2U, Inc. Is Delightfully Ahead of Schedule

2U Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU) announced second-quarter 2017 results on Monday after the market closed, highlighting exceptional revenue growth as the online higher-education company strikes new partnerships and continues to solidify its slate of future program launches.

Let's take a closer look at what 2U accomplished over the past few months, as well as what investors can expect from the company in the coming quarters.

2U results: The raw numbers

What happened with 2U this quarter?

• On an adjusted (non-GAAP) basis, which excludes items such as stock-based compensation and acquisition expenses, 2U incurred a net loss of $5.2 million, or $0.11 per share, compared with an adjusted net loss of $4.4 million, or $0.09 per share, in the same year-ago period.
• Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) was a loss of $1.5 million, narrowed from an adjusted EBITDA loss of $2.1 million in last year's second quarter.
• Each of these figures compares favorably with 2U's guidance provided last quarter, which called for lower revenue in the range of $64 million to $64.4 million, a wider adjusted net loss per share of $0.13 to $0.10, and a wider adjusted EBITDA loss in the range of $2.1 million to $1.7 million.
• On July 1, 2U closed on its $103 million acquisition (plus a potential earn-out payment of up to $20 million) of online short course specialist GetSmarter.
• Recently announced domestic graduate programs for launch in 2018 include:
• A suite of public health degrees at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• A suite of education degrees and a Master of Social Work degree at Fordham University.
• A master of business administration degree at Rice University.
• The Harvard Business Analytics Program at Harvard University.
• A master of science in communication disorders at Emerson College (pending faculty approval).
• A suite of education and behavioral science degrees with the University of Dayton's School of Education and Health Sciences.

What management had to say

2U co-founder and CEO Chip Paucek stated:

Looking forward

For the third quarter of 2017, 2U expects revenue of $68.8 million to $69.8 million, which should translate to a GAAP net loss of $16.3 million to $15.8 million (or $0.34 to $0.33 per share). On an adjusted basis, 2U's third-quarter net loss should be in the range of $9.9 million to $9.5 million, or $0.21 to $0.20 on a per-share basis. 2U also anticipates incurring an adjusted EBITDA loss for the quarter of $4.1 million to $3.7 million.

Finally, 2U increased its full-year 2017 revenue guidance, calling for sales of $282.7 million to $285.7 million, up from $269.4 million to $270.9 million previously. On the bottom line, that should result in a full-year GAAP net loss per share of $0.67 to $0.65, compared with a loss per share of $0.56 to $0.52 previously, and an adjusted net loss per share of $0.19 to $0.17, compared with $0.13 to $0.10 previously. Keep in mind that these ranges include expected results from GetSmarter for the duration of the year.

All things considered, this was another strong report from 2U, as it successfully implements its long-term plans for creating shareholder value. With shares already up nearly 70% year to date as of this writing, I won't be surprised if 2U stock continues to rise in kind.

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Steve Symington has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends 2U. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.