Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2018 Results


Westwood SmallCap Value Strategy Selected for Inclusion in New Morningstar U.S. Equity Fund

DALLAS, July 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. (NYSE:WHG) today reported second quarter 2018 earnings. Highlights from the quarter include:

  • Revenues of $32.8 million compared with $33.8 million in last year's second quarter and $33.6 million in this year's first quarter.
  • Our SmallCap strategy was selected to participate in the Morningstar U.S. Equity Fund.
  • Our LargeCap Value strategy beat its primary benchmark for the sixth quarter in a row and has remained a fixture in the top decile peer ranking since its inception.
  • We welcomed Steve Paddon as our new Head of Institutional Sales.
  • At quarter-end, Westwood had $108.8 million in cash and short-term investments, stockholders’ equity of $161.1 million, and no debt.

Revenues of $32.8 million decreased $1.0 million from last year's second quarter and $0.8 million from this year's first quarter primarily due to lower average assets under management as a result of net outflows and the sale of the Omaha-based component of our Private Wealth business. These decreases were partially offset by this quarter's $1.6 million in performance-based fees versus $1.0 million earned in last year's second quarter and $1.3 million reported in the first quarter.

Assets under management at June 30, 2018 totaled $21.6 billion compared to $22.6 billion at both June 30, 2017 and March 31, 2018.

Second quarter net income of $8.0 million compared with $6.9 million in last year's second quarter. The current quarter benefited from higher performance-based fees, reductions in compensation following the sale of the Omaha-based component of our Private Wealth business and reductions in short- and long-term incentive compensation, higher foreign currency transaction gains and a lower U.S. corporate income tax rate due to tax reform. These benefits were partially offset by lower asset-based fees and higher information technology implementation costs as we continue to invest in our technology infrastructure. Diluted earnings per share of $0.94 in the second quarter of 2018 compared to $0.83 in the second quarter of 2017. Non-GAAP Economic Earnings increased from $11.7 million, or $1.41 per share, in 2017's second quarter, to $12.2 million, or $1.43 per share, in the second quarter of 2018.

Second quarter net income of $8.0 million was essentially flat with first quarter net income. The current quarter benefited from lower employee compensation and benefits due to seasonal differences, while the first quarter benefited from higher asset-based fees and foreign currency transaction gains. Diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of $0.94 compared to $0.93 for the first quarter. Non-GAAP Economic Earnings of $12.2 million, or $1.43 per share, compared to $12.6 million, or $1.48 per share, in the first quarter.

Brian Casey, Westwood’s President & CEO, commented, "Market volatility continued during the second quarter as investors processed concerns over trade tariffs and their effects on U.S. and global growth. Consistent with our focus on high quality companies, we continue to monitor absolute risk in our portfolios in order to protect client capital during periods of volatility. Within our private wealth business, we continue to expand our financial planning and service offerings. We were excited to introduce two private equity offerings which have been well received by our clients and prospects. Lastly, we are proud to announce that we have become a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). Our focus on transparency, corporate governance, life principles, ethical conduct and giving back to our communities has long been central to how we at Westwood conduct ourselves both personally and professionally."

Westwood’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.68 per common share, payable on October 1, 2018 to stockholders of record on September 7, 2018.

Economic Earnings and Economic Earnings per Share ("Economic EPS") are non-GAAP performance measures and are explained and reconciled with the most comparable GAAP numbers in the attached tables.

Westwood will host a conference call to discuss second quarter 2018 results and other business matters at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time today.  To join the conference call, dial 877-303-6235 (domestic and Canada) or 631-291-4837 (international).  The conference call can also be accessed via our Investor Relations page at westwoodgroup.com and will be available for replay through August 1, 2018 by dialing 855-859-2056 (domestic and Canada) or 404-537-3406 (international) and then entering the passcode 6692248.

About Westwood

Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. provides investment management services to institutional investors, private wealth clients and financial intermediaries. The firm has $21.6 billion in assets under management, of which $3.4 billion are in values-based and socially responsible investment mandates as of June 30, 2018. Westwood offers a range of investment strategies including U.S. equities, Multi-Asset, Global and Emerging Markets equities, Global Convertible securities and Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) portfolios. Access to these strategies is available through separate accounts, the Westwood Funds® family of mutual funds, UCITS funds and other pooled vehicles. Westwood benefits from significant, broad-based employee ownership and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WHG.” Based in Dallas, Texas, Westwood also maintains offices in Toronto, Boston and Houston.

For more information on Westwood, please visit westwoodgroup.com.


Forward-looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not purely historical facts, including, without limitation, statements about our expected future financial position, results of operations or cash flows, as well as other statements including without limitation, words such as “anticipate,” “forecast,” “believe,” “plan,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “should,” “could,” “goal,” “may,” “target,” “designed,” “on track,” “comfortable with,” “optimistic” and other similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results and the timing of some events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including, without limitation: the composition and market value of our assets under management; regulations adversely affecting the financial services industry; competition in the investment management industry; our assets under management includes investments in foreign companies; our ability to develop and market new investment strategies successfully; our reputation and relationships with current and potential customers; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to perform operational tasks; our ability to maintain effective cyber security; our ability to identify and execute on our strategic initiatives; our ability to select and oversee third-party vendors; our ability to maintain effective information systems; litigation risks; our ability to properly address conflicts of interest; our ability to maintain adequate insurance coverage; our ability to maintain an effective system of internal controls; our ability to maintain our fee structure in light of competitive fee pressures; our relationships with investment consulting firms; the significant concentration of our revenues in a small number of customers; and the other risks detailed from time to time in Westwood’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2018 and June 30, 2018. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, Westwood is not obligated to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

SOURCE:  Westwood Holdings Group, Inc.

(WHG-G)
CONTACT:
Westwood Holdings Group, Inc.
Tiffany B. Kice
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
(214) 756-6900

WESTWOOD HOLDINGS GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(in thousands, except per share and share amounts)
(unaudited)
 
 Three Months Ended
 June 30,
 2018
 March 31,
 2018
 June 30,
 2017
REVENUES:     
Advisory fees:     
Asset-based$23,473  $24,483  $24,496 
Performance-based1,649  1,335  1,031 
Trust fees7,465  7,609  7,917 
Other, net173  140  312 
Total revenues32,760  33,567  33,756 
EXPENSES:     
Employee compensation and benefits14,654  17,759  15,557 
Sales and marketing409  443  513 
Westwood mutual funds1,002  985  909 
Information technology2,383  2,038  1,883 
Professional services1,277  1,028  1,318 
General and administrative2,099  1,351  2,993 
Total expenses21,824  23,604  23,173 
Net operating income10,936  9,963  10,583 
Gain on sale of operations  524   
Income before income taxes10,936  10,487  10,583 
Provision for income taxes2,944  2,509  3,687 
Net income$7,992  $7,978  $6,896 
Other comprehensive income (loss):     
Foreign currency translation adjustments(479) (1,199) 934 
Total comprehensive income$7,513  $6,779  $7,830 
      
Earnings per share:     
Basic$0.95  $0.96  $0.84 
Diluted$0.94  $0.93  $0.83 
      
Weighted average shares outstanding:     
Basic 8,399,148   8,270,793   8,167,277 
Diluted 8,543,353   8,539,545   8,316,508 
      
Economic Earnings$12,245  $12,642  $11,710 
Economic EPS$1.43  $1.48  $1.41 
      
Dividends declared per share$0.68  $0.68  $0.62 


WESTWOOD HOLDINGS GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(in thousands, except per share and share amounts)
(unaudited)
 
 Six Months Ended June 30,
  2018 2017
REVENUES:    
Advisory fees:    
Asset-based $47,956  $48,285 
Performance-based 2,984  1,417 
Trust fees 15,074  15,712 
Other, net 313  965 
Total revenues 66,327  66,379 
EXPENSES:    
Employee compensation and benefits 32,413  33,274 
Sales and marketing 852  990 
Westwood mutual funds 1,987  1,772 
Information technology 4,421  3,639 
Professional services 2,305  2,814 
General and administrative 3,450  5,537 
Total expenses 45,428  48,026 
Net operating income 20,899  18,353 
Gain on sale of operations 524   
Income before income taxes 21,423  18,353 
Provision for income taxes 5,453  5,393 
Net income $15,970  $12,960 
Other comprehensive income (loss):    
Foreign currency translation adjustments (1,678) 1,141 
Total comprehensive income $14,292  $14,101 
     
Earnings per share:    
Basic $1.92  $1.60 
Diluted $1.87  $1.56 
     
Weighted average shares outstanding: 8,336,923  8,118,327 
Basic 8,543,401  8,315,722 
Diluted    
     
Economic Earnings $24,887  $22,318 
Economic EPS $2.91  $2.68 
     
Dividends declared per share $1.36  $1.24 


 
WESTWOOD HOLDINGS GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except par value and share amounts)
(unaudited)
 
 June 30,
 2018
 December 31,
2017
ASSETS   
Current Assets:   
Cash and cash equivalents$47,301  $54,249 
Accounts receivable22,903  21,660 
Investments, at fair value61,513  51,324 
Prepaid income taxes  4,269 
Other current assets1,853  6,612 
Total current assets133,570  138,114 
Investments5,000   
Goodwill19,804  27,144 
Deferred income taxes5,007  3,407 
Intangible assets, net16,798  19,804 
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $6,055 and $5,6734,088  4,190 
Total assets$184,267  $192,659 
    
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   
Current Liabilities:   
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities$2,724  $3,501 
Dividends payable7,144  7,357 
Compensation and benefits payable9,000  19,075 
Income taxes payable1,232  1,598 
Total current liabilities20,100  31,531 
Accrued dividends1,116  1,717 
Noncurrent income taxes payable  1,017 
Deferred rent1,910  1,998 
Total liabilities23,126  36,263 
    
Stockholders’ Equity:   
Common stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 25,000,000 shares, issued 10,204,887
and outstanding 9,026,806 shares at June 30, 2018; issued 9,980,827 and
outstanding 8,899,587 shares at December 31, 2017
102  100 
Additional paid-in capital187,367  179,241 
Treasury stock, at cost - 1,178,081 shares at June 30, 2018; 1,081,240 shares at
December 31, 2017
(55,201) (49,788)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(3,442) (1,764)
Retained earnings32,315  28,607 
Total stockholders’ equity161,141  156,396 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$184,267  $192,659 


 
WESTWOOD HOLDINGS GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
 
 Six Months Ended June 30,
 2018 2017
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:   
Net income$15,970  $12,960 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:   
Depreciation434  479 
Amortization of intangible assets836  980 
Unrealized (gains) losses on trading investments256  (378)
Stock based compensation expense7,963  8,065 
Deferred income taxes(1,631) 437 
Gain on sale of operations(524)  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:   
Net sales (purchases) of investments- trading securities(10,445) 11,198 
Accounts receivable(1,616) 531 
Other current assets4,637  455 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities(442) 266 
Compensation and benefits payable(9,844) (6,940)
Income taxes payable2,881  (1,178)
Other liabilities(74) (53)
 Net cash provided by operating activities8,401  26,822 
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:   
Purchases of property and equipment(426) (245)
Proceeds from Omaha divestiture10,013   
Purchases of investments(5,000)  
 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities4,587  (245)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:   
Purchase of treasury stock under employee stock plans(726) (1,326)
Restricted stock returned for payment of taxes(4,687) (5,189)
Cash dividends(13,075) (11,674)
 Net cash used in financing activities(18,488) (18,189)
Effect of currency rate changes on cash(1,448) 1,076 
NET CHANGE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS(6,948) 9,464 
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period54,249  33,679 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period$47,301  $43,143 
    
Supplemental cash flow information:   
Cash paid during the period for income taxes$4,169  $5,539 
Accrued dividends$8,260  $7,760 
Accrued purchase of property and equipment$  $52 


 
WESTWOOD HOLDINGS GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Reconciliation of Net Income to Economic Earnings
(in thousands, except per share and share amounts)
(unaudited)
 
 Three Months Ended
 June 30,
 2018
 March 31,
 2018
 June 30,
 2017
Net Income$7,992  $7,978  $6,896 
Add:  Stock based compensation expense3,776  4,187  4,168 
Add:  Intangible amortization418  418  490 
Add:  Tax benefit from goodwill amortization59  59  156 
Economic Earnings$12,245  $12,642  $11,710 
      
Diluted weighted average shares 8,543,353   8,539,545   8,316,508 
Economic EPS$1.43  $1.48  $1.41 


 Six Months Ended June 30,
 2018 2017
Net Income$15,970  $12,960 
Add:  Stock based compensation expense7,963  8,065 
Add:  Intangible amortization836  980 
Add:  Tax benefit from goodwill amortization118  313 
Economic Earnings$24,887  $22,318 
    
Diluted weighted average shares8,543,401  8,315,722 
Economic EPS$2.91  $2.68 

As supplemental information, we are providing non-GAAP performance measures that we refer to as Economic Earnings and Economic EPS. We provide these measures in addition to, not as a substitute for, net income and earnings per share, which are reported on a GAAP basis. Management reviews Economic Earnings and Economic EPS to evaluate Westwood’s ongoing performance, allocate resources, and review our dividend policy. We believe that these non-GAAP performance measures, while not substitutes for GAAP net income or earnings per share, are useful for management and investors when evaluating Westwood’s underlying operating and financial performance and its available resources. We do not advocate that investors consider these non-GAAP measures without also considering financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

We define Economic Earnings as net income plus non-cash equity-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, and deferred taxes related to goodwill. Although depreciation on fixed assets is a non-cash expense, we do not add it back when calculating Economic Earnings because depreciation charges represent an allocation of the decline in the value of the related assets that will ultimately require replacement. In addition, we do not adjust Economic Earnings for tax deductions related to restricted stock expense or amortization of intangible assets. Economic EPS represents Economic Earnings divided by diluted weighted average shares outstanding.