Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Forward Looking Statements
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and with our audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (our “2022 Form 10-K”).
In addition to historical condensed consolidated financial information, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that reflect, among other things, our current expectations and anticipated results of operations, all of which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, market trends, or industry results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Therefore, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such, including statements regarding the structure, timing and completion of the proposed Merger (as defined below); any anticipated effects of the announcement, pendency or completion of the proposed Merger on the value of our Class A common stock; ability to obtain any required regulatory approvals in connection with the proposed Merger; expenses related to the proposed Merger and any potential future costs; future financial and operational results, our business strategy, the future impact of macroeconomic trends, such as inflation and increased interest rates, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial results, and financial condition, benefits of acquisitions, and planned capital expenditures. Without limiting the foregoing, the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plans,” “projects,” “should,” “would,” “targets,” “will” and the negative thereof and similar words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Unless legally required, we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking information to reflect actual results or changes in the factors affecting such forward-looking information.
We caution you that any such forward-looking statements are further qualified by important factors that could cause our actual operating results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation, regional, national, or global political, economic, business, competitive, market, and regulatory conditions and the following: risks related to the proposed Merger, including that the Merger may not be consummated at all or in the anticipated timeframe; the potential for securities class action and derivative lawsuits and other legal or regulatory proceedings in connection with the Merger; restrictions on our business during the pendency of the Merger that could affect our ability to pursue business opportunities or strategic transactions; uncertainties relating to the pendency of the Merger relating to our relationships with our employees and third-party business partners; our potential failure to generate a large number of new business awards and the risk of delay, termination, reduction in scope, or failure to go to contract of our business awards; our potential failure to convert backlog to revenue; fluctuations in our operating results and effective income tax rate; risks associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; concentration of our customers or therapeutic areas; our potential failure to successfully increase our market share, grow our business, and execute our growth strategies; the impact of potentially underpricing our contracts, overrunning our cost estimates, or failing to receive approval for or experiencing delays with documentation of change orders; cyber-security and other risks associated with our information systems infrastructure; changes and costs of compliance with regulations related to data privacy; the risks associated with doing business internationally, including risks related to the war in Ukraine; challenges by tax authorities of our intercompany transfer pricing policies; our ability to effectively upgrade our information systems; failure to meet objectives of internal business transformation initiatives and dependence on third parties for outsourcing; our failure to perform our services in accordance with contractual requirements, regulatory standards, and ethical considerations; risks related to the management of clinical trials; the need to hire, develop, and retain key personnel; the impact of unfavorable economic conditions, including the uncertain international economic environment and
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changes in foreign currency exchange rates; our ability to protect our intellectual property; risks related to our acquisition strategy, including our ability to realize synergies; risks related to stockholder activism; our relationships with customers who are in competition with each other; any failure to realize the full value of our goodwill and intangible assets; our compliance with anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws; our dependence on third parties; potential employment liability; the increasing focus on environmental sustainability and social initiatives and impacts on our operations from climate change; our ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes; downgrades of our credit ratings; competition in the biopharmaceutical services industry; outsourcing trends and changes in aggregate spending and research and development budgets; the impact of, including changes in, government regulations and healthcare reform; intense competition faced by our customers from lower cost generic products and other competing products; our ability to keep pace with rapid technological change; the cost of and our ability to service our substantial indebtedness; and other risks related to ownership of our Class A common stock. For a further discussion of the risks relating to our business, refer to Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2022 Form 10-K.
As used in this report, the terms “Syneos Health, Inc.,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” mean Syneos Health, Inc. and its subsidiaries unless the context indicates otherwise.
Overview of Our Business and Services
We are a leading fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization built to accelerate customer success. We translate unique clinical, medical affairs and commercial insights into outcomes to address modern market realities.
Our operations are divided into two reportable segments, Clinical Solutions and Commercial Solutions. Our Clinical Solutions segment offers comprehensive global services for the development of diagnostics, drugs, biologics, devices, and digital therapeutics that span Phases I to IV of clinical development. Our Commercial Solutions segment provides commercialization services, including deployment solutions, communications services (public relations, advertising, and medical communications), and consulting services. We integrate our clinical and commercial capabilities into customized solutions by sharing knowledge, data, and insights. This collaboration across the development and commercialization continuum facilitates unique insights into patient populations, therapeutic environments, product timelines, and the competitive landscape. For further discussion, refer to “Note 11 – Segment Information” to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
In our Clinical Solutions segment, we have experienced lower flow of requests for proposals. In the small to mid-sized (“SMID”) market, requests for proposals have continued to improve over the past six months. For larger pharmaceutical companies, we continue to experience lower flow of requests for proposals. In our Commercial Solutions segment, we have experienced lower flow of requests for proposals from both the SMID market and larger pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, net new business awards, backlog, and revenue have been, and we expect will continue to be affected by the broad effects of the current macroeconomic environment on the global economy and major financial markets, including but not limited to interest rate increases, inflation, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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We are pursuing business transformation initiatives to improve customer engagement, increase innovation, and achieve operating efficiencies. These initiatives include enhancing customer engagement and infusing innovation and insights throughout our operations, integrating artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to drive faster data insights and patient outcomes, leveraging tools and automation to simplify processes and improve real-time visibility, optimizing our operational footprint, and streamlining the organization and outsourcing where we believe appropriate. We also seek to improve our productivity, flexibility, quality, functionality, and cost savings by investing in the development and implementation of global platforms and integration of our business processes and functions to achieve economies of scale. These various initiatives, in particular Project Velocity, are expected to incur material costs over the medium- to long-term and may not yield their intended improvements, or be completed in a timely manner, which may impact our competitiveness and our ability to meet our growth objectives and, as a result, materially and adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition. For a further discussion of these and other risks relating to our business, refer to Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2022 Form 10-K.
Proposed Merger
On May 10, 2023, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Star Parent, Inc., an affiliated entity of Elliott Investment Management, Patient Square Capital and Veritas Capital (“Parent”), and Star Merger Sub, Inc., pursuant to which, at closing (the “Effective Time”), the Company will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent and each share of Class A common stock of the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be cancelled and extinguished and, except for limited exceptions, be entitled to receive $43.00 in cash (the “Merger”). If the Merger is consummated, our shares of Class A common stock will no longer trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC and will be deregistered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. As a result, we will become a private company. The closing of the Merger is expected to be completed during the second half of 2023.
We have incurred approximately $5.2 million as of March 31, 2023, and will continue to incur significant costs and expenses, including fees for professional services and other transaction costs, in connection with the Merger.
For additional information regarding the terms of the proposed Merger, see “Note 16 – Subsequent Event” to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Part II, Item 1A – Risk Factors of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Merger Agreement, which has been filed as Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K that we filed with the SEC on May 10, 2023. There is no guarantee that the Merger will be consummated.
New Business Awards and Backlog
We add new business awards to backlog when we enter into a contract or when we receive a written commitment from the customer selecting us as a service provider, provided that:
•collection of the award value is probable;
•the project or projects are expected to commence within a certain period of time from the end of the quarter in which the award was granted;
•project contingencies such as the outcome of other clinical trials, funding approvals, or other events, are not anticipated to prevent the project or projects from commencing in accordance with the expected timeline;
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•the customer has entered or intends to enter into a comprehensive contract as soon as practicable; and
•for awards related to deployment solutions and functional service provider offerings, a maximum of twelve months of services are included in the award value.
In addition, we continually evaluate our backlog to determine if any of the previously awarded work is no longer expected to be performed, regardless of whether we have received formal cancellation notice from the customer. If we determine that any previously awarded work is no longer probable of being performed, we remove the value from our backlog based on the risk of cancellation. We recognize revenue from these awards as services are performed, provided we have received proper authorization from the customer.
We report new business awards for our Clinical Solutions and Commercial Solutions segments on a trailing twelve months (“TTM”) basis. Our total backlog represents backlog for our Clinical Solutions segment and the deployment solutions offering within our Commercial Solutions segment. We do not report backlog for the remaining service offerings in the Commercial Solutions segment.
Backlog
Our backlog consists of anticipated future revenue from business awards that either have not started, or that are in process and have not been completed. Our backlog also reflects any cancellation or adjustment activity related to these awards. The average duration of our contracts will fluctuate from period to period based on the contracts comprising our backlog at any given time. The majority of our contracts contain early termination provisions that typically require notice periods ranging from 30 to 90 days.
Our backlog as of March 31 was as follows (in millions):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
Change |
|
Clinical Solutions |
|
$ |
8,977.5 |
|
|
$ |
10,772.3 |
|
|
$ |
(1,794.8 |
) |
|
|
(16.7 |
)% |
Commercial Solutions - Deployment Solutions |
|
|
855.6 |
|
|
|
861.8 |
|
|
|
(6.2 |
) |
|
|
(0.7 |
)% |
Total backlog |
|
$ |
9,833.1 |
|
|
$ |
11,634.1 |
|
|
$ |
(1,801.0 |
) |
|
|
(15.5 |
)% |
We expect approximately $3.31 billion of our backlog as of March 31, 2023 will be recognized as revenue during the remainder of 2023. We adjust the amount of our backlog each quarter for the effects of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
Net New Business Awards
New business awards, net of cancellations, for the TTM period ended March 31 were as follows (in millions):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
Clinical Solutions |
|
$ |
2,313.3 |
|
|
$ |
4,392.9 |
|
Commercial Solutions |
|
|
1,385.0 |
|
|
|
1,399.6 |
|
Total net new business awards |
|
$ |
3,698.3 |
|
|
$ |
5,792.5 |
|
New business awards have varied and may continue to vary significantly from quarter to quarter. Fluctuations in our net new business award levels often result from the fact that we may receive a small number of relatively large orders in any given reporting period. Because of these large orders, our backlog and net new business awards in a reporting period may reach levels that are not sustainable in subsequent reporting periods.
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We believe that our backlog and net new business awards might not be consistent indicators of future revenue for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, changes to the scope of work during the course of projects, including the variable size and duration of projects, and our ability to win repeat business. Additionally, projects may be canceled or delayed by the customer or regulatory authorities. We generally do not have a contractual right to the full amount of the awards reflected in our backlog. If a customer cancels an award, we might be reimbursed for the costs we have incurred. As we increasingly compete for and enter into large contracts that are more global in nature, the rate at which our backlog and net new business awards convert into revenue may decrease, and the duration of projects and the period over which related revenue is recognized may lengthen. For more information about risks related to our net new business awards and backlog see Part I, Item 1A,“Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business – Our backlog might not be indicative of our future revenues, and we might not realize all of the anticipated future revenue reflected in our backlog” and “ – If we do not generate a sufficient number of new business awards, or if new business awards are delayed, terminated, reduced in scope, or fail to go to contract, our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows may be materially adversely affected” in our 2022 Form 10-K.
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth amounts from our condensed consolidated statements of operations along with dollar and percentage changes (in thousands, except percentages):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
Change |
|
Revenue |
|
$ |
1,356,800 |
|
|
$ |
1,336,253 |
|
|
$ |
20,547 |
|
|
|
1.5 |
% |
Costs and operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Direct costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) |
|
|
1,088,549 |
|
|
|
1,044,432 |
|
|
|
44,117 |
|
|
|
4.2 |
% |
Selling, general, and administrative expenses |
|
|
161,517 |
|
|
|
140,166 |
|
|
|
21,351 |
|
|
|
15.2 |
% |
Restructuring and other costs |
|
|
84,687 |
|
|
|
15,557 |
|
|
|
69,130 |
|
|
|
444.4 |
% |
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
61,587 |
|
|
|
62,202 |
|
|
|
(615 |
) |
|
|
(1.0 |
)% |
Total operating expenses |
|
|
1,396,340 |
|
|
|
1,262,357 |
|
|
|
133,983 |
|
|
|
10.6 |
% |
(Loss) income from operations |
|
|
(39,540 |
) |
|
|
73,896 |
|
|
|
(113,436 |
) |
|
n/m |
|
Total other expense, net |
|
|
35,622 |
|
|
|
20,404 |
|
|
|
15,218 |
|
|
|
74.6 |
% |
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes |
|
|
(75,162 |
) |
|
|
53,492 |
|
|
|
(128,654 |
) |
|
n/m |
|
Income tax (benefit) expense |
|
|
(3,013 |
) |
|
|
7,316 |
|
|
|
(10,329 |
) |
|
n/m |
|
Net (loss) income |
|
$ |
(72,149 |
) |
|
$ |
46,176 |
|
|
$ |
(118,325 |
) |
|
n/m |
|
Revenue
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, our revenue increased by $20.5 million, or 1.5%, to $1,356.8 million from $1,336.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. This increase was primarily driven by higher reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses, partially offset by negative impacts from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates of $11.1 million.
No single customer accounted for greater than 10% of our total consolidated revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2023 or 2022. Revenue from our top five customers accounted for approximately 24% and 23% of revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Revenue for each of our segments was as follows (dollars in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
% of total |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
% of total |
|
|
Change |
|
Clinical Solutions |
|
$ |
1,013,665 |
|
|
|
74.7 |
% |
|
$ |
1,018,370 |
|
|
|
76.2 |
% |
|
$ |
(4,705 |
) |
|
|
(0.5 |
)% |
Commercial Solutions |
|
|
343,135 |
|
|
|
25.3 |
% |
|
|
317,883 |
|
|
|
23.8 |
% |
|
|
25,252 |
|
|
|
7.9 |
% |
Total revenue |
|
$ |
1,356,800 |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
1,336,253 |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
20,547 |
|
|
|
1.5 |
% |
26
Table of Contents
Clinical Solutions
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, revenue attributable to our Clinical Solutions segment decreased compared to the same period in the prior year primarily driven by decreased project start-ups and negative impacts from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates of $6.6 million, partially offset by higher reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses.
Commercial Solutions
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, revenue attributable to our Commercial Solutions segment increased compared to the same period in the prior year primarily driven by higher reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses, partially offset by negative impacts from fluctuations in foreign currency exchanges rates of $4.5 million.
Direct Costs
Direct costs consist principally of compensation expense and benefits associated with our employees and other employee-related costs, and reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses directly related to delivering on our projects. While we have some ability to manage the majority of these costs relative to the amount of contracted services we have during any given period, direct costs as a percentage of revenue can vary from period to period. Such fluctuations are due to a variety of factors, including, among others: (i) the level of staff utilization on our projects; (ii) adjustments to the timing of work on specific customer contracts; (iii) the experience mix of personnel assigned to projects; (iv) the service mix and pricing of our contracts; and (v) the timing of the incurrence of reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses.
Direct costs were as follows (dollars in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
Change |
|
Direct costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) |
|
$ |
1,088,549 |
|
|
$ |
1,044,432 |
|
|
$ |
44,117 |
|
|
|
4.2 |
% |
% of revenue |
|
|
80.2 |
% |
|
|
78.2 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross margin % |
|
|
19.8 |
% |
|
|
21.8 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, our direct costs increased by $44.1 million, or 4.2%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2022.
Clinical Solutions
Direct costs for our Clinical Solutions segment, excluding share-based compensation expense, were as follows (dollars in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
Change |
|
Direct costs |
|
$ |
787,388 |
|
|
$ |
774,668 |
|
|
$ |
12,720 |
|
|
|
1.6 |
% |
% of segment revenue |
|
|
77.7 |
% |
|
|
76.1 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Segment gross margin % |
|
|
22.3 |
% |
|
|
23.9 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, our Clinical Solutions segment direct costs increased by $12.7 million, or 1.6%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2022. This increase was primarily driven by higher reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses and personnel costs, partially offset by positive impacts from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
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Table of Contents
Gross margins for our Clinical Solutions segment were 22.3% and 23.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Gross margin was lower during the current year period as compared to the same period in the prior year primarily due to increased personnel costs and higher reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses, partially offset by positive impacts from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
Commercial Solutions
Direct costs for our Commercial Solutions segment, excluding share-based compensation expense, were as follows (dollars in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
Change |
|
Direct costs |
|
$ |
290,639 |
|
|
$ |
260,965 |
|
|
$ |
29,674 |
|
|
|
11.4 |
% |
% of segment revenue |
|
|
84.7 |
% |
|
|
82.1 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Segment gross margin % |
|
|
15.3 |
% |
|
|
17.9 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, our Commercial Solutions segment direct costs increased by $29.7 million, or 11.4%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2022. This increase was primarily driven by higher reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses.
Gross margins for our Commercial Solutions segment were 15.3% and 17.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Gross margin was lower during the current year period as compared to the same period in the prior year primarily due to higher reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses and a less favorable revenue mix, driven by new deployments of field teams.
Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general, and administrative expenses were as follows (dollars in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
Change |
|
Selling, general, and administrative expenses |
|
$ |
161,517 |
|
|
$ |
140,166 |
|
|
$ |
21,351 |
|
|
|
15.2 |
% |
% of total revenue |
|
|
11.9 |
% |
|
|
10.5 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selling, general, and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2023 increased compared to the same period in 2022 primarily due to higher transaction, integration-related, and other expenses related to our business transformation initiatives.
Restructuring and Other Costs
Restructuring and other costs were $84.7 million and $15.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The costs incurred during the current year were primarily related to our real estate optimization initiative to close or reduce office space that is no longer being utilized. This includes $54.7 million of accelerated amortization of operating lease right-of-use assets and $18.0 million of accelerated depreciation of property and equipment, both of which are non-cash expenses.
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Table of Contents
Restructuring and other costs consisted of the following (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
Employee severance and benefit costs |
|
$ |
10,180 |
|
|
$ |
14,820 |
|
Leased facility closure and related costs |
|
|
74,313 |
|
|
|
(319 |
) |
Other costs |
|
|
194 |
|
|
|
1,056 |
|
Total restructuring and other costs |
|
$ |
84,687 |
|
|
$ |
15,557 |
|
We expect to continue to incur costs related to our business transformation initiatives, including the potential outsourcing of certain administrative functions during the remainder of 2023 and beyond as we continue the ongoing evaluations of our global workforce and facilities infrastructure needs to improve customer engagement, increase innovation, and achieve operating efficiencies.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense
Total depreciation and amortization expense was $61.6 million and $62.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The decrease in total depreciation and amortization expense in the current year period compared to the prior year period was primarily due to fully amortized intangible assets from prior acquisitions, partially offset by amortization expense from internal-use software.
Total Other Expense, Net
Total other expense, net consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
Change |
|
Interest income |
|
$ |
(528 |
) |
|
$ |
(3 |
) |
|
$ |
(525 |
) |
|
|
(17500.0 |
)% |
Interest expense |
|
|
26,787 |
|
|
|
15,765 |
|
|
|
11,022 |
|
|
|
69.9 |
% |
Other expense, net |
|
|
9,363 |
|
|
|
4,642 |
|
|
|
4,721 |
|
|
|
101.7 |
% |
Total other expense, net |
|
$ |
35,622 |
|
|
$ |
20,404 |
|
|
$ |
15,218 |
|
|
|
74.6 |
% |
Total other expense, net was $35.6 million and $20.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase in total other expense, net in the current period was driven by an increase in interest expense primarily due to increased interest rates on variable rate debt as compared to the prior year period. Other expense, net primarily consists of foreign currency gains and losses that result from exchange rate fluctuations on our monetary asset balances denominated in currencies other than our functional currency and other gains and losses related to investments. Due to higher variable interest rates, we expect to experience higher interest expense during 2023.
Income Tax (Benefit) Expense
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, we recorded an income tax benefit of $3.0 million on a pre-tax loss of $75.2 million. Income tax benefit for the three months ended March 31, 2023 included discrete tax expense of $5.6 million, primarily related to tax shortfalls from share-based compensation. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2023, excluding discrete items, varied from the United States (“U.S.”) federal statutory income tax rate of 21.0% primarily due to foreign tax credits, foreign income inclusions such as the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”) provisions, and research and development credits.
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For the three months ended March 31, 2022, we recorded income tax expense of $7.3 million on pre-tax income of $53.5 million. Income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2022 included a discrete tax benefit of $6.1 million, primarily related to excess tax benefits from share-based compensation. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2022, excluding discrete items, varied from the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 21.0% primarily due to foreign income inclusions such as the GILTI provisions, state and local taxes on U.S. income, and research and development credits.
We currently maintain a valuation allowance against a portion of our state deferred tax assets and a portion of our foreign deferred tax assets as of March 31, 2023. We intend to continue to maintain a valuation allowance on these deferred tax assets until there is sufficient evidence to support the reversal of all or some portion of these allowances.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Key measures of our liquidity were as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 31, 2023 |
|
|
December 31, 2022 |
|
Balance sheet statistics: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
110,940 |
|
|
$ |
111,893 |
|
Restricted cash |
|
|
115 |
|
|
|
111 |
|
Working capital (excluding restricted cash) |
|
|
258,263 |
|
|
|
219,134 |
|
As of March 31, 2023, we had $111.1 million of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash. As of March 31, 2023, substantially all of our cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash was held within the U.S. In addition, we had $864.8 million (net of $14.2 million in outstanding letters of credit (“LOCs”)) available for borrowing under our revolving credit facility (the “Revolver”), of which $135.8 million was available for LOCs.
We have historically funded our operations and growth, including acquisitions, primarily with our working capital, cash flow from operations, and funds available through various borrowing arrangements. Our principal liquidity requirements are to fund our debt service obligations, capital expenditures, expansion of service offerings, possible acquisitions, integration and restructuring costs, geographic expansion, stock repurchases, working capital, and other general corporate expenses. Cash flow from operations also could be affected by the broad effects of the current macroeconomic environment on the global economy and major financial markets, including but not limited to interest rate increases, inflation, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as various other risks and uncertainties detailed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2022 Form 10-K. Based on past performance and current expectations, we believe our cash and cash equivalents, cash generated from operations, and funds available under the Revolver will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs, capital expenditures, scheduled debt and interest payments, income tax obligations, and other currently anticipated liquidity requirements for at least the next 12 months.
We may seek to raise additional capital, particularly in the event of a sustained market deterioration, which could be in the form of bonds, convertible debt, or equity. If we obtain additional capital by issuing equity, the interests of our existing stockholders will be diluted. If we incur additional indebtedness, that indebtedness may contain significant financial and other covenants that may significantly restrict our operations. We cannot assure you that we could obtain any refinancing or additional financing we may seek on favorable terms or at all.
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Indebtedness
As of March 31, 2023, we had approximately $2.68 billion of total principal indebtedness (including $60.2 million in finance lease obligations), consisting of a $1.35 billion term loan A facility, $121.0 million under the Revolver, $600.0 million of senior notes, and $550.0 million in borrowings against our accounts receivable financing agreement. During April 2023, we borrowed an additional $20.0 million on the Revolver. See “Note 3 – Long-Term Debt Obligations” of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as well as Part II, Item 7 of our 2022 Form 10-K for additional details regarding our long-term debt arrangements.
Our long-term debt arrangements contain customary restrictive covenants and, as of March 31, 2023, we were in compliance with all applicable debt covenants.
Interest Rates
In March 2023, we entered into interest rate swaps with multiple counterparties. The interest rate swaps had an initial aggregate notional value of $650.0 million, an effective date of March 31, 2023, and will expire on March 31, 2026.
We have entered into these interest rate swaps to mitigate our exposure to changes in interest rates on our variable rate debt. As of March 31, 2023, the percentage of our total principal debt (excluding finance leases) that is subject to fixed interest rates was approximately 48%. Each quarter-point increase or decrease in the applicable floating interest rate as of March 31, 2023 would change our annual interest expense by approximately $3.4 million.
Stock Repurchase Program
Our repurchase program authorizes us to repurchase up to an aggregate of $350.0 million of our Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, through December 31, 2024 (the “2022 Stock Repurchase Program”). During the three months ended March 31, 2023, there were no repurchases under the 2022 Stock Repurchase Program. As of March 31, 2023, we had remaining authorization to repurchase up to $350.0 million of shares of our Class A common stock under the 2022 Stock Repurchase Program. See “Note 7 – Shareholders’ Equity” of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for additional details.
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash
Our cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities were as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
Change |
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
|
$ |
30,424 |
|
|
$ |
70,887 |
|
|
$ |
(40,463 |
) |
Net cash used in investing activities |
|
|
(27,622 |
) |
|
|
(25,497 |
) |
|
|
(2,125 |
) |
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities |
|
|
199 |
|
|
|
(36,572 |
) |
|
|
36,771 |
|
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Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Cash flows provided by operating activities decreased by $40.5 million during the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to lower cash-related net income, partially offset by positive changes in operating assets and liabilities relative to the prior year period. Fluctuations in accounts receivable, unbilled services (including contract assets), and deferred revenue occur on a regular basis as we perform services, achieve milestones or other billing criteria, send invoices to customers, and collect outstanding accounts receivable. This activity varies by individual customer and contract. We attempt to negotiate payment terms that provide for payment of services prior to or soon after the provision of services, but the levels of accounts receivable, unbilled services (including contract assets), and deferred revenue can vary significantly from period to period.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, we used $27.6 million in cash for investing activities, which included $27.5 million for purchases of property and equipment. We continue to closely monitor our capital expenditures while making strategic investments in the development of our information technology infrastructure to meet the needs of our workforce, enable efficiencies, reduce business continuity risks, and conform to changes in governing rules and regulations.
For the three months ended March 31, 2022, we used $25.5 million in cash for investing activities, which included $23.5 million for purchases of property and equipment.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, cash flows provided by financing activities were $0.2 million, which consisted primarily of proceeds from our employee stock purchase plan, partially offset by payments related to tax withholdings for share-based compensation and finance leases.
For the three months ended March 31, 2022, we used $36.6 million in cash for financing activities, which consisted primarily of repurchases of our Class A common stock and payments related to tax withholdings for share-based compensation. These payments were partially funded by proceeds from our Revolver.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates, judgments, and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses during the period, as well as disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, including those related to revenue recognition, valuation of goodwill and identifiable intangibles, and tax-related contingencies and valuation allowances. These estimates are based on the information available to management at the time these estimates, judgments, and assumptions are made. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates. There have been no significant changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from those disclosed in our 2022 Form 10-K. For additional information on all of our critical accounting policies and estimates, refer to Part II – Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis included in our 2022 Form 10-K.