Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data in this Annual Report on Form 10‐K. This Annual Report on Form 10‐K contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain statements contained in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are 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 due to a number of factors, including those discussed in other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10‐K. See “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements.”
Overview
We are a leading provider of money movement and payment services, operating in two business segments:
•
Consumer-to-Consumer - Our Consumer-to-Consumer operating segment facilitates money transfers, which are primarily sent from our retail agent locations worldwide or through websites and mobile devices. Our money transfer service is provided through one interconnected global network. This service is available for international cross-border transfers and, in certain countries, intra-country transfers.
•
Business Solutions - Our Business Solutions operating segment facilitates payment and foreign exchange solutions, primarily cross-border, cross-currency transactions, for small and medium size enterprises and other organizations and individuals. The majority of the segment’s business relates to exchanges of currency at spot rates, which enable customers to make cross-currency payments. In addition, in limited countries, we write foreign currency forward and option contracts for customers to facilitate future payments. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC, and this business is expected to be fully divested in the second quarter of 2023 as discussed below.
All businesses and other services that have not been classified in the above segments are reported as Other, which primarily includes our bill payment services which facilitate payments from consumers to businesses and other organizations and our money order services. Certain of our corporate costs such as costs related to strategic initiatives, including costs for the review and closing of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, are also included in Other. Additional information on our segments is provided in the Segment Discussion below.
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Results of Operations
The following discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results refers to the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. For discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, refer to Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on February 24, 2022.
The results of operations should be read in conjunction with the discussion of our segment results of operations, which provide more detailed discussions concerning certain components of the Consolidated Statements of Income. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions between our segments have been eliminated. The below information has been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) unless otherwise noted. All amounts provided in this section are rounded to the nearest tenth of a million, except as otherwise noted. As a result, the percentage changes and margins disclosed herein may not recalculate precisely using the rounded amounts provided.
Our revenues and operating income for the year ended December 31, 2022 were impacted by fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, resulted in a decrease to revenues of $185.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 relative to the prior year. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies negatively impacted operating income by $5.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 relative to the prior year.
On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC (collectively, the "Buyer") for cash consideration of $910.0 million. The sale is expected to be completed in three closings, with the entire cash consideration collected at the first closing and allocated to the closings on a relative fair value basis. The first closing occurred on March 1, 2022, excluded the operations in the European Union and the United Kingdom, and resulted in a gain of $151.4 million. The second closing, which occurred on December 31, 2022 and included the United Kingdom operations, resulted in a gain of $96.9 million. The third closing, which is currently expected to occur in the second quarter of 2023 pending required regulatory approvals, includes the European Union operations. During the periods between the first and third closings, we are required to pay the Buyer a measure of profit of the European Union and United Kingdom operations, while we owned them, adjusted for the provision for income taxes, occupancy charges for employees of the Buyer using our facilities, and other items.
Business Solutions revenues included in our Consolidated Statements of Income were $196.9 million and $421.8 million, and direct operating expenses, excluding corporate allocations, were $140.3 million and $317.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Costs related to the review and closing of this divestiture were $5.2 million and $14.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
In March 2022, we suspended our operations in Russia and Belarus, which are included in our Consumer-to-Consumer segment, due to the Russia/Ukraine conflict (the "Conflict"). Revenues associated with the Russia and Belarus operations, including transactions sent from, into, and within these countries for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were approximately $28 million and $145 million, respectively. The Conflict has had and is expected to continue to have broader implications to our overall business, including reduced transaction activity in Ukraine. We expect that our results of operations will continue to be negatively impacted by this Conflict into 2023.
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The following table sets forth our consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions, except per share amounts) 2022 2021 % Change
Expenses:
Selling, general, and administrative 964.2 1,051.3 (8 )%
Other income/(expense):
Gain on divestiture of business 248.3 — (a)
Gain on sale of noncontrolling interest in a private company — 47.9 (a)
Pension settlement charges — (109.8 ) (a)
Interest income 13.9 1.4 (a)
Other expense, net (37.5 ) (21.7 ) (a)
Total other income/(expense), net 123.7 (187.7 ) (a)
Earnings per share:
Weighted-average shares outstanding:
(a)
Calculation not meaningful.
Revenues Overview
Revenues are primarily derived from consideration paid by customers to transfer money. These revenues vary by transaction based upon factors such as channel, send and receive locations, the principal amount sent, whether the money transfer involves different send and receive currencies, and the difference between the exchange rate we set to the customer and a rate available in the wholesale foreign exchange market, as applicable. We also offer several other services, including foreign exchange and payment services and other bill payment services, for which revenue is impacted by similar factors.
Due to the significance of the effect that foreign exchange fluctuations against the United States dollar can have on our reported revenues, constant currency results have been provided in the table below for consolidated revenues. Constant currency results assume foreign revenues are translated from foreign currencies to the United States dollar, net of the effect of foreign currency hedges, at rates consistent with those in the prior year. We have also disclosed the impact of our Business Solutions divestiture on our revenues in the table below. Constant currency measures and measures that exclude the impact of divestitures are non-GAAP financial measures and are provided so that revenue can be viewed without the effect of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and divestitures of our businesses, which is consistent with how management evaluates our revenue results and trends. We believe that these measures provide management and investors with information about revenue results and trends that eliminates currency volatility and divestitures, thereby providing greater clarity regarding, and increasing the comparability of, our underlying results and trends. These disclosures are provided in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the percentage change in revenue on a GAAP basis for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year. Other companies may calculate and define similarly labeled items differently, which may limit the usefulness of this measure for comparative purposes.
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The following table sets forth our consolidated revenue results for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
Year Ended December 31,
Foreign currency impact(a) 4 %
Divestitures impact(b) 4 %
(a)
Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, resulted in a decrease to revenues of $185.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 when compared to foreign currency rates in the prior year.
(b)
Business Solutions revenues included in our results were $196.9 million and $421.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
In addition to the decline in revenues associated with fluctuations in exchange rates between the United States dollar and foreign currencies as well as our Business Solutions divestiture, GAAP and non-GAAP revenues decreased due to a transaction decline in our Consumer-to-Consumer segment, including as a result of the suspension of our operations in Russia and Belarus for the year ended December 31, 2022 when compared to the prior year.
Operating Expenses Overview
Operating expense redeployment program
On October 20, 2022, we announced an operating expense redeployment program which aims to redeploy approximately $150 million in expenses in our cost base over the next 5 years, accomplished through optimizations in vendor management, our real estate footprint, marketing, and people costs. We believe these changes will allow us to invest in strategic initiatives. The timing and pace of this redeployment may vary, and we believe that we will continue to refine aspects of the program into 2023. We incurred $2.7 million and $19.1 million of Cost of services and Selling, general, and administrative expenses, respectively, related to this program for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Cost of Services
Cost of services primarily consists of agent commissions, which represented approximately 60% of total cost of services for the year ended December 31, 2022. Cost of services decreased for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year primarily due to a decrease in Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer agent commissions, which generally vary with revenues, and a decrease associated with the Business Solutions divestiture, as discussed above, partially offset by increased investments in information technology.
Selling, General, and Administrative
Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year due to a decrease associated with the Business Solutions divestiture, as discussed above, and a decrease in employee-related expenses. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in marketing costs, severance and other costs associated with the operating expense redeployment initiatives, as discussed above, and exit costs associated with the suspension of our Russian and Belarus operations and the Business Solutions divestiture, as discussed below.
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Total Other Income/(Expense), Net
Total other income/(expense), net for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year benefited from the gain on the first two closings of the Business Solutions divestiture, pension settlement charges incurred in the prior period and a reduction in net periodic pension costs due to the termination of our U.S. defined benefit pension plan (the "Plan") in the fourth quarter of 2021, and debt extinguishment costs incurred in the prior period. This was partially offset by a prior year gain of $47.9 million recorded from the sale of a substantial majority of shares we held as a noncontrolling investor in a private company and by the expense associated with payment obligations to the Buyer of the Business Solutions business for a measure of the profits, as contractually agreed, from the European Union and United Kingdom operations subsequent to the first closing.
Income Taxes
Our effective tax rates on pre-tax income were 9.7% and 13.9% for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease in our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year was primarily due to the reversal of uncertain tax positions, including from statute of limitations expirations and the completion of the examination of our federal income tax returns for 2017 and 2018, as further discussed in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 11, Income Taxes, as well as tax expense incurred in the prior period related to changes in our permanent reinvestment assertions, partially offset by the sale of the Business Solutions business and our decision to suspend operations in Russia and Belarus.
We have established contingency reserves for a variety of material, known tax exposures. As of December 31, 2022, the total amount of tax contingency reserves was $237.2 million, including accrued interest and penalties, net of related items. Our tax reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include: (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes in facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue during the period, and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period. Such resolution could materially increase or decrease income tax expense in our consolidated financial statements in future periods and could impact our operating cash flows.
A significant proportion of our profits are foreign-derived. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, 95% and 106%, respectively, of our pre-tax income was derived from foreign sources. While the income tax imposed by any one foreign country is not material to us, our overall effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in foreign tax laws.
Earnings Per Share
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, basic earnings per share were $2.35 and $1.98, respectively, and diluted earnings per share were $2.34 and $1.97, respectively. Outstanding options to purchase Western Union stock and unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, there were 8.0 million and 2.3 million, respectively, of shares excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation under the treasury stock method, primarily due to outstanding options to purchase shares of Western Union stock and restricted stock units, as the assumed proceeds of the options and restricted stock per unit were above our weighted-average share price during the periods and their effect was anti-dilutive.
Earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year were impacted by the previously described factors impacting net income and a lower number of shares outstanding. The lower number of shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year is due to stock repurchases exceeding stock issuances under our stock compensation programs.
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Segment Discussion
We manage our business around the consumers and businesses we serve and the types of services we offer. Each of our segments addresses a different combination of consumer groups, distribution networks, and services offered. Our segments are Consumer-to-Consumer and Business Solutions. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business, as discussed above. The operations of the Business Solutions business to be sold in the third closing will continue to be included in Revenues and Operating income after the second closing. However, between the first and third closings, we are required to pay the Buyer a measure of the profits from these operations, while we owned them, adjusted for other charges, and this expense is recognized in Other income/(expense), net in the Consolidated Statements of Income.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we incurred $10.0 million and $7.7 million of exit costs associated with the suspension of our Russia and Belarus operations and the Business Solutions divestiture, respectively. These exit costs are primarily related to severance and non-cash impairments of property and equipment, an operating lease right-of-use asset, and other intangible assets. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we also incurred $21.8 million of costs associated with our operating expense redeployment program, as described above, primarily related to severance and non-cash impairments of an operating lease right-of-use asset and property and equipment. While certain of the above expenses are identifiable to our segments, the expenses are not included in the measurement of segment operating income provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) for purposes of performance assessment and resource allocation. These expenses are therefore excluded from our segment operating income results.
The business segment measurements provided to, and evaluated by, our CODM are computed in accordance with the following principles:
•
The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies.
•
Corporate costs, including overhead expenses, are allocated to the segments primarily based on a percentage of the segments’ revenue compared to total revenue.
•
All items not included in operating income are excluded from the segments.
The following table sets forth the components of segment revenues as a percentage of the consolidated totals for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
Year Ended December 31,
Consumer-to-Consumer 89 % 87 %
Business Solutions 5 % 8 %
Other 6 % 5 %
Consumer-to-Consumer Segment
The following table sets forth our Consumer-to-Consumer segment results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
Year Ended December 31,
(dollars and transactions in millions) 2022 2021 % Change
Operating income margin 19 % 22 %
Key indicator:
Consumer-to-Consumer transactions 274.1 305.9 (10 )%
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Our Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer service facilitates money transfers sent from our retail agent locations worldwide and our Branded Digital services. The segment includes five geographic regions whose functions are primarily related to generating, managing, and maintaining agent relationships and localized marketing activities. We include Branded Digital transactions in our regions. By means of common processes and systems, these regions, including Branded Digital, create one interconnected global network for consumer transactions, thereby constituting one Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer business and one operating segment.
Transaction volume is the primary generator of revenue in our Consumer-to-Consumer segment. A Consumer-to-Consumer transaction constitutes the transfer of funds to a designated recipient utilizing one of our consumer money transfer services. The geographic split for transactions and revenue in the table that follows is determined based upon the region where the money transfer is initiated. Included in each region’s transaction and revenue percentages in the tables below are Branded Digital transactions for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Where reported separately in the discussion below, Branded Digital consists of 100% of the transactions conducted and funded through that channel.
The table below sets forth revenue and transaction changes by geographic region compared to the prior year. Additionally, due to the significance of our Consumer-to-Consumer segment to our overall results, we have also provided constant currency results for our Consumer-to-Consumer segment revenues. Consumer-to-Consumer segment constant currency revenue growth/(decline) is a non-GAAP financial measure, as further discussed in Revenues Overview above.
Constant
Revenue Currency
Growth / Foreign Revenue
(Decline) Exchange Growth(a) / Transaction
as Reported - Translation (Decline) - Growth/
(GAAP) Impact (Non-GAAP) (Decline)
Consumer-to-Consumer regional growth/(decline):
North America (United States & Canada) ("NA") (4 )% 0 % (4 )% (5 )%
Europe and Russia/CIS ("EU & CIS") (20 )% (5 )% (15 )% (25 )%
Middle East, Africa, and South Asia ("MEASA") (4 )% (2 )% (2 )% (1 )%
Latin America and the Caribbean ("LACA") 4 % (3 )% 7 % 5 %
East Asia and Oceania ("APAC") (13 )% (4 )% (9 )% (12 )%
Total Consumer-to-Consumer growth: (9 )% (3 )% (6 )% (10 )%
Branded Digital(b) (3 )% (2 )% (1 )% 0 %
(a)
Constant currency revenue growth/(decline) assumes that revenues denominated in foreign currencies are translated to the United States dollar, net of the effect of foreign currency hedges, at rates consistent with those in the prior year.
(b)
As noted above, Branded Digital revenues are included in the regions.
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The table below sets forth regional revenues as a percentage of our Consumer-to-Consumer revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
Year Ended December 31,
Consumer-to-Consumer revenue as a percentage of segment revenue:
APAC 6 % 7 %
Branded Digital, which is included in the regional percentages above, represented approximately 22% and 20% of our Consumer-to-Consumer revenues for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Our consumers transferred $93.6 billion and $104.1 billion in Consumer-to-Consumer cross-border principal for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease in cross-border principal transferred during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year is primarily attributable to a decline in Consumer-to-Consumer transactions, including as a result of the suspension of our operations in Russia and Belarus, as discussed above, as well as fluctuations in exchange rates between the United States dollar and foreign currencies. Consumer-to-Consumer cross-border principal is the amount of consumer funds transferred to a designated recipient in a country or territory that differs from the country or territory from which the transaction was initiated. Consumer-to-Consumer cross-border principal is a metric used by management to monitor and better understand the growth in our underlying business relative to competitors, as well as changes in our market share of global remittances.
Revenues
Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer revenue decreased 9% and transactions decreased 10% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year, due in part to the suspension of our operations in Russia and Belarus, which negatively impacted Consumer-to-Consumer revenues and transactions by 2% and 6%, respectively. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, negatively impacted revenue by 3% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year. Constant currency revenue decreased 6% for the year ended December 31, 2022.
In our Consumer-to-Consumer regions, the decrease in NA revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year was primarily due to decreases in transactions sent from and within the United States. The EU & CIS region experienced transaction volume and revenue declines in Russia and Belarus, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom and was also impacted by promotional pricing. As noted above, our EU & CIS revenues were negatively impacted by our suspension of operations in Russia and Belarus in the year ended December 31, 2022 and will continue to be negatively impacted into 2023.
We have historically implemented price reductions or price increases throughout many of our global corridors. We will likely continue to implement price changes from time to time in response to competition and other factors. Price reductions generally reduce margins and adversely affect financial results in the short term and may also adversely affect financial results in the long term if transaction volumes do not increase sufficiently. Price increases may adversely affect transaction volumes, as consumers may not use our services if we fail to price them appropriately. We believe that revenues could be adversely impacted in connection with promotional pricing we recently implemented for Branded Digital transactions, including those sent from the United States.
Operating Income
Consumer-to-Consumer operating income decreased 22% during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year primarily due to the decrease in revenues, as discussed above, and increases in marketing costs and investments in information technology, partially offset by decreases in agent commissions, which generally vary with revenues, and decreased employee-related expenses.
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Business Solutions
The following table sets forth our Business Solutions segment results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
Year Ended December 31,
Operating income margin 30 % 23 %
Revenues
Business Solutions revenue decreased 53% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year, primarily due to the first closing of the sale of our Business Solutions business, which occurred on March 1, 2022, as described further above. Fluctuations in the exchange rates between the United States dollar and foreign currencies negatively impacted revenue by 4% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year.
Operating Income
For the year ended December 31, 2022, Business Solutions operating income and operating income margin was impacted by the first closing of the sale of our Business Solutions business, partially offset by a reduction in depreciation and amortization expenses, including as a result of classifying our Business Solutions business as held for sale in August 2021.
Effective January 1, 2022, we stopped allocating corporate costs to our Business Solutions segment, given our agreement to sell this business.
Other
Other primarily consists of our cash-based bill payment businesses in Argentina and the United States, in addition to our money order services.
The following table sets forth Other results for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
Year Ended December 31,
Operating income margin 35 % 20 %
(a)
Calculation not meaningful.
Revenues
Other revenues increased 12% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year primarily due to transaction growth in our cash-based bill payments services offered at retail locations in Argentina, as well as growth in our business-to-consumer payments, partially offset by the strengthening of the United States dollar against the Argentine peso.
Operating Income
Other operating income increased for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year primarily due to increased revenues, the reimbursement of expenses associated with transition services provided after the first closing of the sale of our Business Solutions business, and decreased costs associated with strategic initiatives, including for the review of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.
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Capital Resources and Liquidity
Our primary source of liquidity has been cash generated from our operating activities, primarily from net income and fluctuations in working capital. Our working capital is affected by the timing of payments for employee and agent incentives, interest payments on our outstanding borrowings, and timing of income tax payments, among other items. Many of our annual employee incentive compensation and agent incentive payments are made in the first quarter following the year they were incurred. The majority of our interest payments are due in the second and fourth quarters, which results in a decrease in the amount of cash provided by operating activities in those quarters and a corresponding increase to the first and third quarters. The annual payments resulting from the United States tax reform legislation enacted in 2017 (the “Tax Act”) include amounts related to the United States taxation of certain previously undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries. These payments are due in the second quarter of each year through 2025.
Our future cash flows could be impacted by a variety of factors, some of which are out of our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions, especially those impacting migrant populations, changes in income tax laws or the status of income tax audits, including the resolution of outstanding tax matters, and the settlement or resolution of legal contingencies.
Substantially all of our cash flows from operating activities have been generated from subsidiaries. Most of these cash flows are generated from our regulated subsidiaries. Our regulated subsidiaries may transfer all excess cash to the parent company for general corporate use, except for assets subject to legal or regulatory restrictions, including: (i) requirements to maintain cash and other qualifying investment balances, free of any liens or other encumbrances, related to the payment of certain of our money transfer and other payment obligations, (ii) other legal or regulatory restrictions, including statutory or formalized minimum net worth requirements, and (iii) restrictions on transferring assets outside of the countries where these assets are located.
We currently believe we have adequate liquidity to meet our business needs, including payments under our debt and other obligations, through our existing cash balances, our ability to generate cash flows through operations, and our $1.5 billion revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”), which expires in January 2025 and supports our commercial paper program. Our commercial paper program enables us to issue unsecured commercial paper notes in an amount not to exceed $1.5 billion outstanding at any time, reduced to the extent of any borrowings outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2022, we had no outstanding borrowings on our Revolving Credit Facility and $180.0 million of outstanding borrowings on the commercial paper program.
To help ensure availability of our worldwide cash where needed, we utilize a variety of planning and financial strategies, including decisions related to the amounts, timing, and manner by which cash is repatriated or otherwise made available from our international subsidiaries. These decisions can influence our overall tax rate and impact our total liquidity. We regularly evaluate our United States cash requirements, taking tax consequences and other factors into consideration and also the potential uses of cash internationally to determine the appropriate level of dividend repatriations of our foreign source income.
Cash and Investment Securities
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had Cash and cash equivalents of $1,291.1 million and $1,246.0 million, which includes $5.2 million and $37.7 million related to Business Solutions, respectively. As described in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 5, Divestitures, Investment Activities, and Goodwill, we collected the entire cash consideration related to the sale of our Business Solutions business, subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions. We invested a portion of these proceeds temporarily in reverse repurchase agreements, as discussed in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 9, Fair Value Measurements.
In many cases, we receive funds from money transfers and certain other payment services before we settle the payment of those transactions. These funds, referred to as Settlement assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, are not used to support our operations. However, we earn income from investing these funds. We maintain a portion of these settlement assets in highly liquid investments, classified as Cash and cash equivalents within Settlement assets, to fund settlement obligations.
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Investment securities, classified within Settlement assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, were $1,333.4 million and $1,398.9 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and consist primarily of highly-rated state and municipal debt securities. These investment securities are held in order to comply with state licensing requirements in the United States and are required to have credit ratings of “A-” or better from a major credit rating agency. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 8, Settlement Assets and Obligations for more details regarding investment securities.
Investment securities are exposed to market risk due to changes in interest rates and credit risk. We regularly monitor credit risk and attempt to mitigate our exposure by investing in highly-rated securities and diversifying our investment portfolio. Our investment securities are also actively managed with respect to concentration. As of December 31, 2022, all investments with a single issuer and each individual security represented less than 10% of our investment securities portfolio.
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 decreased to $581.6 million from $1,045.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Excluding the gain on the sale of the Business Solutions business, as the pre-tax proceeds from this divestiture are reflected in Cash provided by investing activities, net income would have decreased for the year ended December 31, 2022, which resulted in a decrease to cash provided by operating activities. In addition, Cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was negatively impacted by higher income taxes paid, including those related to the gain on the sale of the Business Solutions business. Cash provided by operating activities is also impacted by fluctuations in our working capital balances, among other factors.
Financing Resources
As of December 31, 2022, we had the following outstanding borrowings (in millions):
Commercial paper $ 180.0
Notes:
Total borrowings at par value 2,630.0
Debt issuance costs and unamortized discount, net (13.2 )
Total borrowings at carrying value(b) $ 2,616.8
(a)
The difference between the stated interest rate and the effective interest rate is not significant.
(b)
As of December 31, 2022, our weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 3.9%.
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Commercial Paper Program
Pursuant to our commercial paper program, we may issue unsecured commercial paper notes in an amount not to exceed $1.5 billion outstanding at any time, reduced to the extent of borrowings outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility. Our commercial paper borrowings may have maturities of up to 397 days from date of issuance. Interest rates for borrowings are based on market rates at the time of issuance. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had $180.0 million and $275.0 million in commercial paper borrowings outstanding, respectively. Our commercial paper borrowings as of December 31, 2022 had a weighted-average annual interest rate of approximately 4.6% and a weighted-average term of approximately 3 days. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the average commercial paper balance outstanding was $192.9 million and $140.0 million, respectively, and the maximum balance outstanding was $725.0 million and $575.0 million, respectively. Proceeds from our commercial paper borrowings were used for general corporate purposes and working capital needs.
Revolving Credit Facility
On December 18, 2018, we entered into a credit agreement providing for unsecured financing facilities in an aggregate amount of $1.5 billion, including a $250.0 million letter of credit sub-facility, with a final maturity date of January 8, 2025. On October 31, 2022, we amended our Revolving Credit Facility to transition away from the London Interbank Offered Rate and allow us to draw loans payable based upon the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, the Euro Interbank Offered Rate, or the Sterling Overnight Index Average.
Interest due under the Revolving Credit Facility is fixed for the term of each borrowing and is payable according to the terms of that borrowing. Generally, interest is calculated using a selected term benchmark rate plus an interest rate margin of 110 basis points. A facility fee is also payable quarterly at an annual rate of 15 basis points on the total facility, regardless of usage. Both the interest rate margin and facility fee percentage are based on certain of our credit ratings.
The purpose of our Revolving Credit Facility, which is diversified through a group of 19 participating institutions, is to provide general liquidity and to support our commercial paper program, which we believe enhances our short-term credit rating. The largest commitment from any single financial institution within the total committed balance of $1.5 billion is approximately 11%. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had no outstanding borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility. If the amount available to borrow under the Revolving Credit Facility decreased, or if the Revolving Credit Facility were eliminated, the cost and availability of borrowing under the commercial paper program may be impacted.
Term Loan Facility
On December 18, 2018, we entered into an amended and restated term loan facility providing for up to $950.0 million in borrowings and extending the final maturity of the facility to January 2024 (the "Term Loan Facility"). In the first quarter of 2021, we repaid $650.0 million of the Term Loan Facility. On January 4, 2022, we repaid all remaining borrowings owed under the Term Loan Facility for total consideration of $300.0 million, using proceeds from our commercial paper and cash, including cash generated from operations. We are no longer able to borrow money under this facility.
Notes
For a discussion regarding the terms and maturities of our notes, please refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,Note 16, Borrowings.
Credit Ratings and Debt Covenants
The credit ratings on our debt are an important consideration in our overall business, managing our financing costs, and facilitating access to additional capital on favorable terms. Factors that we believe are important in assessing our credit ratings include earnings, cash flow generation, leverage, available liquidity, and the overall business.
Our Revolving Credit Facility contains interest rate margins which are determined based on certain of our credit ratings and also contains a facility fee that is based on our credit ratings. In addition, the interest rates payable on our notes due in 2023, 2025, 2026, and 2031 can be impacted by our credit ratings. We are also subject to certain provisions in many
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of our notes and certain of our derivative contracts, which could require settlement or collateral posting in the event of a change in control combined with a downgrade below investment grade, as further described below. We do not have any other terms within our debt agreements that are tied to changes in our credit ratings.
The Revolving Credit Facility contains covenants, subject to certain exceptions, that, among other things, limit or restrict our ability to sell or transfer assets or merge or consolidate with another company, grant certain types of security interests, incur certain types of liens, impose restrictions on subsidiary dividends, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, incur certain subsidiary level indebtedness, or use proceeds in violation of anti-corruption or anti-money laundering laws. Our notes are subject to similar covenants except that only the notes due in 2036 contain covenants limiting or restricting subsidiary indebtedness, and none of our notes are subject to a covenant that limits our ability to impose restrictions on subsidiary dividends. Our Revolving Credit Facility requires us to maintain a consolidated adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization ("EBITDA") interest coverage ratio of greater than 3:1 (ratio of consolidated adjusted EBITDA, defined as net income/(loss) plus the sum of (i) interest expense, (ii) income tax expense, (iii) depreciation expense, (iv) amortization expense, (v) any other non-cash deductions, losses or charges made in determining net income/(loss) for such period, and (vi) extraordinary, non-recurring, or unusual losses or charges (including costs and expenses of litigation included in operating income), minus extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual gains provided that the amount added back to net income (or net loss) for such extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual losses, expenses or charges may not exceed 10% of adjusted EBITDA, in each case determined in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles for such period, to interest expense) for each period comprising the four most recent consecutive fiscal quarters. Our consolidated interest coverage ratio was 11:1 for the year ended December 31, 2022.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we were in compliance with our debt covenants. A violation of our debt covenants could impair our ability to borrow, and outstanding amounts borrowed could become due, thereby restricting our ability to use our excess cash for other purposes.
Certain of our notes (including our notes due in 2023, 2025, 2026, 2031, and 2040) include a change of control triggering event provision, as defined in the terms of the notes. If a change of control triggering event occurs, holders of the notes may require us to repurchase some or all of their notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount of their notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. A change of control triggering event will occur when there is a change of control involving us and, among other things, within a specified period in relation to the change of control, the notes are downgraded from an investment grade rating to below an investment grade rating by certain major credit rating agencies.
Cash Priorities
Liquidity
Our objective is to maintain strong liquidity and a capital structure consistent with investment-grade credit ratings. We have existing cash balances, cash flows from operating activities, access to the commercial paper markets, and our Revolving Credit Facility available to support the needs of our business.
Our ability to grow the business, make investments in our business, make acquisitions, return capital to shareholders, including through dividends and share repurchases, and service our debt and tax obligations will depend on our ability to continue to generate excess operating cash through our operating subsidiaries and to continue to receive dividends from those operating subsidiaries, our ability to obtain adequate financing, and our ability to identify acquisitions that align with our long-term strategy. For additional information, please refer to Part II, Item 5, Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
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Capital Expenditures
The total aggregate amount paid for contract costs, purchases of property and equipment, and purchased and developed software was $208.2 million and $214.6 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Amounts paid for new and renewed agent contracts vary depending on the terms of existing contracts as well as the timing of new and renewed contract signings. Other capital expenditures during these periods included investments in our information technology infrastructure.
Share Repurchases and Dividends
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, 22.3 million and 19.5 million shares, respectively, have been repurchased for $351.8 million and $400.0 million, respectively, excluding commissions, at an average cost of $15.81 and $20.56, respectively, under the share repurchase authorizations approved by our Board of Directors, including one which expired on December 31, 2021. On February 10, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized $1.0 billion of common stock repurchases through December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2022, $648.2 million remained available under this share repurchase program.
Our Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $0.235 per common share in all four quarters of 2022 and 2021, representing $361.6 million and $380.5 million in total dividends, respectively. These amounts were paid to shareholders of record in the respective quarter the dividend was declared.
On February 7, 2023, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.235 per common share payable on March 31, 2023.
Material Cash Requirements
Debt Service Requirements
Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $300.0 million will mature in June 2023. We may repay this maturity through proceeds from commercial paper issuance and cash, including cash generated from operations, or we may refinance this maturity through the issuance of term debt.
As of December 31, 2022, the total projected interest payments on outstanding borrowings were $845.7 million, of which $83.5 million is expected to be paid in the next 12 months. We have estimated our future interest payments based on the assumption that no debt issuances or renewals will occur upon the maturity dates of our notes. However, we may refinance all or a portion of our borrowings in future periods.
2017 United States Federal Tax Liability
The Tax Act imposed a tax on certain of our previously undistributed foreign earnings. This tax charge, combined with our other 2017 United States taxable income and tax attributes, resulted in a 2017 United States federal tax liability of approximately $800 million, of which approximately $478 million remained as of December 31, 2022. We elected to pay this liability in periodic installments through 2025. Under the terms of the law, we owe 15% of the original liability in 2023, with 20% and 25% of the tax owed in 2024 and 2025, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we made installment payments of $63.7 million and $63.4 million, respectively. These payments have affected and will continue to adversely affect our cash flows and liquidity and may adversely affect future share repurchases.
Operating Leases
We lease real properties for use as administrative and sales offices, in addition to transportation, office, and other equipment. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 13, Leases for details on our leasing arrangements, including future maturities of our operating lease liabilities.
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Foreign Currency Derivative Contracts
We use derivatives to minimize our exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, which fluctuate based on market conditions. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 15, Derivatives. The substantial majority of these derivative contracts relate to our Business Solutions segment, which facilitates cross-currency payments by writing derivatives to customers, and a majority of these derivative contracts have a duration at inception of less than one year.
Purchase Obligations
A purchase obligation is an agreement to purchase goods or services that is enforceable, legally binding, and specifies all significant terms. As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $240 million of outstanding purchase obligations, of which approximately $140 million is expected to be paid in the next 12 months. Many of our contracts contain clauses that allow us to terminate the contract with notice and with a termination penalty. Termination penalties are generally an amount less than the original obligation. Obligations under certain contracts are usage-based and are, therefore, estimated in the above amounts. Historically, we have not had any significant defaults on our contractual obligations or incurred significant penalties for termination of our contractual obligations.
We have no material off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a material current or future effect on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, or capital resources.
Pension Plan
On July 22, 2021, our Board of Directors approved a plan to terminate and settle our frozen defined benefit pension plan (the "Plan"). Upon settlement in the fourth quarter of 2021, we transferred Plan assets to an insurance company that will provide for and pay the remaining benefits to participants. We incurred approximately $109.8 million of charges associated with this settlement in the prior year. The pre-tax balance in Accumulated other comprehensive loss associated with the Plan, along with costs related to the settlement, were recorded as a component of Total other income/(expense), net, with the related income tax effects recorded in Provision for income taxes, in the Consolidated Statements of Income.
Other Commercial Commitments
We had approximately $390 million in outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees as of December 31, 2022 primarily held in connection with regulatory requirements, lease arrangements, and certain agent agreements. We expect to renew many of our letters of credit and bank guarantees prior to expiration.
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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Management’s discussion and analysis of results of operations and financial condition is based on our consolidated financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and other related disclosures. Actual results may or may not differ from these estimates. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.
Our critical accounting policies and estimates, described below, are very important to the portrayal of our financial condition and our results of operations, and applying them requires our management to make difficult, subjective, and complex judgments. We believe that the understanding of these key accounting policies and estimates is essential in achieving more insight into our operating results and financial condition.
Income Taxes
Income taxes, as reported in our consolidated financial statements, represent the net amount of income taxes we expect to pay to various taxing jurisdictions in connection with our operations. We provide for income taxes based on amounts that we believe we will ultimately owe after applying the required analyses and judgments.
The determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes requires significant judgment. We routinely receive, and may in the future receive, questions from taxing authorities on various tax-related assertions. In many of these instances, the ultimate tax determination is uncertain, given the complexities in interpreting tax laws and applying our facts and circumstances to these laws in many jurisdictions throughout the world.
We recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits of the position, that the tax position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of any related appeals or litigation. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such a position are measured as the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution.
We have established contingency reserves for a variety of material, known tax exposures. Our tax reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include: (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes in facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue during the period and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the consolidated financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period.
Our tax contingency reserves for our uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2022 were $237.2 million, including accrued interest and penalties, net of related items. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, in the event that the ultimate resolution of our uncertain tax positions differs from our estimates, we may be exposed to material increases in income tax expense, which could materially impact our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Furthermore, the timing of any related cash payments for these tax liabilities is inherently uncertain and is affected by variable factors outside our control.
Derivative Financial Instruments
We have used derivatives to: (i) minimize our exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates and, periodically, interest rates and (ii) facilitate cross-currency Business Solutions payments by writing derivatives to customers. We recognize all derivatives in our Consolidated Balance Sheets at their fair value. Certain of our derivative arrangements are designated as cash flow hedges at the time of inception while those that do not qualify for cash flow hedge accounting are not designated as accounting hedges.
Cash flow hedges consist of foreign currency hedging of forecasted revenues, as well as hedges of the forecasted issuance of fixed-rate debt. Derivative fair value changes that are captured in Accumulated other comprehensive loss
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("AOCL") are reclassified to earnings in the same period the hedged item affects earnings when the instrument is effective in offsetting the change in cash flows attributable to the risk being hedged.
The accounting guidance related to derivative accounting is complex and contains strict documentation requirements. The details of each designated hedging relationship must be formally documented at the inception of the arrangement, including the risk management objective, hedging strategy, hedged item, specific risks being hedged, the derivative instrument, and how effectiveness is being assessed. The derivative must be highly effective in offsetting the changes in cash flows of the hedged item, and effectiveness is evaluated quarterly on a retrospective and prospective basis. If the hedge is no longer deemed effective, we discontinue applying hedge accounting to that relationship on a prospective basis.
We have foreign currency and interest rate accounting hedges that are designated as cash flow hedges. If these hedges no longer qualify under hedge accounting, the change in the fair value of these derivatives would be reflected into earnings, which could have a significant impact on our reported results. As of December 31, 2022, the cumulative pre-tax unrealized gain currently classified within AOCL that would be reflected in earnings if these hedges were disqualified from hedge accounting was $26.0 million.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of tangible and other intangible assets acquired less liabilities assumed, arising from business combinations. An impairment assessment of goodwill is conducted annually during our fourth quarter at the reporting unit level. This assessment of goodwill is performed more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the goodwill may not be recoverable. Reporting units are determined by the level at which management reviews segment operating results. In some cases, that level is the operating segment, and in others, it is one level below the operating segment.
Our impairment assessment typically begins with a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. The initial qualitative assessment includes comparing the overall financial performance of the reporting unit against the planned results. Additionally, each reporting unit’s fair value is assessed under certain events and circumstances, including macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, and other relevant entity-specific events. Periodically, we perform a quantitative assessment, as described below, for each of our reporting units, regardless of the results of prior qualitative assessments.
If we determine in the qualitative assessment that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then we estimate the fair value of the reporting unit using discounted cash flows and compare the estimated fair value to its carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then an impairment is recognized for the difference. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, for further discussion regarding our accounting policies for goodwill and any related impairments.
The determination of the reporting units and which reporting units to include in the qualitative assessment requires significant judgment. Also, all of the assumptions used in the qualitative assessment require judgment. Additionally, for the quantitative goodwill impairment test, we calculate the fair value of reporting units through discounted cash flow analyses which require us to make estimates and assumptions including, among other items, revenue growth rates, operating margins, and capital expenditures based on our budgets and business plans. Development of such estimates and assumptions and the resultant fair value takes into consideration expected regulatory, marketplace, and other economic factors as well as relevant discount rates and terminal values.
We could be required to evaluate the recoverability of goodwill if we experience disruptions to the business, unexpected significant declines in operating results, a divestiture of a significant component of our business, or other triggering events. In addition, as our business or the way we manage our business changes, our reporting units may also change. If an event described above occurs and causes us to recognize a goodwill impairment charge, it would impact our reported earnings in the period such charge occurs.
The carrying value of goodwill as of December 31, 2022 was $2,096.0 million, which represented approximately 25% of our consolidated assets. As of December 31, 2022, goodwill of $1,980.7 million and $61.4 million resides in our Consumer-to-Consumer and Business Solutions reporting units, respectively, while the remaining $53.9 million resides in
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Other. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we did not record any goodwill impairments. For the reporting units that comprise Consumer-to-Consumer and Other, the fair values of the businesses significantly exceed their carrying amounts. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC, and this business is expected to be fully divested in the second quarter of 2023, as described in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 5, Divestitures, Investment Activities, and Goodwill. As of December 31, 2022, the goodwill related to the Business Solutions reporting unit is included in Assets held for sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Other Intangible Assets
We capitalize acquired intangible assets as well as certain initial payments for new and renewed agent contracts and software. We evaluate such intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. In such reviews, estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with these assets or operations are compared with their carrying amounts to determine if a write-down to fair value (normally measured by the present value technique) is required.
The capitalization of initial payments for new and renewed agent contracts is subject to strict accounting policy criteria and requires management judgment as to the amount to capitalize and the related period of benefit. Our accounting policy is to limit the amount of capitalized costs for a given agent contract to the lesser of the estimated future cash flows from the contract or the termination fees we would receive in the event of early termination of the contract. Additionally, the estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with each asset requires us to make estimates and assumptions, including, among other things, revenue growth rates and operating margins based on our budgets and business plans.
Disruptions to contractual relationships, significant declines in cash flows or transaction volumes associated with contracts, or other issues significantly impacting the future cash flows associated with the contract would cause us to evaluate the recoverability of the asset and could result in an impairment charge. The net carrying value of our other intangible assets as of December 31, 2022 was $459.3 million and includes $1.4 million of other intangibles related to the Business Solutions business, which is classified as held for sale. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recorded immaterial impairments related to other intangible assets.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for further discussion.
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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are exposed to market risks arising from changes in market rates and prices, including changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates and credit risk related to our agents and customers. A risk management program is in place to manage these risks.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rates
We provide our services primarily through a network of agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories. We manage foreign exchange risk through the structure of the business and an active risk management process. We currently settle with the significant majority of our agents in United States dollars, Mexican pesos, or euros, requiring those agents to obtain local currency to pay recipients, and we generally do not rely on international currency markets to obtain and pay illiquid currencies. However, in certain circumstances, we settle in other currencies. The foreign currency exposure that does exist is limited by the fact that the majority of transactions are paid by the next day after they are initiated, and agent settlements occur within a few days in most instances. To mitigate this risk further, we enter into short duration foreign currency forward contracts, generally with maturities ranging from a few days to one month, to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations between transaction initiation and settlement. We also have exposure to certain foreign currency denominated cash and other asset and liability positions and may utilize foreign currency forward contracts, typically with maturities of less than one year at inception, to offset foreign exchange rate fluctuations on these positions. In certain consumer money transfer and bill payment transactions involving different send and receive currencies, we generate revenue based on the difference between the exchange rate set by us to the consumer or business and a rate available in the wholesale foreign exchange market, helping to provide protection against currency fluctuations. We attempt to promptly buy and sell foreign currencies as necessary to cover our net payables and receivables which are denominated in foreign currencies.
We use longer-term foreign currency forward contracts to help mitigate risks associated with changes in foreign currency exchange rates on revenues denominated primarily in the euro, and, to a lesser degree, the British pound, the Canadian dollar, and other currencies. We use contracts with maturities of up to 36 months at inception to mitigate some of the impact that changes in foreign currency exchange rates could have on forecasted revenues, with a targeted weighted-average maturity of approximately one year. We believe the use of longer-term foreign currency forward contracts provides predictability of future cash flows from our international operations.
As of December 31, 2022, a hypothetical uniform 10% strengthening or weakening in the value of the United States dollar relative to all other currencies in which our net income is generated would have resulted in a decrease/increase to pre-tax annual income of approximately $40 million, based on our forecast of unhedged exposure to foreign currency at that date. There are inherent limitations in this sensitivity analysis, primarily due to the following assumptions: (i) foreign exchange rate movements are linear and instantaneous, (ii) fixed exchange rates between certain currency pairs are retained, (iii) the unhedged exposure is static, and (iv) we would not hedge any additional exposure. As a result, the analysis is unable to reflect the potential effects of more complex market changes that could arise, which may positively or negatively affect income.
Interest Rates
We invest in several types of interest-bearing assets, with a total value as of December 31, 2022 of approximately $2.7 billion. Approximately $1.6 billion of these assets bear interest at floating rates. These assets primarily include cash in banks, money market investments, state and municipal variable-rate securities, and reverse repurchase agreements and are included in our Consolidated Balance Sheets within Cash and cash equivalents, Settlement assets, and Other assets. To the extent these assets are held in connection with money transfers and other related payment services awaiting redemption, they are classified as Settlement assets. Earnings on these investments will increase and decrease with changes in the underlying short-term interest rates.
The remaining interest-bearing assets pay fixed interest rates and primarily consist of highly-rated state and municipal debt securities and asset-backed securities. These investments may include investments made from cash received from our money order services, money transfer business, and other related payment services awaiting redemption and are classified within Settlement assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As interest rates rise, the fair value of these fixed-rate interest-bearing securities will decrease; conversely, a decrease to interest rates would result in an increase to the fair values of the
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securities. We have classified these investments as available-for-sale within Settlement assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, and accordingly, recorded these instruments at their fair value with the net unrealized gains and losses, net of the applicable deferred income tax effect, being added to or deducted from our Total stockholders' equity in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Borrowings under our commercial paper program mature in such a short period that the financing is also effectively floating rate. As of December 31, 2022, there were $180.0 million in outstanding borrowings under our commercial paper program.
We review our overall exposure to floating and fixed rates by evaluating our net asset or liability position and the duration of each individual position. We manage this mix of fixed versus floating exposure in an attempt to minimize risk, reduce costs, and improve returns. Our exposure to interest rates can be modified by changing the mix of our interest-bearing assets as well as adjusting the mix of fixed versus floating rate debt. The latter is accomplished primarily through the use of interest rate swaps and the decision regarding terms of any new debt issuances (i.e., fixed versus floating). From time to time, we use interest rate swaps designated as hedges to vary the percentage of fixed to floating rate debt, subject to market conditions, although there were no such swaps outstanding as of December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2022, our weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 3.9%.
A hypothetical 100 basis point increase/decrease in interest rates would result in a decrease/increase to annual pre-tax income of approximately $2 million based on borrowings that are sensitive to interest rate fluctuations, net of the impact of hedges, on December 31, 2022. The same 100 basis point increase/decrease in interest rates, if applied to our cash and investment balances on December 31, 2022 that bear interest at floating rates, would result in an offsetting increase/decrease to annual pre-tax income of approximately $16 million. There are inherent limitations in the sensitivity analysis presented, primarily due to the assumptions that interest rate changes would be instantaneous and consistent across all geographies in which our interest-bearing assets are held and our liabilities are payable. As a result, the analysis is unable to reflect the potential effects of more complex market changes, including changes in credit risk regarding our investments, which may positively or negatively affect income. In addition, the mix of fixed versus floating rate debt and investments and the level of assets and liabilities will change over time, including the impact from commercial paper borrowings that may be outstanding in future periods.
Credit Risk
To manage our exposures to credit risk with respect to investment securities, money market fund investments, derivatives, and other credit risk exposures resulting from our relationships with banks and financial institutions, we regularly review investment concentrations, trading levels, credit spreads, and credit ratings, and we attempt to diversify our investments among global financial institutions.
We are also exposed to credit risk related to receivable balances from agents in the money transfer, walk-in bill payment, and money order settlement process. We perform a credit review before each agent signing and conduct periodic analyses of agents and certain other parties we transact with directly. In addition, we are exposed to losses directly from consumer transactions, particularly through our digital channels, where transactions are originated through means other than cash and are therefore subject to “chargebacks,” insufficient funds, or other collection impediments, such as fraud, which are anticipated to increase as digital channels become a greater proportion of our money transfer business.
Our losses have been less than 2% of our consolidated revenues in all periods presented.
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ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 65
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 42) 66
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 71
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 75
All other financial statement schedules for The Western Union Company have been omitted since the required information is not present or not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the respective consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.
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Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a‐15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Western Union Company’s (“Western Union” or the “Company”) internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Western Union’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and Board of Directors; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management assessed the effectiveness of Western Union’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, utilizing the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013 framework). Based on the results of its evaluation, the Company’s management concluded that as of December 31, 2022, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective. Western Union’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, Western Union’s independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their attestation report included in this Annual Report on Form 10‐K.
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of The Western Union Company
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited The Western Union Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, The Western Union Company (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, cash flows and stockholders' equity/(deficit) for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a) and our report dated February 23, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Denver, Colorado
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of The Western Union Company
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of The Western Union Company (the Company) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, cash flows and stockholders’ equity/(deficit) for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022 and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated February 23, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
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Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Business Solutions divestiture
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2006.
Denver, Colorado
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THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(in millions, except per share amounts)
Year Ended December 31,
Expenses:
Other income/(expense):
Gain on divestiture of business (Note 5) 248.3 — —
Gain on sale of noncontrolling interest in a private company (Note 5) — 47.9 —
Pension settlement charges (Note 12) — (109.8 ) —
Other income/(expense), net (37.5 ) (21.7 ) 3.1
Earnings per share:
Weighted-average shares outstanding:
(a)
As further described in Note 7, total expenses include amounts incurred with related parties of $48.8 million, $54.7 million, and $54.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively.
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(in millions)
Year Ended December 31,
Other comprehensive income, net of reclassifications and tax (Note 14):
Unrealized gains/(losses) on investment securities (99.8 ) (27.9 ) 33.6
Unrealized gains/(losses) on hedging activities 1.8 49.2 (26.9 )
Foreign currency translation adjustments (17.8 ) — —
Defined benefit pension plan adjustments (Note 12) — 86.1 42.8
Total other comprehensive income/(loss) (115.8 ) 107.4 49.5
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in millions, except per share amounts)
December 31,
Assets
Liabilities and stockholders' equity
Liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 464.0 $ 450.2
Liabilities associated with assets held for sale (Note 5) 182.5 821.9
Commitments and contingencies (Note 6)
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $1.00 par value; 10 shares authorized; no shares issued — —
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (167.9 ) (52.1 )
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 8,496.3 $ 8,823.5
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in millions)
Year Ended December 31,
Cash flows from operating activities
Pension settlement charges (Note 12) — 109.8 —
Deferred income tax provision/(benefit) (Note 11) (26.7 ) (2.6 ) 13.9
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 42.6 (24.8 ) (96.6 )
Cash flows from investing activities
Payments for capitalized contract costs (71.9 ) (107.5 ) (69.1 )
Payments for internal use software (104.4 ) (69.4 ) (51.2 )
Purchases of property and equipment (31.9 ) (37.7 ) (36.5 )
Proceeds from the sale of settlement investments 919.3 755.3 5,978.4
Purchase of noncontrolling interest in stc Bank (Note 5) — (200.0 ) —
Purchases of non-settlement investments (Note 9) (400.0 ) — —
Proceeds from the sale of non-settlement investments (Note 9) 300.0 — —
Proceeds from divestiture, net of cash divested (Note 5) 887.2 — —
Other investing activities 17.5 3.7 (6.0 )
Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities 525.5 192.0 (373.5 )
Cash flows from financing activities
Net proceeds from/(repayments of) commercial paper (95.0 ) 195.0 (165.0 )
Net proceeds from issuance of borrowings — 891.7 —
Principal payments on borrowings (300.0 ) (1,150.0 ) —
Make-whole premium on early extinguishment of debt (Note 16) — (14.3 ) —
Proceeds from exercise of options 9.5 11.6 2.2
Net change in settlement obligations (56.4 ) (412.2 ) 587.6
Other financing activities (1.3 ) 0.2 (0.7 )
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION
(in millions)
Year Ended December 31,
Reconciliation of balance sheet cash and cash equivalents to cash flows:
Restricted cash in Other assets 41.5 29.4 19.2
Cash and cash equivalents included in Assets held for sale (Note 5) 5.2 37.7 —
Supplemental cash flow information:
Cash paid for lease liabilities $ 40.5 $ 46.5 $ 65.9
Internal use software capitalized but not yet paid $ — $ 26.4 $ 0.2
Accrued and unpaid capitalized contract costs $ 32.3 $ — $ —
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY/(DEFICIT)
(in millions)
Accumulated
Other Total
Common Stock Capital Accumulated Comprehensive Stockholders'
Shares Amount Surplus Deficit Loss Equity/(Deficit)
Adoption of new accounting pronouncement (Note 2) — — — (0.6 ) — (0.6 )
Stock-based compensation — — 41.7 — — 41.7
Repurchase and retirement of common shares (9.4 ) (0.1 ) — (237.7 ) — (237.8 )
Shares issued under stock-based compensation plans 2.6 — 2.2 — — 2.2
Other comprehensive income (Note 14) — — — — 49.5 49.5
Stock-based compensation — — 44.3 — — 44.3
Repurchase and retirement of common shares (20.1 ) (0.2 ) — (415.1 ) — (415.3 )
Shares issued under stock-based compensation plans 2.7 — 11.6 — — 11.6
Other comprehensive income (Note 14) — — — — 107.4 107.4
Stock-based compensation — — 45.5 — — 45.5
Repurchase and retirement of common shares (23.0 ) (0.3 ) — (364.3 ) — (364.6 )
Shares issued under stock-based compensation plans 2.7 0.1 9.4 — — 9.5
Other comprehensive loss (Note 14) — — — — (115.8 ) (115.8 )
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Business and Basis of Presentation
Business
The Western Union Company (“Western Union” or the “Company”) is a leader in global money movement and payment services, providing people and businesses with fast, reliable, and convenient ways to send money and make payments around the world. The Western Union® brand is globally recognized. The Company’s services are available through a network of agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories and also through money transfer transactions conducted and funded through websites and mobile applications marketed under the Company’s brands (“Branded Digital”) and transactions initiated on internet and mobile applications hosted by the Company’s third-party white label or co-branded digital partners. Each location in the Company’s agent network is capable of providing one or more of the Company’s services.
The Western Union business consists of the following segments:
•
Consumer-to-Consumer - The Consumer-to-Consumer operating segment facilitates money transfers, which are primarily sent from retail agent locations worldwide or through websites and mobile devices. The Company’s money transfer service is provided through one interconnected global network. This service is available for international cross-border transfers and, in certain countries, intra-country transfers.
•
Business Solutions - The Business Solutions operating segment facilitates payment and foreign exchange solutions, primarily cross-border, cross-currency transactions, for small and medium size enterprises and other organizations and individuals. The significant majority of the Business Solutions business relates to exchanges of currency at spot rates, which enable customers to make cross-currency payments. In addition, in limited countries, the Company writes foreign currency forward and option contracts for customers to facilitate future payments. On August 4, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement to sell its Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC. The first closing occurred on March 1, 2022, the second occurred on December 31, 2022, and the third closing is expected in the second quarter of 2023. See Note 5 for further information regarding this transaction. The Buyer has rebranded the sold operations within a new standalone company (now referred to as "Convera").
All businesses and other services that have not been classified in the above segments are reported as Other, which primarily includes the Company’s bill payment services which facilitate payments from consumers to businesses and other organizations and the Company’s money order services. Certain of the Company's corporate costs such as costs related to strategic initiatives, including costs for the review and closing of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, are also included in Other. See Note 18 for further information regarding the Company’s segments.
There are legal or regulatory limitations on transferring certain assets of the Company outside of the countries where these assets are located. However, there are generally no limitations on the use of these assets within those countries. Additionally, the Company must meet minimum capital requirements in some countries in order to maintain operating licenses. As of December 31, 2022, the Company's restricted net assets associated with these asset limitations and minimum capital requirements totaled approximately $710 million.
Various aspects of the Company’s services and businesses are subject to United States federal, state, and local regulation, as well as regulation by foreign jurisdictions, including certain banking and other financial services regulations.
Basis of Presentation
The financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10‐K are presented on a consolidated basis and include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Consistent with industry practice, the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets are unclassified due to the short-term nature of the Company’s settlement obligations contrasted with the Company’s ability to invest cash awaiting settlement in long-term investment securities.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Principles of Consolidation
The Company consolidates financial results when it has a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary via voting rights or when it has both the power to direct the activities of an entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the ability to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. The Company utilizes the equity method of accounting when it is able to exercise significant influence over an entity’s operations, which generally occurs when the Company has an ownership interest between 20% and 50%.
Earnings Per Share
The calculation of basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Outstanding options to purchase Western Union stock and unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested, using the treasury stock method. The treasury stock method assumes proceeds from the exercise price of stock options and the unamortized compensation expense of options and restricted stock are available to acquire shares at an average market price throughout the period, and therefore, reduce the dilutive effect.
Shares excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation under the treasury stock method, primarily due to outstanding options to purchase shares of Western Union stock and restricted stock units, as the assumed proceeds of the options and restricted stock per unit were above the Company’s average share price during the periods and their effect was anti-dilutive, were 8.0 million, 2.3 million, and 1.6 million, respectively, of shares for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
The following table provides the calculation of diluted weighted-average shares outstanding (in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
Common stock equivalents 1.2 2.1 2.9
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 388.4 408.9 415.2
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Fair Value Measurements
The Company determines the fair values of its assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in accordance with the hierarchy described below. The following three levels of inputs may be used to measure fair value:
•
Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
•
Level 2 - Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. For most of these assets, the Company utilizes pricing services that use multiple prices as inputs to determine daily market values.
•
Level 3 -Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. Level 3 assets and liabilities include items where the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation. The Company holds assets classified as Level 3 that are recognized and disclosed at fair value on a non-recurring basis related to the Company’s business combinations, where the values of the intangible assets and goodwill acquired in a purchase are derived utilizing one of the three recognized approaches: the market approach, the income approach, or the cost approach.
Carrying amounts for many of the Company’s financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, settlement cash and cash equivalents, and settlement receivables and settlement obligations approximate fair value due to their short maturities. Available-for-sale investment securities, as further discussed in Notes 8 and 9, and derivative financial instruments, as further discussed in Notes 9 and 15, are carried at fair value. Fixed-rate notes are carried at their original issuance values and adjusted over time to amortize or accrete that value to par. The fair values of fixed-rate notes are disclosed in Note 9 and are based on market quotations.
The fair values of non-financial assets and liabilities related to the Company’s business combinations, as applicable, will be disclosed in Note 5.
Business Combinations
The Company accounts for all business combinations where control over another entity is obtained using the acquisition method of accounting, which requires that most assets (both tangible and intangible), liabilities (including contingent consideration), and remaining noncontrolling interests be recognized at fair value at the date of acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of assets less liabilities and noncontrolling interests is recognized as goodwill. Certain adjustments to the assessed fair values of the assets, liabilities, or noncontrolling interests made subsequent to the acquisition date, but within the measurement period, which is one year or less, are recorded as adjustments to goodwill. Any adjustments subsequent to the measurement period are recorded within Net income. Any cost or equity method interest that the Company holds in the acquired company prior to the acquisition is remeasured to fair value at acquisition with a resulting gain or loss recognized within Other income/(expense), net for the difference between fair value and existing book value. Results of operations of the acquired company are included in the Company’s results from the date of the acquisition forward and include amortization expense arising from acquired intangible assets. The Company expenses all costs as incurred related to or involved with an acquisition in Selling, general, and administrative expenses.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Highly liquid investments (other than those included in settlement assets) with maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase (that are readily convertible to cash) are considered cash equivalents and are stated at cost, which approximates fair value.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
The Company maintains cash and cash equivalent balances, including a portion in money market funds, with a group of globally diversified banks and financial institutions. The Company limits the concentration of its cash and cash equivalents with any one institution and regularly reviews investment concentrations and credit worthiness of these institutions.
Allowance for Credit Losses
For the Company’s accounting policies with respect to the allowance for credit losses, refer to Note 8.
Settlement Assets and Obligations
Settlement assets represent funds received or to be received from agents and others for unsettled money transfers, money orders, and consumer payments. The Company records corresponding settlement obligations relating to amounts payable under money transfers, money orders, and consumer payment service arrangements. Settlement assets and obligations also include amounts receivable from, and payable to, customers for the value of their cross-currency payment transactions related to the Business Solutions segment. The Company has included the settlement assets and obligations related to the Business Solutions segment in the Assets held for sale and Liabilities associated with assets held for sale lines, respectively, of the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Settlement assets consist of cash and cash equivalents, receivables from agents, Business Solutions customers, and others, and investment securities. Cash received by Western Union agents generally becomes available to the Company within one week after initial receipt by the agent. Cash equivalents consist of short-term time deposits, commercial paper, and other highly liquid investments. Receivables from agents represent funds collected by such agents, but in transit to the Company. Western Union has a large and diverse agent base, thereby reducing the Company’s credit risk from any one agent. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its agents’ financial condition and credit worthiness.
Receivables from Business Solutions customers arise from cross-currency payment transactions in the Business Solutions segment. Receivables occur when funds have been paid out to a beneficiary but not yet received from the customer. Collection of these receivables ordinarily occurs within a few days. To mitigate risk associated with potential Business Solutions customer defaults, the Company performs credit reviews on an ongoing basis.
Settlement obligations consist of money transfer, money order and payment service payables, and payables to agents. Money transfer payables represent amounts to be paid to transferees when they request their funds. Most agents typically settle with transferees first and then obtain reimbursement from the Company. Money order payables represent amounts not yet presented for payment. Payment service payables represent amounts to be paid to utility companies, auto finance companies, mortgage servicers, financial service providers, government agencies, and others. Due to the agent funding and settlement process, payables to agents represent amounts due to agents for money transfers that have been settled with transferees.
Refer to Note 8 for additional details on the Company’s settlement assets and obligations.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the lesser of the estimated life of the related assets (generally three to seven years for equipment and furniture and fixtures) or the lease term. Maintenance and repairs, which do not extend the useful life of the respective assets, are charged to expense as incurred.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Property and equipment consisted of the following (in millions):
December 31,
Leasehold improvements and other 120.1 151.2
Furniture and fixtures 37.5 46.2
Projects in process 1.9 0.3
Total property and equipment, gross 624.1 805.4
Less accumulated depreciation (513.8 ) (669.7 )
Property and equipment, net(a) $ 110.3 $ 135.7
(a)
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, Property and equipment, net includes Assets held for sale of $0.7 million and $6.3 million, respectively, which consists of property and equipment of the Company's Business Solutions business, as further described in Note 5.
Amounts charged to expense for depreciation of property and equipment were $42.7 million, $49.6 million, and $61.3 million during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of tangible and other intangible assets acquired less liabilities assumed, arising from business combinations. In the event a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, the Company recognizes an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value. The Company’s annual impairment assessment did not identify any goodwill impairment during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
Other Intangible Assets
Other intangible assets primarily consist of contract costs (primarily amounts paid to agents in connection with establishing and renewing long-term contracts), software, and acquired contracts. Other intangible assets are generally amortized on a straight-line basis over the length of the contract or benefit period. Included in the Consolidated Statements of Income is amortization expense of $141.1 million, $158.6 million, and $164.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively.
Acquired contracts include customer and contractual relationships and networks of subagents that are recognized in connection with the Company’s acquisitions.
The Company purchases and develops software that is used in providing services and in performing administrative functions. Internal and external software development costs incurred that are directly related to the chosen design, development, and testing phases of the software are capitalized once the Company has completed all planning and analysis activities. Any other software development related costs are expensed as incurred. Capitalization of costs ceases when the product is available for general use. Software development costs and purchased software are generally amortized over a term of three to seven years.
The Company capitalizes initial payments for new and renewed agent contracts to the extent recoverable through future operations or penalties in the case of early termination. The Company’s accounting policy is to limit the amount of capitalized costs for a given contract to the lesser of the estimated future cash flows from the contract or the termination fees the Company would receive in the event of early termination of the contract.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
The following table provides the components of other intangible assets (in millions):
Weighted-
Average
Amortization Net of Net of
Period Initial Accumulated Initial Accumulated
(in years) Cost Amortization Cost Amortization
(a)
Not applicable as the assets have not been placed in service.
(b)
Total other intangible assets, net includes Assets held for sale of $1.4 million as of December 31, 2022, and Projects in process and Total other intangible assets, net includes Assets held for sale of $2.3 million and $50.4 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2021, which consists of Other intangible assets associated with the Company's Business Solutions business as further described in Note 5.
The estimated future aggregate amortization expense for existing other intangible assets as of December 31, 2022 is expected to be $135.4 million in 2023, $115.8 million in 2024, $70.7 million in 2025, $43.3 million in 2026, $31.3 million in 2027, and $22.8 million thereafter. Beginning in August 2021, the Company stopped amortizing its held for sale assets over the terms of their useful lives.
Other intangible assets are reviewed for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be recoverable. In such reviews, estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with these assets or operations are compared with their carrying values to determine if a write-down to fair value (normally measured by the present value technique) is required. The Company recorded immaterial impairments related to other intangible assets during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
Other Investments
Other investments consist of equity investments in privately held companies that do not have readily determinable fair values. For these investments, the Company has less than a 20% interest and does not have control or significant influence. The Company has elected to measure these investments at cost less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment in the same issuer. These investments are reflected in Other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Company has not recorded any material annual or cumulative impairment losses or valuation adjustments based on observable price changes.
Revenue Recognition
For the Company’s accounting policies with respect to revenue recognition, refer to Note 3.
Cost of Services
Cost of services primarily consists of agent commissions and expenses for call centers, settlement operations, and related information technology costs. Expenses within these functions include personnel, software, equipment, telecommunications, bank fees, credit losses, depreciation, amortization, and other expenses incurred in connection with providing money transfer and other payment services.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
Advertising Costs
Advertising costs are charged to operating expenses as incurred. Advertising costs for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 were $195.4 million, $177.8 million, and $177.0 million, respectively.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under the liability method, which requires that deferred tax assets and liabilities be determined based on the expected future income tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse. The Company routinely assesses the realizability of its deferred tax assets. A valuation allowance must be established when, based upon available evidence, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
The Company recognizes the tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits of the position, that the tax position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of any related appeals or litigation. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such a position are measured as the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution.
The Company accounts for the effects of global intangible low-taxed income taxed in the United States as a component of income tax expense in the period the tax arises.
Foreign Currency Translation
The United States dollar is the functional currency for substantially all of the Company’s businesses. Revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates prevailing during the period. Foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities for those businesses for which the local currency is the functional currency are translated into United States dollars based on exchange rates at the end of the year. The effects of foreign exchange gains and losses arising from the translation of assets and liabilities of these businesses are included as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss ("AOCL") in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities of businesses for which the United States dollar is the functional currency are remeasured based on exchange rates at the end of the period, and the resulting remeasurement gains and losses are recognized in net income. Non-monetary assets and liabilities of these operations are remeasured at historical rates in effect when the asset was recognized or the liability was incurred.
The Company has bill payment and other businesses in Argentina for which the local currency is the functional currency. However, as Argentina is currently classified as a highly inflationary economy, all changes in the value of the Argentine peso on these businesses’ monetary assets and liabilities are reflected in net income.
Derivatives
The Company has used derivatives to: (i) minimize its exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates and, periodically, interest rates and (ii) facilitate cross-currency Business Solutions payments by writing derivatives to customers. The Company recognizes all derivatives in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets at their fair value. All cash flows associated with derivatives are included in Cash flows from operating activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Certain of the Company’s derivative arrangements are designated as cash flow hedges at the time of inception, and others are not designated as accounting hedges.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
•
Cash flow hedges – Cash flow hedges consist of foreign currency hedging of forecasted revenues, as well as hedges of the forecasted issuance of fixed-rate debt. Derivative fair value changes that are captured in AOCL are reclassified to earnings in the same period the hedged item affects earnings when the instrument is effective in offsetting the change in cash flows attributable to the risk being hedged. The Company excludes time value from the assessment of effectiveness, and the initial value of the excluded components in the Company’s foreign currency cash flow hedges is amortized into Revenues within the Consolidated Statements of Income.
•
Undesignated - Derivative contracts entered into to reduce the foreign exchange variability related to: (i) money transfer settlement assets and obligations, generally with maturities from a few days up to one month, and (ii) certain foreign currency denominated cash and other asset and liability positions, typically with maturities of less than one year at inception, are not designated as hedges for accounting purposes, and changes in their fair value are included in Selling, general, and administrative. The Company aggregates its Business Solutions payments foreign currency exposures arising from customer contracts, including the derivative contracts described above, and hedges the resulting net currency risks by entering into offsetting contracts with Convera through the end of the third closing of the Business Solutions divestiture. The derivatives written are part of the broader portfolio of foreign currency positions arising from the Company’s cross-currency payment operations, which include spot exchanges of currency in addition to forwards and options. The changes in the fair value related to these contracts are recorded in Revenues.
The fair value of the Company’s derivatives is derived from standardized models that use market-based inputs (e.g., forward prices for foreign currency).
The details of each designated hedging relationship must be formally documented at the inception of the arrangement, including the risk management objective, hedging strategy, hedged item, specific risks being hedged, the derivative instrument, and how effectiveness is being assessed. The derivative must be highly effective in offsetting the changes in cash flows of the hedged item, and effectiveness is evaluated quarterly on a retrospective and prospective basis.
Legal Contingencies
The Company is a party to certain legal and regulatory proceedings with respect to a variety of matters. The Company records an accrual for these contingencies to the extent that a loss is both probable and reasonably estimable. If some amount within a range of loss appears to be a better estimate than other amounts within the range, that amount is accrued. When no amount within a range of loss appears to be a better estimate than any other amount, the lowest amount in the range is accrued.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company has a stock-based compensation plan that provides for grants of Western Union stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, and deferred stock units to employees and non-employee directors of the Company.
All stock-based compensation to employees is required to be measured at fair value and expensed over the requisite service period. The Company generally recognizes compensation expense on awards on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award, with an estimate for forfeitures. Refer to Note 17 for additional discussion regarding details of the Company’s stock-based compensation plans.
Severance and Other Related Expenses
The Company records severance-related expenses once they are both probable and estimable in accordance with the provisions of the applicable accounting guidance for severance provided under an ongoing benefit arrangement. One-time involuntary benefit arrangements and other costs are generally recognized when the liability is incurred. The Company
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THE WESTERN UNION COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
also evaluates impairment issues associated with restructuring and other activities when the carrying amount of the related assets may not be fully recoverable, in accordance with the appropriate accounting guidance.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements