FTI Consulting Reports First Quarter 2022 Financial Results


  • First Quarter 2022 Revenues of $723.6 Million, Up 5% Compared to $686.3 Million in Prior Year Quarter
  • First Quarter 2022 EPS of $1.66, Down 10% Compared to $1.84 in Prior Year Quarter; First Quarter 2022 Adjusted EPS of $1.66, Down 12% Compared to $1.89 in Prior Year Quarter

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN) today released financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.

First quarter 2022 revenues of $723.6 million increased $37.3 million, or 5.4%, compared to revenues of $686.3 million in the prior year quarter. Excluding the estimated negative impact from foreign currency translation (“FX”), revenues increased $46.3 million, or 6.7%, compared to the prior year quarter. Acquisition-related revenues contributed $6.0 million of the increase in revenues compared to the prior year quarter. Excluding the estimated negative impact from FX and acquisition-related revenues, revenues increased $40.3 million, or 5.9%, compared to the prior year quarter. The increase in revenues was primarily due to higher demand in the Corporate Finance & Restructuring and Strategic Communications segments. Net income of $59.3 million compared to $64.5 million in the prior year quarter. Net income declined compared to the prior year quarter, as the increase in revenues was more than offset by higher selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) and compensation expenses, which included the impact of an 8.4% increase in billable headcount. Adjusted EBITDA of $90.5 million, or 12.5% of revenues, compared to $99.5 million, or 14.5% of revenues, in the prior year quarter.

First quarter 2022 earnings per diluted share (“EPS”) of $1.66 compared to $1.84 in the prior year quarter. First quarter 2021 EPS included $2.3 million of non-cash interest expense related to the Company’s 2.0% convertible senior notes due 2023, which decreased EPS by $0.05. First quarter 2022 Adjusted EPS of $1.66 compared to Adjusted EPS of $1.89 in the prior year quarter.

Steven H. Gunby, President and Chief Executive Officer of FTI Consulting, commented, “Our results this quarter demonstrate the power of our focus to invest behind and support great professionals and great positions to enhance our ability to serve our clients navigating their most significant opportunities and challenges.”

Cash Position and Capital Allocation

Net cash used in operating activities of $203.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to $166.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. The year-over-year increase in net cash used in operating activities was largely due to higher annual bonus payments, an increase in salaries related to headcount growth and higher operating expenses, which was partially offset by an increase in cash collected resulting from higher revenues.

Cash and cash equivalents of $271.1 million at March 31, 2022 compared to $233.4 million at March 31, 2021 and $494.5 million at December 31, 2021. Total debt, net of cash, of $60.1 million at March 31, 2022 compared to $252.8 million at March 31, 2021 and ($178.2) million at December 31, 2021. The sequential increase in total debt, net of cash, was primarily due to an increase in cash used in operating activities, which included annual bonus payments.

During the quarter, the Company repurchased 21,611 shares of its common stock at an average price per share of $143.36 for a total cost of $3.1 million. As of March 31, 2022, approximately $164.0 million remained available for common stock repurchases under the Company’s stock repurchase authorization.

First Quarter 2022 Segment Results

Corporate Finance & Restructuring
Revenues in the Corporate Finance & Restructuring segment increased $27.1 million, or 12.0%, to $253.3 million in the quarter compared to $226.2 million in the prior year quarter. Excluding the estimated negative impact from FX, revenues increased $29.8 million, or 13.2%, compared to the prior year quarter. Acquisition-related revenues contributed $2.2 million in the quarter. Excluding the estimated negative impact from FX and acquisition-related revenues, revenues increased $27.6 million, or 12.2%. The increase in revenues was primarily due to higher demand for business transformation and transactions services, which was partially offset by lower demand for restructuring services, compared to the prior year quarter. Adjusted Segment EBITDA of $53.5 million, or 21.1% of segment revenues, compared to $37.4 million, or 16.6% of segment revenues, in the prior year quarter. The increase in Adjusted Segment EBITDA was due to higher revenues, which was partially offset by an increase in SG&A expenses and higher compensation, which includes the impact of a 4.3% increase in billable headcount, compared to the prior year quarter.

Forensic and Litigation Consulting
Revenues in the Forensic and Litigation Consulting segment increased $3.1 million, or 2.0%, to $153.9 million in the quarter compared to $150.8 million in the prior year quarter. Acquisition-related revenues contributed $3.7 million in the quarter. Excluding acquisition-related revenues, revenues decreased $0.7 million, or 0.4% in the quarter. The decrease in revenues was primarily due to lower demand for data & analytics and disputes services, which was partially offset by higher realized bill rates and demand for investigations services, compared to the prior year quarter. Adjusted Segment EBITDA of $17.3 million, or 11.2% of segment revenues, compared to $29.4 million, or 19.5% of segment revenues, in the prior year quarter. The decrease in Adjusted Segment EBITDA was primarily due to higher compensation, which includes the impact of a 10.7% increase in billable headcount, and higher SG&A expenses compared to the prior year quarter.

Economic Consulting
Revenues in the Economic Consulting segment decreased $3.3 million, or 1.9%, to $166.0 million in the quarter, compared to $169.3 million in the prior year quarter. Excluding the estimated negative impact from FX, revenues decreased $0.3 million, or 0.1%, in the quarter. The decrease in revenues was primarily due to a decline in demand for M&A-related antitrust services, which was partially offset by an increase in demand for non-M&A-related antitrust services, compared to the prior year quarter. Adjusted Segment EBITDA of $21.2 million, or 12.8% of segment revenues, compared to $26.6 million, or 15.7% of segment revenues, in the prior year quarter. The decrease in Adjusted Segment EBITDA was primarily due to lower revenues and higher SG&A expenses compared to the prior year quarter.

Technology
Revenues in the Technology segment increased $1.0 million, or 1.3%, to $80.5 million in the quarter compared to $79.5 million in the prior year quarter. The increase in revenues was primarily due to higher demand for information governance, privacy and security, cross-border investigations and litigation services, which was partially offset by a decline in M&A-related “second request” services compared to the prior year quarter. Adjusted Segment EBITDA of $13.4 million, or 16.6% of segment revenues, compared to $21.6 million, or 27.2% of segment revenues, in the prior year quarter. The decrease in Adjusted Segment EBITDA was primarily due to an increase in compensation, which includes the impact of a 17.3% increase in billable headcount, and higher SG&A expenses compared to the prior year quarter.

Strategic Communications
Revenues in the Strategic Communications segment increased $9.4 million, or 15.6%, to $69.9 million in the quarter compared to $60.5 million in the prior year quarter. Excluding the estimated negative impact from FX, revenues increased $11.0 million, or 18.2%. The increase in revenues was primarily due to higher demand for corporate reputation services compared to the prior year quarter. Adjusted Segment EBITDA of $15.7 million, or 22.5% of segment revenues, compared to $10.4 million, or 17.2% of segment revenues, in the prior year quarter. The increase in Adjusted Segment EBITDA was primarily due to higher revenues, which was partially offset by an increase in SG&A and compensation expenses, which includes the impact of a 10.0% increase in billable headcount, compared to the prior year quarter.

First Quarter 2022 Conference Call
FTI Consulting will host a conference call for analysts and investors to discuss first quarter 2022 financial results at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, April 28, 2022. The call can be accessed live and will be available for replay over the internet for 90 days by logging onto the Company’s investor relations website here.

About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. 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. With more than 6,900 employees located in 30 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges and make the most of opportunities. The Company generated $2.78 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2021. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
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 United States (“GAAP”). Certain of these financial measures are considered not in conformity with GAAP (“non-GAAP financial measures”) under the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules. Specifically, we have referred to the following non-GAAP financial measures:

  • Total Segment Operating Income
  • Adjusted EBITDA
  • Total Adjusted Segment EBITDA
  • Adjusted EBITDA Margin
  • Adjusted Net Income
  • Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share
  • Free Cash Flow

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 presented in this press release. 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 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 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 in the financial tables accompanying this press release.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release includes “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, which involve uncertainties and risks. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, initiatives, projections, prospects, policies and practices, objectives, goals, commitments, strategies, future events, future revenues, future results and performance, expectations, plans or intentions relating to acquisitions, share repurchases and other matters, business trends, new or changes to laws and regulations, including U.S. and foreign tax laws, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”)-related issues, climate change-related matters, scientific and technological developments, and other information that is not historical, including statements regarding estimates of our future financial results. When used in this press release, words such as “estimates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “commits,” “aspires,” “forecasts,” “future,” “goal,” “seeks” and variations of such words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, estimates of our future financial results, are based upon our expectations at the time we make them and various assumptions. Our expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith, and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that management’s plans, expectations, intentions, aspirations, beliefs, goals, estimates, forecasts and projections will result or be achieved. Our actual financial results, performance or achievements and outcomes could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements. Further, unaudited quarterly results are subject to normal year-end adjustments. The Company has experienced fluctuating revenues, operating income and cash flows in prior periods and expects that this will occur from time to time in the future. Other factors that could cause such differences include declines in demand for, or changes in, the mix of services and products that we offer; the mix of the geographic locations where our clients are located or where services are performed; fluctuations in the price per share of our common stock; adverse financial, real estate or other market and general economic conditions; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related events that are beyond our control, which could affect our segments, practices and the geographic regions in which we conduct business differently and adversely; and other future events, which could impact each of our segments, practices and the geographic regions in which we conduct business differently and could be outside of our control; the pace and timing of the consummation and integration of future acquisitions; the Company’s ability to realize cost savings and efficiencies; competitive and general economic conditions; retention of staff and clients; new laws and regulations or changes thereto; and other risks described under the heading “Item 1A, Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on February 24, 2022 and in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. We are under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform such statements to actual results or events and do not intend to do so.

FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW


FTI CONSULTING, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except per share amounts)

  March 31, December 31,
   2022   2021 
Assets    
Current assets    
Cash and cash equivalents $271,143  $494,485 
Accounts receivable, net  823,932   754,120 
Current portion of notes receivable  29,301   30,256 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets  97,015   91,166 
Total current assets  1,221,391   1,370,027 
Property and equipment, net  141,236   142,163 
Operating lease assets  206,673   215,995 
Goodwill  1,243,972   1,232,791 
Intangible assets, net  29,647   31,990 
Notes receivable, net  53,072   53,539 
Other assets  53,300   54,404 
Total assets $2,949,291  $3,100,909 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity    
Current liabilities    
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other $173,356  $165,025 
Accrued compensation  296,461   507,556 
Billings in excess of services provided  40,113   45,535 
Total current liabilities  509,930   718,116 
Long-term debt, net  328,936   297,158 
Noncurrent operating lease liabilities  225,386   236,026 
Deferred income taxes  165,913   170,612 
Other liabilities  97,108   95,676 
Total liabilities  1,327,273   1,517,588 
Stockholders’ equity    
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; shares authorized — 5,000; none
outstanding
      
Common stock, $0.01 par value; shares authorized — 75,000; shares
issued and outstanding 34,471 (2022) and 34,333 (2021)
  345   343 
Additional paid-in capital     13,662 
Retained earnings  1,756,704   1,698,156 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss  (135,031)  (128,840)
Total stockholders’ equity  1,622,018   1,583,321 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $2,949,291  $3,100,909 


FTI CONSULTING, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(in thousands, except per share data)

 Three Months Ended
March 31,

 
  2022   2021 
 (Unaudited)
Revenues$723,620  $686,277 
Operating expenses   
Direct cost of revenues 493,104   468,424 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 148,971   126,546 
Amortization of intangible assets 2,268   2,801 
  644,343   597,771 
Operating income 79,277   88,506 
Other income (expense)   
Interest income and other (347)  1,034 
Interest expense (2,642)  (4,797)
  (2,989)  (3,763)
Income before income tax provision 76,288   84,743 
Income tax provision 16,967   20,247 
Net income$59,321  $64,496 
Earnings per common share ― basic$1.76  $1.93 
Weighted average common shares outstanding ― basic 33,619   33,483 
Earnings per common share ― diluted$1.66  $1.84 
Weighted average common shares outstanding ― diluted 35,646   35,063 
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax   
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax expense of $0$(6,191) $(5,242)
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax (6,191)  (5,242)
Comprehensive income$53,130  $59,254 


FTI CONSULTING, INC.
RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(in thousands, except per share data)

  Three Months Ended March 31,
  2022  2021 
  (Unaudited)
Net income $59,321 $64,496 
Add back:    
Non-cash interest expense on convertible notes    2,348 
Tax impact of non-cash interest expense on convertible notes    (611)
Adjusted Net Income $59,321 $66,233 
Earnings per common share — diluted $1.66 $1.84 
Add back:    
Non-cash interest expense on convertible notes    0.07 
Tax impact of non-cash interest expense on convertible notes    (0.02)
Adjusted earnings per common share — diluted $1.66 $1.89 
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding ― diluted  35,646  35,063 


FTI CONSULTING, INC.
RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME AND OPERATING INCOME TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
(in thousands)

Three Months Ended March 31, 2022
(Unaudited)
 Corporate Finance & Restructuring Forensic and Litigation Consulting Economic Consulting Technology  Strategic Communications Unallocated Corporate Total
Net income             $59,321
Interest income and other              347
Interest expense              2,642
Income tax provision              16,967
Operating income  $50,053 $15,542 $19,943 $10,243 $14,834 $(31,338) $79,277
Depreciation and amortization  1,666  1,467  1,252  3,120  679  723   8,907
Amortization of intangible assets  1,820  248      200     2,268
Adjusted EBITDA $53,539 $17,257 $21,195 $13,363 $15,713 $(30,615) $90,452
               


Three Months Ended March 31, 2021
(Unaudited)
 Corporate Finance & Restructuring Forensic and Litigation Consulting Economic Consulting Technology Strategic Communications Unallocated Corporate Total
Net income             $64,496 
Interest income and other              (1,034)
Interest expense              4,797 
Income tax provision              20,247 
Operating income $34,299 $28,006 $25,232 $18,559 $9,120 $(26,710) $88,506 
Depreciation and amortization  1,253  1,252  1,347  3,039  539  731   8,161 
Amortization of intangible assets  1,887  174      739  1   2,801 
Adjusted EBITDA $37,439 $29,432 $26,579 $21,598 $10,398 $(25,978) $99,468 


FTI CONSULTING, INC.
OPERATING RESULTS BY BUSINESS SEGMENT

 

Segment
Revenues
 Adjusted
EBITDA
 Adjusted EBITDA
Margin
 Utilization   Average
Billable
Rate
 Revenue-
Generating
Headcount
  (in thousands)        (at period end)
Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 (Unaudited)           
Corporate Finance & Restructuring$253,329 $53,539  21.1% 63% $450 1,757
Forensic and Litigation Consulting 153,896  17,257  11.2% 55% $357 1,513
Economic Consulting 165,977  21,195  12.8% 72% $484 950
Technology (1) 80,484  13,363  16.6% N/M N/M 496
Strategic Communications (1) 69,934  15,713  22.5% N/M N/M 856
 $723,620 $121,067  16.7%     5,572
Unallocated Corporate   (30,615)        
Adjusted EBITDA   $90,452  12.5%      
            
Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 (Unaudited)           
Corporate Finance & Restructuring$226,203 $37,439  16.6% 59% $462 1,684
Forensic and Litigation Consulting 150,821  29,432  19.5% 60% $357 1,367
Economic Consulting 169,273  26,579  15.7% 75% $494 890
Technology (1) 79,459  21,598  27.2% N/M N/M 423
Strategic Communications (1) 60,521  10,398  17.2% N/M N/M 778
 $686,277 $125,446  18.3%     5,142
Unallocated Corporate   (25,978)        
Adjusted EBITDA   $99,468  14.5%      
            

________________________
N/M -   Not meaningful
(1)        The majority of the Technology and Strategic Communications segments’ revenues are not generated based on billable hours. Accordingly, utilization and average billable rate metrics are not presented as they are not meaningful as a segment-wide metric.


FTI CONSULTING, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)

 Three Months Ended
March 31,

 
  2022   2021 
Operating activities   
Net income$59,321  $64,496 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:   
Depreciation and amortization 8,907   8,161 
Amortization and impairment of intangible assets 2,268   2,801 
Acquisition-related contingent consideration (979)  1,289 
Provision for expected credit losses 4,859   4,832 
Share-based compensation 5,967   7,242 
Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs and other 527   2,815 
Deferred income taxes 2,379   3,612 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects from acquisitions:   
Accounts receivable, billed and unbilled (66,471)  (93,396)
Notes receivable 1,345   1,899 
Prepaid expenses and other assets (3,829)  1,900 
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other 3,096   (7,803)
Income taxes 1,116   9,355 
Accrued compensation (216,560)  (172,042)
Billings in excess of services provided (5,724)  (1,745)
Net cash used in operating activities (203,778)  (166,584)
Investing activities   
Payments for acquisition of businesses, net of cash received (6,698)   
Purchases of property and equipment and other (12,607)  (7,976)
Net cash used in investing activities (19,305)  (7,976)
Financing activities   
Borrowings under revolving line of credit 155,000   197,500 
Repayments under revolving line of credit (140,000)  (27,500)
Purchase and retirement of common stock (3,098)  (46,133)
Share-based compensation tax withholdings and other (6,916)  (6,798)
Payments for business acquisition liabilities (2,680)  (3,374)
Deposits and other 1,855   2,721 
Net cash provided by financing activities 4,161   116,416 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (4,420)  (3,388)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (223,342)  (61,532)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 494,485   294,953 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period$271,143  $233,421 


FTI CONSULTING, INC.
RECONCILIATION OF NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES TO FREE CASH FLOW
(in thousands)

  Three Months Ended
March 31,
   2022   2021 
Net cash used in operating activities $(203,778) $(166,584)
Purchases of property and equipment  (12,607)  (8,001)
Free Cash Flow $(216,385) $(174,585)
         

FTI Consulting, Inc.
555 12th Street NW Washington, DC 20004
+1.202.312.9100

Investor & Media Contact:
Mollie Hawkes
+1.617.747.1791
mollie.hawkes@fticonsulting.com