Western Union CO - Quarter Report: 2010 March (Form 10-Q)

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 10-Q

 

 

 

 

Commission File Number: 001-32903

 

 

 

 

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (866) 405-5012

 

 

 

 

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 x  No o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes x  No o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

 

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

 

As of April 30, 2010, 672,144,960 shares of our common stock were outstanding.

 

 

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

INDEX

 

 

 

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
(in millions, except per share amounts)

 

 

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
(in millions, except per share amounts)

 

 

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(in millions)

 

 

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

 

 

Business

 

The Western Union Company (“Western Union” or the “Company”) is a leader in global money transfer and payment services, providing people and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send money and make payments around the world. The Western Union^® brand is globally recognized. The Company’s services are available through a network of agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories. Each location in the Company’s agent network is capable of providing one or more of the Company’s services.

 

The Western Union business consists of the following segments:

 

 

All businesses that have not been classified into the consumer-to-consumer or global business payments segments are reported as “Other” and primarily include the Company’s money order services business.

 

There are legal or regulatory limitations on transferring certain assets of the Company outside of the countries where these assets are located, or which constitute undistributed earnings of affiliates of the Company accounted for under the equity method of accounting. However, there are generally no limitations on the use of these assets within those countries. Additionally, the Company must meet minimum capital requirements in some countries in order to maintain operating licenses. As of March 31, 2010, the amount of net assets subject to these limitations totaled nearly $200 million.

 

Various aspects of the Company’s services and businesses are subject to United States federal, state and local regulation, as well as regulation by foreign jurisdictions, including certain banking and other financial services regulations.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and were prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. In compliance with those instructions, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted.

 

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in this quarterly report are presented on a consolidated basis and include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries. Results of

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

operations and cash flows for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

 

In the opinion of management, these condensed consolidated financial statements include all the normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the Company’s condensed consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows as of March 31, 2010 and for all periods presented. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements within the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009.

 

Consistent with industry practice, the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets are unclassified due to the short-term nature of Western Union’s settlement obligations contrasted with the Company’s ability to invest cash awaiting settlement in long-term investment securities.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

 

Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities

 

On January 1, 2010, the Company adopted new accounting standards for the consolidation of variable interest entities. These new accounting standards amend the evaluation criteria to determine whether an enterprise has a controlling financial interest in a variable interest entity. This determination identifies the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity as the enterprise that has both the power to direct the activities of a variable interest entity that most significantly impacts the entity’s economic performance and the ability to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the entity that could potentially be significant to the variable interest entity. The new guidance also requires an ongoing reassessment of the primary beneficiary. Adoption of these new requirements did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

 

Earnings Per Share

 

The calculation of basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested, using the treasury stock method. The treasury stock method assumes proceeds from the exercise price of stock options, the unamortized compensation expense and assumed tax benefits of options and restricted stock are available to acquire shares at an average market price throughout the year, and therefore, reduce the dilutive effect.

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, there were 35.6 million and 43.1 million, respectively, of outstanding options to purchase shares of Western Union stock excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation as their effect was anti-dilutive.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

The following table provides the calculation of diluted weighted-average shares outstanding (in millions):

 

 

Cash Dividends Paid

 

During the first quarter of 2010, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per common share representing $40.5 million in total dividends. This amount was paid on March 31, 2010 to shareholders of record on March 19, 2010. During the first quarter of 2009, no dividend was declared or paid.

 

 

Custom House, Ltd.

 

On September 1, 2009, the Company acquired Canada-based Custom House, a provider of international business-to-business payment services, for $371.0 million. The acquisition of Custom House has allowed the Company to enter the international business-to-business payments market. Custom House facilitates cross-border, cross-currency payment transactions. These payment transactions are conducted through various channels including the telephone and internet. The significant majority of Custom House’s revenue is from exchanges of currency at the spot rate enabling customers to make cross-currency payments. In addition, this business writes foreign currency forward and option contracts for their customers to facilitate future payments. The duration of these derivatives contracts is generally nine months or less. The results of operations for Custom House have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition, September 1, 2009.

 

The Company recorded the assets and liabilities of Custom House at fair value, excluding the deferred tax liability described below. The following table summarizes the preliminary allocation of purchase price:

 

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

The valuation of assets acquired resulted in $118.1 million of identifiable intangible assets, $99.8 million of which were attributable to customer and other contractual relationships and were valued using an income approach and $18.3 million of other intangibles, which were valued using both income and cost approaches. These fair values were derived using primarily unobservable Level 3 inputs which require significant management judgment and estimation. For the remaining assets and liabilities, fair value approximated carrying value. The intangible assets related to customer and other contractual relationships are being amortized over 10 to 12 years. The remaining intangibles are being amortized over three to five years. The goodwill recognized of $272.2 million is attributable to the projected long-term business growth in current and new markets and an assembled workforce. All goodwill relates entirely to the global business payments segment. The preliminary assessment of goodwill expected to be deductible for United States income tax purposes is approximately $225.1 million. The net deferred tax liability of $31.9 million and the resulting impacts on goodwill are preliminary and will be completed once the Company finalizes its tax review for this acquisition. In addition, the Company is finalizing its analysis of the accounts associated with working capital and settlement, which may also result in an adjustment to goodwill.

 

FEXCO

 

On February 24, 2009, the Company acquired the money transfer business of European-based FEXCO, one of the Company’s largest agents providing services in a number of European countries, primarily the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden and Ireland. The acquisition of FEXCO’s money transfer business has assisted the Company in the implementation of the Payment Services Directive (“PSD”) in the European Union by providing an initial operating infrastructure. The PSD has allowed the Company to operate under a single license in 27 european countries and, in those European Union countries where the Company has been limited to working with banks, post-banks and foreign exchange houses, to expand its network to additional types of businesses. The acquisition does not impact the Company’s revenue, because the Company was already recording 100% of the revenue arising from money transfers originating at FEXCO’s locations. As of the acquisition date, the Company no longer incurs commission costs for transactions related to FEXCO; rather, the Company now pays commissions directly to former FEXCO subagents, resulting in lower overall commission expense. The Company’s operating expenses include costs attributable to FEXCO’s operations subsequent to the acquisition date.

 

Prior to the acquisition, the Company held a 24.65% interest in FEXCO Group Holdings (“FEXCO Group”), which was a holding company for both the money transfer business as well as various unrelated businesses. The Company surrendered its 24.65% interest in FEXCO Group as non-cash consideration, which had an estimated fair value of $86.2 million on the acquisition date, and paid €123.1 million ($157.4 million) as additional consideration for 100% of the common shares of the money transfer business, resulting in a total purchase price of $243.6 million. The Company recognized no gain or loss in connection with the disposition of its equity interest in the FEXCO Group, because its estimated fair value approximated its carrying value. The Company recorded the assets and liabilities of FEXCO at fair value, excluding the deferred tax liability.

 

 

On September 15, 2008, Western Union requested redemption of its shares in the Reserve International Liquidity Fund, Ltd. (the “Fund”), a money market fund, totaling $298.1 million. Western Union included the value of the receivable in “Other assets” in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. At the time the redemption request was made, the Company was informed by the Reserve Management Company, the Fund’s investment advisor (the “Manager”), that the Company’s redemption trades would be honored at a $1.00 per share net asset value. In 2009, the Company received partial distributions totaling $255.5 million from the Fund. The Company continues to vigorously pursue collection of the remaining balance and believes it has a right to full payment of the remaining amount based on the written and verbal representations from the

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Manager and the Company’s legal position. However, given the increased uncertainty surrounding the numerous third-party legal claims associated with the Fund, the Company reserved $12 million representing the estimated impact of a pro-rata distribution of the Fund during the quarter ended June 30, 2009. As of March 31, 2010, the Company had a remaining receivable balance of $30.6 million, net of the related reserve. If further deterioration occurs in the underlying assets in the Fund, or if the Fund incurs significant legal and/or administrative costs during the distribution process, the Company may record additional reserves related to the remaining receivable balance, which could negatively affect its financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

 

 

Fair value, as defined by the relevant accounting standards, represents the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. For additional information on how Western Union measures fair value, refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009.

 

The following table reflects assets and liabilities that were measured and carried at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2010 (in millions):

 

 

The Level 3 assets above represent an immaterial portion of the derivatives portfolio related to the Custom House acquisition for which credit judgments are deemed to be a significant input to the determination of fair value.

 

No non-recurring fair value adjustments were recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2010.

 

Other Fair Value Measurements

 

The carrying amounts for Western Union financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, settlement cash and cash equivalents, settlement receivables and settlement obligations approximate fair value due to their short maturities. The Company’s borrowings had a carrying value and fair value of $3,048.0 million and $3,250.4 million, respectively, at March 31, 2010 and had a carrying value and fair value of $3,048.5 million and $3,211.3 million, respectively, at December 31, 2009 (see Note 12).

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

 

Letters of Credit and Bank Guarantees

 

The Company had $88.8 million in outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees at March 31, 2010 with expiration dates through 2015, the majority of which contain a one-year renewal option. The letters of credit and bank guarantees are primarily held in connection with lease arrangements and certain agent agreements. The Company expects to renew the letters of credit and bank guarantees prior to expiration in most circumstances.

 

Litigation and Related Contingencies

 

During the third quarter of 2009, the Company recorded an accrual of $71.0 million for an anticipated agreement and settlement with the State of Arizona. On February 11, 2010, the Company signed this agreement and settlement, which resolved all outstanding legal issues and claims with the State and requires the Company to fund a multi-state not-for-profit organization promoting safety and security along the United States and Mexico border, in which California, Texas and New Mexico will participate with Arizona. The accrual includes amounts for reimbursement to the State of Arizona for its costs associated with this matter. In addition, as part of the agreement and settlement, the Company expects to make certain investments in its compliance programs along the United States and Mexico border and to engage a monitor for that program, which are expected to cost up to $23 million over the next two to four years. During the first quarter of 2010, cash payments of $17.0 million were made related to the agreement and settlement.

 

The United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) served one of the Company’s subsidiaries with a grand jury subpoena requesting documents in connection with an investigation into money transfers from the United States to the Dominican Republic during the last several years. The Company is cooperating fully with the DOJ investigation. Due to the stage of the DOJ investigation, the Company is unable to predict the outcome of the investigation or the possible loss or range of loss, if any, associated with the resolution of any charges that may be brought against the Company.

 

In the normal course of business, Western Union is subject to claims and litigation. Management of the Company believes such matters involving a reasonably possible chance of loss will not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The Company accrues for loss contingencies as they become probable and estimable.

 

In May 2007, the Company initiated litigation against MoneyGram Payment Systems, Inc. (“MoneyGram”) for infringement of the Company’s Money Transfer by Phone patents by MoneyGram’s FormFree service. On September 24, 2009, a jury found that MoneyGram was liable for patent infringement and awarded the Company $16.5 million in damages. This case is on appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In accordance with its policies, the Company does not recognize gain contingencies in earnings until realization and collectability are assured and, therefore, due to MoneyGram’s challenges to the verdict, the Company has not recognized any amounts in its Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income through March 31, 2010.

 

On January 26, 2006, the First Data Corporation (“First Data”) Board of Directors announced its intention to pursue the distribution of 100% of its money transfer and consumer payments business and its interest in a Western Union money transfer agent, as well as its related assets, including real estate, through a tax-free distribution to First Data shareholders (the “Separation” or “Spin-off”). The Spin-off resulted in the formation of the Company and these assets and businesses no longer being part of First Data. Pursuant to the separation and distribution agreement with First Data in connection with the Spin-off, First Data and the Company are each liable for, and agreed to perform, all liabilities with respect to their respective businesses. In addition, the separation and distribution agreement also provides for cross-indemnities principally designed

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

to place financial responsibility for the obligations and liabilities of the Company’s business with the Company and financial responsibility for the obligations and liabilities of First Data’s retained businesses with First Data. The Company also entered into a tax allocation agreement that sets forth the rights and obligations of First Data and the Company with respect to taxes imposed on their respective businesses both prior to and after the Spin-off as well as potential tax obligations for which the Company may be liable in conjunction with the Spin-off (see Note 13).

 

 

The Company has ownership interests in certain of its agents accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The Company pays these agents, as it does its other agents, commissions for money transfer and other services provided on the Company’s behalf. Commission expense recognized for these agents for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 totaled $44.7 million and $53.5 million, respectively. Commission expense recognized for FEXCO prior to February 24, 2009, the date of the acquisition (see Note 3), was considered a related party transaction.

 

In July 2009, the Company appointed a director who is also a director for a company holding significant investments in two of the Company’s existing agents. These agents had been agents of the Company prior to the director being appointed to the board. The Company recognized commission expense of $13.5 million and $12.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, related to these agents.

 

 

Settlement assets represent funds received or to be received from agents for unsettled money transfers, money orders and consumer payments. Western Union records corresponding settlement obligations relating to amounts payable under money transfers, money orders and consumer payment service arrangements. Settlement assets and obligations also include amounts receivable from and payable to businesses for the value of customer cross-currency payment transactions related to the global business payments segment.

 

Settlement assets and obligations consisted of the following (in millions):

 

 

Investment securities consist primarily of high-quality state and municipal debt obligations. Substantially all of the Company’s investment securities were marketable securities during the periods presented. The Company is required to maintain specific high-quality, investment grade securities and such investments are restricted to satisfy outstanding settlement obligations in accordance with applicable state and foreign country requirements. Western Union does not hold investment securities for trading purposes. All investment securities are classified as available-for-sale and recorded at fair value. Investment securities are exposed to market risk due to changes in interest rates and credit risk. Western Union regularly monitors credit risk and

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

attempts to mitigate its exposure by making high-quality investments and through investment diversification. At March 31, 2010, the majority of the Company’s investment securities had credit ratings of “AA-” or better from a major credit rating agency.

 

Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are excluded from earnings and presented as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss, net of related deferred taxes. Gains and losses on investments are calculated using the specific-identification method and are recognized during the period the investment is sold or when an investment experiences an other-than-temporary decline in value.

 

In the fourth quarter of 2009, as further described in Note 15, the Company received cash from Integrated Payment Systems Inc. (“IPS”), a subsidiary of First Data, in connection with the Company assuming the responsibility of issuing money orders. The Company invested the cash received from IPS in investment securities, including variable rate demand notes. Generally, variable rate demand notes are used by the Company for short-term liquidity needs and are held for short periods of time, typically less than 30 days, although they have varying maturity dates through 2049. As a result, this has increased the frequency of purchases and proceeds received by the Company. Proceeds from the sale and maturity of available-for-sale securities during the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 were $3.3 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively.

 

The components of investment securities, all of which are classified as available-for-sale, were as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

 

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

 

The following summarizes the contractual maturities of investment securities as of March 31, 2010 (in millions):

 

 

Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because issuers may have the right to call or prepay the obligations or the Company may have the right to put the obligation prior to its contractual maturity, as with variable rate demand notes. Variable rate demand notes, having a fair value of $2.6 million, $1.8 million and $253.7 million, are included in the “Due after 1 year through 5 years,” “Due after 5 years through 10 years” and “Due after 10 years” categories, respectively, in the table above.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

 

The components of other comprehensive income, net of tax, were as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

 

 

The Company has two frozen defined benefit pension plans for which it had a recorded unfunded pension obligation of $123.7 million and $124.2 million as of March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively, included in “Other liabilities” in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company is required to fund $15 million to the plans in 2010, and may make an additional discretionary contribution of up to $10 million.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

The following table provides the components of net periodic benefit cost for the plans (in millions):

 

 

 

The Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange risk resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates, primarily the euro, and to a lesser degree the British pound, Canadian dollar and other currencies, related to forecasted money transfer revenues and on money transfer settlement assets and obligations. Subsequent to the acquisition of Custom House, the Company is also exposed to risk from derivative contracts written to its customers arising from its cross-currency business-to-business payments operations. Additionally, the Company is exposed to interest rate risk related to changes in market rates both prior to and subsequent to the issuance of debt. The Company uses derivatives to (a) minimize its exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates and (b) facilitate cross-currency business-to-business payments by writing derivatives to customers.

 

The Company executes derivatives related to its consumer-to-consumer business with established financial institutions, with the substantial majority of these financial institutions having credit ratings of “A-” or better from a major credit rating agency. The Company executes global business payments derivatives, as a result of its acquisition of Custom House, mostly with small and medium size enterprises. The credit risk inherent in both the consumer-to-consumer and global business payments agreements represents the possibility that a loss may occur from the nonperformance of a counterparty to the agreements. The Company performs a review of the credit risk of these counterparties at the inception of the contract and on an ongoing basis. The Company also monitors the concentration of its contracts with any individual counterparty. The Company anticipates that the counterparties will be able to fully satisfy their obligations under the agreements, but takes action (including termination of contracts) when doubt arises about the counterparties’ ability to perform. The Company’s hedged foreign currency exposures are in liquid currencies, consequently there is minimal risk that appropriate derivatives to maintain the hedging program would not be available in the future.

 

Foreign Currency—Consumer-to-Consumer

 

The Company’s policy is to use longer-term foreign currency forward contracts, with maturities of up to 36 months at inception and a targeted weighted-average maturity of approximately one year, to mitigate some of the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates compared to the United States dollar could have on forecasted revenues denominated in other currencies related to its business. At March 31, 2010, the Company’s longer-term foreign currency forward contracts had maturities of a maximum of 24 months with a weighted-average maturity of approximately one year. These contracts are accounted for as cash flow hedges of forecasted revenue, with effectiveness assessed based on changes in the spot rate of the affected currencies during the period of designation. Accordingly, all changes in the fair value of the hedges not considered effective or portions of the hedge that are excluded from the measure of effectiveness are recognized immediately in “Derivative gains/(losses), net” within the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

The Company also uses short duration foreign currency forward contracts, generally with maturities from a few days up to one month, to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on settlement assets and obligations between initiation and settlement. In addition, forward contracts, typically with maturities of less than one year, are utilized to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on certain foreign currency denominated cash positions. None of these contracts are designated as accounting hedges.

 

The aggregate United States dollar notional amounts of foreign currency forward contracts as of March 31, 2010 were as follows (in millions):

 

 

Foreign Currency—Global Business Payments

 

As a result of the acquisition of Custom House, the Company writes derivatives, primarily foreign currency forward contracts and, to a much smaller degree, option contracts, mostly with small and medium size enterprises (customer contracts) and derives a currency spread from this activity as part of its global business payments operations. In this capacity, the Company facilitates cross-currency payment transactions for its customers but aggregates its Custom House foreign currency exposures arising from customer contracts, including the derivative contracts described above, and hedges the resulting net currency risks by entering into offsetting contracts with established financial institution counterparties (economic hedge contracts). The derivatives written are part of the broader portfolio of foreign currency positions arising from its cross-currency business-to-business payments operation, which includes significant spot exchanges of currency in addition to forwards and options. None of these contracts are designated as accounting hedges. The duration of these derivative contracts is generally nine months or less.

 

The aggregate United States dollar notional amounts of foreign currency derivative customer contracts held by the Company as of March 31, 2010 were approximately $1.1 billion. The significant majority of customer contracts are written in major currencies such as the Canadian dollar, euro, Australian dollar and the British pound.

 

In 2009, the Company also entered into a forward contract, with a notional amount of approximately 230 million Canadian dollars, to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on a Canadian dollar denominated position in connection with the purchase of Custom House. This contract is not designated as an accounting hedge.

 

Interest Rate Hedging—Corporate

 

The Company utilizes interest rate swaps to effectively change the interest rate payments on a portion of its notes from fixed-rate payments to short-term LIBOR-based variable rate payments in order to manage its overall exposure to interest rates. The Company designates these derivatives as fair value hedges utilizing the short-cut method, which permits an assumption of no ineffectiveness if certain criteria are met. The change in fair value of the interest rate swaps is offset by a change in the carrying value of the debt being hedged within

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

the Company’s “Borrowings” in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and “Interest expense” in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income has been adjusted to include the effects of interest accrued on the swaps.

 

The Company, at times, utilizes derivatives to hedge the forecasted issuance of fixed rate debt. These derivatives are designated as cash flow hedges of the variability in the fixed rate coupon of the debt expected to be issued. The effective portion of the change in fair value of the derivatives is recorded in “Accumulated other comprehensive loss.” Such derivatives were used in connection with the note exchange discussed in Note 12.

 

At both March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, the Company held interest rate swaps in an aggregate notional amount of $750 million. Of this aggregate notional amount held at March 31, 2010, $695 million related to notes due in 2011 and $55 million related to notes due in 2014.

 

Balance Sheet

 

The following table summarizes the fair value of derivatives reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009 (in millions):

 

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Income Statement

 

The following tables summarize the location and amount of gains and losses of derivatives in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income segregated by designated, qualifying hedging instruments and those that are not, for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 (in millions):

 

Fair Value Hedges

 

The following table presents the location and amount of gains/(losses) from fair value hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 (in millions):

 

 

Cash Flow Hedges

 

The following table presents the location and amount of gains/(losses) from cash flow hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 (in millions):

 

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Undesignated Hedges

 

The following table presents the location and amount of net gains/(losses) from undesignated hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 (in millions):

 

 

 

 

An accumulated other comprehensive pre-tax gain of $13.1 million related to the foreign currency forward contracts is expected to be reclassified into revenue within the next 12 months as of March 31, 2010. Approximately $1.3 million of net losses on the forecasted debt issuance hedges are expected to be recognized in interest expense within the next 12 months as of March 31, 2010. No amounts have been reclassified into earnings as a result of the underlying transaction being considered probable of not occurring within the specified time period.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

 

The Company’s outstanding borrowings consisted of the following (in millions):

 

 

 

 

The aggregate fair value of our long-term debt, based on quotes from multiple banks, excluding the impact of discounts and related interest rate swaps, was $3,250.4 million and $3,211.3 million at March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively.

 

The Company’s maturities of borrowings at par value as of March 31, 2010 are $700 million in 2011, $500 million in 2014 and $1.8 billion thereafter.

 

The Company’s obligations with respect to its outstanding borrowings, as described above, rank equally.

 

2020 Notes

 

On March 30, 2010, the Company exchanged $303.7 million of aggregate principal amount of the 2011 Notes for notes due April 1, 2020. Interest with respect to the 2020 Notes is payable semiannually on April 1 and October 1 each year based on the fixed per annum interest rate of 5.253%. In connection with the exchange, note holders were given a 7% premium ($21.2 million), which approximated market value at the

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

exchange date, as additional principal. As this transaction was accounted for as a debt modification, this premium was not charged to expense. Rather, the premium, along with the offsetting hedge accounting adjustments, will be accreted into interest expense over the life of the notes. The 2020 Notes contain covenants that, among other things, limit or restrict the ability of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries to grant certain types of security interests or enter into sale and leaseback transactions. The Company may redeem the 2020 Notes at any time prior to maturity at the greater of par or a price based on the applicable treasury rate plus 15 basis points.

 

In connection with the issuance of the 2020 Notes on March 30, 2010, the Company entered into a Registration Rights Agreement which will give the holders of the 2020 Notes certain exchange and registration rights, including the Company’s completion of a registered exchange offer within 360 days of the March 30, 2010 settlement date.

 

 

The Company’s effective tax rates on pre-tax income for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 were 24.7% and 26.6%, respectively. The Company continues to benefit from an increasing proportion of profits being foreign-derived and therefore taxed at lower rates than its combined federal and state tax rates in the United States.

 

Uncertain Tax Positions

 

The Company has established contingency reserves for material, known tax exposures, including potential tax audit adjustments with respect to its international operations, which were restructured in 2003. The Company’s tax reserves reflect management’s judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review. While the Company believes its reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed its related reserve. With respect to these reserves, the Company’s income tax expense would include (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes during the period in the facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue, and (ii) any difference from the Company’s tax position as recorded in the financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period.

 

Unrecognized tax benefits represent the aggregate tax effect of differences between tax return positions and the amounts otherwise recognized in the Company’s financial statements, and are reflected in “Income taxes payable” in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits as of March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009 was $503.4 million and $477.2 million, respectively, excluding interest and penalties. A substantial portion of the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits relate to the 2003 restructuring of the Company’s international operations whereby the Company’s income from certain foreign-to-foreign money transfer transactions has been taxed at relatively low foreign tax rates compared to the Company’s combined federal and state tax rates in the United States. The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate was $494.7 million and $468.6 million as of March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively, excluding interest and penalties.

 

The Company recognizes interest and penalties with respect to unrecognized tax benefits in “Provision for income taxes” in its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, and records the associated liability in “Income taxes payable” in its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company recognized $2.4 million and $4.3 million in interest and penalties during the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The Company has accrued $47.9 million and $45.5 million for the payment of interest and penalties at March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Subject to the matter referenced in the paragraph below, the Company has identified no other uncertain tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will significantly increase or decrease within 12 months, except for recurring accruals on existing uncertain tax positions. The change in unrecognized tax benefits during the three months ended March 31, 2010 is substantially attributable to such recurring accruals.

 

The Company and its subsidiaries file tax returns for the United States, for multiple states and localities, and for various non-United States jurisdictions, and the Company has identified the United States and Ireland as its two major tax jurisdictions. The United States federal income tax returns of First Data, which include the Company, are eligible to be examined for the years 2002 through 2006. The Company’s United States federal income tax returns since the Spin-off are also eligible to be examined. The United States Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has issued a report of the results of its examination of the United States federal consolidated income tax return of First Data for 2002, and the Company believes that the resolution of the adjustments that affect the Company proposed in the report will not result in a material change to the Company’s financial position. In addition, the IRS completed its examination of the United States federal consolidated income tax returns of First Data for 2003 and 2004, which included the Company, and issued a Notice of Deficiency in December 2008. The Notice of Deficiency alleges significant additional taxes, interest and penalties owed with respect to a variety of adjustments involving the Company and its subsidiaries, and the Company generally has responsibility for taxes associated with these potential Company-related adjustments under the tax allocation agreement with First Data executed at the time of the Spin-off. The Company agrees with a number of the adjustments in the Notice of Deficiency; however, the Company does not agree with the Notice of Deficiency regarding several substantial adjustments representing total alleged additional tax and penalties due of approximately $114 million. As of March 31, 2010, interest on the alleged amounts due for unagreed adjustments would be approximately $31 million. A substantial part of the alleged amounts due for these unagreed adjustments relates to the Company’s international restructuring, which took effect in the fourth quarter of 2003, and, accordingly, the alleged amounts due related to such restructuring largely are attributable to 2004. On March 20, 2009, the Company filed a petition in the United States Tax Court contesting those adjustments with which it does not agree. The Company believes its overall reserves are adequate, including those associated with the adjustments alleged in the Notice of Deficiency. If the IRS’ position in the Notice of Deficiency is sustained, the Company’s tax provision related to 2003 and later years would materially increase. The IRS has now commenced an examination of the United States federal consolidated income tax returns of First Data that cover the Company’s 2005 and pre-spin-off 2006 taxable periods and also has commenced an examination of the Company’s federal consolidated income tax return for the post-spin-off 2006 period. The Irish income tax returns of certain subsidiaries for the years 2005 and forward are eligible to be examined by the Irish tax authorities, although no examinations have commenced.

 

In 2010, the Company made a $250 million refundable tax deposit relating to potential United States federal tax liabilities, including those arising from the Company’s 2003 international restructuring, which have been previously accrued in the Company’s financial statements. The deposit was recorded as a reduction to “Income taxes payable” in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and a decrease in cash flows from operating activities in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Making the deposit limits the further accrual of interest charges with respect to such potential tax liabilities, to the extent of the deposit.

 

At March 31, 2010, no provision had been made for United States federal and state income taxes on foreign earnings of approximately $2.1 billion, which are expected to be reinvested outside the United States indefinitely. Upon distribution of those earnings to the United States in the form of actual or constructive dividends, the Company would be subject to United States income taxes (subject to an adjustment for foreign tax credits), state income taxes and possible withholding taxes payable to various foreign countries. Determination of this amount of unrecognized deferred United States tax liability is not practicable because of the complexities associated with its hypothetical calculation.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Tax Allocation Agreement with First Data

 

The Company and First Data each are liable for taxes imposed on their respective businesses both prior to and after the Spin-off. If such taxes have not been appropriately apportioned between First Data and the Company, subsequent adjustments may occur that may impact the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

 

Also under the tax allocation agreement, with respect to taxes and other liabilities that result from a final determination that is inconsistent with the anticipated tax consequences of the Spin-off (as set forth in the private letter ruling and relevant tax opinion) (“Spin-off Related Taxes”), the Company will be liable to First Data for any such Spin-off Related Taxes attributable solely to actions taken by or with respect to the Company. In addition, the Company will also be liable for 50% of any Spin-off Related Taxes (i) that would not have been imposed but for the existence of both an action by the Company and an action by First Data or (ii) where the Company and First Data each take actions that, standing alone, would have resulted in the imposition of such Spin-off Related Taxes. The Company may be similarly liable if it breaches certain representations or covenants set forth in the tax allocation agreement. If the Company is required to indemnify First Data for taxes incurred as a result of the Spin-off being taxable to First Data, it likely would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial position and results of operations. First Data generally will be liable for all Spin-off Related Taxes, other than those described above.

 

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company recognized stock-based compensation expense of $10.4 million and $8.4 million, respectively, resulting from stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and deferred stock units in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. During the first quarter of 2010, the Company granted 3.8 million options at a weighted-average exercise price of $16.01 and 1.3 million restricted stock units at a weighted-average grant date fair value of $15.56.

 

As of March 31, 2010, the Company had 44.6 million outstanding options at a weighted-average exercise price of $18.54, and had 35.4 million options exercisable at a weighted-average exercise price of $19.09. Approximately 37% of the outstanding options at March 31, 2010, were held by employees of First Data. The Company had 3.5 million non-vested restricted stock awards and units at a weighted-average grant-date fair value of $14.91 as of March 31, 2010.

 

The Company used the following assumptions for the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the value of Western Union options granted in the three months ended March 31, 2010:

 

 

All assumptions used to calculate the fair value of Western Union’s stock options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2010 were determined on a consistent basis with those assumptions disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

 

As previously described in Note 1, the Company classifies its businesses into two reportable segments: consumer-to-consumer and global business payments. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise that engage in business activities, about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) in deciding where to allocate resources and in assessing performance.

 

The consumer-to-consumer reporting segment is viewed as one global network where a money transfer can be sent from one location to another, anywhere in the world. The segment consists of three regions, which primarily coordinate agent network management and marketing activities. The CODM makes decisions regarding resource allocation and monitors performance based on specific corridors within and across these regions, but also reviews total revenue and operating profit of each region. These regions frequently interact on transactions with consumers and share processes, systems and licenses, thereby constituting one global consumer-to-consumer money transfer network. The regions and corridors generally offer the same services distributed by the same agent network, have the same types of customers, are subject to similar regulatory requirements, are processed on the same system and have similar economic characteristics, allowing the geographic regions to be aggregated into one reporting segment.

 

The global business payments segment processes payments from consumers or businesses to other businesses. The results of the Company’s existing consumer-to-business operations as well as the recently acquired Custom House business have been combined in this segment as both are focused on facilitating payments. For further information on Custom House, see Note 3.

 

All businesses that have not been classified into consumer-to-consumer or global business payments are reported as “Other.” These businesses primarily include the Company’s money order services businesses. Effective October 1, 2009 (the “Transition Date”), IPS assigned and transferred to the Company certain operating assets used by IPS to issue Western Union branded money orders and approximately $860 million of cash sufficient to satisfy all outstanding money order liabilities. On the Transition Date, the Company assumed IPS’s role as issuer of the money orders, including its obligation to pay outstanding money orders, and terminated the existing agreement whereby IPS paid Western Union a fixed return of 5.5% on the outstanding money order balances. Following the Transition Date, Western Union invested the cash received from IPS in high-quality, investment grade securities, primarily tax exempt United States state and municipal securities, in accordance with applicable regulations, which are the same as those currently governing the investment of the Company’s United States originated money transfer principal. The Company now derives investment income from actual interest generated on money order settlement assets invested in those securities. In 2008, the Company entered into interest rate swaps on certain of its fixed rate notes to reduce its exposure to fluctuations in interest rates. Through a combination of the revenue generated from the new investment securities and the anticipated interest expense savings resulting from the interest rate swaps, the Company estimates that it should be able to retain, subsequent to the transition, a materially comparable after-tax rate of return through 2011 as it had been receiving under the agreement with IPS.

THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY

 

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

The following table presents the Company’s reportable segment results for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 (in millions):

 

 

Item 2.

 

This report on Form 10-Q contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, our forward-looking statements. Words such as “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “guides,” “provides guidance,” “provides outlook” and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would” and “could” are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Readers of the Form 10-Q of The Western Union Company (the “company,” “Western Union,” “we,” “our” or “us”) should not rely solely on the forward-looking statements and should consider all uncertainties and risks discussed in the “Risk Factors” section and throughout the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009. The statements are only as of the date they are made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

 

Possible events or factors that could cause results or performance to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include the following: changes in immigration laws, patterns and other factors related to migrants; our ability to adapt technology in response to changing industry and consumer needs or trends; our failure to develop and introduce new products, services and enhancements, and gain market acceptance of such products; the failure by us, our agents or subagents to comply with our business and technology standards and contract requirements or applicable laws and regulations, especially laws designed to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, and/or changing regulatory or enforcement interpretations of those laws; failure to comply with the settlement agreement with the State of Arizona; changes in United States or foreign laws, rules and regulations including the Internal Revenue Code, and governmental or judicial interpretations thereof; changes in general economic conditions and economic conditions in the regions and industries in which we operate; adverse movements and volatility in capital markets and other events which affect our liquidity, the liquidity of our agents or clients, or the value of, or our ability to recover our investments or amounts payable to us; political conditions and related actions in the United States and abroad which may adversely affect our businesses and economic conditions as a whole; interruptions of United States government relations with countries in which we have or are implementing material agent contracts; our ability to resolve tax matters with the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities consistent with our reserves; mergers, acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses and technologies into our company, and the realization of anticipated financial benefits from these acquisitions; changes in, and failure to manage effectively exposure to, foreign exchange rates, including the impact of the regulation of foreign exchange spreads on money transfers and payment transactions; failure to maintain sufficient amounts or types of regulatory capital to meet the changing requirements of our regulators worldwide; our ability to maintain our agent network and business relationships under terms consistent with or more advantageous to us than those currently in place; failure to implement agent contracts according to schedule; deterioration in consumers’ and clients’ confidence in our business, or in money transfer providers generally; failure to manage credit and fraud risks presented by our agents, clients and consumers or non-performance by our banks, lenders, other financial services providers or insurers; any material breach of security of or interruptions in any of our systems; adverse rating actions by credit rating agencies; liabilities and unanticipated developments resulting from litigation and regulatory investigations and similar matters, including costs, expenses, settlements and judgments; failure to compete effectively in the money transfer industry with respect to global and niche or corridor money transfer providers, banks and other money transfer services providers, including telecommunications providers, card associations, card-based payment providers and electronic and internet providers; our ability to protect our brands and our other intellectual property rights; our failure to manage the potential both for patent protection and patent liability in the context of a rapidly developing legal framework for intellectual property protection; cessation of various services provided to us by third-party vendors; changes in industry standards affecting our business; changes in accounting standards, rules and interpretations; our ability to attract and retain qualified key employees and to manage our workforce successfully; significantly slower growth or declines in the money transfer market and other markets in which we

operate; adverse consequences from our spin-off from First Data Corporation (“First Data”); decisions to downsize, sell or close units, or to transition operating activities from one location to another or to third parties, particularly transitions from the United States to other countries; decisions to change our business mix; catastrophic events; and management’s ability to identify and manage these and other risks.

 

Overview

 

We are a leading provider of money transfer services, operating in two business segments:

 

 

Businesses not considered part of the segments described above are categorized as “Other” and represented 2% or less of consolidated revenue for all periods presented.

 

Significant Financial and Other Highlights

 

Significant financial and other highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2010 included:

 

 

Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities

 

On January 1, 2010, we adopted new accounting standards for the consolidation of variable interest entities. These new accounting standards amend the evaluation criteria to determine whether an enterprise has a

controlling financial interest in a variable interest entity. This determination identifies the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity as the enterprise that has both the power to direct the activities of a variable interest entity that most significantly impacts the entity’s economic performance and the ability to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the entity that could potentially be significant to the variable interest entity. The new guidance also requires an ongoing reassessment of the primary beneficiary. Adoption of these new requirements did not have an impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Results of Operations

 

The following discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results refers to the three months ended March 31, 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. The results of operations should be read in conjunction with the discussion of our segment results of operations, which provide more detailed discussions concerning certain components of the condensed consolidated statements of income. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

 

Overview

 

The following table sets forth our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009.

 

 

 

 

Revenues Overview

 

The majority of transaction fees and foreign exchange revenues were contributed by our consumer-to-consumer segment, which is discussed in greater detail in “Segment Discussion.” Consolidated revenues increased 3% over the prior year during the three months ended March 31, 2010. The revenue increase was attributable to our consumer-to-consumer transaction growth, the acquisition of Custom House, which contributed $25.6 million to revenue and is included in our global business payments segment, and the weakening of the United States dollar compared to most other foreign currencies, which positively impacted revenue growth by approximately 2%, as discussed below. Offsetting these factors were price decreases, primarily related to pricing reductions taken in the domestic business (transactions between and within the United States and Canada) and geographic mix and product mix, including a higher percentage of revenue earned from intra-country activity.

 

The Europe, Middle East, Africa and South Asia (“EMEASA”) region of our consumer-to-consumer segment represented 44% of our total consolidated revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2010. EMEASA revenue growth was primarily driven by transaction growth and the weakening of the United States dollar compared to most other foreign currencies, which positively impacted revenue.

 

The Americas region (including North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and South America) of our consumer-to-consumer segment represented 31% of our total consolidated revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2010. The region experienced revenue declines despite transaction growth primarily due to the pricing reductions taken in the fourth quarter of 2009.

 

The global business payments segment, which is discussed in greater detail in “Segment Discussion,” experienced revenue growth during the three months ended March 31, 2010 compared to the corresponding period in the prior year due to our acquisition of Custom House, which contributed $25.6 million of revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2010, which was offset by declines in our United States bill payments businesses.

 

Foreign exchange revenues increased for the three months ended March 31, 2010 over the corresponding previous period due to foreign exchange revenues contributed from our acquisition of Custom House. Excluding the impact of Custom House, foreign exchange revenues growth was primarily driven by revenue from our international consumer-to-consumer business outside of the United States.

 

Fluctuations in the exchange rate between the United States dollar and currencies other than the United States dollar have resulted in a benefit to transaction fees and foreign exchange revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2010 of $20.0 million over the same period in the prior year, net of foreign currency hedges, that would not have occurred had there been constant currency rates. The impact to earnings per share during the periods was less than the revenue impact due to the translation of expenses and our foreign currency hedging program. The largest impact was related to the EMEASA region.

 

Operating Expenses Overview

 

Cost of services

 

Cost of services primarily consists of agent commissions, which represent approximately 70% of total cost of services, and expenses for call centers, settlement operations and related information technology costs. Expenses within these functions include personnel, software, equipment, telecommunications, bank fees, depreciation, amortization and other expenses incurred in connection with providing money transfer and other payment services. Cost of services increased for the three months ended March 31, 2010 compared to the corresponding previous period primarily due to the weakening of the United States dollar compared to most other foreign currencies, which resulted in a negative impact on the translation of our expenses, and incremental costs associated with Custom House. Also contributing to the increase in cost of services were incremental operating costs, including investments in technology and costs associated with our money order business. Cost of services as a percentage of revenue was 58% and 56% for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The increase in cost of services as a percentage of revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2010 compared to the corresponding period in

2009 was primarily due to incremental operating costs, including investments in technology, costs associated with our money order business and currency impacts, including the effect of foreign currency hedges.

 

Selling, general and administrative

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) increased for the three months ended March 31, 2010 compared to the same period in the prior year due to incremental costs associated with Custom House and FEXCO and higher employee compensation expenses, offset by the timing of marketing initiatives.

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, marketing related expenditures, principally classified within SG&A, were approximately 4% of revenue for both periods. Marketing related expenditures include advertising, events, loyalty programs and the cost of employees dedicated to marketing activities. When making decisions with respect to marketing investments, we review opportunities for advertising and other marketing related expenditures together with opportunities for fee adjustments, as discussed in “Segment Discussion,” for consumer-to-consumer revenues and other initiatives in order to best maximize the return on these investments.

 

Total other expense, net

 

Total other expense, net increased during the three months ended March 31, 2010 compared to the corresponding period in 2009 primarily due to financing costs incurred in connection with our note exchange and a decrease in interest income due to repayment of a note receivable due from an agent.

 

Income taxes

 

Our effective tax rates on pre-tax income were 24.7% and 26.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. We continue to benefit from an increasing proportion of profits being foreign-derived and therefore taxed at lower rates than our combined federal and state tax rates in the United States. Recent proposed changes to United States tax laws, if enacted, could potentially adversely affect our future effective tax rate. We are closely monitoring the proposed changes, and the potential effect on our future effective tax rate will depend on the final form of any new law.

 

We have established contingency reserves for material, known tax exposures, including potential tax audit adjustments with respect to our international operations restructured in 2003, whereby our income from certain foreign-to-foreign money transfer transactions has been taxed at relatively low foreign tax rates compared to our combined federal and state tax rates in the United States. As of March 31, 2010, the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits of $551.3 million, including accrued interest and penalties. Our reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes during the period in facts and circumstances (i.e. new information) surrounding a tax issue and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period. Such resolution could materially increase or decrease income tax expense in our consolidated financial statements in future periods and could impact our operating cash flows.

 

The United States Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) completed its examination of the United States federal consolidated income tax returns of First Data for 2003 and 2004, of which we are a part, and issued a Notice of Deficiency in December 2008. The Notice of Deficiency alleges significant additional taxes, interest and penalties owed with respect to a variety of adjustments involving us and our subsidiaries, and we generally have responsibility for taxes associated with these potential Western Union-related adjustments under the tax allocation agreement with First Data executed at the time of the spin-off. We agree with a number of the adjustments in the Notice of Deficiency; however, we do not agree with the Notice of Deficiency regarding several substantial adjustments representing total alleged additional tax and penalties due of approximately $114 million. As of March 31, 2010, interest on the alleged amounts due for unagreed

adjustments would be approximately $31 million. A substantial part of the alleged amounts due for these unagreed adjustments relates to our international restructuring, which took effect in the fourth quarter 2003, and, accordingly, the alleged amounts due related to such restructuring largely are attributable to 2004. On March 20, 2009, we filed a petition in the United States Tax Court contesting those adjustments with which we do not agree. We believe our overall reserves are adequate, including those associated with adjustments alleged in the Notice of Deficiency. If the IRS’ position in the Notice of Deficiency is sustained, our tax provision related to 2003 and later years would materially increase, which could materially impact our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

 

In 2010, we made a $250 million refundable tax deposit relating to potential United States federal tax liabilities, including those arising from our 2003 international restructuring, which have been previously accrued in our financial statements. Making the deposit limits the further accrual of interest charges with respect to such potential tax liabilities, to the extent of the deposit.

 

Earnings per share

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, basic earnings per share were $0.30 and $0.32, respectively, and diluted earnings per share were $0.30 and $0.32, respectively. Unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested. For the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, there were 35.6 million and 43.1 million, respectively, of outstanding options to purchase shares of Western Union stock excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation under the treasury stock method as their effect was anti-dilutive.

 

Earnings per share decreased for the three months ended March 31, 2010 compared to the same period in the prior year as a result of the previously described factors impacting net income, offset by lower weighted-average shares outstanding. The lower number of shares outstanding was driven by stock repurchases exceeding stock option exercises from January 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010.

 

Segment Discussion

 

We manage our business around the consumers and businesses we serve and the types of services we offer. Each of our two segments addresses a different combination of consumer groups, distribution networks and services offered. Our segments are consumer-to-consumer and global business payments. Businesses not considered part of these segments are categorized as “Other.”

 

The following table sets forth the components of segment revenues as a percentage of the consolidated totals for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009.

 

 

 

 

Consumer-to-Consumer Segment

 

The following table sets forth our consumer-to-consumer segment results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009.