May 9, 2024 - SLQT

SelectQuote's Secret Weapon: Why Wall Street is Missing the $500 Million Elephant in the Room

Buried within the dry financial details of SelectQuote's recent earnings call lies a hidden treasure that Wall Street seems to be overlooking. This isn't just about beating earnings expectations for the fourth consecutive quarter. It's about a fundamental shift in SelectQuote's business model, one that could redefine its future and leave analysts scrambling to revise their valuations.

The key lies in SelectQuote's rapidly growing Healthcare Services segment, specifically its SelectRx pharmacy service. While analysts are busy dissecting policy counts and LTVs in the Senior Medicare Advantage business, they're failing to grasp the sheer magnitude of the opportunity unfolding in SelectRx. This isn't just a nice little side hustle for SelectQuote anymore. It's a burgeoning powerhouse, poised to become a $500 million annual revenue behemoth by the end of this fiscal year, all while generating positive EBITDA and bolstering SelectQuote's overall cash flow.

The numbers tell a compelling story. SelectRx has smashed through its original membership target for the entire fiscal year, reaching nearly 63,000 members by the end of the second quarter. This is well ahead of the company's initial projection of just over 60,000 members, a testament to the service's strong value proposition and resonating appeal among consumers.

This extraordinary growth isn't just a fluke. It's a direct result of SelectQuote's strategic decision to leverage its existing Medicare Advantage lead generation engine to promote SelectRx to a highly receptive audience. The company has essentially tapped into a goldmine, realizing impressive synergies between its two key business segments. This has allowed SelectRx to scale rapidly without incurring exorbitant marketing costs, a crucial factor in its impressive cash flow generation.

But here's where things get truly fascinating. SelectQuote is just scratching the surface of SelectRx's potential. The company acknowledges that it has deliberately "leaned into member growth," even at the expense of short-term EBITDA margins. This implies that SelectQuote sees a massive runway for expansion in SelectRx, far beyond its current membership base.

Consider this: SelectQuote has generated nearly all of SelectRx's current membership through its Medicare Advantage leads. However, the company has hinted at the possibility of targeting a broader audience outside its core Medicare Advantage platform. Imagine the potential if SelectRx were to actively pursue the millions of Americans struggling to navigate the complex and often confusing world of prescription drug coverage.

The company's confidence in SelectRx's underlying profitability is evident. While onboarding costs associated with rapid member growth have temporarily dampened margins, SelectQuote maintains that SelectRx can achieve double-digit EBITDA margins as new members mature. This suggests that the company sees its current investment in member growth as a strategic decision, prioritizing long-term value creation over immediate profitability.

The Financial Impact of SelectRx

Let's delve deeper into the financial implications. SelectRx is already generating annualized run-rate revenue in the range of $250 million to $300 million. With the company anticipating 40% to 50% member growth for the full year, we can reasonably project that SelectRx will exit fiscal 2024 with an annualized run rate revenue of $500 million to $600 million. This is a staggering figure, considering that SelectQuote acquired the original pharmacy businesses that formed the foundation of SelectRx just three years ago.

Furthermore, SelectRx is proving to be a cash flow machine, further enhancing SelectQuote's overall financial strength. The service's recurring revenue model, with revenue recognized as prescriptions are shipped, ensures a steady and predictable cash flow stream. This is in stark contrast to the more volatile cash flows associated with the Senior Medicare Advantage business, where revenue recognition is tied to policy renewals.

Projected SelectRx Revenue Growth

The implications for SelectQuote's valuation are significant. While the company is currently trading at a market cap of around $500 million, its Healthcare Services segment alone could realistically be worth a multiple of that figure within a few years, considering its rapid growth, strong cash flow generation, and immense long-term potential.

Wall Street's myopic focus on SelectQuote's legacy insurance distribution business is causing it to miss the bigger picture. SelectRx is not just a promising new business line for SelectQuote. It's a game-changer, one that could propel the company to new heights and deliver substantial returns to investors who recognize the magnitude of this opportunity. The $500 million elephant in the room is growing larger by the day, and those who fail to acknowledge its presence risk being trampled by its enormous potential.

"Fun Fact: The average American fills 12 prescriptions per year. SelectRx's current membership base of 75,000 translates to a potential 900,000 prescriptions annually, highlighting the massive scale of the service."