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Syneos Health, Inc. - Quarter Report: 2022 March (Form 10-Q)

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549 

 

FORM 10-Q 

(Mark One)

 

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

 

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2022

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: 001-36730

 

SYNEOS HEALTH, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

 

27-3403111

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

1030 Sync Street, Morrisville, North Carolina 27560-5468

(Address of principal executive offices and Zip Code)

(919) 876-9300

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share

SYNH

The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

 

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 such 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, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit 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 definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “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 Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes    No  

As of April 21, 2022, there were approximately 102,575,027 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.

 

 


Table of Contents

 

 

SYNEOS HEALTH, INC.

FORM 10-Q

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

Item 1.

Financial Statements

3

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (unaudited)

3

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (unaudited)

4

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 (unaudited)

5

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (unaudited)

6

 

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (unaudited)

7

 

 

 

 

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)

8

 

 

 

Item 2.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

24

 

 

 

Item 3.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

34

 

 

 

Item 4.

Controls and Procedures

34

 

 

 

 

PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

 

 

 

 

Item 1.

Legal Proceedings

35

 

 

 

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

35

 

 

 

Item 2.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities, Use of Proceeds and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

35

 

 

 

Item 5.

Other Information

36

 

 

 

Item 6.

Exhibits

37

 

 

 

 

Signature

38

 

 

2


Table of Contents

 

 

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

 

SYNEOS HEALTH, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

 

(in thousands, except per share data)

 

Revenue

 

$

1,336,253

 

 

$

1,208,745

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Costs and operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)

 

 

1,044,432

 

 

 

945,250

 

Selling, general, and administrative expenses

 

 

140,166

 

 

 

137,314

 

Restructuring and other costs

 

 

15,557

 

 

 

7,228

 

Depreciation

 

 

20,579

 

 

 

18,447

 

Amortization

 

 

41,623

 

 

 

39,491

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

1,262,357

 

 

 

1,147,730

 

Income from operations

 

 

73,896

 

 

 

61,015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total other expense, net:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest income

 

 

(3

)

 

 

(71

)

Interest expense

 

 

15,765

 

 

 

23,328

 

Loss on extinguishment of debt

 

 

 

 

 

603

 

Other expense (income), net

 

 

4,642

 

 

 

(9,856

)

Total other expense, net

 

 

20,404

 

 

 

14,004

 

Income before provision for income taxes

 

 

53,492

 

 

 

47,011

 

Income tax expense

 

 

7,316

 

 

 

8,287

 

Net income

 

$

46,176

 

 

$

38,724

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

0.45

 

 

$

0.37

 

Diluted

 

$

0.44

 

 

$

0.37

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

103,665

 

 

 

104,274

 

Diluted

 

 

104,410

 

 

 

105,457

 

 

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

3


Table of Contents

 

SYNEOS HEALTH, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Net income

 

$

46,176

 

 

$

38,724

 

Unrealized gain on derivative instruments, net of income tax expense of $3,420 and $2,013, respectively

 

 

9,640

 

 

 

5,937

 

Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of income tax benefit of $(2,711) and $(708), respectively

 

 

(17,386

)

 

 

(4,310

)

Comprehensive income

 

$

38,430

 

 

$

40,351

 

 

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

4


Table of Contents

 

SYNEOS HEALTH, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

March 31, 2022

 

 

December 31, 2021

 

 

 

(in thousands, except par value)

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

 

$

119,151

 

 

$

106,475

 

Accounts receivable and unbilled services, net

 

 

1,596,315

 

 

 

1,524,890

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

160,792

 

 

 

135,091

 

Total current assets

 

 

1,876,258

 

 

 

1,766,456

 

Property and equipment, net

 

 

240,015

 

 

 

222,657

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

 

201,407

 

 

 

209,408

 

Goodwill

 

 

4,942,727

 

 

 

4,956,015

 

Intangible assets, net

 

 

808,931

 

 

 

854,067

 

Deferred income tax assets

 

 

34,788

 

 

 

35,387

 

Other long-term assets

 

 

199,835

 

 

 

193,103

 

Total assets

 

$

8,303,961

 

 

$

8,237,093

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

108,315

 

 

$

107,535

 

Accrued expenses

 

 

657,084

 

 

 

614,441

 

Deferred revenue

 

 

891,750

 

 

 

868,455

 

Current portion of operating lease obligations

 

 

43,234

 

 

 

43,058

 

Current portion of finance lease obligations

 

 

21,998

 

 

 

20,627

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

1,722,381

 

 

 

1,654,116

 

Long-term debt

 

 

2,906,270

 

 

 

2,775,721

 

Operating lease long-term obligations

 

 

195,557

 

 

 

205,798

 

Finance lease long-term obligations

 

 

40,162

 

 

 

34,181

 

Deferred income tax liabilities

 

 

78,609

 

 

 

78,062

 

Other long-term liabilities

 

 

59,423

 

 

 

76,660

 

Total liabilities

 

 

5,002,402

 

 

 

4,824,538

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commitments and contingencies (Note 16)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 30,000 shares authorized, 0 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock, $0.01 par value; 600,000 shares authorized, 102,558 and 103,764 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively

 

 

1,026

 

 

 

1,038

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

3,410,524

 

 

 

3,474,088

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of taxes

 

 

(57,364

)

 

 

(49,618

)

Accumulated deficit

 

 

(52,627

)

 

 

(12,953

)

Total shareholders’ equity

 

 

3,301,559

 

 

 

3,412,555

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 

$

8,303,961

 

 

$

8,237,093

 

 

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

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Table of Contents

 

SYNEOS HEALTH, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

46,176

 

 

$

38,724

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

62,202

 

 

 

57,938

 

Share-based compensation

 

 

17,333

 

 

 

17,353

 

Recovery from doubtful accounts

 

 

(108

)

 

 

(187

)

Provision for (benefit from) deferred income taxes

 

 

1,000

 

 

 

(4,653

)

Foreign currency transaction adjustments

 

 

434

 

 

 

(9,522

)

Fair value adjustment of contingent obligations

 

 

 

 

 

(597

)

Loss on extinguishment of debt

 

 

 

 

 

603

 

Other non-cash items

 

 

(1,945

)

 

 

953

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable, unbilled services, and deferred revenue

 

 

(49,905

)

 

 

30,997

 

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

 

 

39,650

 

 

 

518

 

Other assets and liabilities

 

 

(43,950

)

 

 

(5,039

)

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

 

70,887

 

 

 

127,088

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Payments related to acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired

 

 

(1,727

)

 

 

(9,982

)

Purchases of property and equipment

 

 

(23,474

)

 

 

(11,173

)

(Investments in) proceeds from unconsolidated affiliates

 

 

(296

)

 

 

1,374

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

 

(25,497

)

 

 

(19,781

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Payments of debt financing costs

 

 

 

 

 

(49

)

Repayments of long-term debt

 

 

 

 

 

(105,856

)

Proceeds from accounts receivable financing agreement

 

 

 

 

 

65,000

 

Proceeds from revolving line of credit

 

 

130,000

 

 

 

 

Payments of contingent consideration related to acquisitions

 

 

 

 

 

(6,196

)

Payments of finance leases

 

 

(2,193

)

 

 

(4,269

)

Payments for repurchases of common stock

 

 

(149,961

)

 

 

(44,505

)

Proceeds from exercises of stock options

 

 

11,483

 

 

 

10,804

 

Payments related to tax withholdings for share-based compensation

 

 

(25,901

)

 

 

(26,295

)

Net cash used in financing activities

 

 

(36,572

)

 

 

(111,366

)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

 

 

3,858

 

 

 

(3,425

)

Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

 

 

12,676

 

 

 

(7,484

)

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash - beginning of period

 

 

106,475

 

 

 

272,173

 

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash - end of period

 

$

119,151

 

 

$

264,689

 

 

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

6


Table of Contents

 

SYNEOS HEALTH, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Shareholders’ equity, beginning balance

 

$

3,412,555

 

 

$

3,242,112

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning balance

 

 

1,038

 

 

 

1,039

 

Repurchases of common stock

 

 

(19

)

 

 

(6

)

Issuances of common stock

 

 

7

 

 

 

9

 

Ending balance

 

 

1,026

 

 

 

1,042

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional paid-in capital:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning balance

 

 

3,474,088

 

 

 

3,461,747

 

Repurchases of common stock

 

 

(64,092

)

 

 

(19,817

)

Issuances of common stock

 

 

(16,805

)

 

 

(18,443

)

Share-based compensation

 

 

17,333

 

 

 

17,353

 

Ending balance

 

 

3,410,524

 

 

 

3,440,840

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning balance

 

 

(49,618

)

 

 

(40,801

)

Unrealized gain on derivative instruments, net of taxes

 

 

9,640

 

 

 

5,937

 

Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of taxes

 

 

(17,386

)

 

 

(4,310

)

Ending balance

 

 

(57,364

)

 

 

(39,174

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated deficit:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning balance

 

 

(12,953

)

 

 

(179,873

)

Repurchases of common stock

 

 

(85,850

)

 

 

(24,682

)

Net income

 

 

46,176

 

 

 

38,724

 

Ending balance

 

 

(52,627

)

 

 

(165,831

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity, ending balance

 

$

3,301,559

 

 

$

3,236,877

 

 

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

7


Table of Contents

 

SYNEOS HEALTH, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

 

1. Basis of Presentation

Nature of Operations

Syneos Health, Inc. (the “Company”) is a global provider of end-to-end biopharmaceutical outsourcing solutions. The Company operates under two reportable segments, Clinical Solutions and Commercial Solutions, and derives its revenue through a suite of services designed to enhance its customers’ ability to successfully develop, launch, and market their products. The Company offers its solutions on both a standalone and integrated basis with biopharmaceutical development and commercialization services ranging from Phase I to IV clinical trial services to services associated with the commercialization of biopharmaceutical products. The Company’s customers include small, mid-sized, and large companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries.

Unaudited Interim Financial Information

The Company prepared the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. The significant accounting policies followed by the Company for interim financial reporting are consistent with the accounting policies followed for annual financial reporting.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, in management’s opinion, include all adjustments of a normal recurring nature necessary for a fair presentation. The information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (the “2021 Form 10-K”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 17, 2022. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2022 or any other future period. The unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 is derived from the amounts in the audited consolidated balance sheet included in the 2021 Form 10-K.

Reclassification

Certain previously reported amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic repercussions have significantly impacted, and are expected to continue to impact, the Company’s business and operations. The continued availability and effectiveness of vaccines may partially mitigate the risks around the continued spread of COVID-19, however, with the spread of COVID-19 variants, the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic could adversely impact the Company’s business and results of operations. For further discussion of the potential impact of the pandemic on its business, refer to Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in the 2021 Form 10-K.

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2. Financial Statement Details

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash

Certain of the Company’s subsidiaries participate in a notional cash pooling arrangement to manage global liquidity requirements. As part of a master netting arrangement, the participants combine their cash balances in pooling accounts at the same financial institution with the ability to offset bank overdrafts of one participant against positive cash account balances held by another participant. Under the terms of the master netting arrangement, the financial institution has the right, ability, and intent to offset a positive balance in one account against an overdrawn amount in another account. Amounts in each of the accounts are unencumbered and unrestricted with respect to use. As such, the net cash balance related to this pooling arrangement is included in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The Company’s net cash pool position consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

March 31, 2022

 

 

December 31, 2021

 

Gross cash position

 

$

149,819

 

 

$

179,160

 

Less: cash borrowings

 

 

(146,677

)

 

 

(167,507

)

Net cash position

 

$

3,142

 

 

$

11,653

 

Accounts Receivable and Unbilled Services, net

Accounts receivable and unbilled services (including contract assets), net of allowance for doubtful accounts, consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

March 31, 2022

 

 

December 31, 2021

 

Accounts receivable billed

 

$

918,248

 

 

$

873,265

 

Accounts receivable unbilled

 

 

251,194

 

 

 

241,799

 

Contract assets

 

 

434,320

 

 

 

417,411

 

Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

 

(7,447

)

 

 

(7,585

)

Accounts receivable and unbilled services, net

 

$

1,596,315

 

 

$

1,524,890

 

Accounts Receivable Factoring Arrangement

The Company has an accounts receivable factoring agreement to sell certain eligible unsecured trade accounts receivable, at its option, without recourse, to an unrelated third-party financial institution for cash. For the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company factored $34.1 million and $30.1 million, respectively, of trade accounts receivable on a non-recourse basis and received $34.0 million and $30.0 million, respectively, in cash proceeds from the sale. The fees associated with these transactions were insignificant.

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Goodwill

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by segment for the three months ended March 31, 2022 were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

Clinical

Solutions (a)

 

 

Commercial

Solutions (a)

 

 

Total

 

Balance as of December 31, 2021

 

$

3,448,699

 

 

$

1,507,316

 

 

$

4,956,015

 

Acquisitions (b)

 

 

1,879

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,879

 

Impact of foreign currency translation

 

 

(9,284

)

 

 

(5,883

)

 

 

(15,167

)

Balance as of March 31, 2022

 

$

3,441,294

 

 

$

1,501,433

 

 

$

4,942,727

 

(a) No impairment of goodwill was recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2022.

(b) Amount represents goodwill recognized in connection with an insignificant acquisition and measurement period adjustments in connection with insignificant 2021 acquisitions during the three months ended March 31, 2022 within the Clinical Solutions segment.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Taxes

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of taxes, consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Beginning balance

 

$

(49,618

)

 

$

(40,801

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivative instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning balance

 

 

(2,621

)

 

 

(18,761

)

Other comprehensive income before reclassifications

 

 

8,612

 

 

 

772

 

Reclassification adjustments

 

 

1,028

 

 

 

5,165

 

Ending balance

 

 

7,019

 

 

 

(12,824

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign currency translation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning balance

 

 

(46,997

)

 

 

(22,040

)

Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications

 

 

(17,386

)

 

 

(4,310

)

Ending balance

 

 

(64,383

)

 

 

(26,350

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of taxes

 

$

(57,364

)

 

$

(39,174

)

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Changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Unrealized gain on derivative instruments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unrealized gain during period, before taxes

 

$

11,667

 

 

$

1,034

 

Income tax expense

 

 

3,055

 

 

 

262

 

Unrealized gain during period, net of taxes

 

 

8,612

 

 

 

772

 

Reclassification adjustment, before taxes

 

 

1,393

 

 

 

6,916

 

Income tax expense

 

 

365

 

 

 

1,751

 

Reclassification adjustment, net of taxes

 

 

1,028

 

 

 

5,165

 

Total unrealized gain on derivative instruments, net of taxes

 

 

9,640

 

 

 

5,937

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign currency translation adjustments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign currency translation adjustment, before taxes

 

 

(20,097

)

 

 

(5,018

)

Income tax benefit

 

 

(2,711

)

 

 

(708

)

Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of taxes

 

 

(17,386

)

 

 

(4,310

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total other comprehensive (loss) income, net of taxes

 

$

(7,746

)

 

$

1,627

 

 

Other Expense (Income), Net

Other expense (income), net consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Net realized foreign currency loss

 

$

2,456

 

 

$

1,192

 

Net unrealized foreign currency loss (gain)

 

 

434

 

 

 

(9,522

)

Equity investment income

 

 

 

 

 

(1,100

)

Other, net

 

 

1,752

 

 

 

(426

)

Total other expense (income), net

 

$

4,642

 

 

$

(9,856

)

 

3. Investments

During 2020, the Company made a non-cash investment of $27.3 million to acquire certain intellectual property rights from a customer in lieu of cash payment for services rendered. The Company subsequently exchanged the intellectual property for an equity method investment in an unconsolidated variable interest entity. The Company provided the entity $3.8 million in cash, in the form of a loan, during the third quarter of 2021. Based on the hypothetical liquidation book value of its investment as of March 31, 2022, the Company recorded a $1.2 million loss to other expense (income), net in the accompanying condensed consolidated statement of income for the three months ended March 31, 2022. As of March 31, 2022, the book value of the Company’s investment was $14.4 million and was included in other long-term assets in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet, with a maximum exposure to loss of approximately $18.3 million, which includes funding of the loan.

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4. Long-Term Debt Obligations

The Company’s debt obligations consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

March 31, 2022

 

 

December 31, 2021

 

Secured Debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Term Loan A - tranche one due March 2024

 

$

149,195

 

 

$

149,195

 

Term Loan A - tranche two due August 2024

 

 

1,636,797

 

 

 

1,636,797

 

Revolving credit facility due August 2024

 

 

130,000

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable financing agreement due October 2024

 

 

400,000

 

 

 

400,000

 

Total secured debt

 

 

2,315,992

 

 

 

2,185,992

 

Unsecured Debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senior notes due January 2029 (the “Notes”)

 

 

600,000

 

 

 

600,000

 

Total debt obligations

 

 

2,915,992

 

 

 

2,785,992

 

Less: Term loan original issuance discount

 

 

(2,021

)

 

 

(2,228

)

Less: Unamortized deferred issuance costs

 

 

(7,701

)

 

 

(8,043

)

Total long-term debt

 

$

2,906,270

 

 

$

2,775,721

 

Credit Agreement

The Company is party to a credit agreement (as amended, the “Credit Agreement”) that includes a Term Loan A facility (“Term Loan A”) that has two tranches (as detailed in the table above), and a $600.0 million revolving credit facility that matures on August 1, 2024 (the “Revolver”). As a result of previous voluntary prepayments, the Company is not required to make a mandatory payment against the principal balance of Term Loan A until October 2023. As of March 31, 2022, the interest rate on Term Loan A was 1.70%. 

Revolver and Letters of Credit

The Revolver includes letters of credit (“LOCs”) with a sublimit of $150.0 million. As of March 31, 2022, there were $130.0 million of outstanding Revolver borrowings and $14.2 million of LOCs outstanding, leaving $455.8 million of available borrowings under the Revolver, including $135.8 million available for LOCs. As of March 31, 2022, the weighted average interest rate on the Revolver was 1.85%.

The Notes

The Notes bear interest at a rate of 3.625% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears beginning on July 15, 2021, and will mature on January 15, 2029.

Accounts Receivable Financing Agreement

The Company has an accounts receivable financing agreement (as amended) with a termination date of October 2024, unless terminated earlier pursuant to its terms. As of March 31, 2022, the Company had $400.0 million of outstanding borrowings under this agreement, which are recorded in long-term debt on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet. There was no remaining borrowing capacity available under this agreement as of March 31, 2022. As of March 31, 2022, the interest rate on the accounts receivable financing agreement was 1.40%.

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Maturities of Debt Obligations

As of March 31, 2022, the contractual maturities of the Company’s debt obligations (excluding finance leases) were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

Principal

 

Remainder of 2022

 

$

 

2023

 

 

21,732

 

2024

 

 

2,294,260

 

2025

 

 

 

2026

 

 

 

2027 and thereafter

 

 

600,000

 

Less: Term loan original issuance discount

 

 

(2,021

)

Less: Unamortized deferred issuance costs

 

 

(7,701

)

Total

 

$

2,906,270

 

 

5. Derivatives

Interest Rate Swaps

The Company has entered into various interest rate swaps to mitigate its exposure to changes in interest rates on its term loan. In March 2020, the Company entered into interest rate swaps with multiple counterparties. The interest rate swaps had an initial aggregate notional value of $549.2 million that increased to $1.42 billion on June 30, 2021, an effective date of March 31, 2020, and will expire on March 31, 2023. As of March 31, 2022, the notional value of these interest rate swaps was $1.12 billion.

Foreign Exchange Forward

On October 30, 2020, the Company entered into a foreign exchange forward in order to minimize monthly foreign currency remeasurement gains or losses on non-functional currency monetary balances. The foreign exchange forward notional value may be adjusted each month as the exposure balance changes. The Company did not designate the derivative as a hedge. All changes in the fair value of the foreign exchange forward are recorded in earnings every month to other expense (income), net in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income. The Company recognized $1.9 million of realized losses and $1.1 million of realized gains during the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, related to this foreign exchange forward. As of March 31, 2022, the notional value of this foreign exchange forward was $75.0 million.

Fair Values

The fair values of the Company’s derivative financial instruments and the line items on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets to which they were recorded were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

Balance Sheet Classification

 

March 31, 2022

 

 

December 31, 2021

 

Interest rate swaps - current

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

$

12,182

 

 

$

 

Interest rate swaps - non-current

 

Other long-term assets

 

 

 

 

 

948

 

Fair value of derivative assets

 

 

 

$

12,182

 

 

$

948

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest rate swaps - current

 

Accrued expenses

 

$

 

 

$

1,827

 

Fair value of derivative liabilities

 

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,827

 

 

 

 

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6. Fair Value Measurements

Assets and Liabilities Carried at Fair Value

As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company’s financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value included cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, trading securities, accounts receivable, unbilled services (including contract assets), accounts payable, accrued expenses, deferred revenue, contingent obligations, liabilities under the accounts receivable financing agreement, and derivative instruments.

The fair values of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, unbilled services (including contract assets), accounts payable, accrued expenses, deferred revenue, and the liabilities under the accounts receivable financing agreement approximate their respective carrying amounts because of the liquidity and short-term nature of these financial instruments.

Financial Instruments Subject to Recurring Fair Value Measurements

As of March 31, 2022, the fair values of the major classes of the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

 

Investments

Measured

at Net

Asset Value

 

 

Total

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trading securities (a)

 

$

23,479

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

23,479

 

Partnership interests (b)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11,472

 

 

 

11,472

 

Derivative instruments (c)

 

 

 

 

 

12,182

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12,182

 

Total assets

 

$

23,479

 

 

$

12,182

 

 

$

 

 

$

11,472

 

 

$

47,133

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contingent obligations related to acquisitions (d)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

17,941

 

 

$

 

 

$

17,941

 

Total liabilities

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

17,941

 

 

$

 

 

$

17,941

 

As of December 31, 2021, the fair values of the major classes of the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

 

Investments

Measured

at Net

Asset Value

 

 

Total

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trading securities (a)

 

$

24,775

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

24,775

 

Partnership interests (b)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11,176

 

 

 

11,176

 

Derivative instruments (c)

 

 

 

 

 

948

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

948

 

Total assets

 

$

24,775

 

 

$

948

 

 

$

 

 

$

11,176

 

 

$

36,899

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivative instruments (c)

 

$

 

 

$

1,827

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,827

 

Contingent obligations related to acquisitions (d)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17,997

 

 

 

 

 

 

17,997

 

Total liabilities

 

$

 

 

$

1,827

 

 

$

17,997

 

 

$

 

 

$

19,824

 

(a) Represents the fair value of investments in mutual funds based on quoted market prices that are used to fund the liability associated with the Company’s deferred compensation plan.

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(b) The Company has committed to invest $21.5 million as a limited partner in two private equity funds. The private equity funds invest in opportunities in the healthcare and life sciences industry. As of March 31, 2022, the Company’s remaining unfunded commitment in the private equity funds was $12.5 million. The Company holds minor ownership interests (less than 3%) in each of the private equity funds and has determined that it does not exercise significant influence over the private equity funds’ operating and finance activities. As the private equity funds do not have readily determinable fair values, the Company has estimated the fair values using each fund’s Net Asset Value, the amount by which the value of all assets exceeds all debt and liabilities, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies.

(c) Represents the fair value of interest rate swap arrangements (see “Note 5 – Derivatives” for further information).

(d) Represents the fair value of contingent consideration obligations related to acquisitions. The fair values of these liabilities are determined based on the Company’s best estimate of the probable timing and amount of settlement.

The following table presents a reconciliation of changes in the carrying amount of contingent obligations classified as Level 3 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 (in thousands):

 

Balance as of December 31, 2021

 

$

17,997

 

Additions

 

 

 

Changes in fair value recognized in earnings

 

 

(56

)

Payments

 

 

 

Balance as of March 31, 2022

 

$

17,941

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2022, there were no transfers of assets or liabilities between Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 fair value measurements.

Financial Instruments Subject to Non-Recurring Fair Value Measurements

Certain assets, including goodwill and identifiable intangible assets, are carried on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets at cost and, subsequent to initial recognition, are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis when certain identified events or changes in circumstances that may have a significant adverse effect on the carrying values of these assets occur. These assets are classified as Level 3 fair value measurements within the fair value hierarchy. Goodwill is tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate a triggering event has occurred. Intangible assets are tested for impairment upon the occurrence of certain triggering events. As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, assets carried on the condensed consolidated balance sheets and not remeasured to fair value on a recurring basis totaled $5.77 billion and $5.83 billion, respectively.

Fair Value Disclosures for Financial Instruments Not Carried at Fair Value

The estimated fair values of the term loan (based on tranche) and the Notes are determined based on the price that the Company would have had to pay to settle the liabilities. As these liabilities are not actively traded, they are classified as Level 2 fair value measurements. The estimated fair values of the Company’s term loan (based on tranche) and the Notes were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

March 31, 2022

 

 

December 31, 2021

 

 

 

Carrying

Value (a)

 

 

Estimated

Fair Value

 

 

Carrying

Value (a)

 

 

Estimated

Fair Value

 

Term Loan A - tranche one due March 2024

 

$

149,026

 

 

$

148,635

 

 

$

149,008

 

 

$

148,945

 

Term Loan A - tranche two due August 2024

 

 

1,634,946

 

 

 

1,630,597

 

 

 

1,634,756

 

 

 

1,635,138

 

Senior notes due January 2029

 

 

600,000

 

 

 

557,250

 

 

 

600,000

 

 

 

595,500

 

(a) The carrying value of the term loan debt is shown net of original issue discounts.

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7. Restructuring and Other Costs

During the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company incurred employee severance and benefit costs, facility and lease termination costs, and other costs related to its restructuring activities. These costs were primarily related to the Company’s ForwardBound margin enhancement initiative.

Restructuring and other costs consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Employee severance and benefit costs

 

$

14,820

 

 

$

6,293

 

Facility and lease termination costs

 

 

(319

)

 

 

888

 

Other costs

 

 

1,056

 

 

 

47

 

Total restructuring and other costs

 

$

15,557

 

 

$

7,228

 

The Company expects to continue to incur costs related to restructuring of its operations in order to achieve cost savings and the targeted synergies related to its acquisitions. However, the timing and the amount of these costs depends on various factors, including, but not limited to, identifying and realizing synergy opportunities and executing the integration of its combined operations. The Company may also continue to incur additional restructuring and other costs during 2022 and beyond related to its ForwardBound margin enhancement initiative.

Accrued Restructuring Liabilities

The following table summarizes activity related to employee severance and benefit costs within accrued restructuring liabilities for the three months ended March 31, 2022 (in thousands):

Balance as of December 31, 2021

 

$

6,657

 

Expenses incurred (a)

 

 

14,820

 

Payments

 

 

(7,893

)

Balance as of March 31, 2022

 

$

13,584

 

 

(a) The amount of expenses incurred for the three months ended March 31, 2022 excludes $1.1 million of other costs that are included in accounts payable and $0.3 million of facility lease closure and lease termination costs that are reflected as reductions of operating lease right-of-use assets, current portion of operating lease obligations, and operating lease long-term obligations under ASC Topic 842, Leases, on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet.

The Company expects the employee severance and benefit costs accrued as of March 31, 2022 will be paid within the next twelve months and are included within accrued expenses on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

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8. Shareholders’ Equity

Shares Outstanding

Shares of common stock outstanding were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Common stock shares, beginning balance

 

 

103,764

 

 

 

103,935

 

Repurchases of common stock

 

 

(1,929

)

 

 

(600

)

Issuances of common stock

 

 

723

 

 

 

891

 

Common stock shares, ending balance

 

 

102,558

 

 

 

104,226

 

Stock Repurchase Program

On November 17, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) authorized the repurchase of up to an aggregate of $300.0 million of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, to be executed from time to time in open market transactions effected through a broker at prevailing market prices, in block trades, or through privately negotiated transactions through December 31, 2022 (the “Stock Repurchase Program”). The Stock Repurchase Program took effect on January 1, 2021.

The Stock Repurchase Program does not obligate the Company to repurchase any particular amount of the Company’s common stock, and may be modified, extended, suspended, or discontinued at any time. The timing and amount of repurchases will be determined by the Company’s management based on a variety of factors such as the market price of the Company’s common stock, the Company’s corporate cash requirements, and overall market conditions. The Stock Repurchase Program is subject to applicable legal requirements, including federal and state securities laws and applicable Nasdaq rules. The Company may also repurchase shares of its common stock pursuant to a trading plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which would permit shares of the Company’s common stock to be repurchased when the Company might otherwise be precluded from doing so by law.

The following table sets forth repurchase activity under the Stock Repurchase Program from inception through March 31, 2022:

 

 

Total number of

shares purchased

 

 

Average price

paid per share

 

 

Approximate

dollar value of

shares purchased

(in thousands)

 

March 2021

 

 

600,000

 

 

$

74.18

 

 

$

44,505

 

May 2021

 

 

400,000

 

 

 

81.04

 

 

 

32,416

 

June 2021

 

 

500,000

 

 

 

81.20

 

 

 

40,600

 

February 2022

 

 

515,003

 

 

 

78.52

 

 

 

40,439

 

March 2022

 

 

1,413,920

 

 

 

77.46

 

 

 

109,522

 

Total

 

 

3,428,923

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

267,482

 

The Company immediately retired all of the repurchased common stock and charged the par value of the shares to common stock. The excess of the repurchase price over the par value was applied on a pro rata basis against additional paid-in capital, with the remainder applied to accumulated deficit.

As of March 31, 2022, the Company had remaining authorization to repurchase up to approximately $32.5 million of shares of its common stock under the Stock Repurchase Program.

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9. Earnings Per Share

The following table provides a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted earnings per share computations (in thousands, except per share data):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Numerator:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

46,176

 

 

$

38,724

 

Denominator:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic weighted average common shares outstanding

 

 

103,665

 

 

 

104,274

 

Effect of dilutive securities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock options and other awards under deferred share-based compensation programs

 

 

745

 

 

 

1,183

 

Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding

 

 

104,410

 

 

 

105,457

 

Earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

0.45

 

 

$

0.37

 

Diluted

 

$

0.44

 

 

$

0.37

 

 

Potential common shares outstanding that are considered anti-dilutive are excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share. Potential common shares related to stock options and other awards under share-based compensation programs may be determined to be anti-dilutive based on the application of the treasury stock method. Potential common shares are also considered anti-dilutive in periods when the Company incurs a net loss.

The number of potential shares outstanding that were anti-dilutive and therefore excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share, weighted for the portion of the period they were outstanding, were 165,042 and 166,166, for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

10. Income Taxes

Income Tax Expense

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company recorded income tax expense of $7.3 million, compared to pre-tax income of $53.5 million. Income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2022 included a discrete tax benefit of $6.1 million, primarily related to excess tax benefits from share-based compensation. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2022, excluding discrete items, varied from the United States (“U.S.”) federal statutory income tax rate of 21.0% primarily due to foreign income inclusions such as the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”) provisions, state and local taxes on U.S. income, and research and development credits.

For the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company recorded income tax expense of $8.3 million, compared to pre-tax income of $47.0 million. Income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2021 included a discrete tax benefit of $3.6 million, primarily related to excess tax benefits from share-based compensation. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2021, excluding discrete items, varied from the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 21.0% primarily due to foreign income inclusions such as the GILTI provisions, foreign tax credits, and state and local taxes on U.S. income.

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Unrecognized Tax Benefits

The Company’s gross unrecognized tax benefits, exclusive of associated interest and penalties, were $12.1 million as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021. The Company believes it is reasonably possible that its unrecognized tax benefits may decrease by approximately $1.5 million within the next 12 months as a result of lapses in statutes of limitations.

Tax Returns under Audit

The Company is not currently under any U.S. federal income tax audits, however, income tax returns are under examination by tax authorities in several state and foreign jurisdictions. The Company’s federal and state tax filings are open to investigations in numerous years due to net operating loss carryforwards. Additionally, the Company currently has an ongoing examination for tax years 2014 to 2019 in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is the jurisdiction with the Company’s largest foreign operations. The Company believes that its reserve for uncertain tax positions is adequate to cover existing risks or exposures related to all open tax years and jurisdictions.

11. Revenue from Contracts with Customers

Unsatisfied Performance Obligations

As of March 31, 2022, the total aggregate transaction price allocated to the unsatisfied performance obligations under contracts with contract terms greater than one year and that are not accounted for as a series pursuant to ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers and all the related amendments was $6.68 billion. This amount includes revenue associated with reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses. The Company expects to recognize revenue over the remaining contract term of the individual projects, with contract terms generally ranging from one to five years. The amount of unsatisfied performance obligations is presented net of any constraints and, as a result, is lower than the potential contractual revenue. The contracts excluded due to constraints include contracts that do not commence within a certain period of time or that require the Company to undertake numerous activities to fulfill these performance obligations, including various activities that are outside of the Company’s control.

Timing of Billing and Performance

During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company recognized approximately $389.5 million of revenue that was included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the period. During the three months ended March 31, 2022, approximately $6.3 million of the Company’s revenue recognized was allocated to performance obligations partially satisfied in previous periods, substantially all of which was associated with changes in scope or price for full-service clinical studies. The gross and net amounts of revenue recognized solely from changes in estimates were not material.

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12. Segment Information

The Company is managed through two reportable segments: Clinical Solutions and Commercial Solutions. Each reportable segment consists of multiple service offerings that, when combined, create a fully integrated biopharmaceutical services organization. Clinical Solutions offers comprehensive global services for the development of diagnostics, drugs, biologics, devices, and digital therapeutics that span Phases I to IV of clinical development. The segment is organized around clinical pharmacology and bioanalytical services, workforce deployment, full-service clinical studies, real world evidence, and consulting. This segment offers individual services including product development and regulatory consulting, project management, protocol development, investigational site recruitment, clinical monitoring, technology-enabled patient recruitment and engagement, clinical home health services, clinical trial diversity, biometrics, and regulatory affairs; all across a comprehensive range of therapeutic areas. Commercial Solutions provides the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and healthcare industries with commercialization services, including deployment solutions, communication solutions (public relations, advertising, and medical communications), and consulting services. 

The Company’s Chief Operating Decision Maker (the “CODM”) reviews segment performance and allocates resources based upon segment revenue and income from operations. Inter-segment revenue is eliminated from the segment reporting provided to the CODM and is not included in the segment revenue presented in the table below. Certain costs are not allocated to the Company’s reportable segments and are reported as general corporate expenses. These costs primarily consist of share-based compensation, general operating expenses associated with the Board and the Company’s senior leadership, finance, investor relations, and internal audit functions, and transaction and integration-related expenses. The Company does not allocate depreciation, amortization, asset impairment charges, or restructuring and other costs to its segments. Prior period segment results have been recast to conform to insignificant changes to management reporting in 2022. Additionally, the CODM reviews the Company’s assets on a consolidated basis and does not allocate assets to its reportable segments for purposes of assessing segment performance or allocating resources.

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Information about reportable segment operating results was as follows (in thousands):  

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clinical Solutions

 

$

1,018,370

 

 

$

939,567

 

Commercial Solutions

 

 

317,883

 

 

 

269,178

 

Total revenue

 

 

1,336,253

 

 

 

1,208,745

 

Segment direct costs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clinical Solutions

 

 

774,668

 

 

 

717,355

 

Commercial Solutions

 

 

260,965

 

 

 

218,800

 

Total segment direct costs

 

 

1,035,633

 

 

 

936,155

 

Segment selling, general, and administrative expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clinical Solutions

 

 

89,902

 

 

 

87,532

 

Commercial Solutions

 

 

21,735

 

 

 

20,971

 

Total segment selling, general, and administrative expenses

 

 

111,637

 

 

 

108,503

 

Segment operating income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clinical Solutions

 

 

153,800

 

 

 

134,680

 

Commercial Solutions

 

 

35,183

 

 

 

29,407

 

Total segment operating income

 

 

188,983

 

 

 

164,087

 

Direct costs and operating expenses not allocated to segments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share-based compensation included in direct costs

 

 

8,799

 

 

 

9,095

 

Share-based compensation included in selling, general, and administrative expenses

 

 

8,534

 

 

 

8,258

 

Corporate selling, general, and administrative expenses

 

 

19,995

 

 

 

20,553

 

Restructuring and other costs

 

 

15,557

 

 

 

7,228

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

62,202

 

 

 

57,938

 

Total income from operations

 

$

73,896

 

 

$

61,015

 

 

 

13. Operations by Geographic Location

The following table summarizes total revenue by geographic area (in thousands, all intercompany transactions have been eliminated):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North America (a)

 

$

781,654

 

 

$

739,001

 

Europe, Middle East, and Africa

 

 

355,593

 

 

 

316,176

 

Asia-Pacific

 

 

160,803

 

 

 

126,457

 

Latin America

 

 

38,203

 

 

 

27,111

 

Total revenue

 

$

1,336,253

 

 

$

1,208,745

 

 

(a) Revenue for the North America region includes revenue attributable to the U.S. of $736.4 million and $693.9 million, or 55.1% and 57.4% of total revenue, for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. No other country represented more than 10% of total revenue for any period.

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The following table summarizes long-lived assets by geographic area (in thousands, all intercompany transactions have been eliminated):

 

 

 

March 31, 2022

 

 

December 31, 2021

 

Property and equipment, net:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North America (a)

 

$

177,684

 

 

$

165,446

 

Europe, Middle East, and Africa

 

 

35,937

 

 

 

37,004

 

Asia-Pacific

 

 

18,321

 

 

 

13,615

 

Latin America

 

 

8,073

 

 

 

6,592

 

Total property and equipment, net

 

$

240,015

 

 

$

222,657

 

 

(a) Long-lived assets for the North America region include property and equipment, net attributable to the U.S. of $172.0 million and $160.0 million as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

14. Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial assets that subject the Company to credit risk primarily consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and unbilled services (including contract assets). The Company’s cash and cash equivalents consist principally of cash and are maintained at several financial institutions with reputable credit ratings. The Company maintains cash depository accounts with several financial institutions worldwide and is exposed to credit risk related to the potential inability to access liquidity in financial institutions where its cash and cash equivalents are concentrated. The Company has not historically incurred any losses with respect to these balances and believes that they bear minimal credit risk.

As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, substantially all of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were held within the U.S.

No single customer accounted for greater than 10% of the Company’s revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2022 or 2021.

As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, no single customer accounted for greater than 10% of the Company’s accounts receivable and unbilled services (including contract assets) balances.

15. Related-Party Transactions

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company had combined revenue of $1.3 million from three customers whose board of directors each included a member who was also a member of the Company’s Board. As of March 31, 2022, the Company had receivables of $0.3 million from one customer whose board of directors included a member who was also a member of the Company’s Board.

On February 8, 2022, the Company completed an insignificant acquisition, which was associated with the 2021 acquisition of RXDataScience, Inc., through an arm’s-length transaction. A member of the Company’s management was a minority shareholder of the acquired company. For additional information, refer to “Note 2 – Financial Statements Details – Goodwill.”

For the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company had revenue of $0.3 million and, as of March 31, 2021, receivables of $0.3 million from one customer whose board of directors included a member who was also a member of the Company’s Board.

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16. Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

In the opinion of management, the outcome of any existing claims and legal or regulatory proceedings, other than Vaitkuvienë v. Syneos Health, Inc., et al, No. 18-0029 (E.D.N.C.)  (the “Vaitkuvienë action”), if decided adversely, is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. There have been no updates from the description of the Vaitkuvienë action included in “Note 17 – Commitments and Contingencies” to the consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in the 2021 Form 10-K.

17. Subsequent Events

On April 28, 2022, the Board appointed Michelle Keefe as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and as a Class I director, each effective as of April 29, 2022 (the “Effective Date”), succeeding Alistair Macdonald, who resigned from both positions as of the Effective Date. Also as of the Effective Date, Michael Brooks was appointed to serve as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer.

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

Forward Looking Statements

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and with our audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (our “2021 Form 10-K”).

In addition to historical condensed consolidated financial information, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that reflect, among other things, our current expectations and anticipated results of operations, all of which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, market trends, or industry results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Therefore, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such, including our business strategy, the future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial results, and financial condition, benefits of acquisitions, and planned capital expenditures. Without limiting the foregoing, the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plans,” “projects,” “should,” “would,” “targets,” “will” and the negative thereof and similar words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Unless legally required, we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking information to reflect actual results or changes in the factors affecting such forward-looking information.

We caution you that any such forward-looking statements are further qualified by important factors that could cause our actual operating results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation, regional, national, or global political, economic, business, competitive, market, and regulatory conditions and the following: risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic; our potential failure to generate a large number of new business awards and the risk of delay, termination, reduction in scope, or failure to go to contract of our business awards; our potential failure to convert backlog to revenue; fluctuations in our operating results and effective income tax rate; the impact of potentially underpricing our contracts, overrunning our cost estimates, or failing to receive approval for or experiencing delays with documentation of change orders; cyber-security and other risks associated with our information systems infrastructure; changes and costs of compliance with regulations related to data privacy; concentration of our customers or therapeutic areas; the risks associated with doing business internationally, including risks related to the war in Ukraine; challenges by tax authorities of our intercompany transfer pricing policies; our potential failure to successfully increase our market share, grow our business, and execute our growth strategies; our ability to effectively upgrade our information systems; our failure to perform our services in accordance with contractual requirements, regulatory standards, and ethical considerations; risks related to the management of clinical trials; the need to hire, develop, and retain key personnel; the impact of unfavorable economic conditions, including the uncertain international economic environment and changes in foreign currency exchange rates; effective income tax rate fluctuations; our ability to protect our intellectual property; risks related to our acquisition strategy, including our ability to realize synergies; our relationships with customers who are in competition with each other; any failure to realize the full value of our goodwill and intangible assets; risks related to restructuring; our compliance with anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws; our dependence on third parties; potential employment liability; the increasing focus on environmental sustainability and social initiatives; our ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes; downgrades of our credit ratings; competition in the biopharmaceutical services industry; outsourcing trends and changes in aggregate spending and research and development budgets; the impact of, including changes in, government regulations and healthcare reform; intense competition faced by our customers from lower cost generic products and other competing products; our ability to keep pace with rapid technological change; the cost of and our ability to service our substantial indebtedness; and other risks related to

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ownership of our common stock. For a further discussion of the risks relating to our business, refer to Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2021 Form 10-K.

Overview of Our Business and Services

We are the only fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization purpose-built to accelerate customer success. We lead with a product development mindset, strategically blending clinical development, medical affairs, and commercial capabilities to address modern market realities for customers in the biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, and healthcare industries. We offer both stand-alone and integrated biopharmaceutical product development solutions ranging from early phase (Phase I) clinical trials to the full commercialization of biopharmaceutical products, with the goal of increasing the likelihood of regulatory approval and commercial success.

Our operations are divided into two reportable segments, Clinical Solutions and Commercial Solutions. Our Clinical Solutions segment offers comprehensive global services for the development of diagnostics, drugs, biologics, devices, and digital therapeutics that span Phases I to IV of clinical development. The segment is organized around clinical pharmacology and bioanalytical services, workforce deployment, full-service clinical studies, real world evidence, and consulting. Our Commercial Solutions segment provides commercialization services, including deployment solutions, communication solutions (public relations, advertising, and medical communications), and consulting services. We integrate our clinical and commercial capabilities into customized solutions by sharing knowledge, data, and insights. This collaboration across the development and commercialization continuum facilitates unique insights into patient populations, therapeutic environments, product timelines, and the competitive landscape. For a further discussion, refer to Part I, Item 1, “Business” in our 2021 Form 10-K.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic repercussions have significantly impacted, and are expected to continue to impact, our business and our operations. Within Clinical Solutions, the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual engagement with sites and patients, creating increased demand for decentralized solutions capabilities. As a result, we have continued to experience reduced travel and other reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses related to lower physical monitoring visits for Clinical Solutions relative to pre-pandemic levels. We have also experienced a reduction in the costs associated with investigational medicinal products, which has also resulted in lower reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses. Within Commercial Solutions, we have continued to experience fewer field team visits to healthcare providers and increased virtual investigator meetings. Therefore, we expect reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses as a percentage of revenue to remain lower relative to pre-pandemic levels. With the spread of COVID-19 variants, the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic could adversely impact our business and results of operations. For a further discussion of this and other risks relating to our business, refer to Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2021 Form 10-K.

Prior period segment results have been recast to conform to insignificant changes to management reporting in 2022.

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New Business Awards and Backlog

We add new business awards to backlog when we enter into a contract or when we receive a written commitment from the customer selecting us as a service provider, provided that:

 

collection of the award value is probable;

 

the project or projects are expected to commence within a certain period of time from the end of the quarter in which the award was granted;

 

project contingencies such as the outcome of other clinical trials, funding approvals, or other events, are not anticipated to prevent the project or projects from commencing in accordance with the expected timeline;

 

the customer has entered or intends to enter into a comprehensive contract as soon as practicable; and

 

for awards related to deployment solutions and functional service provider offerings, a maximum of twelve months of services are included in the award value.

In addition, we continually evaluate our backlog to determine if any of the previously awarded work is no longer expected to be performed, regardless of whether we have received formal cancellation notice from the customer. If we determine that any previously awarded work is no longer probable of being performed, we remove the value from our backlog based on the risk of cancellation. We recognize revenue from these awards as services are performed, provided we have received proper authorization from the customer.

We report new business awards for our Clinical Solutions and Commercial Solutions segments on a trailing twelve months (“TTM”) basis. Our total backlog represents backlog for our Clinical Solutions segment and the deployment solutions offering within our Commercial Solutions segment. We do not report backlog for the remaining service offerings in the Commercial Solutions segment.

Backlog

Our backlog consists of anticipated future revenue from business awards that either have not started, or that are in process and have not been completed. Our backlog also reflects any cancellation or adjustment activity related to these awards. The average duration of our contracts will fluctuate from period to period based on the contracts comprising our backlog at any given time. The majority of our contracts contain early termination provisions that typically require notice periods ranging from 30 to 90 days.

Our backlog as of March 31 was as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Change

 

Clinical Solutions

 

$

10,772.3

 

 

$

10,514.6

 

 

$

257.7

 

 

 

2.5

%

Commercial Solutions - Deployment Solutions

 

 

861.8

 

 

 

708.1

 

 

 

153.7

 

 

 

21.7

%

Total backlog

 

$

11,634.1

 

 

$

11,222.7

 

 

$

411.4

 

 

 

3.7

%

 

We expect approximately $3.68 billion of our backlog as of March 31, 2022 will be recognized as revenue during the remainder of 2022. We adjust the amount of our backlog each quarter for the effects of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.

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Net New Business Awards

New business awards, net of cancellations, for the TTM periods ended March 31 were as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Clinical Solutions

 

$

4,392.9

 

 

$

4,730.9

 

Commercial Solutions

 

 

1,399.6

 

 

 

1,149.2

 

Total net new business awards

 

$

5,792.5

 

 

$

5,880.1

 

 

New business awards have varied and may continue to vary significantly from quarter to quarter. Fluctuations in our net new business award levels often result from the fact that we may receive a small number of relatively large orders in any given reporting period. Because of these large orders, our backlog and net new business awards in a reporting period may reach levels that are not sustainable in subsequent reporting periods.

We believe that our backlog and net new business awards might not be consistent indicators of future revenue because they have been, and likely will continue to be, affected by a number of factors, including the variable size and duration of projects, many of which are performed over several years, and changes to the scope of work during the course of projects. Additionally, projects may be canceled or delayed by the customer or regulatory authorities. Net new business awards and backlog have been and we expect will continue to be affected by the broad effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and major financial markets, as well as various other risks and uncertainties detailed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2021 Form 10-K. We generally do not have a contractual right to the full amount of the awards reflected in our backlog. If a customer cancels an award, we might be reimbursed for the costs we have incurred. As we increasingly compete for and enter into large contracts that are more global in nature, we expect that the rate at which our backlog and net new business awards convert into revenue is likely to decrease, and the duration of projects and the period over which related revenue is recognized to lengthen. For more information about risks related to our backlog see Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors Risks Related to Our Business Our backlog might not be indicative of our future revenues, and we might not realize all of the anticipated future revenue reflected in our backlog.” in our 2021 Form 10-K.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth amounts from our condensed consolidated statements of income along with dollar and percentage changes (in thousands, except percentages):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Change

 

Revenue

 

$

1,336,253

 

 

$

1,208,745

 

 

$

127,508

 

 

 

10.5

%

Costs and operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)

 

 

1,044,432

 

 

 

945,250

 

 

 

99,182

 

 

 

10.5

%

Selling, general, and administrative expenses

 

 

140,166

 

 

 

137,314

 

 

 

2,852

 

 

 

2.1

%

Restructuring and other costs

 

 

15,557

 

 

 

7,228

 

 

 

8,329

 

 

 

115.2

%

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

62,202

 

 

 

57,938

 

 

 

4,264

 

 

 

7.4

%

Total operating expenses

 

 

1,262,357

 

 

 

1,147,730

 

 

 

114,627

 

 

 

10.0

%

Income from operations

 

 

73,896

 

 

 

61,015

 

 

 

12,881

 

 

 

21.1

%

Total other expense, net

 

 

20,404

 

 

 

14,004

 

 

 

6,400

 

 

 

45.7

%

Income before provision for income taxes

 

 

53,492

 

 

 

47,011

 

 

 

6,481

 

 

 

13.8

%

Income tax expense

 

 

7,316

 

 

 

8,287

 

 

 

(971

)

 

 

(11.7

)%

Net income

 

$

46,176

 

 

$

38,724

 

 

$

7,452

 

 

 

19.2

%

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Revenue

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, our revenue increased by $127.5 million, or 10.5%, to $1,336.3 million from $1,208.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase was primarily driven by growth in both our Clinical Solutions and Commercial Solutions segments as discussed below.

No single customer accounted for greater than 10% of our total consolidated revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2022 or 2021. Revenue from our top five customers accounted for approximately 23% of revenue for both the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021.

Revenue for each of our segments was as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022

 

 

% of total

 

 

2021

 

 

% of total

 

 

Change

 

Clinical Solutions

 

$

1,018,370

 

 

 

76.2

%

 

$

939,567

 

 

 

77.7

%

 

$

78,803

 

 

 

8.4

%

Commercial Solutions

 

 

317,883

 

 

 

23.8

%

 

 

269,178

 

 

 

22.3

%

 

 

48,705

 

 

 

18.1

%

Total revenue

 

$

1,336,253

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

1,208,745

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

127,508

 

 

 

10.5

%

 

Clinical Solutions

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, revenue attributable to our Clinical Solutions segment increased compared to the same period in the prior year, primarily driven by increased project start-ups. Additionally, the increase was partially driven by revenue from the acquisitions of StudyKIK Corporation and RxDataScience, Inc. in the second half of 2021. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, revenue was negatively impacted by $11.8 million from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations compared to the same period in the prior year.

The impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on our Clinical Solutions revenue continues to decrease. We believe the primary ongoing impact to revenue from the COVID-19 pandemic relates to increased demand for decentralized solutions capabilities including remote monitoring, which results in lower reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses. Therefore, we expect reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses as a percentage of revenue to remain lower relative to pre-pandemic levels.

The war in Ukraine has not had a material impact on our revenue; however, that could change depending on the magnitude of the conflict and the imposition of additional sanctions by the United States (“U.S.”) and other countries. We continue to adapt our strategic approach as the crisis persists and we are expanding our risk assessments to neighboring countries to be proactive about potential future challenges. Banking and economic sanctions imposed on Russia continue to present challenges to clinical trials. We are monitoring these sanctions to ensure we are in compliance and we are adapting our operations to address both the sanctions and the increasing logistical challenges of conducting trials in Russia. At this time, we are continuing to service patients in existing trials who are currently on medication where possible but are generally no longer initiating new clinical trial activities in either Ukraine or Russia. Any impacts to our revenue are expected to be temporary in nature as we work with customers to explore alternate sources of recruiting new patients, including potentially activating sites in other regions.

Commercial Solutions

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, revenue attributable to our Commercial Solutions segment increased compared to the same period in the prior year, primarily driven by increased project start-ups, including new deployments of field teams.  

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The impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on our Commercial Solutions revenue continues to decrease. We believe the primary ongoing impacts to revenue relate to declines in field team visits to healthcare providers and increased virtual investigator meetings, which result in lower reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses. Therefore, we expect reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses as a percentage of revenue to remain lower relative to pre-pandemic levels.

Direct Costs

Direct costs consist principally of compensation expense and benefits associated with our employees and other employee-related costs, and reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses directly related to delivering on our projects. While we have some ability to manage the majority of these costs relative to the amount of contracted services we have during any given period, direct costs as a percentage of revenue can vary from period to period. Such fluctuations are due to a variety of factors, including, among others: (i) the level of staff utilization on our projects; (ii) adjustments to the timing of work on specific customer contracts; (iii) the experience mix of personnel assigned to projects; (iv) the service mix and pricing of our contracts; and (v) the timing of the incurrence of reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses. Relative to pre-pandemic levels, we continue to experience reduced travel and other reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses related to lower physical monitoring visits for Clinical Solutions, as well as fewer field team visits to healthcare providers and investigator meetings for Commercial Solutions. As discussed above, we expect reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses to remain lower relative to pre-pandemic levels.

Direct costs were as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Change

 

Direct costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)

 

$

1,044,432

 

 

$

945,250

 

 

$

99,182

 

 

 

10.5

%

% of revenue

 

 

78.2

%

 

 

78.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross margin %

 

 

21.8

%

 

 

21.8

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, our direct costs increased by $99.2 million, or 10.5%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2021, primarily driven by increased billable headcount to support revenue growth.

Clinical Solutions

Direct costs for our Clinical Solutions segment, excluding share-based compensation expense, were as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Change

 

Direct costs

 

$

774,668

 

 

$

717,355

 

 

$

57,313

 

 

 

8.0

%

% of segment revenue

 

 

76.1

%

 

 

76.3

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment gross margin %

 

 

23.9

%

 

 

23.7

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, our Clinical Solutions segment direct costs increased by $57.3 million, or 8.0%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2021, primarily driven by increased billable headcount to support revenue growth and, to a lesser extent, higher reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses. The increase was partially offset by positive impacts from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and our ForwardBound margin enhancement initiative.

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Gross margins for our Clinical Solutions segment were 23.9% and 23.7% for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Gross margin was higher for the three months ended March 31, 2022 as compared to the same period in the prior year due to positive impacts from foreign exchange rate fluctuations and lower reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses as a percentage of revenue, partially offset by a higher mix of contract labor.

Commercial Solutions

Direct costs for our Commercial Solutions segment, excluding share-based compensation expense, were as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Change

 

Direct costs

 

$

260,965

 

 

$

218,800

 

 

$

42,165

 

 

 

19.3

%

% of segment revenue

 

 

82.1

%

 

 

81.3

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment gross margin %

 

 

17.9

%

 

 

18.7

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, our Commercial Solutions segment direct costs increased by $42.2 million, or 19.3%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2021, primarily driven by increased billable headcount to support revenue growth.

Gross margins for our Commercial Solutions segment were 17.9% and 18.7% for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Gross margin was lower during the current year period as compared to the same period in the prior year due to a less favorable revenue mix.

Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general, and administrative expenses were as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Change

 

Selling, general, and administrative expenses

 

$

140,166

 

 

$

137,314

 

 

$

2,852

 

 

 

2.1

%

% of total revenue

 

 

10.5

%

 

 

11.4

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selling, general, and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2022 increased compared to the same period in 2021 primarily due to increased headcount, partially offset by lower transaction and integration-related expenses. Selling, general, and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2022 include costs resulting from the war in Ukraine, including costs related to impacted employees and ongoing assessment of imposed sanctions.

Restructuring and Other Costs

Restructuring and other costs were $15.6 million and $7.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The costs incurred during the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 were primarily related to our ForwardBound margin enhancement initiative as we continue the ongoing evaluations of our workforce and facilities infrastructure needs in an effort to optimize our resources. ForwardBound includes optimization programs across our entire business. During the first quarter of 2022, these ForwardBound initiatives included specific actions focused on streamlining the operations of our Clinical Solutions segment to optimize efficiency and enhance the delivery of customer projects.

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Restructuring and other costs consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

 

Three Months Ended

March 31,

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

Employee severance and benefit costs

 

$

14,820

 

 

$

6,293

 

Facility and lease termination costs

 

 

(319

)

 

 

888

 

Other costs

 

 

1,056

 

 

 

47

 

Total restructuring and other costs

 

$

15,557

 

 

$

7,228

 

We expect to continue to incur costs related to the restructuring of our operations in order to achieve cost savings and the targeted synergies related to our acquisitions. However, the timing and the amount of these costs depends on various factors, including, but not limited to, identifying and realizing synergy opportunities and executing the integration of our combined operations. We may also continue to incur additional restructuring and other costs during 2022 and beyond related to our ForwardBound margin enhancement initiative.

Depreciation and Amortization Expense

Total depreciation and amortization expense was $62.2 million and $57.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase in total depreciation and amortization expense in the current year compared to the prior year period was primarily due to vehicle fleet leases, internal-use software, and intangible assets from recent acquisitions.

Total Other Expense, Net

Total other expense, net consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Change

 

Interest income

 

$

(3

)

 

$

(71

)

 

$

68

 

 

 

95.8

%

Interest expense

 

 

15,765

 

 

 

23,328

 

 

 

(7,563

)

 

 

(32.4

)%

Loss on extinguishment of debt

 

 

 

 

 

603

 

 

 

(603

)

 

 

(100.0

)%

Other expense (income), net

 

 

4,642

 

 

 

(9,856

)

 

 

14,498

 

 

n/m

 

Total other expense, net

 

$

20,404

 

 

$

14,004

 

 

$

6,400

 

 

 

45.7

%

 

Total other expense, net was $20.4 million and $14.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease in interest expense was primarily due to reductions in our higher interest rate debt as a result of debt prepayments and refinancing transactions as well as lower interest rates on our variable interest rate debt. Due to market forecasts for the London Inter-bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), we believe we may experience higher interest expense relative to the first quarter for the remainder of the year. Other expense (income), net primarily consists of foreign currency gains and losses that result from exchange rate fluctuations on our monetary asset balances denominated in currencies other than our functional currency and other gains and losses related to investments.

Income Tax Expense

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, we recorded income tax expense of $7.3 million, compared to pre-tax income of $53.5 million. Income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2022 included a discrete tax benefit of $6.1 million primarily related to excess tax benefits from share-based compensation. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2022, excluding discrete items, varied from the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 21.0% primarily due to foreign income inclusions such as the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”) provisions, state and local taxes on U.S. income, and research and development credits.

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For the three months ended March 31, 2021, we recorded income tax expense of $8.3 million, compared to pre-tax income of $47.0 million. Income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2021 included a discrete tax benefit of $3.6 million, primarily related to excess tax benefits from share-based compensation. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2021, excluding discrete items, varied from the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 21.0% primarily due to foreign income inclusions such as the GILTI provisions, foreign tax credits, and state and local taxes on U.S. income.

We currently maintain a valuation allowance against a portion of our state deferred tax assets and a portion of our foreign deferred tax assets as of March 31, 2022. We intend to continue to maintain a valuation allowance on these deferred tax assets until there is sufficient evidence to support the reversal of all or some portion of these allowances.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Key measures of our liquidity were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

March 31, 2022

 

 

December 31, 2021

 

Balance sheet statistics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

119,040

 

 

$

106,363

 

Restricted cash

 

 

111

 

 

 

112

 

Working capital (excluding restricted cash)

 

 

153,766

 

 

 

112,228

 

As of March 31, 2022, we had $119.2 million of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash. As of March 31, 2022, substantially all of our cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash was held within the U.S. In addition, we had $455.8 million (net of $14.2 million in outstanding letters of credit (“LOCs”)) available for borrowing under our revolving credit facility (the “Revolver”), of which $135.8 million was available for LOCs.

We have historically funded our operations and growth, including acquisitions, primarily with our working capital, cash flow from operations, and funds available through various borrowing arrangements. Our principal liquidity requirements are to fund our debt service obligations, capital expenditures, expansion of service offerings, possible acquisitions, integration and restructuring costs, geographic expansion, stock repurchases, working capital, and other general corporate expenses. Cash flow from operations also could be affected by various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and major financial markets, as well as other risks detailed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2021 Form 10-K. Based on past performance and current expectations, we believe our cash and cash equivalents, cash generated from operations, and funds available under the Revolver will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs, capital expenditures, scheduled debt and interest payments, income tax obligations, and other currently anticipated liquidity requirements for at least the next 12 months.

Indebtedness

As of March 31, 2022, we had approximately $2.98 billion of total principal indebtedness (including $62.2 million in finance lease obligations), consisting of $1.79 billion in term loan debt, $130.0 million under our Revolver, $600.0 million of senior notes (the “Notes”), and $400.0 million in borrowings against our accounts receivable financing agreement. See “Note 4 – Long-Term Debt Obligations” of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as well as Part II, Item 7 of our 2021 Form 10-K for additional details regarding our long-term debt arrangements.

Our long-term debt arrangements contain customary restrictive covenants and, as of March 31, 2022, we were in compliance with all applicable debt covenants.

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Interest Rates

We have entered into various interest rate swaps to mitigate our exposure to changes in interest rates on our term loan. As of March 31, 2022, the percentage of our total principal debt (excluding finance leases) that is subject to fixed interest rates was approximately 59%. Each quarter-point increase or decrease in the applicable floating interest rate as of March 31, 2022 would change our annual interest expense by approximately $3.0 million.

Stock Repurchase Program

During the three months ended March 31, 2022, we repurchased 1,928,923 shares of our common stock for $150.0 million under the Stock Repurchase Program. See “Note 8 – Shareholders’ Equity” of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for additional details regarding the Stock Repurchase Program.

As of March 31, 2022, we had remaining authorization to repurchase up to approximately $32.5 million of shares of our common stock under the Stock Repurchase Program.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Our cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022

 

 

2021

 

 

Change

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

$

70,887

 

 

$

127,088

 

 

$

(56,201

)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

 

(25,497

)

 

 

(19,781

)

 

 

(5,716

)

Net cash used in financing activities

 

 

(36,572

)

 

 

(111,366

)

 

 

74,794

 

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

Cash flows provided by operating activities decreased by $56.2 million during the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2021. The decrease is primarily due to negative changes in operating assets and liabilities relative to the prior year period, partially offset by higher cash-related net income. Fluctuations in accounts receivable, unbilled services (including contract assets), and deferred revenue occur on a regular basis as we perform services, achieve milestones or other billing criteria, send invoices to customers, and collect outstanding accounts receivable. This activity varies by individual customer and contract. We attempt to negotiate payment terms that provide for payment of services prior to or soon after the provision of services, but the levels of accounts receivable, unbilled services (including contract assets), and deferred revenue can vary significantly from period to period.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, we used $25.5 million in cash for investing activities, which included $23.5 million for purchases of property and equipment. We continue to closely monitor our capital expenditures while making strategic investments in the development of our information technology infrastructure to meet the needs of our workforce, enable efficiencies, reduce business continuity risks, and conform to changes in governing rules and regulations.

For the three months ended March 31, 2021, we used $19.8 million in cash for investing activities, which consisted of $10.0 million of payments related to the acquisitions that were completed in the fourth quarter of 2020 and $11.2 million for purchases of property and equipment, partially offset by $1.4 million of proceeds from unconsolidated affiliates.

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Cash Flows from Financing Activities

For the three months ended March 31, 2022, we used $36.6 million in cash for financing activities, which consisted primarily of repurchases of our common stock and payments related to tax withholdings for share-based compensation. These payments were partially funded by proceeds from our Revolver.

For the three months ended March 31, 2021, we used $111.4 million in cash for financing activities, which consisted primarily of repayment of long-term debt, repurchases of our common stock, and payments related to tax withholdings for share-based compensation. These payments were partially offset by proceeds from our accounts receivable financing agreement.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates, judgments, and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses during the period, as well as disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, including those related to revenue recognition, valuation of goodwill and identifiable intangibles, and tax-related contingencies and valuation allowances. These estimates are based on the information available to management at the time these estimates, judgments, and assumptions are made. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates. There have been no significant changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates. For additional information on all of our critical accounting policies and estimates, refer to Part II Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis included in our 2021 Form 10-K.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

There have been no material changes to our quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk as compared to the quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk described in our 2021 Form 10-K.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our CEO and CFO, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Based on such evaluation, our CEO and CFO have concluded that as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.

Changes in Internal Controls

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in management’s evaluation pursuant to Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act during the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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Table of Contents

 

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

We are party to legal proceedings incidental to our business. While our management currently believes the ultimate outcome of these proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties. Were an unfavorable ruling to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Please refer to “Note 16 – Commitments and Contingencies” of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for additional material developments to legal proceedings included in our 2021 Form 10-K.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

There have been no material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in our 2021 Form 10-K. For a detailed discussion of risk factors affecting us, refer to Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in that report.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities, Use of Proceeds, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

Not applicable.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer

As of March 31, 2022, we have remaining authorization to repurchase up to approximately $32.5 million of shares of our Class A common stock under the Stock Repurchase Program.

Period

 

Total number of shares purchased

 

 

Average price paid per share

 

 

Total number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs (1)

 

 

Approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the plans or programs (in thousands)

 

January 1, 2022 - January 31, 2022

 

 

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

$

182,479

 

February 1, 2022 - February 28, 2022

 

 

515,003

 

 

$

78.52

 

 

 

515,003

 

 

$

142,040

 

March 1, 2022 - March 31, 2022

 

 

1,413,920

 

 

$

77.46

 

 

 

1,413,920

 

 

$

32,518

 

 

 

 

1,928,923

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,928,923

 

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

 

 

(1) On November 17, 2020, the Board authorized the repurchase of up to an aggregate of $300.0 million of our Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, to be executed from time to time in open market transactions effected through a broker at prevailing market prices, in block trades, or through privately negotiated transactions through December 31, 2022 (the “Stock Repurchase Program”). The Stock Repurchase Program took effect on January 1, 2021. Share repurchases are funded primarily with our working capital, cash flow from operations, and funds available through various borrowing arrangements. The Stock Repurchase Program does not obligate us to repurchase any particular amount of our Class A common stock, and may be modified, extended, suspended, or discontinued at any time. The timing and amount of repurchases are determined by our management based on a variety of factors such as the market price of our Class A common stock, our corporate cash requirements, and overall market conditions. The Stock Repurchase Program is subject to applicable legal requirements, including federal and state securities laws and applicable Nasdaq rules. We may also repurchase shares of our Class A common stock pursuant to a trading plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which would permit shares of our Class A common stock to be repurchased when we might otherwise be precluded from doing so by law.

We immediately retired all of the repurchased common stock and charged the par value of the shares to common stock. The excess of the repurchase price over the par value was applied on a pro rata basis against additional paid-in capital, with the remainder applied to accumulated deficit.

Item 5. Other Information.

Not applicable.

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Table of Contents

 

Item 6. Exhibits

 

 

 

Incorporated by Reference

(Unless Otherwise Indicated)

Exhibit

Number

 

Exhibit Description

Form

File No.

Exhibit

Filing Date

4.1

 

Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of April 5, 2022, among the Guaranteeing Subsidiaries, the Company, the other Guarantors, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee.

Filed herewith

31.1

 

Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Filed herewith

31.2

 

Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Filed herewith

32.1

 

Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Furnished herewith

32.2

 

Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Furnished herewith

101.INS

 

Inline XBRL Instance Document - the Instance Document does not appear in the interactive data file because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.

Filed herewith

101.SCH

 

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.

Filed herewith

101.CAL

 

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.

Filed herewith

101.DEF

 

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.

Filed herewith

101.LAB

 

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.

Filed herewith

101.PRE

 

Inline Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.

Filed herewith

104

 

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).

Filed herewith

 

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SIGNATURE

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.

 

 

 

 

 

SYNEOS HEALTH, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: April 28, 2022

 

BY:

 

/s/ Jason Meggs

 

 

 

 

Jason Meggs

 

 

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

 

38