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STERICYCLE INC - Quarter Report: 2017 March (Form 10-Q)

 

 

 

 

 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017 or

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from             to

Commission File Number 1-37556

 

Stericycle, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Delaware

36-3640402

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

(IRS Employer Identification Number)

 

28161 North Keith Drive

Lake Forest, Illinois 60045

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(847) 367-5910

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

YES NO

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

YES NO

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definition of "accelerated filer", "large accelerated filer", "smaller reporting company", and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer

 

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

Smaller reporting company

 

Emerging Growth Company

 

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).     YES NO

 

On May 4, 2017, there were 85,268,109 shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock outstanding.

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Stericycle, Inc.

Table of Contents

 

 

Page No.

 

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 1.  Financial Statements (Unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016

3

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016

4

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016

5

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016

6

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and year ended December 31, 2016

7

 

 

 

 

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

8

 

 

 

 

Item 2.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

27

 

 

 

 

Item 3.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

33

 

 

 

 

Item 4.  Controls and Procedures

34

 

 

 

 

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 1.  Legal Proceedings

38

 

 

 

 

Item 2.  Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

38

 

 

 

 

Item 6.  Exhibits

38

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

39

 

 

 


 

 

 

PART I. – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

STERICYCLE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

 

In thousands, except share and per share data

 

 

March 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

47,023

 

 

$

44,189

 

Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $48,181 in 2017

and $49,645 in 2016

 

615,348

 

 

 

634,902

 

Prepaid expenses

 

51,926

 

 

 

46,214

 

Assets held for sale

 

9,628

 

 

 

9,134

 

Other current assets

 

35,999

 

 

 

39,179

 

Total Current Assets

 

759,924

 

 

 

773,618

 

Property, plant and equipment, less accumulated depreciation of $522,053 in 2017

and $495,215 in 2016

 

725,420

 

 

 

723,894

 

Goodwill

 

3,622,793

 

 

 

3,591,020

 

Intangible assets, less accumulated amortization of $302,336 in 2017

and $271,568 in 2016

 

1,857,209

 

 

 

1,861,973

 

Other assets

 

31,510

 

 

 

29,556

 

Total Assets

$

6,996,856

 

 

$

6,980,061

 

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current portion of long-term debt

$

96,301

 

 

$

72,822

 

Accounts payable

 

133,119

 

 

 

152,881

 

Accrued liabilities

 

243,871

 

 

 

228,526

 

Deferred revenues

 

17,974

 

 

 

17,902

 

Liabilities held for sale

 

3,172

 

 

 

2,858

 

Other current liabilities

 

85,124

 

 

 

67,864

 

Total Current Liabilities

 

579,561

 

 

 

542,853

 

Long-term debt, net

 

2,767,035

 

 

 

2,877,315

 

Deferred income taxes

 

657,865

 

 

 

645,371

 

Other liabilities

 

99,914

 

 

 

98,136

 

Equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preferred stock (par value $0.01 per share, 1,000,000 shares authorized), mandatory convertible preferred stock, Series A, 711,930 issued and outstanding in 2017 and 726,500 issued and outstanding in 2016

 

7

 

 

 

7

 

Common stock (par value $.01 per share, 120,000,000 shares authorized, 85,261,769 issued and outstanding in 2017 and 85,152,700 issued and outstanding in 2016)

 

853

 

 

 

852

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

1,161,983

 

 

 

1,166,457

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(341,119

)

 

 

(367,643

)

Retained earnings

 

2,059,452

 

 

 

2,006,064

 

Total Stericycle, Inc.’s Equity

 

2,881,176

 

 

 

2,805,737

 

Noncontrolling interests

 

11,305

 

 

 

10,649

 

Total Equity

 

2,892,481

 

 

 

2,816,386

 

Total Liabilities and Equity

$

6,996,856

 

 

$

6,980,061

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

2017 10-Q Report

Stericycle, Inc.  •  3

 


 

 

 

STERICYCLE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Unaudited)

 

In thousands, except share and per share data

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Revenues

 

$

892,399

 

 

$

874,181

 

Costs and Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation shown below)

 

 

500,830

 

 

 

483,751

 

Depreciation - cost of revenues

 

 

22,907

 

 

 

23,850

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A” - exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)

 

 

218,841

 

 

 

201,093

 

Depreciation – SG&A

 

 

6,183

 

 

 

6,290

 

Intangible amortization – SG&A

 

 

29,089

 

 

 

18,274

 

Total Costs and Expenses

 

 

777,850

 

 

 

733,258

 

Income from Operations

 

 

114,549

 

 

 

140,923

 

Other Income (Expense):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest income

 

 

74

 

 

 

21

 

Interest expense

 

 

(23,374

)

 

 

(24,062

)

Other expense, net

 

 

(1,544

)

 

 

(1,251

)

Total Other Expense

 

 

(24,844

)

 

 

(25,292

)

Income Before Income Taxes

 

 

89,705

 

 

 

115,631

 

Income tax expense

 

 

31,148

 

 

 

38,036

 

Net Income

 

 

58,557

 

 

 

77,595

 

Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

 

368

 

 

 

809

 

Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc.

 

 

58,189

 

 

 

76,786

 

Mandatory convertible preferred stock dividend

 

 

9,364

 

 

 

10,106

 

Gain on repurchase of preferred stock

 

 

(4,563

)

 

 

 

Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc. Common Shareholders

 

$

53,388

 

 

$

66,680

 

Earnings Per Common Share Attributable to Stericycle, Inc. Common Shareholders:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

0.63

 

 

$

0.79

 

Diluted

 

$

0.62

 

 

$

0.78

 

Weighted Average Number of Common Shares

   Outstanding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

85,220,228

 

 

 

84,705,000

 

Diluted

 

 

85,572,409

 

 

 

85,845,501

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

2017 10-Q Report

Stericycle, Inc.  •  4

 


 

 

 

STERICYCLE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Unaudited)

 

In thousands

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Net Income

 

$

58,557

 

 

$

77,595

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Comprehensive Income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign currency translation adjustments

 

 

26,525

 

 

 

17,164

 

Amortization of cash flow hedge into income, net of tax expense ($171 and $172 for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively)

 

 

266

 

 

 

269

 

Change in fair value of cash flow hedge, net of tax expense ($8 and $89 for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively)

 

 

21

 

 

 

242

 

Total Other Comprehensive Income

 

 

26,812

 

 

 

17,675

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comprehensive Income

 

 

85,369

 

 

 

95,270

 

Less: comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

 

656

 

 

 

871

 

Comprehensive Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc. Common Shareholders

 

$

84,713

 

 

$

94,399

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

2017 10-Q Report

Stericycle, Inc.  •  5

 


 

 

 

STERICYCLE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

 

In thousands

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

$

58,557

 

 

$

77,595

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

5,999

 

 

 

6,105

 

Depreciation

 

29,090

 

 

 

30,140

 

Intangible amortization

 

29,089

 

 

 

18,274

 

Deferred income taxes

 

8,722

 

 

 

6,932

 

Other, net

 

3,020

 

 

 

(2,644

)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and divestitures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable

 

25,546

 

 

 

(3,918

)

Accounts payable

 

(15,162

)

 

 

(15,203

)

Accrued liabilities

 

14,138

 

 

 

21,151

 

Other assets and liabilities

 

16,321

 

 

 

18,517

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

175,320

 

 

 

156,949

 

INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired

 

(16,871

)

 

 

(24,884

)

Capital expenditures

 

(33,136

)

 

 

(34,185

)

Proceeds from sale of property and equipment

 

250

 

 

 

766

 

Other

 

 

 

 

7

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(49,757

)

 

 

(58,296

)

FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repayments of long-term debt and other obligations

 

(12,779

)

 

 

(6,879

)

Proceeds from foreign bank debt

 

301

 

 

 

15,607

 

Repayments of foreign bank debt

 

(2,936

)

 

 

(18,721

)

Repayment of term loan

 

(30,000

)

 

 

(171,000

)

Proceeds from senior credit facility

 

383,929

 

 

 

457,959

 

Repayments of senior credit facility

 

(446,248

)

 

 

(353,520

)

Payments of capital lease obligations

 

(940

)

 

 

(1,381

)

Payments for repurchase of mandatory convertible preferred stock

 

(9,570

)

 

 

 

Payments for repurchase of common stock

 

 

 

 

(37,693

)

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

 

3,503

 

 

 

22,310

 

Dividends paid on mandatory convertible preferred stock

 

(9,364

)

 

 

(10,106

)

Payments to noncontrolling interests

 

 

 

 

(4,997

)

Net cash used in financing activities

 

(124,104

)

 

 

(108,421

)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

 

1,375

 

 

 

(211

)

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

 

2,834

 

 

 

(9,979

)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

44,189

 

 

 

55,634

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$

47,023

 

 

$

45,655

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NON-CASH ACTIVITIES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issuances of obligations for acquisitions

$

13,945

 

 

$

13,013

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

2017 10-Q Report

Stericycle, Inc.  •  6

 


 

 

 

STERICYCLE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

(Unaudited)

 

In thousands

 

 

Stericycle, Inc. Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preferred Stock

 

 

Common Stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shares

 

Amount

 

 

Shares

 

Amount

 

 

Additional Paid-In Capital

 

 

Retained Earnings

 

 

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

 

 

Noncontrolling Interests

 

 

Total Equity

 

Balance as of January 1, 2016

 

770

 

$

8

 

 

 

84,853

 

$

849

 

 

$

1,143,020

 

 

$

1,868,645

 

 

$

(282,631

)

 

$

17,947

 

 

$

2,747,838

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

206,359

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,540

 

 

 

207,899

 

Currency translation adjustment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(86,340

)

 

 

(235

)

 

 

(86,575

)

Change in qualifying cash flow hedge, net of tax

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,328

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,328

 

Issuance of common stock for stock-based compensation awards and employee stock purchases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

661

 

 

6

 

 

 

44,763

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

44,769

 

Purchase and cancellation of treasury stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(361

)

 

(3

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(40,811

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(40,814

)

Purchase and cancellation of convertible preferred stock

 

(44

)

 

(1

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(42,194

)

 

 

11,285

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(30,910

)

Preferred stock dividend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(39,414

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(39,414

)

Stock-based compensation expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20,455

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20,455

 

Reduction to noncontrolling interests due to additional ownership

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

413

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8,603

)

 

 

(8,190

)

Balance as of December 31, 2016

 

726

 

 

7

 

 

 

85,153

 

 

852

 

 

 

1,166,457

 

 

 

2,006,064

 

 

 

(367,643

)

 

 

10,649

 

 

 

2,816,386

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

58,189

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

368

 

 

 

58,557

 

Currency translation adjustment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26,237

 

 

 

288

 

 

 

26,525

 

Change in qualifying cash flow hedge, net of tax

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

287

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

287

 

Issuance of common stock for stock-based  compensation awards and employee stock purchases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

109

 

 

1

 

 

 

3,660

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,661

 

Purchase and cancellation of convertible preferred stock

 

(14

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(14,133

)

 

 

4,563

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9,570

)

Preferred stock dividend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9,364

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9,364

)

Stock-based compensation expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5,999

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5,999

 

Balance as of March 31, 2017

 

712

 

$

7

 

 

 

85,262

 

$

853

 

 

$

1,161,983

 

 

$

2,059,452

 

 

$

(341,119

)

 

$

11,305

 

 

$

2,892,481

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.


 

2017 10-Q Report

Stericycle, Inc.  •  7

 


 

 

 

STERICYCLE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Unless the context requires otherwise, “the Company”, "we," "us" or "our" refers to Stericycle, Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.

NOTE 1 — BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, the Company believes the disclosures included in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. In our opinion, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation for the periods presented have been reflected and are of a normal recurring nature. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Stericycle, Inc. and Subsidiaries consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, as filed with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for the entire year ending December 31, 2017.

There were no material changes in the Company’s significant accounting policies since the filing of its 2016 Form 10-K. As discussed in the 2016 Form 10-K, the preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amount of reported assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and revenues and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Certain amounts in previously issued financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

During the three months ended March 31, 2017, we presented certain rent, utility and depreciation expenses in cost of revenues that had historically been recorded in selling, general and administrative expense (“SG&A”). We have reclassified $2.6 million of which $1.4 million was for rent and utility expenses and $1.2 million was for depreciation expenses from SG&A to cost of revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2016 to conform to the current period presentation.

NOTE 2 – NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment

Effective January 1, 2017, the Company early adopted the guidance in Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2017-04, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) – Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment.” This ASU eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test and requires a goodwill impairment to be measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of its goodwill. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our financial statements.

 

2017 10-Q Report

Stericycle, Inc.  •  8

 


 

 

 

Statement of Cash Flows

Effective January 1, 2017, the Company early adopted the guidance in ASU No. 2016-15 “Statement of Cash Flows” (Topic 230). This ASU clarifies diversity in practice on where in the Statement of Cash Flows to recognize certain transactions, including the classification of payment of contingent consideration for acquisitions between Financing and Operating activities. Based on the results of the Company’s analysis, there is no impact on our financial statements, as our treatment of the relevant affected items within the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows is consistent with the requirements of this guidance.

Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted

Revenue From Contracts With Customers

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (Topic 606), guidance to provide a single and comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. The revenue guidance contains principles that an entity will apply to determine the measurement of revenue and timing of when it is recognized. The underlying principle is that an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The amended authoritative guidance associated with revenue recognition is effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company currently anticipates adopting this ASU using the modified retrospective method. While the Company continues to evaluate the impacts of this ASU on our condensed consolidated financial statements, the Company currently expects that contract acquisition costs of obtaining revenue generating contracts, such as sales commissions paid in connection with multi-year service contracts, will be capitalized and amortized over the economic life of the contracts. Under the current guidance, the Company expenses such costs when incurred. The Company has engaged a third party service provider to assist us in our review of implementing the new revenue recognition standard. As the Company completes its evaluation of this new standard, new information may arise that could change the Company's current understanding of the impact to revenue and expense recognition. Additionally, the Company will continue to monitor industry activities and any additional guidance provided by regulators, standards setters, or the accounting profession to adjust the Company’s assessment and implementation plans accordingly.

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases” (Topic 842). This guidance will require lessees to record a right-of-use asset and lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms of more than 12 months. Recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses will depend on classification as a finance or operating lease. This ASU also requires certain quantitative and qualitative disclosures. Accounting guidance for lessors is largely unchanged. The guidance should be applied on a modified retrospective basis. ASU 2016-02 is effective for us beginning January 1, 2019. The Company will engage a third party service provider to assist us in our review of implementing the new leases standard. We are evaluating the impact that the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, “Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory.” This guidance requires the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory to be recognized when the transfer occurs, instead of when the asset is sold to an outside party. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods, with early adoption permitted. We do not expect the adoption to have a material impact on our financial statements.

 

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NOTE 3 – ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES, AND ASSETS HELD FOR SALE

Acquisitions

During the three months ended March 31, 2017, we completed thirteen acquisitions.

Domestically and in Canada, we acquired 100% of the stock of one and selected assets and liabilities of seven secure information destruction businesses, and one communication services business.

Internationally (exclusive of Canada), we acquired selected assets and liabilities of one regulated waste business and one secure information destruction business in the Netherlands. We also acquired 100% of the stock of one regulated waste business in Portugal and one regulated waste business in Spain.

The acquisitions were all considered to be business combinations.

The following table summarizes the locations of our acquisitions for the three months ended March 31, 2017:

 

Acquisition Locations

2017

 

United States

 

8

 

Canada

 

1

 

Netherlands

 

2

 

Portugal

 

1

 

Spain

 

1

 

Total

 

13

 

The following table summarizes the acquisition date fair value of consideration transferred for the current period acquisitions and the adjustments to the consideration transferred for prior year acquisitions during the three months ended March 31, 2017:

 

In thousands

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2017

 

 

Current Period Acquisitions

 

 

Adjustments to Prior

Year Acquisitions

 

 

Total

 

Cash

$

16,833

 

 

$

38

 

 

$

16,871

 

Promissory notes

 

13,104

 

 

 

(213

)

 

 

12,891

 

Deferred consideration

 

1,001

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,001

 

Contingent consideration

 

53

 

 

 

 

 

 

53

 

Total purchase price

$

30,991

 

 

$

(175

)

 

$

30,816

 

For financial reporting purposes, our acquisitions were accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. These acquisitions resulted in the recognition of goodwill in our financial statements reflecting the premium paid to acquire businesses that we believe are complementary to our existing operations and fit our growth strategy. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, we recognized an increase in goodwill of $19.1 million related to current period acquisitions, excluding the effect of foreign currency translation. Approximately $16.9 million of the goodwill recognized from current period acquisitions will be deductible for income taxes.

During the three months ended March 31, 2017, we recognized an increase of $11.5 million in the estimated fair value of acquired customer relationships for the current period acquisitions, excluding the effect of foreign currency translation, with amortizable lives of 10 to 20 years.

The fair value of consideration transferred in a business combination is allocated to the tangible and intangible assets assumed at the acquisition date, with the remaining unallocated amount recorded as goodwill. The allocations of the acquisition price for recent acquisitions have been prepared on a preliminary basis, pending completion of certain intangible asset valuations and finalization of the respective opening balance sheets. The

 

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following table summarizes the preliminary purchase price allocation for current period acquisitions and various adjustments to our prior year acquisitions during the three months ended March 31, 2017:

 

In thousands

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2017

 

 

Current Period Acquisitions

 

 

Adjustments to Prior

Year Acquisitions

 

 

Total

 

Fixed assets

$

517

 

 

$

(675

)

 

$

(158

)

Intangibles

 

11,515

 

 

 

2,124

 

 

 

13,639

 

Goodwill

 

19,107

 

 

 

(216

)

 

 

18,891

 

Net other assets/(liabilities)

 

166

 

 

 

(10

)

 

 

156

 

Net deferred tax liabilities

 

(314

)

 

 

(1,398

)

 

 

(1,712

)

Total purchase price allocation

$

30,991

 

 

$

(175

)

 

$

30,816

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company incurred $19.8 million and $22.3 million, respectively, of acquisition and integration expenses related to acquiring new businesses. Acquisition-related costs are costs the Company incurs to effect a business combination such as due diligence and legal expenses, costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department, direct travel expense related to acquisitions, government fees, and environmental studies. Integration-related costs are costs the Company incurs after an acquisition is completed to integrate the acquired business’ operations with the Company and include, for example, integration of our sales and collection processes and systems to support those efforts, rebranding to the Company’s name, severance expense related to personnel redundancies, and other. These expenses are included within SG&A in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The results of operations of these acquired businesses have been included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income from the date of the acquisition. Pro forma results of operations for these acquisitions are not presented because the pro forma effects, individually or in the aggregate, were not material to the Company’s results of operations.

Divestitures

There were no divestitures during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016.

Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale

As of March 31, 2017, we have certain of our international operations classified as held for sale. No material changes to the fair value of these assets and liabilities held for sale were recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2017. Fair value of these assets and liabilities held for sale is subject to changes in estimates as a result of evolving market conditions, negotiations, and other matters. The assets and liabilities of the disposal groups are presented in Assets held for sale and Liabilities held for sale in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.

 

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The following table presents information related to the major classes of assets and liabilities that were classified as held for sale in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2017:

 

In thousands

 

Accounts receivable

$

2,756

 

Inventory

 

226

 

Prepaid expenses

 

284

 

Fixed assets

 

5,189

 

Goodwill

 

63

 

Intangibles

 

765

 

Other assets

 

345

 

Assets held for sale

$

9,628

 

 

 

 

 

Current portion of long-term debt

$

1,010

 

Accounts payable

 

984

 

Accrued liabilities

 

843

 

Other current liabilities

 

1

 

Deferred income taxes

 

334

 

Liabilities held for sale

$

3,172

 

 

NOTE 4 – RESTRUCTURING, CONTRACT EXIT AND PLANT CONVERSION EXPENSES

During the first quarter of 2017, management began executing a realignment of our operations to reduce labor redundancies and facility costs in our Latin American countries. Various operating locations, primarily in Brazil, have been consolidated to increase efficiency while reducing headcount. For the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company recorded $0.6 million of restructuring expenses, mostly related to severance, which are reflected as part of SG&A in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The recorded restructuring liabilities are expected to be paid within the current year. While the Company believes the recorded restructuring liabilities are adequate, revisions to current estimates may be recorded in future periods based on new information as it becomes available. There could be additional initiatives in the future to further streamline our operations. As such, the Company expects further expenses related to workforce reductions and other facility rationalization costs when those restructuring plans are finalized and related expenses are estimable.

For the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company recorded $1.4 million of expenses to exit certain of our patient transportation services contracts in the UK which are reflected as part of SG&A in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

For the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company recorded $0.9 million of plant conversion expenses for the impairment of an operating permit and other costs due to rationalizing our operations which are reflected as part of SG&A in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

NOTE 5 – INCOME TAXES

We file income tax returns in the U.S., in various states and in certain foreign jurisdictions.

The Company has recorded liabilities to cover certain uncertain tax positions. Such uncertain tax positions relate to additional taxes that the Company may be required to pay in various tax jurisdictions. During the course of examinations by various taxing authorities, proposed adjustments may be asserted. The Company evaluates such items on a case-by-case basis and adjusts the liability for uncertain tax positions as deemed necessary. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, we released uncertain tax positions (“UTPs”) in the amount of $1.2 million and there were no other material changes to our liabilities related to previous or current UTPs. The effective tax

 

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rates for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 were 34.7% and 32.9%, respectively. The increase in the current period tax rate, when compared to the prior year, is primarily related to higher discrete tax benefits recognized in 2016, as well as a higher proportion of pre-tax income in 2017 in the United States which has a higher statutory tax rate, compared to international operations.

NOTE 6 – STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

At March 31, 2017, we had the following incentive stock plans:

 

the 2014 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in May 2014;

 

the 2011 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in May 2011;

 

the 2008 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in May 2008;

 

the 2005 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in April 2005;

 

the 2000 Non-statutory Stock Option Plan, which expired in February 2010;

 

the Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP"), which our stockholders approved in May 2001.

Stock Based Compensation Expense:

The following table presents the total stock-based compensation expense resulting from stock option awards, restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance-based restricted stock units (“PSUs”), and the ESPP included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income:

 

In thousands

 

 

Three Months March 31,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Cost of revenues - stock option plan

$

13

 

 

$

15

 

Selling, general and administrative - stock option plan

 

4,080

 

 

 

4,752

 

Selling, general and administrative - RSUs

 

1,401

 

 

 

559

 

Selling, general and administrative - PSUs

 

188

 

 

 

 

Selling, general and administrative - ESPP

 

317

 

 

 

779

 

Total pre-tax expense

$

5,999

 

 

$

6,105

 

Stock Options:

Options granted to directors vest in one year and options granted to officers and employees generally vest over five years. Expense related to options with graded vesting is recognized using the straight-line method over the vesting period. Stock option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2017, is summarized as follows:

 

 

Number of Options

 

Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share

 

Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life

 

Total Aggregate Intrinsic Value

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(in years)

 

(in thousands)

 

Outstanding as of January 1, 2017

 

5,468,732

 

$

96.90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granted

 

425,599

 

 

83.19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

(90,856

)

 

48.52

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited

 

(35,755

)

 

113.59

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cancelled or expired

 

(44,687

)

 

98.31

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding as of March 31, 2017

 

5,723,033

 

$

96.53

 

 

5.28

 

$

27,811

 

Exercisable as of March 31, 2017

 

3,598,309

 

$

89.19

 

 

4.52

 

$

27,740

 

At March 31, 2017, there was $41.2 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.30 years.

 

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The following table sets forth the intrinsic value of options exercised for the three months ended March 31:

 

In thousands

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Total intrinsic value of options exercised

$

2,908

 

 

$

13,229

 

The intrinsic value represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value (the difference between the fair value on the trading day the option was exercised and the exercise price associated with the respective option).

The Company uses historical data to estimate expected life and volatility. The estimated fair value of stock options at the time of the grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model was as follows:

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Stock options granted (shares)

 

425,599

 

 

 

1,008,569

 

Weighted average fair value at grant date

$

19.53

 

 

$

20.19

 

Assumptions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expected term (in years)

 

4.82

 

 

 

4.76

 

Expected volatility

 

22.66

%

 

 

18.02

%

Expected dividend yield

 

%

 

 

%

Risk free interest rate

 

1.91

%

 

 

1.26

%

Restricted Stock Units:

The fair value of RSUs is based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant and is amortized to expense over the service period. Our 2008, 2011 and 2014 Plans include a share reserve related to RSUs granted at a 2-1 ratio.

A summary of our RSU activity during the three months ended March 31, 2017, is as follows:

 

 

Number of Units

 

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value

 

Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life

Total Aggregate Intrinsic Value

 

Outstanding as of January 1, 2017

 

114,838

 

$

104.22

 

 

 

 

 

Granted

 

183,940

 

 

83.24

 

 

 

 

 

Vested and released

 

(30,000

)

 

76.87

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited

 

(1,627

)

 

110.46

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding as of March 31, 2017

 

267,151

 

$

92.68

 

2.56

$

24,760

 

At March 31, 2017, there was $24.0 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 4.08 years.

Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units:

In February 2017 under the incentive stock plan, our executive officers were granted PSUs. PSUs vest, or not, in three equal annual installments based on the achievement of pre-determined annual earnings per share performance goals as approved by the Compensation Committee. Each of the units granted represent the right to receive one share of the Company’s common stock at a specified future date. The maximum number of common shares issuable upon vesting of these PSUs under the first installment is 10,348 shares. The grant date fair value was $83.35 per share and the total grant date fair value of the shares for which the performance conditions are expected to be met for 2017 was $0.9 million.

 

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NOTE 7 – PREFERRED STOCK

At March 31, 2017, we had 1,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock and 711,930 shares issued and outstanding of mandatory convertible preferred stock.

Series A Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock Offering: On September 15, 2015, we completed a registered public offering of 7,700,000 depositary shares, each representing a 1/10th interest in a share of our 5.25% Series A mandatory convertible preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Series A Preferred Stock"), at a public offering price of $100.00 per depository share for total gross proceeds of $770.0 million.

Unless earlier converted or redeemed, each share of the Series A Preferred Stock will automatically convert into between 5.8716 and 7.3394 shares of our common stock, subject to anti-dilution and other adjustments, on the mandatory conversion date, which is expected to be September 15, 2018. The number of shares of our common stock issuable on conversion will be determined based on the volume-weighted average price of our common stock over the 20 trading day period commencing on and including the 23rd scheduled trading day prior to September 15, 2018. Subject to certain restrictions, at any time prior to September 15, 2018, holders of the Series A Preferred Stock may elect to convert all or a portion of their shares into common stock at the minimum conversion rate of 5.8716 shares of common stock per share of Series A Preferred Stock, subject to adjustment.

Dividends on shares of the Series A Preferred Stock are payable on a cumulative basis when, as and if declared by our board of directors, or an authorized committee thereof, at an annual rate of 5.25% on the liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (and, correspondingly, $100.00 per share with respect to the depositary shares). The dividends may be payable in cash, or subject to certain limitations, in shares of our common stock, or any combination of cash and shares of our common stock, on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year, commencing on December 15, 2015, and to, and including, September 15, 2018.

We declared and paid dividends of $9.4 million and $10.1 million to the preferred stock shareholders during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

The following table provides information about our repurchases of depository shares of mandatory convertible preferred stock during the three months ended March 31, 2017:

 

Period

 

Number of Depository Shares Repurchased

 

 

Amount Paid for Repurchases

 

 

Average Price Paid per Share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

January 1 - January 31, 2017

 

 

100,000

 

 

$

6,551

 

 

$

65.51

 

February 1 -  February 28, 2017

 

 

40,694

 

 

 

2,668

 

 

 

65.57

 

March 1 - March 31, 2017

 

 

5,006

 

 

 

351

 

 

 

70.00

 

Total

 

 

145,700

 

 

$

9,570

 

 

$

65.68

 

Repurchases of our mandatory convertible preferred stock resulted in a $4.6 million increase to retained earnings, because we redeemed the preferred stock at a discount. The 145,700 depository shares are equivalent to 14,570 units of preferred stock.

NOTE 8 – EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period increased to include the number of additional shares of common stock that would have been outstanding if the potentially dilutive securities had been issued. Potentially dilutive securities include outstanding stock options, shares to be purchased under the Company’s employee stock purchase plan,

 

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RSUs, PSUs, and the assumed conversion of mandatory convertible preferred stock. The effect of potentially dilutive securities is reflected in diluted earnings per share by application of the "treasury stock method" for outstanding stock-based compensation awards. Under the treasury stock method, an increase in the fair market value of the Company’s common stock can result in a greater dilutive effect from potentially dilutive securities. For the issue of the mandatory convertible preferred stock, we use the "if-converted method." Under the if-converted method, the preferred dividend applicable to convertible preferred stock is added back as an adjustment to the numerator. The mandatory convertible preferred shares are assumed to be converted to common shares at the beginning of the period or, if later, at the time of issuance, and the resulting common shares are included in the denominator. In applying the if-converted method, conversion shall not be assumed for purposes of computing diluted EPS if the effect would be anti-dilutive. The numerator is also adjusted for any premium or discount arising from redemption of the preferred stock.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

 

In thousands, except share and per share data

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Numerator:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.

$

58,189

 

 

$

76,786

 

Mandatory convertible preferred stock dividend

 

9,364

 

 

 

10,106

 

Gain on repurchase of preferred stock

 

(4,563

)

 

 

 

Numerator for basic earnings per share attributable to Stericycle, Inc. common shareholders

$

53,388

 

 

$

66,680

 

Denominator:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denominator for basic earnings per share - weighted average shares

 

85,220,228

 

 

 

84,705,000

 

Effect of diluted securities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dilutive effect of stock-based compensation awards

 

352,181

 

 

 

1,140,501

 

Mandatory convertible preferred stock (a)

 

 

 

 

 

Denominator for diluted earnings per share - adjusted weighted average shares and after assumed exercises

 

85,572,409

 

 

 

85,845,501

 

Earnings per share – Basic

$

0.63

 

 

$

0.79

 

Earnings per share – Diluted

$

0.62

 

 

$

0.78

 

 

(a)

For the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, the weighted average common shares issuable upon the assumed conversion of the mandatory convertible preferred stock totaling of 5,264,188 and 5,651,376, respectively, were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as such conversion would have been anti-dilutive.

For the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, options to purchase shares of 4,660,568 and 2,309,479, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the effect would have been anti-dilutive.

For the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, RSUs of 135,309 and 500, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the effect would have been anti-dilutive.

The Company had outstanding PSUs during the three months ended March 31, 2017 that were eligible to vest into a maximum of 10,348 shares of common stock subject to the achievement of specified performance conditions. Contingently issuable shares are excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share if, based on current period results, the shares would not be issuable if the end of the reporting period were the end of the contingency period. These outstanding PSUs have been excluded from the earnings per share calculation for the three months ended March 31, 2017 as the performance conditions were not satisfied as of the end of the period.

 

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NOTE 9 – FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and (2) an entity's own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (unobservable inputs). The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels as described below:

Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (highest priority).

Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3 – Inputs that are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimate of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability (lowest priority).

Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment, and may affect the valuation of assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels. The impact of our creditworthiness and non-performance risk has been considered in the fair value measurements noted below. There were no movements of items between fair value hierarchies in the periods presented.

The following table summarizes the bases used to measure financial assets and liabilities that are carried at fair value on a recurring basis in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:

 

In thousands

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value Measurements Using

 

 

Total as of

March 31, 2017

 

 

Level 1

Inputs

 

 

Level 2

Inputs

 

 

Level 3

Inputs

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term investments

$

62

 

 

$

62

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Derivative financial instruments

 

790

 

 

 

 

 

 

790

 

 

 

 

Total

$

852

 

 

$

62

 

 

$

790

 

 

$

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contingent consideration

$

24,877

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

24,877

 

 

In thousands

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value Measurements Using

 

 

Total as of

December 31, 2016

 

 

Level 1

Inputs

 

 

Level 2

Inputs

 

 

Level 3

Inputs

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term investments

$

62

 

 

$

62

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Derivative financial instruments

 

816

 

 

 

 

 

 

816

 

 

 

 

Total

$

878

 

 

$

62

 

 

$

816

 

 

$

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contingent consideration

$

24,119

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

24,119

 

For our derivative financial instruments, we use a market approach valuation technique based on observable market transactions of spot and forward rates.

 

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We recorded a $0.8 million asset related to the fair value of the U.S. dollar-Canadian dollar foreign currency swap which was classified as Other assets at March 31, 2017. The objective of the swap is to offset the foreign exchange risk to the U.S. dollar equivalent cash outflows for our Canadian subsidiary.

Our contingent consideration liabilities are recorded using Level 3 inputs and were $24.9 million as of March 31, 2017, of which $8.7 million was classified as Current liabilities. Contingent consideration liabilities were $24.1 million at December 31, 2016, of which $8.1 million was classified as Current liabilities. Contingent consideration represents amounts expected to be paid as part of acquisition consideration only if certain future events occur. These events are usually targets for revenues, earnings, or other milestones related to the business acquired. We arrive at the fair value of contingent consideration by applying a weighted probability of potential payment outcomes. The calculation of these potential outcomes is dependent on both past financial performance and management assumptions about future performance. If the financial performance measures were all fully met, our maximum liability would be $25.7 million at March 31, 2017. Contingent consideration liabilities are reassessed each reporting period and are reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as part of Other current liabilities and Other liabilities.

Changes to contingent consideration are reflected in the table below:

 

In thousands

 

Contingent consideration as of January 1, 2017

$

24,119

 

Increases due to acquisitions

 

53

 

Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations

 

304

 

Changes in fair value reflected in selling, general, and administrative expenses

 

401

 

Contingent consideration as of March 31, 2017

$

24,877

 

At March 31, 2017, the fair value of the Company’s debt obligations was estimated, using Level 2 inputs, at $2.88 billion compared to a carrying amount of $2.87 billion. At December 31, 2016, the fair value of the Company’s debt obligations was estimated, using Level 2 inputs, at $2.97 billion compared to a carrying amount of $2.96 billion. The fair values were estimated using an income approach by applying market interest rates for comparable instruments.

Accounts receivable, Accounts payable and Accrued liabilities are financial assets and liabilities, respectively, with carrying values that approximate fair value. If measured at fair value in the financial statements, these financials instruments would be classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

 

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NOTE 10 – GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Goodwill:

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill since January 1, 2016, by reportable segment and for the “Other” category (see Note 13 – Segment Reporting), were as follows:

 

In thousands

 

 

Domestic and Canada RCS

 

 

International RCS

 

 

Other

 

 

Total

 

Balance as of January 1, 2016

$

2,842,711

 

 

$

632,491

 

 

$

282,975

 

 

$

3,758,177

 

Goodwill acquired during the year

 

41,517

 

 

 

8,381

 

 

 

2,871

 

 

 

52,769

 

Purchase accounting adjustments

 

(77,247

)

 

 

(78,894

)

 

 

(5,048

)

 

 

(161,189

)

Other changes

 

 

 

 

(7,486

)

 

 

 

 

 

(7,486

)

Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations

 

4,820

 

 

 

(56,071

)

 

 

 

 

 

(51,251

)

Balance as of December 31, 2016

 

2,811,801

 

 

 

498,421

 

 

 

280,798

 

 

 

3,591,020

 

Goodwill acquired during the period

 

11,782

 

 

 

2,706

 

 

 

4,619

 

 

 

19,107

 

Purchase accounting adjustments

 

(168

)

 

 

(76

)

 

 

28

 

 

 

(216

)

Other changes

 

 

 

 

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

20

 

Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations

 

1,278

 

 

 

11,584

 

 

 

 

 

 

12,862

 

Balance as of March 31, 2017

$

2,824,693

 

 

$

512,655

 

 

$

285,445

 

 

$

3,622,793

 

Current period adjustments to goodwill for certain 2016 acquisitions are primarily due to the finalization of intangible asset valuations.

Other Intangible Assets:

At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the values of other intangible assets were as follows:

 

In thousands

 

 

March 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

 

Gross Carrying Amount

 

 

Accumulated Amortization

 

 

Net Value

 

 

Gross Carrying Amount

 

 

Accumulated Amortization

 

 

Net Value

 

Amortizable intangibles:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customer relationships

$

1,575,206

 

 

$

291,414

 

 

$

1,283,792

 

 

$

1,553,398

 

 

$

261,306

 

 

$

1,292,092

 

Covenants not-to-compete

 

9,360

 

 

 

6,517

 

 

 

2,843

 

 

 

9,491

 

 

 

6,371

 

 

 

3,120

 

Tradenames

 

5,760

 

 

 

1,469

 

 

 

4,291

 

 

 

5,708

 

 

 

1,365

 

 

 

4,343

 

Other

 

19,807

 

 

 

2,936

 

 

 

16,871

 

 

 

19,076

 

 

 

2,526

 

 

 

16,550

 

Indefinite lived intangibles:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating permits

 

231,938

 

 

 

 

 

 

231,938

 

 

 

229,396

 

 

 

 

 

 

229,396

 

Tradenames

 

317,474

 

 

 

 

 

 

317,474

 

 

 

316,472

 

 

 

 

 

 

316,472

 

Total

$

2,159,545

 

 

$

302,336

 

 

$

1,857,209

 

 

$

2,133,541

 

 

$

271,568

 

 

$

1,861,973

 

 

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The changes in the carrying amount of intangible assets since January 1, 2016 were as follows:

 

In thousands

 

Balance as of January 1, 2016

$

1,842,561

 

Intangible assets acquired during the year

 

35,564

 

Valuation adjustments for prior year acquisitions

 

168,979

 

Intangible write-offs due to disposition and assets held for sale

 

(15,961

)

Impairments during the year

 

(1,406

)

Intangible amortization during the year

 

(129,300

)

Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations

 

(38,464

)

Balance as of December 31, 2016

 

1,861,973

 

Intangible assets acquired during the period

 

11,515

 

Valuation adjustments for prior year acquisitions

 

2,124

 

Impairments during the period

 

(408

)

Intangible amortization during the period

 

(29,089

)

Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations

 

11,094

 

Balance as of March 31, 2017

$

1,857,209

 

Our indefinite-lived intangible assets include permits and certain tradenames. We have determined that our permits and certain tradenames have indefinite lives due to our ability to renew them with minimal additional cost, and therefore these are not amortized.

Our finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives. We have determined that our customer relationships have useful lives ranging from 5 to 40 years based upon the type of customer and a weighted average remaining useful life of 15.1 years. We have covenants not-to-compete intangibles with useful lives ranging from 5 to 14 years and a weighted average remaining useful life of 3.0 years. We have tradename intangibles with useful lives ranging from 10 to 40 years and a weighted average remaining useful life of 16.2 years. Other intangibles mainly consist of landfill air rights and have a weighted average remaining useful life of 17.2 years.

During the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, the aggregate intangible amortization expense was $29.1 million and $18.3 million, respectively.

The estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years, assuming no additional amortizable intangible assets, is as follows for the years ended December 31:

 

In thousands

 

2017

$

116,974

 

2018

 

117,115

 

2019

 

116,751

 

2020

 

116,014

 

2021

 

115,587

 

The estimates for amortization expense noted above are based upon foreign exchange rates at March 31, 2017.

 

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NOTE 11 – DEBT

Long-term debt consisted of the following:

 

In thousands

 

 

March 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

Obligations under capital leases

$

10,820

 

 

$

11,121

 

$1.2 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 2.23%, due in 2019

 

346,506

 

 

 

407,119

 

$1.0 billion term loan weighted average rate 2.33%, due in 2020

 

970,000

 

 

 

1,000,000

 

$175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017

 

175,000

 

 

 

175,000

 

$125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019

 

125,000

 

 

 

125,000

 

$225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020

 

225,000

 

 

 

225,000

 

$150 million private placement notes 2.89%, due in 2021

 

150,000

 

 

 

150,000

 

$125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022

 

125,000

 

 

 

125,000

 

$200 million private placement notes 2.72%, due in 2022

 

200,000

 

 

 

200,000

 

$100 million private placement notes 2.79%, due in 2023

 

100,000

 

 

 

100,000

 

$150 million private placement notes 3.18%, due in 2023

 

150,000

 

 

 

150,000

 

Promissory notes and deferred consideration weighted average rate of 2.39% and weighted average maturity of 3.3 years

 

193,208

 

 

 

191,648

 

Foreign bank debt weighted average rate 6.25% and weighted average maturity of 1.9 years

 

101,341

 

 

 

99,428

 

Total debt

 

2,871,875

 

 

 

2,959,316

 

Less: current portion of total debt

 

96,301

 

 

 

72,822

 

Less: unamortized debt issuance costs

 

8,539

 

 

 

9,179

 

Long-term portion of total debt

$

2,767,035

 

 

$

2,877,315

 

Our senior credit facility, term loan, and the private placement notes all require us to comply with the same financial, reporting and other covenants and restrictions, including a restriction on dividend payments. At March 31, 2017, we were in compliance with all of our financial debt covenants. Our senior credit facility, term loan, and the private placement notes rank pari passu to each other and all other unsecured debt obligations.

At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, we had $138.9 million and $138.0 million, respectively, committed to outstanding letters of credit under our senior credit facility. The unused portion of the revolving credit facility was $714.6 million and $654.9 million at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

We classified our $175.0 million private placement notes that mature in October 2017 as long-term debt due to our intent to settle this obligation by borrowing on the available and unused capacity on our $1.2 billion senior credit facility due in 2019.

NOTE 12 – ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDITATION LIABILITIES

We record a liability for environmental remediation when such liability becomes probable and the costs or damages can be reasonably estimated. We accrue environmental remediation costs, on an undiscounted basis, associated with identified sites where an assessment has indicated that cleanup costs are probable and can be reasonably estimated, but the timing of such payments is not fixed and determinable. Such accruals are based on currently available information, estimated timing of remedial actions, existing technology, and enacted laws and regulations. The liability for environmental remediation is included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets in current liabilities within Accrued liabilities and in noncurrent liabilities within Other liabilities.

At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the total environmental remediation liabilities recorded were $31.4 million and $30.9 million of which $2.6 million and $2.4 million were presented in Accrued liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, respectively. We project costs over approximately 30 years.

 

 

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NOTE 13 – SEGMENT REPORTING

Our three operating segments are:

 

Domestic and Canada Regulated Waste and Compliance Services (“Domestic and Canada RCS”),

 

Domestic Communication and Related Services (“Domestic CRS”), and

 

International Regulated Waste and Compliance Services (“International RCS”).

Domestic CRS does not meet the quantitative criteria to be a separate reportable segment and therefore is included in All other. Costs related to our corporate headquarter functions are also included in All other.

Our Domestic and Canada, and International Regulated Waste and Compliance Services segments include medical waste disposal, pharmaceutical waste disposal, hazardous waste management, sustainability solutions for expired or unused inventory, secure information destruction of documents and e-media, training and consulting through our Steri-Safe® and Clinical Services programs, and other regulatory compliance services.

Our Domestic Communication and Related Services segment consists of inbound/outbound communication, automated patient reminders, online scheduling, notifications, product retrievals, product returns, and quality audits.

Our two reportable segments are:

 

Domestic and Canada RCS,

 

International RCS.

The following tables show financial information for the Company's reportable segments:

 

In thousands

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic and Canada RCS

$

633,733

 

 

$

616,131

 

International RCS

 

181,580

 

 

 

188,009

 

All other

 

77,086

 

 

 

70,041

 

Total

$

892,399

 

 

$

874,181

 

Gross Profit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic and Canada RCS

$

278,103

 

 

$

273,915

 

International RCS

 

58,492

 

 

 

60,733

 

All other

 

32,067

 

 

 

31,932

 

Total

$

368,662

 

 

$

366,580

 

Intangible amortization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic and Canada RCS

$

21,700

 

 

$

11,317

 

International RCS

 

5,344

 

 

 

4,977

 

All other

 

2,045

 

 

 

1,980

 

Total

$

29,089

 

 

$

18,274

 

Adjusted EBITA (a)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic and Canada RCS

$

186,449

 

 

$

184,852

 

International RCS

 

20,045

 

 

 

18,931

 

All other

 

(36,124

)

 

 

(23,431

)

Total

$

170,370

 

 

$

180,352

 

 

(a)

Adjusted EBITA is defined as income from operations exclusive of intangible amortization and other adjusting items reconciled in the table below.

The following table reconciles the Company's primary measure of segment profitability (EBITA) to income from operations:

 

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Stericycle, Inc.  •  22

 


 

 

 

 

In thousands

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Adjusted EBITA (a)

$

170,370

 

 

$

180,352

 

Intangible amortization expenses (see Note 10)

 

(29,089

)

 

 

(18,274

)

Acquisition and integration expenses (see Note 3)

 

(19,820

)

 

 

(22,258

)

Litigation  and professional services expenses (b)

 

(3,620

)

 

 

(1,300

)

Restructuring, contract exit and plant conversion expenses (see Note 4)

 

(2,891

)

 

 

(241

)

Change in fair value of contingent consideration (see Note 9)

 

(401

)

 

 

2,644

 

Income from operations

$

114,549

 

 

$

140,923

 

 

(b)

Litigation and professional services expenses generally consist of legal expenses to defend significant lawsuits and any related settlements as well as certain advisory and consultative services for significant project initiatives which are reflected as part of SG&A in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

The following table shows consolidated revenues by service:

 

In thousands

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Regulated Waste and Compliance Services

$

511,177

 

 

$

506,581

 

Secure Information Destruction Services

 

204,075

 

 

 

184,630

 

Communication and Related Services

 

93,516

 

 

 

87,949

 

Manufacturing and Industrial Services

 

83,631

 

 

 

95,021

 

Revenues

$

892,399

 

 

$

874,181

 

 

NOTE 14 – LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We operate in highly regulated industries and must deal with regulatory inquiries or investigations from time to time that may be initiated for a variety of reasons. We are also involved in a variety of civil litigation from time to time.

The Company establishes an accrued liability for loss contingencies related to legal and regulatory matters when the loss is both probable and reasonably estimable. If a loss is not probable or a probable loss is not reasonably estimable, no liability is recorded. These accruals represent management’s best estimate of probable losses and, in such cases, there may be an exposure to loss in excess of the amounts accrued. Legal and regulatory matters inherently involve significant uncertainties based on, among other factors, the stage of the proceedings, developments in the applicable facts or law, and the unpredictability of the ultimate determination of the merits of any claim, any defenses the Company may assert against that claim and the amount of any damages that may be awarded. The Company’s accrued liabilities for loss contingencies related to legal and regulatory matters may change in the future as a result of new developments, including, but not limited to, the occurrence of new legal matters, changes in the law or regulatory environment, adverse or favorable rulings, newly discovered facts relevant to the matter, or changes in the strategy for the matter. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on the Company because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.

Contract Class Action Lawsuits. As we have previously disclosed, we were served on March 12, 2013 with a class action complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania by an individual plaintiff for itself and on behalf of all other “similarly situated” customers of ours. The complaint alleges, among other things, that we imposed unauthorized or excessive price increases and other charges on our customers in breach of our

 

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contracts and in violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. The complaint sought certification of the lawsuit as a class action and the award to class members of appropriate damages and injunctive relief.

The Pennsylvania class action complaint was filed in the wake of a settlement with the State of New York of an investigation under the New York False Claims Act which arose out of the qui tam (or “whistle blower”) action captioned United States of America ex rel. Jennifer D. Perez v. Stericycle, Inc., Case No. 1:08-cv-2390, which was settled in the fourth quarter of 2015 as previously disclosed.

Following the filing of the Pennsylvania class action complaint, we were served with class action complaints filed in federal and state courts in several jurisdictions. These complaints asserted claims and allegations substantially similar to those made in the Pennsylvania class action complaint. All of these cases appear to be follow-on litigation to our settlement with the State of New York. On August 9, 2013, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation granted our Motion to Transfer these related actions to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for centralized pretrial proceedings (the “MDL Action”). On December 10, 2013, we filed our answer to the Amended Consolidated Class Action Complaint in the MDL Action, generally denying the allegations therein. Plaintiffs subsequently filed a Second Amended Consolidated Complaint on March 8, 2016, and we filed an answer to that pleading on March 25, 2016, generally denying the allegations therein and asserting a variety of affirmative defenses.

Plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification on January 29, 2016. On February 16, 2017, the Court entered an order granting Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. The Court certified a class of “[a]ll persons and entities that, between March 8, 2003 through the date of trial resided in the United States (except Washington and Alaska), were identified by Stericycle as ‘Small Quantity’ or ‘SQ’ customer, and were charged and paid more than their contractually-agreed price for Stericycle’s medical waste disposal good and services pursuant to Stericycle’s automated price increase policy. Governmental entities whose claims were asserted in United States ex rel. Perez v. Stericycle Inc. shall be excluded from the class.” On March 2, 2017, Stericycle filed a motion for reconsideration and clarification relating to the Court’s class certification decision. That motion is currently pending while the parties consider whether there would be any benefit to engaging in mediation. Discussions through and overseen by a mediator have ensued between the parties, and the parties may determine to take further steps toward engaging in formal mediation or take other steps toward a consensual resolution of the matter. The case remains ongoing.

We believe that we have operated in accordance with the terms of our customer contracts and that these complaints are without merit. We will continue to vigorously defend ourselves against each of these lawsuits.

We have not accrued any amounts in respect of these class action lawsuits, and we cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or the range of reasonably possible losses that we may incur. We are unable to make such an estimate because (i) litigation is by its nature uncertain and unpredictable, (ii) we do not know whether the class currently certified by the Court will remain certified through trial and judgment, or whether or how the class definition might be altered, (iii) we do not know how many individual plaintiffs will be determined to meet the court’s definition of the class, (iv) we do not know what the ultimate disposition on the merits of any class claim as well as our defenses to that claim may be, (v) we do not know whether formal mediation or other steps may lead to a consensual resolution of the matter and the discussions to date have not provided us with a basis to make such an estimate, and (vi) in our judgment, the factual and legal allegations asserted by plaintiffs are sufficiently unique that we are unable to identify other proceedings with circumstances sufficiently comparable to provide guidance in making estimates.

Securities Class Action Lawsuit. On July 11, 2016, two purported stockholders filed a putative class action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiffs purported to sue for themselves and on behalf of all purchasers of our publicly traded securities between February 7, 2013 and April 28, 2016, inclusive, and all those who purchased securities in our public offering of depositary shares, each representing a 1/10th interest in a share of our mandatory convertible preferred stock, on or around September

 

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15, 2015. The complaint named as defendants the Company, our directors and certain of our current and former officers, and certain of the underwriters in the public offering. The complaint purports to assert claims under Sections 11, 12(a)(2) and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as well as SEC Rule 10b-5, promulgated thereunder. The complaint alleges, among other things, that the Company imposed unauthorized or excessive price increases and other charges on its customers in breach of its contracts, and that defendants failed to disclose those alleged practices in public filings and other statements issued during the proposed class period beginning February 7, 2013 and ending April 28, 2016.

On August 4, 2016, plaintiffs filed an Amended Complaint that purports to assert additional misrepresentations in public statements through July 28, 2016, and therefore to change the putative class period to the period from February 7, 2013 to July 28, 2016, inclusive. On October 21, 2016, plaintiffs filed a Corrected Amended Complaint adding the Company as a named defendant in plaintiff’s claim under Section 11 of the Securities Act, which had previously been asserted only against the Underwriters and certain officers and directors.

On November 1, 2016, the Court appointed the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi and the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System as Lead Plaintiffs and their counsel as Lead Counsel. On February 1, 2017, Lead Plaintiff filed a Consolidated Amended Complaint with additional purported factual material supporting the same legal claims from the prior complaints. Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the Consolidated Amended Complaint on April 1, 2017. Plaintiffs’ response to that motion is due May 19, 2017.

We intend to vigorously defend ourselves against this lawsuit.

We have not accrued any amounts in respect of this lawsuit, and we cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or the range of reasonably possible losses that we may incur. We are unable to make such an estimate because (i) litigation is by its nature uncertain and unpredictable, (ii) we do not know whether the court will certify any class of plaintiffs or, if any class is certified, how the class would be defined, and (iii) in our judgment, the factual and legal allegations asserted by plaintiffs are sufficiently unique that we are unable to identify other proceedings with circumstances sufficiently comparable to provide guidance in making estimates.

Shareholder Derivative Lawsuits. On September 1, 2016, a purported stockholder filed a putative derivative action complaint in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois against certain officers and directors of the Company, naming the Company as nominal defendant. The complaint alleges that defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company and its stockholders by causing the Company to allegedly overcharge certain customers in breach of those customers’ contracts, otherwise provide unsatisfactory customer service and injure customer relationships, and make materially false and misleading statements and omissions regarding the Company’s business, operational and compliance policies between February 7, 2013 and the present. On March 1, 2017, another purported stockholder filed a putative derivative action complaint containing substantially similar allegations in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois against certain officers and directors of the Company, naming the Company as nominal defendant. The Company notes, among other things, that both of these filings are in violation of the Company’s Bylaws, which require any such actions to be brought in a court in Delaware. None of the defendants in either of these derivative actions has been served with the applicable complaint.

We have not accrued any amounts in respect of these lawsuits, and we cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or the range of reasonably possible losses that we may incur. We are unable to make such an estimate because (i) litigation is by its nature uncertain and unpredictable and (ii) in our judgment, the factual and legal allegations asserted by plaintiffs are sufficiently unique that we are unable to identify other proceedings with circumstances sufficiently comparable to provide guidance in making estimates.

Shareholder Demand Letter. On October 18, 2016, the Company received a letter from an attorney purporting to represent a current stockholder of the Company demanding, pursuant to Del. Ct. Ch. R. 23.1, that the Company’s Board of Directors take action to remedy alleged breaches of fiduciary duties by certain officers and directors of the Company. The factual allegations set forth in the letter are similar to those asserted in the Securities Class Action Lawsuit and the Shareholder Derivative Lawsuit. The letter asserts breaches of fiduciary duty in connection

 

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with the management, operation and oversight of the Company’s business and in connection with alleged false, misleading and/or incomplete statements regarding the Company’s business practices.

The Company’s Board of Directors has constituted a Special Demand Review Committee to investigate the claims made in the demand letter, which investigation is ongoing.

TCPA Lawsuit. On June 3, 2016, a plaintiff filed a putative class action, captioned Ibrahim v. Stericycle, Inc., No. 16-cv-4294 (N.D. Ill.), against us and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Stericycle Communication Solutions, Inc., under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”), asserting that the defendants called plaintiff and others in violation of that statute. Plaintiff challenges our use of pre-recorded messages that urge the owners of recalled products to return or obtain repairs for those products.

Plaintiff seeks certification of two nationwide classes. One class includes people who received one or more cellular telephone calls from Stericycle featuring a prerecorded or artificial voice message relating to a product recall, where the called party was not the same individual who, according to Stericycle’s records, was the intended recipient of the call. The second class includes people who received one or more cellular telephone calls from Stericycle featuring a prerecorded or artificial voice message relating to a product recall after such person had communicated to Stericycle that Stericycle did not have consent to make any such calls to their cellular telephone number.

On July 28, 2016, we answered the complaint, denying the material allegations and raising certain affirmative defenses. Among the asserted defenses is the “emergency” exception to the TCPA, which exempts calls made to promote public health and safety. On December 19, 2016, before any substantial discovery in the case, we filed a motion for summary judgment primarily on the basis of the “emergency” exception. On February 1, 2017, plaintiff responded to our motion by requesting additional discovery. The court permitted plaintiff to obtain some but not all of the requested discovery, and we have provided additional documents in response to that order.

On April 5, 2017, plaintiff sought leave to file an amended complaint which would add a claim under the Illinois Automatic Telephone Dialers Act (which does not include an “emergency” exception) and certain additional allegations. We filed an opposition to this motion on April 28, 2017, contending that the proposed amendments are futile and that we are entitled to summary judgment.

We have not accrued any amounts in respect of this lawsuit, and we cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or the range of reasonably possible losses that we may incur. We are unable to make such an estimate because (i) litigation is by its nature uncertain and unpredictable, (ii) we do not know whether the court will certify any class of plaintiffs or, if any class is certified, how the class would be defined, and (iii) in our judgment, the factual and legal allegations asserted by plaintiff are sufficiently unique that we are unable to identify other proceedings with circumstances sufficiently comparable to provide guidance in making estimates.

Environmental Matters. Our Environmental Solutions business is regulated by federal, state and local laws enacted to regulate the discharge of materials into the environment, remediate contaminated soil and groundwater or otherwise protect the environment. As a result of this continuing regulation, we frequently become a party to legal or administrative proceedings involving various governmental authorities and other interested parties. The issues involved in these proceedings generally relate to alleged violations of existing permits and licenses or alleged responsibility under federal or state Superfund laws to remediate contamination at properties owned either by us or by other parties to which either we or the prior owners of certain of its facilities shipped wastes. From time to time, we may be subject to fines or penalties in regulatory proceedings relating primarily to waste treatment, storage or disposal facilities.

On February 29, 2016, we entered into a statute of limitations tolling agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah relating to that Office’s investigation of the same facts underlying the notice of violation (the “NOV”) issued by the State of Utah Division of Air Quality (the “DAQ”) that resulted in our December 2014 settlement with the DAQ that we have previously disclosed. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is investigating whether the matters forming the basis of the NOV constitute criminal or civil violations of the Clean Air Act and

 

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other federal statutes. On May 9, 2017, we extended the tolling agreement to June 30, 2017. Under the tolling agreement as extended, the period from March 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017 will be excluded from any calculation of time for the purpose of determining the statute of limitations concerning any charges that we violated federal statutes. The agreement does not constitute an admission of guilt or wrongdoing on our part and cannot be construed as a waiver of any other rights or defenses that we may have in any resulting action or proceeding.

We continue to cooperate with the investigation and have engaged in discussions with the U.S. Attorney’s Office regarding their current factual and legal positions.  We are evaluating the U.S. Attorney’s positions and, after we have completed our factual and legal review, intend to explore a number of potential alternatives, including a negotiated resolution and potential litigation.

We have not accrued any amounts in respect of this investigation, and we cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or the range of reasonably possible losses that we may incur. We are unable to make such an estimate because (i) the Company and the U.S. Attorney’s Office continue to exchange information and develop their respective factual and legal positions, and (ii) in our judgment, the factual and legal issues raised in the investigation are sufficiently unique that we are unable to identify other investigations with circumstances sufficiently comparable to provide guidance in making estimates.

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

We are a business-to-business services provider with a focus on regulated and compliance solutions for healthcare, retail, and commercial businesses. This includes the collection and processing of regulated and specialized waste for disposal and the collection of personal and confidential information for secure destruction, plus a variety of training, consulting, recall/return, communication, and compliance services. We were incorporated in 1989 and presently serve a diverse customer base of more than 1,000,000 customers throughout the United States, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

More specifically, our services and products include:

 

Medical waste management services

 

Reusable sharps disposal management services

 

Pharmaceutical waste services

 

Integrated Waste Stream Solutions ("IWSS") program

 

Hazardous waste management services

 

Sustainability and recycling services for expired or unused inventory

 

Secure information destruction and hard drive destruction services

 

Compliance programs under the Steri-Safe®, Clinical Services, SeguriMed and EnviroAssure brand names

 

Regulated recall and returns management communication, logistics, and data management services for expired, withdrawn or recalled products

 

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Live voice and automated communication services including afterhours answering, appointment scheduling, appointment reminders, secure messaging, and event registration

 

Mailback solutions for regulated medical waste, universal wastes, pharmaceutical wastes, and other specialty wastes

There were no material changes in the Company’s critical accounting policies since the filing of its 2016 Form 10-K. As discussed in the 2016 Form 10-K, the preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amount of reported assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and revenues and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 Compared to

Three Months Ended March 31, 2016

Highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2017 included the following:

 

revenues of $892.4 million, an increase of 2.1%, including a 1.1% unfavorable impact from foreign exchange;

 

gross profit of $368.7 million, an increase of 0.6%;

 

operating income of $114.5 million, a decreased of 18.7%;

 

we incurred $26.7 million in pre-tax expenses related acquisitions and integration, litigation and professional services, restructuring, contract exit and plant conversion expenses, and an unfavorable change in the fair value of contingent consideration;

 

intangible amortization expense increased to $29.1 million from $18.3 million in 2017, primarily due to the completion of intangible valuations at the end of 2016 for our Shred-it acquisition;

 

we reclassified $2.6 million of which $1.4 million was for rent and utility expenses and $1.2 million was for depreciation expenses from SG&A to cost of revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2016 to conform to the current period presentation;

 

the effective tax rate was 34.7%;

 

net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. common shareholders was $53.4 million, with diluted earnings per share of $0.62;

 

cash flow from operations was $175.3 million, an increase of 11.7%;

 

capital expenditures were $33.1 million; and

 

dividends of $9.4 million were paid during the first quarter of 2017 to holders of our Series A Preferred Stock.

 

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The following summarizes the Company’s operations:

 

In thousands, except per share data

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

$

 

 

%

 

 

$

 

 

%

 

Revenues

$

892,399

 

 

 

100.0

 

 

$

874,181

 

 

 

100.0

 

Cost of revenues

 

500,830

 

 

 

56.1

 

 

 

483,515

 

 

 

55.3

 

Depreciation - cost of revenues

 

22,907

 

 

 

2.6

 

 

 

23,850

 

 

 

2.7

 

Plant conversion expenses

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

236

 

 

 

0.0

 

Total cost of revenues

 

523,737

 

 

 

58.7

 

 

 

507,601

 

 

 

58.1

 

Gross profit

 

368,662

 

 

 

41.3

 

 

 

366,580

 

 

 

41.9

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A” - exclusive of adjusting items shown below)

 

192,109

 

 

 

21.5

 

 

 

180,174

 

 

 

20.6

 

Acquisition and integration expenses

 

19,820

 

 

 

2.2

 

 

 

22,258

 

 

 

2.5

 

Litigation and professional services expenses

 

3,620

 

 

 

0.4

 

 

 

1,300

 

 

 

0.1

 

Restructuring, contract exit and plant conversion expenses

 

2,891

 

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

0.0

 

Change in fair value of contingent consideration

 

401

 

 

 

0.0

 

 

 

(2,644

)

 

 

(0.3

)

Total SG&A expenses (exclusive of depreciation and intangible amortization

shown below)

 

218,841

 

 

 

24.5

 

 

 

201,093

 

 

 

23.0

 

Depreciation

 

6,183

 

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

6,290

 

 

 

0.7

 

Intangible amortization

 

29,089

 

 

 

3.3

 

 

 

18,274

 

 

 

2.1

 

Income from operations

 

114,549

 

 

 

12.8

 

 

 

140,923

 

 

 

16.1

 

Net interest expense

 

23,300

 

 

 

2.6

 

 

 

24,041

 

 

 

2.8

 

Other expense, net

 

1,544

 

 

 

0.2

 

 

 

1,251

 

 

 

0.1

 

Income tax expense

 

31,148

 

 

 

3.5

 

 

 

38,036

 

 

 

4.4

 

Net income

 

58,557

 

 

 

6.6

 

 

 

77,595

 

 

 

8.9

 

Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

368

 

 

 

0.0

 

 

 

809

 

 

 

0.1

 

Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.

 

58,189

 

 

 

6.5

 

 

 

76,786

 

 

 

8.8

 

Mandatory convertible preferred stock dividend

 

9,364

 

 

 

1.0

 

 

 

10,106

 

 

 

1.2

 

Gain on repurchase of preferred stock

 

(4,563

)

 

 

(0.5

)

 

 

 

 

 

-

 

Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc. common shareholders

$

53,388

 

 

 

6.0

 

 

$

66,680

 

 

 

7.6

 

Earnings per share- diluted

$

0.62

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

0.78

 

 

 

 

 

Revenues: In analyzing our Company’s performance, it is necessary to understand that our various regulated services share a common infrastructure and customer base. We market our regulated and compliance services by offering various pricing options to meet our customers’ preferences, and customers move between these different billing paradigms. For example, our customers may contract with us for "Medical Waste Disposal" services that are billed based on the weight of waste collected, processed and disposed during a particular period, and in a subsequent period, the same customer could move to our standard service ("Steri-Safe OSHA Compliance Program"), which packages the same regulated medical waste services with training and education services for a contracted subscription fee. Another example is a customer that purchases our "Medical Waste Disposal" and "Sharps Disposal Management" services which provides the customer with the same regulated services under a different pricing and billing arrangement. We do not track the movement of customers between the various types of regulated services we offer. Although we can identify directional trends in our services, because the regulated services are similar in nature and there are inherent inaccuracies in disaggregation, we believe that aggregating these revenues communicates the appropriate metric. We analyze our revenue growth by identifying changes related to organic growth, acquisitions and divestitures, and changes due to currency exchange fluctuations.

Our consolidated revenues increased $18.2 million, or 2.1%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $892.4 million from $874.2 million in the first quarter of last year. Overall organic revenue growth contributed $18.7 million, or 2.1% in revenues. Organic growth excludes the effect of foreign exchange and acquisitions and divestitures with less than a full year of revenues in the comparative period. Revenues from acquisitions contributed $10.0 million to the increase in revenues in the first quarter of 2017. Divestiture activity negatively impacted current period revenues by $0.7 million. The net effect of acquisitions and divestiture activity resulted in a 1.1% increase in revenues in the first quarter of 2017. The effect of foreign exchange rates unfavorably impacted total revenues in the first quarter of 2017 by $9.7 million, or 1.1%, as foreign currencies declined against the U.S. dollar.

 

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Domestic and Canada Regulated Waste and Compliance Services (“Domestic and Canada RCS”) revenues increased $17.6 million, or 2.9%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $633.7 million from $616.1 million in the first quarter of last year. Organic growth contributed $9.1 million, or 1.5%, and acquisitions contributed $7.1 million, or 1.1%, in revenues. Our Secure Information Destruction revenues were strong due to higher sales activity for both ongoing and one-time services combined with higher recycling revenue. The strengthening of the Canadian dollar positively affected 2017 revenues by $1.4 million, or 0.2%. Revenues related to Manufacturing and Industrial (“M&I”) waste services experienced a reduction of $8.4 million negatively impacting overall organic growth by 1.8%. This reduction was due to fewer on-call services related to softness in the U.S. industrial market. In addition, we have experienced pricing pressure on our small quantity regulated waste and compliance customers resulting from hospital consolidation of physician practices and increased competitive activities in the market.

International Regulated Waste and Compliance Services (“International RCS”) revenues decreased $6.4 million, or 3.4%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $181.6 million from $188.0 million in the first quarter of last year. Organic growth in the International RCS segment contributed $3.4 million in revenues, or 1.8%. In 2016, we began to exit certain patient transport service contracts in the UK, which negatively impacted our organic growth. Revenues from international acquisitions contributed $2.0 million to the increase in revenues in the first quarter of 2017. Divestiture activity negatively impacted current period revenues by $0.7 million. The net effect of acquisitions and divestiture activity resulted in a 0.7% increase in revenues in the first quarter of 2017. The effect of foreign exchange rates unfavorably impacted international revenues in the first quarter of 2017 by $11.2 million, or 5.9%, as foreign currencies declined against the U.S. dollar.

Other revenues related to Domestic Communication and Related Services increased $7.0 million, or 10.1%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $77.1 million from $70.0 million in the first quarter of last year, primarily due to serving new brands across many industries.

Cost of Revenues: Our consolidated 2017 cost of revenues increased $16.1 million, or 3.2%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $523.7 million from $507.6 million in the first quarter of last year. As a percentage of revenues, consolidated gross profit decreased to 41.3% in the first quarter of 2017 from 41.9% in the first quarter of last year. In general, international gross profit is lower than domestic gross profit because our international operations have fewer small account customers, which tend to generate higher gross profit. Historically, our international operations generate most of their revenues from large account customers, such as hospitals. As our international revenues increase as a percentage of consolidated revenues, consolidated gross profit percentages experience downward pressure due to this "business mix" shift, which may be offset by additional international small account market penetration, integration savings, and domestic business expansion.

Domestic and Canada RCS cost of revenues increased $13.4 million, or 3.9%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $355.6 million from $342.2 million in the first quarter of last year. Gross profit as a percentage of revenues decreased to 43.9% in the first quarter of 2017 from 44.5% in the first quarter of last year primarily due to lower revenues from our M&I customers, which have a higher fixed cost structure. Pricing pressure on our small quantity regulated waste and compliance customers negatively impacted our gross profit as a percentage of revenues. We also experienced higher costs related to fuel, utilities and wages.

International RCS cost of revenues decreased $4.2 million, or 3.3%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $123.1 million from $127.3 million in the first quarter of last year. International gross profit as a percentage of revenues slightly decreased to 32.2% in the first quarter of 2017 from 32.3% in the first quarter of last year. Our international gross profit was negatively impacted by the inability to pass high inflation costs on to customers.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses Exclusive of Adjusting Items, Depreciation and Amortization ("SG&A"): Our consolidated SG&A expenses increased $11.9 million, or 6.6%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $192.1 million from $180.2 million in the first quarter of last year to support our increase in revenues.

Domestic and Canada RCS SG&A expenses increased $3.5 million, or 4.1%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $89.2 million from $85.7 million in the first quarter of last year. As a percentage of revenues, SG&A increased to 14.1% in the first quarter of 2017 as compared to 13.9% in the first quarter of last year.

 

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International RCS SG&A expenses decreased $3.8 million, or 9.3%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $37.1 million from $40.9 million in the first quarter of last year. As a percentage of revenues, SG&A decreased to 20.4% in the first quarter of 2017 as compared to 21.7% in the first quarter of last year due to M&I divestiture and reduced SG&A expense related to the exit of certain UK patient transport services contracts.

Income from Operations: Consolidated income from operations decreased by $26.4 million, or 18.7%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $114.5 million from $140.9 million in the first quarter of last year. Comparison of income from operations between 2017 and 2016 was affected by the following items:

During the first quarter of 2017, we recognized $19.8 million of expenses related to acquisition and integration activities, $3.6 million in certain litigation and professional services expenses, $2.9 million in restructuring, contract exit and plant conversion expenses, and a $0.4 million unfavorable change in fair value of contingent consideration.

During the first quarter of 2016, we recognized $22.3 million of expenses related to acquisition and integration activities, $1.3 million in certain litigation and professional services expenses, and $0.2 million in in restructuring, contract exit and plant conversion expenses, offset by a $2.6 million favorable change in the fair value of contingent consideration.

Consolidated depreciation and amortization expense increased to $58.2 million in the first quarter of 2017 compared to $48.4 million in the first quarter of last year, primarily due to increased amortization expense in late 2016 of Shred-it intangibles resulting from the finalization of the valuation and purchase accounting. As a percentage of revenues, depreciation and amortization expense increased to 6.5% as compared to 5.5% in 2016.

Domestic and Canada RCS income from operations decreased $6.8 million, or 4.2%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $154.6 million from $161.4 million in the first quarter of last year.

During the first quarter of 2017, we recognized $10.1 million in acquisition and integration, and plant conversion expenses.

During the first quarter of 2016, we recognized $12.1 million in acquisition and integration expenses.

Domestic and Canada RCS depreciation and amortization expense increased to $38.9 million in the first quarter of 2017 compared to $31.0 million in the first quarter of last year, primarily due to increased amortization expense of Shred-it intangibles. As a percentage of revenues, depreciation and amortization expense increased to 6.1% in the first quarter of 2017 as compared to 5.0% in the first quarter of last year.

International RCS income from operations decreased $2.2 million, or 15.7%, in the first quarter of 2017 to $11.8 million from $14.0 million in the first quarter of last year.

During the first quarter of 2017, we recognized $2.9 million in acquisition and integration, restructuring, contract exit and plant conversion expenses due to an initiative to realign our operations to reduce labor redundancies in our Latin American countries and exiting certain of our UK patient transport services contracts.

International RCS depreciation and amortization expense increased to $13.2 million in the first quarter of 2017 compared to $12.6 million in the first quarter of last year. As a percentage of revenues, depreciation and amortization expense increased to 7.3% in the first quarter of 2017 as compared to 6.7% in the first quarter of last year.

Net Interest Expense: Net interest expense decreased to $23.3 million in the first quarter of 2017 from $24.0 million in the first quarter of last year due to a reduction of our average debt balance.

Income Tax Expense: Income tax expense decreased to $31.1 million in the first quarter of 2017 from $38.0 million in the first quarter of last year. The effective tax rates for the first quarter of 2017 and 2016 were 34.7% and

 

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32.9%, respectively. The increase in the current period tax rate, when compared to the prior year, is primarily related to higher discrete tax benefits recognized in 2016, as well as a higher proportion of pre-tax income in 2017 in the United States which has a higher statutory tax rate, compared to international operations.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources:

The following senior credit facility, term loan, and the private placement notes require us to comply with various financial, reporting, and other covenants and restrictions, including a restriction on dividend payments:

 

$1.2 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 2.23%, due in 2019

$1.0 billion term loan weighted average rate 2.33%, due in 2020

$175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017

$125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019

$225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020

$150 million private placement notes 2.89%, due in 2021

$125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022

$200 million private placement notes 2.72%, due in 2022

$100 million private placement notes 2.79%, due in 2023

$150 million private placement notes 3.18%, due in 2023

The financial debt covenants are the same for the senior credit facility, term loan, and the private placement notes. At March 31, 2017, we were in compliance with all of our financial debt covenants. Our senior credit facility, term loan, and the private placement notes rank pari passu to each other and all other unsecured debt obligations.

At March 31, 2017, we had $346.5 million of borrowings outstanding under our $1.2 billion senior unsecured credit facility, which includes foreign currency borrowings of $126.5 million. We also had $138.9 million outstanding letters of credit under this facility. The unused portion of the revolving credit facility at March 31, 2017 was $714.6 million. At March 31, 2017, our interest rates on borrowings under our revolving credit facility were as follows:

 

A fee of 0.2% on our revolving credit facility

 

For borrowings less than one month, prime rate plus 0.3%

 

For borrowings greater than one month, LIBOR plus 1.3%

The weighted average rate of interest on the unsecured revolving credit facility was 2.23% per annum, which includes the 0.2% facility fee at March 31, 2017.

As of March 31, 2017, we had $970 million outstanding under our term loan credit facility. The weighted average rate of interest on the unsecured term loan facility was 2.33% per annum.

As of March 31, 2017, we had $175.0 million of seven-year 3.89% unsecured senior notes and $225.0 million of 10-year 4.47% unsecured senior notes outstanding issued to 39 institutional purchasers in a private placement completed in October 2010. Interest is payable in arrears semi-annually on April 15 and October 15 beginning on April 15, 2011, and principal is payable on October 15, 2017 for the seven-year notes and October 15, 2020 for the 10-year notes. We have classified our $175.0 million private placement notes that mature in October 2017 as long-term debt due to our intent to settle this obligation by borrowing on our $1.2 billion senior credit facility due in 2019.

As of March 31, 2017, we had $125.0 million of seven-year 2.68% unsecured senior notes and $125.0 million of 10-year 3.26% unsecured senior notes outstanding issued to 46 institutional purchasers in a private placement completed in December 2012. Interest is payable in arrears semi-annually on June 12 and December 12 beginning on June 12, 2013, and principal is payable on December 12, 2019 and December 12, 2022, respectively.

 

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As of March 31, 2017, we had $200.0 million of seven-year 2.72% unsecured senior notes and $100.0 million of eight-year 2.79% unsecured senior notes outstanding issued to several institutional purchasers in a private placement completed in July 2015. Interest is payable in arrears semi-annually on January 1 and July 1 beginning on January 1, 2016, and principal is payable on July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, respectively.

As of March 31, 2017, we had $150.0 million of six-year 2.89% unsecured senior notes and $150.0 million of eight-year 3.18% unsecured senior notes outstanding issued to several institutional purchasers in a private placement completed in October 2015. Interest is payable in arrears semi-annually on April 1 and October 1 beginning on April 1, 2016, and principal is payable on October 1, 2021 and October 1, 2023, respectively.

As of March 31, 2017, we had $193.2 million in promissory notes and deferred consideration outstanding issued in connection with acquisitions during 2008 through 2017, $101.3 million in foreign subsidiary bank debt outstanding, and $10.8 million in capital lease obligations.

Working Capital: At March 31, 2017, our working capital decreased $50.4 million to $180.4 million compared to $230.8 million at December 31, 2016.

Current assets decreased by $13.7 million, mostly driven by a $19.6 million decrease in accounts receivable due to strong collections during the first quarter of 2017, offset by a $2.8 million increase in cash and cash equivalents  and an increase of $5.7 million in prepaid expenses. Days sales outstanding ("DSO") was 62 days and 64 days at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

Current liabilities increased by $36.7 million during the first quarter of 2017 primarily related to reclassifying $21.8 million of term loan debt from long-term to current, an increase of $17.3 million in other current liabilities, and an increase of $15.3 million in accrued liabilities, offset by a decrease of $19.8 million in accounts payable.

Net Cash Change: Net cash provided by operating activities increased $18.4 million, or 11.7%, to $175.3 million during the first quarter of 2017 from $156.9 million in 2016 primarily due to strong collections during the first quarter of 2017.

Net cash used in investing activities during the first quarter of 2017 was $49.8 million compared to $58.3 million in 2016. We used $8.0 million less cash for acquisitions during the first quarter of 2017 than during the same period of 2016. Our capital expenditures decreased by $1.0 million in 2017 and, as percentage of revenues, were at 3.7% and 3.9% in 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Net cash used in financing activities was $124.1 million during the first quarter of 2017 compared to $108.4 million in the same period of 2016. In 2017, we repaid $92.3 million, net, of our senior credit facility and term loan facility compared to $66.6 million in 2016. We had preferred share repurchases of $9.6 million in 2017 compared to $37.7 million of common share repurchases in 2016. Dividends of $9.4 million and $10.1 million were paid to holders of our Series A Preferred Stock in 2017 and 2016, respectively.

ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURE ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are subject to market risks arising from changes in interest rates. Our potential additional interest expense over one year that would result from a hypothetical, instantaneous and unfavorable change of 100 basis points in the interest rate on all of our variable rate obligations would be approximately $14.2 million on a pre-tax basis.

We have exposure to commodity pricing for gas and diesel fuel for our trucks, for the purchases of containers and boxes, and for the price we receive for shredded office paper. We do not hedge these items to manage the exposure.

 

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We have exposure to foreign currency fluctuations. We have subsidiaries in multiple foreign countries whose functional currency is the local currency. Our international subsidiaries use local currency denominated lines of credit for their funding needs which has no exposure to currency fluctuations. We translate the results of our international operations using an average monthly exchange rate. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates could unfavorably impact our consolidated results of operations.

We operate in a highly competitive market. We have exposure to other service providers providing cheaper solutions. As physician practices are consolidated by larger hospital groups we have exposure related to negotiating leverage that large quantity generators have through professional purchasing departments, which may have a negative impact to our revenues as contracts renew.

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.

The term "disclosure controls and procedures" is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as "controls and other procedures of an issuer that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the issuer in the reports that it files or submits under the Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms." Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to us and our consolidated subsidiaries is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our President and Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding our required disclosures.

Our management, with the participation of our President and Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report. Based upon that evaluation, our President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report, because of material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting described below.

Internal control over financial reporting.

Management of Stericycle is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d(f) under the Exchange Act). Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”). Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

 

Stericycle conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016 based on the criteria established by the Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO Framework”).

 

During 2016, the Company’s assessment included the global Shred-it business. Shred-it was acquired late in 2015 and resulted in significant integration activities throughout 2016 with a broad impact across the organization.

 

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While the Company made progress in certain of the areas identified in the prior year, additional material weaknesses were identified. As a result, as of December 31, 2016, Stericycle management has identified material weaknesses related to: a lack of a framework to identify risks of material misstatement to the organization’s financial statements and appropriately designed controls to mitigate those risks; a lack of robust accounting policies to assist our finance organization with accounting for transactions appropriately and on a timely basis; insufficient design and communication of general information technology controls to support the effective operation of financial controls; and an insufficiently staffed finance organization with the requisite skills and ability to focus on ICFR matters to respond to the risks to the financial statements. These material weaknesses in the control environment, risk assessment, and control activity components of the COSO framework as of December 31, 2016 and March 31, 2017 are pervasive across our internal control processes.

Planned Remediation of Material Weaknesses

 

Since 2016, Stericycle has invested considerable time and resources towards redesigning our internal controls over financial reporting. This effort can be summarized as follows:

 

 

We engaged consultants to help review and make recommendation with respect to the redesign of our internal controls over financial reporting;

 

We added additional resources and enhanced existing positions in accounting, finance, tax, and information technology to support the redesigned controls;

 

We engaged subject matter experts to perform an information technology infrastructure and architecture assessment; and

 

Those subject matter experts then developed a strategic information technology infrastructure and architecture roadmap.

Remediation of control deficiencies that gave rise to the material weaknesses described above can be a multi-year process. We remain committed to continue investing significant time and resources and taking actions to remediate the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting as we work to further integrate acquisitions, streamline disparate information technology systems, and enhance our control environment.

 

Below we have described the remedial actions we are taking to address the identified material weaknesses and enhance our overall control environment.

 

Control Environment

 

We are developing, enhancing, and implementing standardized policies in the areas of accounting, general information technology and to enforce individual accountability for performance of internal control responsibilities across the Company.

 

We are creating new roles and hiring additional accounting personnel with appropriate backgrounds and skill sets.

 

We are establishing a technical accounting group within the Controllership function with responsibility to ensure that the accounting for complex or non-routine transactions is appropriate.

 

We are expanding the training of our employees to reinforce the importance of a strong control environment, to emphasize the technical requirements for controls that are designed, implemented and operating effectively and to set the appropriate expectations on internal controls through establishing the related policies and procedures.

 

Risk Assessment

 

We have engaged external service providers to assist with performing a comprehensive risk assessment including the risk of fraud.

 

We are reviewing, analyzing, and properly documenting our processes related to internal controls over financial reporting.

 

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We are implementing a financial reporting risk assessment and review process to ensure our significant accounting policies are implemented and applied properly under U.S. GAAP on a consistent basis throughout the Company.

 

We are developing an internal control framework which will ensure we are appropriately identifying and assessing changes that could significantly impact the system of internal control.

 

Control Activities

 

We are designing and implementing effective review and approval controls over the accurate recording, presentation, and disclosure of revenue and related costs.

 

We are designing and implementing effective review and approval controls. This includes hiring professionals with the appropriate technical accounting expertise to support the adequacy of the review and approval of complex or non-routine transactions such as those involving impairments and purchase accounting.

 

We are also designing and implementing effective review and approval controls over account reconciliations, journal entries, and management estimates across our remaining internal control processes. These controls will address the accuracy and completeness of the data used in the performance of the respective control.

 

We are establishing policies over the segregation of incompatible duties within our IT systems and implementing such policies across the Company.

 

We are implementing standardized policies to address the completeness and accuracy of data used in the performance of controls and information technology controls across the Company.

 

We are working to standardize and simplify the Company’s disparate information systems.

 

When fully implemented and operational, we believe the measures described above will remediate the control deficiencies that have led to the material weaknesses we have identified and strengthen our internal controls over financial reporting. We are committed to continuing to improve our internal control processes and we will continue to review our financial reporting controls and procedures. As we continue to evaluate and work to improve our internal controls over financial reporting, we may determine to take additional measures to address control deficiencies or modify certain activities of the remediation measures described above.

Notwithstanding the existence of the material weaknesses as described above, we believe that the condensed consolidated financial statements in this quarterly report fairly present, in all material respects, our financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of the dates, and for the periods, presented, in conformity with U.S. GAAP.

Changes in internal controls.

We have undertaken strategic remedial actions to address the material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. These remedial actions continued throughout the quarter ended March 31, 2017 but have not materially affected our internal control over financial reporting.

 

Safe Harbor Statement: This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control (for example, general economic and market conditions). Our actual results could differ significantly from the results described in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include changes in governmental regulation of the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of regulated waste or the proper handling and protection of personal and confidential information, increases in transportation and other operating costs, the level of governmental enforcement of regulations governing regulated waste collection and treatment or the proper handling and protection of personal and confidential information, our obligations to service our substantial indebtedness and to comply with the covenants and restrictions contained in our private placement notes, term loan credit facility and revolving credit

 

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facility, our ability to execute our acquisition strategy and to integrate acquired businesses, competition and demand for services in the regulated waste and secure information destruction industries, political, economic and currency risks related to our foreign operations, impairments of goodwill or other indefinite-lived intangibles, variability in the demand for services we provide on a project or non-recurring basis, exposure to environmental liabilities, fluctuations in the price we receive for the sale of paper, the outcome of pending or future litigation, disruptions in or attacks on our information technology systems, compliance with existing and future legal and regulatory requirements, as well as other factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K. As a result, past financial performance should not be considered a reliable indicator of future performance, and investors should not use historical trends to anticipate future results or trends. We make no commitment to disclose any subsequent revisions to forward-looking statements.


 

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PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

See Note 14 - Legal Proceedings in the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Item 1 of Part I).

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

Under resolutions that our Board of Directors has adopted, we have been authorized to purchase a cumulative total of 24,621,640 shares of our common stock on the open market. As of March 31, 2017, we had purchased a cumulative total of 21,251,733 shares.

There were no repurchases of shares of our common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2017.

ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

All other financial statement schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable to us or the required information is shown in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.

We have filed the following exhibits with this report:

 

Exhibit Index

 

Description

 

 

31.1

 

Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Executive Officer

 

 

31.2

 

Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Financial Officer

 

 

32

 

Section 1350 Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

101.INS

 

XBRL Instance Document

 

 

101.SCH

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

 

 

101.CAL

 

SBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

 

 

101.DEF

 

XBRL Taxonomy Definition Linkbase Document

 

 

101.LAB

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

 

 

101.PRE

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SIGNATURES

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Dated: May 10, 2017

 

STERICYCLE, INC.

(Registrant)

By:    /s/ Daniel V. Ginnetti

Daniel V. Ginnetti

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

 

 

 

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