ACINX
ACINX
Columbia Acorn International InstIncome Statement
| Period | Revenue | Operating Expense | Net Income | Net Profit Margin | Earnings Per Share | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4-2023 | $91.5M ▼ | $77.36M ▼ | $4.7M ▲ | 5.14% ▲ | $0.12 ▲ | $-321K ▲ |
| Q3-2023 | $92.53M ▲ | $79.8M ▲ | $3.02M ▲ | 3.27% ▲ | $0.07 ▲ | $-1.02M ▲ |
| Q2-2023 | $89.39M ▲ | $77.76M ▼ | $227K ▲ | 0.25% ▲ | $0.01 ▲ | $-2.36M ▲ |
| Q1-2023 | $87.96M ▲ | $79.44M ▲ | $-4.27M ▼ | -4.86% ▼ | $-0.11 ▼ | $-5.42M ▼ |
| Q4-2022 | $83.13M | $76.25M | $-1.3M | -1.56% | $-0.04 | $2.98M |
What's going well?
Net profit and earnings per share jumped, thanks to higher interest income and better cost control. Operating losses are shrinking, and the company keeps a high gross margin.
What's concerning?
Revenue is flat and gross margins are slipping a bit. The core business is still losing money, and profits rely heavily on interest income rather than operations.
Balance Statement
| Period | Cash & Short-term | Total Assets | Total Liabilities | Total Equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4-2023 | $417.37M ▲ | $1.02B ▲ | $667.83M ▼ | $355.77M ▲ |
| Q3-2023 | $398.75M ▼ | $1B ▲ | $678.07M ▲ | $322.53M ▲ |
| Q2-2023 | $427.74M ▼ | $971.62M ▲ | $669.66M ▼ | $301.96M ▲ |
| Q1-2023 | $463M ▲ | $956.63M ▲ | $673.23M ▲ | $283.4M ▲ |
| Q4-2022 | $462.05M | $923.8M | $658.07M | $265.73M |
What's financially strong about this company?
The company has nearly $417 million in cash and short-term investments, easily covering its short-term debts. Equity is growing, and there are no hidden liabilities or big near-term debt payments.
What are the financial risks or weaknesses?
Retained earnings are negative, showing a history of losses. Debt is moderate and equity, while positive, is not huge compared to liabilities.
Cash Flow Statement
| Period | Net Income | Cash From Operations | Cash From Investing | Cash From Financing | Net Change | Free Cash Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4-2023 | $4.7M ▲ | $27.55M ▲ | $25.49M ▲ | $527K ▲ | $53.79M ▲ | $27.41M ▲ |
| Q3-2023 | $3.02M ▲ | $23.4M ▲ | $-55.67M ▼ | $198K ▲ | $-32.36M ▼ | $23.18M ▲ |
| Q2-2023 | $227K ▲ | $18.73M ▲ | $48.58M ▲ | $46K ▼ | $67.46M ▲ | $18.37M ▲ |
| Q1-2023 | $-4.27M ▼ | $13.5M ▲ | $-8.62M ▲ | $2.08M ▲ | $6.9M ▲ | $13.18M ▲ |
| Q4-2022 | $-1.3M | $9.61M | $-76.52M | $1.72M | $-65.05M | $9.52M |
What's strong about this company's cash flow?
ACINX is producing strong, growing cash flow from its core operations. Cash on hand jumped by $54 million, and the business needs little capital to keep running. No debt or outside funding is needed.
What are the cash flow concerns?
Stock-based compensation is high, which could dilute shareholders over time. The big swing in investing cash flow may be a one-time event, and working capital benefits might not last.
5-Year Trend Analysis
A comprehensive look at Columbia Acorn International Inst's financial evolution and strategic trajectory over the past five years.
Key strengths include a high-margin, capital-light business model, strong operating and free cash flow, and a robust liquidity position. The fund has a clear niche in international small and mid-cap growth equities and is backed by a large, established asset manager with significant research resources. Its heavy investment in research and process, along with a disciplined bottom-up approach, supports its ability to find underappreciated opportunities in less-efficient markets.
Main risks center on profitability quality, leverage, and competitive pressures. Operating income and cash profits before financing remain negative, indicating that the cost base is high relative to current revenue. The firm carries a meaningful debt load and has accumulated losses over time, which reduces financial flexibility and heightens the importance of stable or growing fee income. Externally, it faces intense competition from other active managers and low-cost passive products, as well as exposure to global market, currency, and geopolitical volatility inherent in its international small- and mid-cap focus.
Looking ahead, the picture is balanced. The strong cash generation, limited capital spending needs, and solid liquidity give ACINX room to manage through market cycles and potentially strengthen its balance sheet over time. However, to improve long-term resilience, the business likely needs either sustained revenue growth, better cost discipline, or both to move from thin, fragile profitability toward more robust, recurring earnings. The fund’s future will hinge on its ability to translate its research investments and niche strategy into consistent performance and stable asset levels in an increasingly competitive and fee-conscious environment.
About Columbia Acorn International Inst
https://www.americancentury.comUnder normal circumstances, the fund invests a majority of its net assets in the common stock of small- and mid-sized companies with market capitalizations generally in the range of market capitalizations in the MSCI ACWI ex USA SMID Cap Growth Index (Net), the fund's primary benchmark, (the index) at the time of purchase.
Income Statement
| Period | Revenue | Operating Expense | Net Income | Net Profit Margin | Earnings Per Share | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4-2023 | $91.5M ▼ | $77.36M ▼ | $4.7M ▲ | 5.14% ▲ | $0.12 ▲ | $-321K ▲ |
| Q3-2023 | $92.53M ▲ | $79.8M ▲ | $3.02M ▲ | 3.27% ▲ | $0.07 ▲ | $-1.02M ▲ |
| Q2-2023 | $89.39M ▲ | $77.76M ▼ | $227K ▲ | 0.25% ▲ | $0.01 ▲ | $-2.36M ▲ |
| Q1-2023 | $87.96M ▲ | $79.44M ▲ | $-4.27M ▼ | -4.86% ▼ | $-0.11 ▼ | $-5.42M ▼ |
| Q4-2022 | $83.13M | $76.25M | $-1.3M | -1.56% | $-0.04 | $2.98M |
What's going well?
Net profit and earnings per share jumped, thanks to higher interest income and better cost control. Operating losses are shrinking, and the company keeps a high gross margin.
What's concerning?
Revenue is flat and gross margins are slipping a bit. The core business is still losing money, and profits rely heavily on interest income rather than operations.
Balance Statement
| Period | Cash & Short-term | Total Assets | Total Liabilities | Total Equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4-2023 | $417.37M ▲ | $1.02B ▲ | $667.83M ▼ | $355.77M ▲ |
| Q3-2023 | $398.75M ▼ | $1B ▲ | $678.07M ▲ | $322.53M ▲ |
| Q2-2023 | $427.74M ▼ | $971.62M ▲ | $669.66M ▼ | $301.96M ▲ |
| Q1-2023 | $463M ▲ | $956.63M ▲ | $673.23M ▲ | $283.4M ▲ |
| Q4-2022 | $462.05M | $923.8M | $658.07M | $265.73M |
What's financially strong about this company?
The company has nearly $417 million in cash and short-term investments, easily covering its short-term debts. Equity is growing, and there are no hidden liabilities or big near-term debt payments.
What are the financial risks or weaknesses?
Retained earnings are negative, showing a history of losses. Debt is moderate and equity, while positive, is not huge compared to liabilities.
Cash Flow Statement
| Period | Net Income | Cash From Operations | Cash From Investing | Cash From Financing | Net Change | Free Cash Flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4-2023 | $4.7M ▲ | $27.55M ▲ | $25.49M ▲ | $527K ▲ | $53.79M ▲ | $27.41M ▲ |
| Q3-2023 | $3.02M ▲ | $23.4M ▲ | $-55.67M ▼ | $198K ▲ | $-32.36M ▼ | $23.18M ▲ |
| Q2-2023 | $227K ▲ | $18.73M ▲ | $48.58M ▲ | $46K ▼ | $67.46M ▲ | $18.37M ▲ |
| Q1-2023 | $-4.27M ▼ | $13.5M ▲ | $-8.62M ▲ | $2.08M ▲ | $6.9M ▲ | $13.18M ▲ |
| Q4-2022 | $-1.3M | $9.61M | $-76.52M | $1.72M | $-65.05M | $9.52M |
What's strong about this company's cash flow?
ACINX is producing strong, growing cash flow from its core operations. Cash on hand jumped by $54 million, and the business needs little capital to keep running. No debt or outside funding is needed.
What are the cash flow concerns?
Stock-based compensation is high, which could dilute shareholders over time. The big swing in investing cash flow may be a one-time event, and working capital benefits might not last.
5-Year Trend Analysis
A comprehensive look at Columbia Acorn International Inst's financial evolution and strategic trajectory over the past five years.
Key strengths include a high-margin, capital-light business model, strong operating and free cash flow, and a robust liquidity position. The fund has a clear niche in international small and mid-cap growth equities and is backed by a large, established asset manager with significant research resources. Its heavy investment in research and process, along with a disciplined bottom-up approach, supports its ability to find underappreciated opportunities in less-efficient markets.
Main risks center on profitability quality, leverage, and competitive pressures. Operating income and cash profits before financing remain negative, indicating that the cost base is high relative to current revenue. The firm carries a meaningful debt load and has accumulated losses over time, which reduces financial flexibility and heightens the importance of stable or growing fee income. Externally, it faces intense competition from other active managers and low-cost passive products, as well as exposure to global market, currency, and geopolitical volatility inherent in its international small- and mid-cap focus.
Looking ahead, the picture is balanced. The strong cash generation, limited capital spending needs, and solid liquidity give ACINX room to manage through market cycles and potentially strengthen its balance sheet over time. However, to improve long-term resilience, the business likely needs either sustained revenue growth, better cost discipline, or both to move from thin, fragile profitability toward more robust, recurring earnings. The fund’s future will hinge on its ability to translate its research investments and niche strategy into consistent performance and stable asset levels in an increasingly competitive and fee-conscious environment.

CEO
Jonathan S. Thomas

