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Willis Towers Watson Reports Second Quarter 2020 Earnings

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Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) reported second-quarter 2020 revenue of $2.11 billion, up 3% year-over-year, with a flat organic growth. Cash flows from operations surged 126% to $685 million, and free cash flow hit $550 million, a 201% increase. However, diluted EPS decreased 32% to $0.72, while adjusted diluted EPS rose 1% to $1.80. The company withdrew its full-year guidance due to COVID-19 uncertainties, acknowledging a negative impact on revenue, particularly in discretionary services. CEO John Haley emphasized the resilience of the business and the commitment of employees during challenging times.

Positive
  • Total revenue increased 3% to $2.1 billion.
  • Cash flows from operating activities rose 126% to $685 million.
  • Free cash flow surged 201% to $550 million.
  • Adjusted diluted EPS grew 1% to $1.80.
Negative
  • Diluted EPS fell 32% to $0.72.
  • Revenue growth negatively impacted by COVID-19, especially in discretionary services.
  • Withdrew full-year 2020 guidance due to pandemic uncertainties.
  • Total revenue1 increased 3% to $2.1 billion with constant currency growth of 5% and flat organic revenue
  • Cash flows from operating activities were $685 million, up 126% compared to $303 million in the prior year
  • Free cash flow was $550 million, up 201% compared to $183 million in the prior year
  • Diluted Earnings per Share were $0.72 for the quarter, down 32% over prior year
  • Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share were $1.80 for the quarter, up 1.0% over prior year
  • Income from Operations was $163 million or 7.7% of revenue, down 90 basis points over the prior year quarter
  • Adjusted Operating Income was $296 million or 14.0% of revenue, down 60 basis points compared to the prior year quarter

ARLINGTON, Va. and LONDON, July 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) (the “Company”), a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020.

“I am pleased with our second quarter results. Our strong execution and our focus during this challenging environment helped us deliver another quarter of solid financial performance,” said John Haley, Willis Towers Watson’s chief executive officer. “We demonstrated the resilience of our overall business and diversified portfolio of offerings through continued revenue and earnings growth, robust free cash flow enhancement and a strengthened balance sheet. I would like to thank all the Willis Towers Watson colleagues for the outstanding commitment they have shown in the most difficult of circumstances. We are confident the actions we are taking in this challenging environment will enhance our agility and allow us to generate long-term value for all of our stakeholders.”

Second Quarter Company Highlights

Revenue was $2.11 billion for the second quarter of 2020, an increase of 3% (5% increase constant currency and flat organic) as compared to $2.05 billion for the same period in the prior year.

For the first half of 2020, revenue was $4.58 billion, an increase of 5% (7% increase constant currency and 2% increase organic) as compared to $4.36 billion for the same period in the prior year.

Income from operations for the second quarter of 2020 was $163 million, or 7.7% of revenue, a decrease of 90 basis points compared to the second quarter of the prior year. Adjusted operating income was $296 million, or 14.0% of revenue, a decrease of 60 basis points compared to the second quarter of the prior year. Net income attributable to Willis Towers Watson for the second quarter of 2020 was $94 million, a decrease of 32% from $138 million for the prior-year second quarter. For the quarter, diluted earnings per share were $0.72 and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $1.80. Net income attributable to Willis Towers Watson and diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of 2020 included pre-tax $14 million of transaction and integration expenses mostly related to the pending business combination with Aon plc. The U.S. GAAP tax rate for the quarter was 42.2%, and the adjusted income tax rate for the quarter used in calculating adjusted diluted earnings per share was 22.2%.

Income from operations for the first half of 2020 was $523 million, or 11.4% of revenue, a decrease of 90 basis points compared to the first half of the prior year. Adjusted operating income was $821 million, or 17.9% of revenue, a decrease of 20 basis points compared to the first half of the prior year. Net income attributable to Willis Towers Watson for the first half of 2020 was $399 million, a decrease of 6% from $425 million for the same period in prior year. For the first half of 2020, diluted earnings per share were $3.07 and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $5.14. Net income attributable to Willis Towers Watson and diluted earnings per share for the first half of 2020 included pre-tax $23 million of transaction and integration expenses mostly related to the pending business combination with Aon plc. For the first half of 2020, the U.S. GAAP tax rate was 26.9%, and the adjusted income tax rate used in calculating adjusted diluted earnings per share was 21.1%.

________________________________
1 The revenue amounts included in this release are presented on a U.S. GAAP basis except where stated otherwise. The segment discussion is on an organic basis.

Net income for the second quarter of 2020 was $102 million, or 4.8% of revenue, a decrease from net income of $149 million, or 7.3% of revenue for the prior-year second quarter. Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2020 was $441 million, or 20.9% of revenue, an increase from Adjusted EBITDA of $425 million, or 20.8% of revenue.

Net income for the first half of 2020 was $415 million, or 9.1% of revenue, a decrease from net income of $442 million, or 10.1% of revenue for the same period in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA for the first half of 2020 was $1.1 billion, or 24.5% of revenue, an increase from Adjusted EBITDA of $1.0 billion, or 23.5% of revenue.

Cash flows from operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2020 were $685 million, up 126% compared to $303 million for the prior-year first half. Free cash flow for the six months ended June 30, 2020 were $550 million, up 201% compared to $183 million for the prior-year first half. The increase in cash flows from operations as compared to the prior year was primarily due to positive cash flows from our improved working capital for the six months ended June 30, 2020 as compared to June 30, 2019. During the six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company had no share repurchase activity.

Risks and Uncertainties Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The extent to which COVID-19 continues to impact our business and financial position will depend on future developments, which are difficult to predict, including the severity and scope of the COVID-19 outbreak as well as the types of measures imposed by governmental authorities to contain the virus or address its impact and the duration of those actions and measures. We continue to expect that the COVID-19 pandemic will negatively impact our revenue and operating results for the remainder of 2020, and potentially beyond. During the second quarter of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on revenue growth, particularly in our businesses that are discretionary in nature, but otherwise it generally had no material impact on our overall results. Some of our discretionary, project-based businesses saw a reduction in demand, and potential negative impacts on our revenue and operating results may lag behind the developments thus far related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to closely monitor the spread and impact of COVID-19 while adhering to government health directives. We have thorough business continuity and incident management processes in place that have been activated. We are prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues. We are communicating frequently with clients and critical vendors, while meeting our objectives via remote working capabilities, overseen and coordinated by our incident management response team. For additional information on the risks posed by COVID-19, see additional disclosures in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020.

Segment Highlights

Human Capital & Benefits

The Human Capital & Benefits (HCB) segment had revenue of $767 million, a decrease of 4% (2% decrease constant currency and 2% decrease organic) from $797 million in the prior-year second quarter. On an organic basis, the global impact of COVID-19 negatively impacted demand in our Talent and Rewards business, causing the decline to the segment’s revenue. Health and Benefits delivered moderate revenue growth, driven by increased consulting and brokerage services and continued expansion of our client portfolio for both local and global appointments. In our Retirement and Technology and Administration Solutions businesses, revenue grew modestly as a result of increased project work primarily in Great Britain and Western Europe. The HCB segment had an operating margin of 20.9%, as compared to 21.1% for the prior-year second quarter.

Corporate Risk & Broking

The Corporate Risk & Broking (CRB) segment had revenue of $701 million, an increase of 2% (4% increase constant currency and 4% increase organic) from $690 million in the prior-year second quarter. On an organic basis, North America continued to lead the segment, followed by International and Western Europe, primarily with new business generation along with strong renewals. The revenue increase was partially offset by a decline in Great Britain, which was primarily due to the impact of COVID-19 on certain insurance lines. The CRB segment had an operating margin of 19.2%, as compared to 15.2% for the prior-year second quarter.

Investment, Risk & Reinsurance

The Investment, Risk & Reinsurance (IRR) segment had revenue of $413 million, an increase of 1% (2% increase constant currency and 2% increase organic) from $409 million in the prior-year second quarter. On an organic basis, most lines of business contributed to the growth. Reinsurance and Wholesale growth were driven by new business wins and favorable renewal factors while Insurance Consulting and Technology revenue grew from technology sales. Max Matthiessen revenue decreased as a result of the negative impact of COVID-19 on financial markets. As detailed further in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter, the Company entered into an agreement to sell the Max Matthiessen business. Modest revenue growth in the Investment businesses resulted from client wins. The IRR segment had an operating margin of 28.7%, as compared to 26.9% for the prior-year second quarter.

Benefits Delivery & Administration

The Benefits Delivery & Administration (BDA) segment had revenue of $209 million, an increase of 66% (66% increase constant currency and 3% decrease organic) from $126 million in the prior-year second quarter. On July 30, 2019, the Company acquired TRANZACT, which operates as part of the BDA segment. In the second quarter, TRANZACT generated revenue of $87 million. BDA’s organic revenue decline was primarily due to seasonality in our Individual Marketplace business. The off-peak seasonality of this business can vary annually due to the timing of placement and other activity. The decline was partially offset by the expanded client base of the Benefits Outsourcing business in our Health practice. The BDA segment had an operating margin of negative 4.2%, as compared to negative 20.1% for the prior-year second quarter.

2020 Guidance Update

Due to the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Willis Towers Watson had previously withdrawn (and consequently fully disclaimed) its full-year 2020 guidance. The Company will re-assess, at a future date, whether we may be able to provide guidance once we have a clearer understanding of the depth, duration, and geographic reach of the pandemic. We continue to be unable to predict the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and remain focused on maintaining a strong balance sheet, liquidity, and financial flexibility.

Conference Call

The Company will host a live webcast and conference call to discuss the financial results for the second quarter. It will be held on Thursday, July 30, 2020, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and can be accessed via the Internet at www.willistowerswatson.com. The replay of the call will be available shortly after the live call for a period of three months. A telephonic replay of the call will also be available for 24 hours at 404-537-3406, conference ID 2568649.

About Willis Towers Watson

Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson has more than 45,000 employees and services clients in more than 140 countries. We design and deliver solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. Our unique perspective allows us to see the critical intersections between talent, assets and ideas — the dynamic formula that drives business performance. Together, we unlock potential. Learn more at willistowerswatson.com.

Willis Towers Watson Non-GAAP Measures

In order to assist readers of our consolidated financial statements in understanding the core operating results that Willis Towers Watson’s management uses to evaluate the business and for financial planning, we present the following non-GAAP measures: (1) Constant Currency Change, (2) Organic Change, (3) Adjusted Operating Income/Margin, (4) Adjusted EBITDA/Margin, (5) Adjusted Net Income, (6) Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share, (7) Adjusted Income Before Taxes, (8) Adjusted Income Taxes/Tax Rate and (9) Free Cash Flow.

The Company believes that these measures are relevant and provide useful information widely used by analysts, investors and other interested parties in our industry to provide a baseline for evaluating and comparing our operating performance, and in the case of free cash flow, our liquidity results.

Within these measures referred to as ‘adjusted’, we adjust for significant items which will not be settled in cash, or which we believe to be items that are not core to our current or future operations. Some of these items may not be applicable for the current quarter, however they are expected to be part of our full-year results. These items include the following:

  • Transaction and integration expenses - Management believes it is appropriate to adjust for transaction and integration expenses when they relate to a specific significant program with a defined set of activities and costs that are not expected to continue beyond a defined period of time, or significant acquisition-related transaction expenses. We believe the adjustment is necessary to present how the Company is performing, both now and in the future when the incurrence of these costs will have concluded.
  • Gains and losses on disposals of operations - Adjustment to remove the gain or loss resulting from disposed operations.
  • Pension settlement and curtailment gains and losses - Adjustment to remove significant pension settlement and curtailment gains and losses to better present how the Company is performing.
  • Abandonment of long-lived asset - Adjustment to remove the depreciation expense resulting from internally-developed software that was abandoned prior to being placed into service.
  • Provisions for significant litigation - We will include provisions for litigation matters which we believe are not representative of our core business operations.
  • Tax effect of the CARES Act - Relates to the incremental tax expense impact, primarily from the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (“BEAT”), generated from electing certain income tax provisions of the CARES Act.     
  • Tax effects of internal reorganization - Relates to the U.S. income tax expense resulting from the completion of internal reorganizations of the ownership of certain businesses that reduced the investments held by our U.S.-controlled subsidiaries.

We evaluate our revenue on an as reported (U.S. GAAP), constant currency and organic basis. We believe presenting constant currency and organic information provides valuable supplemental information regarding our comparable results, consistent with how we evaluate our performance internally.

Willis Towers Watson considers Constant Currency Change, Organic Change, Adjusted Operating Income/Margin, Adjusted EBITDA/Margin, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share, Adjusted Income Before Taxes, Adjusted Income Taxes/Tax Rate and Free Cash Flow to be important financial measures, which are used to internally evaluate and assess our core operations and to benchmark our operating and liquidity results against our competitors. These non-GAAP measures are important in illustrating what Willis Towers Watson’s comparable operating and liquidity results would have been had the Company not incurred transaction-related and non-recurring items. Willis Towers Watson’s non-GAAP measures and their accompanying definitions are presented as follows:

Constant Currency Change – Represents the year-over-year change in revenue excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. To calculate this impact, the prior year local currency results are first translated using the current year monthly average exchange rates. The change is calculated by comparing the prior year revenue, translated at the current year monthly average exchange rates, to the current year as reported revenue, for the same period. We believe constant currency measures provide useful information to investors because they provide transparency to performance by excluding the effects that foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations have on period-over-period comparability given volatility in foreign currency exchange markets.

Organic Change – Excludes the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, as described above and the period-over-period impact of acquisitions and divestitures on current-year revenue. We believe that excluding transaction-related items from our U.S. GAAP financial measures provides useful supplemental information to our investors, and it is important in illustrating what our core operating results would have been had we not included these transaction-related items, since the nature, size and number of these translation-related items can vary from period to period.

Adjusted Operating Income/Margin – Income from operations adjusted for amortization, transaction and integration expenses and non-recurring items that, in management’s judgment, significantly affect the period-over-period assessment of operating results. Adjusted operating income margin is calculated by dividing adjusted operating income by revenue. We consider adjusted operating income/margin to be important financial measures, which are used internally to evaluate and assess our core operations and to benchmark our operating results against our competitors.

Adjusted EBITDA/Margin – Net Income adjusted for provision for income taxes, interest expense, depreciation and amortization, transaction and integration expenses, (gain)/loss on disposal of operations and non-recurring items that, in management’s judgment, significantly affect the period-over-period assessment of operating results. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is calculated by dividing adjusted EBITDA by revenue. We consider adjusted EBITDA/margin to be important financial measures, which are used internally to evaluate and assess our core operations, to benchmark our operating results against our competitors and to evaluate and measure our performance-based compensation plans.

Adjusted Net Income – Net Income Attributable to Willis Towers Watson adjusted for amortization, transaction and integration expenses, gains and losses on disposal of operations and non-recurring items that, in management’s judgment, significantly affect the period-over-period assessment of operating results and the related tax effect of those adjustments and the tax effects of internal reorganizations. This measure is used solely for the purpose of calculating adjusted diluted earnings per share.

Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share – Adjusted Net Income divided by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock, diluted. Adjusted diluted earnings per share is used to internally evaluate and assess our core operations and to benchmark our operating results against our competitors.

Adjusted Income Before Taxes – Income from operations before income taxes adjusted for amortization, transaction and integration expenses, gains and losses on disposal of operations and non-recurring items that, in management’s judgment, significantly affect the period-over-period assessment of operating results. Adjusted income before taxes is used solely for the purpose of calculating the adjusted income tax rate.

Adjusted Income Taxes/Tax Rate – Provision for income taxes adjusted for taxes on certain items of amortization, transaction and integration expenses, gains and losses on disposal of operations, the tax effects of internal reorganizations, and non-recurring items that, in management’s judgment, significantly affect the period-over-period assessment of operating results, divided by adjusted income before taxes. Adjusted income taxes is used solely for the purpose of calculating the adjusted income tax rate. Management believes that the adjusted income tax rate presents a rate that is more closely aligned to the rate that we would incur if not for the reduction of pre-tax income for the adjusted items and the tax effects of internal reorganizations, which are not core to our current and future operations.

Free Cash Flow – Cash flows from operating activities less cash used to purchase fixed assets and software for internal use. Free Cash Flow is a liquidity measure and is not meant to represent residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. Management believes that free cash flow presents the core operating performance and cash-generating capabilities of our business operations.

These non-GAAP measures are not defined in the same manner by all companies and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the information contained within our condensed consolidated financial statements.

Reconciliations of these measures are included in the accompanying tables with the following exception.

The Company does not reconcile its forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the corresponding U.S. GAAP measures, due to variability and difficulty in making accurate forecasts and projections and/or certain information not being ascertainable or accessible; and because not all of the information, such as foreign currency impacts necessary for a quantitative reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, is available to the Company without unreasonable efforts. For the same reasons, the Company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information. The Company provides non-GAAP financial measures that it believes will be achieved, however it cannot accurately predict all of the components of the adjusted calculations and the U.S. GAAP measures may be materially different than the non-GAAP measures.

Willis Towers Watson Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements and other forward-looking statements in this document by words such as “may”, “will”, “would”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “plan”, “intend”, “continue”, or similar words, expressions or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. These statements include, but are not limited to, such things as our outlook, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, our pending business combination with Aon plc, future capital expenditures, ongoing working capital efforts, future share repurchases, growth in revenue, the impact of changes to tax laws on our financial results, existing and evolving business strategies and acquisitions and dispositions, demand for our services and competitive strengths, goals, the benefits of new initiatives, growth of our business and operations, our ability to successfully manage ongoing organizational and technology changes, including investments in improving systems and processes, and plans and references to future successes, including our future financial and operating results, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Willis Towers Watson’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking disclosure is speculative by its nature.

There are important risks, uncertainties, events and factors that could cause our actual results or performance to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained herein, including the following: the ability of the company to successfully establish, execute and achieve its global business strategy as it evolves; changes in demand for our services, including any decline in consulting services, defined benefit pension plans or the purchasing of insurance; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; the risk that the COVID-19 pandemic substantially and negatively impacts the demand for our products and services and cash flows, and/or continues to materially impact our business operations, including increased demand on our information technology resources and systems and related risks of cybersecurity breaches or incidents; the risks relating to or arising from our pending business combination with Aon plc announced in March 2020, including, among others, our ability to consummate the transaction, including on the terms of the business combination agreement, on the anticipated timeline, and/or with the required shareholder and regulatory approvals; significant competition that the company faces and the potential for loss of market share and/or profitability; the impact of seasonality and differences in timing of renewals; the failure to protect client data or breaches of information systems or insufficient safeguards against cybersecurity breaches or incidents; the risk of increased liability or new legal claims arising from our new and existing products and services, and expectations, intentions and outcomes relating to outstanding litigation; the risk the Stanford litigation settlement approval will be overturned on appeal, the risk that the Stanford bar order may be challenged in other jurisdictions, and the risk that the charge related to the Stanford settlement may not be deductible; the risk of substantial negative outcomes on existing litigation or investigation matters; changes in the regulatory environment in which the company operates, including, among other risks, the impact of pending competition law and regulatory investigations; various claims, government inquiries or investigations or the potential for regulatory action; the company’s ability to make divestitures or acquisitions and its ability to integrate or manage such acquired businesses (including the recently-completed acquisition in Latin America); our ability to successfully hedge against fluctuations in foreign currency rates; our ability to integrate direct-to-consumer sales and marketing solutions with our existing offerings and solutions; the ability to comply with complex and evolving regulations related to data privacy and cyber security; the ability to successfully manage ongoing organizational changes, including investments in improving systems and processes; disasters or business continuity problems; the impact of Brexit; our ability to successfully enhance our billing, collection and other working capital efforts, and thereby increase our free cash flow; the potential impact of the anticipated replacement of LIBOR; the ability of the company to properly identify and manage conflicts of interest; reputational damage, including from association with third parties; reliance on third-party services; the loss of key employees; doing business internationally, including the impact of exchange rates; compliance with extensive government regulation; the risk of sanctions imposed by governments, or changes to associated sanction regulations; our ability to effectively apply technology, data and analytics changes for internal operations, maintaining industry standards and meeting client preferences; changes and developments in the insurance industry or the United States healthcare system, including those related to Medicare; the inability to protect the company’s intellectual property rights, or the potential infringement upon the intellectual property rights of others; fluctuations in the company’s pension assets and liabilities; the company’s capital structure, including indebtedness amounts, the limitations imposed by the covenants in the documents governing such indebtedness and the maintenance of the financial and disclosure controls and procedures of each; the ability of the company to obtain financing on favorable terms or at all; adverse changes in the credit ratings of the company; the impact of recent changes to U.S. tax laws, including on our effective tax rate, and the enactment of additional, or the revision of existing, state, federal, and/or foreign regulatory and tax laws and regulations; U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. persons owning at least 10% of the company’s shares; changes in accounting principles, estimates or assumptions; fluctuation in revenue against the company’s relatively fixed or higher than expected expenses; the laws of Ireland being different from the laws of the United States and potentially affording less protections to the holders of our securities; and the company's holding company structure potentially preventing it from being able to receive dividends or other distributions in needed amounts from our subsidiaries. These factors also include those described under “Risk Factors” in the company’s most recent 10-K and 10-Q filings and subsequent filings filed with the SEC, including definitive additional materials, the merger proxy statement and other filings generally applicable to significant transactions and related integrations that are or will be filed with the SEC. Copies are available online at http://www.sec.gov or www.willistowerswatson.com.

Although we believe that the assumptions underlying our forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of these assumptions, and therefore also the forward-looking statements based on these assumptions, could themselves prove to be inaccurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included in this document, our inclusion of this information is not a representation or guarantee by us that our objectives and plans will be achieved.

Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and we will not update these forward-looking statements unless the securities laws require us to do so. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this document may not occur, and we caution you against relying on these forward-looking statements.

Contact

INVESTORS
Rich Keefe | +1 215 246 3961 | Rich.Keefe@willistowerswatson.com


WILLIS TOWERS WATSON
Supplemental Segment Information
(In millions of U.S. dollars)
(Unaudited)

REVENUE   
         Components of Revenue Change(i) 
  Three Months Ended
June 30,
  As Reported  Currency  Constant
Currency
  Acquisitions/  Organic 
  2020  2019  % Change  Impact  Change  Divestitures  Change 
                             
Human Capital & Benefits $767  $797  (4)%  (2)%  (2)%  0%  (2)% 
Corporate Risk & Broking  701   690  2%  (2)%  4%  0%  4% 
Investment, Risk & Reinsurance  413   409  1%  (1)%  2%  0%  2% 
Benefits Delivery & Administration  209   126  66%  0%  66%  69%  (3)% 
Segment Revenue  2,090   2,022  3%  (2)%  5%  5%  1% 
Reimbursable expenses and other  23   26                     
Revenue $2,113  $2,048  3%  (2)%  5%  5%  0% 


         Components of Revenue Change(i) 
  Six Months Ended
June 30,
  As Reported  Currency  Constant
Currency
  Acquisitions/  Organic 
  2020  2019  % Change  Impact  Change  Divestitures  Change 
                             
Human Capital & Benefits $1,617  $1,626  (1)%  (1)%  1%  0%  1% 
Corporate Risk & Broking  1,440   1,418  2%  (2)%  4%  0%  4% 
Investment, Risk & Reinsurance  1,028   998  3%  (1)%  4%  0%  4% 
Benefits Delivery & Administration  440   261  69%  0%  69%  70%  (1)% 
Segment Revenue  4,525   4,303  5%  (2)%  7%  4%  3% 
Reimbursable expenses and other  54   57                     
Revenue $4,579  $4,360  5%  (2)%  7%  4%  2% 

(i) Components of revenue change may not add due to rounding


SEGMENT OPERATING INCOME/(LOSS) (i)

   Three Months Ended June 30, 
  2020 2019
         
Human Capital & Benefits $160  $169 
Corporate Risk & Broking  135   104 
Investment, Risk & Reinsurance  119   109 
Benefits Delivery & Administration  (9)  (25)
Segment Operating Income $405  $357 


         
  Six Months Ended June 30, 
  2020 2019
         
Human Capital & Benefits $373  $373 
Corporate Risk & Broking  262   231 
Investment, Risk & Reinsurance  396   361 
Benefits Delivery & Administration  (20)  (46)
Segment Operating Income $1,011  $919 

(i) Segment operating income/(loss) excludes certain costs, including amortization of intangibles, restructuring costs, transaction and integration expenses, certain litigation provisions, and to the extent that the actual expense based upon which allocations are made differs from the forecast/budget amount, a reconciling item will be created between internally-allocated expenses and the actual expenses reported for U.S. GAAP purposes.


SEGMENT OPERATING MARGINS

  Three Months Ended June 30, 
  2020   2019  
Human Capital & Benefits 20.9%  21.1% 
Corporate Risk & Broking 19.2%  15.2% 
Investment, Risk & Reinsurance 28.7%  26.9% 
Benefits Delivery & Administration (4.2)%  (20.1)% 


  Six Months Ended June 30, 
  2020   2019  
Human Capital & Benefits 23.1%  22.9% 
Corporate Risk & Broking 18.2%  16.3% 
Investment, Risk & Reinsurance 38.5%  36.2% 
Benefits Delivery & Administration (4.4)%  (17.6)% 

 


RECONCILIATIONS OF SEGMENT OPERATING INCOME TO INCOME FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES

  Three Months Ended June 30, 
  2020  2019 
         
Segment Operating Income $405  $357 
Amortization  (119)  (123)
Transaction and integration expenses(i)  (14)   
Unallocated, net(ii)  (109)  (58)
Income from Operations  163   176 
Interest expense  (62)  (56)
Other income, net  76   67 
Income from operations before income taxes $177  $187 


  Six Months Ended June 30, 
  2020  2019 
         
Segment Operating Income $1,011  $919 
Amortization  (240)  (250)
Transaction and integration expenses(i)  (23)  (6)
Unallocated, net(ii)  (225)  (128)
Income from Operations  523   535 
Interest expense  (123)  (110)
Other income, net  168   122 
Income from operations before income taxes $568  $547 

(i)  Includes transaction costs related to the proposed Aon combination and TRANZACT acquisition in 2019.
(ii) Includes certain costs, primarily related to corporate functions which are not directly related to the segments, and certain differences between budgeted expenses determined at the beginning of the year and actual expenses that we report for U.S. GAAP purposes.


WILLIS TOWERS WATSON
Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Measures
(In millions of U.S. dollars, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
RECONCILIATIONS OF NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO WILLIS TOWERS WATSON TO ADJUSTED DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE

  Three Months Ended June 30, 
   2020   2019 
         
Net Income attributable to Willis Towers Watson $94  $138 
Adjusted for certain items:        
Amortization  119   123 
Transaction and integration expenses  14    
Loss on disposal of operations  2    
Tax effect on certain items listed above(i)  (30)  (29)
Tax effect of the CARES Act  35    
Adjusted Net Income $234  $232 
         
Weighted-average shares of common stock, diluted  130   130 
         
Diluted Earnings Per Share $0.72  $1.06 
Adjusted for certain items:(ii)        
Amortization  0.91   0.94 
Transaction and integration expenses  0.11    
Loss on disposal of operations  0.02    
Tax effect on certain items listed above(i)  (0.23)  (0.22)
Tax effect of the CARES Act  0.27    
Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share $1.80  $1.78 


  Six Months Ended June 30, 
   2020   2019 
         
Net Income attributable to Willis Towers Watson $399  $425 
Adjusted for certain items:        
Abandonment of long-lived asset  35    
Amortization  240   250 
Transaction and integration expenses  23   6 
Loss on disposal of operations  2    
Tax effect on certain items listed above(i)  (65)  (61)
Tax effect of the CARES Act  35    
Adjusted Net Income $669  $620 
         
Weighted-average shares of common stock, diluted  130   130 
         
Diluted Earnings Per Share $3.07  $3.26 
Adjusted for certain items:(ii)        
Abandonment of long-lived asset  0.27    
Amortization  1.84   1.92 
Transaction and integration expenses  0.18   0.05 
Loss on disposal of operations  0.02    
Tax effect on certain items listed above(i)  (0.50)  (0.47)
Tax effect of the CARES Act  0.27    
Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share $5.14  $4.76 

(i) The tax effect was calculated using an effective tax rate for each item.
(ii) Per share values and totals may differ due to rounding.


RECONCILIATIONS OF NET INCOME TO ADJUSTED EBITDA

  Three Months Ended June 30, 
   2020     2019     
               
Net Income $102  4.8%$149   7.3%
Provision for income taxes  75     38     
Interest expense  62     56     
Depreciation  67     59     
Amortization  119     123     
Transaction and integration expenses  14          
Loss on disposal of operations  2          
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin $441  20.9%$425   20.8%


  Six Months Ended June 30, 
   2020     2019     
               
Net Income $415  9.1%$442   10.1%
Provision for income taxes  153     105     
Interest expense  123     110     
Depreciation(i)  165     113     
Amortization  240     250     
Transaction and integration expenses  23     6     
Loss on disposal of operations  2          
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin $1,121  24.5%$1,026   23.5%

(i) Includes abandonment of long-lived asset of $35 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020.


RECONCILIATIONS OF INCOME FROM OPERATIONS TO ADJUSTED OPERATING INCOME

  Three Months Ended June 30, 
   2020     2019     
               
Income from operations $163  7.7%$176   8.6%
Adjusted for certain items:              
Amortization  119     123     
Transaction and integration expenses  14          
Adjusted operating income $296  14.0%$299   14.6%


  Six Months Ended June 30, 
   2020     2019     
               
Income from operations $523  11.4%$535   12.3%
Adjusted for certain items:              
Abandonment of long-lived asset  35          
Amortization  240     250     
Transaction and integration expenses  23     6     
Adjusted operating income $821  17.9%$791   18.1%


RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP INCOME TAXES/TAX RATE TO ADJUSTED INCOME TAXES/TAX RATE

  Three Months Ended June 30, 
   2020   2019 
Income from operations before income taxes $177  $187 
         
Adjusted for certain items:        
Amortization  119   123 
Transaction and integration expenses  14    
Loss on disposal of operations  2    
Adjusted income before taxes $312  $310 
         
Provision for income taxes $75  $38 
Tax effect on certain items listed above(i)  30   29 
Tax effect of the CARES Act  (35)   
Adjusted income taxes $70  $67 
         
U.S. GAAP tax rate  42.2%  19.7%
Adjusted income tax rate  22.2%  21.4%


  Six Months Ended June 30, 
   2020   2019 
Income from operations before income taxes $568  $547 
         
Adjusted for certain items:        
Abandonment of long-lived asset  35    
Amortization  240   250 
Transaction and integration expenses  23   6 
Loss on disposal of operations  2    
Adjusted income before taxes $868  $803 
         
Provision for income taxes $153  $105 
Tax effect on certain items listed above(i)  65   61 
Tax effect of the CARES Act  (35)   
Adjusted income taxes $183  $166 
         
U.S. GAAP tax rate  26.9%  19.1%
Adjusted income tax rate  21.1%  20.6%

(i) The tax effect was calculated using an effective tax rate for each item.


RECONCILIATION OF CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES TO FREE CASH FLOW

  Six Months Ended June 30, 
   2020   2019 
Cash flows from operating activities $685  $303 
Less: Additions to fixed assets and software for internal use  (135)  (120)
Free Cash Flow $550  $183 


WILLIS TOWERS WATSON
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(In millions of U.S. dollars, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

  Three Months Ended June 30,  Six Months Ended June 30, 
  2020  2019  2020  2019 
Revenue $2,113  $2,048  $4,579  $4,360 
                 
Costs of providing services                
Salaries and benefits  1,363   1,278   2,757   2,626 
Other operating expenses  387   412   871   830 
Depreciation  67   59   165   113 
Amortization  119   123   240   250 
Transaction and integration expenses  14      23   6 
Total costs of providing services  1,950   1,872   4,056   3,825 
                 
Income from operations  163   176   523   535 
                 
Interest expense  (62)  (56)  (123)  (110)
Other income, net  76   67   168   122 
                 
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES 177   187   568   547 
                 
Provision for income taxes  (75)  (38)  (153)  (105)
                 
NET INCOME 102   149   415   442 
                 
Income attributable to non-controlling interests  (8)  (11)  (16)  (17)
                 
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO WILLIS TOWERS WATSON $94  $138  $399  $425 
                 
                 
Earnings per share                
Basic earnings per share $0.73  $1.06  $3.08  $3.27 
Diluted earnings per share $0.72  $1.06  $3.07  $3.26 
                 
Weighted-average shares of common stock, basic  129   130   130   130 
Weighted-average shares of common stock, diluted  130   130   130   130 


WILLIS TOWERS WATSON
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In millions of U.S. dollars, except share data)
(Unaudited)

  June 30,  December 31, 
  2020  2019 
ASSETS        
Cash and cash equivalents $1,087  $887 
Fiduciary assets  16,042   13,004 
Accounts receivable, net  2,430   2,621 
Prepaid and other current assets  363   525 
Total current assets  19,922   17,037 
Fixed assets, net  989   1,046 
Goodwill  11,196   11,194 
Other intangible assets, net  3,257   3,478 
Right-of-use assets  894   968 
Pension benefits assets  975   868 
Other non-current assets  877   835 
Total non-current assets  18,188   18,389 
TOTAL ASSETS $38,110  $35,426 
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY        
Fiduciary liabilities $16,042  $13,004 
Deferred revenue and accrued expenses  1,504   1,784 
Current debt  525   316 
Current lease liabilities  144   164 
Other current liabilities  804   802 
Total current liabilities  19,019   16,070 
Long-term debt  5,068   5,301 
Liability for pension benefits  1,235   1,324 
Deferred tax liabilities  575   526 
Provision for liabilities  534   537 
Long-term lease liabilities  906   964 
Other non-current liabilities  317   335 
Total non-current liabilities  8,635   8,987 
TOTAL LIABILITIES  27,654   25,057 
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES        
EQUITY(i)        
Additional paid-in capital  10,713   10,687 
Retained earnings  2,015   1,792 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax  (2,390)  (2,227)
Treasury shares, at cost, 17,519 shares in 2020 and 2019, and 40,000 shares, €1 nominal value, in 2019  (3)  (3)
Total Willis Towers Watson shareholders' equity  10,335   10,249 
Non-controlling interests  121   120 
Total Equity  10,456   10,369 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $38,110  $35,426 

 (i)  Equity includes (a) Ordinary shares $0.000304635 nominal value; Authorized 1,510,003,775; Issued 128,762,994 (2020) and 128,689,930 (2019); Outstanding 128,762,994 (2020) and 128,689,930 (2019); (b) Ordinary shares, €1 nominal value; Authorized and Issued 40,000 shares in 2019; and (c) Preference shares, $0.000115 nominal value; Authorized 1,000,000,000 and Issued none in 2020 and 2019.


WILLIS TOWERS WATSON
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In millions of U.S. dollars)
(Unaudited)

  Six Months Ended June 30, 
  2020  2019 
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES        
NET INCOME $415  $442 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to total net cash from operating activities:        
Depreciation  165   113 
Amortization  240   250 
Non-cash lease expense  74   72 
Net periodic benefit of defined benefit pension plans  (92)  (64)
Provision for doubtful receivables from clients  28   10 
Provision for/(benefit from) deferred income taxes  40   (41)
Share-based compensation  28   27 
Net loss on disposal of operations  2    
Non-cash foreign exchange (gain)/loss  (12)  13 
Other, net  1   (6)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects from purchase of subsidiaries:        
Accounts receivable  128   (82)
Fiduciary assets  (3,200)  (1,961)
Fiduciary liabilities  3,200   1,961 
Other assets  82   (164)
Other liabilities  (417)  (285)
Provisions  3   18 
Net cash from operating activities  685   303 
         
CASH FLOWS USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES        
Additions to fixed assets and software for internal use  (135)  (120)
Capitalized software costs  (33)  (34)
Acquisitions of operations, net of cash acquired  (66)  (1)
Net proceeds from sale of operations  2   13 
Other, net  (17)  (6)
Net cash used in investing activities  (249)  (148)
         
CASH FLOWS USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES        
Net borrowings on revolving credit facility     (106)
Senior notes issued  282    
Debt issuance costs  (2)   
Repayments of debt  (311)  (3)
Repurchase of shares     (51)
Proceeds from issuance of shares  5   27 
Payments of deferred and contingent consideration related to acquisitions     (47)
Cash paid for employee taxes on withholding shares  (1)  (12)
Dividends paid  (171)  (161)
Acquisitions of and dividends paid to non-controlling interests  (14)  (21)
Other, net  (3)   
Net cash used in financing activities  (215)  (374)
         
INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH  221   (219)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash  (22)  (2)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH, BEGINNING OF PERIOD (i)  895   1,033 
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH, END OF PERIOD (i) $1,094  $812 

________
(i)  As a result of the acquired TRANZACT collateralized facility, cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash included $7 million of restricted cash at June 30, 2020 and $8 million at December 31, 2019, which is included within prepaid and other current assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. There were no restricted cash amounts held at June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018.

 


FAQ

What were Willis Towers Watson's second-quarter earnings for 2020?

Willis Towers Watson reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.72 for the second quarter of 2020.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect WLTW's financial performance?

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted Willis Towers Watson's revenue growth, especially in discretionary services.

What is the revenue growth reported by WLTW for the second quarter of 2020?

WLTW reported a total revenue increase of 3% to $2.11 billion for the second quarter of 2020.

What is WLTW's adjusted diluted EPS for the second quarter of 2020?

Willis Towers Watson's adjusted diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of 2020 was $1.80.

Did WLTW provide financial guidance for 2020?

No, Willis Towers Watson withdrew its full-year 2020 guidance due to uncertainties from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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