Item 1A. Risk Factors
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This annual report on Form 10-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The use of words such as “anticipates”, “estimates”, “expects”, “plans”, “intends”, “will continue”, “may”, “could” and “believes”, among similar expressions, generally identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements relating to: our future business, financial condition, results of operations and financial performance, our business strategy, trends in the home services industry and other similar matters. These forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and assumptions of our management about future events as of the date of this annual report, which are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict.
Actual results could differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the risk factors set forth below. Other unknown or unpredictable factors that could also adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations may arise from time to time. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking statements discussed in this annual report may not prove to be accurate. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which only reflect the views of our management as of the date of this annual report. We do not undertake to update these forward-looking statements.
Risk Factors
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
Our brands and businesses operate in an especially competitive and evolving industry.
The home services industry is competitive, with a consistent and growing stream of new products, services and entrants. Some of our competitors may enjoy better competitive positions in certain geographical areas, with certain consumer and service professional demographics and/or in other key areas that we currently serve or may serve in the future. Generally, we compete with search engines, online marketplaces and social media platforms that have the ability to market their products and services online in a more prominent and cost-effective manner than we can, as well as better tailor their products and services to individual users. Any of these advantages could enable these competitors to offer products and services that are more appealing to consumers and service professionals than our products and services, respond more quickly and/or cost effectively than we do to evolving market opportunities and trends and/or display their own integrated or related home services products and services
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in search results and elsewhere in a more prominent manner than our products and services, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, since most home services products and services are offered to consumers for free, consumers can easily switch among home services offerings (or use multiple home services offerings simultaneously) at no cost to them. And while service professionals may incur additional or duplicative near-term costs, the costs for switching to a competing platform over the long term are generally not prohibitive. Low switching costs, coupled with the propensity of consumers to try new products and services generally, will most likely result in the continued emergence of new products and services, entrants and business models in the home services industry. Our inability to continue to innovate and compete effectively against new products, services and competitors could result in decreases in the size and level of engagement of our consumer and service professional bases, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our success will depend, in substantial part, on the continued migration of the home services market online.
We believe that the digital penetration of the home services market remains low, with the vast majority of consumers continuing to search for, select and hire service professionals offline. While many consumers have historically been (and remain) averse to finding service professionals online, others have demonstrated a greater willingness to embrace the online shift. Service professionals must also continue to embrace the online shift, which will depend, in substantial part, on whether online products and services help them to better connect and engage with consumers relative to traditional offline efforts. The speed and ultimate outcome of the shift of the home services market online for consumers and service professionals is uncertain and may not occur as quickly as we expect, or at all. The failure or delay of a meaningful number of consumers and/or service professionals to migrate online and/or the return of a meaningful number of existing participants in the online home services market to offline solutions, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our brands and businesses are sensitive to general economic events or trends, particularly those that adversely impact consumer confidence and spending behavior.
We have historically been, and will continue to be, particularly sensitive to events and trends that result in consumers delaying or foregoing home services projects and/or service professionals being less likely to pay for consumer matches and Marketplace subscriptions. Any such event or trend (for example, a general economic downturn or sudden disruption in business conditions, consumer confidence, spending levels and access to credit) could result in decreases in Marketplace service requests, pre-priced bookings and directory searches. Any such decreases could result in turnover at the Marketplace and/or any of our directories, adversely impact the number and quality of service professionals at the Marketplace and our directories and/or adversely impact the reach of (and breath of services offered through) the Marketplace and our directories, any or all of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Lastly, we have historically been, and will continue to be, sensitive to events and trends that could result in decreased marketing and advertising expenditures by service professionals. Adverse economic conditions and trends could result in service professionals decreasing and/or delaying fees paid for consumer matches, pre-priced bookings, membership subscriptions and/or time-based advertising spend, any or all of which would result in decreased revenue and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The expansion of our pre-priced booking services, while balancing the overall mix of our service request and directory services in our Marketplace, is critical to our business, financial condition and results of operations.
For our pre-priced booking services offering, we contract with a service professional to perform a specific task for a consumer at a contracted price. Compared to our Marketplace service requests, which match a service professional to a consumer opportunity, our pre-priced booking services contractually connect a service professional to a consumer’s task. Pre-priced booking services potentially offer higher margin opportunities, but also involve greater financial risk because we bear the impact of cost overruns, which could result in increased costs and expenses. An increase in the percentage of pre-priced booking services may also reduce service professional’s level of participation in our Marketplace service request and directory offering(s). As we expand our pre-priced booking services, we expect our mix of pre-priced booking services will be increasing over time.
An increase in the percentage of pre-priced booking services in our mix of offerings could increase the risk that we suffer losses if we underestimate the level of effort or costs required to perform the consumer’s task. Our profits could be adversely affected if our costs exceed the assumptions we used in offering the contracted task. For example, we may miscalculate the costs, materials, or time needed to complete a task or we might be provided with inaccurate information by the consumer, which could result in us charging consumers too little for contracted tasks, which in turn would result in us having to absorb the actual, higher cost for contracted tasks or risk not being able to find service professionals to perform contracted tasks at the contracted rate. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected if our actual costs exceed the assumptions we used in offering the contracted task in our pre-priced booking service.
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The global outbreak of COVID-19 and other similar outbreaks could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The coronavirus outbreak (“COVID-19”) has caused a widespread global health crisis, resulting in significant social disruption and has had (and is likely to continue to have) an adverse effect on economic conditions generally, as well as on consumer confidence and spending, all of which could have an adverse effect on our businesses, financial condition and results of operations. When COVID-19 first impacted North America and Europe in the early spring of 2020, we experienced a decline in demand for service requests, driven primarily by decreases in demand in certain categories of jobs (particularly discretionary indoor projects). Toward the end of the spring of 2020, we experienced a rebound in service requests, exceeding pre-COVID-19 growth levels, driven by increased demand from consumers who spent more time at home due to measures taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, throughout 2020 many service professionals’ businesses have been adversely impacted by labor and material constraints and many service professionals have limited capacity to take on new business, which has negatively impacted our ability to monetize this increased level of service requests. Also, North America, which represents 95% of our revenue for twelve months ended December 31, 2020, experienced a significant resurgence of the COVID-19 virus with record levels of infections being reported during the fourth quarter of 2020 and continuing into the first quarter of 2021. Europe, which is the second largest market for the Company’s products and services, has also seen a dramatic resurgence in COVID-19. This resurgence and the measures designed to curb its spread could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and government-imposed measures to control its spread, our ability to conduct ordinary course business activities has been (and may continue to be) impaired for an indefinite period of time. For example, we have taken several precautions that could adversely impact employee productivity, such as requiring employees to work remotely for the first time in the Company’s history, as well as imposing travel restrictions and temporarily closing office locations. While we have found that our employees (including call center and sales employees) have transitioned to working remotely with limited disruption to date, no assurances can be provided that their productivity and efficiency will remain at pre-pandemic levels, particularly if they are required to continue working remotely for an extended period of time. Also, working remotely may involve increased operational risks, such as increased risks of “phishing,” other cybersecurity attacks or the unauthorized dissemination of personally identifiable information or proprietary and confidential information. Lastly, moving employees back to the office may introduce distraction that could have a temporary negative impact on the Company’s productivity, and in turn, revenue. We may also experience increased operating costs as we gradually resume normal operations and enhance preventative measures, including with respect to real estate, compliance and insurance-related expenses. Moreover, we may also experience business disruption if the ordinary course operations of our contractors, vendors or business partners are adversely affected. Any of these measures or impairments could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The COVID-19 outbreak may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risks Related to Our Business and Industry” section.
We must establish and maintain relationships with quality service professionals.
We must continue to attract, retain and grow the number of skilled and reliable service professionals who can provide services that consumers want in a timely manner across our various brands and businesses. If we do not offer innovative products and services that resonate with consumers and service professionals generally, as well provide service professionals with an attractive return on their marketing and advertising investments (quality matches and leads that convert into jobs), the number of service professionals affiliated with our various brands and businesses could decrease. Any such decrease would result in smaller and less diverse networks and directories of service professionals, and in turn, decreases in number of pre-priced bookings, service requests and directory searches, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The trustworthiness of our Marketplaces and the connections within our Marketplace are important to our success. Our success will depend, in substantial part, on our ability to maintain and/or enhance our various brands.
We own and operate two of the leading home services brands in the United States (Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor), as well as leading brands in several foreign jurisdictions. We believe that our success depends, in substantial part, on our continued ability to maintain and enhance our established brands, as well as build awareness of (and loyalty to) new and emerging brands. Events that could negatively impact our brands and brand-building efforts include (among others): product and service quality concerns, service professional quality concerns, consumer and service professional complaints and lawsuits, lack of awareness of our policies or confusion about how the policies are applied, a failure to respond to feedback from our service professionals and consumers, ineffective advertising, inappropriate and/or unlawful acts perpetrated by service professionals and consumers, actions or proceedings commenced by governmental or regulatory authorities, data protection and security breaches and related bad publicity. Any factors that negatively impact the Angie’s List and/or HomeAdvisor brand(s) could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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In addition, trust in the integrity and objective, unbiased nature of the ratings and reviews found across our various brands contributes significantly to public perception of these brands and their ability to attract consumers and service professionals. If consumer reviews are perceived as not authentic in general, the reputation and strength of the relevant brand could be materially and adversely affected. While we use, and will continue to use, filters (among other processes) to detect fraudulent reviews, the accuracy of consumer reviews cannot be guaranteed. If fraudulent or inaccurate reviews (positive or negative) increase and we are unable to effectively identify and remove such reviews, the overall quality of the ratings and reviews across our various brands could decrease and the reputation of affected brands might be harmed. This could deter consumers and service professionals from using our products and services, which in turn could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to establish and maintain relationships with quality and trustworthy service professionals.
We must continue to attract, retain and grow the number of skilled and reliable service professionals who can provide services across our platforms. If we do not offer innovative products and services that resonate with consumers and service professionals generally, as well provide service professionals with an attractive return on their marketing and advertising investments, the number of service professionals affiliated with our platforms, would decrease. Any such decrease would result in smaller and less diverse networks and directories of service professionals, and in turn, decreases in service requests, pre-priced bookings and directory searches, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition to skill and reliability, consumers want to work with service professionals whom they can trust to work in their homes and with whom they can feel safe. While we maintain screening processes (which generally include certain, limited background checks) to try and prevent unsuitable service professionals from joining our platforms, these processes have limitations and, even with these safety measures, no assurances can be provided regarding the future behavior of any service provider on our platforms. Inappropriate and/or unlawful behavior of service professionals generally, (particularly any such behavior that compromises the trustworthiness of service providers and/or of the safety of consumers) could result in decreases in service requests, bad publicity and related damage to our reputation, brands and brand-building efforts and/or actions by governmental and regulatory authorities, criminal proceedings and/or litigation. The occurrence or any of these events could, in turn, adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Marketing efforts designed to drive traffic to our brands and businesses may not be successful or cost-effective.
Attracting consumers and service professionals to our brands and businesses involves considerable expenditures for online and offline marketing. We have made, and expect to continue to make, significant marketing expenditures, primarily for digital marketing (primarily paid search engine marketing, display advertising and third-party affiliate agreements) and traditional offline marketing (national television and radio campaigns). These efforts may not be successful or cost-effective. Historically, we have had to increase marketing expenditures over time to attract and retain users and service professionals and sustain our growth.
Our ability to market our brands on any given property or channel is subject to the policies of the relevant third-party seller, publisher of advertising (including search engines and social media platforms with extraordinarily high levels of traffic and numbers of users) or marketing affiliate. As a result, we cannot assure you that these parties will not limit or prohibit us from purchasing certain types of advertising (including the purchase by ANGI Homeservices of advertising with preferential placement), advertising certain of our products and services and/or using one or more current or prospective marketing channels in the future. If a significant marketing channel took such an action generally, for a significant period of time and/or on a recurring basis, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. In addition, if we fail to comply with the policies of third-party sellers, publishers of advertising and/or marketing affiliates, our advertisements could be removed without notice and/or our accounts could be suspended or terminated, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, our failure to respond to rapid and frequent changes in the pricing and operating dynamics of search engines, as well as changing policies and guidelines applicable to keyword advertising (which may unilaterally be updated by search engines without advance notice), could adversely affect our paid search engine marketing efforts (and free search engine traffic). Such changes could adversely affect paid listings (both their placement and pricing), as well as the ranking of our brands and businesses within search results, any or all of which could increase our marketing expenditures (particularly if free traffic is replaced with paid traffic). Any or all of these events could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Evolving consumer behavior (specifically, increased consumption of media through digital means) can also affect the availability of profitable marketing opportunities. To continue to reach and engage consumers and service professionals and grow in this environment, we will need to continue to identify and devote more of our overall marketing expenditures to newer
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digital advertising channels (such as online video and other digital platforms), as well as target consumers and service professionals via these channels. Since newer advertising channels are undeveloped and unproven relative to traditional channels (such as television), it could be difficult to assess returns on marketing investments in newer channels, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Lastly, we also enter into various arrangements with third parties to drive visitors to our HomeAdvisor platforms. These arrangements are generally more cost-effective than traditional marketing efforts. If we are unable to renew existing (and enter into new) arrangements of this nature, sales and marketing costs as a percentage of revenue would increase over the long-term, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the quality and convertibility of traffic and leads generated through third-party arrangements are dependent on many factors, most of which are outside our control. If the quality and/or convertibility of traffic and leads do not meet the expectations of our users and/or HomeAdvisor service professionals, they could leave the Marketplace and/or decrease their budgets for consumer matches or participation in pre-priced booking services, any or all of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on Internet search engines to drive traffic to our various properties. Certain operators of search services offer products and services that compete directly with our products and services. If links to websites offering our products and services are not displayed prominently in search results, traffic to our properties could decline and our business could be adversely affected.
In addition to paid marketing, we rely heavily on Internet search engines, such as Google, to drive traffic to our properties through their unpaid search results. Although search results have allowed us to attract a large audience with low organic traffic acquisition costs in the past, if they fail to continue to drive sufficient traffic to our properties, we may need to increase our marketing spend to acquire additional traffic. We cannot assure you that the value we ultimately derive from any such additional traffic would exceed the cost of acquisition, and any increase in marketing expense may in turn harm our operating results.
The amount of traffic we attract from search engines is due in large part to how and where information from (and links to websites offering our products and services) are displayed on search engine results pages. The display, including rankings, of unpaid search results can be affected by a number of factors, many of which are not in our direct control, and may change frequently. Search engines have made changes in the past to their ranking algorithms, methodologies and design layouts that have reduced the prominence of links to websites offering our products and services, and negatively impacted traffic to such websites, and we expect that search engines will continue to make such changes from time to time in the future.
However, we may not know how (or otherwise be in a position) to influence actions of this nature taken by search engines. With respect to search results in particular, even when search engines announce the details of their methodologies, their parameters may change from time to time, be poorly defined or be inconsistently interpreted.
In addition, in some instances, search engines may change their displays or rankings in order to promote their own competing products or services, or the products or services of one or more of our competitors. Any such action could negatively impact the search rankings of links to websites offering our products and services, or the prominence with which such links appear in search results. Our success depends on the ability of our products and services to maintain a prominent position in search results, and in the event operators of search engines promote their own competing products in the future in a manner that has the effect of reducing the prominence or ranking of our products and services, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our ability to communicate with consumers and service professionals via e-mail (or other sufficient means) is critical to our success.
Historically, one of our primary means of communicating with consumers and service professionals and keeping them engaged with our products and services has been via e-mail communication. Through e-mail, we provide consumers and service professionals with service request and pre-priced booking service updates, as well as present or suggest new products and services (among other things) and market our products and services in a cost-effective manner. As consumers increasingly communicate via mobile and other digital devices and messaging and social media apps, usage of e-mail (particularly among younger consumers) has declined and we expect this trend to continue. In addition, deliverability and other restrictions could limit or prevent our ability to send e-mails to consumers and service professionals. A continued and significant erosion in our ability to communicate with consumers and service professionals via e-mail could adversely impact the overall user experience, consumer and service professional engagement levels and conversion rates, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We cannot assure you that any alternative means of communication (for example, push notifications and text messaging) will be as effective as e-mail has been historically.
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Our success depends, in part, on our ability to access, collect and use personal data about consumers.
We depend on search engines, digital app stores and social media platforms, in particular, those operated by Google, Apple and Facebook, to market, distribute and monetize our products and services. Consumers engage with these platforms directly, and as a result, these platforms may receive personal data about consumers that we would otherwise receive if we transacted with them directly. Certain of these platforms have restricted our access to personal data about users of our products and services obtained through their platforms. If these platforms limit or increasingly limit, eliminate or otherwise interfere with our ability to access, collect and use personal data about users of our products and services that they have collected, our ability to identify and communicate with a meaningful portion of our user base may be adversely impacted. If so, our customer relationship management efforts, our ability to identify, target and reach new segments of our user base and the population generally and the efficiency of our paid marketing efforts could be adversely affected. We cannot assure you that search engines, digital app stores and social media platforms upon which we rely will not limit or increasingly limit, eliminate or otherwise interfere with our ability to access, collect and use personal data about users of our products and services that they have collected. To the extent that any or all of them do so, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to continue to develop and monetize versions of our products and services for mobile and other digital devices.
As consumers increasingly access our products and services through mobile and other digital devices (including through digital voice assistants), we will need to continue to devote significant time and resources to ensure that our products and services are accessible across these platforms (and multiple platforms generally). If we do not keep pace with evolving online, market and industry trends (including the introduction of new and enhanced digital devices and changes in the preferences and needs of consumers and service professionals generally), offer new and/or enhanced products and services in response to such trends that resonate with consumers and service professionals, monetize products and services for mobile and other digital devices as effectively as our traditional products and services and/or maintain related systems, technology and infrastructure in an efficient and cost-effective manner, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
In addition, the success of our mobile and other digital products and services depends on their interoperability with various third-party operating systems, technology, infrastructure and standards, over which we have no control. Any changes to any of these things that compromise the quality or functionality of our mobile and other digital products and services could adversely affect their usage levels and/or our ability to attract consumers and service professionals, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
There may be adverse tax, legal and other consequences if the contractor classification or employment status of the service professionals who use our platform is challenged.
We are particularly sensitive to the adoption of worker classification laws, specifically, laws that could effectively require us to change our classification of certain of our service professionals from independent contractors to employees, as well as changes to state and local laws or judicial decisions related to the definition and/or classification of independent contractors. For example, California recently passed a worker classification statute (AB 5), which effectively narrowed the definition of an independent contractor by requiring hiring entities to use a stricter test to determine a given worker’s classification. In addition, AB 5 places the burden of proof for classifying workers as independent contractors on the hiring entity and provides enforcement powers to the state and certain cities. In addition, AB 5 has been the subject of widespread national discussion and it is possible that other jurisdictions, including New York and New Jersey, may enact similar laws. Since we currently treat service professionals who provide services through our business as independent contractors for all purposes, we do not withhold federal, state and local income or other employment related taxes, make federal or state unemployment tax or Federal Insurance Contributions Act payments or provide workers’ compensation insurance with respect to these individuals. If we are required as the result of new laws to reclassify these individuals as employees, we could be exposed to various liabilities and additional costs, including exposure (for prior and future periods) under federal, state and local tax laws, and workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, labor, and employment laws, as well as potential liability for penalties and interest, any or all of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We are involved in various legal proceedings and investigations challenging the classification of these individuals as independent contractors, and may become involved in other proceedings and investigations in the future.
We may not be able to protect our systems, technology and infrastructure from cyberattacks and cyberattacks experienced by third parties may adversely affect us.
We are regularly under attack by perpetrators of malicious technology-related events, such as the use of botnets, malware or other destructive or disruptive software, distributed denial of service attacks, phishing, attempts to misappropriate user information and account login credentials and other similar malicious activities. The incidence of events of this nature (or any combination thereof) is on the rise worldwide. We continuously develop and maintain systems designed to detect and prevent events of this nature from impacting our systems, technology, infrastructure, products, services and users. We have invested
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(and continue to invest) heavily in these efforts and related personnel and training and deploy data minimization strategies (where appropriate), these efforts are costly and require ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to overcome preventative security measures become more sophisticated. Despite these efforts, some of our systems have experienced past security incidents, none of which had a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, and we could experience significant events of this nature in the future.
Any event of this nature that we experience could damage our systems, technology and infrastructure and/or those of our users, prevent us from providing our products and services, compromise the integrity of our products and services, damage our reputation, erode our brands and/or be costly to remedy, as well as subject us to investigations by regulatory authorities, fines and/or litigation that could result in liability to third parties. Even if we do not experience such events firsthand, the impact of any such events experienced by third parties could have a similar effect. For example, although we did not experience any material impacts from the SolarWinds Orion cybersecurity breach that was widely publicized in December 2020, we cannot assure you that we will not experience future events involving third party service providers that may be material. We may not have adequate insurance coverage to compensate for losses resulting from any of these events. If we (or any third-party with whom we do business or otherwise rely upon) experience(s) an event of this nature, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
If personal, confidential or sensitive user information that we maintain and store is breached or otherwise accessed by unauthorized persons, it may be costly to mitigate and our reputation could be harmed.
We receive, process, store and transmit a significant amount of personal, confidential or sensitive user information and, in certain cases, enable users to share their personal information with each other. While we continuously develop and maintain systems designed to protect the security, integrity and confidentiality of this information, we cannot guarantee that inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure will not occur or that third parties will not gain unauthorized access to this information. When such events occur, we may not be able to remedy them, we may be required by law to notify regulators and impacted individuals and it may be costly to mitigate the impact of such events and to develop and implement protections to prevent future events of this nature from occurring. When breaches of security (ours or that of any third-party we engage to store information) occur, we could face governmental enforcement actions, significant fines, litigation (including consumer class actions) and the reputation of our brands and business could be harmed, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if any of the search engines, digital app store or social media platform through which we market, distribute and monetize our products and services were to experience a breach, third parties could gain unauthorized access to personal data about our users and subscribers, which could indirectly harm the reputation of our brands and businesses and in turn, adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. See also “The processing, storage, use and disclosure of personal data could give rise to liabilities and increased costs.”
The processing, storage, use and disclosure of personal data could give rise to liabilities and increased costs.
We receive, transmit and store a large volume of personal information in connection with the provision of our products and services. The manner in which we share, store, use, disclose and protect this information is determined by the respective privacy and data security policies of our various businesses, as well as federal, state and foreign laws and regulations and evolving industry standards and practices, which are changing, and in some cases, inconsistent and conflicting and subject to differing interpretations. In addition, new laws, regulations, standards and practices of this nature are proposed and adopted from time to time.
For example, a comprehensive European Union privacy and data protection reform, the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”), became effective in May 2018. The GDPR, which applies to companies that are organized in the European Union or otherwise provide services to (or monitor) consumers who reside in the European Union, imposes significant penalties (monetary and otherwise) for non-compliance, as well as provides a private right of action for individual claimants. The GDPR will continue to be interpreted by European Union Data protection regulators, which may require that we make changes to our business practices and could generate additional risks and liabilities. The European Union is also considering an update to its Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive to impose stricter rules regarding the use of cookies.
Also, the exit from the European Union by the United Kingdom could result in the application of new and conflicting data privacy and protection laws and standards to our operations in the United Kingdom and our handling of personal data of users located in the United Kingdom. At the same time, many jurisdictions abroad in which we do business have already or are currently considering adopting privacy and data protection laws and regulations.
Moreover, multiple legislative proposals concerning privacy and the protection of user information are being considered by the U.S. Congress and various state legislatures (including those in Illinois, New York, Virginia and Washington). Other U.S. state legislatures have already enacted privacy legislation, one of the strictest and most comprehensive of which is the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, which became effective January 1, 2020 (the “CCPA”). The CCPA provides new data privacy rights for California consumers, including the right to know what personal information is being collected about them and how it is being used, as well as significant rights over the use of their personal information (including the right to have
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such information deleted and the right to object to the sale of such information) and new operational requirements for businesses (primarily providing consumers with enhanced privacy-related disclosures). The CCPA restricts the ability of our businesses to use personal California user and subscriber information in connection with our various products, services and operations, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The CCPA also provides consumers with a private right of action for security breaches, as well as provides for statutory damages of up to $750 per violation, with the California Attorney General maintaining authority to enforce the CCPA and seek civil penalties for intentional violations of the CCPA of up to $7,500 per violation. In addition, California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) was passed in November 2020 and will take effect on January 1, 2023, which could further restrict the ability of our businesses to use personal California user and subscriber information in connection with our various products, services and operations and/or impose additional operational requirements on our businesses, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Lastly, the Federal Trade Commission has also increased its focus on privacy and data security practices, as evidenced by the first-of-its-kind, $5 billion dollar fine against a social media platform for privacy violations.
While we believe that we comply with applicable privacy and data protection policies, laws and regulations and industry standards and practices in all material respects, we could still be subject to claims of non-compliance that we may not be able to successfully defend and/or significant fines and penalties. Moreover, any non-compliance or perceived non-compliance by us (or any third-party we engage to store or process information) or any compromise of security that results in unauthorized access to (or use or transmission of) personal information could result in a variety of claims against us, including governmental enforcement actions, significant fines, litigation (including consumer class actions), claims of breach of contract and indemnity by third parties and adverse publicity. When such events occur, our reputation could be harmed and the competitive positions of our various brands and businesses could be diminished, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, to the extent multiple U.S. state-level (or European Union member-state level) laws are introduced with inconsistent or conflicting standards and there is no federal or European Union regulation to preempt such laws, compliance could be even more difficult to achieve and our potential exposure to the risks discussed above could increase.
Lastly, ongoing compliance with existing (and compliance with future) privacy and data protection laws worldwide could be costly. The devotion of significant costs to compliance (versus the development of products and services) could result in delays in the development of new products and services, us ceasing to provide problematic products and services in existing jurisdictions and us being prevented from introducing products and services in new and existing jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Credit card data security breaches or fraud could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We accept payments (including recurring payments) from service professionals and consumers, primarily through credit and debit card transactions. The ability to access payment information on a real-time basis without having to proactively reach out to service professionals and consumers to process payments is critical to our success.
When third parties (including credit card processing companies, as well as any business that offers products and services online or offline) experience a data security breach involving credit card information, affected cardholders will often cancel their credit cards. The more sizable a given affected third-party’s customer base, the greater the number of accounts impacted and the more likely it will be that our service professionals and consumers would be impacted by such a breach. If such a breach were to impact our service professionals and consumers were affected, we would need to contact affected service professionals and consumers to obtain new payment information. It is likely that we would not be able to reach all affected service professionals and consumers, and even if we could, new payment information for some may not be obtained and pending payments may not be processed, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Even if our service professionals and consumers are not directly impacted by a given data security breach, they may lose confidence in the ability of providers of online products and services to protect their personal information generally. As a result, they may stop using their credit cards online and choose alternative payment methods that are not as convenient for us or restrict our ability to process payments without significant effort, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our success depends, in part, on the integrity, quality, efficiency and scalability of our systems, technology and infrastructure, and those of third parties.
We rely on our systems, technology and infrastructure to perform well on a consistent basis. From time to time in the past we have experienced (and in the future we may experience) occasional interruptions that make some or all of this framework and related information unavailable or that prevent us from providing products and services; any such interruption could arise for any number of reasons. We also rely on third-party data center service providers and cloud-based, hosted web service providers, as well as third-party computer systems and a variety of communications systems and service providers in
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connection with the provision of our products and services generally, as well as to facilitate and process certain payment and other transactions with users. We have no control over any of these third parties or their operations.
The framework described above could be damaged or interrupted at any time due to fire, power loss, telecommunications failure, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism, acts of God and other similar events or disruptions. Any event of this nature could prevent us from providing our products and services at all (or result in the provision of our products and services on a delayed or intermittent basis) and/or result in the loss of critical data. While we and the third parties upon whom we rely have certain backup systems in place for certain aspects of our respective frameworks, none of our frameworks are fully redundant and disaster recovery planning is not sufficient for all eventualities. In addition, we may not have adequate insurance coverage to compensate us for losses from a major interruption. When such damages, interruptions or outages occur, our reputation could be harmed and the competitive positions of our various brands and businesses could be diminished, any or all of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We also continually work to expand and enhance the efficiency and scalability of our framework to improve the consumer and service professional experience, accommodate substantial increases in the number of visitors to our various platforms, ensure acceptable load times for our various products and services and keep up with changes in technology and user preferences. If we do not do so in a timely and cost-effective manner, the user experience and demand across our brands and businesses could be adversely affected, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may experience risks related to acquisitions.
We have made numerous acquisitions in the past and we continue to seek to identify potential acquisition candidates to expand our business generally in the future. If we do not identify suitable acquisition candidates or complete acquisitions on satisfactory pricing or other terms, our growth could be adversely affected. Even if we complete what we believe to be suitable acquisitions, we may experience related operational and financial risks. As a result, to the extent that we continue to grow through acquisitions, we will need to:
•properly value prospective acquisitions, especially those with limited operating histories;
•successfully integrate the operations, as well as the various functions and systems, of acquired businesses with our existing operations, functions and systems;
•successfully identify and realize potential synergies among acquired and existing business;
•retain or hire senior management and other key personnel at acquired businesses; and
•successfully manage acquisition-related strain on our management, operations and financial resources.
We may not be successful in addressing these challenges or any other problems encountered in connection with historical and future acquisitions. In addition, the anticipated benefits of one or more acquisitions may not be realized. Also, future acquisitions could result in increased operating losses, dilutive issuances of equity securities and/or the assumption of contingent liabilities. Lastly, the value of goodwill and other intangible assets acquired could be impacted by one or more continuing unfavorable events and/or trends, which could result in significant impairment charges. The occurrence of any these events could have an adverse effects on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We face additional risks in connection with our international operations.
We currently operate businesses under various regional brands in Canada, France, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy and intend to seek to expand our international presence, both through acquisitions and organic growth.
Operating abroad, particularly in jurisdictions where we have limited experience, exposes us to additional risks, including:
•operational and compliance challenges caused by distance, language barriers and cultural differences;
•difficulties in staffing and managing international operations;
•differing levels (or lack) of social and technological acceptance of online services generally, as well as online home services offerings specifically;
•slow or lagging growth in the commercial use and acceptance of the Internet;
•foreign currency fluctuations;
•restrictions on the transfer of funds among countries and back to the United States and related repatriation costs;
•differing and potentially adverse tax laws;
•compliance challenges;
•competitive environments that favor local businesses;
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•limitations on the level of intellectual property protection; and
•trade sanctions, political unrest, terrorism, war and epidemics or the threat of any of these events.
The occurrence of any or all of the events described above could adversely affect our international operations, and in turn, our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may fail to adequately protect our intellectual property rights or may be accused of infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties.
We rely heavily upon trademarks, trade dress and related domain names and logos to market our brands and businesses and to build and maintain brand loyalty and recognition, as well as upon trade secrets and patents.
We rely on a combination of laws and contractual restrictions on access to and use of proprietary information with employees, customers, suppliers, affiliates and others to establish and protect our and their various intellectual property rights. For examples, we have generally registered and continue to apply to register and renew, or secure by contract where appropriate, trademarks and service marks as they are developed and used, and reserve, register and renew domain names as we deem appropriate. We also generally seek to apply for patents or for similar statutory protections as and if we deem appropriate, based on then current facts and circumstances, and will continue to do so in the future. No assurances can be given that these efforts will result in adequate trademark and service mark protection, adequate domain name rights and protections, the issuance of a patent or adequate patent protection against competitors and similar technologies. Third parties could also create new products or methods that achieve similar results without infringing upon patents we own.
Despite these measures, challenges to our intellectual property rights could still arise, third parties could copy or otherwise obtain and use the intellectual property without authorization and/or laws regarding the enforceability of existing intellectual property rights could change in an adverse manner. The occurrence of any of these events could result in the erosion of our various brands and limitations on our ability to control marketing online using our various domain names, as well as impede our ability to effectively compete against competitors with similar technologies, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We depend on our key personnel.
Our future success depends upon our ability to identify, hire, develop, motivate and retain highly skilled, diverse individuals, particularly in the case of senior and executive management. Competition for well-qualified employees across our various businesses is intense and we must attract new (and retain existing) employees to compete effectively. While we have established programs, we may not be able to continue to attract new (and retain existing) key and other employees in the future, especially in the technical fields of engineering and product. In addition, if we do not ensure the effective transfer of knowledge and smooth transitions (particularly in the case of senior and executive management) across our various businesses, our business, financial condition and results of operations, could be adversely affected.
Launch of consumer financing payment operation could be interrupted as a result of conditions outside of our control.
Our ability to launch a new consumer financing option for our consumers could be negatively affected by conditions outside our control. If capital market conditions have a material negative change, there is a risk that our business partner that administers the consumer financing program may not be able to fulfill its obligations under that agreement. In addition, the tightening of credit markets may restrict the ability and willingness of consumers to make book services in our Marketplace.
Failure to obtain and maintain required licenses or to comply with applicable regulations could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be required under certain state and local government regulations to obtain and maintain licenses to perform pre-priced booking services in our Marketplace. Typically, licenses must be renewed annually and may be revoked or suspended for cause at any time. In some jurisdictions, the loss of a license for cause may lead to the loss of licenses in other jurisdictions and could make it more difficult to obtain additional licenses. Although we do not anticipate any material difficulties occurring in the future, the failure to receive or retain a license, or any other required permit, in a particular location, or to continue to qualify for, or renew licenses, could negatively impact our business. We may also spend significant amounts of money and effort to obtain licenses and continued compliance with applicable regulations. If we fail to comply with such licensing and permit regulations, we may be subject to various sanctions and/or penalties and fines or may be required to cease operations in such location until we achieve compliance, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Risks Related to Our Relationship with IAC
IAC controls our company and will have the ability to control the direction of our business.
As of January 31, 2021, IAC owned all of our outstanding Class B common stock, representing approximately 84.3% of our total outstanding shares of capital stock and approximately 98.2% of the total combined voting power of our outstanding capital stock. For so long as IAC owns shares of our capital stock that represent a majority of the combined voting power of our outstanding capital stock, it will be able to control any corporate action that requires a stockholder vote, regardless of the vote of any other stockholder (subject to certain limited exceptions for certain class votes). As a result, IAC has (and we expect will continue to have) the ability to control significant corporate activities, including:
•the election of our board of directors (subject to certain provisions of the investor rights agreement between us and IAC) and, through our board of directors, decision-making with respect to our business direction and policies, including the appointment and removal of our officers;
•acquisitions or dispositions of businesses or assets, mergers or other business combinations;
•issuances of shares of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock and Class C common stock and our capital structure generally;
•corporate opportunities that may be suitable for us and IAC, subject to the corporate opportunity provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (as described below);
•stock repurchases;
•our financing activities, including the issuance of debt securities and/or the incurrence of other indebtedness generally;
•the payment of one-time or recurring dividends; and
•the number of shares available for issuance under our equity incentive plans.
This voting control will limit the ability of other stockholders to influence corporate matters and, as a result, we may take actions that stockholders other than IAC do not view as beneficial. This voting control may also discourage transactions involving a change of control of our company, including transactions in which holders of shares of our Class A common stock might otherwise receive a premium for their shares.
Even if IAC owns shares of our capital stock representing less than a majority of the total combined voting power of our outstanding capital stock, so long as IAC owns shares representing a significant percentage of our total combined voting power, IAC will have the ability to substantially influence these significant corporate activities.
In addition, pursuant to the investor rights agreement between us and IAC, IAC has the right to maintain its level of ownership in us to the extent we issue additional shares of our capital stock in the future and, pursuant to the employee matters agreement between us and IAC, IAC may receive payment for certain compensation expenses through the receipt of additional shares of our capital stock. For a more complete summary of our various agreements with IAC, see “Note 15-Related Party Transactions with IAC” to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8-Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Until such time as IAC no longer controls or has the ability to substantially influence us, we will continue to face the risks described in this “Risk Factors” section relating to IAC’s control of us and the potential conflicts of interest between us and IAC.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation could prevent us from benefiting from certain corporate opportunities.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation has a “corporate opportunity” provision that requires us to renounce any interests or expectancy in corporate opportunities for both us and IAC. This provision also includes a disclaimer that states that we recognize that: (i) any of our directors or officers who are also officers, directors, employees or other affiliates of IAC or its affiliates (except that we and our subsidiaries are not considered affiliates of IAC or its affiliates for purposes of this provision) and (ii) IAC itself, will have no duty to offer or communicate information regarding such corporate opportunities to us. Generally, neither IAC nor any of our officers or directors who are also officers or directors of IAC or its affiliates will be liable to us or any of our stockholders for breach of any fiduciary duty by reason of the fact that any such person pursues or acquires any corporate opportunity for the account of IAC or any of its affiliates, directs or transfers such corporate opportunity to IAC or any of its affiliates or does not communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to us. This corporate opportunity provision may exacerbate conflicts of interest between us and IAC because the provision effectively permits any of our directors or officers who also serves as a director or officer of IAC to choose to direct a corporate opportunity to IAC instead of us.
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IAC’s interests may conflict with our interests and the interests of our other stockholders. Conflicts of interest between us and IAC could be resolved in a manner unfavorable to us and our other stockholders.
Various conflicts of interest between us and IAC could arise. As of the date of this report, five of our eleven directors are current directors or executive officers of IAC. Ownership interests of these individuals and IAC in our capital stock and ownership interests of our directors and officers in IAC capital stock, or service by an individual as either a director and/or officer of both companies, could create or appear to create potential conflicts of interest when such individuals are faced with decisions relating to us. These decisions could include:
•corporate opportunities;
•the impact that operating or capital decisions (including the incurrence of indebtedness) relating to our business may have on IAC's consolidated financial statements and/or current or future indebtedness (including related covenants);
•business combinations involving us;
•our dividend and stock repurchase policies;
•management stock ownership; and
•the intercompany agreements and services between us and IAC.
Potential conflicts of interest could also arise if we decide to enter into new commercial arrangements with IAC in the future or in connection with IAC’s desire to enter into new commercial arrangements with third parties. Additionally, IAC may be constrained by the terms of agreements relating to its indebtedness from taking actions, or permitting us to take actions, that may be in our best interest.
Furthermore, disputes may arise between us and IAC relating to our past and ongoing relationships, and these potential conflicts of interest may make it more difficult for us to favorably resolve such disputes, including those related to:
•tax, employee benefit, indemnification and other matters arising from the Combination;
•the nature, quality and pricing of services IAC agrees to provide to us;
•sales or other disposals by IAC of all or a portion of its ownership interest in us; and
•business combinations involving us.
We may not be able to resolve any potential conflicts, and even if we do, the resolution may be less favorable to us than if we were dealing with an unaffiliated third-party. While we are controlled by IAC, we may not have the leverage to negotiate amendments to our various agreements with IAC (if required) on terms as favorable to us as those we would negotiate with an unaffiliated third-party.
We rely on exemptions from certain NASDAQ corporate governance requirements that provide protection to stockholders of other companies.
Because IAC owns more than 50% of the combined voting power of our outstanding capital stock, we are a “controlled company” under the Marketplace Rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (the “Marketplace Rules”). As a “controlled company,” we are exempt from compliance with certain Marketplace Rules related to corporate governance, including the following requirements:
•that a majority of our board of directors consists of “independent directors” (as defined in the Marketplace Rules); and
•that we have a nominating/governance committee composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities.
Accordingly, for so long as we are a “controlled company” and avail ourselves of these exemptions, our stockholders will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the Marketplace Rules.
IAC’s desire to maintain flexibility with respect to its ability to distribute the shares of our capital stock it holds on a tax-free basis to its stockholders, and its desire to preserve the ability to maintain tax consolidation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, may prevent us from pursuing opportunities to raise capital, acquire other businesses or provide equity incentives to our employees, or otherwise impact our ability to manage our capital structure.
Under current laws, IAC must retain beneficial ownership of at least 80% of our combined voting power and 80% of each class of our non-voting capital stock (if any is outstanding) in order to effect a tax-free distribution of our shares held by IAC to its stockholders. IAC has advised us that it does not have any present intention or plans to undertake such a tax-free distribution. However, IAC does currently intend to use its majority voting interest to retain its ability to engage in such a
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transaction. In addition, IAC must maintain ownership of at least 80% of our outstanding capital stock in order to maintain tax consolidation with us for U.S. federal income tax purposes. IAC has advised us that it currently intends to take such actions, or cause the Company to take such actions, as may be necessary in order to preserve tax consolidation. Each of these intentions may cause IAC not to support transactions that we wish to pursue that involve issuing shares of our capital stock, including for capital-raising purposes, as consideration for an acquisition or as equity incentives to our employees, or otherwise impact our overall capital management strategy. Our inability to pursue such transactions, or any reduced flexibility in the management of our capital structure, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our agreements with IAC will require us to indemnify IAC for certain tax liabilities and may limit our ability to engage in desirable strategic or capital-raising transactions.
Pursuant to our tax sharing agreement with IAC, we generally will be responsible and will be required to indemnify IAC for: (i) all taxes imposed with respect to any consolidated, combined or unitary tax return of IAC or its subsidiaries that includes us or any of our subsidiaries to the extent attributable to us or any of our subsidiaries (excluding certain taxes attributable to Angie’s List and its subsidiaries for taxable periods (or portions thereof) ending on or before the completion of the Combination), as determined under the tax sharing agreement, and (ii) all taxes imposed with respect to any consolidated, combined, unitary or separate tax returns of ours or any of our subsidiaries. To the extent IAC fails to pay taxes imposed with respect to any consolidated, combined or unitary tax return of IAC or one of its subsidiaries that includes us or any of our subsidiaries, the relevant taxing authority could seek to collect such taxes (including taxes for which IAC is responsible under the tax sharing agreement) from us or our subsidiaries.
IAC does not have a present plan or intention to undertake a tax-free spin-off of its interest in us. Under the tax sharing agreement, we generally will be responsible for any taxes and related amounts imposed on IAC or us (or our respective subsidiaries) that arise from the failure of a future spin-off of IAC’s retained interest in us to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Section 368(a)(1)(D) and/or Section 355 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), to the extent that the failure to so qualify is attributable to: (i) a breach of the relevant representations and covenants made by us in the tax sharing agreement (or any representation letter provided in support of any tax opinion or ruling obtained by IAC with respect to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of such spin-off), (ii) an acquisition of our equity securities or assets or (iii) any other action or inaction by us after any such spin-off.
To preserve the tax-free treatment of any potential future spin-off by IAC of its interest in us, the tax sharing agreement restricts us and our subsidiaries, for the two-year period following any such spin-off (except in specific circumstances), from: (i) entering into any transaction pursuant to which shares of our capital stock would be acquired above a certain threshold, (ii) merging, consolidating or liquidating, (iii) selling or transferring assets above certain thresholds, (iv) redeeming or repurchasing stock (with certain exceptions), (v) altering the voting rights of our capital stock, (vi) actions and inactions that are inconsistent with representations or covenants in any tax opinion or private letter ruling document or (vii) ceasing to engage in any active trade or business as defined in the Code. The indemnity obligations and other limitations under the tax sharing agreement could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Future sales or distributions of shares of our capital stock by IAC could depress the price of our Class A common stock.
IAC has the right to sell or distribute to its stockholders all or a portion of the shares of our capital stock that it holds. Although as of the date of this report IAC has advised us that it does not have any present intention or plans to undertake such a sale or distribution, sales by IAC in the public market or distributions to its stockholders of substantial amounts of our capital stock (shares of Class B common stock or Class A common stock) could depress the price of our Class A common stock. In addition, IAC has the right, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering the sale of the shares of our capital stock it holds or to include such shares in other registration statements that we may file. If IAC exercises these registration rights and sells all or a portion of the shares of our capital stock it holds, the price of our Class A common stock could decline.
The services that IAC provides to us may not be sufficient to meet our needs.
We expect IAC to continue to provide us with corporate and shared services related to corporate functions, such as executive oversight, risk management, information technology, accounting, audit, legal, investor relations, tax, treasury and other services in exchange for the fees specified in the services agreement between us and IAC. Since the services agreement automatically renews for one (1) year periods for as long as IAC holds a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock, we may not be able to modify these services in a manner desirable to us as a standalone public company. Although we intend to replace portions of the services currently provided by IAC, we may not be able to perform these services ourselves and/or find appropriate third parties to do so at a reasonable cost (or at costs at or below those charged by IAC), which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Risks Related to Our Indebtedness
Our current and future indebtedness could affect our ability to operate our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
As of December 31, 2020, we had total debt outstanding of approximately $500.0 million related our senior notes, $220.0 million under our term loan agreement, and borrowing availability of $250.0 million under our revolving credit facility. The indebtedness outstanding under our term loan agreement is (and indebtedness under our revolving credit facility will be) guaranteed by our wholly owned material domestic subsidiaries and secured by substantially all of our assets and those of our guarantors, subject to certain exceptions. Our term loan agreement and revolving credit facility contain several covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us, including restrictions on our ability to, among other things:
•create liens on certain assets;
•incur additional indebtedness;
•make certain investments and acquisitions;
•consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets;
•sell certain assets;
•pay dividends on (or make distributions in respect of) our capital stock or make restricted payments or stock repurchases;
•enter into certain transactions with our affiliates; and
•place restrictions on distributions from subsidiaries.
Any of these restrictions could limit our ability to plan for or react to market conditions and could otherwise restrict how we operate our business. Any failure to comply with these covenants could result in a default under the term loan agreement, which if not waived, could cause our lenders to foreclose on the assets we pledged to secure our term loan indebtedness and force us into bankruptcy or liquidation. In addition, a default under our term loan agreement could trigger a cross default under other current of future agreements (including our revolving credit facility).
In addition to the restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business, the terms of our indebtedness could:
•limit our ability to obtain additional financing to fund working capital needs, acquisitions, capital expenditures, other debt service requirements or for other purposes;
•limit our ability to use operating cash flow in other areas of our business because we must dedicate a substantial portion of these funds to service our indebtedness;
•limit our ability to compete with other companies who are not as highly leveraged;
•restrict us from making strategic acquisitions, developing properties or exploiting business opportunities; and
•limit our ability to react to changing general economic conditions and market conditions in our industry.
Subject to certain restrictions, we and our subsidiaries may incur additional unsecured and secured indebtedness. If additional indebtedness incurred in compliance with these restrictions is significant, the risks described above could increase.
We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness.
Our ability to satisfy our debt obligations will depend upon, among other things:
•our future financial and operating performance, which will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond our control; and
•our future ability to borrow under our revolving credit facility, the availability of which will depend on, among other things, our ability to comply with the covenants governing our indebtedness.
We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow from our operations and/or borrow under our revolving credit facility in amounts sufficient to meet our scheduled debt obligations. If so, we could be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell assets or seek additional capital in a manner that complies with the terms (including certain restrictions and limitations) of our current indebtedness. If these efforts do not generate sufficient funds to meet our scheduled debt obligations, we would need to seek additional financing and/or negotiate with our lenders to restructure or refinance our indebtedness. Our ability to do so would depend on the condition of the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. Any such financing, restructuring or refinancing could be on less favorable terms than those governing our current indebtedness and would need to comply with the terms (including certain restrictions and limitations) of our existing indebtedness.
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Our variable rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risk.
As of December 31, 2020, we have $220.0 million of indebtedness outstanding under our term loan, which bears interest at variable rates. Indebtedness under our term loan is (and any indebtedness under our revolving credit facility will be) at variable interest rates, which exposes us to interest rate risk. For details regarding interest rates applicable to the indebtedness outstanding under our term loan as of December 31, 2020, see “Item 7A-Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock
The multiclass structure of our capital stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with IAC and limiting the ability of holders of our Class A common stock to influence corporate matters.
Each share of our Class B common stock has ten votes per share and each share of our Class A common stock has one vote per share. As of January 31, 2021, IAC owned all of the shares of our outstanding Class B common stock, representing economic and voting interests in us of approximately 84.4% and 98.2%, respectively. Due to the ten-to-one voting ratio between our Class B common stock and Class A common stock, IAC (and any future holders of our Class B common stock, collectively) will continue to control a substantial majority of the combined voting power of our capital stock. This concentrated control will significantly limit the ability of holders of our Class A common stock to influence matters submitted to our stockholders for approval.
The difference in the voting rights of our Class B common stock and Class A common stock may harm the value and liquidity of our Class A common stock.
This difference in voting rights between our Class B common stock and Class A common stock could harm the value of our Class A common stock to the extent that any investor or potential future purchaser of our Class A common stock ascribes value to the right of the holders of our Class B common stock to ten votes per share. The existence of two classes of common stock with different voting rights could result in less liquidity for our Class A common stock than if there were only one class of common stock, which could adversely affect the price of our Class A common stock.
We do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
We have never declared or paid cash dividends and we currently have no plans to pay cash dividends on our Class A common stock and/or Class B common stock. Instead, we currently anticipate that all of our future earnings will be retained to support our operations and finance the growth and development of our business. Any future determination relating to our dividend policy will be made by our board of directors and will depend on a number of factors, including:
•our historic and projected financial condition, liquidity and results of operations;
•our capital levels and needs;
•tax considerations;
•any acquisitions that we may consider;
•statutory and regulatory prohibitions and other limitations;
•the terms of any credit agreement or other borrowing arrangements that restrict our ability to pay cash dividends, including our term loan agreement and revolving credit facility;
•general economic conditions; and
•other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.
We are not obligated to pay dividends on our Class A common stock or Class B common stock. Consequently, investors may need to rely on sales on their Class A common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment.
The Delaware General Corporation Law and certain provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company and/or changes in our management.
The Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our Company and/or changes in our management that our stockholders may deem advantageous, including provisions that: (i) authorize the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock, which our board of directors could issue to discourage a takeover attempt; (ii) limit the ability of our stockholders to call special meetings of stockholders; and (iii) provide that our board of directors is expressly authorized to make, alter or repeal our bylaws.
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Any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws that has the effect of delaying or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a related premium for their Class A common stock and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our Class A common stock.
The choice of forum provision in our amended and restated bylaws could limit the ability of our stockholders to obtain the judicial forum of their choice for certain disputes.
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, a state court within the State of Delaware (or, if no state court located within Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) will be the sole and exclusive forum for all of the following actions: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim for (or based on breach of) fiduciary duty owed by any of our current or former directors, officers or other employees to us or to our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our current or former directors, officers or other employees pursuant to the DGCL, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, (iv) any action asserting a claim relating to or involving us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine or (v) any action asserting an “internal corporate claim” (as defined under the DGCL). This choice of forum provision may limit the ability of our stockholders to bring claims in a judicial forum that they find favorable for disputes with us or our current or former directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find our choice of forum provision to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we could incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our Class A common stock is currently ineligible for inclusion in certain stock market indices which may adversely affect the trading market for our Class A common stock.
Policies adopted by certain operators of U.S. stock market indices exclude equity securities of companies with multiple classes of outstanding publicly traded equity securities and/or companies with outstanding classes of publicly traded equity securities that have no voting rights (or “low” voting rights relative to another outstanding class of equity securities) from their stock indices and similar policies may be implemented by other operators of stock market indices in the future. Given the multiclass structure of our capital stock and IAC’s control over us, our Class A common stock is not currently eligible for inclusion in the S&P Composite 1500 (and its three component indices) and any indices managed by FTSE Russell and, as a result, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other investment vehicles that attempt to passively track these indices will not be investing in our stock. Exclusion from these stock market indices (and any others in the future) could make our Class A common stock less attractive which could adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not applicable.
Item 2. Properties
We believe that the facilities for our management and operations are generally adequate for our current and near-term future needs. Our facilities, most of which are leased in the United States and abroad, consist of executive and administrative offices, sales offices and data centers. We do not anticipate any future problems renewing or obtaining suitable leases for us or any of our businesses. We currently lease approximately 152,000 square feet of office for our corporate headquarters, HomeAdvisor business and administrative and sales force personnel in Denver, Colorado.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Overview
In the ordinary course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries are (or may become) parties to claims, suits, regulatory and government investigations, and other proceedings involving property, personal injury, intellectual property, privacy, tax, labor and employment, competition, commercial disputes, consumer protection and other claims, as well as stockholder derivative actions, class action lawsuits and other matters. Such claims, suits, regulatory and government investigations, and other proceedings could result in fines, civil or criminal penalties, or other adverse consequences. The amounts that may be recovered in such matters may be subject to insurance coverage. Although the results of legal proceedings and claims cannot be predicted with certainty, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is currently a party to any legal proceedings the outcome of which, we believe, if determined adversely to us, would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. However, the outcome of such matters is inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties.
The litigation matter described below involves issues or claims that may be of particular interest to our stockholders, regardless of whether this matter may be material to our financial position or operations based upon the standard set forth in the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Service Professional Class Action Litigation against HomeAdvisor
In July 2016, a putative class action, Airquip, Inc. et al. v. HomeAdvisor, Inc. et al., No. 1:16-cv-1849, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The complaint, as amended in November 2016, alleges that our HomeAdvisor business engages in certain deceptive practices affecting the service professionals who join its network, including charging them for substandard customer leads and failing to disclose certain charges. The complaint seeks certification of a nationwide class consisting of all HomeAdvisor service professionals since October 2012, asserts claims for fraud, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment and violation of the federal RICO statute and the Colorado Consumer Protection Act (“CCPA”), and seeks injunctive relief and damages in an unspecified amount. In December 2016, HomeAdvisor filed a motion to dismiss the RICO and CCPA claims. In September 2017, the court issued an order granting the motion and dismissing those claims. In October 2017, HomeAdvisor filed an answer denying the material allegations of the remaining claims in the complaint. In May 2018, the plaintiffs filed a motion for leave to file a second amended complaint that would add nine new named plaintiffs, five new defendants (including ANGI Homeservices), and 55 new claims, most of them for various alleged violations of the laws of nine separate states. In June 2018, HomeAdvisor opposed the motion on grounds including that it was filed more than one year after the court’s deadline to amend pleadings.
In July 2018, the plaintiffs’ counsel filed a separate putative class action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, Costello et al. v. HomeAdvisor, Inc. et al., No. 1:18-cv-1802, on behalf of the same nine proposed new plaintiffs in the Airquip case, naming as defendants HomeAdvisor, ANGI Homeservices and IAC (as well as an unrelated company), and asserting 45 claims largely duplicative of those asserted in the proposed second amended complaint in the Airquip case. In November 2018, the judge presiding over the Airquip case issued an order consolidating the two cases to proceed before him under the caption In re HomeAdvisor, Inc. Litigation.
In January 2019, the plaintiffs renewed their motion for leave to file a consolidated second amended complaint, naming as defendants, in addition to HomeAdvisor, ANGI Homeservices and IAC, CraftJack, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and thus, an entity affiliated with HomeAdvisor) and two unrelated entities. In February 2019, the defendants opposed the motion on various grounds. In September 2019, the court issued an order granting the plaintiffs’ motion. In October and December 2019, the four defendants affiliated with HomeAdvisor filed motions to dismiss certain claims in the amended complaint. On September 29, 2020, the court issued an order granting in part and denying in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. Discovery in the case is well underway and the issue of class certification remains to be litigated.
The Company believes that the allegations in this lawsuit are without merit and will continue to defend vigorously against them.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters
Our Class A common stock is quoted on The Nasdaq Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) under the ticker symbol “ANGI.” There is no established public trading market for our Class B common stock.
As of January 29, 2021, there were 30 holders of record of our Class A common stock. Because the substantial majority of the outstanding shares of our Class A common stock are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of shareholders, we are not able to estimate the total number of beneficial shareholders represented by these record holders. As of January 29, 2021, there was one holder of record and beneficial shareholder of our Class B common stock.
Dividends
We do not currently expect that any cash or other dividends will be paid to holders of our Class A or Class B common stock in the near future. Any future cash dividend or other dividend declarations are subject to the determination of the Company’s Board of Directors.
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Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
There were no unregistered sales of our capital stock during the quarter ended December 31, 2020.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table sets forth purchases by the Company of its Class A common stock during the quarter ended December 31, 2020:
________________________________________
(1)Reflects repurchases made pursuant to the share repurchase authorizations previously announced in March 2020 and February 2019.
(2)Represents the total number of shares of Class A common stock that remained available for repurchase as of December 31, 2020 pursuant to the March 2020 and February 2019 share repurchase authorizations. The Company may repurchase shares pursuant to this share repurchase authorization over an indefinite period of time in the open market and in privately negotiated transactions, depending on those factors Company management deems relevant at any particular time, including, without limitation, market conditions, share price and future outlook.
From January 1, 2021 through February 4, 2021, the Company repurchased an additional approximately 0.4 million shares at an average price of $11.85 per share. As of February 4, 2021, there were approximately 18.9 million shares remaining in the March 2020 and February 2019 share repurchase authorizations.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
Not required.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW
ANGI Homeservices Inc. (“ANGI Homeservices,” the “Company,” “ANGI,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) connects quality home service professionals across 500 different categories, from repairing and remodeling to cleaning and landscaping, with consumers. Over 240,000 domestic service professionals actively sought consumer matches, completed jobs or advertised work through ANGI Homeservices’ platforms and consumers turned to at least one of our brands to find a professional for approximately 32 million projects during the year ended December 31, 2020. We have established category-transforming products with brands such as HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List, and Handy.
The HomeAdvisor digital marketplace service connects consumers with service professionals nationwide for home repair, maintenance and improvement projects. HomeAdvisor provides consumers with tools and resources to help them find local, pre-screened and customer-rated service professionals, as well as instantly book appointments with those professionals online or connect with them by telephone. On October 19, 2018, the Company acquired Handy Technologies, Inc. (“Handy”), a leading platform for connecting individuals looking for household services (primarily cleaning and handyman services) with top-quality, pre-screened independent service professionals. We refer to the HomeAdvisor and Handy businesses in the United States as the (“Marketplace”). The Company also owns and operates Angie’s List, Inc. (“Angie’s List”), which connects consumers with service professionals for local services through a nationwide online directory of service professionals in over 700 service categories and provides consumers with valuable tools, services and content, including verified reviews, to help them research, shop and hire for local services. We also own and operate Fixd Repair, mHelpDesk, and CraftJack.
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The Company has two operating segments: (i) North America (United States and Canada), which includes HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List, Handy, Fixd Repair, mHelpDesk, HomeStars, and CraftJack and (ii) Europe, which includes Travaux, MyHammer, MyBuilder, Werkspot and Instapro.
In the U.S., the Company markets its services to consumers through search engine marketing, television advertising and affiliate agreements with third parties. The Company also markets its services to consumers through email, digital display advertisements, partnerships with other contextually related websites and, to a lesser extent, through relationships with certain retailers, direct mail and radio advertising. The Company markets subscription packages and time-based advertising to service professionals primarily through its sales force, as well as through search engine marketing, digital media advertising and direct relationships with trade associations and manufacturers. We have made, and expect to continue to make, substantial investments in digital and traditional advertising (with continued expansion into new and existing digital platforms) to consumers and service professionals to promote our products and services and to drive traffic to our various platforms and service professionals.
Defined Terms and Operating Metrics:
Unless otherwise indicated or as the context otherwise requires certain terms used in this annual report, which include the principal operating metrics we use in managing our business, as defined below:
•Marketplace Revenue primarily includes revenue from the HomeAdvisor and Handy domestic marketplaces, including consumer connection revenue for consumer matches, revenue from pre-priced jobs sourced through the HomeAdvisor and Handy platforms and service professional membership subscription revenue. It excludes revenue from Angie’s List and HomeStars. Effective January 1, 2020, Fixd Repair has been moved to Marketplace from Advertising and Other and prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.
•Advertising and OtherRevenue includes Angie’s List revenue (revenue from service professionals under contract for advertising and membership subscription fees from consumers) as well as revenue from mHelpDesk and HomeStars.
•Marketplace Service Requests are fully completed and submitted domestic customer service requests to HomeAdvisor and includes pre-priced jobs sourced through the HomeAdvisor and Handy platforms.
•Marketplace Monetized Transactions are fully completed and submitted domestic customer service requests to HomeAdvisor that were matched to and paid for by a service professional and includes pre-priced jobs sourced through the HomeAdvisor and Handy platforms in the period.
•Marketplace Transacting Service Professionals (“Marketplace Transacting SPs”) are the number of HomeAdvisor and Handy domestic service professionals that paid for consumer matches or performed a job sourced through the HomeAdvisor and Handy platforms during the most recent quarter.
•Advertising Service Professionals (“Advertising SPs”) are the total number of Angie’s List service professionals under contract for advertising at the end of the period.
•Senior Notes - On August 20, 2020, ANGI Group, LLC (“ANGI Group”), a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, issued $500.0 million of its 3.875% Senior Notes due August 15, 2028, with interest payable February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing February 15, 2021.
•ANGI Group Term Loan - due November 5, 2023. Pursuant to the joinder agreement entered into on August 12, 2020, ANGI Group became the successor borrower under the ANGI Group Term Loan and ANGI Homeservices Inc.’s obligations thereunder were terminated. The outstanding balance of the ANGI Group Term Loan as of December 31, 2020 is $220.0 million and quarterly principal payments are required through maturity. In December 2020, ANGI Group prepaid its required quarterly principal payments for the year ending December 31, 2021 in the aggregate amount of $13.8 million. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the ANGI Group Term Loan bore interest at LIBOR plus 2.00% and 1.50%, respectively. The interest rate was 2.16% and 3.25% at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
•ANGI Group Revolving Facility - The ANGI Group $250.0 million revolving credit facility expires on November 5, 2023. Pursuant to the joinder agreement entered into on August 12, 2020, ANGI Group became the successor borrower under the ANGI Group Revolving Facility and ANGI Homeservices Inc.’s obligations thereunder were
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terminated. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, there were no outstanding borrowings under the ANGI Group Revolving Facility. The ANGI Group Revolving Facility and ANGI Group Term Loan are collectively referred to as the ANGI Group Credit Agreement.
Components of Results of Operations
Sources of Revenue
Marketplace Revenue is primarily derived from (i) consumer connection revenue, which comprises fees paid by HomeAdvisor service professionals for consumer matches (regardless of whether the service professional ultimately provides the requested service) and revenue from completed jobs sourced through the HomeAdvisor and Handy platforms, and (ii) HomeAdvisor service professional membership subscription fees. Consumer connection revenue varies based upon several factors, including the service requested, product experience offered and geographic location of service. Advertising and Other Revenue is primarily derived from (i) sales of time-based website, mobile and call center advertising to service professionals and (ii) membership subscription fees from consumers.
Prior to January 1, 2020, Handy recorded revenue on a net basis. Effective January 1, 2020, we modified the Handy terms and conditions so that Handy, rather than the service professional, has the contractual relationship with the consumer to deliver the service and Handy, rather than the consumer, has the contractual relationship with the service professional. Consumers request services and pay for such services directly through the Handy platform and then Handy fulfills the request with independently established home services providers engaged in a trade, occupation and/or business that customarily provides such services. This change in contractual terms requires gross revenue accounting treatment effective January 1, 2020. Also, in the case of certain tasks, HomeAdvisor provides a pre-priced product offering, pursuant to which consumers can request services through a HomeAdvisor platform and pay HomeAdvisor for the services directly. HomeAdvisor then fulfills the request with independently established home services providers engaged in a trade, occupation and/or business that customarily provides such services. Revenue from HomeAdvisor’s pre-priced product offering is also recorded on a gross basis effective January 1, 2020. The change to gross revenue reporting for Handy and HomeAdvisor’s pre-priced product offering, effective January 1, 2020, resulted in an increase in revenue of $73.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Operating Costs and Expenses:
•Cost of revenue -consists primarily of payments made to independent service professionals who perform work contracted under pre-priced arrangements through the HomeAdvisor and Handy platforms, credit card processing fees, compensation expense and other employee-related costs for service work performed, and hosting fees.
•Selling and marketing expense - consists primarily of advertising expenditures, which include online marketing, including fees paid to search engines, offline marketing, which is primarily television advertising, and partner-related payments to those who direct traffic to our brands, compensation expense (including stock-based compensation expense) and other employee-related costs for our sales force and marketing personnel, and facilities costs.
•General and administrative expense - consists primarily of compensation expense (including stock-based compensation expense) and other employee-related costs for personnel engaged in executive management, finance, legal, tax, human resources and customer service functions, fees for professional services (including transaction-related costs related to acquisitions), provision for credit losses, software license and maintenance costs and facilities costs. Our customer service function includes personnel who provide support to our service professionals and consumers.
•Product development expense - consists primarily of compensation expense (including stock-based compensation expense) and other employee-related costs that are not capitalized for personnel engaged in the design, development, testing and enhancement of product offerings and related technology, software license and maintenance costs and facilities costs.
Non-GAAP Financial Measure
Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”) is a non-GAAP financial measure. See “Principles of Financial Reporting” for the definition of Adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation of net earnings attributable to ANGI Homeservices Inc. shareholders to operating (loss) income to consolidated Adjusted EBITDA for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
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The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. For a discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018, please refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2020.
COVID-19 Update
The impact on the Company from the COVID-19 outbreak, which has been declared a “pandemic” by the World Health Organization, has been varied. The extent to which developments related to the COVID-19 outbreak and measures designed to curb its spread continue to impact the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations will depend on future developments, all of which are highly uncertain and many of which are beyond the Company’s control, including the speed of contagion, the development and implementation of effective preventative measures and possible treatments, the scope of governmental and other restrictions on travel, discretionary services (including those provided by certain of our service professionals) and other activity, and public reactions to these developments. For example, these developments and measures have resulted in rapid and adverse changes to the operating environment in which we do business, as well as significant uncertainty concerning the near and long term economic ramifications of the COVID-19 outbreak, which have adversely impacted our ability to forecast our results and respond in a timely and effective manner to trends related to the COVID-19 outbreak. The longer the global outbreak and measures designed to curb the spread of the virus continue to adversely affect levels of consumer confidence, discretionary spending and the willingness of consumers to interact with other consumers, vendors and service providers face-to-face (and in turn, adversely affect demand for the Company’s various products and services), the greater the adverse impact is likely to be on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations and the more limited will be the Company’s ability to try and make up for delayed or lost revenues.
When COVID-19 first impacted North America and Europe in the spring of 2020, the Company experienced a decline in demand for service requests, driven primarily by decreases in demand in certain categories of jobs (particularly discretionary indoor projects). Toward the end of the spring of 2020, the Company experienced a rebound in service requests, exceeding pre-COVID-19 growth levels, driven by increased demand from homeowners who spent more time at home due to measures taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The Company continued to experience strong demand for home services in the second half of 2020. However, many service professionals’ businesses have been adversely impacted by labor and material constraints and many service professionals have limited capacity to take on new business, which has negatively impacted the Company's ability to monetize this increased level of service requests.
In addition, North America, which represents 95% of the Company’s revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020, experienced a significant resurgence of the COVID-19 virus with record levels of infections being reported during the fourth quarter of 2020 and continuing into the first quarter of 2021. Europe, which is the second largest market for the Company’s products and services, has also seen a dramatic resurgence in COVID-19. This resurgence and the measures designed to curb its spread could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Results of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
Revenue
Years Ended December 31,
(Amounts in thousands)
Revenue:
Marketplace:
Percentage of Total Revenue:
North America 95 % 94 %
Europe 5 % 6 %
Years Ended December 31,
(Amounts in thousands)
Operating metrics:
North America revenue increased $145.5 million, or 12%, driven by an increase in Marketplace Revenue of $138.7 million or 14%, in addition to an increase of $6.9 million, or 3%, in Advertising and Other Revenue. The increase in Marketplace Revenue was primarily due to an increase in consumer connection revenue of $141.1 million, or 15%, which was driven by an 18% increase in Marketplace Service Requests to 32.4 million resulting in a 4% increase in Marketplace Monetized Transactions up to 16.7 million, and an increase in revenue of $73.8 million from the change to gross revenue reporting for Handy and HomeAdvisor’s pre-priced product offering, effective January 1, 2020.
Europe revenue decreased $3.8 million, or 5%, due primarily to lower monetization from transitioning the business in France to a common European technology platform with the businesses in the Netherlands and Italy, which began in early February 2020, partially offset by the favorable impact of the weakening of the U.S. dollar relative to the Euro and British Pound.
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Cost of revenue
Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
As a percentage of revenue 12% 4%
________________________
NM = Not meaningful
North America cost of revenue increased $126.8 million, due primarily to the change from net to gross revenue reporting for Handy and HomeAdvisor's pre-priced product offering effective January 1, 2020, as well as growth of the pre-priced product offering itself.
Selling and marketing expense
Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
As a percentage of revenue 52% 55%
North America selling and marketing expense increased $34.2 million, or 5%, driven by increases of $23.1 million in compensation expense, $7.1 million in outsourced personnel and consulting costs, $6.1 million in advertising expense and $1.5 million software license and maintenance costs, partially offset by a decrease of $3.8 million in travel related expenses resulting from the impact of COVID-19. The increase in compensation expense was due primarily to increased commission expense. The increase in outsourced personnel and consulting costs was due primarily to various sales initiatives at Handy. Advertising expense increased due primarily to an increase in online marketing costs as the proportion of service requests from Google paid traffic increased. The Company continues to benefit from the search engine marketing strategy that was implemented in the second half of 2019, which focuses on the lifetime profitability rather than the cost of each service request. This increase in online marketing was partially offset by a decrease in television spend resulting from cost cutting initiatives due to the impact of COVID-19.
Europe selling and marketing expense decreased $4.8 million, or 11%, driven by decreases in advertising expense of $2.8 million and compensation expense of $1.5 million. The decrease in advertising expense is due, in part, to mitigating the negative impact of COVID-19 on revenue. The decrease in compensation expense is due primarily to a reduction in sales force headcount associated with the platform migration in France, partially offset by severance cost associated with headcount reductions in France.
General and administrative expense
Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
As a percentage of revenue 25% 26%
North America general and administrative expense increased $25.1 million, or 8%, due primarily to increases of $13.9 million in the provision for credit losses due to higher Marketplace Revenue, the impact from COVID-19 on expected credit losses and anticipated losses from Advertising service professionals, $13.9 million in compensation expense and $5.0 million in professional fees, partially offset by decreases of $3.1 million in travel related expenses resulting from the impact of COVID-19 and $2.4 million in software license and maintenance costs. The increase in compensation expense is due primarily to an increase of $17.2 million in stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by a decrease of $6.0 million in salary expense resulting from reduced headcount. The increase in stock-based compensation expense is due primarily to the issuance of new equity awards since 2019, a modification charge of $14.1 million related to the departure of the president and chief operating officer of the Company in December 2020, and the reversal of $7.3 million in cumulative expense in 2019 related to certain performance-based awards that did not vest.The increase in professional fees is due primarily to an increase in legal fees and
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outsourced personnel costs. The increase in outsourced personnel costs is due primarily to an increase in call volume related to our customer service function.
Europe general and administrative expense increased $0.7 million, or 3%, due primarily to an increase of $1.2 million in compensation expense resulting from severance costs associated with headcount reductions in France and an increase of $0.1 million in the provision for credit losses due, in part, from the impact of COVID-19 on expected credit losses, partially offset by a $0.6 million in travel related expenses resulting from the impact of COVID-19.
Product development expense
Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
As a percentage of revenue 5% 5%
North America product development expense increased $4.0 million, or 7%, due primarily to increases in compensation expense of $3.0 million and software license and maintenance costs of $0.9 million.
Europe product development expense increased $0.6 million, or 6%, due primarily to an increase of $0.8 million in compensation expense due primarily to increased headcount.
Depreciation
Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
As a percentage of revenue 4% 3%
North America depreciation increased $11.0 million, or 29%, due primarily to continued growth, including the development of capitalized software to support our products and services, partially offset by a decrease in leasehold improvements.
Europe depreciation increased $1.7 million, or 69%, due primarily to continued growth, including the development of capitalized software to support products and services.
Operating (loss) income
Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
As a percentage of revenue —% 3%
North America operating income decreased $44.2 million, due to the decrease in Adjusted EBITDA of $29.3 million, described below, and increases of $15.3 million in stock-based compensation expense and $11.0 million in depreciation, partially offset by a decrease of $11.5 million in amortization of intangibles. The increase in stock-based compensation expense was due primarily to the issuance of new equity awards since 2019 and the factors described above in the general and administrative expense discussion. The increase in depreciation was due primarily to the development of capitalized software to support our products and services, partially offset by a decrease in leasehold improvements. The decrease in amortization of intangibles was due primarily to lower expense as certain intangible assets became fully amortized in 2019 and 2020.
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Europe operating loss increased $0.9 million or 8%, due to an increase in Adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.2 million, described below, and decreases of $1.1 million in amortization of intangibles and $0.1 million in stock-based compensation expense.
At December 31, 2020, there is $77.2 million of unrecognized compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures, related to all equity-based awards, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2.2 years.
Adjusted EBITDA
Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
As a percentage of revenue 12% 15%
For a reconciliation of net earnings attributable to ANGI Homeservices Inc. shareholders to operating (loss) income to consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, see “Principles of Financial Reporting.” For a reconciliation of operating (loss) income to Adjusted EBITDA for the Company’s reportable segments, see “Note 12—Segment Information” to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
North America Adjusted EBITDA decreased $29.3 million, or 14%, to $178.9 million, despite higher revenue, due primarily to an increases of $126.9 million in cost of revenue and $13.9 million in the provision for credit losses due primarily to the factors described above in the general and administrative expense discussion.
Europe Adjusted EBITDA loss increased $0.2 million, or 3%, to $6.1 million due primarily to the decrease of $3.8 million in revenue and an increase in the provision for credit losses of $0.1 million, partially offset by decreases in advertising expense of $2.8 million and travel related expenses resulting from the impact of COVID-19 of $1.0 million.
Interest expense
Interest expense relates to interest on the Senior Notes and Term Loan and commitment fees on the undrawn Revolving Facility.
For a detailed description of long-term debt, net see “Note 7—Long-term Debt” to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. ConsolidatedFinancial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
Interest expense increased primarily due to the issuance of the Senior Notes in August 2020, partially offset by a decrease in interest expense on the Term Loan due primarily to lower interest rates and the decrease in the average outstanding balance of the Term Loan compared to the prior year period.
Other income, net
Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
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Other income, net in 2020 principally includes interest income of $1.7 million, partially offset by a $0.2 million mark-to-market charge for an indemnification claim related to the Handy acquisition that was settled in ANGI shares held in escrow.
Other income, net in 2019 principally included interest income of $8.0 million and net foreign currency exchange gains of $0.6 million, partially offset by a $1.8 million mark-to-market charge for an indemnification claim related to the Handy acquisition that was settled in ANGI shares held in escrow in 2020.
Income tax benefit
Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
Effective income tax rate NM NM
For further details of income tax matters, see “Note 3—Income Taxes” to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
In 2020, the income tax benefit was due primarily to a reduction to deferred taxes due to the true-up of the state tax rate of an indefinite-lived intangible asset, a change in judgement about the valuation allowance at the beginning of the year, and excess tax benefits generated by the exercise and vesting of stock-based awards.
In 2019, the income tax benefit, despite pre-tax income, was due primarily to excess tax benefits generated by the exercise and vesting of stock-based awards.
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PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL REPORTING
We report Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental measure to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). This measure is one of the primary metrics by which we evaluate the performance of our businesses, on which our internal budgets are based and by which management is compensated. We believe that investors should have access to, and we are obligated to provide, the same set of tools that we use in analyzing our results. This non-GAAP measure should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for or superior to GAAP results. We endeavor to compensate for the limitations of the non-GAAP measure presented by providing the comparable GAAP measure with equal or greater prominence and descriptions of the reconciling items, including quantifying such items, to derive the non-GAAP measure. We encourage investors to examine the reconciling adjustments between the GAAP and non-GAAP measure, which we discuss below.
Definition of Non-GAAP Measure
Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”) is defined as operating income excluding: (1) stock-based compensation expense; (2) depreciation; and (3) acquisition-related items consisting of amortization of intangible assets and impairments of goodwill and intangible assets, if applicable. We believe this measure is useful for analysts and investors as this measure allows a more meaningful comparison between our performance and that of our competitors. The above items are excluded from our Adjusted EBITDA measure because these items are non-cash in nature. Adjusted EBITDA has certain limitations because it excludes the impact of these expenses.
The following table reconciles net (loss) earnings attributable to ANGI Homeservices Inc. shareholders to operating (loss) income to consolidated Adjusted EBITDA:
Years Ended December 31,
(In thousands)
Add back:
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests 2,123 485
Add back:
For a reconciliation of operating (loss) income to Adjusted EBITDA for the Company’s reportable segments, see “Note 12—Segment Information” to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Non-Cash Expenses That Are Excluded From Our Non-GAAP Measure
Stock-based compensation expense consists principally of expense associated with the grants, including unvested grants assumed in acquisitions, of stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units (“RSUs”), stock options, performance-based RSUs (“PSUs”) and market-based awards. These expenses are not paid in cash and we view the economic costs of stock-based awards to be the dilution to our share base; we also include the related shares in our fully diluted shares outstanding for GAAP earnings per share using the treasury stock method. PSUs and market-based awards are included only to the extent the applicable performance condition(s) have been met (assuming the end of the reporting period is the end of the contingency period). The Company is currently settling all stock-based awards on a net basis and remits the required tax-withholding amounts from its current funds.
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Depreciation is a non-cash expense relating to our capitalized software, leasehold improvements and equipment and is computed using the straight-line method to allocate the cost of depreciable assets to operations over their estimated useful lives, or, in the case of leasehold improvements, the lease term, if shorter.
Amortization of intangible assets and impairments of goodwill and intangible assets are non-cash expenses related primarily to acquisitions. At the time of an acquisition, the identifiable definite-lived intangible assets of the acquired company, such as service professional relationships, technology, memberships, customer lists and user base, and trade names, are valued and amortized over their estimated lives. Value is also assigned to acquired indefinite-lived intangible assets, which comprise trade names and trademarks, and goodwill that are not subject to amortization. An impairment is recorded when the carrying value of an intangible asset or goodwill exceeds its fair value. We believe that intangible assets represent costs incurred by the acquired company to build value prior to acquisition and the related amortization and impairments of intangible assets or goodwill, if applicable, are not ongoing costs of doing business.
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FINANCIAL POSITION, LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Financial Position
December 31,
(In thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents and marketable debt securities:
Marketable securities (United States) 49,995 —
Long-term debt:
Less: current portion of Term Loan — 13,750
Less: unamortized debt issuance costs 7,723 1,804
The Company’s international cash can be repatriated without significant tax consequences.
Cash Flow Information
In summary, the Company’s cash flows are as follows:
Years Ended December 31,
(In thousands)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Net cash provided by operating activities consists of earnings adjusted for non-cash items and the effect of changes in working capital. Non-cash adjustments include stock-based compensation expense, provision for credit losses, amortization of intangibles, deferred income taxes, depreciation, and (gain) loss from the sale of a business.
2020
Adjustments to earnings consist primarily of $83.6 million of stock-based compensation expense, $78.2 million of provision for credit losses, $52.6 million of depreciation, and $42.9 million of amortization of intangibles. The decrease from changes in working capital consists primarily of an increase in accounts receivable of $79.8 million, partially offset by an increase in accounts payable and other liabilities of $17.2 million, and a decrease in other assets of $6.0 million. The increase in accounts receivable is primarily due to revenue growth in North America. The increase in accounts payable and other liabilities is due primarily to an increase in accrued advertising and related payables, and accrued compensation costs due, in part, to the deferral of payroll tax payments under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Net cash used in investing activities includes purchases of marketable debt securities of $100.0 million, capital expenditures of $52.5 million, primarily related to investments in the development of capitalized software to support the Company’s products and services, $2.3 million related to the acquisition of a business, partially offset by $50.0 million of proceeds from maturities of marketable debt securities, and $0.7 million of net proceeds received in 2020 related to the December 31, 2018 sale of Felix.
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Net cash provided by financing activities includes $500.0 million of proceeds from the issuance of the ANGI Group Senior Notes and a $3.1 million distribution from IAC pursuant to the tax sharing agreement, net of $63.7 million for the repurchase of 8.5 million of ANGI common stock, on a settlement date basis, at an average price of $7.47 per share, $64.1 million for the payment of withholding taxes on behalf of employees for stock-based awards that were net settled, $27.5 million of principal payments on the Term Loan, including prepayment of the $13.8 million of principal payments that were otherwise due in 2021, $6.5 million of debt issuance costs, and $4.3 million for the purchase of redeemable noncontrolling interests.
2019
Adjustments to earnings consist primarily of $68.3 million of stock-based compensation expense, $64.3 million of bad debt expense, $55.5 million of amortization of intangibles, and $39.9 million of depreciation. The decrease from changes in working capital consists primarily of an increase in accounts receivable of $79.0 million and an increase in accounts payable and other liabilities of $13.6 million, and a decrease in other assets of $13.4 million. The increase in accounts receivable is primarily due to revenue growth in North America. The increase in accounts payable and other liabilities is primarily due to an increase in accrued advertising and related payables. The decrease in other assets is due, in part, to a receipt of tenant improvement allowances.
Net cash used in investing activities includes capital expenditures of $68.8 million, primarily related to investments in the development of capitalized software to support the Company’s products and services and leasehold improvements, $20.3 million of cash principally related to the acquisition of Fixd Repair, partially offset by $25.0 million of proceeds from maturities of marketable debt securities, and $23.6 million of net proceeds received in 2019 related to the December 31, 2018 sale of Felix.
Net cash used in financing activities includes $56.9 million for the repurchase of 7.2 million of ANGI common stock, on a settlement date basis, at an average price of $7.90 per share, $35.3 million for the payment of withholding taxes on behalf of employees for stock-based awards that were net settled, $13.8 million of principal payments on the Term Loan, and an $11.4 million distribution to IAC pursuant to the tax sharing agreement.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Financing Transactions During the Year Ended December 31, 2020
On August 20, 2020, ANGI Group issued $500.0 million of its Senior Notes due August 15, 2028, with interest payable February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing February 15, 2021. The proceeds from the offering are being used for general corporate purposes, which may include potential future acquisitions and return of capital.
On August 12, 2020, ANGI Group entered into a joinder agreement with the Company, the other subsidiaries of the Company that are party to the credit agreement, and each of the other loan parties to the credit agreement, pursuant to which ANGI Group became the successor borrower under the credit agreement (“ANGI Group Credit Agreement”) and ANGI Homeservices Inc.’s obligations thereunder were terminated. The ANGI Group Credit Agreement governs the ANGI Group Term Loan and ANGI Group Revolving Facility. In addition, on August 12, 2020, the definition of “Permitted Unsecured Ratio Debt” in the credit agreement was amended to remove the requirement that guarantees of certain indebtedness of the borrower be subordinated to the guarantees under the ANGI Group Credit Agreement.
The $250.0 million ANGI Group Revolving Facility expires on November 5, 2023. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Facility. The annual commitment fee on undrawn funds is and is based on ANGI Group’s consolidated net leverage ratio most recently reported and was 35 basis points and 25 basis points at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Borrowings under the Revolving Facility bear interest, at ANGI Group’s option, at either a base rate or LIBOR, in each case plus an applicable margin, which is determined based on ANGI Group’s consolidated net leverage ratio.
Share Repurchase Authorizations and Activity
On March 9, 2020 and February 6, 2019, the Board of Directors of ANGI Homeservices authorized the Company to repurchase up to 20 million and 15 million shares of its common stock, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company repurchased 8.4 million shares, on a trade date basis, of its common stock at an average price of $7.45 per share, or $62.6 million in aggregate. From January 1, 2021 through February 4, 2021, the Company repurchased an additional 0.4 million shares at an average price of $11.85 per share, or $4.9 million in aggregate. The Company had 18.9 million shares remaining in its share repurchase authorization as of February 4, 2021. The Company may purchase shares over an indefinite
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period of time on the open market and in privately negotiated transaction, depending on those factors ANGI management deems relevant at any particular time, without limitation, market conditions, share price and future outlook.
Outstanding Stock-based Awards
The Company may settle equity awards on a gross or a net basis upon factors deemed relevant at the time.In connection with the Combination, previously issued stock appreciation rights related to the common stock of HomeAdvisor (US) were converted into ANGI stock appreciation rights that are settleable, at the Company’s option, on a net basis with ANGI remitting withholding taxes on behalf of the employee or on a gross basis with the Company issuing a sufficient number of Class A shares to cover the withholding taxes. In addition, at IAC’s option, these awards can be settled in either Class A shares of ANGI or shares of IAC common stock. If settled in IAC common stock, ANGI reimburses IAC in either cash or through the issuance of Class A shares to IAC. The Company currently settles all equity awards on a net basis.
Pursuant to the employee matters agreement, in the event of a distribution of ANGI capital stock to IAC stockholders in a transaction intended to qualify as tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Compensation Committee of the IAC Board of Directors has the exclusive authority to determine the treatment of outstanding IAC equity awards. Such authority includes (but is not limited to) the ability to convert all or part of IAC equity awards outstanding immediately prior to the distribution into equity awards denominated in shares of ANGI Class A Common Stock, which ANGI would be obligated to assume and which would be dilutive to ANGI’s stockholders.
The following table summarizes the aggregate intrinsic value of all awards outstanding as of January 29, 2021;assuming these awards were net settled on that date, the withholding taxes that would be paid by the Company on behalf of employees upon exercise or vesting that would be payable (assuming these equity awards are net settled with a 50% tax rate), and the shares that would have been issued are as follows:
(In thousands) (Shares in thousands)
ANGI
_______________
(a)The number of shares ultimately needed to settle these awards and the cash withholding tax obligation may vary significantly as a result of the determination of the fair value of the relevant subsidiary. In addition, the number of shares required to settle these awards will be impacted by movement in the stock price of ANGI.
(b)Includes stock options, RSUs and subsidiary denominated equity.
For a detailed description of employee stock-based awards, see “Note 11—Stock-based Compensation” to the financial statements included in “Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Capital and Other Expenditures
The Company’s 2021 capital expenditures are expected to be higher than 2020 capital expenditures of $52.5 million by approximately 40% to 45%, due primarily to the development of capitalized software to support products and services. The Company’s liquidity could be negatively affected by a decrease in demand for our products and services due to COVID-19 or other factors. As described in the “COVID-19 Update” section above, to date, the COVID-19 outbreak and measures designed to curb its spread have had an impact on the Company’s business. The longer the global outbreak and measures designed to curb the spread of the virus have adverse impacts on economic conditions generally, the greater the adverse impact is likely to be on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. The Company believes it has ample access to capital to navigate current and coming economic pressures.
The Company’s indebtedness could limit its ability to: (i) obtain additional financing to fund working capital needs, acquisitions, capital expenditures or debt service or other requirements; and (ii) use operating cash flow to make certain acquisitions or investments, in the event a default has occurred or, in certain circumstances, if ANGI Group’s leverage ratio
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exceeds the ratios set forth in the Term Loan. There were no such limitations at December 31, 2020. The Company’s ability to obtain additional financing may also be impacted by any disruptions in the financial markets caused by COVID-19 or otherwise.
The Company believes its existing cash, cash equivalents, marketable debt securities, available borrowings under the Revolving Facility and expected positive cash flows generated from operations will be sufficient to fund its normal operating requirements, including capital expenditures, debt service, the payment of withholding taxes paid on behalf of employees for net-settled stock-based awards, and investing and other commitments, for the foreseeable future.
At December 31, 2020, IAC held all Class B shares of ANGI which represent 84.3% of the economic interest and 98.2% of the voting interest of ANGI. As a result, IAC has the ability to control ANGI’s financing activities, including the issuance of additional debt and equity securities by ANGI or any of its subsidiaries, or the incurrence of other indebtedness generally. While ANGI is expected to have the ability to access debt and equity markets if needed, such transactions may require the approval of IAC due to its control of the majority of the outstanding voting power of ANGI’s capital stock and its representation on the ANGI board of directors. Additional financing may not be available on terms favorable to the Company or at all.
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CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2020
Payments Due by Period
(in thousands)
______________________________________________
(a)The Company has excluded $5.3 million in unrecognized tax benefits and related interest from the table above as we are unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate of the period in which these liabilities might be paid. For additional information on income taxes, see “Note 3—Income Taxes” to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
(b)Long-term debt at December 31, 2020 consists of $500.0 million of Senior Notes, which bear interest at a fixed rate of 3.875% and $220.0 million of the Term Loan, which bears interest at a variable rate. The Term Loan bore interest at LIBOR plus 2.00%, or 2.16%, at December 31, 2020. The amount of interest ultimately paid on the variable rate debt may differ based on changes in interest rates. For additional information on long-term debt, see “Note 7—Long-term Debt” to the financial statements included in “Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
(c)The Company leases office space, data center facilities and equipment used in connection with operations under various operating leases, the majority of which contain escalation clauses. Operating lease obligations include legally binding minimum lease payments for leases signed but not yet commenced. The Company is also committed to pay a portion of the related operating expenses under certain lease agreements. These operating expenses are not included in the table above. For additional information on operating leases, see “Note 13—Leases” to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
(d)The purchase obligations primarily consist of payments for advertising commitments and the Company’s allocable share of a three year cloud computing arrangement between IAC and a third party provider. For additional information on purchase obligations, see “Note 14—Commitments and Contingencies” to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
See the commitments section of “Note 14—Commitments and Contingencies” to the consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for additional information on our off-balance sheet arrangements.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The following disclosure is provided to supplement the descriptions of ANGI Homeservices’ accounting policies contained in “Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the consolidated financial statements included “Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in regard to significant areas of judgment. Management of the Company is required to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions during the preparation of its consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. These estimates, judgments and assumptions impact the reported amount of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses and the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Because of the size of the financial statement elements to which they relate, some of our accounting policies and estimates have a more significant impact on our financial statements than others. What follows is a discussion of some of our more significant accounting policies and estimates.
Credit Loss and Revenue Reserves
The Company makes judgments as to its ability to collect outstanding receivables and provides reserves when it has determined that all or a portion of the receivable will not be collected. The Company maintains a credit loss reserve to provide for the estimated amount of accounts receivable that will not be collected. The credit loss reserve is based upon a number of factors, including the length of time accounts receivable are past due, the Company’s previous loss history and the specific customer’s ability to pay its obligation to the Company. The term between the Company’s issuance of an invoice and payment due date is not significant. The Company also maintains reserves for potential revenue adjustments. The amounts of these reserves are based primarily upon historical experience. The carrying value of the credit loss and revenue reserves is $27.8 million and $20.3 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The provision for credit losses was $78.2 million and $64.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Business Combinations
Acquisitions, which are generally referred to in GAAP as business combinations, are an important part of the Company’s growth strategy. The Company invested $2.7 million and $20.3 million in acquisitions for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The purchase price of each acquisition is attributed to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair values at the date of acquisition, including identifiable intangible assets that either arise from a contractual or legal right or are separable from goodwill.
Management makes two critical determinations at the time of an acquisition, the reporting unit that will benefit from the acquisition and to which goodwill will be assigned and the allocation of the purchase price of the business to the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based upon their fair values. The reporting unit determination is important beyond the initial allocation of purchase price because future impairment assessments of goodwill, as described below, are performed at the reporting unit level. At October 1, 2020, the Company has two reporting units: North America and Europe. Historically, when the Company’s acquisitions have been complementary to these reporting units the goodwill has been assigned to either the North America or Europe reporting unit.
The allocation of purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their fair values is complex because of the judgments involved in determining these values. The determination of purchase price and the fair value of monetary assets acquired and liabilities assumed is typically the least complex aspect of the Company’s accounting for business combinations due to management’s experience and the inherently lower level of complexity. Due to the higher degree of complexity associated with the valuation of intangible assets, the Company usually obtains the assistance of outside valuation experts in the allocation of purchase price to the identifiable intangible assets acquired, which can be both definite-lived, such as acquired technology, customer and contractor relationships, or indefinite lived, such as acquired trade names and trademarks. While outside valuation experts may be used, management has ultimate responsibility for the valuation methods, models and inputs used and the resulting purchase price allocation. The excess purchase price over the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets is recorded as goodwill and is assigned to the reporting unit that is expected to benefit from the business combination as of the acquisition date.
Recoverability of Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
The carrying value of goodwill is $891.8 million and $884.0 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Indefinite-lived intangible assets, which consist of the Company’s acquired trade names and trademarks, have a carrying value of $171.9 million and $171.6 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
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Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are assessed annually for impairment as of October 1, or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit or the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset has declined below its carrying value. In performing its annual goodwill impairment assessment, the Company has the option under GAAP to qualitatively assess whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value; if the conclusion of the qualitative assessment is that there are no indicators of impairment, the Company does not perform a quantitative test, which would require a valuation of the reporting unit, as of October 1. GAAP provides a not all-inclusive set of examples of macroeconomic, industry, market and company specific factors for entities to consider in performing the qualitative assessment described above; management considers the factors it deems relevant in making its more likely than not assessments. While the Company also has the option under GAAP to qualitatively assess whether it is more likely than not that the fair values of its indefinite-lived intangible assets are less than their carrying values, the Company’s policy is to quantitatively determine the fair value of each of its indefinite-lived intangible assets annually as of October 1, in part, because the level of effort required to perform the quantitative and qualitative assessments is essentially equivalent.
If the conclusion of our qualitative assessment is that there are indicators of impairment and a quantitative test is required, the annual or interim quantitative test of the recovery of goodwill involves a comparison of the estimated fair value of the Company’s reporting unit that is being tested to its carrying value. If the estimated fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, goodwill of the reporting unit is not impaired. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, a goodwill impairment equal to the excess is recorded.
The Company’s annual assessment of the recovery of goodwill begins with management’s reassessment of its operating segments and reporting units. A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below an operating segment, which is referred to as a component. This reassessment of reporting units is also made each time the Company changes its operating segments. If the goodwill of a reporting unit is allocated to newly formed reporting units, the allocation is usually made to each reporting unit based upon their relative fair values.
For the Company’s annual goodwill test at October 1, 2020, a qualitative assessment of the North America and Europe reporting units’ goodwill was performed and the Company concluded it was more likely than not that the fair value of these reporting units was in excess of their respective carrying values. In the aggregate, ANGI Homeservices’ October 1, 2020 market capitalization of $5.5 billion exceeded its carrying value by approximately $4.3 billion. The primary factor that the Company considered in its qualitative assessment for its Europe reporting unit were valuations performed during 2020 that indicated a fair value in excess of the carrying value. The fair value based on the valuation that was most proximate to, but not as of, October 1, 2020 exceeded the carrying value of the Europe reporting unit by $131.4 million. The primary factor that the Company considered in its qualitative assessment for its North America reporting unit was the significant excess of the estimated fair value of the North America reporting unit over its carrying value. The fair value of the North America reporting unit was estimated by subtracting the fair value of the Europe reporting unit, based on the valuation described above, from the October 1, 2020 market capitalization of the Company; the estimated fair value of the North America reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by approximately $4.1 billion.