Huron Consulting Group Inc. (HURN) FY 2022 MD&A
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.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes appearing under Part II—Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The following MD&A contains forward-looking statements and involves numerous risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, those described under Part I—Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
The following information summarizes our results of operations for 2022, 2021, and 2020; and discusses those results of operations for 2022 compared to 2021. Additionally, as a result of our operating segment modification effective January 1, 2022, the following MD&A discusses the segment revenue and operating income for 2021 compared to 2020. For a discussion of our consolidated results of operations for 2021 compared to 2020, which were not impacted by the operating segment modification, refer to Part II—Item 7. "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on February 24, 2022.
OVERVIEW
Huron is a global professional services firm that partners with clients to develop growth strategies, optimize operations and accelerate digital transformation using an enterprise portfolio of technology, data and analytics solutions to empower clients to own their future. By collaborating with clients, embracing diverse perspectives, encouraging new ideas and challenging the status quo, we create sustainable results for the organizations we serve.
We provide our services and manage our business under three operating segments: Healthcare, Education and Commercial. We also provide revenue reporting across two principal capabilities: i) Consulting and Managed Services and ii) Digital. See Part I—Item 1. “Business—Overview—Our Services” and Note 19 “Segment Information” within the notes to our consolidated financial statements for a discussion of our segments and capabilities, as well as information on the modification to our reportable segments effective January 1, 2022. As a result of the modification, we recast our historical segment information for consistent presentation. Our historical consolidated results have not been impacted.
COMPONENTS OF OPERATING RESULTS
Revenues
Our revenues are primarily generated by our employees who provide consulting and other professional services to our clients and are billable to our clients based on the number of hours worked, services provided, or achieved outcomes. We refer to these employees as our revenue-generating professionals. Revenues are primarily driven by the number of revenue-generating professionals we employ as well as the total value, scope, and terms of the consulting contracts under which they provide services. We also engage independent contractors to supplement our revenue-generating professionals on client engagements as needed.
We generate our revenues from providing professional services and software products under the following four types of billing arrangements: fixed-fee (including software license revenue); time-and-expense; performance-based; and software support, maintenance and subscriptions.
•Fixed-fee (including software license revenue): In fixed-fee billing arrangements, we agree to a pre-established fee in exchange for a predetermined set of professional services. We set the fees based on our estimates of the costs and timing for completing the engagements. Fixed-fee arrangements also include software licenses for our revenue cycle management software and research administration and compliance software.
•Time-and-expense: Under time-and-expense billing arrangements, we require the client to pay based on the number of hours worked by our revenue-generating professionals at agreed upon rates. Time-and-expense arrangements also include speaking engagements, conferences and publications purchased by our clients.
•Performance-based: In performance-based fee billing arrangements, fees are tied to the attainment of contractually defined objectives. We enter into performance-based engagements in essentially two forms. First, we generally earn fees that are directly related to the savings formally acknowledged by the client as a result of adopting our recommendations for improving operational and cost effectiveness in the areas we review. Second, we earn a success fee when and if certain predefined outcomes occur. Often, performance-based fees supplement our time-and-expense or fixed-fee engagements. The level of performance-based fees earned may vary based on our clients’ risk sharing preferences and the mix of services we provide.
•Software support, maintenance and subscriptions: Clients that have purchased one of our software licenses can pay an annual fee for software support and maintenance. We also generate subscription revenue from our cloud-based analytic tools and solutions. Software support, maintenance and subscription revenues are recognized ratably over the support or subscription period. These fees are generally billed in advance and included in deferred revenues until recognized.
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Time-and-expense engagements do not provide us with a high degree of predictability as to performance in future periods. Unexpected changes in the demand for our services can result in significant variations in utilization and revenues and present a challenge to optimal hiring and staffing. Moreover, our clients typically retain us on an engagement-by-engagement basis, rather than under long-term recurring contracts. The volume of work performed for any particular client can vary widely from period to period.
Our quarterly results are impacted principally by the total value, scope, and terms of our client contracts, the number of our revenue-generating professionals who are available to work, our revenue-generating professionals' utilization rate, and the bill rates we charge our clients. Our utilization rate can be negatively affected by increased hiring because there is generally a transition period for new professionals that results in a temporary drop in our utilization rate. Our utilization rate can also be affected by seasonal variations in the demand for our services from our clients. For example, during the third and fourth quarters of the year, vacations taken by our clients can result in the deferral of activity on existing and new engagements, which would negatively affect our utilization rate. The number of business work days is also affected by the number of vacation days taken by our consultants and holidays in each quarter. We typically have fewer business work days available in the fourth quarter of the year, which can impact revenues during that period.
Reimbursable Expenses
Reimbursable expenses that are billed to clients, primarily relating to travel and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with client engagements, are included in total revenues and reimbursable expenses. We manage our business on the basis of revenues before reimbursable expenses, which we believe is the most accurate reflection of our services because it eliminates the effect of reimbursable expenses that we bill to our clients at cost.
Operating Expenses
Our most significant expenses are costs classified as direct costs. Direct costs primarily consist of payroll costs for our revenue-generating professionals, which includes salaries, performance bonuses, share-based compensation, signing and retention bonuses, payroll taxes and benefits. Direct costs also include fees paid to independent contractors that we retain to supplement our revenue-generating professionals, typically on an as-needed basis for specific client engagements, and technology costs, product and event costs, and commissions. Direct costs exclude amortization of intangible assets and software development costs and reimbursable expenses, both of which are separately presented in our consolidated statements of operations.
Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries, performance bonuses, share-based compensation, payroll taxes and benefits for our support personnel. Also included in selling, general and administrative expenses is third-party professional fees, software licenses and data hosting expenses, rent and other office related expenses, sales and marketing related expenses, recruiting and training expenses, and practice administration and meetings expenses.
Other operating expenses include restructuring charges, depreciation expense, amortization expense related to internally developed software costs and amortization of intangible assets acquired in business combinations. In the first quarter of 2022, we began presenting depreciation and amortization expense in the aggregate with amortization of intangible assets and software development costs that were previously presented separately within total direct costs and reimbursable expenses. We have recast our historical presentation of our consolidated statement of operations for consistent presentation.
Segment Results
Segment operating income consists of the revenues generated by a segment, less operating expenses that are incurred directly by the segment. Other operating expenses not allocated at the segment level include corporate costs related to administrative functions that are performed in a centralized manner that are not attributable to a particular segment. These administrative function costs include corporate office support costs, office facility costs, costs related to accounting and finance, human resources, legal, marketing, information technology, and company-wide business development functions, and costs related to overall corporate management.
Non-GAAP Measures
We also assess our results of operations using the following non-GAAP financial measures: earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues, adjusted net income from continuing operations, and adjusted diluted earnings per share ("EPS") from continuing operations. These non-GAAP financial measures differ from GAAP because they exclude a number of items required by GAAP, each discussed below. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, any measure of performance, cash flows, or liquidity prepared in accordance with GAAP. Our non-GAAP financial measures may be defined differently from time to time and may be defined differently than similar terms used by other companies, and accordingly, care should be exercised in understanding how we define our non-GAAP financial measures.
Our management uses the non-GAAP financial measures to gain an understanding of our comparative operating performance, for example when comparing such results with previous periods or forecasts. These non-GAAP financial measures are used by management in their financial and operating decision making because management believes they reflect our ongoing business in a manner that allows for
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meaningful period-to-period comparisons. Management also uses these non-GAAP financial measures when publicly providing our business outlook, for internal management purposes, and as a basis for evaluating potential acquisitions and dispositions. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating Huron’s current operating performance and future prospects in the same manner as management does and in comparing in a consistent manner Huron’s current financial results with Huron’s past financial results.
These non-GAAP financial measures include adjustments for the following items:
Amortization of intangible assets: We exclude the effect of amortization of intangible assets from the calculation of adjusted net income, as it is inconsistent in its amount and frequency and is significantly affected by the timing and size of our acquisitions.
Restructuring and other charges: We have incurred charges due to the restructuring of various parts of our business, including restructuring charges related to the sale of the Life Sciences business in the fourth quarter of 2021 and the restructuring plan announced in the fourth quarter of 2020 to reduce operating costs to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business. Restructuring charges primarily consist of costs associated with office space consolidations, including lease impairment charges and accelerated depreciation on lease-related property and equipment, and employee-related charges. Additionally, we have excluded the effect of a $0.8 million one-time charge incurred during the first quarter of 2020 related to redundant administrative costs in our corporate operations which is recorded within selling, general and administrative expenses on our consolidated statement of operations. We exclude the effect of the restructuring and other charges from our non-GAAP measures to permit comparability with periods that were not impacted by these items.
Other losses (gains): We exclude the effects of other losses (gains), which primarily relate to changes in the estimated fair value of our liabilities for contingent consideration related to business acquisitions and litigation settlement losses and gains, to permit comparability with periods that are not impacted by these items.
Transaction-related expenses: To permit comparability with prior periods, we exclude the impact of third-party legal and accounting fees incurred related to business acquisitions.
Goodwill impairment charges: We exclude the effect of goodwill impairment charges as these are infrequent events and their exclusion permits comparability with periods that were not impacted by such charges.
Unrealized gain on preferred stock investment: We exclude the effect of unrealized gains related to changes in the fair value of our preferred stock investment in Medically Home Group, Inc. (“Medically Home”), which are recognized when an observable price change occurs. These unrealized gains are included as a component of other income (expense), net. We believe that these unrealized gains are not indicative of the ongoing performance of our business and their exclusion permits comparability with prior periods.
Losses (gains) on sales of businesses: We exclude the effect of non-operating losses and gains recognized as a result of sales of businesses as they are infrequent, management believes that these items are not indicative of the ongoing performance of our business, and their exclusion permits comparability with periods that were not impacted by such items. The 2021 gain relates to the sale of our Life Sciences business in the fourth quarter of 2021, and the 2020 loss primarily relates to the sale of our U.K. life sciences drug safety practice in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Foreign currency transaction losses (gains), net: We exclude the effect of foreign currency transaction losses and gains from the calculation of adjusted EBITDA because the amount of each loss or gain is significantly affected by changes in foreign exchange rates.
Tax effect of adjustments: The non-GAAP income tax adjustment reflects the incremental tax impact applicable to the non-GAAP adjustments.
Income tax expense, Interest expense, net of interest income, Depreciation and amortization: We exclude the effects of income tax expense, interest expense, net of interest income, and depreciation and amortization in the calculation of EBITDA, as these are customary exclusions as defined by the calculation of EBITDA to arrive at meaningful earnings from core operations excluding the effect of such items. We include, within the depreciation and amortization adjustment, the amortization of capitalized implementation costs of our enterprise resource planning ("ERP") and other related software, which is included within selling, general and administrative expenses on our consolidated statements of operations.
Adjusted weighted average shares - diluted: As we reported a net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020, GAAP diluted weighted average shares outstanding equals the basic weighted average shares outstanding for that period. For the year ended December 31, 2020,
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the non-GAAP adjustments described above resulted in adjusted net income from continuing operations. Therefore, we include the dilutive common stock equivalents in the calculation of adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding for that period.
Revenue-Generating Professionals
Our revenue-generating professionals consist of our full-time consultants who generate revenues based on the number of hours worked; full-time equivalents, which consists of coaches and their support staff within the Culture and Organizational excellence solution, consultants who work variable schedules as needed by clients, and full-time employees who provide software support and maintenance services to clients; and our Healthcare Managed Services employees who provide revenue cycle billing, collections insurance verification and change integrity services to clients.
Utilization Rate
The utilization rate of our revenue-generating professionals is calculated by dividing the number of hours our billable consultants worked on client assignments during a period by the total available working hours for these billable consultants during the same period. Available hours are determined by the standard hours worked by each billable consultant, adjusted for part-time hours, and U.S. standard work weeks. Available working hours exclude local country holidays and vacation days. Utilization rates are presented for our revenue-generating professionals who primarily bill on an hourly basis. We do not present utilization rates for our Managed Services professionals as most of the revenues generated by these employees are not billed on an hourly basis.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Executive Highlights
Highlights from the year ended December 31, 2022 include:
•Total revenues increased 25.0% to $1.13 billion in 2022 from $905.6 million in 2021
•Revenues within our Digital capability increased 41.4% to $494.5 million in 2022 from $349.7 million 2021
•Operating margin increased to 8.8% for 2022, compared to 5.8% for 2021
•Diluted EPS from continuing operations increased 26.0% to $3.64 for 2022, compared to $2.89 for 2021
•Adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations (a non-GAAP measure) increased 31.4% to $3.43 for 2022, compared to $2.61 for 2021
•Returned $121.3 million to shareholders by repurchasing 2.0 million shares of our common stock in 2022
•Refinanced our $600 million credit facility; including extending the maturity date to 2027 and transitioning to SOFR, while maintaining favorable pricing and flexibility
•Completed the acquisitions of AIMDATA, LLC and Customer Evolution, LLC in January 2022 and December 2022, respectively
Total revenues increased $226.8 million, or 25.0%, to $1.13 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $905.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in total revenues reflects continued strength in demand for our Digital capability services across all our segments as companies continue to invest in cloud-based technology and analytic solutions, as well as strengthened demand for our Consulting and Managed Services offerings within our Education and Healthcare segments.
In our Consulting and Managed Services capability, revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased 14.8% to $638.0 million, compared to $555.9 million the year ended December 31, 2021, and reflected strengthened demand in our Education and Healthcare segments. The utilization rate within our Consulting capability increased to 75.2% in 2022, compared to 70.6% in 2021.
Revenues within our Digital capability increased 41.4% to $494.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $349.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, and reflected strengthened demand in all of our segments. The utilization rate within our Digital capability decreased to 71.0% in 2022, compared to 72.5% in 2021.
The total number of revenue-generating professionals increased to 4,832 as of December 31, 2022, compared to 3,776 as of December 31, 2021, as a result of hiring to support the overall increase in demand for our services within all of our segments. We proactively plan and manage the size and composition of our workforce and take actions as needed to address changes in the anticipated demand for our services as compensation costs are the most significant portion of our operating expenses.
Operating margin, which is defined as operating income expressed as a percentage of revenues, increased to 8.8% for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to 5.8% for the year ended December 31, 2021, driven by strong revenue growth that outpaced increases in operating expenses.
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Net income from continuing operations increased $12.6 million, or 19.9%, to $75.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $63.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. As a result of the increase in net income from continuing operations, diluted earnings per share from continuing operations increased 26.0% to $3.64 for 2022 from $2.89 for 2021. Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations increased 31.4% to $3.43 for 2022 from $2.61 for 2021.
During 2022, we repurchased 2.0 million shares of our common stock for $121.3 million, representing 9.3% of our common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2021.
On November 15, 2022, we entered into an amended and restated credit agreement that, among other items, extends the maturity date of our credit facility from September 27, 2024 to November 15, 2027; maintains the aggregate revolving commitments of $600 million; maintains favorable pricing and flexibility to support our balanced approach to capital deployment; and provides flexibility to add pricing adjustments tied to the achievement of ESG key performance indicators.
During 2022, we completed the following acquisitions:
•AIMDATA, LLC - On January 18, 2022, we completed the acquisition of AIMDATA, LLC ("AIMDATA"), an advisory and implementation consulting services firm focused on strategy, technology and business transformation. The results of operations of AIMDATA are included within our consolidated financial statements as of the acquisition date and allocated among our three operating industries, which are our reportable segments, based on the engagements delivered by the business.
•Customer Evolution, LLC - Effective December 31, 2022, we completed the acquisition of Customer Evolution, LLC ("Customer Evolution"), a healthcare advisory and technology implementation consulting services firm. The results of operations of Customer Evolution are included in our consolidated financial statements and results of operations of our Healthcare segment from the date of acquisition.
The acquisitions of AIMDATA and Customer Evolution are not significant to our consolidated financial statements individually or in the aggregate as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022.
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Summary of Results
Effective January 1, 2022, we modified our operating model to expand and more deeply integrate our industry expertise with our digital, strategic and financial advisory capabilities. The new operating model strengthens Huron’s go-to-market strategy, drives efficiencies that support margin expansion, and positions the company to accelerate growth.
To align with the new operating model, effective with reporting for periods beginning January 1, 2022, we began reporting under the following three industries, which are our reportable segments: Healthcare, Education and Commercial. The Commercial segment includes all industries outside of healthcare and education, including, but not limited to, financial services and energy and utilities. In the new reporting structure, each segment includes all revenue and costs associated with engagements delivered in the respective segments' industries. The new Healthcare and Education segments include some revenue and costs historically reported in the Business Advisory segment and the Healthcare segment includes some revenue and costs historically reported in the Education segment. We also provide revenue reporting across two principal capabilities: i) Consulting and Managed Services and ii) Digital. These changes improve visibility into the core drivers of our business. While our consolidated results have not been impacted, our historical segment information has been recast for consistent presentation.
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, selected segment and consolidated operating results and other operating data, including non-GAAP measures. The results of operations for acquired businesses have been included in our results of operations since the date of their respective acquisition.
| Segment and Consolidated Operating Results (in thousands, except per share amounts): | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||
| Healthcare: | |||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 534,999 | $ | 444,767 | $ | 406,536 | |||||
| Operating income | $ | 131,227 | $ | 118,324 | $ | 105,650 | |||||
| Segment operating income as a percentage of segment revenues | 24.5 | % | 26.6 | % | 26.0 | % | |||||
| Education: | |||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 359,835 | $ | 242,374 | $ | 223,325 | |||||
| Operating income | $ | 78,924 | $ | 52,398 | $ | 45,780 | |||||
| Segment operating income as a percentage of segment revenues | 21.9 | % | 21.6 | % | 20.5 | % | |||||
| Commercial: | |||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 237,621 | $ | 218,499 | $ | 214,266 | |||||
| Operating income | $ | 50,025 | $ | 34,296 | $ | 39,044 | |||||
| Segment operating income as a percentage of segment revenues | 21.1 | % | 15.7 | % | 18.2 | % | |||||
| Total Huron: | |||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 1,132,455 | $ | 905,640 | $ | 844,127 | |||||
| Reimbursable expenses | 26,506 | 21,318 | 26,887 | ||||||||
| Total revenues and reimbursable expenses | $ | 1,158,961 | $ | 926,958 | $ | 871,014 | |||||
| Segment operating income | $ | 260,176 | $ | 205,018 | $ | 190,474 | |||||
| Items not allocated at the segment level: | |||||||||||
| Other operating expenses | 140,145 | 131,545 | 135,105 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 20,271 | 20,634 | 24,405 | ||||||||
| Goodwill impairment charges (1) | — | — | 59,816 | ||||||||
| Operating income (loss) | 99,760 | 52,839 | (28,852) | ||||||||
| Other income (expense), net | 8,817 | 27,197 | (5,021) | ||||||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes | 108,577 | 80,036 | (33,873) | ||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 33,025 | 17,049 | (10,155) | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) from continuing operations | $ | 75,552 | $ | 62,987 | $ | (23,718) | |||||
| Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations | |||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 3.73 | $ | 2.94 | $ | (1.08) | |||||
| Diluted | $ | 3.64 | $ | 2.89 | $ | (1.08) |
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| Segment and Consolidated Operating Results (in thousands, except per share amounts): | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||
| Other Operating Data: | |||||||||||
| Number of revenue-generating professionals by segment (at period end) (6): | |||||||||||
| Healthcare | 1,890 | 1,596 | 1,117 | ||||||||
| Education | 1,579 | 1,050 | 873 | ||||||||
| Commercial (2) | 1,363 | 1,130 | 1,059 | ||||||||
| Total | 4,832 | 3,776 | 3,049 | ||||||||
| Revenue by capability: | |||||||||||
| Consulting and Managed Services (3) | $ | 637,994 | $ | 555,915 | $ | 514,086 | |||||
| Digital | 494,461 | 349,725 | 330,041 | ||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,132,455 | $ | 905,640 | $ | 844,127 | |||||
| Number of revenue-generating professionals by capability (at period end): | |||||||||||
| Consulting and Managed Services (4) | 2,294 | 1,838 | 1,362 | ||||||||
| Digital | 2,538 | 1,938 | 1,687 | ||||||||
| Total | 4,832 | 3,776 | 3,049 | ||||||||
| Utilization rate by capability (5): | |||||||||||
| Consulting | 75.2% | 70.6% | 67.6% | ||||||||
| Digital | 71.0% | 72.5% | 74.3% |
(1)The non-cash goodwill impairment charges are not allocated at the segment level because the underlying goodwill asset is reflective of our corporate investment in the segments. We do not include the impact of goodwill impairment charges in our evaluation of segment performance.
(2)The majority of our revenue-generating professionals within our Commercial segment can provide services across all of our industries, including healthcare and education.
(3)Managed Services capability revenues within our Healthcare segment was $67.6 million, $47.7 million and $28.7 million for the years ended 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Managed Services capability revenues within our Education segment was $15.7 million, $9.1 million and $6.8 million for the years ended 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
(4)The number of Managed Services revenue-generating professionals within our Healthcare segment as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, was 715, 509, and 96, respectively.
The number of Managed Services revenue-generating professionals within our Education segment as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, was 106, 72, and 49, respectively.
(5)Utilization rates are presented for our revenue-generating professionals who primarily bill on an hourly basis. We do not present utilization rates for our Managed Services professionals as most of the revenues generated by these employees are not billed on an hourly basis.
(6)During the first quarter of 2022, we reclassified certain Digital revenue-generating professionals within our Healthcare and Education segments to our Commercial segment as these professionals can provide services across all of our industries. This reclassification did not impact the total headcount within our Digital capability for any period. The prior period headcount has been revised for consistent presentation.
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Non-GAAP Measures
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 1,132,455 | $ | 905,640 | $ | 844,127 | ||||
| Net income (loss) from continuing operations | $ | 75,552 | $ | 62,987 | $ | (23,718) | ||||
| Add back: | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 33,025 | 17,049 | (10,155) | |||||||
| Interest expense, net of interest income | 11,883 | 8,150 | 9,292 | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 28,233 | 26,347 | 29,644 | |||||||
| Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) | 148,693 | 114,533 | 5,063 | |||||||
| Add back: | ||||||||||
| Restructuring charges | 9,909 | 12,401 | 21,374 | |||||||
| Other losses (gains) | (193) | 198 | (150) | |||||||
| Transaction-related expenses | 50 | 1,782 | 1,132 | |||||||
| Goodwill impairment charges | — | — | 59,816 | |||||||
| Unrealized gain on preferred stock investment | (26,964) | — | (1,667) | |||||||
| Losses (gains) on sales of businesses | — | (31,510) | 1,603 | |||||||
| Foreign currency transaction losses (gains), net | (655) | 419 | (31) | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 130,840 | $ | 97,823 | $ | 87,140 | ||||
| Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues | 11.6 | % | 10.8 | % | 10.3 | % |
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) from continuing operations | $ | 75,552 | $ | 62,987 | $ | (23,718) | ||||
| Weighted average shares - diluted | 20,746 | 21,809 | 21,882 | |||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations | $ | 3.64 | $ | 2.89 | $ | (1.08) | ||||
| Add back: | ||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 11,198 | 9,251 | 12,696 | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | 9,909 | 12,401 | 21,374 | |||||||
| Other losses (gains) | (193) | 198 | (150) | |||||||
| Transaction-related expenses | 50 | 1,782 | 1,132 | |||||||
| Goodwill impairment charges | — | — | 59,816 | |||||||
| Unrealized gain on preferred stock investment | (26,964) | — | (1,667) | |||||||
| Losses (gains) on sales of businesses | — | (31,510) | 1,603 | |||||||
| Tax effect of adjustments | 1,590 | 1,742 | (23,199) | |||||||
| Total adjustments, net of tax | (4,410) | (6,136) | 71,605 | |||||||
| Adjusted net income from continuing operations | $ | 71,142 | $ | 56,851 | $ | 47,887 | ||||
| Adjusted weighted average shares - diluted | 20,746 | 21,809 | 22,299 | |||||||
| Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations | $ | 3.43 | $ | 2.61 | $ | 2.15 |
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Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021
Revenues
Revenues by segment and capability for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows:
| Revenues (in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | Increase / (Decrease) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| Segment: | |||||||||||||||
| Healthcare | $ | 534,999 | $ | 444,767 | $ | 90,232 | 20.3 | % | |||||||
| Education | 359,835 | 242,374 | 117,461 | 48.5 | % | ||||||||||
| Commercial | 237,621 | 218,499 | 19,122 | 8.8 | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 1,132,455 | $ | 905,640 | $ | 226,815 | 25.0 | % | |||||||
| Capability: | |||||||||||||||
| Consulting and Managed Services | $ | 637,994 | $ | 555,915 | $ | 82,079 | 14.8 | % | |||||||
| Digital | 494,461 | 349,725 | 144,736 | 41.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 1,132,455 | $ | 905,640 | $ | 226,815 | 25.0 | % |
Total revenues increased $226.8 million, or 25.0%, to $1.13 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $905.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The overall increase in revenues reflects continued strength in demand for our Digital capability services across all our segments as companies continue to invest in cloud-based technology and analytic solutions, as well as strengthened demand for our Consulting and Managed Services offerings within our Education and Healthcare segments partially the result of a favorable comparison against Education's results in the first two quarters of 2021 which were more significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During 2020 and 2021, some clients reprioritized and delayed certain projects as a result of the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic. Additional information on our revenues by segment follows.
•Healthcare revenues increased $90.2 million, or 20.3%, driven by strengthened demand for our technology and analytics services and software products within our Digital capability, as well as strengthened demand for our revenue cycle managed services and performance improvement solutions within our Consulting and Managed Services capability. Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 included $6.0 million of incremental revenues from our acquisition of Perception Health, Inc., which was completed in December 2021.
The number of revenue-generating professionals within our Healthcare segment grew 18.4% to 1,890 as of December 31, 2022, compared to 1,596 as of December 31, 2021.
•Education revenues increased $117.5 million, or 48.5%, driven by strengthened demand across all of our services and products within our Consulting and Managed Services and Digital capabilities. Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 included $8.2 million of incremental revenues from our acquisition of Whiteboard Communications Ltd., which was completed in December 2021.
The number of revenue-generating professionals within our Education segment grew 50.4% to 1,579 as of December 31, 2022, compared to 1,050 as of December 31, 2021.
•Commercial revenues increased $19.1 million, or 8.8%, driven by strengthened demand for our technology and analytics services within our Digital capability and our corporate finance advisory solution within our Consulting and Managed Services capability, partially offset by a decrease in revenues due to the divestiture of our Life Sciences business in the fourth quarter of 2021 and a decrease in demand for our financial advisory solutions within the Consulting and Managed Services capability. The Life Sciences business generated $16.7 million of revenues in the first ten months of 2021. Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 included $3.0 million of incremental revenues from our acquisitions of AIMDATA, LLC and Unico Solution, Inc., which were completed in January 2022 and February 2021, respectively. Excluding the revenue generated by Life Sciences in 2021 and the acquisitions of AIMDATA and Unico Solutions in 2022, Commercial revenues increased $32.9 million, or 16.3%.
The number of revenue-generating professionals within our Commercial segment grew 20.6% to 1,363 as of December 31, 2022, compared to 1,130 as of December 31, 2021. This increase includes the impact of the divestiture of our Life Sciences business completed in the fourth quarter of 2021. The Life Sciences business employed approximately 65 revenue-generating professionals prior to the divestiture.
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Operating Expenses
Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased $185.1 million, or 21.2%, over the year ended December 31, 2021.
Operating expenses and operating expenses as a percentage of revenues were as follows:
| Operating Expenses (in thousands, except amounts as a percentage of revenues) | Year Ended December 31, | Increase / (Decrease) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| Direct costs | $ | 785,881 | 69.4% | $ | 636,776 | 70.3% | $ | 149,105 | |||||||
| Reimbursable expenses | 26,671 | 2.4% | 21,369 | 2.4% | 5,302 | ||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | 209,381 | 18.5% | 178,084 | 19.7% | 31,297 | ||||||||||
| Restructuring charges | 9,909 | 0.9% | 12,401 | 1.4% | (2,492) | ||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 27,359 | 2.3% | 25,489 | 2.7% | 1,870 | ||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 1,059,201 | 93.5% | $ | 874,119 | 96.5% | $ | 185,082 |
Direct Costs
Direct costs increased $149.1 million, or 23.4%, to $785.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $636.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The $149.1 million increase primarily related to an $113.9 million increase in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals, driven by increased headcount, annual salary increases that went into effect in the first quarter of 2022, and increases in performance bonus expense and share-based compensation expense. Additional increases in direct costs include a $26.2 million increase in contractor expense, a $5.7 million increase in technology costs, and a $2.5 million increase in product and event costs. As a percentage of revenues, direct costs decreased to 69.4% during 2022, compared to 70.3% during 2021, primarily due to revenue growth that outpaced the increase in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals, partially offset by the increase in contractor expense, as a percentage of revenues.
Reimbursable Expenses
Reimbursable expenses are billed to clients at cost and primarily relate to travel and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with client engagements. These expenses are also included in total revenues and reimbursable expenses. We manage our business on the basis of revenues before reimbursable expenses, which we believe is the most accurate reflection of our services because it eliminates the effect of reimbursable expenses that are also included as a component of operating expenses.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $31.3 million, or 17.6%, to $209.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $178.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The $31.3 million increase primarily related to a $21.0 million increase in non-payroll costs including a $7.0 million increase in promotion and marketing expenses, a $5.2 million increase in practice administration and meetings expenses, a $4.6 million increase in software and data hosting expenses, a $2.3 million increase in training expenses, and a $1.3 million increase in third-party professional fees; partially offset by a $2.0 million decrease in legal expenses. Additionally, selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $10.3 million related to compensation costs for our support personnel, which includes an $11.3 million increase in salaries and related expenses, a $6.3 million increase in performance bonus expense and a $3.4 million increase in share-based compensation expense; partially offset by an $11.7 million decrease in deferred compensation expense attributable to the change in the market value of our deferred compensation liability. The decrease in deferred compensation expense is offset by a decrease in the gain recognized for the change in the market value of investments that are used to fund our deferred compensation liability and recognized in other income (expense), net. As a percentage of revenues, selling, general and administrative expenses decreased to 18.5% during 2022, compared to 19.7% during 2021. This decrease was primarily due to the decrease in deferred compensation expense attributable to the change in the market value of our deferred compensation liability and revenue growth that outpaced the increase in salaries and related expenses for our support personnel, partially offset by the increases in promotion and marketing expenses and practice administration and meetings expenses, as percentages of revenue.
Restructuring Charges
Restructuring charges for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $9.9 million, compared to $12.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The $9.9 million of restructuring charges incurred in 2022 included $5.7 million of employee-related expenses; $2.3 million for rent and related expenses, net of sublease income, for previously vacated office spaces; $0.7 million for third-party professional advisory fees related to the modification of our operating model; and $0.6 million for the early termination of a contract.
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Of the $12.4 million of restructuring charges incurred in 2021, $8.5 million was in connection with the sale of our Life Sciences business in the fourth quarter of 2021. The $8.5 million charge related to the sale consisted of $6.8 million of transaction-related employee payments; $0.9 million of third-party legal and professional advisory fees; and $0.8 million of accelerated amortization and depreciation on the operating lease right-of-use asset and fixed assets related to our London, U.K. office space, which we vacated as a result of the divestiture. Additionally, in 2021, we incurred $2.3 million of rent and related expenses, net of sublease income, and accelerated depreciation on furniture and fixtures for other previously vacated office spaces, and $1.3 million of other employee-related expenses.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense, which includes amortization of intangible assets and software development costs previously presented separately, increased $1.9 million, or 7.3%, to $27.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $25.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The $1.9 million increase in depreciation and amortization expense was primarily attributable to an increase in amortization of intangible assets acquired in business acquisitions completed in the fourth quarter quarter of 2021 and in 2022, partially offset by decreasing amortization expense for certain intangible assets acquired due to the accelerated basis of amortization in prior periods.
Operating Income and Operating Margin
Operating income increased $46.9 million to $99.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $52.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Operating margin, which is defined as operating income expressed as a percentage of revenues, increased to 8.8% for 2022, compared to 5.8% for 2021.
Operating income and operating margin for each of our segments is as follows. See the Segment and Consolidated Operating Results table above for a reconciliation of our total segment operating income to consolidated Huron operating income.
| Segment Operating Income (in thousands, except operating margin percentages) | Year Ended December 31, | Increase / (Decrease) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| Healthcare | $ | 131,227 | 24.5% | $ | 118,324 | 26.6% | $ | 12,903 | |||||||
| Education | 78,924 | 21.9% | 52,398 | 21.6% | 26,526 | ||||||||||
| Commercial | 50,025 | 21.1% | 34,296 | 15.7% | 15,729 | ||||||||||
| Total segment operating income | $ | 260,176 | $ | 205,018 | $ | 55,158 |
•Healthcare operating income increased primarily due to the increase in revenues, partially offset by increases in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals, contractor expenses, practice administration and meetings expenses, compensation costs for our support personnel, amortization of intangible assets, and technology expenses. The increase in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals was driven by an increase in headcount and annual salary increases that went into effect in the first quarter of 2022, as well as increases in performance bonus expense and share-based compensation expense; partially offset by a decrease in signing, retention and other bonus expenses. Healthcare operating margin decreased primarily due to the increases in contractor expenses, practice administration and meetings expenses and amortization of intangible assets, as percentages of revenues; partially offset by revenue growth that outpaced the increase in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals.
•Education operating income increased primarily due to the increase in revenues, partially offset by increases in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals, contractor expenses, restructuring charges, technology expenses, and promotion and marketing expenses. The increase in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals was driven by an increase in headcount and annual salary increases that went into effect in the first quarter of 2022, as well as increases in performance bonus expense and signing, retention and other bonus expenses. Education operating margin increased due to revenue growth that outpaced the increase in compensation costs; partially offset by the increases in non-payroll costs, as percentages of revenues.
•Commercial operating income increased primarily due to the increase in revenues, as well as a decrease in restructuring charges; partially offset by increases in contractor expenses, promotion and marketing expenses, and compensation costs for both our revenue-generating professionals and support personnel. The increase in compensation costs was driven by an increase in performance bonus expense, partially offset by a decrease in salaries and related expenses for our revenue-generating professionals primarily driven by the divestiture of our Life Sciences business in the fourth quarter of 2021. Commercial operating margin increased due to revenue growth that outpaced the increase in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals and the decrease in restructuring charges; partially offset by the increases in promotion and marketing expenses and contractor expenses, as percentages of revenues.
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Other Income (Expense), Net
Interest expense, net of interest income increased $3.7 million to $11.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $8.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 primarily attributable to higher levels of borrowing under our credit facility in 2022 compared to 2021, as well as an increase in interest rates over the same periods. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below and Note 7 “Financing Arrangements” within the notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information on our senior secured credit facility.
Other income, net decreased $14.6 million to $20.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $35.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The $20.7 million of other income, net in 2022 includes a $27.0 million unrealized gain related to the increase in the fair value of our preferred stock investment in Medically Home, partially offset by a $7.4 million unrealized loss on the market value of our deferred compensation investments that are used to fund our deferred compensation liability. The $35.3 million of other income, net in 2021 includes a $31.5 million pre-tax gain on the sale of our Life Sciences business in the fourth quarter of 2021 and a $4.2 million unrealized gain on the market value of our deferred compensation investments. See Note 10 “Fair Value of Financial Instruments” within the notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information on our preferred stock investment in Medically Home.
Income Tax Expense
For the year ended December 31, 2022, our effective tax rate was 30.4% as we recognized income tax expense of $33.0 million on income of $108.6 million. The effective tax rate of 30.4% was less favorable than the statutory rate, inclusive of state income taxes, of 26.7%, primarily due to tax expense related to nondeductible losses on our investments used to fund our deferred compensation liability and certain nondeductible expense items.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, our effective tax rate was 21.3% as we recognized income tax expense of $17.0 million on income of $80.0 million. The effective tax rate of 21.3% was more favorable than the statutory rate, inclusive of state income taxes, of 26.3%, primarily due to the discrete tax benefits related to the CARES Act described below. The effective tax rate also reflected the positive impact of certain federal tax credits and the discrete tax benefit recognized during the second quarter of 2021 related to electing the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”) high-tax exclusion retroactively for the 2018 tax year. On July 20, 2020, the U.S. Treasury issued and enacted final regulations related to GILTI that allow certain U.S. taxpayers to elect to exclude foreign income that is subject to a high effective tax rate from their GILTI inclusions. The GILTI high-tax exclusion is an annual election and is retroactively available. These favorable items were partially offset by certain nondeductible business expenses and increases in our valuation allowance primarily due to increases in deferred tax assets recorded for foreign tax credits.
The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, is an approximately $2 trillion emergency economic stimulus package in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which among other items, includes income tax provisions relating to net operating loss carryback period, options to defer payroll tax payments for a limited period and technical corrections to tax depreciation methods for qualified improvement property. As a result of the CARES Act, we recognized a $1.5 million tax benefit in 2020 related to the remeasurement of a portion of our income tax receivable for the federal net operating losses incurred in 2018 and 2020 that were carried back to prior year income, both for a refund at the higher, prior year tax rate. As a result of electing the retroactive GILTI high-tax exclusion in the second quarter of 2021, we recognized a $1.0 million tax benefit of which $0.4 million related to carrying back our increased 2018 federal net operating loss to prior year income for a refund at the higher, prior year tax rate. During the third quarter of 2021, we recognized an additional tax benefit of $2.0 million, primarily related to the U.S. federal return to provision adjustments for carrying back our increased 2020 federal net operating loss to prior year income for a refund at the higher, prior year tax rate.
See Note 17 "Income Taxes" within the notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information on our income tax expense (benefit).
Net Income from Continuing Operations and Earnings per Share
Net income from continuing operations increased $12.6 million to $75.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $63.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. As a result of the increase in net income from continuing operations, diluted earnings per share from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $3.64, compared to $2.89 for the year ended December 31, 2021.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
EBITDA increased $34.2 million to $148.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $114.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in EBITDA was primarily attributable to the increase in segment income and the $27.0 million unrealized gain recognized in the first quarter of 2022 related to the increase in the fair value of our preferred stock investment; partially offset by the $31.5 million gain on sale of our Life Sciences business recognized in the fourth quarter of 2021 and an increase in corporate expenses in 2022 compared to 2021, excluding the impact of the change in the market value of our deferred compensation liability on corporate expenses.
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Adjusted EBITDA increased $33.0 million to $130.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 from $97.8 million for the year ended December 31,2021. The increase in adjusted EBITDA was primarily attributable to the increase in segment operating income; partially offset by an increase in corporate expenses, excluding the impact of the change in the market value of our deferred compensation liability and restructuring charges on segment operating income and corporate expenses.
Adjusted Net Income from Continuing Operations and Adjusted Earnings per Share
Adjusted net income from continuing operations increased $14.3 million to $71.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $56.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. As a result of the increase in adjusted net income from continuing operations, adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations was $3.43 in 2022, compared to $2.61 in 2021.
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020
As a result of our operating segment modification effective January 1, 2022, we recast our historical segment information for consistent presentation. Our consolidated results were not impacted by the operating segment modification. Therefore, the following discussion compares the recast segment revenue and segment operating income for 2021 to 2020. For a discussion of our consolidated results of operations for 2021 compared to 2020, which were not impacted by the operating segment modification, refer to Part II—Item 7. "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on February 24, 2022.
Revenues
Revenues by segment and capability for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were as follows:
| Revenues (in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | Increase / (Decrease) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| Segment: | |||||||||||||||
| Healthcare | $ | 444,767 | $ | 406,536 | $ | 38,231 | 9.4 | % | |||||||
| Education | 242,374 | 223,325 | 19,049 | 8.5 | % | ||||||||||
| Commercial | 218,499 | 214,266 | 4,233 | 2.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 905,640 | $ | 844,127 | $ | 61,513 | 7.3 | % | |||||||
| Capability: | |||||||||||||||
| Consulting and Managed Services | $ | 555,915 | $ | 514,086 | $ | 41,829 | 8.1 | % | |||||||
| Digital | 349,725 | 330,041 | 19,684 | 6.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 905,640 | $ | 844,127 | $ | 61,513 | 7.3 | % |
Total revenues increased $61.5 million, or 7.3% to $905.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 from $844.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in revenues reflected strengthened demand for services in all of our segments; the favorable comparison against 2020, which was more significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as some clients reprioritized and delayed certain projects as a result of the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic, particularly within our Healthcare and Education segments; and the incremental revenues from our acquisitions. Additional information on our revenues by segment follows.
•Healthcare revenues increased $38.2 million, or 9.4%, which reflected strengthened demand for this segment's services as well as the favorable comparison against 2020, which was more significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as some clients reprioritized and delayed certain projects as a result of the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic. The strengthened demand was primarily driven by our revenue cycle managed services, performance improvement, and corporate finance advisory solutions within our Consulting and Managed Services capability and our technology and analytics services within our Digital capability. These increases in demand were partially offset by a decrease in demand for our culture and organizational excellence solution within our Consulting and Managed Services capability. Revenues in 2021 included $6.5 million of incremental revenues from our acquisition of ForceIQ which was completed in November 2020.
The number of revenue-generating professionals within our Healthcare segment grew 42.9% to 1,596 as of December 31, 2021, compared to 1,117 as of December 31, 2020. The increase in revenue-generating professionals includes the hiring of approximately 300 employees during the second quarter of 2021 to expand our capacity to manage and provide revenue cycle billing, collections, insurance verification and change integrity services to our healthcare clients. These employees serve clients in our Managed Services capability, including serving under a short-term contract with an existing client which we entered into in connection with this group hire.
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•Education revenues increased $19.0 million, or 8.5%. This segment's revenues were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in the third quarter of 2020 through the first half of 2021 as some clients reprioritized and delayed certain projects as a result of the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic. Demand for this segment's services strengthened over the course of 2021, primarily in our strategy and operations and research solutions within our Consulting and Managed Services capability, driving an overall increase in total revenues for full year 2021 compared to full year 2020. Revenues in 2021 included $1.0 million of incremental revenues from our acquisitions of Unico Solutions and Whiteboard, which were completed in February 2021 and December 2021, respectively.
The number of revenue-generating professionals within our Education segment grew 20.3% to 1,050 as of December 31, 2021, compared to 873 as of December 31, 2020.
•Commercial revenues increased $4.2 million, or 2.0%, driven by strengthened demand for our cloud-based technology and analytics solutions within our Digital capability, partially offset by the decrease in revenues related to the divestiture of our Life Sciences business in the fourth quarter of 2021. Revenues generated by the Life Sciences business in the first ten months of 2021 and full year 2020 were $16.7 million and $29.4 million, respectively. Revenues in 2021 included $7.4 million of incremental revenues from our acquisitions of ForceIQ, Inc. and Unico Solutions, which were completed in November 2020 and February 2021, respectively.
The number of revenue-generating professionals within our Commercial segment grew 6.7% to 1,130 as of December 31, 2021, compared to 1,059 as of December 31, 2020. This increase includes the impact of the divestiture of our Life Sciences business, which employed 99 revenue-generating professionals as of December 31, 2020.
Operating Income and Operating Margin
Operating income increased $81.7 million to $52.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 from a loss of $28.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 is primarily attributable to $59.8 million of non-cash pretax goodwill impairment charges recognized in the first quarter of 2020 that related to our legacy Business Advisory segment. The goodwill impairment charges are not allocated at the segment level because the underlying goodwill asset is reflective of our corporate investment in the segment and we do not include the impact of goodwill impairment charges in our evaluation of segment performance. See Note 4 “Goodwill and Intangible Assets” within the notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information on the goodwill impairment charges recognized in the first quarter of 2020.
Operating margin, which is defined as operating income expressed as a percentage of revenues, increased to 5.8% in 2021, compared to (3.4%) in 2020.
Operating income and operating margin for each of our segments is as follows. See the Segment and Consolidated Operating Results table above for a reconciliation of our total segment operating income to consolidated Huron operating income.
| Segment Operating Income (in thousands, except operating margin percentages) | Year Ended December 31, | Increase / (Decrease) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| Healthcare | $ | 118,324 | 26.6% | $ | 105,650 | 26.0% | $ | 12,674 | |||||||
| Education | 52,398 | 21.6% | 45,780 | 20.5% | 6,618 | ||||||||||
| Commercial | 34,296 | 15.7% | 39,044 | 18.2% | (4,748) | ||||||||||
| Total segment operating income | $ | 205,018 | $ | 190,474 | $ | 14,544 |
•Healthcare operating income increased primarily due to the increase in revenues, as well as decreases in practice administration and meetings expenses, restructuring charges and contractor expenses. These increases to operating income were partially offset by an increase in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals. The increase in compensation costs was driven by an increase in headcount, as well as increases in performance bonus expense and signing, retention and other bonus expense. Healthcare operating margin increased primarily due to decreases in compensation costs for our support personnel, contractor expenses, practice administration and meetings expenses and restructuring charges. These increases to the segment operating margin were partially offset by the increase in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals, as a percentage of revenues.
•Education operating income increased primarily due to the increase in revenues and a decrease in restructuring charges, partially offset by increases in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals and technology expenses. The increase in compensation costs was driven by an increase in headcount, as well as increases in performance bonus expense and signing, retention and other bonus expenses. Education operating margin increased due to the decrease in restructuring charges and revenue growth that outpaced the increase in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals.
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•Commercial operating income decreased primarily due to increases in restructuring charges, contractor expenses, and compensation costs for our support personnel, partially offset by the increase in revenues and a decrease in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals. The decrease in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals was primarily driven by a decrease in performance bonus expense, largely offset by the increase in headcount. Commercial operating margin decreased primarily due to the increases in restructuring charges and contractor expenses, as percentages of revenues; partially offset by the decrease in compensation costs for our revenue-generating professionals.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Cash and cash equivalents were $11.8 million, $20.8 million, and $67.2 million at December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, our primary sources of liquidity are cash on hand, cash flows from our U.S. operations, and borrowing capacity available under our credit facility.
| Cash Flows (in thousands): | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 85,400 | $ | 17,987 | $ | 136,738 | |||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (20,128) | (20,143) | (42,034) | ||||||||
| Net cash used in financing activities | (74,108) | (44,410) | (39,615) | ||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash | (111) | 170 | 484 | ||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | (8,947) | $ | (46,396) | $ | 55,573 |
Operating Activities
Our operating assets and liabilities consist primarily of receivables from billed and unbilled services, accounts payable and accrued expenses, accrued payroll and related benefits, operating lease obligations and deferred revenues. The volume of services rendered and the related billings and timing of collections on those billings, as well as payments of our accounts payable and salaries, bonuses, and related benefits to employees affect these account balances. Our purchase obligations primarily consist of payments for software and other information technology products to support our business and corporate infrastructure.
Net cash provided by operating activities increased $67.4 million to $85.4 million in 2022 from $18.0 million in 2021. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily attributable to an increase in cash collections in 2022 compared to the prior year; partially offset by increases in payments for salaries and related expenses for our revenue-generating professionals, selling, general and administrative expenses and contractor expenses for 2022 compared to 2021 and an increase in the amount paid for annual performance bonuses in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2021.
Investing Activities
Our investing activities primarily consist of purchases of complementary businesses; purchases of property and equipment, primarily related to computers and related equipment for our employees and leasehold improvements and furniture and fixtures for office spaces; payments related to internally developed cloud-based software sold to our clients; and investments. Our investments include a convertible note investment in Shorelight Holdings, LLC, a preferred stock investment in Medically Home Group, Inc., and investments in life insurance policies that are used to fund our deferred compensation liability.
Net cash used in investing activities was $20.1 million for 2022. The use of cash in 2022 primarily consisted of $12.5 million for purchases of property and equipment, primarily related to purchases of computers and related equipment and leasehold improvements; $11.8 million for payments related to internally developed software; and $3.4 million for the purchases of businesses. These uses of cash for investing activities were partially offset by $4.8 million of cash received for the sale of our aircraft in the first quarter of 2022 and $3.4 million of cash received for distributions from our life insurance policies that are used to fund our deferred compensation liability.
Net cash used in investing activities was $20.1 million for 2021. The use of cash in 2021 primarily consisted of $44.8 million for the purchases of businesses; $10.9 million for purchases of property and equipment, primarily related to leasehold improvements, computers and related equipment and furniture and fixtures for certain office spaces; $4.9 million for payments related to internally developed software; and $1.2 million for contributions to our life insurance policies. These uses of cash from investing activities were partially offset by $41.3 million of cash received for the sale of the Life Sciences business in the fourth quarter of 2021.
We estimate that cash utilized for purchases of property and equipment and software development in 2023 will total approximately $30 million to $35 million; primarily consisting of software development costs, information technology related equipment to support our corporate infrastructure, and leasehold improvements and furniture and fixtures for certain office locations.
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Financing Activities
Our financing activities primarily consist of borrowings and repayments under our senior secured credit facility, share repurchases, shares redeemed for employee tax withholdings upon vesting of share-based compensation, and payments for contingent consideration liabilities related to business acquisitions. See "Financing Arrangements" below for additional information on our senior secured credit facility.
Net cash used in financing activities was $74.1 million in 2022. During 2022, we borrowed $314.0 million under our senior secured credit facility primarily to fund our operations, including our annual performance bonus payment in the first quarter of 2022, and made repayments on our borrowings of $256.8 million. The repayments on our borrowings included the repayment of the outstanding principal of our promissory note due 2024 of $2.7 million from the proceeds received for the sale of our aircraft. Additionally, during 2022, we repurchased and retired $121.3 million of our common stock under our share repurchase program discussed below, of which $1.1 million settled in the first quarter of 2023, and settled $0.2 million of share repurchases that were accrued as of December 31, 2021. During 2022, we reacquired $7.8 million of common stock as a result of tax withholdings upon vesting of share-based compensation. Additionally, we made payments of $2.7 million for debt issuance costs related to the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement executed in the fourth quarter of 2022. We also made deferred acquisition payments of $1.9 million to the sellers of certain businesses we acquired. These payments were primarily the result of achieving specified financial performance targets in accordance with the related purchase agreements.
Net cash used in financing activities was $44.4 million in 2021. During 2021, we borrowed $235.0 million under our senior secured credit facility, primarily to fund our operations, including our annual performance bonus payment in the first quarter of 2021 and for the acquisitions completed in the fourth quarter of 2021. We made repayments on our credit facility of $205.0 million during 2021. Additionally, during 2021, we repurchased and retired $64.6 million of our common stock under our share repurchase program, and repurchased and retired $0.2 million of our common stock that was accrued as of December 31, 2021. We also reacquired $10.1 million of common stock as a result of tax withholdings upon vesting of share-based compensation.
Share Repurchase Program
In November 2020, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program permitting us to repurchase up to $50 million of our common stock through December 31, 2021. The share repurchase program has been subsequently extended and increased, most recently in the fourth quarter of 2022. The current authorization extends the share repurchase program through December 31, 2023 with a repurchase amount of $300 million, of which $108.9 million remains available as of December 31, 2022. The amount and timing of repurchases under the share repurchase program were and will continue to be determined by management and depend on a variety of factors, including the trading price of our common stock, capacity under our credit facility, general market and business conditions, and applicable legal requirements.
Financing Arrangements
At December 31, 2022, we had $290.0 million outstanding under our senior secured credit facility, as discussed below.
Senior Secured Credit Facility
On November 15, 2022, the Company entered into a Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Amended Credit Agreement”). The Amended Credit Agreement amended and restated, in its entirety, the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement entered into as of March 31, 2015 (as amended and modified, the "Existing Credit Agreement"). The Amended Credit Agreement consists of a $600 million five-year senior secured revolving credit facility that becomes due and payable in full upon maturity on November 15, 2027. The Amended Credit Agreement provides the option to increase the revolving credit facility or establish term loan facilities in an aggregate amount of up to $250 million, subject to customary conditions and the approval of any lender whose commitment would be increased, resulting in a maximum available principal amount under the Amended Credit Agreement of $850 million. The initial borrowings under the Amended Credit Agreement were used to refinance borrowings outstanding under the Existing Credit Agreement, and future borrowings under the Amended Credit Agreement may be used for working capital, capital expenditures, share repurchases, permitted acquisitions, and other general corporate purposes.
Fees and interest on borrowings vary based on our Consolidated Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement). At our option, borrowings under the Amended Credit Agreement will bear interest at one, three or six month Term SOFR or an alternate base rate, in each case plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin will fluctuate between 1.125% per annum and 1.875% per annum, in the case of Term SOFR borrowings, or between 0.125% per annum and 0.875% per annum, in the case of base rate loans, based upon our Consolidated Leverage Ratio at such time. Fees and interest on borrowings are paid on a monthly basis.
The Company and PNC Capital Markets, LLC, as Sustainability Structuring Agent, may amend the Amended Credit Agreement, with the consent of the Required Lenders (as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement), in order to incorporate specified key performance indicators with respect to certain environmental, social and governance targets of the Company. Upon the effectiveness of any such amendment, and based upon the performance of the Company against those key performance indicators, certain adjustments to the otherwise applicable rates for interest, commitment fees and letter of credit fees will be made. These adjustments will not exceed an increase or decrease of 0.01% in
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the aggregate for all key performance indicators in the case of the commitment fee rate or an increase or decrease of 0.05% in the aggregate for all key performance indicators in the case of the Term SOFR borrowings, base rate borrowings or letter of credit fee rate.
Amounts borrowed under the Amended Credit Agreement may be prepaid at any time without premium or penalty. We are required to prepay the amounts outstanding under the Amended Credit Agreement in certain circumstances, including upon an Event of Default (as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement). In addition, we have the right to permanently reduce or terminate the unused portion of the commitments provided under the Amended Credit Agreement at any time.
The Amended Credit Agreement contains usual and customary representations and warranties; affirmative and negative covenants, which include limitations on liens, investments, additional indebtedness, and restricted payments; and two quarterly financial covenants as follows: (i) a maximum Consolidated Leverage Ratio (defined as the ratio of debt to consolidated EBITDA) of 3.75 to 1.00; however, the maximum permitted Consolidated Leverage Ratio will increase to 4.25 to 1.00 upon the occurrence of a Qualified Acquisition (as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement), and (ii) a minimum Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio (defined as the ratio of consolidated EBITDA to interest) of 3.00 to 1.00. Consolidated EBITDA for purposes of the financial covenants is calculated on a continuing operations basis and includes adjustments to add back non-cash goodwill impairment charges, share-based compensation costs, certain non-cash restructuring charges, pro forma historical EBITDA for businesses acquired, and other specified items in accordance with the Amended Credit Agreement. For purposes of the Consolidated Leverage Ratio, total debt is on a gross basis and is not netted against our cash balances. At December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with these financial covenants. Our Consolidated Leverage Ratio as of December 31, 2022 was 1.92 to 1.00, compared to 1.73 to 1.00 as of December 31, 2021. Our Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio as of December 31, 2022 was 14.04 to 1.00, compared to 18.43 to 1.00 as of December 31, 2021.
The Amended Credit Agreement contains restricted payment provisions, including a potential limit on the amount of dividends we may pay. Pursuant to the terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, if our Consolidated Leverage Ratio is greater than 3.50, the amount of dividends and other Restricted Payments (as defined in the Amended Credit Agreement) we may pay is limited to an amount up to $50 million.
Principal borrowings outstanding under the Amended Credit Agreement at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 totaled $290.0 million and $230.0 million, respectively. These borrowings carried a weighted average interest rate of 3.8% at December 31, 2022 and 2.7% at December 31, 2021 including the impact of the interest rate swaps described in Note 12 “Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activity" within the notes to the consolidated financial statements. The borrowing capacity under the revolving credit facility is reduced by any outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility and outstanding letters of credit. At both December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had outstanding letters of credit totaling $0.7 million, which are used as security deposits for our office facilities. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the unused borrowing capacity under the revolving credit facility was $309.3 million and $369.3 million, respectively.
For further information, see Note 7 “Financing Arrangements” within the notes to the consolidated financial statements. For a discussion of certain risks and uncertainties related to the Amended Credit Agreement, see Part I—Item 1A. “Risk Factors.”
Future Financing Needs
Our primary financing need is to fund our long-term growth. Our growth strategy is to expand our service offerings, which may require investments in new hires, acquisitions of complementary businesses, possible expansion into other geographic areas, and related capital expenditures.
We believe our internally generated liquidity, together with our available cash and the borrowing capacity available under our revolving credit facility will be adequate to support our current financing needs and long-term growth strategy. Our ability to secure additional financing in the future, if needed, will depend on several factors, including our future profitability, the quality of our accounts receivable and unbilled services, our relative levels of debt and equity, and the overall condition of the credit markets.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
We are not a party to any material off-balance sheet arrangements.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” within the notes to our consolidated financial statements. We regularly review our financial reporting and disclosure practices and accounting policies to ensure that our financial reporting and disclosures provide accurate information relative to the current economic and business environment. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make assessments, estimates, and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Critical accounting policies and estimates are those policies and estimates that we believe present the most complex or subjective measurements and have the most potential to impact our financial position and operating results. While all decisions regarding accounting policies and estimates are important, we believe that there are five accounting policies and estimates that could be considered critical: revenue recognition, allowances for doubtful accounts and unbilled services, business combinations, carrying values of goodwill and other intangible assets, and accounting for income taxes.
Revenue Recognition
We generate substantially all of our revenues from providing professional services to our clients. We also generate revenues from software licenses, software support and maintenance and subscriptions to our cloud-based analytic tools and solutions, speaking engagements, conferences, and publications.
Our revenue is generated under four types of billing arrangements: fixed-fee (including software license revenue); time-and-expense; performance-based; and software support, maintenance and subscriptions. Determining the method and amount of revenue to recognize requires us to make judgments and estimates. Specifically, multiple performance obligation arrangements require us to allocate the total transaction price to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price, for which we rely on our overall pricing objectives, taking into consideration market conditions and other factors. Provisions are recorded for the estimated realization adjustments on all engagements, including engagements for which fees are subject to review by the bankruptcy courts. We continually evaluate our estimates of the provisions based on available information and experiences. Additionally, when accounting for fixed-fee and performance-based billing arrangements, we must make additional judgments and estimates as further described below.
In fixed-fee billing arrangements for professional services, we agree to a pre-established fee in exchange for a predetermined set of professional services. We set the fees based on our estimates of the costs and timing for completing the engagements. We generally recognize revenues under fixed-fee billing arrangements using a proportionate performance approach, which is based on work completed to-date versus our estimates of the total services to be provided under the engagement. Estimates of total engagement revenues and cost of services are monitored regularly during the term of the engagement. Any increased or unexpected costs or unanticipated delays in connection with the performance of these engagements could make these contracts less profitable or unprofitable.
In performance-based billing arrangements, fees are tied to the attainment of contractually defined objectives. We enter into performance-based engagements in essentially two forms. First, we generally earn fees that are directly related to the savings formally acknowledged by the client as a result of adopting our recommendations for improving operational and cost effectiveness in the areas we review. Second, we earn a success fee when and if certain predefined outcomes occur. We recognize revenue under performance-based billing arrangements using the following steps: 1) estimate variable consideration using a probability-weighted assessment of the fees to be earned, 2) apply a constraint to the estimated variable consideration to limit the amount that could be reversed when the uncertainty is resolved (the “constraint”), and 3) recognize revenue of estimated variable consideration, net of the constraint, based on work completed to-date versus our estimates of the total services to be provided under the engagement. Our estimates are monitored throughout the life of each contract and are based on an assessment of our anticipated performance, historical experience, and other information available at the time. While we believe that the estimates and assumptions we used for revenue recognition for performance-based billing arrangements are reasonable, subsequent changes could materially impact our results of operations.
See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” within the notes to the consolidated financial statements for additional information on our revenue recognition accounting policy.
Allowances for Doubtful Accounts and Unbilled Services
We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts and for services performed but not yet billed based on several factors, including the estimated cash realization from amounts due from clients, an assessment of a client’s ability to make required payments, and the historical percentages of fee adjustments and write-offs by age of receivables and unbilled services. The allowances are assessed by management on a regular basis. These estimates may differ from actual results. If the financial condition of a client deteriorates in the future, impacting the client’s ability to make payments, an increase to our allowance might be required or our allowance may not be sufficient to cover actual write-offs.
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We record the provision for doubtful accounts and unbilled services as a reduction in revenue. To the extent we write-off accounts receivable due to a client’s inability to pay, the charge is recognized as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses.
Business Combinations
We use the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination, including identifiable intangible assets, are recorded at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date, with the exception of contract assets and liabilities which are recognized and measured in accordance with our revenue recognition accounting policy described in Note 2 "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" within the notes to the consolidated financial statements. Goodwill is recorded as the excess of the fair value of consideration transferred, including any contingent consideration, over the net value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. We base the fair values of identifiable intangible assets on detailed valuations that require management to make significant judgments, estimates, and assumptions, such as the expected future cash flows to be derived from the intangible assets, discount rates that reflect the risk factors associated with future cash flows, and estimates of useful lives.
We measure and recognize contingent consideration at fair value as of the acquisition date. We estimate the fair value of contingent consideration based on either a probability-weighted assessment of the specific financial performance targets being achieved or a Monte Carlo simulation model, as appropriate. These fair value measurements require the use of significant judgments, estimates, and assumptions, including financial performance projections and discount rates. The fair value of the contingent consideration is reassessed quarterly based on assumptions used in our latest financial projections and input provided by practice leaders and management, with any change in the fair value estimate recorded in earnings in that period. Increases or decreases in the fair value of contingent consideration liabilities resulting from changes in the estimates or assumptions could materially impact the financial statements.
See Note 3 “Acquisitions and Divestitures” within the notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information on our acquisitions and Note 13 “Fair Value of Financial Instruments” within the notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information on our contingent consideration liabilities.
Carrying Values of Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
We test goodwill for impairment, at the reporting unit level, annually and whenever events or circumstances make it more likely than not that an impairment may have occurred. We perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of November 30 and monitor for interim triggering events on an ongoing basis. A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below an operating segment (referred to as a component) to which goodwill is assigned when initially recorded. We assign goodwill to reporting units based on our integration plans and the expected synergies resulting from the acquisition. As of December 31, 2022, we have three reporting units: Healthcare, Education, and Commercial.
Under GAAP, we have the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of current events or circumstances would lead to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of one of our reporting units is greater than its carrying value. If we determine it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than its carrying value, no further testing is necessary. However, if we conclude otherwise, then we are required to perform a quantitative impairment test by calculating the fair value of the reporting unit and comparing the fair value with the carrying value of the reporting unit. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment charge is recorded in an amount equal to that difference with the loss not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.
For the goodwill reallocation and impairment tests performed in 2022, we determined the fair value of our reporting units using the income approach. For a company such as ours, the income approach will generally provide the most reliable indication of fair value because the value of such companies is dependent on their ability to generate earnings. We utilized a discounted cash flow analysis, which involves estimating the expected after-tax cash flows that will be generated by each reporting unit and then discounting those cash flows to present value, reflecting the relevant risks associated with each reporting unit and the time value of money. This approach requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including forecasted revenue growth rates, forecasted EBITDA margins, and discount rates. Our forecasts are based on historical experience, current backlog, expected market demand, and other industry information.
The following is a discussion of the goodwill impairment tests performed during 2022.
First Quarter 2022 Goodwill Reallocation and Goodwill Impairment Test
Effective January 1, 2022, we modified our operating model to expand and more deeply integrate our industry expertise with our digital, strategic and financial advisory capabilities. To align with the new operating model, effective with reporting for periods beginning January 1, 2022, we began reporting under the following three industries, which are our reportable segments: Healthcare, Education and Commercial. The Commercial segment includes all industries outside of healthcare and education, including, but not limited to, financial services and energy and utilities. In the new reporting structure, each segment includes all revenue and costs associated with engagements delivered in the respective segments' industries. The new Healthcare and Education segments include some revenue and costs historically reported in
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the Business Advisory segment and the Healthcare segment includes some revenue and costs historically reported in the Education segment.
The three reportable segments of Healthcare, Education and Commercial are also our reporting units for goodwill impairment testing purposes. As a result of the reorganization, we reallocated the goodwill balances of our historical reporting units to our new reporting units based on the relative estimated fair values of each component of the historical reporting units to be allocated to the new reporting units. Additionally, we performed a goodwill impairment test on the goodwill balances of each of our reporting units as of January 1, 2022 by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying value, including the reallocated goodwill. Based on the results of the goodwill impairment test, we determined the fair values of the Healthcare, Education, and Commercial reporting units exceeded their carrying values by 37%, 199%, and 105%, respectively. As such, we concluded that there was no indication of goodwill impairment for all three reporting units as of January 1, 2022. Further, we determined that neither a 100 basis point decrease in the estimated long-term growth rate nor a 100 basis point increase in the discount rate for each reporting unit would have resulted in an indication of goodwill impairment for any of the reporting units.
We relied on the income approach to estimate the fair value of the reporting units for both the goodwill reallocation and the goodwill impairment test. The income approach utilized a discounted cash flow analysis, which involved estimating the expected after-tax cash flows that will be generated by each business and then discounting those cash flows to present value, reflecting the relevant risks associated with each reporting unit and the time value of money. This approach requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including forecasted revenue growth rates, forecasted EBITDA margins, and discount rates that reflect the risk inherent in the future cash flows. In estimating future cash flows, we relied on internally generated ten-year forecasts. Our forecasts are based on historical experience, current backlog, expected market demand, and other industry information.
2022 Annual Goodwill Impairment Analysis
Pursuant to our policy, we performed our annual goodwill impairment test as of November 30, 2022 for our three reporting units: Healthcare, Education, and Commercial. We performed a qualitative assessment over all reporting units to determine if it was more likely than not the respective fair values of these reporting units were less than their carrying amounts, including goodwill.
For our qualitative assessment, we considered the most recent quantitative analysis performed for each reporting unit, which was as of January 1, 2022, including the key assumptions used within that analysis, the indicated fair values, and the amount by which those fair values exceeded their carrying amounts. One of the key assumptions used within the prior quantitative analysis was our internal financial projections; therefore, we considered the actual performance of each reporting unit during 2022 compared to the internal financial projections used, as well as specific outlooks for each reporting unit based on our most recent internal financial projections. We also reviewed the current carrying value of each reporting unit in comparison to the carrying values as of the prior quantitative analysis. In addition, we considered various factors, including macroeconomic conditions, relevant industry and market trends for each reporting unit, and other entity-specific events, that could indicate a potential change in the fair value of our reporting units or the composition of their carrying values. Based on our assessments, we determined that it was more likely than not that the fair values for each of our reporting units exceeded their respective carrying amounts. As such, the goodwill for our reporting units was not considered impaired as of November 30, 2022, and a quantitative goodwill impairment analysis was not necessary.
Determining the fair value of any reporting unit requires us to make significant judgments, estimates, and assumptions. While we believe that the estimates and assumptions underlying our valuation methodology are reasonable, these estimates and assumptions could have a significant impact on whether or not an impairment charge is recognized and also the magnitude of such charge. The results of an impairment analysis are as of a point in time. There is no assurance that the actual future earnings or cash flows of our reporting units will be consistent with our projections. We will continue to monitor any changes to our assumptions and will evaluate goodwill as deemed warranted during future periods. Any significant decline in our operations compared to our internal forecasts could result in additional goodwill impairment charges, which could be material.
The carrying value of goodwill for each of our reporting units as of December 31, 2022 is as follows (in thousands):
| Reporting Unit | Carrying Value of Goodwill | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | $ | 454,214 | |
| Education | 122,235 | ||
| Commercial | 48,517 | ||
| Total | $ | 624,966 |
Intangible assets represent purchased assets that lack physical substance but can be distinguished from goodwill. Our intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization, totaled $23.4 million at December 31, 2022 and primarily consist of customer relationships, technology and software, trade names, and non-competition agreements, all of which were acquired through business combinations. We evaluate our
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intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. No impairment charges for intangible assets were recorded in 2022.
Income Taxes
Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and reserves for unrecognized tax benefits reflect management’s best assessment of estimated future taxes to be paid. In determining our provision for income taxes on an interim basis, we estimate our annual effective tax rate based on information available at each interim period. Changes in applicable U.S. state, federal or foreign tax laws and regulations, or their interpretation and application, could materially affect our tax expense.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. These deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in management’s opinion, it is more likely than not that some portion or the entire deferred tax asset will not be realized. Factors considered in making this determination include the period of expiration of the tax asset, planned use of the tax asset, tax planning strategies and historical and projected taxable income as well as tax liabilities for the tax jurisdiction in which the tax asset is located. Valuation allowances will be subject to change in each future reporting period as a result of changes in one or more of these factors.
Our tax positions are subject to income tax audits by federal, state, local, and foreign tax authorities. A tax benefit from an uncertain position may be recognized in the financial statements only if it is more likely than not that the position is sustainable, based on its technical merits. We measure the tax benefit recognized as the largest amount of benefit which is more likely than not to be realized upon settlement with the taxing authority. The estimate of the potential outcome of any uncertain tax issue is subject to management’s assessment of relevant risks, facts and circumstances existing at that time. We believe that positions taken on our tax returns are fully supported. However, final determinations of prior year tax positions upon settlement with the taxing authority could be materially different from estimates. The outcome of these final determinations could have a material impact on our provision for taxes, net income, or cash flows in the period in which that determination is made.
NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Refer to Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" within the notes to the consolidated financial statements for information on new accounting pronouncements.