expected to be, settled in cash. Additionally, Blucora's management believes that non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP earnings per share are common measures used by investors and analysts to evaluate the Company's performance and the valuation of its business. Non-GAAP net income should be evaluated in light of our financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, and should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, GAAP net income. Other companies may calculate non-GAAP net income differently, and therefore Blucora's non-GAAP net income may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

⁽²⁾ As presented in the Preliminary Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited).

⁽³⁾ Other loss (income), net includes such items as interest expense, interest income, derivative instrument gains or losses, accretion of debt discount and amortization of debt issuance costs, foreign currency gains or losses, and gains or losses from the disposal of assets,

⁽⁴⁾ Our new definition of non-GAAP net income does not impact presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure for prior periods.

⁽⁵⁾ Calculation excludes the income effect of dilutive derivative instruments as well as interest expense, amortization of debt issuance costs and accretion of debt discount on convertible debt, net of tax effect.

⁽⁶⁾ Other loss (income), net includes such items as interest expense, interest income, derivative instrument gains or losses, foreign currency gains or losses, gains or losses from the disposal of assets, adjustments to the fair values of contingent liabilities related to business combinations, gains on resolution of contingencies, and litigation settlements. The Company's forward-looking guidance does not reflect potential gains or losses from derivative instruments.

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