FTI Consulting (FCN) 10-Q2023 Q2 Quarterly report

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of FTI Consulting, Inc., including its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “FTI Consulting”), presented herein, have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and under the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial information. Some of the information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. In management’s opinion, the interim financial statements reflect all adjustments that are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. All adjustments made were normal recurring accruals. Results of operations for the interim periods presented herein are not necessarily indicative of results of operations for a full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC.

Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in preparation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Basic earnings per common share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share adjusts basic earnings per common share for the effects of potentially dilutive common shares. Potentially dilutive common shares include the dilutive effects of shares issuable under our equity compensation plans, including stock options and share-based awards (restricted share awards, restricted stock units and performance stock units), each using the treasury stock method.

We use the if-converted method for calculating the potential dilutive effect of the conversion feature of the principal amount of our 2.0% convertible senior notes due 2023 (“2023 Convertible Notes”) on earnings per common share. The conversion feature had a dilutive impact on earnings per common share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, as the average market price per share of our common stock for the periods exceeded the conversion price of $101.38 per share. See Note 8, “Debt” for additional information about the 2023 Convertible Notes.

We generate the majority of our revenues by providing consulting services to our clients. Revenues are recognized when we satisfy a performance obligation by transferring services promised in a contract to a customer and in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to receive in exchange for those services. Performance obligations in our contracts represent distinct or separate services that we provide to our customers. If, at the outset of an arrangement, we determine that a contract with enforceable rights and obligations does not exist, revenues are deferred until all criteria for an enforceable contract are met.

Revenues recognized during the current period may include revenues from performance obligations satisfied or partially satisfied in previous periods. This primarily occurs when the estimated transaction price has changed based on our current probability assessment over whether the agreed-upon outcome for our performance-based and contingent arrangements will be achieved. The aggregate amount of revenues recognized related to a change in the transaction price in the current period, which related to performance obligations satisfied or partially satisfied in a prior period, was $7.8 million and $5.4 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, respectively, and $11.6 million and $13.1 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively.

Unfulfilled performance obligations primarily consist of fees not yet recognized on certain fixed-fee arrangements and performance-based and contingent arrangements. As of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the aggregate amount of the remaining contract transaction price allocated to unfulfilled performance obligations was $6.5 million and $3.6 million, respectively. We expect to recognize the majority of the related revenues over the next 18 months. We elected to utilize the optional exemption to exclude from this disclosure fixed-fee and performance-based and contingent arrangements with an original expected duration of one year or less and to exclude our time and expense arrangements for which revenues are recognized using the right-to-invoice practical expedient.

Contract assets are defined as assets for which we have recorded revenues but are not yet entitled to receive our fees because certain events, such as completion of the measurement period or client approval, must occur. The contract asset balance was immaterial as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

Contract liabilities are defined as liabilities incurred when we have received consideration but have not yet performed the agreed-upon services. This may occur when clients pay fees before work begins. The contract liability balance was immaterial as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

The following table summarizes the components of “Accounts receivable, net” as presented on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:

Our provision for expected credit losses includes recoveries, direct write-offs and charges to other accounts. Billed accounts receivables are written off when the potential for recovery is considered remote.

The table below summarizes the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment:

Intangible assets were as follows:

Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives. We recorded amortization expense of $1.4 million and $3.6 million during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, respectively, and $2.7 million and $5.0 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively.

We estimate our future amortization expense for our intangible assets with finite lives to be as follows:

The following tables present the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of our financial instruments by hierarchy level as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022:

The fair values of financial instruments not included in the tables above are estimated to be equal to their carrying values as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

We estimate the fair value of our 2023 Convertible Notes based on their last actively traded prices. The fair value of our 2023 Convertible Notes is classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy because it is traded in less active markets.

We estimate the fair value of acquisition-related contingent consideration using either a probability-weighted discounted cash flow model or a Monte Carlo pricing model. These fair value estimates represent Level 3 measurements as they are based on significant inputs not observed in the market and reflect our own assumptions. Significant increases (or decreases) in these unobservable inputs in isolation would result in significantly lower (or higher) fair values. We reassess the fair value of our acquisition-related contingent consideration at each reporting period based on additional information as it becomes available.

The change in our liability for our Level 3 financial instruments is as follows:

The table below presents the components of the Company’s debt: 

On August 20, 2018, we issued the 2023 Convertible Notes in an aggregate principal amount of $316.3 million. The 2023 Convertible Notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 2.0% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year. The 2023 Convertible Notes will mature on August 15, 2023, unless earlier converted or repurchased. The 2023 Convertible Notes are currently convertible through the close of business on August 14, 2023 at a conversion rate of

The 2023 Convertible Notes were convertible in each of the quarters ended September 30, 2021 through June 30, 2023. The number of conversions in each quarter was immaterial.

Contractual interest expense for the 2023 Convertible Notes was $1.6 million and $3.2 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022.

In November 2022, we amended and restated our credit agreement for our senior secured bank revolving credit facility (“Credit Facility”), to, among other things, (i) extend the maturity to November 21, 2027, (ii) increase the revolving line of credit limit from $550.0 million to $900.0 million and (iii) increase the incremental facility from $150.0 million to a maximum of $300.0 million, subject to certain conditions, and incurred an additional $4.0 million of debt issuance costs. The Credit Facility is guaranteed by substantially all of our wholly owned domestic subsidiaries and is secured by a first priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of FTI Consulting and such domestic subsidiaries.

Borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest at a rate equal to, in the case of: (i) U.S. Dollars (“USD”), at our option, Adjusted Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) or Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR, (ii) euro, Euro Interbank Offered Rate, (iii) British pound, Sterling Overnight Index Average Reference Rate, (iv) Australian dollars, Bank Bill Swap Reference Bid Rate, (v) Canadian dollars, Canadian Dollar Offered Rate, (vi) Swiss franc, Swiss Average Rate Overnight and (vii) Japanese yen, Tokyo Interbank Offered Rate, in each case, plus an applicable margin that will fluctuate between 1.25% per annum and 2.00% per annum based upon the Company’s Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Facility) at such time or, in the case of USD borrowings, an alternative base rate plus an applicable margin that will fluctuate between 0.25% per annum and 1.00% per annum based upon the Company’s Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio at such time. The alternative base rate is a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (1) the federal funds rate plus the sum of 50 basis points, (2) the rate of interest in effect for such day as the prime rate announced by Bank of America, and (3) the one-month Term SOFR plus 100 basis points.

Under the Credit Facility, we are required to pay a commitment fee rate that fluctuates between 0.20% and 0.35% per annum and a letter of credit fee rate that fluctuates between 1.25% and 2.00% per annum, in each case, based upon the Company’s Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio.

The Company classified the borrowings under the Credit Facility as long-term debt in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, as amounts due under the Credit Facility are not contractually required or expected to be liquidated for more than one year from the applicable balance sheet date. As of June 30, 2023, $0.4 million of the borrowing limit under the Credit Facility was utilized (and, therefore, unavailable) for letters of credit.

There were $3.9 million and $4.3 million of unamortized debt issuance costs related to the Credit Facility as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. These amounts are included in “Other assets” on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

We lease office space and equipment under non-cancelable operating leases. We recognize operating lease expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term, which may include renewal or termination options that are reasonably certain of exercise. Most leases include one or more options to renew, with renewal terms that can extend the lease term up to seven years. The exercise of lease renewal options is at our sole discretion. Certain of our lease agreements include rental payments that are

The table below summarizes the carrying amount of our operating lease assets and liabilities:

The maturity analysis below summarizes the remaining future undiscounted cash flows for our operating leases and includes a reconciliation to operating lease liabilities reported on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:

The table below includes cash paid for our operating lease liabilities, other non-cash information, our weighted average remaining lease term and weighted average discount rate:

We are subject to legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In management’s opinion, we believe we have adequate legal defenses and/or insurance coverage with respect to the eventuality of such actions. We are not aware of any asserted or unasserted legal proceedings or claims that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of our operations.

Total share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures is detailed in the following table:

On June 2, 2016, our Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program of up to $100.0 million (the “Repurchase Program”). On each of May 18, 2017, December 1, 2017, February 21, 2019 and February 20, 2020, our Board of Directors authorized an additional $100.0 million. On each of July 28, 2020 and December 3, 2020, our Board of Directors authorized an additional $200.0 million. On December 1, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized an additional $400.0 million, increasing the Repurchase Program to an aggregate authorization of $1.3 billion. No time limit has been established for the completion of the Repurchase Program, and the Repurchase Program may be suspended, discontinued or replaced by the Board of Directors at any time without prior notice. As of June 30, 2023, we had $460.7 million available under the Repurchase Program to repurchase additional shares.

The following table details our stock repurchases under the Repurchase Program:

As we repurchase our common shares, we reduce stated capital on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for the $0.01 of par value of the shares repurchased, with the excess purchase price over par value recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital. If additional paid-in capital is reduced to zero, we record the remainder of the excess purchase price over par value as a reduction of retained earnings.

Common stock outstanding was approximately 34.0 million shares as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. Common stock outstanding includes unvested restricted stock awards, which are considered issued and outstanding under the terms of the restricted stock award agreements.

We manage our business in five reportable segments: Corporate Finance, FLC, Economic Consulting, Technology and Strategic Communications.

Our Corporate Finance segment focuses on the strategic, operational, financial, transactional and capital needs of our clients around the world. Our clients include companies, boards of directors, investors, private equity sponsors, lenders, and other financing sources and creditor groups, as well as other parties-in-interest. We deliver a wide range of services centered around three core offerings: Business Transformation & Strategy, Transactions and Turnaround & Restructuring.

Our FLC segment provides law firms, companies, boards of directors, government entities, private equity firms and other interested parties with a multidisciplinary and independent range of services in risk and investigations and disputes, including cybersecurity, and a focus on highly regulated industries such as our Construction & Environmental Solutions and Health Solutions services. These services are supported by our data & analytics technology-enabled solutions, which help our clients analyze large, disparate sets of data related to their business operations and support our clients during regulatory inquiries and commercial disputes. We deliver a wide range of services centered around five core offerings: Construction & Environmental Solutions, Data & Analytics, Disputes, Health Solutions and Risk and Investigations.

Our Economic Consulting segment, including subsidiary Compass Lexecon LLC, provides law firms, companies, government entities and other interested parties with analyses of complex economic issues for use in international arbitration, legal and regulatory proceedings, and strategic decision making and public policy debates around the world. We deliver a wide range of services centered around three core offerings: Antitrust & Competition Economics, Financial Economics and International Arbitration.    

Our Technology segment provides companies, law firms, private equity firms and government entities with a comprehensive global portfolio of digital insights and risk management consulting services. Our professionals help organizations better address risk as the growing volume and variety of enterprise data intersects with legal, regulatory and compliance needs. We deliver a wide range of expert solutions driven by investigations, litigation, mergers & acquisitions, antitrust and competition, and compliance and risk through three core offerings: Corporate Legal Department Consulting, E-discovery Services and Expertise, and Information Governance, Privacy & Security services.

Our Strategic Communications segment develops and executes communications strategies to help management teams, boards of directors, law firms, governments and regulators manage change and mitigate risk surrounding transformational and disruptive events, including transactions, investigations, disputes, crises, regulation and legislation. We deliver a wide range of services centered around three core offerings: Corporate Reputation, Financial Communications and Public Affairs.

We evaluate the performance of our operating segments based on Adjusted Segment EBITDA, a GAAP financial measure. We define Adjusted Segment EBITDA as a segment’s share of consolidated operating income before depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, remeasurement of acquisition-related contingent consideration, special charges and goodwill impairment charges. We define Total Adjusted Segment EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as the total of Adjusted Segment EBITDA for all segments, which excludes unallocated corporate expenses. We use Adjusted Segment EBITDA as a basis to internally evaluate the financial performance of our segments because we believe it reflects current core operating performance and provides an indicator of the segment’s ability to generate cash.

The table below presents revenues and Adjusted Segment EBITDA for our reportable segments:

The table below reconciles net income to Total Adjusted Segment EBITDA:

The following is a discussion and analysis of our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity and capital resources for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, and significant factors that could affect our prospective financial condition and results of operations. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes and with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the United States (“U.S.”) Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In addition to historical information, the following discussion includes forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, such as our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, these expectations or any of the forward-looking statements could prove to be incorrect, and actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in the forward-looking statements.

FTI Consulting, Inc., including its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “FTI Consulting”), is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes: financial, legal, operational, political & regulatory, reputational and transactional. Individually, each of our segments and practices is staffed with experts recognized for the depth of their knowledge and a track record of making an impact. Collectively, FTI Consulting offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to assist clients across the business cycle, from proactive risk management to rapid response to unexpected events and dynamic environments.

We report financial results for the following five reportable segments:

We derive substantially all of our revenues from providing professional services to both U.S. and global clients. Most of our services are rendered under time and expense contract arrangements, which require the client to pay us based on the number of hours worked at contractually agreed-upon rates. Under this arrangement, we typically bill our clients for reimbursable expenses, including those relating to travel, out-of-pocket expenses, outside consultants and other outside service costs. Certain

In our Technology segment, certain clients are billed based on the amount of data storage used or the volume of information processed. Unit-based revenues are defined as revenues billed on a per item, per page or another unit-based method and include revenues from data processing and hosting. Unit-based revenues include revenues associated with the software products that are made available to customers via a web browser (“on-demand”). On-demand revenues are charged on a unit or monthly basis and include, but are not limited to, processing and review related functions.

Our financial results are primarily driven by:

We define acquisition growth as revenues of acquired companies in the first 12 months following the effective date of an acquisition. When significant, we identify the impact of acquisition-related revenue growth.

When significant, we identify the estimated impact of foreign currency (“FX”) driven by our businesses with functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar (“USD”). The estimated impact of FX on the period-to-period performance results is calculated as the difference between the prior period results, multiplied by the average FX exchange rates to USD in the current period and the prior period results, multiplied by the average FX exchange rates to USD in the prior period.

In the accompanying analysis of financial information, we sometimes use information derived from consolidated and segment financial information that may not be presented in our financial statements or prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”). Certain of these financial measures are considered not in conformity with GAAP (“non-GAAP financial measures”) under the SEC rules. Specifically, we have referred to the following non-GAAP financial measures:

We have included the definitions of Segment Operating Income and Adjusted Segment EBITDA, which are GAAP financial measures, below in order to more fully define the components of certain non-GAAP financial measures in the

We define Segment Operating Income as a segment’s share of consolidated operating income. We define Total Segment Operating Income, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as the total of Segment Operating Income for all segments, which excludes unallocated corporate expenses. We use Segment Operating Income for the purpose of calculating Adjusted Segment EBITDA. We define Adjusted Segment EBITDA as a segment’s share of consolidated operating income before depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, remeasurement of acquisition-related contingent consideration, special charges and goodwill impairment charges. We use Adjusted Segment EBITDA as a basis to internally evaluate the financial performance of our segments because we believe it reflects current core operating performance and provides an indicator of the segment’s ability to generate cash.

We define Total Adjusted Segment EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as the total of Adjusted Segment EBITDA for all segments, which excludes unallocated corporate expenses. We define Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as consolidated net income before income tax provision, other non-operating income (expense), depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, remeasurement of acquisition-related contingent consideration, special charges, goodwill impairment charges, gain or loss on sale of a business and losses on early extinguishment of debt. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures, when considered together with our GAAP financial results and GAAP financial measures, provide management and investors with a more complete understanding of our operating results, including underlying trends. In addition, EBITDA is a common alternative measure of operating performance used by many of our competitors. It is used by investors, financial analysts, rating agencies and others to value and compare the financial performance of companies in our industry. Therefore, we also believe that these non-GAAP financial measures, considered along with corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide management and investors with additional information for comparison of our operating results with the operating results of other companies. We define Adjusted EBITDA Margin, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues.

We define Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share (“Adjusted EPS”), which are non-GAAP financial measures, as net income and earnings per diluted share (“EPS”), respectively, excluding the impact of remeasurement of acquisition-related contingent consideration, special charges, goodwill impairment charges, losses on early extinguishment of debt, non-cash interest expense on convertible notes and the gain or loss on sale of a business. We use Adjusted Net Income for the purpose of calculating Adjusted EPS. Management uses Adjusted EPS to assess total Company operating performance on a consistent basis. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures, when considered together with our GAAP financial results and GAAP financial measures, provide management and investors with an additional understanding of our business operating results, including underlying trends.

We define Free Cash Flow, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less cash payments for purchases of property and equipment. We believe this non-GAAP financial measure, when considered together with our GAAP financial results, provides management and investors with an additional understanding of the Company’s ability to generate cash for ongoing business operations and other capital deployment.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not defined in the same manner by all companies and may not be comparable with other similarly titled measures of other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for or superior to, the information contained in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included elsewhere in this report.

Net income for the three months ended June 30, 2023 increased $11.0 million, or 21.3%, to $62.4 million, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2022. The increase in net income was primarily due to higher revenues, which was partially offset by increased direct compensation expenses, which included the impact of an 11.3% increase in billable headcount, and higher selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses, which included the impact of an 11.8% increase in non-billable headcount, a higher effective tax rate and an FX remeasurement loss compared to a gain in the same quarter in the prior year.

Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended June 30, 2023 increased $24.1 million, or 31.6%, to $100.2 million, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2022. Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 11.6% for the three months ended June 30, 2023 compared to 10.1% for the three months ended June 30, 2022. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA was due to higher revenues, which was partially offset by higher direct compensation expenses, which included the impact of an 11.3% increase in billable headcount, and an increase in SG&A expenses, which included the impact of an 11.8% increase in non-billable headcount, compared to the same quarter in the prior year.

Adjusted EPS was equal to EPS for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Net cash used in operating activities for the three months ended June 30, 2023 increased $46.0 million to $11.0 million, compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $35.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022. The increase in net cash used in operating activities was primarily due to an increase in salaries largely related to headcount growth, higher operating expenses and income tax payments, which was partially offset by an increase in cash collected resulting from higher revenues compared to the same quarter in the prior year. Days sales outstanding (“DSO”) was 111 days at June 30, 2023 compared to 102 days at June 30, 2022. The increase in DSO was primarily due to cash collections that have not kept pace with higher revenues, as well as the transition of billing activities to our new enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system.

Free Cash Flow was an outflow of $22.0 million and inflow of $22.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The decrease in Free Cash Flow for the three months ended June 30, 2023 was primarily due to higher net cash used in operating activities, as described above.