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A Strong Business Model and Recurring Revenue Are Key to Nielsen’s Financial Resilience

5 minute read | May 2015

Performance management, consumer focus and global presence underlie Nielsenโ€™s ability to deliver consistent performance through multi-year cycles. They also drive our financial resilience and keep us fiscally strong.

Financial Scorecard

Nielsen continues to achieve steady, single-digit revenue growth. An EBITDA-to-debt-leverage ratio that is normally in the range of 1.5x or more relative to revenue, strong adjusted net income growth and a 42% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2009 (which reflects our ongoing deleveraging efforts) have all yielded strong free cash flow growth, with 24% CAGR over this time period.

โ€œOur business model is incredibly compelling,โ€ said Jamere Jackson, Nielsenโ€™s Chief Financial Officer. “Our teams are executing and delivering outstanding financial results. We’re delivering consistent, steady mid-single digit revenue growth that has been remarkably resilient through the cycles. We have 35 consecutive quarters of constant currency revenue growth, and weโ€™re investing in key growth opportunities around the world.โ€

In addition, approximately 70% of the company’s revenues are committed under long-term contracts, providing a strong foundation for our solid revenue model.