Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis Of Financial Condition And Results Of Operations
Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are not limited to historical facts, but reflect the Company’s current beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding future events. These statements include forward-looking statements with respect to the Company, including the Company’s business, operations and strategy, and infrastructure consulting industry. Statements that are not historical facts, without limitation, including statements that use terms such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “projects,” and “will” and that relate to our future revenues, expenditures and business trends; future reduction of our self-perform at-risk construction exposure; future accounting estimates; future contractual performance obligations; future conversions of backlog; future capital allocation priorities, including common stock repurchases, future trade receivables, future debt pay downs; future post-retirement expenses; future tax benefits and expenses, and the impact of future tax laws; future compliance with regulations; future legal claims and insurance coverage; future effectiveness of our disclosure and internal controls over financial reporting; future costs savings; and other future economic and industry conditions, are forward-looking statements. In light of the risks and uncertainties inherent in all forward-looking statements, the inclusion of such statements in this Quarterly Report should not be considered as a representation by us or any other person that our objectives or plans will be achieved. Although management believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, these assumptions and the forward-looking statements are subject to various factors, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, including, but not limited to, our business is cyclical and vulnerable to economic downturns and client spending reductions; government shutdowns; long-term government contracts and subject to uncertainties related to government contract appropriations; governmental agencies may modify, curtail or terminate our contracts; government contracts are subject to audits and adjustments of contractual terms; losses under fixed-price contracts; limited control over operations run through our joint venture entities; liability for misconduct by our employees or consultants; failure to comply with laws or regulations applicable to our business; maintaining adequate surety and financial capacity; potential high leverage and inability to service our debt and guarantees; ability to continue payment of dividends; exposure to political and economic risks in different countries, including tariffs, geopolitical events, and conflicts; currency exchange rate and interest fluctuations; retaining and recruiting key technical and management personnel; legal claims; inadequate insurance coverage; environmental law compliance and inadequate nuclear indemnification; unexpected adjustments and cancellations related to our backlog; partners and third parties who may fail to satisfy their legal obligations; managing pension costs; AECOM Capital’s real estate development; cybersecurity issues, IT outages and data privacy; risks associated with the benefits and costs of the sale of our Management Services and self-perform at-risk civil infrastructure, power construction, and oil and gas businesses, including the risk that any purchase adjustments from those transactions could be unfavorable and any future proceeds owed to us as part of the transactions could be lower than we expect; as well as other additional risks and factors discussed in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and any subsequent reports we file with the SEC. Accordingly, actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by any forward-looking statement.
All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the Company or other matters attributable to the Company or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only to the date they are made. The Company is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or revise any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Please review “Part II, Item 1A—Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report for a discussion of the factors, risks and uncertainties that could affect our future results.
Overview
We are a leading global provider of professional infrastructure consulting services for governments, businesses and organizations throughout the world. We provide advisory, planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, construction and program management services, and investment and development services to public and private clients worldwide in major end markets such as transportation, facilities, water, environmental, and energy.
Our business focuses primarily on providing fee-based knowledge-based services. We primarily derive income from our ability to generate revenue and collect cash from our clients through the billing of our employees’ time spent on client projects and our ability to manage our costs. AECOM Capital primarily derives its income from real estate development sales and management fees.
We report our continuing business through three segments, each of which is described in further detail below: Americas, International, and AECOM Capital. Such segments are organized by the differing specialized needs of the respective clients and how we manage the business. We have aggregated various operating segments into our reportable segments based on their similar
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characteristics, including similar long-term financial performance, the nature of services provided, internal processes for delivering those services, and types of customers.
● Americas : Planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, construction management and program management services to public and private clients in the United States, Canada, and Latin America in major end markets such as transportation, water, government, facilities, environmental, and energy.
● International : Planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design services and program management to public and private clients in Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa and the Asia-Australia-Pacific regions in major end markets such as transportation, water, government, facilities, environmental, and energy.
● AECOM Capital : Primarily invests in and develops real estate projects.
Our revenue is dependent on our ability to attract and retain qualified and productive employees, identify business opportunities, allocate our labor resources and capital to profitable and high growth markets, secure new contracts, and renew existing client agreements. Demand for our services may be vulnerable to sudden economic downturns and reductions in government and private industry spending, which may result in clients delaying, curtailing or canceling proposed and existing projects. Moreover, as a professional services company, maintaining the high quality of the work generated by our employees is integral to our revenue generation and profitability. Given the global nature of our business, our revenue is exposed to currency rate fluctuations that could change from period to period and year to year.
Our costs consist primarily of the compensation we pay to our employees, including salaries, fringe benefits, the costs of hiring subcontractors, other project-related expenses and sales, general and administrative costs.
In November 2023, the Board approved an increase in our stock repurchase authorization to $1.0 billion. At December 31, 2023, we have approximately $950.0 million remaining of the Board’s repurchase authorization. We intend to deploy future available cash towards dividends and stock repurchases consistent with our return driven capital allocation policy.
We have exited substantially all of our self-perform at-risk construction businesses. As part of our ongoing plan to improve profitability and maintain a reduced risk profile, we continuously evaluate our geographic exposure.
In fiscal year 2023, we announced that we had initiated a process to explore strategic options for the AECOM Capital business. This process is consistent with our focus on our professional services business. AECOM Capital will continue to support existing investment vehicles and investments in a manner consistent with their current obligations. We have conducted a project-by-project review of the existing investment portfolio, including an analysis of the incremental cash requirements that might be required to carry the investments on our balance sheet if the current market conditions persist. We determined that the incremental investments to these assets did not meet the objectives of our capital allocation policy. We reflected this change in strategy and the expected acceleration of these investment exits as an impairment charge of $307.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2023 and $35.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. This impairment did not relate to investments in respect of which affiliates of AECOM Capital provide advisory services or manage third party capital.
We expect to incur restructuring costs of approximately $50 million to $70 million in fiscal 2024, primarily related to ongoing actions that are expected to deliver continued margin improvement and efficiencies. Our estimated restructuring costs include the ongoing optimization of our office real estate portfolio and exit of certain countries in Southeast Asia, subject to applicable laws, as part of our ongoing plan to evaluate our geographic exposure and reduce our risk profile.
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Results of Operations
Three months ended December 31, 2023 compared to the three months ended December 31, 2022
Consolidated Results
Three Months Ended
December 31,
December 31,
Change
2023
2022
$
%
( in millions)
Revenue
$
3,899.9
$
3,382.4
$
517.5
15.3
%
Cost of revenue
3,655.9
3,167.4
488.5
15.4
Gross profit
244.0
215.0
29.0
13.5
Equity in (losses) earnings of joint ventures
(29.0)
9.8
(38.8)
(395.9)
General and administrative expenses
(35.7)
(35.6)
(0.1)
0.3
Restructuring costs
(16.2)
(37.5)
21.3
(56.8)
Income from operations
163.1
151.7
11.4
7.5
Other income
2.6
2.1
0.5
23.8
Interest income
12.1
5.8
6.3
108.6
Interest expense
(41.3)
(36.7)
(4.6)
12.5
Income from continuing operations before taxes
136.5
122.9
13.6
11.1
Income tax expense for continuing operations
26.6
25.8
0.8
3.1
Net income from continuing operations
109.9
97.1
12.8
13.2
Net loss from discontinued operations
(1.3)
(0.4)
(0.9)
225.0
Net income
108.6
96.7
11.9
12.3
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests from continuing operations
(13.1)
(9.6)
(3.5)
36.5
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interests from discontinued operations
(1.1)
0.8
(1.9)
(237.5)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
(14.2)
(8.8)
(5.4)
61.4
Net income attributable to AECOM from continuing operations
96.8
87.5
9.3
10.6
Net (loss) income attributable to AECOM from discontinued operations
(2.4)
0.4
(2.8)
(700.0)
Net income attributable to AECOM
$
94.4
$
87.9
$
6.5
7.4
%
The following table presents the percentage relationship of statement of operations items to revenue:
Three Months Ended
December 31,
December 31,
2023
2022
Revenue
100.0
%
100.0
%
Cost of revenue
93.7
93.6
Gross profit
6.3
6.4
Equity in (losses) earnings of joint ventures
(0.7)
0.3
General and administrative expenses
(1.0)
(1.1)
Restructuring costs
(0.4)
(1.1)
Income from operations
4.2
4.5
Other income
0.1
0.1
Interest income
0.3
0.2
Interest expense
(1.1)
(1.2)
Income from continuing operations before taxes
3.5
3.6
Income tax expense for continuing operations
0.7
0.7
Net income from continuing operations
2.8
2.9
Net loss from discontinued operations
0.0
0.0
Net income
2.8
2.9
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests from continuing operations
(0.3)
(0.3)
Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interests from discontinued operations
(0.1)
0.0
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
(0.4)
(0.3)
Net income attributable to AECOM from continuing operations
2.5
2.6
Net (loss) income attributable to AECOM from discontinued operations
(0.1)
(0.0)
Net income attributable to AECOM
2.4
%
2.6
%
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Revenue
Our revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023 increased $517.5 million, or 15.3%, to $3,899.9 million as compared to $3,382.4 million for the corresponding period last year.
The increase in revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was primarily attributable to increases in revenues in both our Americas and International segments of $459.4 million and $58.2 million, respectively, as discussed further below.
In the course of providing our services, we routinely subcontract for services and incur other direct costs on behalf of our clients. These costs are passed through to clients and, in accordance with industry practice and GAAP, are included in our revenue and cost of revenue. Because these pass-through revenues can change significantly from project to project and period to period, changes in revenue may not be indicative of business trends. Pass-through revenues for the quarters ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $2.2 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively. Pass-through revenue as a percentage of revenue was 56% and 53% during the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Gross Profit
Our gross profit for the three months ended December 31, 2023 increased $29.0 million, or 13.5%, to $244.0 million as compared to $215.0 million for the corresponding period last year. For the three months ended December 31, 2023, gross profit, as a percentage of revenue, decreased to 6.3% from 6.4% in the corresponding period last year.
Gross profit changes were due to the reasons noted in Americas and International reportable segments below.
Equity in (Losses) Earnings of Joint Ventures
Our equity in losses of joint ventures for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was $29.0 million as compared to equity in earnings of $9.8 million in the corresponding period last year.
The decrease in earnings of joint ventures for the three months ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in the prior year was primarily due to losses recorded by our AECOM Capital segment in fiscal 2024 compared to earnings in fiscal 2023. These impairments were primarily as a result of continued volatility in the commercial real estate market caused by higher interest rates and lack of liquidity.
General and Administrative Expenses
Our general and administrative expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2023 increased $0.1 million, or 0.3%, to $35.7 million as compared to $35.6 million for the corresponding period last year. For the three months ended December 31, 2023, general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of revenue, was 1.0% as compared to 1.1% in the corresponding period last year.
Restructuring Costs
Restructuring expenses are comprised of personnel costs, real estate costs, and costs associated with business exits. During the three months ended December 31, 2023, we incurred total restructuring expenses of $16.2 million, primarily related to actions taken to align our real estate portfolio with our employee flexibility initiatives and costs incurred associated with the ongoing exit of certain countries in Southeast Asia. During the three months ended December 31, 2022, we incurred restructuring expenses of $37.5 million, primarily related to costs incurred in preparation for the exit of specific countries in Southeast Asia.
Other Income
Our other income for the three months ended December 31, 2023 increased to $2.6 million from $2.1 million for the corresponding period last year.
Interest Income
Our interest income for the three months ended December 31, 2023 increased to $12.1 million from $5.8 million for the corresponding period last year.
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The increase in interest income for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase in interest rates on our interest-bearing assets.
Interest Expense
Our interest expense for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was $41.3 million as compared to $36.7 million for the corresponding period last year.
The increase in interest expense for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase in interest rates on the variable component of our debt.
Income Tax Expense
Our income tax expense for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was $26.6 million as compared to $25.8 million in the corresponding period last year. The increase in tax expense for the current period compared to the corresponding period last year was due primarily to the tax impact of an increase in pre-tax income of $13.6 million, a tax benefit of $6.9 million related to an audit settlement, an increase in tax benefit of $4.4 million related to income tax credits and incentives, an increase in tax expense of $3.4 million related to changes in valuation allowances, an increase in tax expense of $2.8 million related to foreign residual income, and an increase in tax expense of $2.8 million related to excess tax benefits.
During the three months ended December 31, 2023, the Company settled its tax audit in Hong Kong for fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2021 and recorded a tax benefit of $6.9 million due primarily to changes in uncertain tax positions.
Net Loss From Discontinued Operations
During the first quarter of fiscal 2020, management approved a plan to dispose of via sale our self-perform at-risk construction businesses. As a result of these strategic actions, the self-perform at-risk construction businesses were classified as discontinued operations.
Net loss from discontinued operations was $1.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and was $0.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $0.9 million.
Net Income Attributable to AECOM
The factors described above resulted in net income attributable to AECOM of $94.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 as compared to net income attributable to AECOM of $87.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022.
Results of Operations by Reportable Segment:
Americas
Three Months Ended
December 31,
December 31,
Change
2023
2022
$
%
( in millions)
Revenue
$
3,038.7
$
2,579.3
$
459.4
17.8
%
Cost of revenue
2,867.7
2,416.4
451.3
18.7
Gross profit
$
171.0
$
162.9
$
8.1
5.0
%
The following table presents the percentage relationship of statement of operations items to revenue:
Three Months Ended
December 31,
December 31,
2023
2022
Revenue
100.0
%
100.0
%
Cost of revenue
94.4
93.7
Gross profit
5.6
%
6.3
%
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Revenue
Revenue for our Americas segment for the three months ended December 31, 2023 increased $459.4 million, or 17.8%, to $3,038.7 million as compared to $2,579.3 million for the corresponding period last year.
The increase in revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was primarily driven by increased project activity in the Americas design business including growth in the Water, Transportation, and Program Management businesses .
Gross Profit
Gross profit for our Americas segment for the three months ended December 31, 2023 increased $8.1 million, or 5.0%, to $171.0 million as compared to $162.9 million for the corresponding period last year. As a percentage of revenue, gross profit decreased to 5.6% of revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from 6.3% in the corresponding period last year due to an increase in pass - through revenues of $405.4 million.
The increase in gross profit for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to revenue growth, particularly underlying revenue excluding pass - through revenue, strength across the Company’s Water, Transportation, and Program Management end markets and the benefits of actions taken to accelerate the realization of the Company’s long-term margin potential.
International
Three Months Ended
December 31,
December 31,
Change
2023
2022
$
%
( in millions)
Revenue
$
861.0
$
802.8
$
58.2
7.2
%
Cost of revenue
788.2
751.0
37.2
5.0
Gross profit
$
72.8
$
51.8
$
21.0
40.5
%
The following table presents the percentage relationship of statement of operations items to revenue:
Three Months Ended
December 31,
December 31,
2023
2022
Revenue
100.0
%
100.0
%
Cost of revenue
91.5
93.5
Gross profit
8.5
%
6.5
%
Revenue
Revenue for our International segment for the three months ended December 31, 2023 increased $58.2 million, or 7.2%, to $861.0 million as compared to $802.8 million for the corresponding period last year.
The increase in revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to growth in the United Kingdom, Middle East and Australia compared to the prior year. Growth was led by the Transportation, Facilities, and Water markets.
Gross Profit
Gross profit for our International segment for the three months ended December 31, 2023 increased $21.0 million, or 40.5%, to $72.8 million as compared to $51.8 million for the corresponding period last year. As a percentage of revenue, gross profit increased to 8.5% of revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023 from 6.5% in the corresponding period last year.
The increase in gross profit and gross profit as a percentage of revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase in revenue and reduced costs resulting from ongoing country exits, growing usage of enterprise capability centers and shared service centers, and delivery efficiency.
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AECOM Capital
Three Months Ended
December 31,
December 31,
Change
2023
2022
$
%
( in millions)
Revenue
$
0.2
$
0.3
$
(0.1)
(33.3)
%
Equity in earnings of joint ventures
$
(36.9)
$
5.6
$
(42.5)
(758.9)
General and administrative expenses
$
(2.4)
$
(2.7)
$
0.3
(11.1)
%
Equity in earnings of joint ventures for the three months ended December 31, 2023 decreased $42.5 million, or 758.9%, to $(36.9) million compared to $5.6 million for the corresponding period last year. The decrease was primarily due to impairment losses recognized in the first quarter of fiscal 2024.
Seasonality
We experience seasonal trends in our business. Our revenue is typically higher in the last half of the fiscal year. The fourth quarter of our fiscal year (July 1 to September 30) is typically our strongest quarter. We find that the U.S. federal government tends to authorize more work during the period preceding the end of our fiscal year, September 30. In addition, many U.S. state governments with fiscal years ending on June 30 tend to accelerate spending during their first quarter, when new funding becomes available. Further, our construction management revenue typically increases during the high construction season of the summer months. Within the United States, as well as other parts of the world, our business generally benefits from milder weather conditions in our fiscal fourth quarter. Our construction and project management services also typically expand during the high construction season of the summer months. The first quarter of our fiscal year (October 1 to December 31) is typically our lowest revenue quarter. The harsher weather conditions impact our ability to complete work in parts of North America and the holiday season schedule affects our productivity during this period. For these reasons, coupled with the number and significance of client contracts commenced and completed during a particular period, as well as the timing of expenses incurred for corporate initiatives, it is not unusual for us to experience seasonal changes or fluctuations in our quarterly operating results.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash Flows
Our principal sources of liquidity are cash flows from operations, borrowings under our credit facilities, and access to financial markets. Our principal uses of cash are operating expenses, capital expenditures, working capital requirements, acquisitions, repurchases of common stock, dividend payments, and refinancing or repayment of debt. We believe our anticipated sources of liquidity including operating cash flows, existing cash and cash equivalents, borrowing capacity under our revolving credit facility and our ability to issue debt or equity, if required, will be sufficient to meet our projected cash requirements for at least the next twelve months. We expect to spend approximately $110 million in restructuring costs in fiscal 2024 associated with ongoing restructuring actions that are expected to deliver continued margin improvement and efficiencies.
Generally, we do not provide for U.S. taxes or foreign withholding taxes on gross book-tax basis differences in our non-U.S. subsidiaries because such basis differences are able to and intended to be reinvested indefinitely. At December 31, 2023, we have determined that we will continue to indefinitely reinvest the earnings of some foreign subsidiaries and, therefore, we will continue to account for these undistributed earnings based on our existing accounting under ASC 740 and not accrue additional tax. Determination of the amount of any unrecognized deferred income tax liability on this temporary difference is not practicable because of the complexities of the hypothetical calculation. Based on the available sources of cash flows discussed above, we anticipate we will continue to have the ability to permanently reinvest these remaining amounts.
At December 31, 2023, cash and cash equivalents, including cash and cash equivalents included in current assets held for sale, were $1,193.3 million, a decrease of $68.9 million, or 5.5%, from $1,262.2 million at September 30, 2023. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents was primarily attributable to $92.1 million of cash used to repurchase common stock, of which $70.0 million was related to repurchases under the existing Board repurchase authorization.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $143.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $120.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022. The change was primarily attributable to an increase in net income of approximately $11.8 million and an increase in adjustments for non-cash items of approximately $31.9 million, offset by a decrease in cash provided by working capital of approximately $20.7 million. The sale of trade receivables to financial institutions included in
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operating cash flows increased $50.6 million during the three months ended December 31, 2023 compared to the three months ended December 31, 2022. We expect to continue to sell trade receivables in the future as long as the terms continue to remain favorable to us.
Net cash used in investing activities was $86.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $45.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022. The change was primarily attributable to an increase in cash payments for capital expenditures of approximately $19.9 million and cash paid for a business acquisition, net of cash acquired of $18.7 million.
Net cash used in financing activities was $126.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $91.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022. The change from prior year was primarily attributable to a $20.0 million increase in stock repurchases under our stock repurchase program and a $3.7 million increase in dividends paid. Total borrowings under our Credit Agreement may vary during the period as we regularly draw and repay amounts to fund working capital.
Working Capital
Working capital, or current assets less current liabilities, decreased $39.7 million, or 12.4%, to $279.5 million at December 31, 2023 from $319.2 million at September 30, 2023. Net accounts receivable and contract assets, net of contract liabilities, increased to $2,986.3 million at December 31, 2023 from $2,880.8 million at September 30, 2023.
Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), which includes net accounts receivable and contract assets, net of contract liabilities, was 67 days at December 31, 2023 compared to 65 days at September 30, 2023.
In Note 4, Revenue Recognition, in the notes to our consolidated financial statements, a comparative analysis of the various components of accounts receivable is provided. Except for claims, substantially all contract assets are expected to be billed and collected within twelve months.
Contract assets related to claims are recorded only if it is probable that the claim will result in additional contract revenue and if the amount can be reliably estimated. In such cases, revenue is recorded only to the extent that contract costs relating to the claim have been incurred. Award fees in contract assets are accrued only when there is sufficient information to assess contract performance. On contracts that represent higher than normal risk or technical difficulty, award fees are generally deferred until an award fee letter is received.
Because our revenue depends to a great extent on billable labor hours, most of our charges are invoiced following the end of the month in which the hours were worked, the majority usually within 15 days. Other direct costs are normally billed along with labor hours. However, as opposed to salary costs, which are generally paid on either a bi-weekly or monthly basis, other direct costs are generally not paid until payment is received (in some cases in the form of advances) from the customers.
Debt
Debt consisted of the following:
December 31,
September 30,
2023
2023
(in millions)
Credit Agreement
$
1,112.4
$
1,119.8
2027 Senior Notes
997.3
997.3
Other debt
105.3
100.2
Total debt
2,215.0
2,217.3
Less: Current portion of debt and short-term borrowings
(91.6)
(89.5)
Less: Unamortized debt issuance costs
(13.2)
(14.4)
Long-term debt
$
2,110.2
$
2,113.4
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The following table presents, in millions, scheduled maturities of our debt as of December 31, 2023:
Fiscal Year
2024 (nine months remaining)
$
77.6
2025
52.7
2026
415.7
2027
1,012.3
2028
656.7
Total
$
2,215.0
Credit Agreement
On February 8, 2021, we entered into the 2021 Refinancing Amendment to the Credit Agreement (as amended, modified or otherwise supplemented, the “Credit Agreement”), pursuant to which we amended and restated our Syndicated Credit Facility Agreement, dated as of October 17, 2014 (as amended prior to February 8, 2021, the “Original Credit Agreement”), between the Company, as borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and other parties thereto. At the time of amendment, the Credit Agreement consisted of a $1,150,000,000 revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) and a $246,968,737.50 term loan A facility (the “Term A Facility,” together with the Revolving Credit Facility, the “Credit Facilities”), each of which mature on February 8, 2026. The outstanding loans under the Term A Facility were borrowed in U.S. dollars. Loans under the Revolving Credit Facility may be borrowed, and letters of credit thereunder may be issued, in U.S. dollars or in certain foreign currencies. The proceeds of the Revolving Credit Facility may be used from time to time for ongoing working capital and for other general corporate purposes. The proceeds of the Revolving Credit Facility and the Term A Loan facility borrowed on February 8, 2021 were used to refinance the existing revolving credit facility and the existing term loan facility under the Original Credit Agreement and to pay related fees and expenses. The Credit Agreement permits us to designate certain of our subsidiaries as additional co-borrowers from time to time. Currently, there are no co-borrowers under the Credit Facilities.
On April 13, 2021, we entered into Amendment No. 10 to the Credit Agreement, pursuant to which the lenders thereunder provided a secured term B credit facility (the “Term B Facility”) to the Company in an aggregate principal amount of $700,000,000. The Term B Facility matures on April 13, 2028. The proceeds of the Term B Facility were used to fund the purchase price, fees and expenses in connection with our cash tender offer to purchase up to $700,000,000 aggregate purchase price (not including any accrued and unpaid interest) of our outstanding 5.875% Senior Notes due 2024.
On June 25, 2021, we entered into Amendment No. 11 to the Credit Agreement, pursuant to which lenders thereunder have provided us with an additional $215,000,000 in aggregate principal amount under the Term A Facility. We used the net proceeds from the increase in the Term A Facility (together with cash on hand), to (i) redeem all of our remaining 5.875% Senior Notes due 2024 and (ii) pay fees and expenses related to such redemption.
On May 23, 2023, the Company entered into Amendment No. 12 to the Credit Agreement, pursuant to which LIBOR as a benchmark rate of interest was replaced by, in the case of US Dollar-denominated loans, a secured overnight financing rate subject to a spread adjustment, and, in the case of loans denominated in other currencies, other customary successor rates, subject in certain cases to a spread adjustment. On May 23, 2023, the Company entered into Amendment No. 13 to the Credit Agreement, pursuant to which the spread adjustments with respect to the Revolving Credit Facility and the Term A Facility were amended.
The applicable interest rate for loans under the Term B Facility is calculated at a per annum rate equal to, at our option, (a) the Term SOFR (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus 1.75% or (b) the Base Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus 0.75%.
The applicable interest rate for U.S. Dollar-denominated loans under the Revolving Credit Facility and the Term A Facility is calculated at a per annum rate equal to, at our option, (a) the Term SOFR (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin (the “SOFR Applicable Margin”), which is currently at 1.2250% or (b) the Base Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus an applicable margin (the “Base Rate Applicable Margin,” and together with the SOFR Applicable Margin, the “Applicable Margins”), which is currently at 0.2250%. The applicable interest rate for loans under the Revolving Credit Facility denominated in other currencies is calculated at a per annum rate equal to a customary floating reference rate for such currency specified in the Credit Agreement plus the SOFR Applicable Margin. The Credit Agreement includes certain environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics relating to our CO 2 emissions and the percentage of employees who identify as women (each, a “Sustainability Metric”). The Applicable Margins for the Term A Facility and the Revolving Credit Facility and the commitment fees for the Revolving Credit Facility will be adjusted on an annual basis based on our achievement of preset thresholds for each Sustainability Metric.
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Some of our material subsidiaries (the “Guarantors”) have guaranteed the obligations of the borrowers under the Credit Agreement, subject to certain exceptions. The borrowers’ obligations under the Credit Agreement are secured by a lien on substantially all of our assets and the Guarantors’ assets, subject to certain exceptions.
The Credit Agreement contains customary negative covenants that include, among other things, limitations on our and certain of our subsidiaries’ ability, subject to certain exceptions, to incur liens and debt, make investments, dispositions, and restricted payments, change the nature of our business, consummate mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our respective assets, taken as a whole, and transact with affiliates. We are also required to maintain a consolidated interest coverage ratio of at least 3.00 to 1.00 and a consolidated leverage ratio of less than or equal to 4.00 to 1.00 (subject to certain adjustments in connection with permitted acquisitions), tested on a quarterly basis (the “Financial Covenants”). The Financial Covenants do not apply to the Term B Facility. Our consolidated leverage ratio was 2.00 to 1.00 at December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with the covenants of the Credit Agreement.
The Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative covenants, including, among other things, compliance with applicable law, preservation of existence, maintenance of properties and of insurance, and keeping proper books and records. The Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, including, among other things, nonpayment of principal, interest or fees, cross-defaults to other debt, inaccuracies of representations and warranties, failure to perform covenants, events of bankruptcy and insolvency, change of control and unsatisfied judgments, subject in certain cases to notice and cure periods and other exceptions.
At December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023, letters of credit totaled $4.4 million and $4.4 million, respectively, under our Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023, we had $1,145.6 million and $1,145.6 million, respectively, available under our revolving credit facility.
2027 Senior Notes
On February 21, 2017, we completed a private placement offering of $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of our unsecured 5.125% Senior Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Senior Notes”). On June 30, 2017, we completed an exchange offer to exchange the unregistered 2027 Senior Notes for registered notes, as well as related guarantees.
As of December 31, 2023, the estimated fair value of the 2027 Senior Notes was approximately $979.8 million. The fair value of the 2027 Senior Notes as of December 31, 2023 was derived by taking the mid-point of the trading prices from an observable market input (Level 2) in the secondary bond market and multiplying it by the outstanding balance of the 2027 Senior Notes. Interest is payable on the 2027 Senior Notes at a rate of 5.125% per annum. Interest on the 2027 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commencing on September 15, 2017. The 2027 Senior Notes will mature on March 15, 2027.
At any time and from time to time prior to December 15, 2026, we may redeem all or part of the 2027 Senior Notes, at a redemption price equal to 100% of their principal amount, plus a “make whole” premium as of the redemption date, and accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date. On or after December 15, 2026, we may redeem all or part of the 2027 Senior Notes at a redemption price equal to 100% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest on the redemption date.
The indenture pursuant to which the 2027 Senior Notes were issued contains customary events of default, including, among other things, payment default, exchange default, failure to provide notices thereunder and provisions related to bankruptcy events. The indenture also contains customary negative covenants.
We were in compliance with the covenants relating to the 2027 Senior Notes as of December 31, 2023.
Other Debt and Other Items
Other debt consists primarily of obligations under capital leases and loans, and unsecured credit facilities. The unsecured credit facilities are primarily used for standby letters of credit issued in connection with general and professional liability insurance programs and for contract performance guarantees. At December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023, these outstanding standby letters of credit totaled $887.6 million and $878.9 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, we had $406.1 million available under these unsecured credit facilities.
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Effective Interest Rate
Our average effective interest rate on our total debt, including the effects of the interest rate swap agreements and interest rate cap agreements during the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was 5.4% and 5.1%, respectively.
Interest expense in the consolidated statements of operations included amortization of deferred debt issuance costs for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 of $1.2 million and $1.2 million, respectively.
Other Commitments
We enter into various joint venture arrangements to provide architectural, engineering, program management, construction management and operations and maintenance services. The ownership percentage of these joint ventures is typically representative of the work to be performed or the amount of risk assumed by each joint venture partner. Some of these joint ventures are considered variable interest entities. We have consolidated all joint ventures for which we have control. For all others, our portion of the earnings is recorded in equity in earnings of joint ventures. See Note 5, Joint Ventures and Variable Interest Entities, in the notes to our consolidated financial statements.
Other than normal property and equipment additions and replacements, expenditures to further the implementation of our various information technology systems, commitments under our incentive compensation programs, amounts we may expend to repurchase stock under our stock repurchase program and acquisitions from time to time and disposition costs, we currently do not have any significant capital expenditures or outlays planned except as described below. However, if we acquire additional businesses in the future or if we embark on other capital-intensive initiatives, additional working capital may be required.
Under our secured revolving credit facility and other facilities discussed in Other Debt and Other Items above, as of December 31, 2023, there was approximately $891.9 million, including both continuing and discontinued operations, outstanding under standby letters of credit primarily issued in connection with general and professional liability insurance programs and for contract performance guarantees. For those projects for which we have issued a performance guarantee, if the project subsequently fails to meet guaranteed performance standards, we may either incur significant additional costs or be held responsible for the costs incurred by the client to achieve the required performance standards.
We recognized on our balance sheet the funded status of our pension benefit plans, measured as the difference between the fair value of plan assets and the projected benefit obligation. At December 31, 2023, our defined benefit pension plans had an aggregate deficit (the excess of projected benefit obligations over the fair value of plan assets) of approximately $157.9 million. The total amounts of employer contributions paid for the three months ended December 31, 2023 were $2.3 million for U.S. plans and $6.2 million for non-U.S. plans. Funding requirements for each plan are determined based on the local laws of the country where such plan resides. In some countries, the funding requirements are mandatory while in other countries, they are discretionary. There is a required minimum contribution for one of our domestic plans; however, we may make additional discretionary contributions. In the future, such pension funding may increase or decrease depending on changes in the levels of interest rates, pension plan performance and other factors. In addition, we have collective bargaining agreements with unions that require us to contribute to various third-party multiemployer plans that we do not control or manage. For the year ended September 30, 2023, we contributed $3.0 million to multiemployer pension plans.
Contractual Obligations
Refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023 for a discussion of our contractual obligations. There have been no changes, outside of the ordinary course of business, to these contractual obligations during the three months ended December 31, 2023.
Condensed Combined Financial Information
The 2027 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a joint and several basis by some of AECOM’s directly and indirectly 100% owned subsidiaries (the Subsidiary Guarantors). Accordingly, AECOM became subject to the requirements of Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X, as amended, regarding financial statements of guarantors and issuers of guaranteed securities. Other than customary restrictions imposed by applicable statutes, there are no restrictions on the ability of the Subsidiary Guarantors to transfer funds to AECOM in the form of cash dividends, loans or advances.
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The following tables present condensed combined summarized financial information for AECOM and the Subsidiary Guarantors. All intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in the presentation of the combined financial statements. Amounts provided do not represent our total consolidated amounts as of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023, and for the three months ended December 31, 2023.
Condensed Combined Balance Sheets
Parent and Subsidiary Guarantors
(unaudited - in millions)
December 31, 2023
September 30, 2023
Current assets
$
2,605.8
$
2,617.7
Non-current assets
3,227.4
3,230.7
Total assets
$
5,833.2
$
5,848.4
Current liabilities
$
2,462.9
$
2,414.4
Non-current liabilities
2,569.5
2,601.6
Total liabilities
$
5,032.4
$
5,016.0
Total stockholders’ equity
800.8
832.4
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$
5,833.2
$
5,848.4
Condensed Combined Statement of Operations
Parent and Subsidiary Guarantors
(unaudited - in millions)
For the three months ended
December 31, 2023
Revenue
$
1,941.9
Cost of revenue
1,825.8
Gross profit
116.1
Net income from continuing operations
13.1
Net loss from discontinued operations
—
Net income
$
13.1
Net income attributable to AECOM
$
13.1
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting
For information regarding recent accounting pronouncements, see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our accounting policies often require management to make significant estimates and assumptions using information available at the time the estimates are made. Such estimates and assumptions significantly affect various reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. If future experience differs significantly from these estimates and assumptions, our results of operations and financial condition could be affected.
The Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of the 2023 Form 10-K, and “Critical Accounting Estimates” in Part II, Item 7 of the 2023 Form 10-K describe the significant accounting policies and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. We have not materially changed our estimation methodology since the 2023 Form 10-K.
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