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Descartes Systems Q2 profit jumps 22%

Canadian supply chain SaaS provider eyes acquisition opportunities as growth continues during pandemic

Descartes Systems Group is continuing to grow profits on higher demand for supply chain visibility products. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Descartes Systems Group (NASDAQ:DSGX) reported a 22% increase in net income in its second-quarter financial results Wednesday as the Canadian supply chain software provider pushed its profits higher on steady revenue growth.

Descartes had net income of $10.5 million, or 12 cents per share, on $84 million in revenue. The company’s revenue increased by 4% compared to a year earlier. The results were in line with analysts’ expectations, according to Yahoo Finance

The results suggest demand for Descartes’ supply chain visibility products is outpacing strains on some customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had a great quarter,” Descartes CEO Edward Ryan told financial analysts during a conference call Wednesday evening.


Descartes saw an uptick in sales during the latter part of the quarter as global trade volumes recovered. But Ryan noted that some sectors continue to lag.

“Air cargo still has a way to go,” Ryan said.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider is continuing to look for acquisition opportunities, following its purchases of Peoplevox and Kontainers

“Lots of things are for sale right now,” Ryan said.  


Ryan noted that valuations were high and the company would be cautious about paying a large premium on an acquisition target. 

Descartes, meanwhile, is continuing with its global restructuring. The company is reducing its global workforce by 5% and eliminating certain locations to cut costs.

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Nate Tabak

Nate Tabak is a Toronto-based journalist and producer who covers cybersecurity and cross-border trucking and logistics for FreightWaves. He spent seven years reporting stories in the Balkans and Eastern Europe as a reporter, producer and editor based in Kosovo. He previously worked at newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the San Jose Mercury News. He graduated from UC Berkeley, where he studied the history of American policing. Contact Nate at ntabak@freightwaves.com.