ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For a similar detailed discussion comparing fiscal 2021 and 2020, refer to Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations within our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2021. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed below. Factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below and those discussed in Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our MD&A is designed to provide a reader of our financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of our management on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and certain other factors that may affect our future results. Our MD&A is presented in the following sections:
•Executive Overview
•Annual Subscription Value ("ASV")
•Client and User Additions
•Employee Headcount
•Results of Operations
•Non-GAAP Financial Measures
•Liquidity and Capital Resources
•Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
•Foreign Currency
•Critical Accounting Estimates
•New Accounting Pronouncements
Executive Overview
FactSet Research Systems Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, "we," "our," "us," the "Company" or "FactSet") is a global financial data and analytics company with an open and flexible digital platform that drives the investment community to see more, think bigger and do its best work. Our strategy is to build the leading open content and analytics platform to deliver a differentiated advantage for our clients’ success.
For over 40 years, the FactSet platform has delivered expansive data, sophisticated analytics and flexible technology used by global financial professionals to power their critical investment workflows. As of August 31, 2022, we had more than 7,500 clients comprised of approximately 180,000 investment professionals, including asset managers, bankers, wealth managers, asset owners, channel partners, hedge funds, corporate users, private equity and venture capital professionals. Our on- and off-platform solutions span the investment lifecycle to include investment research, portfolio construction and analysis, trade execution, performance measurement, risk management and reporting. Our revenues are primarily derived from subscriptions to our multi-asset class data and solutions powered by our content refinery. Our products and services include workstations, portfolio analytics and enterprise solutions.
We provide financial data and market intelligence on securities, companies, industries and people to enable our clients to research investment ideas, as well as to analyze, monitor and manage their portfolios. We combine dedicated client service with open and flexible technology offerings, including a configurable desktop and mobile platform, comprehensive data feeds, cloud-based digital solutions and APIs. Our CGS business supports security master files relied on by the investment industry for critical front, middle and back office functions.
We drive our business based on our detailed understanding of our clients’ workflows, which helps us to solve their most complex challenges. We provide them with an open digital platform, connected and reliable data, next-generation workflow solutions and highly committed service specialists.
We operate our business through three segments: the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Refer to Note 18, Segment Information, in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion. For each of our segments, we execute our strategy through our three workflow solutions: Research & Advisory; Analytics & Trading; and CTS.
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Business Strategy
As the needs of our clients evolve, they seek personalized and connected data, tools for multi-asset class investing and reduced costs. Clients are also seeking cloud-based solutions, open and flexible systems and increased efficiencies to support their digital transformations.
Our strategy is to build the leading open content and analytics platform to deliver differentiated advantages for our clients’ success. To execute this strategy, we plan on:
•Growing our digital platform: We are scaling up our content refinery to offer a comprehensive and connected inventory of industry, proprietary and third-party data for the financial community. This data includes granular data for key industry verticals, private companies, wealth management, real-time data, and environmental, social and governance data ("ESG"). We are driving personalized workflow solutions for financial professionals, including asset managers, bankers, wealth managers, asset owners, channel partners, hedge funds, corporate users and private equity and venture capital professionals. We offer an open ecosystem with solutions and content that is accessible and flexible through a myriad of delivery methods. Our goal is to deliver cloud-based data and analytics to our clients, enabling them to more efficiently manage their workflows.
•Delivering execution excellence: We are building an agile organization that accelerates product creation and content collection. We offer new products designed for delivery via the cloud, making them highly efficient for our clients. We will continue to employ technology to accelerate the pace of content collection and drive expertise in complex data sets such as private companies, ESG and deep sector. Additionally, we are improving our price realization through consistent packaging and internal governance.
•Driving a growth mindset: To drive sustainable growth, we are recruiting, training and empowering a diverse and operationally efficient workforce. As a performance-based culture, we are investing in talent that can create leading technological solutions and efficiently execute our strategy. We use partnerships and acquisitions to accelerate our growth in strategic areas.
Our strategy centers on relentless focus on our clients and their FactSet experience. We aim to be a trusted partner and service provider, offering personalized digital products powered by cognitive computing to research ideas and uncover relevant insights. Additionally, we continually evaluate business opportunities such as partnerships and acquisitions to increase our capabilities and competitive differentiation.
We are focused on growing our global business through three segments: the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. We believe this geographical strategic alignment helps us better manage our resources, target our solutions and interact with our clients. We further execute on our growth strategy by offering data, products and analytical applications within our three workflow solutions: Research & Advisory; Analytics & Trading; and CTS.
Fiscal 2022 Year in Review
Revenues for the fiscal year 2022 was $1.8 billion, an increase of 15.9% from the prior year. Revenues increased across our operating segments, primarily in the Americas, followed by EMEA and Asia Pacific, supported by increased revenues from each of our workflow solutions, mainly in CTS, followed by Research & Advisory and Analytics and Trading and our annual price increase. Organic revenues contributed to 9.8% of the growth during fiscal 2022, compared with the prior year period. Refer to Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Non-GAAP Financial Measures of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a reconciliation between revenues and organic revenues.
As of August 31, 2022, organic annual subscription value ("Organic ASV") plus Professional Services totaled $1.8 billion, an increase of 9.3% over the prior year. Organic ASV increased across all our segments, with the majority of the increase related to the Americas, followed by EMEA and Asia Pacific, supported by increases in our workflow solutions, mainly Research & Advisory and Analytics & Trading, followed by CTS. Refer to Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of
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Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Annual Subscription Value of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the definitions of Organic ASV and Organic ASV plus Professional Services.
Operating income for the fiscal year 2022 increased 0.3%, compared with the prior year period. Operating margin decreased in fiscal 2022 to 25.8%, compared with 29.8% for fiscal 2021. Operating margin decreased primarily due to impairment charges related to vacating certain leased office space and higher amortization of intangible assets, primarily from the CGS acquisition, partially offset by growth in revenues and lower employee compensation expense, when expressed as a percentage of revenue. Diluted earnings per share ("EPS") decreased 1.1% compared with the prior year.
Our clients and users reached new highs of 7,538 and 179,982, respectively, in fiscal 2022. We returned $144.6 million to stockholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends paid during fiscal 2022.
As of August 31, 2022, our employee count was 11,203, up 2.9% in the past 12 months, due primarily to an increase in net new employees of 4.5% in Asia Pacific and 2.1% in EMEA, partially offset by a decrease of 1.6% in the Americas.
We garnered multiple awards in 2022, with honors spanning multiple workflows, including research, risk, performance, trading and wealth management. We were recognized by over thirty industry awards and rankings reports, including winning four categories in WatersTechnology’s 2022 Inside Market Data & Inside Reference Data awards, Snowflake Marketplace Partner of the Year and Waters Rankings 2022 Best Data Analytic Provider.
CUSIP Global Services Acquisition
On December 24, 2021, we entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CGS, previously operated by S&P Global Inc. on behalf of the American Bankers Association ("ABA"), for $1.932 billion in cash, inclusive of working capital adjustments. The acquisition was completed on March 1, 2022. CGS manages a database of 60 different data elements uniquely identifying more than 50 million global financial instruments. It is the foundation for security master files relied on by critical front, middle and back office functions. CGS is the exclusive provider of Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures ("CUSIP") and CUSIP International Number System ("CINS") identifiers globally and also acts as the official numbering agency for International Securities Identification Number ("ISIN") identifiers in the United States. We believe that the CGS acquisition will significantly expand our critical role in the global capital markets. Revenues from CGS are recognized based on geographic business activities in accordance with how our operating segments are currently aligned. CGS functions as part of CTS.
The purchase price for the CGS acquisition was financed from the net proceeds of the issuance of the Senior Notes and borrowings under the 2022 Credit Facilities. Refer to Note 6, Acquisitions andNote 12, Debt for more information on these defined terms as well as our acquisition of CGS, the Senior Notes and the 2022 Credit Facilities.
COVID-19 Update
A novel strain of coronavirus, now known as COVID-19 ("COVID-19"), was first reported in December 2019, with the World Health Organization characterizing COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented a business continuity plan with a dedicated incident management team to respond quickly and provide ongoing guidance so that we could continue offering our clients uninterrupted products, services and support while also protecting our employees. We believe these actions have been successful and that the pandemic, and our responses, have not significantly affected our financial results during fiscal 2022.
At the outset of the pandemic, we required the vast majority of our employees at our offices across the globe (including our corporate headquarters) to work remotely and implemented global travel restrictions for our employees. Since that time, we have re-opened our offices globally with a focus on safety, while acting consistently with applicable local regulations. As of August 31, 2022, there have been minimal interruptions in our ability to provide our products, services and support to our clients. Working remotely has had relatively little impact on the productivity of our employees, including our ability to gather content. Based on our success working in a remote environment during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented a new work standard under which employees in many of our locations, where permitted by local laws and regulations, and where the role permits, have the opportunity to choose between different work arrangements. These include working in a hybrid arrangement, where an employee can split time between working from the office and working from a pre-approved remote location, or a fully remote arrangement, where an employee can work entirely from a pre-approved remote location.
Our revenues, earnings and ASV are relatively stable and predictable as a result of our subscription-based business model. To date, the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a material negative impact on our revenues, earnings or ASV. As we continue to work in remote and hybrid environments, reductions in discretionary spending, particularly travel and entertainment, have more than offset any related increased expenses. Given our transition to our new work standard, we anticipate that many of these
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expense reductions will continue going forward, including incurring less travel and entertainment spending than we did pre-pandemic. We also reassessed our real estate footprint in light of these new work arrangements and have exited office space that we believe will no longer be necessary. For the year ended as of August 31, 2022, we recognized $62.2 million in impairment charges related to vacating certain leased office space to resize our real estate footprint for the hybrid work environment. While we will continue to evaluate our real estate needs, we expect that this initiative is largely complete, and we do not currently anticipate additional similarly-sized real estate impairment charges as part of the reduction of our real estate footprint.
Refer to Part I, Item 1. Business, Human Capital Management, How We Work and Item 1A. Risk Factors, Operational Risks of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion of the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business.
Ukraine/Russia Conflict
As the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, we are closely monitoring the current and potential impact on our business, our people and our clients. We have taken all necessary steps to ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory restrictions on international trade and financial transactions. We have discontinued all commercial operations and delivery of products and services to clients inside Russia; have terminated all contracts with vendors in Russia; and have suspended all new business, trials and prospecting activities in Russia. Total revenues associated with clients in Russia were not material to our consolidated financial results, and termination of Russian vendors has not had a material impact on our business or client relationships. We have no offices in Russia or Ukraine, and none of our employees or contractors has been directly impacted by the crisis. We are monitoring the regional and global ramifications of the events in the area, are in close contact with our office in Latvia, and are reviewing our business continuity plans to ensure that we are prepared in the event this office is impacted. Our cybersecurity teams are ready to respond in the event of any attempted systems compromise.
Annual Subscription Value ("ASV")
We believe ASV reflects our ability to grow recurring revenues and generate positive cash flow and is the key indicator of the successful execution of our business strategy.
–"ASV" at any point in time represents our forward-looking revenues for the next 12 months from all subscription services currently being supplied to clients, excluding revenues from Professional Services.
–"Organic ASV" at any point in time equals our ASV excluding ASV from acquisitions and dispositions completed within the last 12 months and the effects of foreign currency movements on the current year period.
–"Professional Services" are revenues derived from project-based consulting and implementation, annualized over the past 12 months.
–"Organic ASV plus Professional Services" at any point in time equals the sum of Organic ASV and Professional Services.
Organic ASV plus Professional Services
The following table presents the calculation of Organic ASV plus Professional Services as of August 31, 2022. With proper notice provided as contractually required, our clients can add to, delete portions of, or terminate service, subject to certain limitations.
(in millions) As of August 31, 2022
As reported ASV plus Professional Services(1) $ 2,002.1
Currency impact(2) 5.1
Acquisition ASV(3) (170.2)
Organic ASV plus Professional Services $ 1,837.0
Organic ASV plus Professional Services growth rate 9.3 %
(1)Includes $24.0 million in Professional Services as of August 31, 2022.
(2)The impact from foreign currency movements.
(3)Acquired ASV from acquisitions completed within the last 12 months.
As of August 31, 2022, Organic ASV plus Professional Services was $1.8 billion, an increase of 9.3% compared with August 31, 2021. The increase in year-over-year Organic ASV was largely attributable to increased sales to existing clients, followed by new client sales and existing client price increases, partially offset by existing client cancellations.
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Organic ASV increased across all our geographic segments with the majority of the increase related to the Americas, followed by EMEA and Asia Pacific. This increase was driven by additional sales in our workflow solutions, primarily in Research & Advisory and Analytics & Trading, followed by CTS. Sales increased in Research & Advisory mainly due to higher demand for our workstations. Sales increased in Analytics & Trading mainly from our performance and reporting products, portfolio analytics solutions and portfolio and benchmark services. CTS sales increased primarily due to purchases of company financial data, such as fundamentals, estimates and ownership, along with data management solutions to empower data connectivity.
Segment ASV
As of August 31, 2022, ASV from the Americas represented 64% of total ASV and was $1,262.4 million, an increase from $1,039.4 million as of August 31, 2021. Americas Organic ASV increased to $1,135.3 million as of August 31, 2022, a 9.3% increase compared with August 31, 2021.
As of August 31, 2022, ASV from EMEA equaled 26% of total ASV and was $515.3 million, an increase from $450.0 million as of August 31, 2021. EMEA Organic ASV increased to $486.0 million as of August 31, 2022, an 8.4% increase compared with August 31, 2021.
As of August 31, 2022, ASV from Asia Pacific comprised 10% of total ASV and was $200.4 million, an increase from $174.7 million as of August 31, 2021. Asia Pacific Organic ASV increased to $191.7 million as of August 31, 2022, a 12.0% increase compared with August 31, 2021.
The increased Organic ASV in the Americas was primarily driven by increased sales of Research & Advisory and Analytics & Trading. The EMEA organic ASV increase was mainly driven by higher sales of Research & Advisory, Analytics & Trading and CTS. The Asia Pacific organic ASV increase was primarily due to increased sales of Analytics & Trading and Research & Advisory.
Buy-side and Sell-side Organic ASV Growth
The buy-side and sell-side Organic ASV growth rates at August 31, 2022, compared with August 31, 2021, were 8.5% and 13.8%, respectively. Buy-side clients account for approximately 83% of our organic ASV, consistent with the prior year period, and primarily include asset managers, wealth managers, asset owners, channel partners, hedge funds and corporate firms. The remainder of our Organic ASV is derived from sell-side firms and primarily include broker-dealers, banking and advisory, private equity and venture capital firms.
Client and User Additions
The table below presents our total clients and users:
As of and for theYear Ended August 31,
(1)The client count includes clients with ASV of $10,000 and above.
Our total client count was 7,538 as of August 31, 2022, a net increase of 16.8%, or 1,085 clients in the last 12 months, mainly due to an increase in corporate clients, wealth management clients, and private equity and venture capital firms. We believe this increase is primarily due to our continued focus on our on- and off-platform workflow-focused solutions, connected content and client-focused services.
As of August 31, 2022, there were 179,982 professionals using FactSet, representing a net increase of 11.8%, or 19,050 users, in the last 12 months, primarily driven by an increase in wealth advisory professionals from our wealth management clients, as well as an increase in sell-side users from our banking clients. The increase in users was mainly due to new wealth management clients, improvement in our client retention and increased new hiring at our banking clients.
Annual ASV retention was greater than 95% of ASV for the period ended August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021. When expressed as a percentage of clients, annual retention was approximately 92% for the period ended August 31, 2022, an improvement from approximately 91% for the period ended August 31, 2021.
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Employee Headcount
As of August 31, 2022, our employee headcount was 11,203, an increase of 2.9% compared with 10,892 employees as of August 31, 2021. This growth in headcount was due to an increase in net new employees of 4.5% in Asia Pacific and 2.1% in EMEA, partially offset by a decrease of 1.6% in the Americas. At August 31, 2022, 7,401 employees were located in Asia Pacific, 2,400 in the Americas and 1,402 in EMEA.
Results of Operations
For an understanding of the significant factors that influenced our performance during fiscal 2022 and 2021, the following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The following table summarizes the results of operations for the periods described:
Years ended August 31,
(in thousands, except share and per share data) 2022 2021 $ Change % Change
Diluted weighted average common shares 38,736 38,570
Diluted earnings per common share $ 10.25 $ 10.36 $ (0.11) (1.1) %
Revenues
Revenues in fiscal 2022 was $1.8 billion, an increase of 15.9% compared to the prior year. This increase in revenues was largely attributed to increased sales to existing clients, new client sales and existing client price increases, partially offset by existing client cancellations. Revenues increased across all our segments, primarily from the Americas, followed by EMEA and Asia Pacific, driven by increased revenues in all our workflow solutions, mainly in CTS, followed by Research & Advisory and Analytics & Trading, compared with the prior year. Organic revenues increased to $1.7 billion for the fiscal year ended 2022, a 9.8% increase over the prior year period. Refer to Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Non-GAAP Financial Measures of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion on organic revenues.
The growth in revenues of 15.9% was reflective of organic revenues growth of 9.8% and a 6.6% increase primarily due to the impact of acquisition-related revenues, partially offset by a 0.5% decrease from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
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Revenues by Segment
The following table summarizes our revenues by segment for the periods described:
Years ended August 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021 $ Change % Change
% of revenues 10.0 % 9.8 %
Americas revenues increased 16.5% to $1,173.9 million in fiscal 2022, compared with $1,008.0 million from the same period a year ago. The increased revenues were mainly due to increased sales in all of our workflow solutions, primarily in CTS, followed by Research & Advisory and Analytics & Trading. The revenues growth of 16.5% was due to organic revenues growth of 8.6% and a 7.9% increase due to the impact of acquisition-related revenues.
EMEA revenues increased 13.2% to $484.3 million in fiscal 2022, compared with $427.7 million from the same period in the prior year. This revenues growth was mainly due to increased sales in all of our workflow solutions, primarily in CTS, followed by Research & Advisory and Analytics & Trading. The EMEA revenues growth of 13.2% was driven by organic revenues growth of 10.0% and a 4.2% increase due to the impact of acquisition-related revenues, partially offset by a 1.0% decrease from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
Asia Pacific revenues increased 19.2% to $185.7 million in fiscal 2022, compared with $155.7 million from the same period in the prior year. This revenues growth was mainly due to increased sales in all of our workflow solutions, primarily in CTS, followed by Research & Advisory and Analytics & Trading. The Asia Pacific revenues growth of 19.2% was due mainly to organic revenues growth of 17.2% and a 4.3% increase in acquisition-related revenues, partially offset by a 2.3% decrease from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
Revenues by Workflow Solution
The growth in revenues of 15.9% for fiscal 2022, compared with the same period a year ago, was due to growth in revenues across our segments supported by increased revenues from our workflow solutions, primarily from CTS, followed by Research & Advisory and Analytics & Trading. The increase in CTS revenues was driven mainly by CUSIP related data licensing and issuance revenues and sales of company financial data, such as fundamentals, estimates and ownership. The increase in Research & Advisory revenues was driven mainly by higher demand for our workstations. The increase in revenues from Analytics & Trading was primarily due to increased demand for our performance and reporting products and portfolio analytics solutions.
Operating Expenses
Principal Operating Costs and Expenses
Cost of services is mainly comprised of employee compensation costs and also includes costs primarily related to data costs, computer-related expenses, amortization of identifiable intangible assets, royalty fees, client-related communication costs and computer depreciation.
Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") consist primarily of employee compensation costs and also includes expenses related to occupancy costs, professional fees, depreciation of furniture and fixtures, amortization of leasehold improvements, travel and entertainment expenses, marketing costs, non-compensatory employee expenses, internal communication costs and bad debt expense.
Employee compensation costs are a major component of both our cost of services and SG&A. These expenses primarily include costs related to salaries, incentive compensation and sales commissions, stock-based compensation, benefits, employment taxes, and any applicable restructuring costs.
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We assign employee compensation costs between costs of services and SG&A based on the roles and activities associated with each employee. We categorize employees within the content collection, consulting, product development, software and systems engineering groups as cost of services personnel. Employees included in our sales department and those that serve in various other support departments, including marketing, business development, finance, legal, human resources and administrative services, are classified as SG&A.
Asset impairments consist primarily of expenses recognized when the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its fair value.
The following table summarizes the components of our total operating expenses and operating margin for the periods described:
(in thousands) Years ended August 31,
Cost of Services
Cost of services increased 10.8% to $871.1 million in fiscal 2022 compared with $786.4 million in the same period a year ago, primarily due to an increase in amortization of intangible assets, computer-related expenses, royalty fees, data costs and employee compensation expense.
Cost of services, when expressed as a percentage of revenues, was 47.2% during fiscal 2022, a decrease of 220 basis points over the prior year period. This decrease was primarily due to lower employee compensation costs, computer depreciation and data costs, partially offset by higher amortization of intangible assets, royalty fees and computer-related expenses.
•Employee compensation costs decreased 430 basis points primarily due to a reduction in salaries related to a shift from high to low cost locations, an increase in stock-based compensation expense and an increase in year-over-year variable compensation, partially offset by a net increase in employee headcount of 120 employees
•Computer depreciation expense decreased by 40 basis points as certain network equipment was fully depreciated during fiscal 2022, with less replacement equipment needed due to our migration to cloud-based hosting services.
•Data costs decreased by 30 basis points due to revenue growth outpacing the cost of content.
•Amortization of intangible assets increased 140 basis points mainly due to increased amortization related to acquired intangible assets, primarily from the CGS acquisition, and increased amortization from capitalized internal-use software.
•Royalty fees increased cost of services 90 basis points due to contracts acquired in connection with the acquisition of CGS.
•Computer-related expenses increased 60 basis points due to increased spend from our migration to cloud-based hosting services and licensed software arrangements.
Selling, General and Administrative
SG&A expenses increased 30.8% to $433.0 million during fiscal 2022, compared with $331.0 million from the same period a year ago, primarily due to higher employee compensation expense and professional fees.
SG&A expenses, expressed as a percentage of revenues, were 23.5% in fiscal 2022, an increase of 270 basis points over the prior year period. This increase was primarily due to higher professional fees and employee compensation expense.
•Professional fees increased 80 basis points, primarily driven by costs incurred in connection with the acquisition of CGS.
•Employee compensation expense increased 70 basis points, primarily due to increased variable compensation, a net increase in SG&A employee headcount of 191, increased stock-based compensation expense and higher annual base salaries.
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•Occupancy costs decreased 60 basis points mainly driven by vacating leased office space resulting in the recognition of asset impairment charges of our lease right-of-use ("ROU") asset during fiscal 2022. This impairment accelerated the recognition of lease expense, thereby reducing occupancy costs recorded over the remaining lease terms.
Asset Impairments
Asset impairments incurred during fiscal 2022 were $64.3 million, or 3.5% when expressed as a percentage of revenues. This asset impairment charge included $62.2 million related to our lease ROU assets and property, equipment and leasehold improvements associated with vacating certain leased office space to resize our real estate footprint for the hybrid work environment. We fully impaired our lease ROU assets for locations we vacated, with no intention to sublease. For locations we intend to sublease, we recognized an impairment when the estimated fair value of the lease ROU asset was less than its carrying value. Substantially all the property, equipment and leasehold improvements associated with the vacated lease office space was fully impaired as there are no expected future cash flows for these items.
Operating Income and Operating Margin
Operating income increased 0.3% to $475.5 million in fiscal 2022, compared with $474.0 million in the prior year. This increase was primarily due to growth in revenues of 15.9%, largely offset by higher operating expenses due mainly to impairment charges related to vacating certain leased office space and higher employee compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, computer-related expenses, professional fees and data costs. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, net of hedge activity, decreased operating income by $3.1 million.
Operating margin decreased in fiscal 2022 to 25.8%, compared with 29.8% for fiscal 2021. Operating margin decreased primarily due to impairment charges related to vacating certain leased office space and higher amortization of intangible assets, royalty fees, professional fees and computer-related expenses, when expressed as a percentage of revenues, partially offset by growth in revenues and lower employee compensation expense, occupancy costs, computer depreciation and data costs, when expressed as a percentage of revenues.
Operating Income by Segment
Our internal financial reporting structure is based on three segments: the Americas; EMEA; and Asia Pacific. Refer to Note 18, Segment Information, for further discussion regarding our segments. The following table summarizes our operating income by segment for the periods described:
Years ended August 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021 $ Change % Change
Americas
Americas operating income decreased 27.1% to $159.1 million during fiscal 2022, compared with $218.2 million from the prior year. This decrease is primarily due to asset impairments, higher employee compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, computer-related expenses, professional fees, and royalty fees, partially offset by growth in revenues of 16.5%.
•Asset impairments include $62.2 million related to our lease ROU assets and property, equipment and leasehold improvements associated with vacating certain leased office space to resize our real estate footprint for the hybrid work environment.
•Employee compensation expense increased primarily due to increased variable compensation, higher stock compensation expense and an increase in annual base salary, partially offset by a decrease in net employee headcount of 39.
•Amortization of intangible assets primarily increased due to amortization related to acquired intangible assets primarily from the CGS acquisition and increased amortization from capitalized internal-use software.
•Computer-related expenses increased primarily due to increased spend from our migration to cloud-based hosting services and licensed software arrangements.
•Professional fees increased primarily due to costs incurred in connection with the acquisition of CGS.
•Royalty fees increased due to contracts acquired in connection with the acquisition of CGS.
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EMEA
EMEA operating income increased 22.9% to $196.2 million during fiscal 2022, compared with $159.7 million from the prior year. This increase was primarily due to growth in revenues of 13.2%, a decrease in amortization of intangible assets and a decrease in bad debt expense, partially offset by asset impairments. Amortization of intangible assets decreased as certain acquired intangible assets were fully amortized during fiscal 2022. The asset impairments related to vacating certain leased office space to resize our real estate footprint for the hybrid work environment and impacted both our lease ROU assets and property, equipment and leasehold improvements balances.
Asia Pacific
Asia Pacific operating income increased 24.9% to $120.1 million during fiscal 2022, compared with $96.2 million from the prior year. The increase in Asia Pacific operating income was mainly due to growth in revenues of 19.2%, partially offset by an increase in employee compensation expense. Employee compensation expense increased mainly due to higher annual base salaries due to a net increase in employee headcount of 321 and increased variable compensation.
Income Taxes
Years ended August 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021 $ Change % Change
Our effective tax rate is based on recurring factors and non-recurring events, including the taxation of foreign income. Our effective tax rate will vary based on, among other things, changes in levels of foreign income, as well as discrete and other non-recurring events that may not be predictable. Our effective tax rate is lower than the applicable U.S. corporate income tax rate for fiscal 2022 driven mainly by research and development ("R&D") tax credits, a foreign derived intangible income ("FDII") deduction and a tax benefit from the exercise of stock options.
The fiscal 2022 provision for income taxes decreased 31.4% to $46.7 million, compared with $68.0 million in fiscal 2021. This decrease was primarily driven by lower pretax income and $11.7 million in higher tax benefits from the exercise of stock options for fiscal 2022, compared with the prior year period.
Net Income and Diluted Earnings per Share
Years ended August 31,
(in thousands, except for per share data) 2022 2021 $ Change % Change
Diluted earnings per common share $ 10.25 $ 10.36 $ (0.11) (1.1) %
Net income decreased 0.7% to $396.9 million and diluted EPS decreased 1.1% to $10.25 for fiscal 2022, compared with fiscal 2021. Net income and diluted EPS decreased primarily due to an increase in operating expenses and interest expense related to our debt refinancing, partially offset by higher revenues and a reduction in the provision for income taxes, compared with the prior year period. Diluted EPS also decreased due to a 0.2 million increase in our diluted weighted average shares outstanding.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement the financial measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"), we use non-GAAP financial measures including organic revenues, adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin, adjusted net income, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted diluted EPS. The reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP are show in the tables below. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures reported in accordance with GAAP. Moreover, these non-GAAP financial measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all the items associated with the operations of the business as determined in
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accordance with GAAP. Other companies may calculate similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures differently that we do, limiting the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes.
Despite the limitations of these non-GAAP financial measures, we believe these adjusted financial measures and the information they provide are useful in viewing our performance using the same tools that management uses to gauge progress in achieving our goals. Adjusted measures may also facilitate comparisons to our historical performance.
Organic revenues exclude revenue related to acquisitions and dispositions completed in the last 12 months, the amortization of deferred revenues' fair value adjustments from purchase accounting related to acquisitions prior to fiscal 2022, and the impacts of foreign currency movements on the current year period. Acquisitions during fiscal 2022 were accounted for in accordance with our adoption of ASU No. 2021-08; as such, the deferred revenues did not include a fair value adjustment. Refer to Note 2, Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information on ASU No. 2021-08.
The table below provides an unaudited reconciliation of revenues to adjusted revenues and organic revenues.
Twelve Months EndedAugust 31,
(In thousands) 2022 2021 $ Change % Change
Deferred revenues fair value adjustment(1) 25 539 (514) (95.4) %
(1)The amortization effect of the purchase accounting adjustment related to the fair value of acquired deferred revenues. Acquisitions during fiscal 2022 were accounted for in accordance with our adoption of ASU No. 2021-08; as such, the deferred revenues did not include a fair value adjustment.
(2)Revenues from acquisitions completed within the last 12 months.
(3)The impact from foreign currency movements over the past 12 months.
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The table below provides an unaudited reconciliation of operating income, operating margin, net income and diluted EPS to adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin, adjusted net income, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted diluted EPS.
Twelve Months Ended
(In thousands, except per share data) 2022 2021 Change
Deferred revenues fair value adjustment 25 539
Business acquisition costs 20,608 —
Contingent Liability 3,610 —
Adjusted operating margin(1) 33.9 % 32.5 %
Deferred revenues fair value adjustment 22 456
Business acquisition costs 18,151 —
Contingent Liability 3,180 —
Depreciation and amortization expense 86,683 64,476
Real estate charges 62,205 —
Diluted earnings per common share $ 10.25 $ 10.36 (1.1) %
Deferred revenues fair value adjustment — 0.01
Intangible asset amortization 1.11 0.51
Business acquisition costs 0.47 —
Restructuring / severance 0.23 0.11
Contingent Liability 0.08 —
Adjusted diluted earnings per common share(3) $ 13.43 $ 11.20 19.9 %
Weighted average common shares (Diluted) 38,736 38,570
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(1)Adjusted operating margin is calculated as adjusted operating income divided by adjusted revenues as shown in the organic revenue table above.
(2)Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as the sum of EBITDA and non-recurring, non-cash charges.
(3)For purposes of calculating adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjustments were taxed at the annual effective tax rates of 12.3% for fiscal 2022 and 17.8% for fiscal 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our cash flows provided by operating activities, existing cash and cash equivalents, supplemented with our long-term debt borrowings, have been sufficient to fund our operations while allowing us to invest in activities that support the long-term growth of our operations. Generally, some or all of the remaining available cash flow has been used to among other things, service our existing and future debt obligations, satisfy our working capital requirements and fund our capital expenditures, investments, acquisitions, dividend payments and repurchases of our common stock. Based on past performance and current expectations, we believe our sources of liquidity, including the available capacity under our existing revolving credit facility and other financing alternatives, will provide us the necessary capital to fund these transactions and achieve our planned growth for the next 12 months and the foreseeable future.
Sources of Liquidity
Long-Term Debt
2022 Credit Agreement
On March 1, 2022, we entered into a credit agreement (the "2022 Credit Agreement") which provides for a senior unsecured term loan credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $1.0 billion (the "2022 Term Facility") and a senior unsecured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $500.0 million (the "2022 Revolving Facility" and, together with the 2022 Term Facility, the "2022 Credit Facilities"). The 2022 Term Facility matures on March 1, 2025, and the 2022 Revolving Facility matures on March 1, 2027. The 2022 Revolving Facility allows for the availability of up to $100.0 million in the form of letters of credit and up to $50.0 million in the form of swingline loans. We may seek additional commitments under the 2022 Revolving Facility from lenders or other financial institutions up to an aggregate principal amount of $750.0 million.
On March 1, 2022, we borrowed $1.0 billion under the 2022 Term Facility and $250.0 million of the available $500.0 million under the 2022 Revolving Facility. We are required to pay a commitment fee on the daily unused amount of the 2022 Revolving Facility using a pricing grid, which remained at 0.125% through August 31, 2022. The commitment fee can fluctuate between 0.10% and 0.25% per annum based upon our senior unsecured non-credit enhanced long-term debt rating and our total leverage ratio.
We used these borrowings, along with the net proceeds from the issuance of the Senior Notes (as defined below) and cash on hand, to finance the consideration for the CGS acquisition, to repay borrowings under the 2019 Credit Agreement (as defined below) and to pay related transaction fees, costs and expenses.
During the third quarter of 2022, we incurred approximately $9.5 million in debt issuance costs related to the 2022 Credit Facilities. Debt issuance costs are presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability. Debt issuance costs are amortized to Interest expense, net in the Consolidated Statements of Income over the contractual term of the debt on a straight-line basis, which approximates the effective interest method.
Loans under the 2022 Term Facility are subject to scheduled amortization payments on the last day of each fiscal quarter, commencing with August 31, 2022 and ending on the last such day to occur prior to the maturity date. Each amortization payment is equal to 1.25% of the original principal amount of the 2022 Term Facility. Any remaining outstanding principal will be repaid in full on March 1, 2025, the maturity date of the 2022 Term Facility. The 2022 Credit Facilities are not otherwise subject to any mandatory prepayments. We may voluntarily prepay loans under the 2022 Credit Facilities at any time without premium or penalty. Prepayments of the 2022 Term Facility shall be applied to reduce the subsequent scheduled amortization payments in direct order of maturity. During fiscal 2022, we repaid $250.0 million under the 2022 Term Facility, inclusive of voluntary prepayments of $237.5 million.
The 2022 Credit Agreement provides that loans denominated in U.S. dollars, at our option, will bear interest at either (i) the one-month Term SOFR (with a 0.1% credit spread adjustment and subject to a "zero" floor), (ii) the Daily Simple SOFR (with a 0.1% credit spread adjustment and subject to a "zero" floor) or (iii) an alternate base rate. Under the 2022 Credit Agreement, loans denominated in Pounds Sterling will bear interest at the Daily SONIA (subject to a "zero" floor) and loans denominated in Euros will bear interest at the EURIBOR (subject to a "zero" floor), in each case, plus an applicable interest rate margin. The
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interest rate margin will fluctuate based upon our senior unsecured non-credit enhanced long-term debt rating and our total leverage ratio.
For fiscal 2022, the outstanding borrowings under the 2022 Credit Facilities bore interest at rates equal to the applicable one-month Term SOFR rate plus a 1.1% spread (comprised of a 1.0% interest rate margin based on a debt leverage pricing grid plus 0.1% credit spread adjustment). The spread remained consistent through August 31, 2022.
The 2022 Credit Agreement contains usual and customary event of default provisions for facilities of this type, which are subject to usual and customary grace periods and materiality thresholds. If an event of default occurs under the 2022 Credit Agreement, the lenders may, among other things, terminate their commitments and declare all outstanding borrowings immediately due and payable.
Refer to Note 12, Debt for further discussion of the 2022 Credit Agreement.
Senior Notes
On March 1, 2022 we completed a public offering of $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2.900% Senior Notes due March 1, 2027 (the “2027 Notes”) and $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 3.450% Senior Notes due March 1, 2032 (the “2032 Notes” and, together with the 2027 Notes, the “Senior Notes”). The Senior Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of March 1, 2022, by and between us and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee (the "Trustee"), as supplemented by the supplemental indenture, dated as of March 1, 2022, between us and the Trustee (the "Supplemental Indenture").
The Senior Notes were issued at an aggregate discount of $2.8 million, and during the third quarter of 2022 we incurred approximately $9.1 million in debt issuance costs related to the Senior Notes. Debt discounts and debt issuance costs are presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as a net direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability. The debt discounts and debt issuance costs are amortized to Interest expense, net in the Consolidated Statements of Income over the contractual term of the debt, leveraging the effective interest method.
The 2027 Notes and the 2032 Notes will mature on March 1, 2027 and March 1, 2032, respectively. Interest on the Senior Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on March 1 and September 1 of each year, beginning September 1, 2022.
We may redeem the Senior Notes, in whole or in part, at any time at specified redemption prices, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. The Senior Notes are unsecured unsubordinated obligations, and will be effectively subordinated to any of our existing and future secured obligations, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such obligations.
Upon the occurrence of a change of control triggering event (as defined in the Supplemental Indenture), we must offer to repurchase the Senior Notes at 101% of their principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest.
2022 Swap Agreement
On March 1, 2022, we entered into the 2022 Swap Agreement to hedge a portion of our outstanding floating SOFR rate debt with a fixed interest rate of 1.162%. Refer to Note 5, Derivative Instruments in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for defined terms and more information on the 2022 Swap Agreement.
2019 Credit Agreement
On March 29, 2019, we entered into a credit agreement, as the borrower, with PNC Bank, National Association ("PNC"), as the administrative agent and lender (the "2019 Credit Agreement"), which provided for a $750.0 million revolving credit facility (the "2019 Revolving Credit Facility").
We borrowed $575.0 million of the available $750.0 million provided by the 2019 Revolving Credit Facility. Borrowings under the 2019 Revolving Credit Facility bore interest on the outstanding principal amount at a rate equal to the daily LIBOR plus a spread using a debt leverage pricing grid. Interest on the amounts outstanding under the 2019 Revolving Credit Facility was payable quarterly, in arrears, and on the maturity date.
During fiscal 2019, we incurred approximately $0.9 million in debt issuance costs related to the 2019 Credit Agreement. These costs were capitalized as debt issuance costs and were amortized into Interest expense, net in the Consolidated Statements of Income ratably over the term of the 2019 Credit Agreement.
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The 2019 Credit Agreement contained covenants and requirements restricting certain of our activities, which were usual and customary for this type of loan. In addition, the 2019 Credit Agreement required that we maintain a consolidated net leverage ratio, as measured by total net funded debt/EBITDA (as defined in the 2019 Credit Agreement), below a specified level as of the end of each fiscal quarter.
As of March 1, 2022, we repaid in full and terminated the 2019 Credit Agreement. Refer to Note 12, Debt in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information on the termination.
Uses of Liquidity
Returning Value to Shareholders
We returned $144.6 million and $382.6 million to stockholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends paid during fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Dividends
During fiscal 2022 and 2021, we paid dividends of $125.9 million and $117.9 million, respectively. Our dividends per share increased 8.5% during fiscal 2022 compared to fiscal 2021, which marked the 23rd consecutive year we have increased dividends, highlighting our continued commitment to returning value to stockholders. Future cash dividends will depend on our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition and other factors considered relevant by us and is subject to final determination by our Board of Directors.
Share Repurchase Program
As of August 31, 2022, a total of $181.3 million remained authorized for future share repurchases under our share repurchase program. There is no defined number of shares to be repurchased over a specified timeframe through the life of the program. We may repurchase shares of our common stock under the program from time-to-time in the open market and privately negotiated transactions, subject to market conditions.
For the year ended August 31, 2022, we repurchased 46,200 shares for $18.6 million compared with 797,385 shares for $264.7 million for the year ended August 31, 2021. Beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 2022, we suspended our share repurchase program until at least the second half of fiscal 2023, with the exception of potential minor repurchases to offset dilution from grants of equity awards or repurchases to satisfy withholding tax obligations due upon the vesting of stock-based awards. The suspension of our share repurchase program allows us to prioritize the repayment of debt under the 2022 Credit Facilities. Refer to Note 12, Debt for more information on the 2022 Credit Facilities.
Capital Expenditures
For the year ended August 31, 2022, capital expenditures decreased by 16.6% to $51.2 million, compared with $61.3 million during the same period a year ago. Capital expenditures decreased primarily due to costs incurred for the build-out of our office space in the Philippines during the year ended August 31, 2021, partially offset by higher expenditures related to peripherals for our office space in India during the year ended August 31, 2022.
Acquisitions
During fiscal 2022 and 2021, we completed acquisitions of several businesses, with the most significant cash flows related to the acquisitions of CGS, Cobalt Software, Inc. ("Cobalt") and Truvalue Labs, Inc. ("TVL").
CUSIP Global Services
On March 1, 2022, we completed the acquisition of CGS, previously operated by S&P Global Inc. on behalf of the ABA, for a cash purchase price of $1.932 billion, inclusive of working capital adjustments. CGS manages a database of 60 different data elements uniquely identifying more than 50 million global financial instruments. It is the foundation for security master files relied on by critical front, middle and back office functions. CGS is the exclusive provider of Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures ("CUSIP") and CUSIP International Number System ("CINS") identifiers globally and also acts as the official numbering agency for International Securities Identification Number ("ISIN") identifiers in the United States and as a substitute number agency for more than 35 other countries. We believe that the CGS acquisition will significantly expand our critical role in the global capital markets.
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Cobalt Software, Inc.
On October 12, 2021, we acquired all of the outstanding shares of Cobalt for a purchase price of $50.0 million, net of cash acquired and inclusive of working capital adjustments. Cobalt is a leading portfolio monitoring solutions provider for the private capital industry. This acquisition advances our strategy to scale our data and workflow solutions through targeted investments as part of our multi-year investment plan and expands our private markets offering.
Truvalue Labs, Inc.
On November 2, 2020, we acquired all of the outstanding shares of TVL for a purchase price of $41.9 million, net of cash acquired. TVL is a leading provider of ESG information. TVL applies artificial intelligence driven technology to over 100,000 unstructured text sources in multiple languages, including news, trade journals, and non-governmental organizations and industry reports, to provide daily signals that identify positive and negative ESG behavior. The acquisition of TVL further enhances our commitment to providing industry leading access to ESG data across our platforms.
Refer to Note 6, Acquisitions,in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion of the CGS, Cobalt and TVL acquisitions.
Contractual Obligations
Purchase obligations represent our legally-binding agreements to purchase fixed or minimum quantities at determinable prices. As of August 31, 2022 and 2021, we had total purchase obligations with suppliers of $373.9 million and $191.9 million, respectively. Our total purchase obligations at the end of both fiscal years primarily related to hosting services and data content. Hosting services support our technology investments related to our migration to cloud-based hosting services, the majority of which rely on third-party hosting providers. Data content is an integral component of the value we provide to our clients. Additional commitments relate primarily to third-party software providers. We also have contractual obligations related to our lease liabilities and outstanding debt. Refer to Note 11, Leases and Note 12, Debt for information regarding lease commitments and outstanding debt obligations, respectively.
Summary of Cash Flows
The table below, for the periods indicated, provides selected cash flow information:
Years ended August 31,
(in thousands) 2022 2021 $ Change % Change
Cash and cash equivalents aggregated to $503.3 million as of August 31, 2022, compared with $681.9 million as of August 31, 2021. Our cash and cash equivalents decreased $178.6 million during the twelve months ended August 31, 2022. This decrease was primarily due to cash outflows of $1,981.6 million for the acquisition of businesses, $825.0 million of debt repayments related to the termination of the 2019 Credit Agreement and partial repayment of the 2022 Term Facility, $125.9 million in dividend payments, $51.2 million of capital expenditures and $18.6 million in share repurchases. These cash outflows were partially offset by inflows of $2,238.4 million from the issuance of new debt related to our 2022 Credit Facilities and Senior Notes, $538.3 million from net cash provided by operating activities and $86.0 million in proceeds from the exercise of employee stock options.
Our cash and cash equivalents are held in numerous locations throughout the world, with $221.1 million in the Americas, $199.6 million in EMEA (predominantly in the UK) and the remaining $82.6 million in Asia Pacific (predominantly in the Philippines and India) as of August 31, 2022. We are permanently reinvested in all foreign unremitted earnings, except in jurisdictions where earnings can be repatriated substantially free of tax.
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Operating
For fiscal 2022, net cash provided by operating activities was $538.3 million, compared with $555.2 million for fiscal 2021, a decrease of $16.9 million. This decrease was primarily driven by the timing of tax payments in certain jurisdictions and higher accounts receivable due to increased sales and an increase in days sales outstanding.
Investing
For fiscal 2022, net cash used in in investing activities was $2,033.7 million, compared with $136.0 million for fiscal 2021, an increase of $1,897.7 million. This increase was primarily driven by higher spend on acquisitions of $1,923.6 million mainly related to the cash purchase of CGS for $1,931.5 million, inclusive of working capital adjustments, and the cash purchase of Cobalt for $50.0 million, net of cash acquired and inclusive of working capital adjustments, during the twelve months ended August 31, 2022, compared with the cash purchase of TVL for $41.9 million, net of cash acquired, in the prior year period. The increase in net cash used in investing was partially offset by a decrease in net purchases of investments (net of proceeds) of $15.7 million and a decrease in capital expenditures of $10.2 million compared with the prior year period.
Financing
For fiscal 2022, net cash inflow from financing activities was $1,339.2 million, compared with a net cash outflow of $322.7 million for fiscal 2021, an increase of $1,661.9 million. This cash inflow was mainly driven by $2,238.4 million in proceeds received from the 2022 Credit Facilities and Senior Notes, a $246.1 million reduction in repurchases of common stock, and a $21.9 million increase in proceeds from employee stock plans, partially offset by the repayment of $825.0 million of debt related to the termination of the 2019 Credit Agreement and partial repayment of the 2022 Term Facility.
Free Cash Flow
We define free cash flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, as cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property, equipment, leasehold improvements and capitalized internal use software. We believe free cash flow is a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business that, after capital expenditures, can be used for strategic opportunities, including returning value to shareholders, investing in our business, making strategic acquisitions, and strengthening the balance sheet. Free cash flow should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, consolidated net income as a measure of our performance and net cash provided by operating activities as a measure of our liquidity.
The following table reconciles our net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow:
Years ended August 31,
(1)Capital expenditures are included in net cash used in investing activities during each fiscal period reported and include property, equipment, leasehold improvements and capitalized internal-use software.
During fiscal 2022, we generated free cash flow of $487.1 million, compared with $493.9 million in fiscal 2021. This decrease of $6.8 million was primarily due to a $16.9 million decrease in operating cash flows, partially offset by a $10.2 million decrease in capital expenditures. The operating cash flows decrease was primarily driven by the timing of tax payments in certain jurisdictions and an increase in days sales outstanding. Capital expenditures decreased primarily due to costs incurred for the build-out of our office space in the Philippines during fiscal 2021, partially offset by higher peripherals for our office space primarily in India during fiscal 2022.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
At August 31, 2022 and 2021, we had no off-balance sheet financing or other arrangements with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships (such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities) established for purposes of facilitating off-balance sheet financing other debt arrangements, or other contractually limited purposes.
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Foreign Currency Exposure
As we operate globally, we are exposed to the risk that our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be impacted by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. To mitigate this foreign currency exposure, we entered into a series of forward contracts to hedge a portion of our foreign currency exposures related to the British Pound Sterling, Euro, Indian Rupee, and Philippine Peso ranging from 25% to 75% over their respective hedged periods as of August 31, 2022.
During fiscal 2022, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, net of hedge activity, decreased operating income by $3.1 million, compared with a $5.4 million decrease to operating income in the prior year. The current foreign currency forward contracts are set to mature at various points between the first quarter of fiscal 2023 through the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. A loss on foreign currency forward contracts of $7.9 million was recorded into operating income during fiscal 2022, compared with a gain of $5.0 million in fiscal 2021.
The following table summarizes the gross notional value of foreign currency forward contracts to purchase British Pound Sterling, Euros, Indian Rupees and Philippine Pesos with U.S. dollars:
Critical Accounting Estimates
We prepare the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP, which requires us to make certain estimates and apply judgements that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures. We base our estimates on historical experience and other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable at the time the Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared and, as such, they may ultimately differ materially from actual results.
We describe our significant accounting policies in Note 2, Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We disclose the development and selection of our critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. The critical accounting estimates and judgments that we believe to have the most significant impacts to our Consolidated Financial Statements are described below.
Income Taxes
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Our tax provision is an estimate based on our understanding of laws in federal, state and foreign tax jurisdictions. These laws can be complicated and are difficult to apply to any business. The tax laws also require us to allocate our taxable income to many jurisdictions based on subjective allocation methodologies and information collection processes. Our effective tax rates differ from the statutory rate primarily due to the impact of state taxes, foreign operations, research and development ("R&D") and other tax credits, tax audit settlements, the tax benefit from stock option exercises and the foreign derived intangible income ("FDII") tax deduction.
Our provision for income taxes is subject to volatility and could be adversely impacted by numerous factors such as changes in tax laws, regulations, or accounting principles, including accounting for uncertain tax positions or interpretations of them. Significant judgment is required to determine recognition and measurement. Further, as a result of certain ongoing employment and capital investment actions and commitments, our income in certain countries is subject to reduced tax rates and in some cases is wholly exempt from tax. Our failure to meet these commitments could adversely affect our provision for income taxes. In addition, we are subject to the continuous examination of our income tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes. There can be no assurance that the outcomes from these continuous examinations will not have an adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition.
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To account for unrecognized tax benefits, we first determine whether it is more likely than not (defined as a likelihood of more than 50%) that a tax position will be sustained based on its technical merits as of the reporting date. A tax position that meets this more likely than not threshold is then measured and recognized at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely to be realized upon effective settlement with a taxing authority. The determination of liabilities related to unrecognized tax benefits, including associated interest and penalties, requires significant estimates. There can be no assurance that we will accurately predict the outcomes of these audits, however, we have no reason to believe that such audits will result in the payment of additional taxes and/or penalties that would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial position, beyond current estimates. For this reason and due to ongoing audits by multiple tax authorities, we regularly engage in discussions and negotiations with tax authorities regarding tax matters in various jurisdictions. We adjust these reserves in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the closing of a tax audit or the refinement of an estimate. To the extent that the final outcome of these matters is different than the amounts recorded, such differences will affect the provision for income taxes in the period in which such determination is made. We do not currently anticipate that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will significantly change within the next 12 months.
We accrue interest on all tax exposures for which reserves have been established consistent with jurisdictional tax laws. This interest is classified as income tax expense in the financial statements.
Refer to Note 10, Income Taxes in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Stock-based Compensation
We measure compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to our employees and board of directors ("non-employees") using the Black-Scholes model or the lattice-binomial-option pricing model to estimate the grant-date fair value. Both models involve certain estimates and subjective assumptions regarding our stock price volatility, the expected life of the award, the term selected for the risk-free rate, and the expected dividend yield. The binomial model also incorporates market conditions, vesting restrictions and exercise patterns.
Our performance-based equity awards require management to make assumptions regarding the probability of achieving the relevant performance condition, which is reviewed on a quarterly basis. The number of performance-based awards that vest will be predicated on achieving performance levels during the measurement period subsequent to the date of grant.
We estimate expected forfeitures of equity awards at the date of grant and recognize compensation expense only for those awards expected to vest. The forfeiture assumption is revised if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.
The assumptions we use to calculate and account for stock-based compensation awards represent management's best estimates, which involve inherent uncertainties. As a result, if we revise our assumptions and estimates, our stock-based compensation expense could differ from amounts recorded. Refer to Note 16, Stock-Based Compensation in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill is assigned to one or more reporting units on the date of acquisition. Our reporting units are the same as our reportable segments. Goodwill is not amortized as it is estimated to have an indefinite life. We test our goodwill for impairment annually during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of any one of our reporting units below its respective carrying amount.
We may elect to perform a qualitative analysis for the reporting units to determine whether it is more likely (a likelihood of more than 50%) than not the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. In performing a qualitative assessment, we consider such factors as macro-economic conditions, industry and market conditions in which we operate, including the competitive environment and significant changes in demand for our services. We also consider the share price both in absolute terms and in relation to peer companies. If the qualitative analysis indicates that it is more likely than not the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount or if we elect not to perform a qualitative analysis, a quantitative analysis is performed to determine whether a goodwill impairment exists.
The quantitative goodwill impairment analysis is used to identify potential impairment by comparing the carrying amount of a reporting unit with its fair value, by applying the income approach, utilizing the discounted cash flow method, along with other relevant market information. An impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, if any, would be recognized. The loss recognized would not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.
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Our identifiable intangible assets are classified as an ABA business process, client relationships, software technology, developed technology, acquired databases, data content, and trade names resulting from acquisitions or capitalization of costs related to on-premises internal-use software. We amortize intangible assets over their estimated useful lives, which are evaluated annually to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining period of amortization. If the estimate of the remaining useful life is changed, the remaining carrying amount of the intangible asset is amortized prospectively over that revised remaining useful life.
Intangible assets are tested for impairment qualitatively on a quarterly basis. An impairment is recognized if the carrying amount is not recoverable and exceeds the fair value of the asset. Recoverability is determined by comparing the carrying amount of the intangible asset to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. Significant judgment is involved in determining the assumptions used in estimating future cash flows. If it is determined that the intangible asset is not recoverable, the impairment loss would be calculated based on the excess of the carrying amount of the intangible asset over its fair value.
Refer to Note 8, Goodwill and Note 9, Intangible Assets in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
Business Combinations
We account for business combinations using the purchase method of accounting. The acquisition purchase price is allocated to the underlying identified, tangible and intangible assets and liabilities assumed, based on their respective estimated fair values on the acquisition date. The excess of the purchase consideration over the fair values of the identified assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill and assigned to one or more reporting units. The amounts and useful lives assigned to acquisition-related tangible and intangible assets impact the amount and timing of future amortization expense. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and the expected useful life, requires management’s judgment and often involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including assumptions with respect to future cash inflows and outflows, discount rates, asset lives and market multiples, among other items. Acquisition-related expenses and restructuring costs, if any, are recognized separately from the business combination and are expensed as incurred.
Long-lived Assets
We perform a qualitative review on a quarterly basis of our long-lived assets, comprised of property, equipment and leasehold improvements. In evaluating long-lived assets for recoverability, we use our best estimate of future cash flows (undiscounted and excluding interest charges). If the estimated future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that such asset's carrying value exceeds its fair value, based on the most appropriate valuation technique, including discounted cash flows.
In determining indicators for impairment, we take various factors into account, including, but not limited to, a significant decline in our expected future cash flows, changes in expected useful life, unanticipated competition, slower growth rates, ongoing maintenance and improvements of the assets, or changes in the usage or operating performance. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred and in calculating the inputs to the impairment calculation such as estimates related to future cash flows and asset fair values, forecasting asset useful lives and selecting the discount rate that reflects the risk inherent in future cash flows. If actual results are not consistent with our estimates and assumptions included in our impairment assessment, we may be exposed to losses that could be material.
Refer to Note 7, Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Contingencies
We are subject to various legal proceedings, claims and litigation that have arisen in the ordinary course of business, which involve inherent uncertainties. Assessing the probability of loss for such contingencies and determining how to accrue the appropriate liabilities requires judgment. If actual results differ from our assessments, our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows would be affected.
New Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to Note 2, Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a full description of recent accounting pronouncements, including the expected dates of adoption.
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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
In the normal course of business, we are exposed to foreign currency exchange risk and interest rate risk that could impact our financial position and results of operations. Current market events have not required us to modify materially or change our financial risk management strategies with respect to our exposures to foreign currency exchange risk or interest rate risk.
Foreign Currency Transaction Risk
We operate on a global basis and are exposed to the risk that our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be impacted by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. To mitigate the volatility and uncertainty of our exchange rate risk, we entered into foreign currency forward contracts with major institutions related to our primary currencies of the British Pound Sterling, Euro, Indian Rupee and Philippine Peso. These forward contracts are designed to hedge anticipated foreign currency transaction exposure ranging from 25% to 75% over the hedge term. We do not enter into cash flow hedges for trading or speculative purposes.
The changes in fair value for these foreign currency forward contracts are initially reported as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss ("AOCL") and subsequently reclassified into operating expenses when the hedged exposure affects earnings.
During fiscal 2022, we recognized a loss on foreign currency forward contracts of $7.9 million, compared with a gain of $5.0 million in fiscal 2021. During fiscal 2022, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, net of hedge activity, decreased operating income by $3.1 million, compared with a decrease of $5.4 million in fiscal 2021.
As of August 31, 2022, a hypothetical 10% weaker U.S. dollar would have increased the fair value of our outstanding foreign currency forward contracts by $14.5 million. If we had no hedges in place as of August 31, 2022, with operating results and exchange rates held constant in local currency, the same hypothetical 10% weaker U.S. dollar against all foreign currencies would have resulted in a decrease in operating income by $39.0 million.
Refer to Note 5, Derivative Instruments in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information on our foreign currency exposures and our foreign currency forward contracts.
Foreign Currency Translation
We are exposed to foreign currency risk due to the translation of our results from certain international operations into U.S. Dollars, as part of the consolidation process. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates can create volatility in the results of operations and our financial condition. We recorded a translation loss of $74.7 million and a gain of $0.8 million in AOCL for the years ended August 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Interest Rate Risk
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Investments
As of August 31, 2022 we had Cash and cash equivalents of $503.3 million and Investments of $33.2 million. Our Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and highly liquid investments including demand deposits and money market funds and our Investments consist of mutual funds. We are exposed to interest rate risk through fluctuations of interest rates on our investments. As we have a restrictive investment policy, our financial exposure to fluctuations in interest rates is expected to remain low. Refer to Note 2, Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information on our cash and cash equivalents.
Debt
2022 Credit Agreement
On March 1, 2022, we borrowed $1.0 billion under the 2022 Term Facility and $250.0 million of the available $500.0 million under the 2022 Revolving Facility. As of August 31, 2022 we had an outstanding principal balance of $750.0 million under the 2022 Term Facility and $250.0 million under the 2022 Revolving Facility. The outstanding borrowings under the 2022 Credit Facilities bore interest at rates equal to the applicable one-month Term SOFR rate plus a 1.1% spread (comprised of a 1.0% interest rate margin based on a debt leverage pricing grid plus 0.1% credit spread adjustment). The spread remained consistent through August 31, 2022.
The variable rate of interest on our debt creates exposure to interest rate volatility due to changes in SOFR. To mitigate this risk, on March 1, 2022, we entered into the 2022 Swap Agreement with a notional amount of $800.0 million, to hedge a portion of our SOFR rate debt with a fixed interest rate of 1.162%. The notional amount of the 2022 Swap Agreement declines by
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$100.0 million on a quarterly basis as of May 31, 2022 and is maturing on February 28, 2024. As of August 31, 2022, the notional amount was $600.0 million.
Thus, our exposure is limited to fluctuations in SOFR related to our outstanding SOFR borrowings in excess of amounts not hedged, or $400.0 million of our outstanding principal balance. Assuming all terms of our outstanding long-term debt remained the same, a hypothetical 25 basis point change (up or down) in the one-month SOFR would result in a $1.0 million change to our annual interest expense.
Refer to Note 12, Debt for more information on our outstanding borrowings as of August 31, 2022.
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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements Page
Management’s Statement of Responsibility for Financial Statements 44
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting 44
Consolidated Financial Statements:
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements 55
Financial Statement Schedule:
Schedule II – Valuation and Qualifying Accounts 92
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Management’s Statement of Responsibility for Financial Statements
Our management prepares and is responsible for the fairness, integrity and objectivity of our Consolidated Financial Statements. The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and include amounts based on our management’s estimates and judgments. All financial information in this Report on Form 10-K has been presented on a basis consistent with the information included in the accompanying financial statements.
Our policies and practices reflect corporate governance initiatives that are compliant with the listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Stock Market and the corporate governance requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Our management, with oversight by our Board of Directors, has established and maintains a strong ethical climate so that our affairs are conducted to the highest standards of personal and corporate conduct.
We maintain accounting systems, including internal accounting controls, designed to provide reasonable assurance of the reliability of financial records and the protection of assets. The concept of reasonable assurance is based on recognition that the cost of a system should not exceed the related benefits. The effectiveness of those systems depends primarily upon the careful selection of financial and other managers, clear delegation of authority and assignment of accountability, inculcation of high business ethics and conflict-of-interest standards, policies and procedures for coordinating the management of corporate resources, and the leadership and commitment of top management. In compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we assessed our internal control over financial reporting as of August 31, 2022 and issued a report (see below).
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for FactSet. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management (with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer) conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
In accordance with the guidance issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission, companies are permitted to exclude acquisitions from their first assessment of internal control over financial reporting following the date of acquisition. Based on those guidelines, our management's assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting excluded CUSIP Global Services ("CGS"), which we acquired in the third quarter of fiscal 2022. Excluding goodwill and intangible assets, CGS represented 5% percent of our total assets as of August 31, 2022 and 5% percent of our consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022. Refer to Note 6, Acquisitions, for additional information on the CGS acquisition.
Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of August 31, 2022. Ernst & Young LLP (PCAOBID: 42), an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the
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effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and has issued a report on our internal control over financial reporting, which is included in their report on the subsequent page.
/s/ F. PHILIP SNOW /s/ LINDA S. HUBER
F. Philip Snow Linda S. Huber
Chief Executive Officer Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of FactSet Research Systems Inc. (the Company) as of August 31, 2022 and 2021, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended August 31, 2022, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 8 (collectively referred to as the “Consolidated Financial Statements”). In our opinion, the Consolidated Financial Statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at August 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended August 31, 2022, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of August 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated October 21, 2022 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
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Measurement of income tax provision
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Valuation of Intangible Assets from Business Acquisition
/s/Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2013.
Stamford, CT
October 21, 2022
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited FactSet Research System Inc.’s (the Company) internal control over financial reporting as of August 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of August 31, 2022, based on the COSO criteria.
As indicated in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, management’s assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include the internal controls of CGS, which are included in the 2022 Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company and constituted 5% of total assets, excluding goodwill and other intangible assets, net, as of August 31, 2022 and 5% of consolidated total revenues for the year then ended. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of the Company also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of CGS.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the 2022 Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company and our report dated October 21, 2022, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Stamford, CT
October 21, 2022
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FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Income
(in thousands, except per share data) For the years ended August 31,
Operating expenses
Other income (expense), net
Diluted earnings per common share $ 10.25 $ 10.36 $ 9.65
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
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FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
(in thousands) For the years ended August 31,
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Net unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges* 5,245 (504) 674
Foreign currency translation adjustment gains (losses) (74,666) 835 34,577
*For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the net unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges disclosed above were net of a tax expense of $1,657 thousand, tax benefit of $162 thousand, and a tax expense of $251 thousand, respectively.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
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FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share data) August 31,
ASSETS
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 91,214 50,625
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements, net 80,843 131,377
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 108,395 $ 85,777
Deferred revenues, non-current 7,212 8,394
Commitments and contingencies (see Note 13)
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
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FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands) Years ended August 31,
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from maturity or sale of investments — 2,176 6,746
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Repayment of debt (825,000) — —
Payments of debt issuance costs (9,736) — —
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
Supplemental Disclosure of Non-Cash Transactions
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
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FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity
Shares Par Value Shares Amount
Other comprehensive loss 331 331
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Page
Note 1 Description of Business 55
Note 2 Significant Accounting Policies 56
Note 3 Revenue Recognition 62
Note 4 Fair Value Measures 62
Note 5 Derivative Instruments 65
Note 6 Acquisitions 67
Note 7 Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements 69
Note 8 Goodwill 70
Note 9 Intangible Assets 70
Note 10 Income Taxes 71
Note 13 Commitments and Contingencies 79
Note 14 Stockholders' Equity 80
Note 15 Earnings Per Share 82
Note 16 Stock-Based Compensation 82
Note 17 Employee Benefit Plans 86
Note 18 Segment Information 86
1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
FactSet Research Systems Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, "we," "our," "us," the "Company" or "FactSet") is a global financial data and analytics company with an open and flexible digital platform that drives the investment community to see more, think bigger, and do its best work. Our strategy is to build the leading open content and analytics platform to deliver a differentiated advantage for our clients’ success.
For more than 40 years, the FactSet platform has delivered expansive data, sophisticated analytics, and flexible technology used by global financial professionals to power their critical investment workflows. As of August 31, 2022, we had more than 7,500 clients comprised of approximately 180,000 investment professionals, including asset managers, bankers, wealth managers, asset owners, channel partners, hedge funds, corporate users, private equity and venture capital professionals. Our on- and off-platform solutions span the investment lifecycle to include investment research, portfolio construction and analysis, trade execution, performance measurement, risk management and reporting. Our revenues are primarily derived from subscriptions to our multi-asset class data and solutions powered by our connected content ("content refinery"). Our products and services include workstations, portfolio analytics and enterprise solutions.
We provide financial data and market intelligence on securities, companies, industries and people to enable our clients to research investment ideas, as well as to analyze, monitor and manage their portfolios. We combine dedicated client service with open and flexible technology offerings, including a configurable desktop and mobile platform, comprehensive data feeds, cloud-based digital solutions and application programming interfaces ("APIs"). Our CGS business supports security master files relied on by the investment industry for critical front, middle and back office functions.
We drive our business based on our detailed understanding of our clients’ workflows, which helps us to solve their most complex challenges. We provide them with an open digital platform, connected and reliable data, next-generation workflow solutions and highly committed service specialists.
We operate our business through three reportable segments ("segments"): the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Refer to Note 18, Segment Information, for further discussion. For each of our segments, we execute our strategy through three workflow solutions: Research & Advisory; Analytics & Trading; and Content & Technology Solutions ("CTS").
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2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
We conduct business globally and manage our business on a geographic basis. The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") for annual financial information and the instructions to Form 10-K and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include our accounts and those of our wholly-owned subsidiaries; all intercompany activity and balances have been eliminated.
The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date that the financial statements were issued.
Reclassification
We reclassified a fiscal 2020 comparative figure related to the impairment of an investment in a company from Selling, general and administrative to Asset impairments in the Consolidated Statement of Income to conform to the current year's presentation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates may have been made in areas that include income taxes, stock-based compensation, goodwill and intangible assets, business combinations, long-live assets and contingencies. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Revenue Recognition
The majority of our revenues are derived from client access to our multi-asset solutions powered by our suite of connected content available over the contractual term (referred to as the "hosted platform"). The hosted platform is a subscription-based service that provides client access to various combinations of products and services including workstations, portfolio analytics, and enterprise solutions. We also provide subscription access to a database of universally recognized identifiers reflecting differentiating characteristics for issuers and their financial instruments (referred to as the "identifier platform").
We determined that the majority of each of our hosted platform and identifier platform services represents a single performance obligation covering a series of distinct products and services that are substantially the same and that have the same pattern of transfer to the client. The primary nature of the promise to the client is to provide daily access to each of these data and analytics platforms, with revenue recognized over-time as performance is satisfied on an output time-based measure of progress, as the client is simultaneously receiving and consuming the benefits of the platform.
We record deferred revenues when cash payments are received or we have a contractual right to bill in advance.
Stock-Based Compensation
We measure compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to employees and members of our board of directors ("non-employees"), using the Black-Scholes model or the lattice-binomial option-pricing model ("binomial model") to calculate the grant-date fair value. Both models involve several assumptions, including the expected term of the awards, volatility of our common stock, risk-free interest rates and our dividend yield.
We rely on the Black-Scholes model for our non-employee options, non-employee restricted stock units and common stock acquired under our employee stock purchase plan and the binomial model for our employee stock options, employee restricted stock units and employee performance share units. The binomial model incorporates market conditions, vesting restrictions and exercise patterns.
For restricted stock units and performance share units, the grant date fair value is measured by reducing the grant date price of our common stock by the present value of the dividends expected to be paid on the underlying stock during the requisite service period, discounted at the appropriate risk-free interest rate.
For stock-based awards with service conditions, we use the straight-line method to recognize compensation expense over the requisite service period. For stock-based awards that also include performance conditions, the graded vesting method is used to
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determine compensation expense over the requisite service period if achievement of the performance condition is determined to be probable, which is reviewed on a quarterly basis. Compensation expense for all stock-based awards is recorded net of estimated forfeitures which are based on historical forfeiture rates and revised if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.
For our employee stock purchase plan, compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the offering period.
Research and Product Development Costs
We do not have a separate research and product development ("R&D") department, but rather these costs primarily consist of non-compensatory employee expenses, such as salaries and related benefits for our product development, software engineering and technical support departments and certain third parties, collaborating with our strategists, product and content managers, technologists, sales and other team members to develop new products and process innovations and enhance existing products. Our R&D costs are expensed as incurred and are primarily recorded in employee compensation costs (included in our Cost of services and SG&A expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income). We incurred research and product development costs of $255.1 million, $250.1 million and $224.0 million during fiscal years 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Income Taxes
We account for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which they are expected to be realized or settled. Deferred tax assets are evaluated for future realization and reduced by a valuation allowance to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized.
We recognize tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We classify the liability for unrecognized tax benefits as Taxes Payable (non-current) and to the extent that we anticipate payment of cash within one year, the benefit will be classified as Taxes Payable (current) in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
We accrue interest on all tax exposures for which reserves have been established consistent with jurisdictional tax laws, and classify this interest as income tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and highly liquid investments including demand deposits and money market funds available for withdrawal without restriction or with original maturities of 90 days or less. The carrying value of our cash and cash equivalents approximates fair value.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount, net of an allowance for any potential uncollectible amounts. Our accounts receivable includes unbilled receivables that are short-term in nature and expected to be billed and earned within one year. We evaluate our allowance to include expected credit losses and collectability trends based on a variety of factors, including our historical write-off activity, current economic environment, customer-specific information and expectations of future economic conditions. Our allowance is recorded to SG&A in the Consolidated Statements of Income and we assess the adequacy of the allowance on a quarterly basis. Recoveries of accounts previously reserved are recognized as a reversal to SG&A when payment is received. We write-off account balances when we have exhausted our collection efforts.
Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Property and equipment is depreciated based on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, ranging from three to five years for computers and related equipment and seven years for furniture and fixtures. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of their respective useful lives or the related lease term. Repairs and maintenance expenditures, which are not considered leasehold improvements and do not extend the useful life of the property and equipment, are expensed as incurred.
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We perform a qualitative review of the carrying amount of our property, equipment and leasehold improvements on a quarterly basis. Should projected undiscounted future cash flows be less than the carrying amount of the asset or asset group, an impairment charge reducing the carrying amount to fair value is required.
Goodwill
Goodwill at the reporting unit level is tested for impairment annually, and more frequently if impairment indicators exist. Goodwill is deemed to be impaired and written-down in the period in which the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value. We have three reporting units, Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific, which are consistent with our operating segments.
We may first elect to perform a qualitative analysis for the reporting units to determine whether it is more likely (a likelihood of more than 50 percent) than not the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. In performing a qualitative assessment, we consider such factors as macro-economic conditions, industry and market conditions in which we operate, including the competitive environment and significant changes in demand for our services. We also consider the share price both in absolute terms and in relation to peer companies.
If the qualitative analysis indicates that it is more likely than not the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount or if we elect not to perform a qualitative analysis, a quantitative analysis is performed to determine whether a goodwill impairment exists. The quantitative goodwill impairment analysis is used to identify potential impairment by comparing the carrying amount of a reporting unit with its fair value, by applying the income approach, utilizing the discounted cash flow method, along with other relevant market information. The annual review of carrying value of goodwill requires us to develop estimates of future business performance. These estimates are used to derive expected cash flows and include assumptions regarding future sales levels and the level of working capital needed to support a given business. The discounted cash flow model also includes a determination of our weighted average cost of capital by reporting unit. Cost of capital is based on assumptions about interest rates, as well as a risk-adjusted rate of return required by our equity investors. Changes in these estimates can impact present value of expected cash flows used in determining fair value of a reporting unit. An impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, if any, would be recognized. The loss recognized would not exceed total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.
We performed our annual goodwill impairment test during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 utilizing a qualitative analysis and concluded it was more likely than not the fair value of each reporting unit was greater than its respective carrying value and no impairment charge was required.
Intangible Assets
Acquired Intangible Assets
Our identifiable intangible assets are classified as an ABA business process, client relationships, software technology, developed technology, acquired databases, data content and trade names resulting from previous acquisitions. We amortize intangible assets over their estimated useful lives, which are evaluated annually to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining period of amortization. If the estimate of the remaining useful life is changed, the remaining carrying amount of the intangible asset is amortized prospectively over that revised remaining useful life. Amortizable intangible assets are tested for impairment qualitatively on a quarterly basis, based on undiscounted cash flows, and, if impaired, written down to fair value based on discounted cash flows. The intangible assets have no assigned residual values.
Internally Developed Software
Our developed technology intangible also includes capitalized internal and external costs incurred during the application development stage related to developing, modifying or obtaining software for internal-use. Costs related to software upgrades and enhancements are capitalized if it is determined that these upgrades or enhancements provide additional functionality to the software. The capitalized software is amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the software, generally three to five years. These assets are subject to the impairment test guidance specified in the acquired intangible assets disclosure above.
Leases
Our lease portfolio consists of operating leases primarily related to our office space. We determine if an arrangement qualifies as a lease at inception by evaluating if there is an identified asset and whether we obtain substantially all the economic benefits of and have the right to control the use of an asset. For operating leases with a term greater than one year, we recognize operating lease assets and lease liabilities as the present value of future minimum lease payments (including fixed lease payments and certain qualifying index-based variable payments) over the reasonably certain lease term beginning at the
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commencement date. Certain adjustments to our lease right-of-use ("ROU") assets may be required due to prepayments, lease incentives received and initial direct costs incurred. Operating leases are included in operating Lease right-of-use assets, net, Current lease liabilities and Long-term lease liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Our leases generally do not have a readily determinable implicit rate, therefore we use our incremental borrowing rate ("IBR") at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of future payments and subsequently reassessed upon a modification to the lease arrangement. Our IBR is derived by selecting U.S. corporate yield curves observed for public companies that are reflective of our credit rating adjusted to approximate a secured rate of borrowing. We also consider revisions to the rate to reflect the geographic location where the leased asset is located.
Certain of our lease agreements include options to extend and options to terminate the lease, which we do not include in our minimum lease terms unless management is reasonably certain to exercise. We account for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component, which we recognize over the expected term on a straight-line expense basis in occupancy costs (a component of SG&A expense). Variable lease payments are not included in the calculation of the lease ROU asset and lease liability and are recognized as occupancy costs and expensed as incurred.
We review our lease assets for impairment when there is an indication that the asset may no longer be recoverable. The impairment assessment requires significant judgments and estimates, including estimated subtenant rental income, discount rates and future cash flows based on our experience and knowledge of the market in which the property is located, previous efforts to dispose of similar assets and the assessment of existing market conditions. Impairments are recognized as a reduction to the carrying value of the Lease right-of-use assets, net with a corresponding increase to Asset impairments on our Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Income, respectively.
Accrued Compensation
Compensation costs primarily include costs related to salaries, incentive compensation and sales commissions, equity compensation costs, benefits, employment taxes, and any applicable restructuring costs. A significant portion of these costs are discretionary. We review our accrued compensation estimates on a quarterly basis to adjust our accruals, taking into account, among other thing, our financial results, how our overall performance tracks against management’s expectations, the individual employee's performance and historical performance.
Derivative Instruments
Foreign Currency Forward Contracts
We conduct business outside the U.S. in several currencies. Our primary currency exposures include the British Pound Sterling, Euro, Indian Rupee, and Philippine Peso. As such, we are exposed to movements in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar. We utilize derivative instruments (foreign currency forward contracts) to manage the exposures related to the effects of foreign exchange rate fluctuations in our operating expenses and reduce the volatility of earnings and cash flows associated with changes in foreign currency. In designing a specific hedging approach, we consider several factors, including offsetting exposures, significance of exposures, forecasting risk and potential effectiveness of the hedge.
Interest Rate Swap Agreement
We use interest rate swap agreements to hedge the variability of our cash flows resulting from floating interest rates on our debt. We pay interest at a fixed interest rate at specified intervals in exchange for receiving interest based on a floating interest rate that we are hedging per the contractual terms of our debt agreement, throughout the life of the interest rate swap agreement.
Derivative Instrument Classification
For derivative instruments that we designate at inception and that qualify as a cash flow hedge in accordance with applicable accounting guidance, the changes in fair value for these cash flow hedges are initially reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss ("AOCL") and subsequently reclassified to the Consolidated Statements of Income within SG&Afor the foreign currency forward contract and interest expense for the interest rate swap agreements, when the hedged exposure affects earnings. All derivatives are assessed for effectiveness at each reporting period and we do not have any derivatives not designated as hedging instruments. We do not enter into cash flow hedges for trading or speculative purposes.
Treasury Stock
We account for repurchased common stock at the market price on the trade date under the cost method, with the treasury shares included as a reduction of our Stockholders’ equity. Repurchased shares of our common stock are held as treasury shares until
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they are reissued or retired. When treasury shares are reissued, if the issuance price is higher than the average price paid to acquire the shares ("the cost"), the excess of the issuance price over the cost is credited to additional paid-in capital ("APIC"). If the issuance is lower than the cost, the difference is first charged against any credit balance in APIC from treasury stock, with the remaining balance charged to Retained earnings.
We account for the formal retirement of treasury shares by deducting its par value from common stock, reflecting any excess of over par value as a reduction to APIC (to the extent created by previous issuances of the shares) and then Retained earnings.
Fair Value Measurements
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the "exit price") in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In determining fair value, the use of various valuation methodologies, including market, income and cost approaches is permissible. We consider the principal or most advantageous market in which we would transact and consider assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability. The accounting guidance for fair value measurements establishes a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. There are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value based on the reliability of inputs. A financial instrument’s categorization within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
Foreign Currency Translation and Remeasurement
Certain wholly-owned subsidiaries operate under a functional currency different from the U.S. dollar, including our primary currency exposures of the British Pound Sterling, Euro, Indian Rupee, and Philippine Peso.
The financial statements of our foreign subsidiaries that are local currency functional are translated into U.S. dollars using period-end rates of exchange for assets and liabilities, and average rates for the period for revenues and expenses. The resulting translation gains and losses that arise from translating these assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses of our foreign operations are recorded in AOCL as a component of stockholders’ equity.
For the financial statements of our foreign subsidiaries that are U.S. dollar functional, but maintain their books of record in their respective local currency, we remeasure our revenues and expenses into U.S. dollars at the average rates of exchange for the period, monetary assets and liabilities using period-end rates and non-monetary assets and liabilities at their historical rates. The resulting remeasurement gains and losses that arise from remeasuring these assets and liabilities of our foreign operations are recorded to SG&A in the Consolidated Statements of Income.
Concentrations of Credit Risks
Cash equivalents
Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. We are exposed to credit risk for cash and cash equivalents held in financial institutions in the event of a default, to the extent that such amounts are in excess of applicable insurance limits. We have not experienced any losses from maintaining cash accounts in excess of such limits. We do not believe our concentration of cash and cash equivalents present a significant credit risk as the counterparties to the instruments consist of multiple high-quality, credit-worthy financial institutions.
Accounts Receivable
Our accounts receivable are subject to collection risk as they are unsecured and derived from revenue earned from clients located around the globe. We do not require collateral from our clients. We maintain reserves for potential write-offs and evaluate the adequacy of the reserves periodically. These losses have historically been within expectations. No single client represented more than 3% of our total subscription revenue in any period presented. As of August 31, 2022 and 2021, the receivable reserve was $2.8 million and $6.4 million, respectively.
Derivative Instruments
Our use of derivative instruments exposes us to credit risk to the extent counterparties may be unable to meet the terms of their agreements. To mitigate credit risk, we limit counterparties to credit-worthy financial institutions and distribute contracts among these institutions to reduce the concentration of credit risk. We do not expect any losses as a result of default by our counterparties.
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Concentrations of Data Content Providers
We integrate data from various third-party sources into our hosted propriety data and analytics platform, which our clients access to perform their analyses. As certain data sources have a limited number of suppliers, we make every effort to assure that, where reasonable, alternative sources are available. We are not dependent on any individual third-party data supplier in order to meet the needs of our clients, with only two data suppliers each representing more than 10% of our total data costs for the year ended August 31, 2022.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
As of the beginning of fiscal 2022, we implemented all applicable new accounting standards and updates issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") that were in effect.