grepcent public filings, reorganized for comparison

Shift4 Payments, Inc. (FOUR) FY 2023 MD&A

Verbatim Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis from Shift4 Payments, Inc.'s 10-K for fiscal year 2023. Filing date: 2024-02-29. Report date: 2023-12-31. Accession: 0001794669-24-000007.

This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high.

Company profile: FOUR · All MD&A years: index · Previous year: FY 2022 · Next year: FY 2024

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to provide a reader of our consolidated financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of our management on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and certain other factors that may affect our future results. You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and the related notes and other financial data included elsewhere in this Annual Report. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. You should review Item 1A of this Annual Report for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operation for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 is presented below. A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 is included under “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, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2023.

Overview

We are a leading independent provider of software and payment processing solutions in the U.S. based on total volume of payments processed. We have achieved our leadership position through decades of solving business and operational challenges facing our customers’ overall commerce needs. Our merchants range in size from small owner-operated local businesses to multinational enterprises conducting commerce throughout the world. We distribute our services through a scaled network of seasoned internal sales and support teams, as well as through our network of software partners. Our software partners are comprised of ISVs and VARs. For our software partners, we offer a single integration to a global end-to-end payment offering, a proprietary gateway and a robust suite of technology solutions to enhance the value of their software and simplify payment acceptance. For our merchants, we provide a seamless, unified consumer experience and fulfill business needs that would otherwise require multiple software, hardware and payment vendors.

Recent Developments

Stock Repurchases

In December 2023, our Board authorized a new stock repurchase program (the “December 2023 Program”), pursuant to which we are authorized to repurchase up to $250.0 million shares of our Class A common stock between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. The December 2023 Program replaces our prior program which expired on December 31, 2023.

Recent Acquisitions

Finaro

On October 26, 2023, we acquired Finaro for $211.9 million of cash and 7.4 million shares of our Class A common stock. Finaro is a cross-border eCommerce platform and bank specializing in solving complex payment problems for multi-national merchants that we believe will help drive our expansion into international markets.

Appetize

On October 2, 2023, we acquired SpotOn Technologies, Inc.’s sports and entertainment division, formerly known as Appetize, for $109.5 million of cash. Appetize is a payments and software company that primarily serves sports and entertainment customers. We believe this acquisition, paired with our VenueNext technology solution, will accelerate our growth within the sports and entertainment vertical.

Factors Impacting Our Business and Results of Operations

In general, our results of operations are impacted by factors such as the adoption of software solutions that are integrated with our payment solutions, continued investment in our core capabilities, ongoing pursuit of strategic acquisitions, and macro-level economic trends.

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Increased adoption of software-integrated payments. We primarily generate revenue through fees assessed on end-to-end payment volume initiated through our internal sales team and our integrated software partners. These fees include volume-based payments, transaction fees and subscription fees for software and technology solutions. We expect to continue to grow through both our internal sales team and integrated software partners, both of which have proven to be an effective and efficient way of acquiring new merchants and servicing these relationships.

Continued focus on converting our gateway-only customers to our end-to-end payments offering. Currently, a significant percentage of our merchant base relies only on our proprietary gateway technology solution to process card-based payments. However, as more of these gateway-only merchants choose to also adopt our end-to-end payment solutions, our revenue per merchant is expected to increase given the fees we generate on end-to-end payment processing services are significantly higher than the per transaction fees we earn on gateway-only services. We also have the opportunity to implement price increases for gateway-only merchants who have chosen to not adopt our end-to-end payment solutions.

Mix of our merchant base. We continue to experience a shift to higher average revenue and volume per merchant. The revenue and margin of each merchant within our portfolio is affected by several factors, including the amount of payment volume processed, the industry vertical in which the merchant operates, and the number of solutions implemented by the merchant.

Ability to attract and retain internal sales team and software partners. Our ability to attract and retain our internal sales team and software partners impacts our future growth and our ability to service our existing base of merchants. To facilitate internal talent attraction and retention, we strive to make Shift4 a diverse, inclusive and safe workplace, with opportunities for our employees to grow and develop in their careers, supported by competitive compensation, benefits and health and wellness programs. It is also critical we maintain our product leadership through continued investment in innovative technology solutions as a means to ensure we retain our current software partners while attracting new software partners.

Investment in product, distribution and operations. We make significant investments in both new product development and existing product enhancements, such as mobile POS, cloud enablement for our software partners’ existing systems, and contactless payments, including QR code based mobile payment technologies. New product features and functionality are brought to market through varied distribution and promotional activities, including collaborative efforts with industry leading software providers, tradeshows, and customer conferences. We will continue to invest in operational support in order to maintain service levels expected by our merchant customers.

Pursuit of strategic acquisitions. We may continue to pursue strategic acquisitions as part of our growth strategy that includes adding complementary technology capabilities to service our base of customers and adding critical sales and support capabilities within a specific industry vertical or geography. While these acquisitions are intended to add long-term value, in the short term they may have an adverse impact on operating margins.

Impact of international operations. As our international operations continue to expand, we will become subject to foreign exchange risk due to fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the foreign currencies of countries in which we operate. Additionally, international operations expose us to additional risks and subject us to international laws and regulations. While our foreign exchange and international operating risks have historically been negligible, we will be increasingly subject to these risks as we ramp up our international expansion efforts.

Economic conditions and resulting consumer spending trends. Changes in macro-level consumer spending trends, as a result of inflation or reduced consumer confidence and discretionary spending, could affect the amount of volume processed on our platform, thus resulting in fluctuations in our revenue. There is additional political uncertainty in the U.S. as a result of the need for the federal government to increase its debt limit. A significant escalation or expansion of economic disruption could continue to impact consumer spending, broaden inflationary costs, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Our revenue is also impacted by seasonal consumer spending patterns, which historically have resulted in higher volumes and revenue being reported in our second and third fiscal quarters.

Key Financial Definitions

The following briefly describes the components of revenue and expenses as presented in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Gross revenue consists of payments-based revenue and subscription and other revenues:

Payments-based revenue includes fees for payment processing services and gateway services. Payment processing fees are primarily driven as a percentage of end-to-end payment volume. They may also have a fixed fee, a minimum monthly usage fee and a fee based on transactions. Gateway services, data encryption and tokenization fees are primarily driven by per transaction fees as well as monthly usage fees. Included in payments-based revenue are fees earned from our international payments platform, strategic enterprise merchant relationships, and alternative payments methods, including cryptocurrency and stock donations.

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Subscription and other revenues include software as a service (“SaaS”) fees for POS systems and terminals provided to merchants. POS and terminal SaaS fees are assessed based on the type and quantity of equipment deployed to the merchant. SaaS fees also include statement fees, fees for our proprietary business intelligence software and other annual fees. Subscription and other revenues also includes revenue derived from hardware sales, software license sales, third-party residuals and fees charged for technology support.

Cost of sales consists of interchange and processing fees, residual commissions, equipment and other costs of sales:

Interchange and processing fees represent amounts owed to card issuing banks and assessments paid to card associations based on transaction processing volume. These also include fees incurred by third-parties for data transmission and settlement of funds, such as processors and our sponsor bank.

Residual commissions represent monthly payments to third-party distribution partners. These costs are typically based on a percentage of payment-based revenue.

Equipment represents our costs of devices that are sold to merchants.

Other costs of sales includes amortization of internally developed capitalized software development costs, purchased capitalized software, acquired technology and capitalized customer acquisition costs. It also includes shipping and handling costs related to the delivery of devices. Capitalized software development costs are amortized using the straight-line method on a product-by-product basis over the estimated useful life of the software. Capitalized software, acquired technology and capitalized customer acquisition costs are also amortized on a straight-line basis.

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation, benefits and other expenses associated with corporate management, finance, sales, human resources, shared services, information technology and other activities.

Revaluation of contingent liabilities represents adjustments to the fair value of contingent liabilities associated with acquisitions.

Depreciation and amortization expense consists of depreciation and amortization expenses related to merchant relationships, trademarks and trade names, residual commission buyouts, equipment, leasehold improvements, other intangible assets, and property, plant and equipment. We depreciate and amortize our assets on a straight-line basis. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the estimated life of the leasehold improvement or the remaining lease term. Maintenance and repairs, which do not extend the useful life of the respective assets, are charged to expense as incurred. Intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives which range from two years to twenty years.

Professional expenses consists of costs incurred for accounting, tax, legal, and consulting services. These include professional services related to acquisitions.

Advertising and marketing expenses relate to costs incurred to participate in industry tradeshows and dealer conferences, advertising initiatives to build brand awareness, and expenses to fulfill loyalty program rewards earned by software partners.

Interest income primarily consists of interest income earned on our cash and cash equivalents.

Other (expense) income, net primarily consists of other non-operating items. This includes transactional gains and losses related to foreign currency.

Unrealized gain on investments in securities represents adjustments to the fair value of our investments in securities.

Change in TRA liability represents adjustments to the Tax Receivable Agreement (“TRA”) liability.

Interest expense consists of interest costs incurred on our borrowings and amortization of capitalized financing costs.

Income tax benefit (expense) represents federal, state, local and foreign income taxes.

Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests arises from net income (loss) from the non-owned portion of businesses where we have a controlling interest but less than 100% ownership. This represents the noncontrolling interests in Shift4 Payments, LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries, which is comprised of the income (loss) allocated to Continuing Equity Owners as a result of their proportional ownership of LLC Interests.

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Comparison of Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022

The following table sets forth the consolidated statements of operations for the periods presented.

Year Ended December 31,$ change
(in millions)20232022
Payments-based revenue$2,386.0$1,857.1$528.9
Subscription and other revenues178.8136.542.3
Gross revenue2,564.81,993.6571.2
Network fees(1,624.4)(1,266.1)(358.3)
Other costs of sales (exclusive of certain depreciation and amortization expense shown separately below)(252.6)(257.3)4.7
General and administrative expenses(329.3)(267.4)(61.9)
Revaluation of contingent liabilities(23.1)36.6(59.7)
Depreciation and amortization expense (a)(153.8)(96.5)(57.3)
Impairment of intangible assets(18.6)(18.6)
Professional expenses(33.1)(33.3)0.2
Advertising and marketing expenses(15.1)(14.9)(0.2)
Income from operations114.894.720.1
Interest income31.910.821.1
Other (expense) income, net(3.9)0.5(4.4)
Unrealized gain on investments in securities12.215.1(2.9)
Change in TRA liability(3.4)(1.7)(1.7)
Interest expense(32.1)(32.5)0.4
Income before income taxes119.586.932.6
Income tax benefit (expense)3.4(0.2)3.6
Net income122.986.736.2
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests36.711.625.1
Net income attributable to Shift4 Payments, Inc.$86.2$75.1$11.1

(a)Depreciation and amortization expense includes depreciation of equipment under lease of $35.3 million and $28.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Results of Operations

Year ended December 31, 2023 compared to year ended December 31, 2022

Revenues (in millions)

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Gross revenue increased by $571.2 million, or 29%. Gross revenue is comprised of payments-based revenue and subscription and other revenues.

Payments-based revenue increased by $528.9 million, or 28%, primarily due to:

•The increase in end-to-end payment volume of $37.4 billion or 52%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

•Growth in end-to-end payment volume outpaced payments-based revenue growth, primarily due to our continued onboarding of larger merchants that have lower unit pricing than our existing customer base.

Subscription and other revenues increased by $42.3 million, or 31%. The increase in subscription and other revenues was primarily driven by higher SaaS fee revenue.

Cost of Sales

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Network fees$(1,624.4)$(1,266.1)$(358.3)

The 28% increase in network fees was primarily due to the increase in payments-based revenue, which also increased 28%.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Other costs of sales (exclusive of certain depreciation and amortization expense)$(252.6)$(257.3)$4.7

The decrease in other cost of sales is primarily due to:

•Residual commissions decreased primarily due to residual commission buyouts completed in 2022.

•This was partially offset by higher costs of sales attributable to our recent acquisitions and higher capitalized software development cost amortization.

Gross revenue less network fees increased by $212.9 million, or 29%, primarily due to the increase in end-to-end payment volume. See Key Performance Indicators and Non-GAAP Measures for a discussion and reconciliation of gross revenue less network fees.

Operating Expenses

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
General and administrative expenses$(329.3)$(267.4)$(61.9)

The increase in general and administrative expenses is primarily due to expenses associated with our growth, which includes the impact of our recent acquisitions.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Revaluation of contingent liabilities$(23.1)$36.6$(59.7)

The expense for revaluation of contingent liabilities during the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily driven by the remeasurement of the contingent liability related to the acquisition of Online Payments Group, versus the gain on the remeasurement of the contingent liability related to The Giving Block during the year ended December 31, 2022.

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Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Depreciation and amortization expense$(153.8)$(96.5)$(57.3)

The increase in depreciation and amortization expense is primarily due to:

•Higher residual commission buyout amortization due to the residual commission buyouts completed in 2022,

•Increased equipment under lease associated with the growth of our SkyTab offering, and;

•The amortization of new intangible assets as a result of our recent acquisitions.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Impairment of intangible assets$(18.6)$$(18.6)

The non-cash impairment of intangible assets was $18.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. During the fourth quarter of 2023, in conjunction with the acquisition of Finaro, we ceased development on several in-process software development projects. It was determined that the intellectual property obtained in the Finaro transaction was better suited for the objectives of these projects.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Professional expenses$(33.1)$(33.3)$0.2

Professional expenses were comparable with the prior year. Professional expenses include expenses associated with acquisitions. There were $12.9 million of transaction expenses associated with the acquisition of Finaro during the year ended December 31, 2023.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Advertising and marketing expenses$(15.1)$(14.9)$(0.2)

Advertising and marketing expenses generally remained consistent for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Interest income$31.9$10.8$21.1

The increase in interest income is primarily due to a higher weighted average interest rate earned on our cash and cash equivalents.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Unrealized gain on investments in securities$12.2$15.1$(2.9)

The unrealized gain on investments in securities for both the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was primarily due to fair value adjustments to our non-marketable equity investment in Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly known as SpaceX.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Change in TRA liability$(3.4)$(1.7)$(1.7)

If in the future, we conclude it is probable that we will be able to realize additional tax benefits associated with the TRA, it could result in a material increase to the TRA liability.

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Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Interest expense$(32.1)$(32.5)$0.4

Interest expense remained consistent for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022$ Change
Income tax benefit (expense)$3.4$(0.2)$3.6

The effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was approximately (2.8)%, compared to the effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 of approximately 0.2%.

The effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was different than the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 21% primarily due to the income allocated to the noncontrolling interest, the full valuation allowances on Shift4 Payments, Inc. and certain corporate subsidiaries in the U.S., a $4.8 million tax benefit related to the valuation allowance release due to a legal entity restructuring, and a $1.5 million tax benefit related to the valuation allowance release due to acquired deferred tax liabilities from Focus POS Systems. The effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 was different than the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 21% primarily due to the income allocated to the noncontrolling interest, the full valuation allowance on Shift4 Payments, Inc. and certain corporate subsidiaries in the U.S., the nontaxable adjustment related to the revaluation of the contingent liability of The Giving Block, and a $6.4 million income tax benefit related to the valuation allowance release due to acquired deferred tax liabilities from The Giving Block.

Key Performance Indicators and Non-GAAP Measures

The following table sets forth our key performance indicators and non-GAAP measures for the periods presented:

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022
End-to-end payment volume$109,034.0$71,587.7
Gross revenue less network fees940.4727.5
EBITDA334.3257.7
Adjusted EBITDA459.9289.7

End-to-end payment volume

End-to-end payment volume is defined as the total dollar amount of payments that we deliver for settlement on behalf of our merchants. Included in end-to-end volume are dollars routed via our international payments platform and alternative payment methods, including cryptocurrency and stock donations, plus volume we route to one or more third party merchant acquirers on behalf of strategic enterprise merchant relationships. This volume does not include volume processed through our legacy gateway-only offering.

Gross revenue less network fees, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

We use supplemental measures of our performance which are derived from our consolidated financial information but which are not presented in our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures include: gross revenue less network fees, which includes interchange and assessment fees; earnings before interest expense, interest income, income taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“EBITDA”); and Adjusted EBITDA.

Gross revenue less network fees represents a key performance metric that management uses to measure changes in the mix and value derived from our customer base as we continue to execute our strategy to expand our reach to serve larger, complex merchants.

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Adjusted EBITDA is the primary financial performance measure used by management to evaluate its business and monitor results of operations. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA further adjusted for certain non-cash and other nonrecurring items that management believes are not indicative of ongoing operations. These adjustments include acquisition, restructuring and integration costs, revaluation of contingent liabilities, unrealized gains or losses on investments in securities, changes in TRA liability, equity-based compensation expense, and other nonrecurring items. The financial impact of certain elements of these activities is often significant to our overall financial performance and can adversely affect the comparability of our operating results and investors’ ability to analyze the business from period to period.

We use non-GAAP financial measures to supplement financial information presented on a GAAP basis. We believe that excluding certain items from our GAAP results allows management to better understand our consolidated financial performance from period to period and better project our future consolidated financial performance as forecasts are developed at a level of detail different from that used to prepare GAAP-based financial measures. Moreover, we believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide our stakeholders with useful information to help them evaluate our operating results by facilitating an enhanced understanding of our operating performance and enabling them to make more meaningful period to period comparisons. There are limitations to the use of the non-GAAP financial measures presented in this Annual Report. Our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate non-GAAP financial measures differently than we do, limiting the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes.

The non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered as indicators of performance in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP, and should be read only in conjunction with financial information presented on a GAAP basis. Reconciliations of gross revenue less network fees, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure are presented below. We encourage you to review the reconciliations in conjunction with the presentation of the non-GAAP financial measures for each of the periods presented. In future periods, we may exclude such items and may incur income and expenses similar to these excluded items.

Reconciliations of gross revenue less network fees, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

The tables below provide reconciliations of gross profit to gross revenue less network fees and net income on a consolidated basis for the periods presented to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA.

Gross revenue less network fees:

Year Ended December 31,
20232022
(in millions)
Gross revenue$2,564.8$1,993.6
Less: Network fees(1,624.4)(1,266.1)
Less: Other costs of sales (exclusive of depreciation of equipment under lease)(252.6)(257.3)
687.8470.2
Less: Depreciation of equipment under lease(35.3)(28.4)
Gross profit (a)$652.5$441.8
Gross profit (a)$652.5$441.8
Add back: Other costs of sales252.6257.3
Add back: Depreciation of equipment under lease35.328.4
Gross revenue less network fees$940.4$727.5

(a)The determination of gross profit is inclusive of depreciation of equipment under lease that is included within Depreciation and amortization expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The table reflects the determination of gross profit for all periods presented. Although gross profit is not presented on the Consolidated Statements of Operations, it represents the most comparable metric calculated under U.S. GAAP to non-GAAP gross revenues less network fees.

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EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022
Net income$122.9$86.7
Interest expense32.132.5
Interest income(31.9)(10.8)
Income tax expense (benefit)(3.4)0.2
Depreciation and amortization214.6149.1
EBITDA334.3257.7
Acquisition, restructuring and integration costs (a)28.328.2
Revaluation of contingent liabilities (b)23.1(36.6)
Impairment of intangible assets (c)18.6
Unrealized gain on investments in securities (d)(12.2)(15.1)
Change in TRA liability (e)3.41.7
Equity-based compensation (f)59.150.4
Foreign exchange and other nonrecurring items (g)5.33.4
Adjusted EBITDA$459.9$289.7

(a)For the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily consisted of $23.2 million of acquisition-related costs and $4.6 million of restructuring costs. For the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily consisted of $23.7 million of acquisition-related costs.

(b)Consisted of fair value adjustments to contingent liabilities arising from acquisitions.

(c)See Note 7 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information on the impairment of intangible assets recognized during the year ended December 31, 2023.

(d)See Note 12 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information on the investments in non-marketable securities.

(e)See Note 13 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information on the TRA.

(f)Consisted of equity-based compensation expense for RSUs, including employer taxes for vested RSUs. See Note 19 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information on equity-based compensation.

(g)For the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily consisted of $4.0 million of unrealized foreign exchange losses and $1.9 million of legal and professional expenses for non-routine matters. For the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily consisted of $1.1 million of costs associated with an internal processing system disruption that required technical remediation, in addition to numerous other items.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

We have historically sourced our liquidity requirements with cash flow from operations and, when needed, with debt or equity financing. The principal uses for liquidity have been acquisitions, capital expenditures, share repurchases and debt service. As of December 31, 2023, our cash and cash equivalents balance was $455.0 million, of which approximately $133.4 million was held outside of the U.S. by our foreign legal entities. We also have $84.4 million of funds deposited in a sponsor bank merchant settlement account that is legally restricted and not available for use in operations. This amount is presented as Restricted cash in the consolidated balance sheet. In addition, settlement assets includes $182.4 million of cash that will be used to settle merchant liabilities.

We do not intend to pay cash dividends on our Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. Shift4 Payments, Inc. is a holding company that does not conduct any business operations of its own. As a result, Shift4 Payments, Inc.’s ability to pay cash dividends on its common stock, if any, is dependent upon cash dividends and distributions and other transfers from Shift4 Payments, LLC. The amounts available to Shift4 Payments, Inc. to pay cash dividends are subject to the covenants and distribution restrictions in its subsidiaries’ agreements governing its indebtedness, including covenants in such agreements providing that the payments of dividends or other distributions are subject to annual limitations based on our market capitalization.

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The following table sets forth summary cash flow information for the periods presented:

Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)20232022
Net cash provided by operating activities$388.3$275.4
Net cash used in investing activities(301.9)(516.8)
Net cash used in financing activities(152.2)(214.6)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents11.11.0
Change in cash and cash equivalents$(54.7)$(455.0)

Operating activities

Net cash provided by operating activities consists of net income (loss) adjusted for certain non-cash items and changes in other assets and liabilities.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash provided by operating activities of $388.3 million was primarily a result of net income of $122.9 million adjusted for non-cash expenses, including depreciation and amortization of $214.6 million, equity-based compensation of $57.4 million, revaluation of contingent liabilities of $23.1 million, and unrealized gain on investments in securities of $(12.2) million. This was partially offset by an impact from working capital items of $(52.9) million.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by operating activities of $275.4 million was primarily a result of net income of $86.7 million adjusted for non-cash expenses, including depreciation and amortization of $149.1 million, equity-based compensation of $49.6 million, and revaluation of contingent liabilities of $(36.6) million. In addition, there was an impact from working capital items of $23.1 million.

Investing activities

Net cash used in investing activities includes cash paid for acquisitions, residual commission buyouts, purchases of property, plant and equipment, purchases of equipment to be leased, purchases of intangible assets, investments in securities, and capitalized software development costs.

Net cash used in investing activities was $301.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $214.9 million compared to net cash used in investing activities of $516.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease was primarily the result of a $266.0 million decrease in residual commission buyouts, partially offset by a $34.4 million increase in net cash paid for acquisitions and a $24.0 million increase in purchases of equipment to be leased.

Financing activities

Net cash used in financing activities was $152.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $62.4 million, compared to net cash used in financing activities of $214.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease was primarily the result of lower payments for the repurchase of common stock of $80.5 million, partially offset by a $14.1 million increase in payments on contingent liabilities.

Convertible Notes, Senior Notes and Revolving Credit Facility

As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we had $1,772.5 million total principal amount of debt outstanding, including $690.0 million of 2025 Convertible Notes, $632.5 million of 2027 Convertible Notes, and $450.0 million of 2026 Senior Notes.

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Convertible Notes – 2027 Notes

In July 2021, Shift4 Payments, Inc. issued an aggregate principal amount of $632.5 million of 2027 Convertible Notes to qualified institutional buyers in an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act. We received net proceeds, after deducting initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses, of approximately $617.7 million from the offering of the 2027 Convertible Notes. The net proceeds of the 2027 Convertible Notes Offering, together with cash on hand, was used for general corporate purposes. The 2027 Convertible Notes will mature on August 1, 2027, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted, and accrue interest at a rate of 0.50% per year. Interest on the 2027 Convertible Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on each February 1 and August 1, commencing on February 1, 2022. We will settle conversions by paying in cash up to the principal amount of the 2027 Convertible Notes with any excess to be paid or delivered, as the case may be, in cash or shares of Class A common stock or a combination of both at our election, based on the conversion rate. The initial conversion rate is 8.1524 shares of Class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2027 Convertible Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $122.66 per share of Class A common stock), subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events. None of the specified events for the conversion of the 2027 Convertible Notes occurred as of December 31, 2023.

Convertible Notes – 2025 Notes

In December 2020, Shift4 Payments, Inc. issued an aggregate principal amount of $690.0 million of 2025 Convertible Notes, to qualified institutional buyers in an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act. We received net proceeds, after deducting initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses, of approximately $673.6 million from the 2025 Convertible Notes Offering. The net proceeds of the 2025 Convertible Notes Offering, together with cash on hand, was used for general corporate purposes. The 2025 Convertible Notes do not bear regular interest, and the principal amount of the 2025 Convertible Notes does not accrete and will mature on December 15, 2025 unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. The initial conversion rate is 12.4262 shares of Class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2025 Convertible Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $80.48 per share of Class A common stock), subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events. None of the specified events for the conversion of the 2025 Convertible Notes occurred as of December 31, 2023.

Senior Notes – 2026 Notes

In October 2020, Shift4 Payments, LLC and Shift4 Payments Finance Sub, Inc., or the Issuers, issued an aggregate $450.0 million principal amount of the 2026 Senior Notes. We received net proceeds, after deducting initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses, of approximately $442.8 million from the offering of the 2026 Senior Notes. The net proceeds of the 2026 Senior Notes offering, together with cash on hand, were used to repay all indebtedness outstanding under the First Lien Term Loan Facility. The 2026 Senior Notes mature on November 1, 2026, and accrue interest at a rate of 4.625% per year. Interest on the 2026 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on each May 1, and November 1, commencing on May 1, 2021. At any time on or after November 1, 2022, the Issuers may redeem all or a portion of the 2026 Senior Notes at the redemption prices set forth in the indenture governing the 2026 Senior Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding, the date of redemption. In March 2022, we entered into a supplemental indenture to allow for the repurchase of capital stock as part of the Market Capitalization exception under the original indenture.

Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility

In January 2021, Shift4 Payments, LLC amended and restated its First Lien Credit Agreement (the “Amended Credit Agreement”) and increased the borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”) from $90.0 million to $100.0 million. The Revolving Credit Facility matures on January 29, 2026 or, if greater than $150.0 million aggregate principal amount of our 2025 Convertible Notes remains outstanding on September 15, 2025, on that date. The Amended Credit Agreement requires periodic interest payments until maturity.

In June 2023, Shift4 Payments, LLC amended its Amended Credit Agreement (the “Second Amended Credit Agreement”) to transition the reference rate of its Revolving Credit Facility from LIBOR to SOFR, effective July 1, 2023. All other terms of the Second Amended Credit Agreement remain unchanged.

Loans incurred under the Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at our option at either the SOFR rate plus a margin ranging from 3.00% to 3.50% per year or the alternate base rate (the highest of the Federal Funds rate plus 0.50%, or the prime rate announced from time to time in The Wall Street Journal) plus a margin ranging from 2.00% to 2.50% per year (“Applicable Rate”). The Applicable Rate varies depending on our total leverage ratio (as defined in the Second Amended Credit Agreement). The alternate base rate is subject to a zero percent floor. In addition, we are required to pay a commitment fee under the Revolving Credit Facility in respect of the unutilized commitments thereunder at a rate ranging from 0.25% per year to 0.50% per year, in each case based on the total leverage ratio. We are also subject to customary letter of credit and agency fees. The Revolving Credit Facility has a borrowing capacity of $100.0 million. As of December 31, 2023, we had no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility.

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Stock repurchases

On May 3, 2023, the Board authorized the May 2023 Program, pursuant to which we were authorized to repurchase up to $250.0 million of shares of our Class A common stock through December 31, 2023. In the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased 1,663,311 shares of Class A common stock for $105.4 million, including commissions paid, at an average price paid of $63.33 per share. The May 2023 Program expired on December 31, 2023.

In December 2023, the Board authorized a new stock repurchase program (the “December 2023 Program”), pursuant to which we are authorized to repurchase up to $250.0 million shares of our Class A common stock between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.

Cash Requirements

Our material cash requirements include the following contractual obligations.

Debt

As of December 31, 2023, we had $1,772.5 million of fixed rate debt principal outstanding with maturities beginning in 2025. Future interest payments associated with the outstanding debt total $75.1 million, with $24.0 million payable within twelve months.

Contingent Liabilities

As of December 31, 2023, the fair value of contingent liabilities to potentially be paid out in cash was $19.4 million, with $17.6 million payable within twelve months. As of December 31, 2023, the maximum amount of contingent liabilities to potentially be paid out in cash was $23.5 million, with $21.7 million payable within twelve months.

Leases

As of December 31, 2023, we are obligated under non-cancellable operating leases for our premises, which expire through November 2030. Future rent payments associated with outstanding operating leases total $29.3 million, with $7.5 million payable within twelve months.

Bank Deposits

Credorax Bank Limited (part of Finaro), a licensed credit institution in Malta, issues deposits to corporate counterparties and to individual retail customers. As of December 31, 2023, there were $72.3 million of deposit liabilities. Upon maturity of these instruments, or certain other events, we would be obligated to make payment to the depositors.

We believe that our cash and cash equivalents and future cash flow from operations will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next twelve months and into the foreseeable future based on our current operating plan.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our historical financial condition and results of operations for the periods described is based on our audited consolidated financial statements which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these historical financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments in certain circumstances that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and contingencies as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate our assumptions and estimates on an ongoing basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

We have provided a summary of our significant accounting policies in Note 1 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The following critical accounting discussion pertains to accounting policies management believes are most critical to the portrayal of our historical financial condition and results of operations and that require significant, difficult, subjective or complex judgments. Other companies in similar businesses may use different estimation policies and methodologies, which may impact the comparability of our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows to those of other companies.

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Revenue recognition

Application of the accounting principles in U.S. GAAP related to the measurement and recognition of revenue requires us to make judgments and estimates. Complex agreements with nonstandard terms and conditions may require interpretation to determine the appropriate accounting. Specifically, the determination of whether we are a principal to a transaction or an agent can also require considerable judgment. We have concluded that in nearly all cases we are the principal in our payment processing agreements as we control the service on our payments platform, which is transformative in nature and allows for front-end and back-end risk mitigation, merchant portability, third party software integrations, and enhanced reporting functionality. We also contract directly with our merchants and have complete pricing latitude on the processing fees charged to our merchants. As such, we bear the credit risk for network fees and transactions. For our SaaS agreements, we allocate revenue to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price, which is based on the estimated fair value of each product and service. Changes in judgments with respect to these assumptions and estimates could impact the amount of revenue recognized.

Business combinations and the valuation of acquired assets and liabilities

Upon acquisition of a company, we determine if the transaction is a business combination, which is accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method, once control is obtained of a business, the assets acquired, and liabilities assumed, including amounts attributed to noncontrolling interests, are recorded at fair value. The determination of the fair value of these assets and liabilities is based on estimates which are subject to significant management judgment. The fair values of intangible assets are typically estimated using the relief-from-royalty method or the multi-period excess earnings method. Our estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions, including but not limited to projected revenues, earnings before interest expense and income tax margins, customer attrition rates, and discount rates. Our estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable. Measurement period adjustments are reflected at the time identified, up through the conclusion of the measurement period, which is the time at which all information for determination of the values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is received, and is not to exceed one year from the acquisition date. We may record adjustments to the fair value of these tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill.

Additionally, uncertain tax positions and tax-related valuation allowances are initially recorded in connection with a business combination as of the acquisition date. We continue to collect information and reevaluate these estimates and assumptions periodically and record any adjustments to preliminary estimates to goodwill, provided we are within the measurement period. If outside of the measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to the consolidated statement of operations.

A portion of the purchase consideration for certain of our acquisitions is often contingent on the performance of the acquired business. The contingent liability arising from the expected earnout payment included in purchase consideration is typically measured on the acquisition date using a fair value model such as a Monte Carlo simulation in a risk-neutral framework, calibrated to Management’s forecasts which are subject to significant judgment.

Impairment assessments

We monitor conditions related to equipment for lease, property, plant and equipment, and intangible assets and test these assets for potential impairment whenever management concludes events or changes in circumstances, such as historical operating and/or cash flow losses of an asset group, indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.

We perform a goodwill impairment test annually as of October 1 and whenever events or circumstances make it more likely than not that impairment may have occurred. We have determined that our business comprises one reporting unit. We have the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether events or circumstances indicate it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, in which case a quantitative impairment test is not required.

Useful lives of equipment for lease, property, plant and equipment, residual commission buyouts, capitalized customer acquisition costs, and intangible assets

Tangible equipment for lease and property, plant and equipment are depreciated over their estimated useful life on a straight-line basis. Capitalized customer acquisition costs and intangible assets with finite lives are also amortized over their estimated useful life on a straight-line basis. We monitor conditions related to these assets to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining depreciation or amortization period. The original estimate of an asset’s useful life and the impact of an event or circumstance on either an asset’s useful life or carrying value involve significant judgment regarding estimates of the future cash flows associated with each asset.

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Income taxes

We entered into a TRA with Shift4 Payments, LLC and each of the Continuing Equity Owners and each of the Blocker Shareholders that will provide for the payment by Shift4 Payments, Inc. to the Continuing Equity Owners of 85% of the amount of certain tax benefits, if any, that Shift4 Payments Inc. actually realizes or in some circumstances is deemed to realize in its tax reporting, as a result of (1) the increases in our share of the tax basis of assets of Shift4 Payments, LLC resulting from any redemptions of LLC Interests from the Continuing Equity Owners, (2) our utilization of certain tax attributes of the Blocker Companies and certain Continuing Equity Owners and (3) certain other tax benefits related to us making payments under the TRA.

In addition to tax expenses, we will also make payments under the TRA, which may be material in the future. We will account for the income tax effects and corresponding TRA’s effects resulting from future taxable purchases or redemptions of LLC Interests of the Continuing LLC Owners by us or Shift4 Payments, LLC or the Blocker Shareholders by recognizing an increase in our deferred tax assets, based on enacted tax rates at the date of the purchase or redemption. Further, we will evaluate the likelihood that we will realize the benefit represented by the deferred tax asset and, to the extent that we estimate that it is more likely than not that we will not realize the benefit, we will reduce the carrying amount of the deferred tax asset with a valuation allowance. The amounts to be recorded for both the deferred tax assets and the liability for our obligations under the TRA will be estimated at the time of any purchase or redemption as a reduction to shareholders’ equity, and the effects of changes in any of our estimates after this date will be included in net income (loss). Similarly, the effect of subsequent changes in the enacted tax rates will be included in net income (loss). Judgement is required in assessing the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in Shift4 Payments, Inc.’s financial statements. A change in our assessment of such consequences, such as realization of deferred tax assets, changes in tax laws or interpretations thereof could materially impact our results. As of December 31, 2023, we recognized a $5.1 million TRA liability after concluding it was probable that, based on estimates of future taxable income, we will realize tax benefits associated with the TRA. As of December 31, 2023, we have not recognized the remaining $273.4 million liability under the TRA after concluding it was not probable that we will be able to realize the remaining tax benefits based on estimates of future taxable income.

We recorded a valuation allowance against a majority of the deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022. We intend to continue maintaining a valuation allowance on the deferred tax assets until there is sufficient evidence to support the reversal of all or some portion of these allowances. However, given the current earnings and anticipated future earnings, we believe there is a reasonable possibility that within the next 12 months, sufficient positive evidence may become available to allow us to reach a conclusion that a significant portion of the valuation allowance will no longer be needed. Release of the valuation allowance would result in the recognition of certain deferred tax assets and an increase to income tax benefit for the period the release is recorded. The exact timing and amount of the valuation allowance release are subject to change on the basis of the level of profitability that is able to be achieved.

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