AssetMark Reports $93.5B Platform Assets for Fourth Quarter 2021


CONCORD, Calif., Feb. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AssetMark Financial Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AMK) today announced financial results for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021.

Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial and Operational Highlights

  • Net income for the quarter was $12.4 million, or $0.17 per share.
  • Adjusted net income for the quarter was $24.7 million, or $0.33 per share, on total revenue of $143.6 million.
  • Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $38.3 million, or 26.7% of total revenue.
  • Platform assets increased 25.5% year-over-year and 7.7% quarter-over-quarter to $93.5 billion, aided by quarterly record net flows of $2.9 billion and market impact net of fees of $3.7 billion. Annual net flows as a percentage of beginning-of-year platform assets were 13.3%.
  • More than 6,800 new households and 215 new producing advisors joined the AssetMark platform during the fourth quarter. In total, as of December 31, 2021 there were over 8,600 advisors (approximately 2,850 were engaged advisors) and over 209,000 investor households on the AssetMark platform.
  • We realized a 24.6% annualized production lift from existing advisors for the fourth quarter, indicating that advisors continued to grow organically and increase wallet share on our platform.

“AssetMark ended 2021 with record results; assets on the platform grew to over $93 billion, and we served more advisors and investor households than ever before. We realized double digit growth for top- and bottom-line financials and expanded margins by 300 bps,” said AssetMark CEO Natalie Wolfsen. “We achieved important milestones that will drive our business forward – most notably, our expansion into the growing RIA channel and our acquisition of the financial planning software provider Voyant. In 2022, we will continue broadening our platform to redefine the advisor experience and deliver value to our clients and shareholders.”

Fourth Quarter 2021 Key Operating Metrics

    
 4Q214Q20Variance
per year
Operational metrics:    
Platform assets (at period-beginning) (millions of dollars)86,82667,25429.1%
Net flows (millions of dollars)2,9491,53392.4%
Market impact net of fees (millions of dollars)3,7135,734(35.2%)
Acquisition impact (millions of dollars)--NM
Platform assets (at period-end) (millions of dollars)93,48874,52025.5%
Net flows lift (% of beginning of year platform assets)4.0%2.5%150 bps
Advisors (at period-end)8,6498,4542.3%
Engaged advisors (at period-end)2,8582,53612.7%
Assets from engaged advisors (at period-end) (millions of dollars)86,38567,30028.4%
Households (at period-end)209,900186,60212.5%
New producing advisors21517721.5%
Production lift from existing advisors (annualized %)24.6%21.3%15.8%
Assets in custody at ATC (at period-end) (millions of dollars)71,32053,87832.4%
ATC client cash (at period-end) (millions of dollars)2,9322,61812.0%
    
Financial metrics:    
Total revenue (millions of dollars)14411129.4%
Net income (loss) (millions of dollars)12.4(9.9)NM
Net income (loss) margin (%)8.6%(8.9%)1750 bps
Capital expenditure (millions of dollars)8.08.0-0.1%
    
Non-GAAP financial metrics:   
Adjusted EBITDA (millions of dollars)38.332.019.7%
Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)26.7%28.9%(220 bps)
Adjusted net income (millions of dollars)24.722.211.3%
Note: Percentage variance based on actual numbers, not rounded results   

 

Note: Percentage variance based on actual numbers, not rounded results

Full Year 2021 Key Operating Metrics

    
 20212020Variance
per year
Operational metrics:    
Platform assets (at period-beginning) (millions of dollars)74,52061,60821.0%
Net flows (millions of dollars)9,9345,48381.2%
Market impact net of fees (millions of dollars)9,0345,36968.3%
Acquisition impact (millions of dollars)-2,060NM
Platform assets (at period-end) (millions of dollars)93,48874,52025.5%
Net flows lift (% of beginning of year platform assets)13.3%8.9%440 bps
Advisors (at period-end)8,6498,4542.3%
Engaged advisors (at period-end)2,8582,53612.7%
Assets from engaged advisors (at period-end) (millions of dollars)86,38567,30028.4%
Households (at period-end)209,900186,60212.5%
New producing advisors8117439.2%
Production lift from existing advisors24.2%19.9%21.7%
Assets in custody at ATC (at period-end) (millions of dollars)71,32053,87832.4%
ATC client cash (at period-end) (millions of dollars)2,9322,61812.0%
    
Financial metrics:    
Total revenue (millions of dollars)53043222.7%
Net income (loss) (millions of dollars)25.7(7.8)NM
Net income (loss) margin (%)4.8%(1.8%)660 bps
Capital expenditure (millions of dollars)34.729.119.2%
    
Non-GAAP financial metrics:   
Adjusted EBITDA (millions of dollars)157.2115.036.6%
Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)29.6%26.6%300 bps
Adjusted net income (millions of dollars)103.373.241.1%
Note: Percentage variance based on actual numbers, not rounded results   

Note: Percentage variance based on actual numbers, not rounded results

Webcast and Conference Call Information

AssetMark will host a live conference call and webcast to discuss its fourth quarter 2021 results. In conjunction with this earnings press release, AssetMark has posted an earnings presentation on its investor relations website at http://ir.assetmark.com. Conference call and webcast details are as follows:

About AssetMark Financial Holdings, Inc. 

AssetMark is a leading provider of extensive wealth management and technology solutions that power independent financial advisors and their clients. Through AssetMark, Inc., its investment advisor subsidiary registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, AssetMark operates a platform that comprises fully integrated technology, personalized and scalable service and curated investment platform solutions designed to make a difference in the lives of advisors and their clients. AssetMark had $93.5 billion in platform assets as of December 31, 2021 and has a history of innovation spanning more than 25 years.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our future financial and operating performance, which involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by terms such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “estimates,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology that conveys uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including our business strategies, our financial performance, investments in new products, services and capabilities and general market, economic and business conditions. Other potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted include, among others, those risks and uncertainties included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our prospectus dated July 17, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on our investor relations website at http://ir.assetmark.com. Additional information will be set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which is expected to be filed in mid-March. All information provided in this release is based on information available to us as of the date of this press release and any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe are reasonable as of this date. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this press release, which are inherently uncertain. We undertake no duty to update this information unless required by law.


AssetMark Financial Holdings, Inc.
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands except share data and par value)
 
  December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
ASSETS        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents $76,707  $70,619 
Restricted cash  13,000   11,000 
Investments, at fair value  14,498   10,577 
Fees and other receivables, net  9,019   8,891 
Income tax receivable, net  6,276   8,596 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets  14,673   13,637 
Total current assets  134,173   123,320 
Property, plant and equipment, net  8,015   7,388 
Capitalized software, net  73,701   68,835 
Other intangible assets, net  709,693   655,736 
Operating lease right-of-use assets  22,469   27,496 
Goodwill  436,821   338,848 
Other assets  2,090   1,965 
Total assets $1,386,962  $1,223,588 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY        
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable $2,613  $2,199 
Accrued liabilities and other current liabilities  56,249   43,694 
Total current liabilities  58,862   45,893 
Long-term debt, net  115,000   75,000 
Other long-term liabilities  16,468   16,302 
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities  28,316   31,820 
Deferred income tax liabilities, net  158,930   149,500 
Total long-term liabilities  318,714   272,622 
Total liabilities  377,576   318,515 
Commitments and contingencies      
Stockholders' equity:        
Common stock, $0.001 par value (675,000,000 shares authorized and 73,562,717 and 72,459,255 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively)  74   72 
Additional paid-in capital  929,070   850,430 
Retained earnings  80,242   54,571 
Total stockholders' equity  1,009,386   905,073 
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $1,386,962  $1,223,588 


AssetMark Financial Holdings, Inc.
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
 
 Three Months Ended
December 31,
 Year Ended
December 31,
 2021 2020 2021 2020
Revenue:              
Asset-based revenue$137,533  $107,854  $512,188  $412,023 
Spread-based revenue 2,055   2,490   8,568   16,618 
Subscriptions based revenue 3,209      6,381    
Other revenue 787   576   3,162   3,438 
Total revenue 143,584   110,920   530,299   432,079 
Operating expenses:              
Asset-based expenses 40,227   34,165   150,836   132,695 
Spread-based expenses 367   545   1,427   2,703 
Employee compensation 45,901   44,821   196,701   176,483 
General and operating expenses 20,342   13,770   72,941   62,466 
Professional fees 7,464   4,473   21,813   15,100 
Depreciation and amortization 8,080   9,300   37,929   35,126 
Total operating expenses 122,381   107,074   481,647   424,573 
Interest expense 953   1,142   3,559   5,588 
Other expenses, net 24   1,692   106   1,687 
Income before income taxes 20,226   1,012   44,987   231 
Provision for income taxes 7,875   10,877   19,316   8,043 
Net income (loss)$12,351  $(9,865)  $25,671  $(7,812) 
Net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders:              
Basic$0.17  $(0.15)  $0.36  $(0.12) 
Diluted$0.17  $(0.15)  $0.35  $(0.12) 
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic 73,242,802   67,810,682   72,137,174   67,361,995 
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, diluted 73,441,555   67,810,682   72,399,213   67,361,995 



AssetMark Financial Holdings, Inc.
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
 
 Three Months Ended
December 31,
 Year Ended
December 31,
 2021 2020 2021 2020
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES               
Net income (loss)$12,351  $(9,865) $25,671  $(7,812)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by
operating activities:
               
Depreciation and amortization 8,080   9,300   37,929   35,126 
Interest 160   150   700   606 
Deferred income taxes (1,784)  (1,299)  (1,558)  (706)
Share-based compensation 5,558   13,796   53,637   53,837 
Debt acquisition cost write-down    1,729      1,729 
Impairment of operating lease right-of-use assets and property, plant, and
equipment
    139      2,520 
Changes in certain assets and liabilities:               
Fees and other receivables, net 757   (1,328)  163   1,525 
Receivables from related party    (101)  (91)  (143)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (2,360)  (2,395)  2,506   2,401 
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other liabilities 7,436   5,626   7,450   (7,534)
Income tax receivable, net 4,878   6,796   2,570   (4,602)
Net cash provided by operating activities 35,076   22,548   128,977   76,947 
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES               
Purchase of Voyant, net of cash received 76      (124,160)   
Purchase of WBI OBS Financial, Inc., net of cash received          (18,561)
Purchase of investments (569)  (488)  (3,004)  (2,384)
Sale of investments 660   28   833   40 
Purchase of property and equipment (855)  (613)  (1,507)  (2,901)
Purchase of computer software (7,129)  (7,414)  (33,145)  (26,164)
Net cash used in investing activities (7,817)  (8,487)  (160,983)  (49,970)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES               
Proceeds from exercise of stock options       94   187 
Payments on long-term debt    (123,750)  (35,000)  (123,750)
Proceeds from credit facility draw down    73,019   75,000   73,019 
Payment of credit facility issuance costs    (155)     (155)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities    (50,886)  40,094   (50,699)
Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash 27,259   (36,825)  8,088   (23,722)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period 62,448   118,444   81,619   105,341 
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period$89,707  $81,619  $89,707  $81,619 


SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION              
Income taxes paid$3,819  $4,649  $19,796  $13,456
Interest paid$958  $984  $2,828  $4,969
Non-cash operating, investing, and financing activities:              
Non-cash changes to right-of-use assets$243  $62  $(933) $38,796
Non-cash changes to lease liabilities$2,109  $62  $933  $40,140
Common stock issued in acquisition of business$  $  $24,910  $

Explanations and Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to our results determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we believe adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted net income, all of which are non-GAAP measures, are useful in evaluating our performance. We use adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted net income to evaluate our ongoing operations and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We believe that such non-GAAP financial information, when taken collectively, may be helpful to investors because it provides consistency and comparability with past financial performance. However, such non-GAAP financial information is presented for supplemental informational purposes only, has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate similarly titled non-GAAP measures differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures as tools for comparison.  

Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures and not rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA (net income plus interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization and less interest income), further adjusted to exclude certain non-cash charges and other adjustments set forth below. Adjusted EBITDA margin is defined as adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenue. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin are useful financial metrics in assessing our operating performance from period to period because they exclude certain items that we believe are not representative of our core business, such as certain material non-cash items and other adjustments such as share-based compensation, strategic initiatives and reorganization and integration costs. We believe that adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin, viewed in addition to, and not in lieu of, our reported GAAP results, provide useful information to investors regarding our performance and overall results of operations for various reasons, including:

  • non-cash equity grants made to employees at a certain price and point in time do not necessarily reflect how our business is performing at any particular time; as such, share-based compensation expense is not a key measure of our operating performance; and
  • costs associated with acquisitions and the resulting integrations, debt refinancing, restructuring, litigation and conversions can vary from period to period and transaction to transaction; as such, expenses associated with these activities are not considered a key measure of our operating performance.

We use adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin:

  • as measures of operating performance;
  • for planning purposes, including the preparation of budgets and forecasts;
  • to allocate resources to enhance the financial performance of our business;
  • to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies;
  • in communications with our board of directors concerning our financial performance; and
  • as considerations in determining compensation for certain employees.

Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin have limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation to, or as substitutes for, analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

  • adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin do not reflect all cash expenditures, future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
  • adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, working capital needs;
  • adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin do not reflect interest expense on our debt or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments; and
  • the definitions of adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin can differ significantly from company to company and as a result have limitations when comparing similarly titled measures across companies.

Set forth below is a reconciliation from net income, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, to adjusted EBITDA for the three months and years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (unaudited).

  Three Months Ended December 31, Three Months Ended December 31,
(in thousands except for percentages) 2021 2020 2021 2020
Net income (loss) $12,351  $(9,865)  8.6%  (8.9)%
Provision for income taxes  7,875   10,877   5.5%  9.8%
Interest income (loss)  (21)  (57)     (0.1)%
Interest expense  953   1,142   0.7%  1.1%
Amortization/depreciation  8,080   9,300   5.6%  8.4%
EBITDA $29,238  $11,397   20.4%  10.3%
Share-based
compensation(1)
  5,558   13,796   3.9%  12.4%
Reorganization and
integration costs(2)
  2,722   2,348   1.9%  2.1%
Acquisition expenses(3)  446   2,320   0.3%  2.1%
Debt acquisition cost
write-down(4)
     1,729      1.6%
Business continuity plan (5)  324   185   0.2%  0.2%
Office closures(6)     276      0.2%
Other expense  24   (38)      
Adjusted EBITDA $38,312   $32,013  26.7%  28.9%


  Year Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands except for percentages) 2021 2020 2021 2020
Net income (loss) $25,671  $(7,812)  4.8%  (1.8)%
Provision for income taxes  19,316   8,043   3.6%  1.9%
Interest income (loss)  (137)  (899)     (0.2)%
Interest expense  3,559   5,588   0.7%  1.3%
Amortization/depreciation  37,929   35,126   7.2%  8.1%
EBITDA $86,338  $40,046   16.3%  9.3%
Share-based
compensation(1)
  53,637   53,837   10.1%  12.4%
Reorganization and
integration costs(2)
  10,816   2,596   2.0%  0.6%
Acquisition expenses(3)  5,682   12,558   1.1%  2.9%
Debt acquisition cost
write-down(4)
     1,729   (—)%  0.4%
Business continuity plan (5)  460   1,568   0.1%  0.4%
Office closures(6)  167   2,755      0.6%
Other expense  106   (42)      
Adjusted EBITDA $157,206  $115,047   29.6%  26.6%

(1) “Share-based compensation” represents granted share-based compensation in the form of Class C Common Units (which are incentive units) of AssetMark Holdings LLC, our former parent company, and RSA, restricted stock unit, stock option, and stock appreciation right grants by us to certain of our directors and employees. Although this expense occurred in each measurement period, we have added the expense back in our calculation of adjusted EBITDA because of its noncash impact.
(2) “Reorganization and integration costs” includes costs related to the departure of our former chief executive officer in March 2021, our functional reorganization within our Operations, Technology and Retirement functions as well as duplicate costs related to the outsourcing of back-office operations functions. While we have incurred such expenses in all periods measured, these expenses serve varied reorganization and integration initiatives, each of which is non-recurring. We do not consider these expenses to be part of our core operations.
(3) “Acquisition expenses” includes employee severance, transition and retention expenses, duplicative general and administrative expenses and other professional fees related to acquisitions.
(4) “Debt acquisition cost write-down” represents capitalized debt issuance costs extinguished due to the repayment of $124 million of our outstanding indebtedness under the Term Loan in July 2019 and repayment of $124 million remaining outstanding indebtedness under the Term Loan in December 2020. The July 2019 repayment was considered a substantial modification and the debt was considered fully extinguished as of December 31, 2020.
(5) “Business continuity plan” includes incremental compensation and other costs that are directly related to operations while transitioning to a remote workforce and other costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(6) “Office closures” represents one-time expenses related to closing facilities.

Set forth below is a summary of the adjustments involved in the reconciliation from net income and net income margin, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, to adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin for the three months for the three months and years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, broken out by compensation and non-compensation expenses (unaudited).

  Three Months Ended December 31, 2021  Three Months Ended December 31, 2020
(in thousands) Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total  Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total
Share-based
compensation(1)
 $5,558  $  $5,558  $13,796  $  $13,796 
Reorganization and
integration costs(2)
  979   1,743   2,722   2,335   13   2,348 
Acquisition expenses(3)  38   408   446   1,164   1,156   2,320 
Debt acquisition cost
write-down(4)
              1,729   1,729 
Business continuity plan (5)  162   162   324      184   184 
Office closures(6)              276   276 
Other expense     24   24      (38)  (38)
Total adjustments to adjusted
EBITDA
 $6,737  $2,337  $9,074  $17,295  $3,320  $20,615 
                        
  Three Months Ended December 31, 2021  Three Months Ended December 31, 2020
(in percentages) Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total  Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total
Share-based
compensation(1)
  3.9%     3.9%  12.4%     12.4%
Reorganization and
integration costs(2)
  0.7%  1.2%  1.9%  2.1%     2.1%
Acquisition expenses(3)     0.3%  0.3%  1.0%  1.0%  2.0%
Debt acquisition cost
write-down(4)
              1.6%  1.6%
Business continuity plan (5)  0.1%  0.1%  0.2%     0.2%  0.2%
Office closures(6)              0.2%  0.2%
Other expense                  
Total adjustments to adjusted
EBITDA margin %
  4.7%  1.6%  6.3%  15.5%  3.0%  18.5%


  Year Ended December 31, 2021  Year Ended December 31, 2020
(in thousands) Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total  Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total
Share-based
compensation(1)
 $53,637  $  $53,637  $53,837  $  $53,837 
Reorganization and
integration costs(2)
  5,396   5,420   10,816   2,585   11   2,596 
Acquisition expenses(3)  1,441   4,241   5,682   6,022   6,536   12,558 
Debt acquisition cost
write-down(4)
              1,729   1,729 
Business continuity plan (5)  174   286   460   1,082   486   1,568 
Office closures(6)     167   167      2,755   2,755 
Other expense     106   106      (42)  (42)
Total adjustments to adjusted
EBITDA
 $60,648  $10,220  $70,868  $63,526  $11,475  $75,001 
                        
  Year Ended December 31, 2021  Year Ended December 31, 2020
(in percentages) Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total  Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total
Share-based
compensation(1)
  10.1%     10.1%  12.4%     12.4%
Reorganization and
integration costs(2)
  1.0%  1.0%  2.0%  0.6%     0.6%
Acquisition expenses(3)  0.2%  0.7%  0.9%  1.4%  1.5%  2.9%
Debt acquisition cost
write-down(4)
              0.4%  0.4%
Business continuity plan (5)           0.3%  0.1%  0.4%
Office closures(6)              0.6%  0.6%
Other expense                  
Total adjustments to adjusted
EBITDA margin %
  11.3%  1.7%  13.0%  14.7%  2.6%  17.3%

(1) “Share-based compensation” represents granted share-based compensation in the form of Class C Common Units (which are incentive units) of AssetMark Holdings LLC, our former parent company, and RSA, restricted stock unit, stock option, and stock appreciation right grants by us to certain of our directors and employees. Although this expense occurred in each measurement period, we have added the expense back in our calculation of adjusted EBITDA because of its noncash impact.
(2) “Reorganization and integration costs” includes costs related to the departure of our former chief executive officer in March 2021, our functional reorganization within our Operations, Technology and Retirement functions as well as duplicate costs related to the outsourcing of back-office operations functions. While we have incurred such expenses in all periods measured, these expenses serve varied reorganization and integration initiatives, each of which is non-recurring. We do not consider these expenses to be part of our core operations.
(3) “Acquisition expenses” includes employee severance, transition and retention expenses, duplicative general and administrative expenses and other professional fees related to acquisitions.
(4) “Debt acquisition cost write-down” represents capitalized debt issuance costs extinguished due to the repayment of $124 million of our outstanding indebtedness under the Term Loan in July 2019 and repayment of $124 million remaining outstanding indebtedness under the Term Loan in December 2020. The July 2019 repayment was considered a substantial modification and the debt was considered fully extinguished as of December 31, 2020.
(5) “Business continuity plan” includes incremental compensation and other costs that are directly related to operations while transitioning to a remote workforce and other costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(6) “Office closures” represents one-time expenses related to closing facilities.

Adjusted Net Income

Adjusted net income represents net income before: (a) share-based compensation expense, (b) amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, (c) acquisition and related integration expenses, (d) restructuring and conversion costs and (e) certain other expenses. Reconciled items are tax effected using the income tax rates in effect for the applicable period, adjusted for any potentially non-deductible amounts. We prepared adjusted net income to eliminate the effects of items that we do not consider indicative of our core operating performance. We have historically not used adjusted net income for internal management reporting and evaluation purposes; however, we believe that adjusted net income, viewed in addition to, and not in lieu of, our reported GAAP results, provides useful information to investors regarding our performance and overall results of operations for various reasons, including
the following:

  • non-cash equity grants made to employees at a certain price and point in time do not necessarily reflect how our business is performing at any particular time; as such, share-based compensation expense is not a key measure of our operating performance;
  • costs associated with acquisitions and related integrations, restructuring and conversions can vary from period to period and transaction to transaction; as such, expenses associated with these activities are not considered a key measure of our operating performance; and
  • amortization expense can vary substantially from company to company and from period to period depending upon each company’s financing and accounting methods, the fair value and average expected life of acquired intangible assets and the method by which assets were acquired; as such, the amortization of intangible assets obtained in acquisitions is not considered a key measure of our operating performance.

Adjusted net income does not purport to be an alternative to net income or cash flows from operating activities. The term adjusted net income is not defined under GAAP, and adjusted net income is not a measure of net income, operating income or any other performance or liquidity measure derived in accordance with GAAP. Therefore, adjusted net income has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation to, or as a substitute for, analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

  • adjusted net income does not reflect all cash expenditures, future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
  • adjusted net income does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, working capital needs; and
  • other companies in the financial services industry may calculate adjusted net income differently than we do, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure.

The schedule set forth below presents the Company’s GAAP results from the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited) for the three and twelve months ended December 30, 2021 and 2020, with certain line items adjusted for the items described above. Included below is also a reconciliation from net income, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, to adjusted net income for the three months and years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (unaudited).

 Three Months Ended
December 31,
  Year Ended
December 31,
 2021  2020  2021  2020
Revenue:              
Asset-based revenue$137,533  $107,854  $512,188  $412,023
Subscription-based revenue 3,209      8,568   16,618
Spread-based revenue 2,055   2,490   6,381   
Other revenue 787   576   3,162   3,438
Total revenue 143,584   110,920   530,299   432,079
Adjusted operating expenses:              
Asset-based expenses 40,227   34,165   150,836   132,695
Spread-based expenses 367   545   1,427   2,703
Adjusted employee compensation (1) 39,163   27,526   136,052   112,957
Adjusted general and operating expenses (1) 18,874   12,273   65,072   53,757
Adjusted professional fees (1) 6,619   4,342   19,568   14,021
Adjusted depreciation and amortization (2) 5,126   4,192   18,790   14,694
Total adjusted operating expenses 110,376   83,043   391,745   330,827
Interest expense 953   1,142   3,559   5,588
Adjusted other expense, net (1)          
Adjusted income before income taxes 32,255   26,735   134,995   95,664
Adjusted provision for income taxes (3) 7,580   4,560   31,723   22,481
Adjusted net income$24,675  $22,175  $103,272  $73,183
Net income per share attributable to common stockholders:              
Adjusted earnings per share$0.33  $0.31  $1.40  $1.01
Adjusted number of common shares outstanding, diluted (4) 74,746,770   72,265,783   73,947,311   72,541,836
Adjusted EBITDA (5)$38,312  $32,013  $157,206  $115,047

(1)   Consists of the adjustments to EBITDA listed in the adjusted EBITDA reconciliation table above.
(2)   Relates to intangible assets established in connection with HTSC’s acquisition of our Company in 2016.
(3)   Consists of the provision for income taxes under US GAAP and the estimated tax impact of expense adjustments and acquisition-related amortization.
(4)   Consists of the outstanding shares at period-end and the full dilutive impact of unvested equity awards which includes restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, stock options and stock appreciation rights.
(5)   Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA (net income plus interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization and less interest income), further adjusted to exclude certain non-cash charges and other adjustments set forth in the ‘Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin’ section above.

Set forth below is a reconciliation from net income, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, to adjusted net income for the three months ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (unaudited).

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Presentation. Three months ended
December 31, 2021
  Three months ended
December 31, 2020
(in thousands) GAAP  Adjustments  Adjusted  GAAP  Adjustments  Adjusted
Revenue:                       
Asset-based revenue $137,533  $  $137,533  $107,854  $  $107,854
Subscription-based revenue  3,209      3,209         
Spread-based revenue  2,055      2,055   2,490      2,490
Other revenue  787      787   576      576
Total revenue  143,584      143,584   110,920      110,920
Operating expenses:                       
Asset-based expenses  40,227      40,227   34,165      34,165
Spread-based expenses  367      367   545      545
Employee compensation (1)  45,901   (6,738)  39,163   44,821   (17,295)  27,526
General and operating expenses (1)  20,342   (1,468)  18,874   13,770   (1,497)  12,273
Professional fees (1)  7,464   (845)  6,619   4,473   (131)  4,342
Depreciation and amortization(2)  8,080   (2,954)  5,126   9,300   (5,108)  4,192
Total operating expenses  122,381   (12,005)  110,376   107,074   (24,031)  83,043
Interest expense  953      953   1,142      1,142
Other income (expense), net (1)  24   (24)     1,692   (1,692)  
Income before income taxes  20,226   12,029   32,255   1,012   25,723   26,735
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (3)  7,875   (295)  7,580   10,877   (6,317)  4,560
Net income $12,351      $24,675  $(9,865)     $22,175

(1)   Consists of the adjustments to EBITDA listed in the adjusted EBITDA reconciliation table above.
(2)   Relates to intangible assets established in connection with HTSC’s acquisition of our Company in 2016.
(3)   Consists of the provision for income taxes under US GAAP and the estimated tax impact of expense adjustments and acquisition-related amortization.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Presentation. Year ended December 31, 2021  Year ended December 31, 2020
(in thousands) GAAP  Adjustments  Adjusted  GAAP  Adjustments  Adjusted
Revenue:                       
Asset-based revenue $512,188  $  $512,188  $412,023  $  $412,023
Spread-based revenue  8,568      8,568   16,618      16,618
Subscription-based revenue  6,381      6,381         
Other revenue  3,162      3,162   3,438      3,438
Total revenue  530,299      530,299   432,079      432,079
Operating expenses:                       
Asset-based expenses  150,836      150,836   132,695      132,695
Spread-based expenses  1,427      1,427   2,703      2,703
Employee compensation (1)  196,701   (60,649)  136,052   176,483   (63,526)  112,957
General and operating expenses (1)  72,941   (7,869)  65,072   62,466   (8,709)  53,757
Professional fees (1)  21,813   (2,245)  19,568   15,100   (1,079)  14,021
Depreciation and amortization(2)  37,929   (19,139)  18,790   35,126   (20,432)  14,694
Total operating expenses  481,647   (89,902)  391,745   424,573   (93,746)  330,827
Interest expense  3,559      3,559   5,588      5,588
Other income (expense), net (1)  106   (106)     1,687   (1,687)  
Income before income taxes  44,987   90,008   134,995   231   95,433   95,664
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (3)  19,316   12,407   31,723   8,043   14,438   22,481
Net income $25,671      $103,272  $(7,812)     $73,183

(1)   Consists of the adjustments to EBITDA listed in the adjusted EBITDA reconciliation table above.
(2)   Relates to intangible assets established in connection with HTSC’s acquisition of our Company in 2016.
(3)   Consists of the provision for income taxes under US GAAP and the estimated tax impact of expense adjustments and acquisition-related amortization.

  Three Months Ended December 31, 2021  Three Months Ended December 31, 2020 
(in thousands) Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total  Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total 
Net income (loss)         $12,351          $(9,865)
Acquisition-related
amortization(1)
 $  $2,954   2,954  $  $5,108   5,108 
Expense adjustments(2)  1,180   2,313   3,493   3,499   1,628   5,127 
Share-based
compensation
  5,558      5,558   13,796      13,796 
Other expenses     24   24      1,692   1,692 
Tax effect of
adjustments(3)
  (277)  572   295   (910)  7,227   6,317 
Adjusted net income         $24,675          $22,175 
                         
  Year Ended December 31, 2021  Year Ended December 31, 2020 
(in thousands) Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total  Compensation  Non-
Compensation
  Total 
Net income (loss)         $25,671          $(7,812)
Acquisition-related
amortization(1)
 $  $19,139   19,139  $  $20,432   20,432 
Expense adjustments(2)  7,012   10,114   17,126   9,689   9,788   19,477 
Share-based
compensation
  53,637      53,637   53,837      53,837 
Other expenses     106   106      1,687   1,687 
Tax effect of
adjustments(3)
  (1,648)  (10,759)  (12,407)  (2,519)  (11,919)  (14,438)
Adjusted net income         $103,272          $73,183 

(1)    Relates to intangible assets established in connection with HTSC’s acquisition of our Company in 2016.
(2)    Consists of the adjustments to EBITDA listed in the adjusted EBITDA reconciliation table above other than share-based compensation.
(3)    Reflects the tax impact of expense adjustments and acquisition-related amortization.

Contacts
Investors:
Taylor J. Hamilton, CFA
Head of Investor Relations
InvestorRelations@assetmark.com 

Media: 
Alaina Kleinman
Head of PR & Communications
alaina.kleinman@assetmark.com

SOURCE: AssetMark Financial Holdings, Inc.