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Mar 31, 2020

Discover Q1 2020 Earnings Report

Discover reported a net loss due to the impact of the coronavirus and increased provision for credit losses.

Key Takeaways

Discover Financial Services reported a net loss of $61 million, or ($0.25) per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2020, compared to a net income of $726 million, or $2.15 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2019. The results were heavily impacted by the emerging effects of the coronavirus and an increase in the provision for credit losses.

Net loss of $61 million, or ($0.25) per diluted share.

Total loans ended the quarter at $93.0 billion, up 5% year-over-year.

Payment Services volume was $63.9 billion, up 5% year-over-year.

Company suspended share repurchase program in March.

Total Revenue
$2.89B
Previous year: $2.76B
+4.5%
EPS
-$0.25
Previous year: $2.15
-111.6%
Cash and Equivalents
$10B
Previous year: $15.2B
-33.9%
Free Cash Flow
$1.62B
Previous year: $2.25B
-28.1%
Total Assets
$113B
Previous year: $111B
+1.7%

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Discover Revenue by Segment

Forward Guidance

The company has taken decisive actions including suspending our share repurchase program, launching payment programs to support our customers, and implementing $400 million of expense reductions.

Positive Outlook

  • Enabled nearly 100% of employees to work from home
  • Enhanced employee support programs
  • Funded incremental community support
  • Established 'Skip-a-Payment' programs for impacted customers
  • Implemented actions to mitigate impact of pandemic on future credit performance

Challenges Ahead

  • The effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 ('COVID-19') pandemic and measures taken to mitigate the pandemic
  • Changes in economic variables, such as the availability of consumer credit, the housing market, energy costs, the number and size of personal bankruptcy filings, the rate of unemployment, the levels of consumer confidence and consumer debt, and investor sentiment
  • The impact of current, pending and future legislation, regulation, supervisory guidance, and regulatory and legal actions, including, but not limited to, those related to tax reform, financial regulatory reform, consumer financial services practices, anti-corruption, and funding, capital and liquidity
  • The actions and initiatives of current and potential competitors
  • The company's ability to manage its expenses