ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In evaluating our Company and business, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with information disclosed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II of this Annual Report, and other documents we file with the SEC. The risks described below relate to our business, governmental regulations, indebtedness, financial condition and markets, and our securities. Also, the risks and uncertainties described below are those that we have identified as material but are not the only risks and uncertainties we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial also may materially harm our business, financial condition or operating results and result in a decline in our stock price.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS
Our profitability or performance could suffer if we are unable to recruit and retain qualified personnel or if we are unable to maintain adequate staffing levels for our contracts.
Due to the specialized nature of our business, our future performance and rate of growth is highly dependent upon the continued services of our personnel and executive officers, the development of additional management personnel and the hiring of new qualified technical, marketing, sales, and management personnel for our operations. Recruitment of qualified personnel is highly competitive, and we may not be successful in attracting or retaining qualified personnel. In recent years, the industry-wide market for qualified employees became even more competitive than in previous years. We also must manage leadership development and succession planning throughout our business. The loss of key employees, coupled with an inability to attract new, qualified employees or adequately train employees, or the delay in hiring key personnel could significantly impact our ability to perform under our contracts and could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, our profitability is affected by how efficiently we utilize our workforce, including our ability to transition employees from completed contracts to new assignments; to hire and assimilate new employees; to hire personnel in or timely deploy expatriates to foreign countries; to manage attrition and a subcontractor workforce; and to devote time and resources to training, business development, professional development and other non-chargeable activities.
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We may not be successful in winning new contracts or recompeting our existing contracts, which could have an adverse impact on our business and prospects.
We derive a substantial majority of our revenue from our contracts with the federal government, which are typically awarded through a rigorous competitive bidding process. This competitive bidding process presents a number of risks, including the following:
•We may bid on programs for which the work activities, deliverables, and timelines are vague or for which the solicitation incompletely describes the actual work, which may result in inaccurate pricing assumptions;
•We may incur substantial costs and spend a significant amount of managerial time and effort preparing bids and proposals; and
•We may realize the lost opportunity cost of not bidding on and winning other contracts that we may have pursued otherwise.
If we are unable to win a particular new contract, we may be prevented from providing the customer the services that are purchased under that contract for a number of years.
In addition, we face rigorous competition and pricing pressures for any additional contract awards from the U.S. government. Some of our existing contracts must be recompeted when their original period of performance ends. Recompetes represent opportunities for competitors to take market share away from us. Recompetes also represent opportunities for our customers to obtain more favorable terms and discounts from us. We may be required to qualify or continue to qualify under multiple award task orders, and it may be more difficult for us to win future task orders. If we are unable to consistently win new contract awards, or successfully recompete our existing contracts, our business and prospects will be adversely affected, and our actual results may differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.
Termination, expiration or non-renewal of our existing U.S. government contracts may adversely affect our business.
The U.S. government services marketplace is characterized by contracts of shorter duration as compared to large production and systems integration programs. U.S. government services contracts generally are of a finite duration of five years and usually range between three and ten years. The termination, expiration or non-renewal of our existing U.S. government contracts could result in a loss of anticipated future revenue attributable to that program, which could have an adverse impact on our operations.
The U.S. government may terminate any of our government contracts, in whole or in part, at any time at its convenience with little or no notice. The U.S. government may also terminate our contracts for default if we fail to meet our obligations under a contract. If any of our contracts were terminated for convenience, we generally would be entitled to receive payment for work completed and allowable termination or cancellation costs. If any of our government contracts were terminated for default, generally the customer would pay us only for the work that has been accepted. Moreover, the customer can require us to pay the difference between the original contract price and the cost to re-procure the contract deliverables, net of the work accepted from the original contract. In addition, the U.S. government can also hold us liable for damages resulting from the default.
The expiration, non-renewal or termination of any government contracts, whether for convenience or default, would adversely affect our current programs and reduce our revenue, earnings and cash flows. A termination for default may also negatively affect our reputation, performance ratings and our ability to win new government contracts, particularly for contracts covering the same or similar types of services.
A significant portion of our revenue is derived from a few large contracts, and the loss or material reduction of any of these contracts could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows.
Aggregate revenue from our three largest contracts amounted to approximately $1.1 billion, or 27.5% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, our three largest contracts were the Kuwait and Iraq Task Orders under the LOGCAP V contract vehicle and T-45 Contractor Logistics Support. Performance on the Kuwait Task Order began in July 2021, and performance on the Iraq Task Order began in June 2021. The awards are approximately $1.5 billion and $1.7 billion, respectively, with estimated period of performance completion in December 2026. T-45 Contractor Logistics Support was acquired through the Merger. The award is approximately $2.5 billion with estimated period of performance completion in January 2028.
The Kuwait Task Order under LOGCAP V accounted for more than 10% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023, and we expect this contract will continue to have a significant contribution to our revenue. The loss or material reduction of any of these contracts could have a material adverse effect on our revenue, results of operations and cash flows. See "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Significant Contracts" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Competition within our markets may reduce our revenue and market share.
Our business is highly competitive, and we compete with larger companies that have greater name recognition, greater financial resources, and larger technical staff, as well as companies with a competitive advantage due to a small business designation. Within our industry, companies have engaged in mergers and acquisitions to increase their competitive position. Our competitors may provide our customers with different or greater capabilities or better contract terms than we can provide, including past contract experience, geographic presence, price, and the availability of qualified professional personnel. In addition, our competitors may consolidate or establish teaming or other relationships among themselves or with third parties to increase their ability to address customers’ needs.
Even if we are qualified to work on a government contract, we may not be awarded the contract because of existing government policies designed to assist small businesses and other designated classifications of business, such as under-represented minority contractors. Accordingly, larger or new competitors, alliances among competitors, or competitors designated as small business contractors may emerge that may adversely affect our ability to compete. If we are unable to compete successfully against our current or future competitors, we may experience declines in revenue and market share, which could negatively impact our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
Our earnings and margins may vary based on the mix of our contracts, our performance, and our ability to control costs.
We generate revenue under various types of contracts, which include cost-plus, cost-reimbursable (including non-fee-bearing costs), firm-fixed-price and time-and-materials. Our earnings and profitability may vary materially depending on changes in the proportionate amount of revenue derived from each type of contract, the nature of services provided, as well as the achievement of performance objectives and the stage of performance at which the right to receive fees, particularly under incentive and award fee contracts, is finally determined. Cost-reimbursable contracts generally have lower profitability than firm-fixed-price contracts.
Given the current pace of inflation and other geopolitical factors, we are monitoring the impact of rising costs on our active and future government contracts. For example, global hostilities could change the total mix of our contracts. The Company’s earnings and profitability may vary materially depending on significant changes to the total mix of contracts.
Our profitability is adversely affected when we incur contract costs that we cannot bill to our customers. Profitability also may be adversely affected during the start of a new contract due to initial spending necessary to successfully complete phase-in requirements. To varying degrees, each of our contract types involves risk that we could underestimate the costs and resources necessary to fulfill the contract.
In addition, our failure to satisfy customer expectations or contract requirements may result in reduced fees or claims made against us by our customers and may affect our financial performance. Under each type of contract, if we are unable to control costs, our operating results could be adversely affected, particularly if we are unable to justify an increase in contract value to our customers. Cost overruns or the failure to perform on existing programs also may adversely affect our ability to retain existing programs and win future contract awards.
We use estimates in accounting for many of our programs, and changes in our estimates could adversely affect our future financial results.
Revenue from our contracts is recognized primarily using the input method (e.g., costs incurred to date relative to total estimated costs at completion) to measure progress towards completion. This methodology requires estimates of total contract revenue, total costs at completion, and fees earned on the contract. Contract estimates are based on various assumptions to project the outcome of future events. These assumptions include labor productivity and availability; the complexity of the work to be performed; the cost and availability of materials; and the performance of subcontractors. This estimation process, particularly due to the nature of the services being performed, is complex and involves significant judgment. Adjustments to original estimates are often required as work progresses, experience is gained, and additional information becomes known, even though the scope of the work required under the contract may not change. Any adjustment as a result of a change in estimates is recognized as additional information becomes known. Changes in the underlying assumptions, circumstances or estimates could result in adjustments that may adversely affect our future financial results.
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While firm-fixed-price contracts allow us to benefit from cost savings, these contracts also increase our exposure to the risk of cost overruns.
Because many fixed-price contracts are long-term and may also involve new technologies, unforeseen events, such as significant inflation, technological difficulties, cost fluctuations, problems with suppliers, and cost overruns can result in the contractual price becoming less favorable or even unprofitable to us. Revenue derived from firm-fixed-price contracts represented approximately 41% of our total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023. We monitor the impact of rising costs on our active and future government contracts given the current pace of inflation and other geopolitical factors. To date, the Company has not experienced broad-based material increases from inflation or geopolitical hostilities in the costs of its firm-fixed-price, cost-plus and time-and-materials contracts. However, if the geopolitical conditions worsen or if the Company experiences greater than expected inflation in its supply chain and labor costs, then profit margins, and in particular, the profit margin from firm-fixed-price, cost-plus and time-and-materials contracts, which represent a substantial portion of its contracts, could be adversely affected.
When making proposals on firm-fixed-price contracts, we rely heavily on our estimates of costs and timing for completing the associated projects, as well as assumptions regarding technical issues. In each case, our failure to accurately estimate costs or the resources needed to perform our contracts or to effectively manage and control our costs could result in reduced profits or losses. If we incur costs in excess of initial estimates or funding on a contract, we generally seek reimbursement for those costs through requests for equitable adjustments (REAs) or claims to the Contracting Officer, the denial of which may be appealed to the Armed Services Board of Contracting Appeals, and make assumptions on what we expect to recover in our financial statements, but we may not be able to negotiate full recovery for these costs. In addition, pursuit of these REAs and claims can require significant time and additional costs, including legal fees and expenses, and there is no guarantee that such actions would ultimately be successful.
Uncertainties in the U.S. government defense budget, changes in spending or budgetary priorities or delays in contract awards or collection of our receivables may significantly and adversely affect our financial performance and limit our growth prospects.
Our contracts and revenue primarily depend upon the U.S. DoD budget, which is subject to the congressional budget authorization and appropriations process and is difficult to predict. The U.S. Congress usually appropriates funds for a given program on a September 30 fiscal year basis, even though contract periods of performance may extend over many years. Consequently, at the beginning of a major program, the contract is usually partially funded, and additional monies are committed to the contract by the procuring agency only as appropriations are made by Congress in future fiscal years. Impacts on DoD budgets are a function of many factors beyond our control, including, but not limited to, changes in U.S. procurement policies, budget considerations, the federal debt ceiling, current and future economic conditions, presidential administration and congressional priorities, government shutdowns, continuing resolutions, changing national security and defense requirements, geopolitical developments and actual fiscal year congressional appropriations for defense budgets. The 2024 United States presidential election may introduce further uncertainties to congressional spending and budgetary priorities that may materially affect our business. Any of these factors could result in a significant redirection of current and future DoD budgets and impact our future operations and cash flows. Such factors may have a direct bearing on our new business opportunities as well as on whether the U.S. government will exercise its options for services under existing contracts, thus affecting the timing and volume of our business.
The U.S. government also conducts periodic reviews of U.S. defense strategies and priorities, which may shift DoD budgetary priorities, reduce DoD spending or delay contract or task order awards for defense-related programs. A reduction in U.S. government defense spending, changing defense spending priorities or delays in contract or task order awards could potentially reduce our future revenue, earnings and cash flow and have a material impact on our business.
We depend on the collection of our receivables to generate cash flow, provide working capital, pay debt and continue our business operations. The government may fail to pay outstanding invoices for a number of reasons, including lack of appropriated funds, lack of an approved budget or changes in spending levels or budgetary priorities, which may materially and adversely affect our future revenue and limit our growth prospects.
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We are dependent on the U.S. government and, if our reputation or relationship with the U.S. government was harmed, our revenue and growth prospects could be adversely affected.
We derive a substantial majority of our revenue from work performed under U.S. government contracts, primarily the DoD, either as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor to other contractors engaged in work for the U.S. government. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we generated approximately 41% of our total revenue from the U.S. Army. Our reputation and relationship with the U.S. government, and in particular with the branches and agencies of the DoD, are key factors in maintaining and growing this revenue. Negative press reports or publicity, which could pertain to employee or subcontractor misconduct, alleged violations of labor trafficking laws, conflicts of interest, termination of a contract or task order, poor contract performance, deficiencies in services, reports or other deliverables, information security breaches, business system disapprovals, or other aspects of our business, regardless of accuracy, could harm our reputation. If our reputation is negatively affected, we may lose our ability to conduct business in a foreign country (e.g., loss of business license), lose a required security clearance, or if we are suspended or debarred from contracting with government agencies or any branch of the DoD, our revenue and growth prospects could be adversely impacted.
Business disruptions caused by natural disasters, global hostilities, pandemics, and other crises could adversely affect our profitability and our overall financial position.
We have operations located in regions of the U.S. and internationally that may be exposed to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, flooding, wildfires or earthquakes. Our business could also be disrupted by national or international crises or hostilities and pandemics, such as COVID-19. Although preventative measures may help mitigate the damage from such occurrences, impacts on our supply chain and the damage and disruption to our business resulting from any of these events may be significant. If our insurance and other risk mitigation mechanisms are not sufficient to recover all costs, including loss of revenue from sales to customers, we could experience a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.
There is also an increasing concern over the risks of climate change and related environmental sustainability matters. In addition to physical risks, climate change risk includes longer-term shifts in climate patterns, such as extreme heat, sea level rise, and more frequent and prolonged drought. Such events could disrupt our operations or those of our customers or third parties on which we rely, including through direct damage to assets and indirect impacts from supply chain disruption and market volatility.
We rely on our information and communications systems in our operations. Security breaches, cybersecurity attacks, and other disruptions could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
As a U.S. defense contractor, various privacy and security laws require us to protect sensitive, confidential, and controlled unclassified information from disclosure both for us and others. Cybersecurity risks continue to increase as various threat actors including nation states and hackers, focus efforts to compromise our operational and developmental information technology infrastructure. These threat actors attempt to gain access to sensitive, confidential, proprietary or controlled unclassified information, and may pose threats to physical security.
We and our suppliers face a continual risk associated with security events or disruptions, cybersecurity attacks and cyber intrusions by computer hackers, foreign governments, and cyber terrorists as attack vectors and technologies advance in sophistication, including from emerging technologies. In connection with the information technology and network communications services that we provide to our customers, we also may encounter cybersecurity threats at customer sites that we operate. We face an added risk of a security event or other significant disruption of our information technology systems and related systems that we develop, install, operate and maintain for our customers, which may involve managing and protecting controlled unclassified information relating to national security and other sensitive government functions or personally identifiable or protected health information.
Cybersecurity risks are significant and continue to evolve. They include, among others, phishing attempts, ransomware, malware and zero-day attacks attempting to gain unauthorized access to systems or data. Other electronic security events could lead to disruptions in mission critical systems, unauthorized release of personal identifiable information, confidential or otherwise protected unclassified information and corruption of data. In addition to security risks listed, we are also subject to other systems failures, including network, software or hardware failures, whether caused by us, third-party service providers, natural disasters, power shortages, terrorist attacks or other events. Our systems reside within cloud service environments which presents various risks, including platform and software as a service providers’ inability to identify or quantify, in a timely manner, specific problems that affect the business functions which impact V2X.
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Integration and sustainment of existing or new information technology systems, carry a high risk of delays or integration failures. Such delays, failures, or impacts from security events or disruptions described above, could result in loss of revenues, product development delays, compromise, corruption or loss of confidential, proprietary or sensitive information (including personal information or controlled unclassified information), remediation costs, indemnity obligations and other potential liabilities, regulatory or government action, breach of contract claims, contract termination, class action or individual lawsuits from affected parties, negative media attention, reputational damage, and loss of confidence from our government clients. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or operations, and our insurance and other risk mitigation mechanisms may not be sufficient to recover the costs.
Our contract sites are inherently dangerous workplaces. Failure to maintain safe work sites and equipment or effectively respond to the impacts of pandemics in our workplaces could result in employee deaths or injuries, environmental disasters, reduced profitability, the loss of projects or customers and possible exposure to litigation.
Our project sites often put our employees and others in close proximity with mechanized equipment, moving vehicles, and highly regulated materials. Additionally, global pandemics, such as COVID-19, could introduce additional risks to our worksites requiring additional policies and procedures. Although we have safety procedures in place, if we fail to implement them, or if the procedures we implement are ineffective or insufficient, we may suffer the loss of or injury to our employees, as well as expose ourselves to possible litigation. As a result, our failure to maintain adequate safety standards and equipment, as well as the nature of the environment in which we conduct business, could result in employee deaths or injuries, environmental disasters, reduced profitability, or the loss of projects or customers, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation.
We work in international locations where there are high security risks, which could result in harm to our employees and contractors and the incurrence of substantial costs.
Some of our services, including those using subcontractors, are performed in high-risk locations, including but not limited to the Middle East and certain parts of Africa, where the country, region or surrounding areas may have unstable governments, or in areas of military conflict, or hostile and unstable environments, including war zones, or at military installations. Political or economic instability, international security concerns and geopolitical conflict or global hostilities in countries where we provide services and products may increase the risk of an incident resulting in damage or destruction to our work or living sites or our inability to meet contractual obligations or resulting in injury or loss of life to our employees, subcontractors or other third parties. Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover these claims and liabilities and we may be forced to bear substantial costs arising from those claims. The impact of these factors is difficult to predict, but any one or more of them could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
A significant portion of our workforce is represented by labor unions, and our business could be harmed in the event of a prolonged work stoppage.
As of December 31, 2023, approximately4,700 of our employees, or approximately 30% of our employee base were unionized. We have 46 collective bargaining agreements with labor unions. We cannot predict how stable our union relationships will be or whether we will be able to successfully renew or negotiate these labor contracts, or enter into new agreements, on terms that are acceptable to us. In addition, the presence of unions may limit our flexibility in managing our workforce. Labor actions, work stoppages or the threat of work stoppages by our union employees or implementation of a work stoppage contingency plan, and our failure to obtain favorable labor contract terms during negotiations, may disrupt our operations, negatively impact our ability to provide services to our customers on a timely basis, and result in higher labor costs, which could in turn negatively impact our reputation, results of operations and financial condition.
We are subject to legal and regulatory compliance risks associated with operating internationally.
Our U.S. government contracts operating internationally represented approximately 42% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023. We are subject to a variety of U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including, without limitation, business compliance, tax and anti-corruption laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. We also employ international personnel and engage with foreign subcontractors and labor brokers, which requires compliance with numerous foreign laws and regulations related to labor, benefits, taxes, insurance and reporting requirements, among others, such as the European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Failure by us or our subcontractors or vendors to comply with these laws and regulations could result in administrative, civil, or criminal liabilities, suspension or debarment from government contracts, any of which could have a material adverse effect on us.
Our business operations are also subject to additional risks associated with conducting business internationally, including, without limitation:
•Political instability in foreign countries;
•Terrorist activity by various groups in the areas in which we operate;
•Imposition of inconsistent foreign laws, regulations or policies or changes in or interpretations of such laws, regulations or policies;
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•Currency exchange controls, fluctuations of currency and foreign exchange rates, and currency revaluations;
•Conducting business in places where laws, business practices and customs are unfamiliar or unknown; and
•Imposition of limitations on or increases in withholding and other taxes on payments by foreign operations.
Our failure to adapt to or mitigate these risks could affect our ability to conduct our business internationally and adversely affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
We may not realize the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the Merger and integrating the two companies may be more difficult, costly or time-consuming than expected.
The success of the Merger, including anticipated benefits and cost savings, will depend, in part, on our ability to continue to integrate our business with Vertex’s. We may not realize the various anticipated financial and strategic benefits of the Merger.
The Merger involves the integration of Vertex’s business with our legacy business, which is a complex, costly and time-consuming process. Furthermore, Vertex’s current process of integrating its Defense Training and Mission Critical Services business, which still relies on certain operating and support services from Raytheon Company, could further increase the complexity and costs of integrating Vertex’s businesses following the Merger. It is possible that the integration process could result in material challenges, including, without limitation:
•managing a larger combined company;
•the creation of a new executive management team;
•the possibility of faulty assumptions underlying expectations regarding the integration process including unforeseen expenses;
•retaining existing business and operational relationships and attracting new business and operational relationships;
•consolidating corporate and administrative infrastructures and eliminating duplicative operations and inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies;
•integrating the companies’ financial reporting and internal control systems, including the Company’s compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder by the SEC; and
•unanticipated issues in integrating information technology, communications and other systems.
Many of these factors will be outside of the Company’s control, and any one of them could result in delays, increased costs, decreases in revenues and diversion of management’s time and energy, which could materially affect the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Management recently concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were not effective due to a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting at a subsidiary within Vertex. For details, please reference "Item 9A. Controls and Procedures - Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
If we experience difficulties with the integration process, the anticipated benefits of the Merger may not be realized fully or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected. These integration matters could have an adverse effect on us for an undetermined period after completion of the Merger. In addition, the actual cost savings of the Merger could be less than anticipated. Our future results may be adversely impacted if the Company does not effectively manage its expanded operations.
There can be no assurances that we will be successful or that we will realize the expected operating efficiencies, cost savings and other benefits currently anticipated from the Merger.
We conduct a portion of our operations through joint ventures, exposing us to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control.
We conduct a portion of our operations through joint ventures where control may be shared with unaffiliated third parties. Although our joint venture operations are currently not significant, we are exposed to risks and uncertainties from them. As with any joint venture arrangement, differences in views among the joint venture participants may result in delayed decisions or in failures to agree on major issues. We also cannot control the actions of our joint venture partners, including any failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, nonperformance, default or bankruptcy of our joint venture partners. If our partners do not meet their contractual obligations, the joint venture may be unable to adequately perform and deliver its contracted services, requiring us to make additional investments or perform additional services to ensure the adequate performance and delivery of services to the customer. We could be liable for both our obligations and those of our partners, which may result in reduced profits or, in some cases, significant losses on the project. Additionally, these factors could have a material adverse effect on the business operations of the joint venture and, in turn, our business operations and reputation.
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Further, operating through joint ventures in which we have a minority interest could result in us having limited control over many decisions made with respect to projects and internal controls relating to projects. These joint ventures may not be subject to the same requirements regarding internal controls as we are. As a result, internal control issues may arise, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our earnings and margins depend, in part, on subcontractor performance.
We rely on third-party subcontractors to perform some of the services that we provide to our customers. Disruptions or performance problems caused by our subcontractors could have an adverse effect on our ability as a prime contractor or higher tier subcontractor to meet our commitments to customers.
We may have disputes with our subcontractors arising from, among other things, the quality and timeliness of work performed by the subcontractor, customer concerns about the subcontractor, our failure to extend existing task orders or issue new task orders under a subcontract, proper invoicing, cost reasonableness, allocability, allowability, adjustments to the scope of the subcontractor’s work, or the subcontractor’s failure to comply with applicable law or regulations. Uncertain economic conditions heighten the risk of financial stress of our subcontractors, which could adversely impact their ability to meet their contractual requirements to us. If any of our subcontractors fail to timely meet their contractual obligations or have regulatory compliance or other problems, our ability to fulfill our obligations may be jeopardized. Significant losses could arise in future periods and subcontractor performance deficiencies could result in our termination for default.
Our business could be adversely affected by bid protests.
We may experience additional costs and delays if our competitors protest or challenge awards of contracts to us in competitive bidding. Any such protest or challenge could result in the resubmission of bids on modified specifications, or in the termination, reduction or modification of the awarded contract. It can take a significant amount of time to resolve contract protests and, in the interim, the contracting U.S. federal agency may suspend our performance under the contract pending the outcome of the protest. We cannot predict the timing or outcome of protests.
In addition, we may protest the contract awards of our competitors when we believe it is prudent to do so to protect our rights and interest in the competition. This process requires the time, effort and attention of our management and employees and incurs additional costs.
Misconduct of our employees, subcontractors, agents, prime contractors or business partners could cause us to lose customers and could have a material adverse impact on our business and reputation, adversely affecting our ability to obtain new contracts.
Misconduct, fraud or other improper activities by our employees, subcontractors, agents, prime contractors or business partners could have a material adverse impact on our business and reputation. Such misconduct could include the failure to comply with federal, state, local or foreign government procurement regulations, regulations regarding the protection of classified or personal information, legislation regarding the pricing of labor and other costs in government contracts, laws and regulations relating to environmental matters, bribery of foreign government officials, lobbying or similar activities, boycotts, antitrust and any other applicable laws or regulations. Misconduct involving data security lapses or inadequate cybersecurity protections resulting in the compromise of personal information or the improper use of our customer’s sensitive or classified information could result in remediation costs, regulatory sanctions against us and serious harm to our reputation. Although we have implemented policies, procedures, controls and training that are designed to prevent and detect these activities, these precautions may not prevent all misconduct and as a result, we could face unknown risks or losses. Misconduct by any of our employees, subcontractors, agents, prime contractors or business partners or our failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations could subject us to fines and penalties, loss of security clearance, loss of current and future customer contracts and suspension or debarment from contracting with federal, state or local government agencies, any of which would adversely affect our business, our reputation and our future financial results.
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to work with complex and rapidly changing technologies to meet the needs of our customers.
We design and develop technologically advanced and innovative products and services applied by our customers in various environments. The needs of our customers change and evolve regularly and in particular by complex and rapidly evolving technologies, such as advanced forms of artificial intelligence. Our success depends upon our ability to identify emerging technological trends, develop technologically advanced, innovative and cost-effective products and services and market these products and services to our customers. Our success also depends on our continued access to suppliers of important technologies and components. If we are unable to develop and implement these initiatives in a cost-effective, timely manner or at all, it could damage our relationships with our customers and negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that others will not acquire similar or superior technologies sooner than we do or that we will acquire technologies on an exclusive basis or at a significant price advantage. If we do not accurately predict, prepare and respond to new technology innovations, market developments and changing customer needs, our revenues, profitability and long-term competitiveness could be materially adversely affected.
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We rely on internal and external information technology systems to conduct our business, and disruption or failure of these systems could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We utilize, develop, install and maintain a number of information technology systems both for us and for our customers. Additionally, we utilize and rely on external systems maintained by our service providers, including using a managed service provider (MSP) to administer our systems and servers. We also contract with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers to provide core company services such as for enterprise resource planning, human capital management, and contract lifecycle management. These activities may involve substantial risks to our ongoing business processes including, but not limited to, accurate and timely customer invoicing, employee payroll processing, supplier and vendor payment processing, supply chain management and financial reporting. If these implementation activities are not executed successfully or if we encounter significant delays in our implementation efforts, we could experience interruptions to our business processes. Under certain contracts with the U.S. government, the adequacy of our business processes and protections of controlled unclassified information on related systems could be called into question. The occurrence of such events could result in a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We may pursue acquisitions and other investments that involve numerous risks and uncertainties.
We have and may in the future selectively pursue strategic acquisitions and other investments. These transactions require significant investment of time and resources and may disrupt our business and distract our management from other responsibilities. Even if successful, these transactions could affect our operating results for a number of reasons, including the amortization of intangible assets, impairment charges, acquired operations that are not yet profitable or the payment of additional consideration under earn-out arrangements if an acquisition performs better than expected. If we engage in such transactions, we may incur significant transaction and integration costs and have difficulty integrating personnel, operations, products or technologies or otherwise realizing synergies or other benefits from the transactions. The integration process could result in the loss of key employees, loss of key customers, loss of key vendors, decreases in revenue and increases in operating costs. In addition, we may assume material risks and liabilities in an acquisition, including liabilities that are unknown as of the time of the acquisition. Such transactions may dilute our earnings per share, disrupt our ongoing business, distract our management and employees, increase our expenses, perform poorly, subject us to liabilities, and increase our risk of litigation, all of which could harm our business.
We depend on our teaming arrangements and relationships with other contractors. If we are not able to maintain these relationships, or if these parties fail to satisfy their obligations to us or the customer, our revenue, profitability and growth prospects could be adversely affected.
We rely on our teaming relationships and other arrangements with other prime contractors or subcontractors in order to submit bids for large procurements or other opportunities where we believe the combination of services provided by us and the other companies will help us to win and perform the contract. Our future revenue and growth prospects could be adversely affected if other contractors eliminate or reduce their contract relationships with us, or if the U.S. government terminates or reduces these other contractors' programs, does not award them new contracts or refuses to pay under a contract.
We may be required to contribute additional funds to meet any present or future underfunded benefit obligations associated with multiemployer pension plans in which we participate.
A multiemployer pension plan is typically established under a collective bargaining agreement with a union to represent workers of various unrelated companies. Certain collective bargaining agreements require us to contribute to their various multiemployer pension plans. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we contributed $12.9 million to multiemployer pension plans. Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), an employer who contributes to a multiemployer pension plan, absent an applicable exemption or other mitigating circumstance, may also be liable, upon termination or withdrawal from the plan, for its proportionate share of the multiemployer pension plan’s unfunded vested benefit. If we terminate or withdraw from a multiemployer plan, absent an applicable exemption or other mitigating circumstance, we could be required to contribute a significant amount of cash to fund the multiemployer plan’s unfunded vested benefit, which could materially and adversely affect our financial results.
Legal disputes could require us to pay potentially large damage awards and could be costly to defend, which would adversely affect our cash balances and profitability, and could damage our reputation.
We are subject to a number of lawsuits and claims as described under Part I, "Item 3. Legal Proceedings" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We are also subject to, and may become a party to, a variety of other litigation or claims and suits that arise from time to time in the ordinary course of our business. Adverse judgments or settlements in some or all of these legal disputes may result in significant monetary damages or injunctive relief against us. Any claims or litigation could be costly to defend, and even if we are successful or if fully indemnified or insured, such claims or litigation could damage our reputation and make it more difficult to compete effectively or obtain adequate insurance in the future. In addition, any securities litigation that we could encounter as a publicly traded company could be costly, divert management’s attention and resources from our business and could require us to make substantial payments to settle those proceedings or satisfy any judgments that may be reached against us. Litigation and other claims are subject to inherent uncertainties and management’s view of these matters may change in the future.
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Our insurance may be insufficient to protect us from claims or losses.
We maintain insurance coverage with third-party insurers as part of our overall risk management strategy and because some of our contracts require us to maintain specific insurance coverage limits. However, not every risk or liability is or can be protected by insurance, and, for those risks we insure, the limits of coverage we purchase or that are reasonably obtainable in the market may not be sufficient to cover all actual losses or liabilities incurred. If any of our third-party insurers fail, cancel our coverage or otherwise are unable to provide us with adequate insurance coverage, then our overall risk exposure and our operational expenses would increase, and the management of our business operations would be disrupted. Our insurance may be insufficient to protect us from significant warranty and other liability claims or losses. Moreover, there is a risk that commercially available liability insurance will not continue to be available to us at a reasonable cost, if at all. If liability claims or losses exceed our current or available insurance coverage, our business and prospects may be harmed. We are also subject to the requirements of the Defense Base Act (DBA), which generally requires insurance coverage to be provided to persons employed at U.S. military bases outside of the U.S. Failure to obtain DBA insurance may result in fines or other sanctions, including the loss of a particular contract.
There is a rapidly evolving awareness and focus from stakeholders with respect to environmental, social and governance practices, which could affect our business.
Stakeholder expectations with respect to environmental, social and governance matters have been rapidly evolving and increasing. We risk damage to our reputation if we do not act responsibly in key areas including diversity and inclusion, environmental stewardship, support for local communities and corporate governance. A failure to maintain appropriate environmental, social, governance practices may result in loss of business, and an inability to attract and retain customers and talented personnel, and which could have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and potentially on the price of our common stock and cost of capital.
RISKS RELATED TO GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS AND LAWS
Environmental, health and safety issues could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position or results of operations.
We are subject to federal, state, local, and foreign environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing: climate change; air emissions; discharges to water; the management, storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes, petroleum, and other regulated substances; the investigation and cleanup of contaminated property; and the maintenance of a safe and healthy workplace for our employees, contractors, and visitors. These laws and their implementing regulations can impose certain operational controls for minimization of pollution, permitting, training, recordkeeping, monitoring and reporting requirements or other operational or siting constraints on our business, result in costs to remediate releases of regulated substances into the environment, result in facility shutdowns to address violations, or require costs to remediate sites to which we sent regulated substances for disposal. Violations of these laws and regulations can cause significant delays and add additional costs to a project. We have incurred and will continue to incur operating, maintenance and other expenditures as a result of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Past business practices at companies that we have acquired may also expose us to future unknown environmental, health and safety liabilities.
We are subject to laws and regulations related to climate change. The State of California has enacted new climate change disclosure requirements, including emissions requirements. In addition, the European Union Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive became effective in 2023 and requires expansive disclosures on various sustainability topics, and the SEC has issued proposed climate change rules. We are currently assessing our obligations under these laws and regulations, but we expect that compliance with these laws and regulations could result in substantial compliance costs, including monitoring and reporting costs. Noncompliance with these laws or regulations may result in potential cost increases, litigation, fines, penalties, brand or reputational damage, and higher investor activism activities. We cannot predict how future laws and regulations, or future interpretations of current laws and regulations related to climate change will affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Any new developments such as the adoption of new environmental, health and safety laws and regulations could result in material costs and liabilities that we currently do not anticipate and could increase our expenditures and also materially adversely affect our business, financial position or results of operations.
As a U.S. government contractor, we are subject to a number of procurement laws and regulations and could be adversely affected by changes in regulations or our failure to comply with these regulations.
We operate in a highly regulated environment and must comply with many significant procurement regulations and other requirements. These regulations and requirements, although customary in government contracts, increase our performance and compliance costs. If any such regulations or procurement requirements change, our costs of complying with them could increase and therefore reduce our margins. Some significant statutes and regulations that affect us include:
•The FAR and department or agency-specific regulations that implement or supplement the FAR, such as the DoD’s DFARS, which regulate the formation, administration and performance of U.S. government contracts;
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•The Truth in Negotiations Act, which requires certification and disclosure of cost and pricing data in connection with certain contract negotiations;
•The Procurement Integrity Act, which regulates access to competitor bid and proposal information and government source selection information, and our ability to provide compensation to certain former government officials;
•The Civil False Claims Act, which provides for substantial civil penalties, including claims for treble damages, for violations, including for submission of a false or fraudulent claim to the U.S. government for payment or approval;
•The CTIP Act, which ensures that government contractors and others are fully trained to combat human trafficking pursuant to the National Security Presidential Directive 22; and
•The U.S. Government Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), which impose accounting requirements that govern our right to reimbursement under certain cost-based U.S. government contracts.
If we are found to have violated any of these or other laws or regulations, or are found not to have acted responsibly as defined by them, we may be subject to reductions of the value of contracts; contract modifications or terminations; the assessment of penalties and fines, compensatory damages or treble damages; or suspension or debarment from government contracting or subcontracting, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
Our business is subject to audits, reviews, cost adjustments, and investigations by the U.S. government, which, if resolved unfavorably to us, could adversely affect our profitability, cash position or growth prospects.
U.S. government agencies, including the DCAA, the DCMA and others, routinely audit and review our performance on government contracts, indirect rates and pricing practices, and compliance with applicable contracting and procurement laws, regulations and standards. They also review the adequacy of our compliance with government standards for our business systems, including our accounting, purchasing, government property, estimating, and related business systems.
Recently, these audits and reviews have become more rigorous and the standards to which we are held are being more strictly interpreted and applied, increasing the likelihood of an audit or review resulting in an adverse outcome. Although customary in government contracts, these audits and reviews increase our performance and compliance costs.
Government audits or other reviews could result in adjustments to contract costs, the disallowance of or adjustment to costs allocated to certain contracts, mandatory customer refunds, or decreased billings to our U.S. government customers until the deficiencies identified in the audits or reviews are corrected and our corrections are accepted by DCMA. Such adjustments could be applied retroactively, which could result in significant customer refunds. A determination of non-compliance with applicable contracting and procurement laws, regulations and standards could result in the U.S. government imposing penalties and sanctions against us, including withholding of payments, suspension of payments and increased government scrutiny that could delay or adversely affect our ability to invoice and receive timely payment on contracts, perform contracts or compete for contracts. Non-compliance by us could result in our being placed on the “Excluded Parties List” maintained by the General Services Administration, and we could become ineligible to receive certain contracts, subcontracts and other benefits from the U.S. government or to perform work under a government contract or subcontract until the basis for the listing has been appropriately addressed, which would materially adversely affect our ability to do business.
In addition, if a review or investigation identifies improper or illegal activities, we may be subject to civil or criminal penalties or administrative sanctions, including the termination of contracts, forfeiture of profits, the triggering of price reduction clauses, suspension of payments, fines and suspension or debarment from doing business with governmental agencies. Civil penalties and sanctions are not uncommon in our industry. If we incur a material penalty or administrative sanction, our reputation, business, results of operations, and future business could be adversely affected.
The DoD continues to modify its business practices, which could have a material effect on its overall procurement processes and adversely impact our current programs and potential new awards.
The DoD continues to pursue various initiatives designed to gain efficiencies and to focus and enhance business practices. These initiatives and resulting changes, such as increased usage of firm-fixed-price contracts, where we bear the risk that increased or unexpected costs may reduce our profit or cause us to sustain losses, multiple award IDIQ contracts and small and disadvantaged business set-aside contracts, have an impact on the contracting environment in which we do business. Any of these changes could impact our ability to obtain new contracts or renew our existing contracts when those contracts are recompeted. These initiatives, such as IDIQ contracts, continue to evolve, and the full impact to our business remains uncertain and subject to the way the DoD implements them. As a result of these initiatives, our profit margins on future contracts may be reduced and may require us to make sustained efforts to reduce costs in order to realize revenue and profits under our contracts. If we are not successful in reducing the amount of costs we incur, our profitability on our contracts will be negatively impacted. Any new contracting requirements or procurement methods could be costly or administratively difficult for us to implement and could adversely affect our future revenue, profitability and prospects.
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Our business depends upon obtaining and maintaining required facility security clearance and individual security clearances.
Many of our federal government contracts require our employees to maintain various levels of security clearance eligibility and access in compliance with U.S. government requirements. Obtaining and maintaining security clearance eligibility involves a lengthy process and it can be difficult to identify, recruit and retain employees who already hold or meet security clearance eligibility. If our employees are unable to obtain or maintain security clearance eligibility or if our employees who hold security clearance eligibility terminate employment with us, our ability to perform the work under the contract may be negatively affected, and the customer whose work requires cleared employees could terminate the contract or decide not to renew it upon its expiration. In addition, many of the contracts on which we bid and perform require us to maintain a facility security clearance that is in compliance with U.S. government Code of Federal Regulations. To the extent we are not able to maintain a facility security clearance, we may not be able to bid on or win new contracts, or effectively re-bid on expiring contracts.
As a U.S. defense contractor, we are subject to security restrictions, which may limit investor insight into portions of our business.
Our federal government contracts may be subject to security restrictions, which preclude the dissemination of information and technology that is classified for national security purposes under applicable law and regulation. In general, access to classified information, technology, facilities and programs requires the appropriate need to know and personnel security access. These types of contracts are subject to strict government oversight and require specialized infrastructure and the appropriate facility clearances. As we are limited in our ability to provide information about these contracts and services, such as the scope of work, associated risks and any disputes or claims, our investors may have limited insight into a portion of our business which may hinder their ability to fully evaluate the risks related to that portion of our business.
Our business may be negatively impacted if we are unable to adequately protect our intellectual property rights.
Our success is dependent, in part, on our ability to utilize technology to differentiate our services from our competitors. We rely on a combination of patents, confidentiality agreements and other contractual arrangements, as well as copyright, trademark, patent and trade secret laws, to protect our intellectual property rights and interests. However, these methods only provide a limited amount of protection and may not adequately protect our intellectual property rights and interests. Our employees, contractors and joint venture partners are subject to confidentiality obligations, but this protection may be inadequate to deter or prevent misappropriation of our confidential information and/or infringement of our intellectual property rights. Further, we may be unable to detect unauthorized use of our intellectual property or otherwise take appropriate steps to enforce our rights. Failure to adequately protect, maintain or enforce our intellectual property rights may adversely limit our competitive position.
We cannot provide assurances that others will not independently develop technology substantially similar to our protected technology or that we can successfully preserve our intellectual property rights in the future. Our intellectual property rights could be invalidated, circumvented, challenged, misappropriated or infringed upon. Any infringement, misappropriation or related claims, whether meritorious or not, are time consuming, divert technical and management personnel, are expensive to resolve, and the outcome is unpredictable. As a result of any such dispute, we may have to develop non-infringing technology, pay damages, enter into royalty or licensing agreements, cease utilizing certain products or services or take other actions to resolve the claims. These actions, if required, may be costly or unavailable on terms acceptable to us. If we are unable to prevail in the litigation or retain or obtain sufficient rights or develop non-infringing intellectual property or otherwise alter our business practices on a timely or cost-efficient basis, our business and operating results may be adversely affected.
In addition, our clients or other third parties may also provide us with their technology and intellectual property. There is a risk that we may not sufficiently protect our or their information from improper use or dissemination and, as a result, could be subject to claims and litigation and resulting liabilities, loss of contracts or other consequences that could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operation.
We also hold licenses from third parties which may be utilized in our business operations. If we are no longer able to license such technology on commercially reasonable terms or otherwise, our business and financial performance could be adversely affected.
Government withholding regulations could adversely affect our operating performance.
A DFARS rule allows withholding of a percentage of payments when a contractor’s business system has one or more significant deficiencies. The DFARS rule applies to CAS-covered contracts that have the DFARS clause in the contract terms and conditions. Contracting officers may withhold 5% of contract payments for one or more significant deficiencies in any single contractor business system or up to 10% of contract payments for significant deficiencies in multiple contractor business systems. A significant deficiency as defined by the DoD is a “shortcoming in the system that materially affects the ability of officials of the DoD to rely upon information produced by the system that is needed for management purposes.” If we have significant deficiencies and contract payments are withheld, our revenue and financial position may be adversely affected.
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We are subject to certain data privacy regulations, which expose us to certain risks if we do not comply with these requirements.
Many of the systems and networks that we develop, install and maintain for our customers involve managing and protecting personal information and information relating to national security and other sensitive government functions. The collection and use of personal data is subject to various U.S. federal and state privacy and data security laws and regulations. Outside of the U.S., many countries have privacy and data security laws and regulations concerning the collection and use of personal data, including but not limited to, the EU’s GDPR. These laws and regulations are complex, constantly evolving, and may be subject to significant change in the future. In addition, enforcement of such laws and regulations is increasing and the application, interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations are often uncertain, particularly in new and rapidly evolving areas of technology all of which can make compliance challenging and costly, may expose us to related risks and liabilities and could negatively impact our business and financial condition.
As a U.S. government contractor, we are also subject to regulatory compliance requirements under DFARS and other federal regulations that require our IT systems to comply with the security and privacy controls such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171 (NIST 800-171). We may also be responsible if our subcontractors do not comply with these requirements. A failure to comply with these requirements could negatively impact our business and financial condition.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDEBTEDNESS, FINANCIAL CONDITION AND MARKETS
In connection with the Merger, we assumed significantly more indebtedness than V2X's prior indebtedness. Our level of indebtedness and our ability to make payments on or service our indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and liquidity.
As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $1,154.2 million of aggregate debt outstanding, which consists of the First Lien Term Facility and the 2023 Revolver and Term Loan (See Note 10, Debt, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K).
The amount of cash required to pay interest on our increased indebtedness levels following completion of the Merger, and thus the demands on our cash resources, is greater than the amount of cash flows required to service our indebtedness prior to the Merger. The increased levels of indebtedness also reduced funds available for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, and the repayment or refinancing of our indebtedness as it becomes due. If we do not achieve the expected benefits and cost savings from the Merger, or if our financial performance does not meet current expectations, then our ability to service our indebtedness may be adversely impacted.
If we are not able to repay or refinance our debt as it becomes due, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as selling assets, restructuring debt or obtaining additional debt or equity on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive, if we can obtain it at all. If we raise equity through the issuance of preferred stock, the terms of the preferred stock may give the holders rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock, particularly in the event of liquidation. Our ability to arrange additional financing or refinancing will depend on, among other factors, our financial position and performance, as well as prevailing market conditions and other factors beyond our control. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain additional financing or refinancing on terms acceptable to us or at all.
Our variable rate indebtedness may expose us to interest rate risks, which could cause our debt costs to increase significantly.
Borrowing under the secured credit facilities are at variable rates of interest and will expose us to interest rate risk. As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $1,154.2 million of aggregate debt outstanding under our secured credit facility. Given the unpredictable interest rate environment, if interest rates continue to increase, our debt service obligations on our variable rate indebtedness would increase even though the amount borrowed would remain the same, and our ability to generate cash from operations and other cash flows, including cash available for servicing our indebtedness, would correspondingly decrease.
To reduce interest expense volatility, we entered into $350.0 million of interest rate swaps during 2023. We may in the future enter into additional interest rate swaps that involve the exchange of floating for fixed rate interest payments in order to reduce future interest rate volatility of our variable rate indebtedness. However, due to risks for hedging gains and losses and cash settlement costs, we may not elect to maintain such interest rate swaps, and any swaps may not fully mitigate our interest rate risk.
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Our debt agreements contain covenants with which we must comply or risk default, or that impose restrictions on us and certain of our subsidiaries that may affect our ability to operate our businesses.
The agreements that govern the indebtedness incurred in connection with the Merger contain various affirmative and negative covenants that may, subject to certain significant exceptions, restrict our and certain of our subsidiaries’ ability to incur debt and our and certain of our subsidiaries’ ability to merge, dissolve, liquidate or consolidate; make acquisitions, investments, advances or loans; dispose of or transfer assets; pay dividends; redeem or repurchase certain debt; and enter into certain restrictive agreements. Our and our subsidiaries’ ability to comply with these provisions may be affected by events beyond our control. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in an event of default, which, if not cured or waived, could accelerate our repayment obligations and could result in a default and acceleration under other agreements containing cross-default provisions. Under these circumstances, we might not have sufficient funds or other resources to satisfy all of our obligations.
Goodwill represents a significant portion of our assets, and any impairment of these assets could negatively impact our results of operations.
As of December 31, 2023, our goodwill was approximately $1.7 billion, which represented approximately 53.7% of our total assets. We test goodwill for impairment on an annual basis, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of goodwill may not be recoverable. (For additional information on our goodwill impairment testing, see Note 1, Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K). Because of the significance of our goodwill, any future impairment of this asset could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
The effects of changes in worldwide economic and capital markets conditions may significantly affect our ability to maintain liquidity or procure capital.
Our business may be adversely affected by factors in the U.S. and other countries that are beyond our control, such as disruptions in financial markets or downturns in economic activity in specific countries or regions, or in the various industries in which our company operates; social, political or labor conditions in specific countries or regions; geopolitical conflict or global hostilities; or adverse changes in the availability and cost of capital, inflation, interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, tax rates, or regulations in the jurisdictions in which our company operates. If we lose access to our revolving credit facility, or if we are required to raise additional capital, we may be unable to do so in the current credit and stock market environment, or we may be able to do so only on unfavorable terms.
Adverse changes to financial conditions also could jeopardize certain counterparty obligations, including those of our insurers and financial institutions and other third parties.
We may not realize as revenue the full amounts reflected in our backlog, which could adversely affect our future revenue and growth.
As of December 31, 2023, our total backlog was $12.8 billion, which included $2.8 billion in funded backlog. We may not realize the full amount of our backlog as revenue, particularly unfunded backlog and future services where the customer has an option to decline our continued services under a contract. In addition, there can be no assurance that our backlog will result in actual revenue in any particular period. Our receipt of revenue, and the timing and amount of revenue under contracts included in our backlog are subject to various contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, including congressional appropriations. In particular, delays in the completion of the U.S. government’s budgeting process and the use of continuing resolutions could adversely affect our ability to recognize revenue timely under the contracts included in our backlog. Furthermore, the actual receipt of revenue from contracts included in our backlog may never occur or may be delayed because:
•a program schedule could change, or the program could be canceled; a contract’s funding or scope could be reduced, modified, delayed, or terminated early, including as a result of a lack of appropriated funds or as a result of cost cutting initiatives and other efforts to reduce U.S. government spending or the automatic federal defense spending cuts required by sequestration;
•in the case of funded backlog, the period of performance for the contract has expired; or
•in the case of unfunded backlog, funding may not be available; or, in the case of priced options, our clients may not exercise their options.
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Unanticipated changes in our tax provisions or exposure to additional U.S. and foreign tax liabilities could affect our profitability.
We are subject to various taxes, including but not limited to income, gross receipts and payroll withholding taxes in the U.S. and many foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision or benefit for taxes. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Furthermore, changes in domestic or foreign tax laws and regulations, or their interpretation and enforcement, could result in higher or lower taxes assessed or changes in the taxability of certain revenue or the deductibility of certain expenses, thereby affecting our tax expense and profitability. See Note 13, Income Taxes, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information. In addition, we regularly are under audit by tax authorities. The final determination of tax audits and any related litigation could be materially different from our historical tax provisions and accruals. Additionally, changes in the geographic mix of our revenue, including certain additional foreign taxes resulting from the Merger, could also impact our tax liabilities and affect our overall tax expense and profitability.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR SECURITIES
We meet the requirements to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE and, as a result, qualify for, and intend to rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance standards, which limit the presence of independent directors on its Board of Directors or Board committees.
As of December 31, 2023, Vertex Aerospace Holdco LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (Vertex Holdco), an affiliate of American Industrial Partners Capital Fund VI, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership and private equity fund affiliated with American Industrial Partners, owns approximately 59.3% of the issued and outstanding shares of the common stock of the Company.
As a result, we are a “controlled company” for purposes of Section 303A of the NYSE Listed Company Manual and are exempt from certain governance requirements otherwise required by the NYSE. Under Section 303A, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, a group or another company is a “controlled company” and is exempt from certain corporate governance requirements, including requirements that (1) a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors, (2) compensation of officers be determined or recommended to the board of directors by a majority of its independent directors or by a compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors and (3) director nominees be selected or recommended for selection by a majority of the independent directors or by a nominating/corporate governance committee composed solely of independent directors. Following the consummation of the Merger, we continue to have an audit committee that is composed entirely of independent directors.
In addition, the procedures for approving significant corporate decisions could be determined by directors who have a direct or indirect interest in such decisions, and our shareholders will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of other companies that are required to comply with the independence rules of the NYSE.
Our stock price may be volatile.
The market price of our common stock has been, and is likely to continue to be, highly volatile due to a number of factors, including the volatility of the stock market in general, uncertainty related to major contract awards, the budgetary and political climate, and overall trading liquidity. The trading price of our stock varied from a low of $37.71 to a high of $54.76 in 2023. Because of this volatility, investors in our stock may experience a decline in the value of their investment or may not be able to sell their common stock at or above the price paid for the shares.
Any future offerings of securities, including debt or preferred stock, which would be senior to our common stock, or other equity securities may materially and adversely affect us or our shareholders, including the per share trading price of our common stock.
We may issue, from time to time, additional securities, including common stock, preferred stock, depository shares, warrants, rights and debt securities, whether through an effective registration statement or otherwise. In addition to issuing more shares of our common stock, in the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by making additional offerings of debt, including senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities, or preferred stock, or securities that are exchangeable or exercisable or for or convertible into any of the foregoing. Holders of debt and holders of preferred stock may be entitled to receive payments of interest, dividends or otherwise prior to holders of shares of our common stock receiving dividends or any other payments and, in addition, upon liquidation, holders of debt and holders of shares of preferred stock will be entitled to receive our available assets prior to distribution to the holders of our common stock. Our preferred stock, if issued, has rights, preferences and privileges, including a preference on liquidating distributions and/or a preference on dividend payments, which could limit our ability to pay dividends to holders of our common stock. Additionally, any convertible, exercisable or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common stock and may result in dilution to owners of our common stock. Holders of our common stock are not entitled to preemptive rights or other protections against dilution. Because our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount,
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timing, or nature of future offerings. As a result, our shareholders bear the risk that our future offerings could adversely affect their rights as holders of common stock, reduce the per share trading price of our common stock and dilute their interest in us.
If our significant shareholders who received shares of our common stock in the Merger sell their shares, the price of our common stock could be materially affected.
If our significant shareholders who received shares of our common stock in connection with the Merger choose to sell a significant number of our shares, such sales could have a material impact on the market price for our common stock.
The restrictions on sales contained in the Shareholders Agreement, dated as of July 5, 2022, among the Company and certain of its shareholders (the Shareholders Agreement) have expired, and all of the shares of our common stock issued in connection with the completion of the Merger are available for resale in the public market, including pursuant to an effective registration statement that the Company filed for these shareholders. As of the date of this Form 10-K, approximately 59.1% of the outstanding shares of our common stock are held by the shareholders party to the Shareholders Agreement.
Such shareholders may decide not to hold the shares of our common stock they received upon completion of the Merger. In addition, certain of such shareholders, such as funds with limitations on their permitted holdings of stock in individual issuers, may be required to sell the shares of our common stock that they received upon completion of the Merger.
The impact on our stock price of sales of shares by such shareholders could be positive or negative, whether in the immediate term or in the future, and could be material. The effect and magnitude would depend on various factors, including market conditions, public float, trading volume and liquidity, shareholder composition and ownership, market perception, the number of shares sold and analyst coverage. In addition, future events and conditions could further increase the dilution from sales of these shares, including adverse changes in market conditions, additional transaction and integration related costs and other factors such as the failure to realize some or all of the benefits anticipated in the Merger. Any dilution of, or delay of any accretion to, our earnings per share could cause the price of shares of our common stock to decline or grow at a reduced rate. These sales may also make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-linked securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate to raise funds through future offerings.
We do not currently plan to pay dividends on our common stock, and our indebtedness could limit our ability to pay dividends on our common stock in the future.
We do not currently plan to pay dividends on our common stock. The declaration of any future cash dividends and, if declared, the amount of any such dividends, will be subject to our financial condition, earnings, capital requirements, financial covenants and other contractual restrictions and to the discretion of our Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors may consider such matters as general business conditions, industry practice, our financial condition and performance, our future prospects, our cash needs and capital investment plans, income tax consequences, applicable law and such other factors as our Board of Directors may deem relevant. Further, pursuant to the Shareholders Agreement, for so long as the Former Vertex Stockholders (as defined in the Shareholders Agreement) collectively beneficially own 34% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, the Company will not, without the requisite consent of the Former Vertex Stockholders declare or pay any dividend or distribution (a) on a non-pro-rata basis or (b) in excess of $25.0 million in the aggregate during any fiscal year.
Additionally, our indebtedness could have important consequences for holders of our common stock. If we cannot generate sufficient cash flow from operations to meet our debt payment obligations, then our ability to pay dividends, if so determined by the Board of Directors, will be impaired. In addition, the terms of the agreements governing our current debt limit the payment of dividends and debt that we may incur in the future may also limit the payment of dividends.
Anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents and Indiana law could delay or prevent a change in control.
Certain provisions of our amended and restated articles of incorporation and our second amended and restated by-laws may delay or prevent a merger or acquisition that a shareholder may consider favorable. For example, the amended and restated articles of incorporation and the second amended and restated by-laws, among other things, provide for a classified board, do not permit shareholders to convene special meetings or to remove our directors other than for cause, limit our shareholders' ability to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors and impose advance notice requirements for shareholder proposals and nominations of Directors to be considered at meetings of shareholders. In addition, the amended and restated articles of incorporation authorize our Board of Directors to issue one or more series of preferred stock without further action by our shareholders. These provisions may also discourage acquisition proposals or delay or prevent a change in control, which could harm our stock price. Indiana law also imposes restrictions on mergers and other business combinations between any beneficial holder of 10% or more of our outstanding common stock and us.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
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ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
The Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) through its audit committee (Audit Committee) is responsible for overseeing the Company’s risk management program. The Company integrates cybersecurity risk management into its broader risk management framework to ensure that cybersecurity considerations form an integral part of our risk management program. Our Information Technology (IT) department works closely with the risk management team to evaluate and address cybersecurity risks. The Company’s cybersecurity strategy and risk management processes align with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) governance requirements and cybersecurity framework.
Cybersecurity Risk Management Strategy
Identification, Response and Reporting: The Company has adopted a cyber incident response procedure to primarily:
•assess, identify and manage material cybersecurity threats and incidents;
•comply with our contractual obligation to safeguard covered defense information; and
•report on cyber incidents in accordance with the relevant DFARS.
The Company has established and maintains comprehensive incident response, business continuity, and disaster recovery plans designed to address the Company’s response to a cybersecurity incident. We have an established incident response team (IRT) comprised of cross-functional leaders from Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Security and IT groups, to identify, assess and address cyber incidents. The IRT coordinates closely with the risk management team on cybersecurity risks and threats facing the Company. The Company conducts regular exercises to test these plans and ensure personnel are familiar with their roles in a response scenario.
Technical Safeguards: The Company implements technical safeguards that are designed to protect the Company’s information systems from cybersecurity threats, including firewalls, intrusion prevention and detection systems, anti-malware functionality, and access controls, which are evaluated and improved through vulnerability assessments and cybersecurity threat intelligence, as well as through external audits and certifications.
Third-party Engagements: The Company maintains a comprehensive, risk-based approach to identifying and overseeing material cybersecurity threats presented by our use of third-party vendors, service providers, and other external users of the Company’s systems. We also monitor our use of systems of third parties that could adversely impact our business in the event of a material cybersecurity incident affecting those third-party systems, including any outside auditors or consultants who advise on the Company’s cybersecurity systems.
Recognizing the complexity and evolving nature of cybersecurity threats, we engage external experts, including managed security service provider (MSSP) and consultants, to evaluate our cyber governance and monitor our risks. These partnerships enable us to leverage their specialized knowledge to help ensure that our cybersecurity strategies and processes reflect industry best practices.
Education and Awareness: The Company provides regular, mandatory training for employees on safeguarding against cybersecurity threats, and communicates the Company’s evolving information security policies, standards, processes, and practices.
Governance
Board of Directors Oversight: The Audit Committee oversees cybersecurity risks. The Audit Committee reviews the Company’s cybersecurity program, including the review of reports on cyber incident response processes, emerging cybersecurity developments and threats, and cyber risk assessment. The Audit Committee meets regularly with management to discuss our cybersecurity program.
Management’s Role: Our Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is primarily responsible for assessing, monitoring and managing our cybersecurity risks. With over 23 years of experience in the field of information technology and cybersecurity, the CISO brings a wealth of expertise to his role. His background includes experience as a military cybersecurity officer and system security engineer, resulting in extensive knowledge and experience in developing and executing cybersecurity strategies. The CISO holds a graduate degree in Information Resource Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson, Air Force Base, Ohio and holds a Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification, awarded and maintained since 2010.
The CISO coordinates with senior management, including members of the IRT, to implement a program designed to protect the Company’s information systems from cybersecurity threats and to promptly respond to any material cybersecurity incidents or threats in accordance with the Company’s incident response procedure. Through ongoing communications between the CISO, IRT and other members of senior management (including the CEO), senior management stays informed about and monitors the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity threats and incidents in real time and reports significant threats and incidents to the Audit Committee, when appropriate.
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Management provides comprehensive briefings to the Audit Committee on a regular basis. These briefings may include topics such as the current cybersecurity landscape and emerging threats, reports on significant incidents and breaches, and compliance with new regulatory requirements.
Risks from Cybersecurity Threats
Our top cybersecurity threats include phishing, smishing, business email compromise, ransomware, system & human errors, and malware. These types of attacks could have a material impact on the Company. To date, we have not encountered cybersecurity challenges that have materially impacted our operations or results of operations.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We have 322 locations in 51 countries and territories on six continents. Our contract performance typically occurs on the government customer’s facility. Our material locations are the corporate headquarters office located at 7901 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, Virginia and operations offices located at: 2424 Garden of the Gods Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado; 555 Industrial Drive, Madison, Mississippi; and 6125 East 21st Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. These properties are used by our sole operating segment. Our McLean, Colorado Springs, Madison and Indianapolis locations are leased and have approximately 24,400, 65,000 164,000, and 900,000 square feet, respectively. The leases for our McLean, Colorado Springs, Madison, and Indianapolis locations expire in 2032, 2028, 2030 and 2026, respectively. We consider the properties that we lease to be in good condition and generally suitable for the purposes for which they are used.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, we are party to various investigations, lawsuits, arbitration, claims, enforcement actions and other legal proceedings including government investigations and claims, which are incidental to the operation of our business. Some of these proceedings seek remedies relating to employment matters, matters in connection with our contracts and matters arising under laws relating to the protection of the environment. As a government contractor, we are also subject to U.S. government audits and investigations relating to our operations, including claims for fines, penalties, and repayments, compensatory or treble damages. We believe the outcome of such ongoing government audits and investigations will not have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. Although the ultimate outcome of any legal matter cannot be predicted with certainty, based on present information, including our assessment of the merits of the particular claim, we do not expect that any asserted or unasserted legal claims or proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
See Note 15, Commitments and Contingencies, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not Applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
COMMON STOCK – MARKET INFORMATION, HOLDERS AND DIVIDENDS
Our common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol “VVX". Our common stock started trading on the NYSE in September 2014. As of February 26, 2024, there were approximately 3,629 stockholders of record and 31.3 million outstanding shares of common stock.
To date, we have not declared or paid any dividends on our common stock. The declaration and payment of dividends by us are subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and depend on many factors including our financial condition, earnings, capital requirements, covenants associated with our debt obligations, legal requirements, regulatory constraints and other factors deemed relevant by the Board of Directors. Therefore, there can be no assurance as to what level of dividends, if any, will be paid in the future. In deciding whether to pay future dividends on our common stock, our Board of Directors may take into account such matters as general business conditions, industry practice, our financial condition and performance, our future prospects, our cash needs and capital investment plans, debt levels and requirements, income tax consequences, applicable law and such other factors as our Board of Directors may deem relevant. See "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For a discussion of restrictions on the payment of dividends under our credit agreement, see Note 10, Debt, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
For a discussion of the securities authorized under our equity compensation plans, see Item 12 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which incorporates by reference the information to be disclosed in our definitive proxy statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES
None.
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
We did not repurchase any of our equity securities for the year ended December 31, 2023.
STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The following graph provides a comparison of the cumulative total shareholder return of our common stock to the returns of the Russell 2000 Index and the S&P Aerospace & Defense Select Industry Index from December 31, 2018 through December 31, 2023 with data points as of December 31 for the years shown. The graph is not, and is not intended to be, indicative of future performance of our common stock. This graph is not deemed to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act) and should not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any of our prior or subsequent filings under the Securities Act of 1933 as amended (Securities Act), or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
The graph assumes that $100 had been invested in V2X common stock, the Russell 2000 Index and the S&P Aerospace & Defense Select Industry Index on December 31, 2018 and that all dividends were reinvested.
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Reserved.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as the discussion in Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K entitled "Business." This Annual Report provides additional information regarding the Company, our services, industry outlook and forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections about our industry, business and future financial results. Our actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements. See "Forward-Looking Statement Information" for further information. Amounts presented in and throughout this Item 7 are rounded and, as such, rounding differences could occur in period over period changes and percentages reported.
Forward-Looking Statement Information
This Annual Report on Form 10-K and certain information incorporated herein by reference contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act, and Section 27A of the Securities Act, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, may involve risks and uncertainties. All statements included or incorporated by reference in this report, other than statements that are purely historical, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “potential,” “continue” or similar terminology. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of our management based on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements included or incorporated by reference in this report are subject to additional risks and uncertainties further discussed under Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and are based on information available to us on the filing date of this report. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and we cannot predict those events or how they may affect us.
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We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. In addition, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s historical experience and our present expectations or projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: our ability to submit proposals for and/or win all potential opportunities in our pipeline; our ability to retain and renew our existing contracts; our ability to compete with other companies in our market; security breaches, cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions, and other disruptions to our information technology and operation; our mix of cost-plus, cost-reimbursable, firm-fixed-price and time-and-materials contracts; maintaining our reputation and relationship with the U.S. government; protests of new awards; economic, political and social conditions in the countries in which we conduct our businesses; changes in U.S. or international government defense budgets; government regulations and compliance therewith, including changes to the DoD procurement process; changes in technology; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; governmental investigations, reviews, audits and cost adjustments; contingencies related to actual or alleged environmental contamination, claims and concerns; delays in completion of the U.S. government budget; our success in extending, deepening, and enhancing our technical capabilities; our success in expanding our geographic footprint or broadening our customer base; our ability to realize the full amounts reflected in our backlog; impairment of goodwill; misconduct of our employees, subcontractors, agents, prime contractors and business partners; our ability to control costs; our level of indebtedness; terms of our credit agreement; inflation and interest rate risk; geopolitical risk, including as a result of recent global hostilities; our subcontractors' performance; economic and capital markets conditions; our ability to maintain safe work sites and equipment; our ability to retain and recruit qualified personnel; our ability to maintain good relationships with our workforce; our teaming relationships with other contractors; changes in our accounting estimates; the adequacy of our insurance coverage; volatility in our stock price; changes in our tax provisions or exposure to additional income tax liabilities; risks and uncertainties relating to the post-Merger integration efforts; changes in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP); and other factors described in Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” and elsewhere in this report and described from time to time in our future reports filed with the SEC.
Overview
V2X is a leading provider of critical mission solutions primarily to defense clients globally. The Company operates as one segment and provides a comprehensive suite of integrated solutions and critical service offerings across the operations and logistics, aerospace, training and technology markets to national security, defense, civilian and international clients.
Our primary customer is the U.S. DoD. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we had total revenue of $4.0 billion, $2.9 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively, the substantial majority of which was derived from U.S. government customers. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we generated approximately 41%, 46% and 64%, respectively, of our total revenue from the U.S. Army.
Executive Summary
Our revenue increased by $1.1 billion, or 37.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. Revenue increased $877.7 million due to the Merger and the remaining increase was from organic growth of our legacy programs. Revenue from programs in the U.S, Middle East, Asia, and Europe increased by $791.8 million, $168.9 million, $96.7 million, and $14.8 million, respectively.
Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $124.4 million, an increase of $68.6 million or 123.1%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. Operating income increased $34.8 million due to the Merger and the remaining increase was from organic growth for legacy programs, partially offset by acquisition-related costs incurred during 2022.
During the performance of long-term contracts, estimated final contract prices and costs are reviewed periodically, and revisions are made as required, which are recorded as changes in revenue and cost of revenue in the periods in which they are determined. Additionally, the fees under certain contracts may be increased or decreased in accordance with cost or performance incentive provisions which measure actual performance against established targets or other criteria. These incentive fees or penalties are included in revenue when there is sufficient information to reasonably assess anticipated contract performance. Amounts representing contract change orders or limitations in funding on contracts are recorded only if it is probable a claim will result in additional contract revenue and the amounts can be reliably estimated. Changes in estimated revenue, cost of revenue and the related effect to operating income are recognized using cumulative adjustments, which recognize in the current period the cumulative effect of the changes on current and prior periods based on a contract's percentage of completion. Cumulative adjustments are driven by changes in contract terms, program performance, customer scope changes and changes to estimates in the reported period. These changes can increase or decrease operating income depending on the dynamics of each contract.
We recorded an income tax benefit of $1.9 million and an income tax expense of $8.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which represent effective income tax rates of 7.9% and (134.6)%, respectively. See Note 13, Income Taxes, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
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Further details related to our financial performance for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, are contained in the "Discussion of Financial Results" below. Details related to our financial performance for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 are contained in "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation - Discussion of Financial Results" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, electronically filed with the SEC on EDGAR on March 2, 2023.
Merger with Vertex
For a discussion of our Merger and related debt and stock-based compensation obligations, see Note 3, Merger, Note 10, Debt and Note 16, Stock-Based Compensation, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Significant Contracts
The following table reflects contracts that accounted for more than 10% of total revenue:
% of Total Revenue
Years Ended December 31,
LOGCAP V - Kuwait Task Order 12.0% 16.4% 11.8%
LOGCAP V - Iraq Task Order 7.5% 9.8% 11.7%
Revenue associated with a contract will fluctuate based on increases or decreases in the work being performed on the contract, award fee payment assumptions, and other contract modifications within the term of the contract resulting in changes to the total contract value.
U.S. government contracts are multi-year contracts and typically include an initial period of one year or less with annual one-year (or less) option periods for the remaining contract period. The number of option periods vary by contract, and there is no guarantee that an option period will be exercised by the U.S. government. The right to exercise an option period is at the sole discretion of the U.S. government. The U.S. government may also extend the term of a program by issuing extensions or bridge contracts, typically for periods of one year or less.
The LOGCAP V - Kuwait Task Order is currently exercised through June 30, 2024, with two additional twelve-month options and one six-month option through December 31, 2026. The task order provides services to support the Geographical Combatant Commands and Army Service Component Commands throughout the full range of military operations in the Kuwait region. The LOGCAP V - Kuwait Task Order contributed $474.3 million and $472.9 million of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
The LOGCAP V - Iraq Task Order is currently exercised through June 21, 2024, with two additional twelve-month options and one six-month option through December 21, 2026. The task order provides services to support the Geographical Combatant Commands and Army Service Component Commands throughout the full range of military operations in the Iraq region. The LOGCAP V - Iraq Task Order contributed $296.9 million and $282.5 million of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
The K-BOSSS contract ended on August 28, 2023. Components of the K-BOSSS contract were re-competed as a task order under the LOGCAP V contract vehicle and were awarded to us in 2019. The K-BOSSS contract contributed $1.9 million and $18.9 million of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Backlog
Total backlog includes remaining performance obligations, consisting of both funded backlog (firm orders for which funding is contractually authorized and appropriated by the customer) and unfunded backlog (firm orders for which funding is not currently contractually obligated by the customer and unexercised contract options). Total backlog excludes potential orders under IDIQ contracts and contracts awarded to us that are being protested by competitors with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) or in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC). The value of the backlog is based on anticipated revenue levels over the anticipated life of the contract. Actual values may be greater or less than anticipated. Total backlog is converted into revenue as work is performed. The level of order activity related to programs can be affected by the timing of government funding authorizations and their project evaluation cycles. Year-over-year comparisons could, at times, be impacted by these factors, among others.
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Our contracts are multi-year contracts and typically include an initial period of one year or less with annual one-year (or less) option periods for the remaining contract period. The number of option periods vary by contract, and there is no guarantee that an option period will be exercised. The right to exercise an option period is at the sole discretion of the U.S. government when we are the prime contractor or of the prime contractor when we are a subcontractor. The U.S. government may also extend the term of a program by issuing extensions of bridge contracts, typically for periods of one year or less.
We expect to recognize a substantial portion of our funded backlog as revenue within the next 12 months. However, the U.S. government or the prime contractor may cancel any contract at any time through a termination for convenience. Most of our contracts have terms that would permit us to recover all or a portion of our incurred costs and fees for work performed in the event of a termination for convenience.
Total backlog increased by $0.5 billion in the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to new business awards offset by recognition of revenue. The following is a summary of funded and unfunded backlog:
As of December 31,
Funded orders (different from funded backlog) represent orders for which funding was received during the period. We received funded orders of $4.2 billion during the year ended December 31, 2023, which was an increase of $1.6 billion compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was due to timing of awards.
Economic Opportunities, Challenges and Risks
The U.S. government’s investment in services and capabilities in response to changing security challenges creates a complex and fluid business environment for V2X and other firms in this market. However, the U.S. continues to face substantial fiscal and economic challenges in addition to a varying political environment which could affect funding. The pace and depth of U.S. government acquisition reform and cost savings initiatives, combined with increased industry competitiveness to win long-term positions on key programs, could add pressure to revenue levels and profit margins. However, the Company expects the U.S. government will continue to place a high priority on national security and will continue to invest in affordable solutions. V2X believes that its capabilities, particularly in operations and logistics, aerospace, training and technology, should help its clients increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve readiness, and strengthen national security and, as a result, continue to allow for long-term profitable growth in the business. Further, the DoD budget remains the largest in the world and management believes the Company's addressable portion of the DoD budget offers substantial opportunity for growth.
The U.S. government's Fiscal Year (FY) begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The Fiscal 2024 budget request was submitted to the U.S. Congress on March 9, 2023, and requested $886 billion for National Defense, with $842 billion of the total allocated to the Department of Defense.
In January 2023, the statutory debt ceiling limit of $31.4 trillion was reached and on June 3, 2023, the President signed “The Fiscal Responsibility Act” (FRA) into law, which suspends the debt ceiling until January 1, 2025. The FRA places caps on defense and non-defense discretionary spending in FY 2024 and FY 2025. The FRA cap on discretionary spending for National Defense in FY 2024 and FY 2025 is $886 billion and $895 billion, respectively. Additionally, the FRA mandates cuts in FY 2024 by one percent from FY 2023 enacted levels if Congress does not pass all twelve defense and non-defense discretionary appropriations bills by April 30, 2024.
In December 2023, the President signed the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act into law, which matched the original request of $886 billion for National Defense, with $842 billion being allocated to the Department of Defense. However, annual appropriations to fund the federal government for FY 2024 have not been enacted. Recently, the President signed a continuing resolution (CR) that extends funding of six appropriations bills to March 8, 2024 and the remaining six to March 22, 2024. Under a CR, funding is generally consistent with FY 2023 appropriated levels, however, new program and contract starts are not authorized. If FY 2024 appropriations or an additional CR is not passed before the CR's expiration, the U.S. government is expected to enter a shutdown and cease certain non-essential operations. Depending on the length and nature of a potential shutdown, companies that are reliant on U.S. government funding, could be significantly impacted.
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While it is difficult to predict the specific course of future defense budgets, V2X believes the core functions the Company performs are mission-essential and spending to maintain readiness, improve performance, increase service life, lower cost, and modernize digital and physical environments will continue to be a U.S. government priority. The Company's focus is on providing integrated solutions across the mission lifecycle that encompass (i) high consequence training; (ii) readiness/logistics/deployment; (iii) mission and infrastructure support, including rapid response contingency efforts; (iv) battlefield connectivity and communications; (v) maintenance, modification, repair, and overhaul of assets and aircraft; (vi) and upgrades and modernization across digital and physical environments. The Company develops and inserts operational technologies across its solutions to improve efficiency and the outcomes of its clients' missions. The Company believes this aligns with its clients' intent to utilize and harden existing equipment, infrastructure, and assets rather than executing new purchases. While customers may reduce the level of services required from us, the Company does not currently anticipate the complete elimination of these services, and the Company continues to focus on contract expansion and capturing new business opportunities.
However, business conditions have become more challenging and uncertain due to macroeconomic conditions, including inflation and rising interest rates, as well as recent international events. For example, global hostilities could create additional demand for our products and services, however, any such demand, and the timing and extent of any incremental contract activity resulting from that demand, remains uncertain. Further, given the current level of inflation and geopolitical factors, the Company is monitoring the impact of rising costs on its active and future contracts and its financial results, and actively evaluating opportunities for cost reductions and deleveraging. In recent quarters of 2023, the Company’s cost-plus and cost-reimbursable contracts have been increasing sequentially as a percentage of total contract mix and revenue. The Company’s earnings and profitability may vary materially depending on the total mix of contracts. To date, the Company has not experienced broad-based increases from inflation or geopolitical hostilities in the costs of its fixed-price and time and materials contracts that are material to the business. However, if the geopolitical conditions worsen or if the Company experiences greater than expected inflation in its supply chain and labor costs, then profit margins, and in particular, the profit margin from fixed-price and time and materials contracts, which represent a substantial portion of its contracts, could be adversely affected.
On August 16, 2022, the U.S. government enacted the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes, among other provisions, changes to the U.S. corporate income tax system. While the Company does not currently anticipate any impact on its business, evaluation of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and its requirements continues, as well as any potential impact on its business in the future.
The information provided above does not represent a complete list of trends and uncertainties that could impact our business in either the near or long-term and should be considered along with the risk factors identified under the caption “Risk Factors” identified in Part 1, Item 1A in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the matters identified under the caption “Forward-Looking Statement Information" herein.
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DISCUSSION OF FINANCIAL RESULTS
Selected financial highlights are presented in the table below:
Year Ended December 31, Change
% of revenue 5.3 % 8.3 %
Operating margin 3.1 % 1.9 %
Loss on extinguishment of debt (22,298) — (22,298) *
% of revenue (0.6) % (0.2) %
Effective income tax rate 7.9 % (134.6) %
*Percentage change is not meaningful.
Revenue
Revenue increased by $1.1 billion, or 37.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. Revenue increased $877.7 million due to the Merger and the remaining increase was from organic growth for legacy programs. Revenue from programs in the U.S, Middle East, Asia, and Europe increased by $791.8 million, $168.9 million, $96.7 million, and $14.8 million, respectively.
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue increased by $1.0 billion, or 39.8%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to increased revenue from the Merger and increased amortization of intangible assets.
Selling, General & Administrative (SG&A) Expenses
SG&A expenses decreased by $28.8 million, or 12.0%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to $39.9 million of acquisition-related costs that were incurred during 2022.
Operating Income
Operating income increased by $68.6 million, or 123.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. Operating margin (income as a percentage of revenue) was 3.1% for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to 1.9% for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in operating income was due to the Merger and organic growth for legacy programs, partially offset by acquisition-related costs incurred during 2022.
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, aggregate cumulative adjustments increased operating income by $22.7 million and $13.3 million, respectively. The aggregate cumulative adjustments for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 related to changes in contract terms, program performance, customer changes in scope of work and changes to estimates in the reported period. Operating income was also impacted by labor mix and other direct cost purchases.
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt
The Company recorded a $22.3 million loss on extinguishment of debt for the year ended December 31, 2023. For a discussion of the loss on extinguishment see Note 10, Debt, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Interest (Expense) Income, Net
Interest (expense) income, net was as follows:
Year Ended December 31, Change
Interest income is directly related to interest earned on our cash. Interest expense is directly related to borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities, the amortization of debt issuance costs, and derivative instruments used to hedge a portion of our exposure to interest rate risk. The increase in interest expense of $61.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 was due to increased debt assumed with the Merger.
Other Expense, Net
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company incurred purchase discount fees and other expenses of $4.0 million related to the sale of accounts receivable through the Master Accounts Receivable Purchase Agreement (MARPA Facility). For a discussion of the MARPA Facility, see Note 18, Sale of Receivables, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Income Tax (Benefit) Expense
We recorded income tax benefit of $1.9 million and income tax expense of $8.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which represented effective income tax expense rates of 7.9% and (134.6)%, for the respective years. The effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was due to increased non-deductible compensation, foreign tax expenses, and state income tax expense which were partially offset by the release of prior year uncertain tax position and credits. The effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 was due to increased non-deductible compensation, non-deductible transaction costs, foreign tax expenses, and state income tax expense which were partially offset by the release of prior year uncertain tax position and current year Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII) deduction.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Liquidity
The Company is not aware of any known trends, demands, commitments, events or uncertainties that will result in, or that are reasonably likely to result in, a material decrease in our liquidity. In addition, other than items discussed, there are no known material trends, favorable or unfavorable, in our capital resources and no expected material changes in the mix of such resources.
Our major sources of funding will be our operating cash flow, our existing balances of cash and cash equivalents and proceeds from any issuances of debt. We believe we have sufficient liquidity to fund operations, acquisitions, capital expenditures and scheduled debt repayments. The Company expects to fund its ongoing working capital, capital expenditure and financing requirements and pursue additional growth through new business development and potential acquisition opportunities by using cash flows from operations, cash on hand, its credit facilities, and access to capital markets. When necessary, our revolving credit facility and MARPA Facility are available to satisfy short-term working capital requirements.
If cash flows from operations are less than expected, the Company may need to access the long-term or short-term capital markets. Although the Company believes its current financing arrangements will permit financing of its operations on acceptable terms and conditions, access to and the availability of financing on acceptable terms and conditions in the future will be impacted by many factors, including but not limited to: (i) its credit ratings, (ii) the liquidity of the overall capital markets, and (iii) the current state of the economy. The Company cannot provide assurance that such financing will be available on acceptable terms or that such financing will be available at all.
During the first quarter of 2023, we entered into a credit agreement (the 2023 Credit Agreement) that provided for $750.0 million in senior secured financing, consisting of a $500.0 million five-year revolving credit facility (2023 Revolver) and a five-year $250.0 million term loan (Term Loan). The proceeds were used to repay certain existing debt balances. See Note 10, Debt, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion.
During the fourth quarter of 2023, we amended our senior secured first lien term loans (Vertex First Lien Credit Agreement). The amendment provided for a new tranche of term loans under the Vertex First Lien Credit Agreement in an aggregate original principal amount of $911.1 million (the New Term Loans), in which the New Term Loans replaced or refinanced in full all the existing term loans outstanding under the Vertex First Lien Credit Agreement.
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As of December 31, 2023, the carrying value of the New Term Loans was $908.8 million, excluding deferred discount and unamortized deferred financing costs of $36.4 million. The estimated fair value of the New Term Loans as of December 31, 2023 was $908.8 million. The fair value is based on observable inputs of interest rates that are currently available to us for debt with similar terms and maturities for non-public debt (Level 2).
As of December 31, 2023, under the 2023 Revolver there were no outstanding borrowings and $17.5 million of outstanding letters of credit. Unamortized deferred financing costs related to the 2023 Revolver of $4.2 million are included in other non-current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of December 31, 2023, the fair value of the 2023 Revolver approximated the carrying value because the debt bears a floating interest rate.
As of December 31, 2023, the carrying value of the Term Loan portion of the 2023 Credit Agreement was $245.3 million, excluding unamortized deferred financing costs of $2.1 million. The estimated fair value of the Term Loan portion of the 2023 Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2023 was $245.6 million. The fair value is based on observable inputs of interest rates that are currently available to us for debt with similar terms and maturities for non-public debt (Level 2). For additional discussion of the Company’s indebtedness, see Note 10, Debt, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The cash presented on our Consolidated Balance Sheets consists of U.S. and international cash from wholly-owned subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2023, the Company held cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $72.7 million, which included $43.6 million held by foreign subsidiaries. We do not currently expect that we will be required to repatriate undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries. We expect our U.S. domestic cash resources will be sufficient to fund our U.S. operating activities and cash commitments for financing activities.
Sources and Uses of Liquidity
Cash, accounts receivable, unbilled receivables, and accounts payable are the principal components of the Company's working capital and are generally driven by revenue with other short-term fluctuations related to payment practices by customers, sales of accounts receivable through the MARPA Facility and the timing of billings. The Company's receivables reflect amounts billed to customers, as well as the revenue that was recognized in the preceding month, which is normally billed in the month following each balance sheet date.
Accounts receivable balances can vary significantly over time and are impacted by revenue levels and the timing of payments received from customers. Days sales outstanding (DSO) is a metric used to monitor accounts receivable levels. The Company determines its DSO by calculating the number of days necessary to exhaust its ending accounts receivable balance based on its most recent historical revenue. DSO was 58 and 68 as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
The following table sets forth net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, investing and financing activities.
Year Ended December 31,
1 Impact on cash balances due to changes in foreign exchange rates.
Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted of cash inflows from non-cash income items of $169.8 million and cash inflows from the sale of receivables through the MARPA Facility of $72.7 million, partially offset by a net loss of $22.6 million, cash outflows for other non-current assets and liabilities of $25.8 million, and cash outflows for working capital requirements of $6.1 million.
Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted of cash inflows from non-cash income items of $100.6 million and a decrease in net working capital requirements of $47.7 million, partially offset by a net loss of $14.3 million and cash outflows for other non-current assets and liabilities of $40.5 million.
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted of $25.0 million of net capital expenditures for the purchase of computer hardware and software and equipment related to ongoing operations, partially offset by $1.3 million of cash received in a business disposition and $1.0 million of cash received in joint venture distributions.
Net cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted of $193.7 million of cash acquired in the Merger. This was partially offset by $12.4 million of net capital expenditures for the purchase of computer hardware and software, and equipment related to ongoing operations and $5.3 million of cash disbursed in a business disposition.
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Net cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted of repayments of long-term debt of $432.6 million, payment of debt issuance costs of $8.8 million, prepayment penalty of $1.6 million, and payments of $18.0 million for employee withholding taxes on share-based compensation, partially offset by proceeds from long-term debt of $250.0 million.
Net cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted of repayments of long-term debt of $108.4 million, payment of debt issuance costs of $2.3 million, and payments of $2.0 million for employee withholding taxes on share-based compensation. During 2022, we also borrowed and repaid $392.0 million and $472.9 million, respectively, on the Amended Revolver. These cash outflows were partially offset by $0.4 million received from the exercise of stock options.
Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023, we held cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $72.7 million, which included $43.6 million held by foreign subsidiaries and had $482.5 million of available borrowing capacity under the 2023 Revolver, which expires on February 25, 2028. We believe that our cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as of December 31, 2023, as supplemented by cash flows from operations, the 2023 Revolver, and the MARPA Facility will be sufficient to fund our anticipated operating costs, capital expenditures and current debt repayment obligations for at least the next 12 months.
Contractual Obligations
As of December 31, 2023, commitments to make future payments under long-term contractual obligations were as follows:
Payments Due in Period
(In thousands) Total Less than 1 Year 1 - 3 Years 3 - 5 Years More than 5 Years
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Estimates are revised as additional information becomes available. Management believes that the accounting estimates employed and the resulting balances are reasonable; however, actual results in these areas could differ from management's estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Significant accounting policies used in the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements are discussed in Note 1, Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We believe that the assumptions and estimates associated with revenue recognition, business combinations, goodwill impairment, intangible assets and income taxes have the greatest potential impact on our financial statements because they are inherently uncertain, involve significant judgments, and include areas where different estimates reasonably could materially impact the financial statements. We discuss below significant critical accounting policies. Management believes that the accounting estimates employed and the resulting balances are reasonable; however, actual results in these areas could differ from management's estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
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Revenue Recognition
We account for revenue following the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). As a defense contractor engaging in long-term contracts, the substantial majority of our revenue is derived from long-term service contracts. The unit of account for revenue in ASC Topic 606 is a performance obligation. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. To determine the proper revenue recognition method, consideration is given as to whether a single contract should be accounted for as more than one performance obligation. For most of our contracts, the customer contracts with us to perform an integrated set of tasks and deliverables as a single service solution, whereby each service is not separately identifiable from other promises in the contract and therefore is not distinct. As a result, when an integrated set of tasks exists, the contract is accounted for as one performance obligation. Unexercised contract options and IDIQ contracts are considered to be separate performance obligations when the option or IDIQ task order is exercised or awarded. Our performance obligations are satisfied over time as services are provided throughout the contract term. We recognize revenue over time using the input method (e.g., costs incurred to date relative to total estimated costs at completion) to measure progress. Our over time recognition is reinforced by the fact that our customers simultaneously receive and consume the benefits of our services as they are performed.
Accounting for contracts and programs involves the use of various techniques to estimate total contract revenue and costs. For contracts, we estimate the profit on a contract as the difference between the total estimated revenue and expected costs to complete a contract and recognize that profit over the life of the contract. When the estimates of total costs to be incurred on a contract exceed total estimates of the total revenue to be earned on the contract, a provision for the entire loss is determined at the contract level and recognized in the period in which the loss was determined.
Contract estimates are based on various assumptions to project the outcome of future events. These assumptions include labor productivity and availability, the complexity of the services being performed, the cost and availability of materials, the performance of subcontractors, and the availability and timing of funding from the customer.
The nature of our contracts gives rise to several types of variable consideration, including award and incentive fees, inspection of supplies and services, undefinitized change orders, and fluctuation in allowable indirect reimbursable costs. We include award or incentive fees in the estimated transaction price when there is certainty and a basis to reasonably estimate the amount of the fee. These estimates are based on historical award experience, anticipated performance and our best judgment at the time. The inspection of supplies and services is a factor because the U.S. government can reduce the transaction price if we do not perform the services in compliance with contract requirements. Variable consideration associated with undefinitized change orders is included to the extent that related estimated costs have been included in the expected costs to complete a contract. The fluctuation of allowable indirect reimbursable costs is a factor because the U.S. government has the right to review our accounting records and retroactively adjust the reimbursable rate. Any prior adjustments are reflected in the U.S. government reserve amounts recorded in our financial statements. We estimate variable consideration at the most likely amount that we expect to be entitled to receive. Refer to Note 15, Commitments and Contingencies, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion regarding U.S. government reserve amounts.
As a significant change in one or more of these estimates could affect the profitability of our contracts, we review and update our contract estimates regularly. We recognize adjustments in estimated profit on executed contracts cumulatively. The impact of the adjustments on profit recorded to date is recognized in the period the adjustment is identified. Revenue and profit in future periods of contract performance are recognized using the adjusted estimate. If at any time the estimate of contract profitability indicates an anticipated loss on the contract, we recognize the total loss in the quarter it is identified.
Contracts are often modified to account for changes in contract specifications and requirements. If the modification either creates new enforceable rights and obligations or changes the existing enforceable rights and obligations, the modification will be treated as a separate contract. Our contract modifications, except for those to exercise option years, have historically not been distinct from the existing contract and have been accounted for as if they were part of that existing contract.
The timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections results in billed and unbilled accounts receivable (contract assets) and customer advances and deposits (contract liabilities) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Amounts are billed as work progresses in accordance with agreed-upon contractual terms at periodic intervals (e.g., biweekly or monthly). Generally, billing occurs subsequent to revenue recognition, resulting in contract assets. However, we may receive advances or deposits from our customers, before revenue is recognized, resulting in contract liabilities. These advance billings and payments are not considered significant financing components because they are frequently intended to fund current operating expenses under the contract. These assets and liabilities are reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheets on a contract-by-contract basis at the end of each reporting period.
See Note 1, Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, and Note 4, Revenue, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion.
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Business Combinations, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
The purchase price of an acquired business is allocated to the tangible assets, financial assets and separately recognized intangible assets acquired less liabilities assumed based upon their respective fair values, with the excess recorded as goodwill. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires significant judgment, which includes, among other factors, analysis of historical performance and estimates of future performance. These factors may cause final amounts to differ materially from original estimates. In some cases, we use discounted cash flow analyses, which are based on our best estimate of future revenue, earnings and cash flows as well as our discount rate adjusted for risk.
Goodwill is not amortized, but instead is tested for impairment annually (or more frequently if impairment indicators arise, such as changes to the reporting unit structure or significant adverse changes in the business climate). We conduct our annual impairment testing as of the beginning of the fourth fiscal quarter. In reviewing goodwill for impairment, we have the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If we elect to perform a qualitative assessment and determine that an impairment is more likely than not, we then perform a quantitative impairment test as described below. Otherwise, no further analysis is required. We also may elect not to perform the qualitative assessment and, instead, proceed directly to the quantitative impairment test.
For the quantitative impairment test we compare the estimated fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the estimated fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, goodwill of the reporting unit is not impaired. If the carrying value of the reporting unit, including goodwill, exceeds its estimated fair value, a goodwill impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit while taking into consideration the related income tax effect from any tax-deductible goodwill.
For 2023 and 2022, we used the qualitative approach to assess goodwill for impairment. No impairment charges related to goodwill were recorded during 2023 and 2022.
We recognize acquired intangible assets apart from goodwill whenever the intangible assets arise from contractual or other legal rights, or whenever they can be separated or divided from the acquired entity and sold, transferred, licensed, rented or exchanged, either individually or in combination with a related contract, asset or liability. Such intangibles are amortized over their estimated useful lives unless the estimated useful life is determined to be indefinite. Amortizable intangible assets are being amortized over useful lives of four to eight years. The straight-line method of amortization is used as it has been determined to approximate the use pattern of the assets.
Income Taxes
We determine the provision or benefit for income taxes using the asset and liability approach. Under this approach, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, applying enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which we expect the differences will reverse. Based on the evaluation of available evidence, we recognize future tax benefits, such as net operating loss carryforwards, to the extent that we believe it is more likely than not we will realize these benefits. We periodically assess the likelihood that we will be able to recover our deferred tax assets and reflect any changes to our estimate of the amount we are more likely than not to realize in the valuation allowance, with a corresponding adjustment to earnings or other comprehensive income (loss), as appropriate.
Our effective tax rate reflects the impact of certain undistributed foreign earnings for which we have not recognized U.S. taxes because we plan to reinvest such earnings indefinitely outside the U.S. We plan foreign earnings remittance amounts based on projected cash flow needs, as well as the working capital and long-term investment requirements of our foreign subsidiaries and our domestic operations. Based on these assumptions, we estimate the amount we will distribute to the U.S. and recognize the U.S. federal taxes due only on these amounts. Material changes in our estimates of cash, working capital and long-term investment requirements in the various jurisdictions in which we do business could impact our actual remittance amounts and, accordingly, our effective tax rate.
The calculation of our tax liabilities involves uncertainties in the application of complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across our global operations. We recognize potential liabilities and record tax liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues in the U.S. and other tax jurisdictions based on our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. Furthermore, we recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position 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 financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement.
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We adjust our liability for unrecognized tax benefits in light of changing facts and circumstances; however, due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is materially different from our current estimate of the tax liabilities. If our estimate of tax liabilities proves to be less than the ultimate assessment, an additional tax expense would result. If a payment of these amounts ultimately proves to be less than the recorded amounts, the reversal of the liabilities would result in tax benefits being recognized in the period when we determine the liabilities are no longer necessary to be provided.
New Accounting Standards Updates
See Part II, Item 8, Note 2, Recent Accounting Standards Updates, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for information regarding accounting standards updates.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Our earnings, cash flows and financial position are exposed to market risks relating to fluctuations in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. All of the potential changes noted below are based on information available as of December 31, 2023.
Interest Rate Risk