Korn Ferry Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2020 Results of Operations

LOS ANGELES, July 2, 2020  /PRNewswire/ --

Highlights

  • Korn Ferry reports annual fee revenue of $1,932.7 million, essentially flat year-over-year (2.2% increase on a constant currency).
  • Net income attributable to Korn Ferry was $104.9 million in FY'20 with an operating margin of 9.1% and Adjusted EBITDA of $301.0 million and Adjusted EBITDA margin of 15.6%.
  • Fee revenue was $440.5 million in Q4 FY'20, a decrease of 10% (7.9% on a constant currency) as compared to Q4 FY'19.
  • Net loss attributable to Korn Ferry was $0.8 million in Q4 FY'20, with an operating margin of 5.0%.  Adjusted EBITDA was $69.6 million in Q4 FY'20 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 15.8%.
  • Q4 FY'20 diluted loss per share was $0.02 compared to diluted earnings per share of $0.89 in Q4 FY'19. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $0.60 in Q4 FY'20 compared to $0.88 in Q4 FY'19.
  • The Company ended the year with a strong liquidity position with total cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $863 million, and after setting aside amounts for bonus payments and deferred compensation arrangements, investable cash was $532 million.
  • The Company repurchased 0.8 million shares, using $24.4 million of cash during the quarter.  Further, the Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share on July 1, 2020 payable on July 15, 2020 to stockholders of record on July 31, 2020.

Korn Ferry KFY, a global organizational consulting firm, today announced fourth quarter and annual fee revenue of $440.5 million and $1,932.7 million, respectively. In addition, fourth quarter diluted loss per share was $0.02 and adjusted diluted earnings per share was $0.60. Adjusted diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter excludes an aggregate of $33.5 million, or $0.62 per share, of restructuring charges, net due to the corona virus pandemic ("COVID-19"), and integration/acquisition costs, net of tax due to the acquisition of Miller Heiman Group, AchieveForum and Strategy Execution ("acquired companies").

"During the fiscal fourth quarter we generated $441 million in fee revenue, down 10% year-over-year (7.9% at constant currency). Operating margin was 5% and Adjusted EBITDA margin was 15.8%," said Gary D. Burnison, CEO, Korn Ferry.

"As we manage our way through COVID-19, our Korn Ferry colleagues are showing their resilience by quickly pivoting to a different way of working – whether it's from home or the rapid transition to the virtual delivery of our services and solutions to clients.  I'm confident that our offerings are more relevant now than ever before," Burnison added.  "I truly feel that over the next 2 years there will be more change than in the last 10 years.  Different work needs to get done, and work needs to get done differently.  That's an opportunity for our company.  As an organizational consulting firm, Korn Ferry is committed to promoting conscious inclusion – enabling all people and their organizations to exceed their potential – and to exceed potential, people need an abundance of opportunity, development, and sponsorship.  Korn Ferry is the right firm at the right time to help organizations drive performance through change, and I have never been more proud of our company."

Selected Financial Results

(dollars in millions, except per share amounts) (a)





Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Fee revenue



$

440.5



$

490.8



$

1,932.7



$

1,926.0

Total revenue



$

449.0



$

502.5



$

1,977.3



$

1,973.9

Operating income



$

22.2



$

62.3



$

176.0



$

140.8

Operating margin





5.0%





12.7%





9.1%





7.3%

Net (loss) income attributable to Korn Ferry



$

(0.8)



$

50.3



$

104.9



$

102.7

Basic (loss) earnings per share



$

(0.02)



$

0.90



$

1.91



$

1.84

Diluted (loss) earnings per share



$

(0.02)



$

0.89



$

1.90



$

1.81



































EBITDA Results (b):



Fourth Quarter



Year to Date













FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

EBITDA



$

26.3



$

82.2



$

228.5



$

197.7

EBITDA margin





6.0%





16.7%





11.8%





10.3%





































































Adjusted Results (c):



Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Adjusted EBITDA (b)



$

69.6



$

82.2



$

301.0



$

311.0

Adjusted EBITDA margin (b)





15.8%





16.7%





15.6%





16.1%

Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry



$

32.7



$

49.7



$

161.3



$

187.9

Adjusted basic earnings per share



$

0.60



$

0.89



$

2.94



$

3.36

Adjusted diluted earnings per share



$

0.60



$

0.88



$

2.91



$

3.31



























____________________

(a)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.  

(b)

EBITDA refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.  Adjusted EBITDA further adjusts EBITDA to exclude integration/acquisition costs, restructuring charges, net, separation costs and tradename write-offs.  EBITDA, EBITDA margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures (see attached reconciliations).  

(c)

Adjusted results are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following, as applicable (see attached reconciliations):  

















Fourth Quarter



Year to Date













FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Integration/acquisition costs



$

2.8



$



$

12.2



$

6.7

Restructuring charges, net



$

40.5



$



$

58.6



$

Separation costs



$



$



$

1.8



$

Tradename write-offs



$



$



$



$

106.6

Debt refinancing costs



$



$



$

0.8



$

 

Fiscal 2020 Fourth Quarter Results

The Company reported fee revenue in Q4 FY'20 of $440.5 million, a decrease of 10% (decrease of 7.9% on a constant currency basis) compared to Q4 FY'19. The decline in fee revenue was primarily due to the impact of COVID-19 on economies around the world, partially offset by fee revenue generated by the acquired companies in the Digital segment.

Net loss attributable to Korn Ferry was $0.8 million in Q4 FY'20 as compared to net income attributable to Korn Ferry of $50.3 million in Q4 FY'19. The change from net income to a net loss attributable to Korn Ferry was primarily due to a decline in fee revenue and restructuring charges incurred in Q4 FY'20 in reaction to the impact of COVID-19, offset by decreases in compensation and benefits expense and income tax expense.

Operating margin was 5.0% in Q4 FY'20 compared to 12.7% in the year-ago quarter.  The decrease in operating margin was primarily due to restructuring charges, net associated with the impact of COVID-19 and the decline in fee revenue in Q4 FY'20.

Adjusted EBITDA margin was 15.8%, compared to 16.7% in the year-ago quarter.

Fiscal 2020 Results

The Company reported fee revenue in FY'20 of $1,932.7 million, essentially flat when compared to FY'19. Although fee revenue was essentially flat, there was a change in mix with an increase in Digital due to fee revenue generated by the acquired companies and an organic increase in RPO and Professional Search, offset by decreases in fee revenue in Executive Search and Consulting.

Net income attributable to Korn Ferry was $104.9 million in FY'20 as compared to $102.7 million in FY'19. The increase in net income attributable to Korn Ferry was primarily due to a decrease in general and administrative expenses (due to trade name write-offs in FY'19), offset by increases in restructuring charges, net and in the Company's effective income tax rate.

Operating income was $176.0 million in FY'20 with an operating margin of 9.1% compared to $140.8 million and 7.3% in FY'19. The increase in operating income was primarily due to decreases in general and administrative expenses (due to trade name write-offs in FY'19) and compensation and benefits expense, partially offset by restructuring charges incurred in FY'20 associated with the impact of COVID-19 and the acquisition of the acquired companies.

Adjusted EBITDA was $301.0 million in FY'20 with Adjusted EBITDA margin of 15.6%, compared to $311.0 million and 16.1%, respectively, in the year-ago period.  

Results by Segment

Selected Consulting Data
(a)

(dollars in millions) (b)





Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Fee revenue



$

121.0



$

144.4



$

543.1



$

568.3

Total revenue



$

123.4



$

148.7



$

557.3



$

585.9

Operating (loss) income



$

(6.6)



$

13.3



$

17.7



$

(34.1)

Operating margin





(5.4%)





9.2%





3.3%





(6.0%)



























Ending number of consultants and execution staff (c)





1,671





1,881





1,671





1,881

Hours worked in thousands (d)





415



439





1,758





1,703

Average billed rate (e)



$

292



$

329



$

309



$

334



































EBITDA Results (f):



Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

EBITDA



$

(2.3)



$

18.4



$

36.6



$

(15.7)

EBITDA margin





(1.9%)





12.7%





6.7%





(2.8%)



































Adjusted Results (g):



Fourth Quarter



Year to Date













FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Adjusted EBITDA (f)



$

11.1



$

18.4



$

61.1



$

66.5

Adjusted EBITDA margin (f)





9.2%





12.7%





11.2%





11.7%



































____________________

(a)

In fiscal 2020, the Company changed the composition of its global segments.  Consulting segment represents the consulting business that was previously included in the Advisory segment.  Segment data for Q4 FY'19 and YTD FY'19 have been recast to reflect the division of the Advisory segment into the Consulting and Digital segments.  

(b)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.  

(c)

Represents number of employees originating, delivering and executing consulting services.  

(d)

Represents the number of hours worked by consultant and execution staff during the period.  

(e)

Represents the amount of fee revenue divided by the number of hours worked by consultants and executive staff.  

(f)

EBITDA, EBITDA margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures (see attached reconciliations).  

(g)

Adjusted results are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following (see attached reconciliations):  















































Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Integration/acquisition costs



$



$



$



$

5.3

Restructuring charges, net



$

13.4



$



$

24.5



$

Tradename write-offs



$



$



$



$

77.0

Reflecting the impact of COVID-19, fee revenue was $121.0 million in Q4 FY'20 compared to $144.4 million in Q4 FY'19, a decrease of $23.4 million or 16% (decrease of 14% on a constant currency basis).

Operating loss was $6.6 million in Q4 FY'20 with an operating margin of (5.4%) compared to operating income of $13.3 million and an operating margin of 9.2%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter. The decrease in operating income was primarily due to restructuring charges, net incurred in Q4 FY'20 associated with the impact of COVID-19 and a decline in fee revenue, partially offset by decreases in compensation and benefits expense, general and administrative expenses and cost of services expense.

Adjusted EBITDA was $11.1 million in Q4 FY'20 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 9.2% compared to $18.4 million and 12.7%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter.

Selected Digital Data (a)

(dollars in millions) (b)

Digital is an integrated platform that gives clients direct access to people and organizational data, insights, analytics, and digital assets that when used together, give clients a common language for all talent matters.





Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Fee revenue



$

69.3



$

62.7



$

292.4



$

252.7

Total revenue



$

69.9



$

62.7



$

294.3



$

252.7

Operating income



$

5.9



$

16.7



$

46.9



$

39.7

Operating margin





8.5%





26.6%





16.0%





15.7%



























Ending number of consultants





421





350





421





350

Subscription & License fee revenue



$

20.9



$

14.6



$

73.5



$

57.2





































































EBITDA Results (c):



Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

EBITDA



$

11.9



$

20.6



$

66.7



$

53.6

EBITDA margin





17.2%





32.8%





22.8%





21.2%



























Adjusted Results (d):



Fourth Quarter



Year to Date













FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Adjusted EBITDA (c)



$

17.0



$

20.6



$

83.1



$

84.5

Adjusted EBITDA margin (c)





24.5%





32.8%





28.4%





33.4%

____________________

(a)

In the fiscal 2020, the Company changed the composition of its global segments.  Digital segment represents the products business that was previously included in the Advisory segment.  Segment data for Q4 FY'19 and YTD FY'19 have been recast to reflect the division of the Advisory segment into the Consulting and Digital segments.  

(b)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.  

(c)

EBITDA, EBITDA margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures (see attached reconciliations).  

(d)

Adjusted results are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following (see attached reconciliations):  















































Fourth Quarter



Year to Date













FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Integration/acquisition costs



$

1.6



$



$

5.9



$

1.3

Restructuring charges, net



$

3.4



$



$

10.5



$

Tradename write-offs



$



$



$



$

29.6

Fee revenue was $69.3 million in Q4 FY'20 compared to $62.7 million in Q4 FY'19, an increase of $6.6 million or 11% (14% increase on a constant currency basis). The increase in fee revenue was primarily due to fee revenue generated by the acquired companies.

Operating income was $5.9 million in Q4 FY'20 with an operating margin of 8.5% compared to $16.7 million and an operating margin of 26.6% in the year-ago quarter. The decrease in operating income was due to an increase in operating expenses associated with the acquisition of the acquired companies in addition to restructuring charges, net incurred in Q4 FY'20 associated with the impact of COVID-19, partially offset by higher fee revenue.

Adjusted EBITDA was $17.0 million in Q4 FY'20 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 24.5% compared to $20.6 million and 32.8%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter.

Selected Executive Search Data

(dollars in millions) (a)





Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Fee revenue



$

167.9



$

190.9



$

732.5



$

774.8

Total revenue



$

171.2



$

195.3



$

749.2



$

793.4

Operating income



$

37.4



$

42.0



$

156.9



$

179.1

Operating margin





22.3%





22.0%





21.4%





23.1%



























Ending number of consultants





556





565





556





565

Average number of consultants





569





558





560





553

Engagements billed





3,424





3,943





9,722





10,318

New engagements (b)





1,229





1,717





6,064





6,790



































EBITDA Results (c):



Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

EBITDA



$

29.9



$

49.7



$

161.7



$

193.8

EBITDA margin





17.8%





26.0%





22.1%





25.0%



































Adjusted Results (d):



Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Adjusted EBITDA (c)



$

47.5



$

49.7



$

181.1



$

193.8

Adjusted EBITDA margin (c)





28.3%





26.0%





24.7%





25.0%

____________________

(a)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.  

(b)

Represents new engagements opened in the respective period.  

(c)

EBITDA, EBITDA margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures (see attached reconciliations).  

(d)

Adjusted results are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following (see attached reconciliations):  















































Fourth Quarter



Year to Date













FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Restructuring charges, net



$

17.5



$



$

17.5



$

Separation costs



$



$



$

1.8



$

Fee revenue was $167.9 million and $190.9 million in Q4 FY'20 and Q4 FY'19, respectively, a decrease of $23.0 million or 12% (decrease of 10% on a constant currency basis).  The decrease in fee revenue was attributable to a decline in fee revenue in all regions due to the decrease in demand for our products and services as a result of the worldwide economic downturn associated with COVID-19.

Operating income was $37.4 million in Q4 FY'20 compared to $42.0 million in Q4 FY'19.  Operating margin was 22.3% in Q4 FY'20 compared to 22.0% in the year-ago quarter.  The decrease in operating income was mainly due to a decrease in fee revenue and restructuring charges, net incurred in Q4 FY'20 associated with the impact of COVID-19, partially offset by decreases in compensation and benefits expense (due to lower performance related bonus expense and a decrease in expenses associated with our deferred compensation and retirement plans) and general and administrative expenses in Q4 FY'20 compared to the year-ago quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA was $47.5 million in Q4 FY'20 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 28.3% compared to $49.7 million and 26.0%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter.

Selected RPO and Professional Search Data

(dollars in millions) (a)





Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Fee revenue



$

82.4



$

92.8



$

364.8



$

330.1

Total revenue



$

84.5



$

95.8



$

376.6



$

341.9

Operating income



$

6.2



$

14.5



$

50.4



$

50.9

Operating margin





7.5%





15.7%





13.8%





15.4%



























Engagements billed (b)





1,206





1,409





3,641





3,595

New engagements (c)





573





781





2,744





2,935



































EBITDA Results (d):



Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

EBITDA



$

7.0



$

15.6



$

54.4



$

54.4

EBITDA margin





8.5%





16.9%





14.9%





16.5%



































Adjusted Results (e):



Fourth Quarter



Year to Date





FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Adjusted EBITDA (d)



$

12.7



$

15.6



$

60.2



$

54.4

Adjusted EBITDA margin (d)





15.4%





16.9%





16.5%





16.5%

____________________

(a)

Numbers may not total due to rounding.  

(b)

Represents professional search engagements billed.  

(c)

Represents new professional search engagements opened in the respective period.  

(d)

EBITDA, EBITDA margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures (see attached reconciliations).  

(e)

Adjusted results are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following (see attached reconciliations):  















































Fourth Quarter



Year to Date













FY'20



FY'19



FY'20



FY'19

Restructuring charges, net



$

5.7



$



$

5.7



$



































Fee revenue was $82.4 million in Q4 FY'20, a decrease of $10.4 million or 11% (decrease of 9% on a constant currency basis), compared to the year-ago quarter. The lower fee revenue resulted from the impact of COVID-19 and was driven by a decrease in fee revenue in recruitment process outsourcing and professional search of $6.2 million and $4.2 million, respectively, in Q4 FY'20 compared to Q4 FY'19.

Operating income was $6.2 million in Q4 FY'20, a decrease of $8.3 million compared to Q4 FY'19 operating income of $14.5 million.  Operating margin was 7.5% in Q4 FY'20 compared to 15.7% in the year-ago quarter. The decrease in operating income was due to lower fee revenue in Q4 FY'20 compared to Q4 FY'19 and restructuring charges, net incurred in Q4 FY'20 associated with the impact of COVID-19. This was partially offset by a decrease in compensation and benefits expense due to lower performance related bonus expense, offset by an increase in salaries and related payroll taxes driven by an 8% increase in average headcount during the quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA was $12.7 million during Q4 FY'20, a decrease of $2.9 million compared to Q4 FY'19. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 15.4% in Q4 FY'20 and 16.9% in Q4 FY'19.

Outlook

Although COVID-19 has been with us for a number of months, significant uncertainty about its ultimate impact on society and the global economic environment remains. The pandemic has spread across the globe, infecting different parts of the world at varying points in time and with varying levels of intensity. The response, out of necessity, has been conducted in large part at a very local level, with societies and economies closing and reopening at different points in time and in different ways. Further, the pandemic has had a profound and unprecedented impact on traditional behavior and societal norms. Governments and companies have mandated never before seen rules regarding working from home, social distancing, and workplace safety, and have severely restricted travel and in-person interaction. 

As the world begins to slowly and sporadically reopen, we are seeing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in a number of geographies. The extent to which measures taken are reinstated and new and incremental measures are put in place, and the manner in which authoritative bodies continue to respond, remains a major unknown. While our clients and colleagues are demonstrating real resiliency as they find new and different ways of working together (including the adoption of virtual delivery of our services and solutions), the unprecedented nature of what we are currently experiencing, combined with conflicting and ever-changing datapoints, continues to cloud the near-term predictability of our business. Consequently, and consistent with our approach to the fourth quarter of FY'20, we will not issue any specific revenue or earnings guidance for the first quarter of FY'21. We plan to reassess the suspension of our guidance once we are comfortable that the coronavirus uncertainties have largely passed.

Earnings Conference Call Webcast

The earnings conference call will be held today at 12:00 PM (EDT) and hosted by CEO Gary Burnison, CFO Robert Rozek and SVP Finance Gregg Kvochak. The conference call will be webcast and available online at ir.kornferry.com.  We will also post to this section of our website earnings slides, which will accompany our webcast, and other important information, and encourage you to review the information that we make available on our website.

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. We help clients synchronize strategy and talent to drive superior performance. We work with organizations to design their structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people to bring their strategy to life. And we advise them on how to reward, develop, and motivate their people. Visit kornferry.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release and our conference call that relate to future results and events ("forward-looking statements") are based on Korn Ferry's current expectations.  These statements, which include words such as "believes", "expects" or "likely", include references to our outlook as well as the expected benefits of the acquisition of the acquired companies (as defined below, the timing and expected benefits of our recently adopted restructuring plan and the magnitude and duration of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business, employees, customers and our ability to provide services in affected regions.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements.  Actual results in future periods may differ materially from those currently expected or desired because of a number of risks and uncertainties that are beyond the control of Korn Ferry.  The potential risks and uncertainties include those relating to the magnitude and duration of the negative impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business, employees, customers and our ability to provide services in affected regions, global and local political or economic developments in or affecting countries where we have operations, competition, changes in demand for our services as a result of automation, the dependence on and costs of attracting and retaining qualified and experienced consultants, our ability to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain key employees, maintaining our brand name and professional reputation, potential legal liability and regulatory developments, the portability of client relationships, consolidation of the industries we serve, currency fluctuations in our international operations, risks related to growth, alignment of our cost structure, restrictions imposed by off-limits agreements, reliance on information processing systems, cyber security vulnerabilities, changes to data security, data privacy and data protection laws, limited protection of our intellectual property, our ability to enhance and develop new technology, our ability to develop new products and services, the utilization and billing rates of our consultants, dependence on third parties for the execution of critical functions, our ability to successfully recover from a disaster or other business continuity problems, changes in our accounting estimates/assumptions, technical guidance relating to the Tax Act, impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, deferred tax assets that we may not be able to use, our indebtedness, the phase-out of the London Interbank Offered Rate, expansion of social media platforms, seasonality, ability to effect acquisition and integrate recently acquired companies, including those of Miller Heiman Group, AchieveForum, and Strategy Execution (collectively, the "acquired companies"); the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of the acquired companies; the costs related to the acquisition of the acquired companies and employment liability risk.  For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties that could cause differences, please refer to Korn Ferry's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Korn Ferry disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial information calculated other than in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP").  In particular, it includes:

  • Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry, adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, restructuring charges, separation costs, tradename write-offs, and debt refinancing costs, net of income tax effect;
  • Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share, adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, restructuring charges, separation costs, tradename write-offs, and debt refinancing costs, net of income tax effect;
  • Constant currency (calculated using a quarterly average) percentages that represent the percentage change that would have resulted had exchange rates in the prior period been the same as those in effect in the current period;
  • EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and EBITDA margin;
  • Adjusted EBITDA, which is EBITDA further adjusted to exclude integration/acquisition costs, restructuring charges, separation costs and tradename write-offs and Adjusted EBITDA margin; and
  • Investable cash represents the amount of funds available to the Company after taking into consideration the accrued bonus that will be paid and the amount set aside for deferred compensation.

This non-GAAP disclosure has limitations as an analytical tool, should not be viewed as a substitute for financial information determined in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company's results as reported under GAAP, nor is it necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies.

Management believes the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures in this press release provides meaningful supplemental information regarding Korn Ferry's performance by excluding certain charges that may not be indicative of Korn Ferry's ongoing operating results.  These non-GAAP financial measures are performance measures and are not indicative of the liquidity of Korn Ferry.  These charges, which are described in the footnotes in the attached reconciliations, represent 1) costs we incurred to acquire and integrate a portion of our Digital business, 2) charges we incurred to restructure the Company as a result of COVID-19 and due to acquisition of the acquired companies, 3) separation costs, 4) tradename write-offs associated with the rebranding plan initiated by Korn Ferry and 5) debt refinancing costs.  The use of non-GAAP financial measures facilitates comparisons to Korn Ferry's historical performance.  Korn Ferry includes non-GAAP financial measures because management believes they are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its evaluation of Korn Ferry's ongoing operations and financial and operational decision-making.  Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry, adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share and Adjusted EBITDA, exclude certain charges that management does not consider on-going in nature and allows management and investors to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company's operating results.  Management further believes that EBITDA is useful to investors because it is frequently used by investors and other interested parties to measure operating performance among companies with different capital structures, effective tax rates and tax attributes and capitalized asset values, all of which can vary substantially from company to company.  Investable cash provides useful information surrounding the Company's liquidity position since it is the amount of funds the Company has available to fund its operations after taking into account accrued bonuses that will be paid and the amount set aside for payments on deferred compensation plans.  In the case of constant currency percentages, management believes the presentation of such information provides useful supplemental information regarding Korn Ferry's performance as excluding the impact of exchange rate changes on Korn Ferry's financial performance allows investors to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company's operating results, to better identify operating trends that may otherwise be masked or distorted by exchange rate changes and to perform related trend analysis, and provides a higher degree of transparency of information used by management in its evaluation of Korn Ferry's ongoing operations and financial and operational decision-making. 

[Tables attached]

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATION

 (in thousands, except per share amounts)



























Three Months Ended



Year Ended





April 30,



April 30,





2020



2019



2020



2019































(unaudited)









 Fee revenue



$

440,469



$

490,756



$

1,932,732



$

1,926,033

 Reimbursed out-of-pocket engagement expenses





8,507





11,779





44,598





47,829

           Total revenue





448,976





502,535





1,977,330





1,973,862



























 Compensation and benefits





283,519





331,665





1,297,994





1,311,240

 General and administrative expenses





59,786





64,350





258,957





351,991

 Reimbursed expenses





8,507





11,779





44,598





47,829

 Cost of services





19,515





20,467





85,886





75,487

 Depreciation and amortization





14,956





11,999





55,311





46,489

 Restructuring charges, net





40,466





-





58,559





-

           Total operating expenses





426,749





440,260





1,801,305





1,833,036



























 Operating income





22,227





62,275





176,025





140,826

 Other (loss) income, net





(10,893)





7,922





(2,879)





10,405

 Interest expense, net





(6,998)





(4,169)





(22,184)





(16,891)

        Income before provision for income taxes





4,336





66,028





150,962





134,340

 Income tax provision





4,957





15,401





43,945





29,544

 Net (loss) income





(621)





50,627





107,017





104,796

           Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest





(181)





(363)





(2,071)





(2,145)

 Net (loss) income attributable to Korn Ferry



$

(802)



$

50,264



$

104,946



$

102,651



























 (Loss) earnings per common share attributable to Korn Ferry:

























      Basic



$

(0.02)



$

0.90



$

1.91



$

1.84

      Diluted



$

(0.02)



$

0.89



$

1.90



$

1.81



























 Weighted-average common shares outstanding:

























      Basic





53,534





55,173





54,342





55,311

      Diluted





53,534





55,666





54,767





56,096



























 Cash dividends declared per share:



$

0.10



$

0.10



$

0.40



$

0.40

 

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

FINANCIAL SUMMARY BY SEGMENT

(in thousands)

(unaudited)



















Three Months Ended April 30,



Year Ended April 30,







2020









2019



% Change



2020









2019



% Change





















































Fee revenue:

















































Consulting



$

120,992









$

144,363





(16.2%)



$

543,095









$

568,321





(4.4%)

Digital





69,269











62,719





10.4%





292,366











252,727





15.7%

Executive Search:

















































          North America



102,196











113,651





(10.1%)





434,624











455,826





(4.7%)

          EMEA



39,662











45,307





(12.5%)





170,314











182,829





(6.8%)

          Asia Pacific



19,737











24,373





(19.0%)





98,132











104,291





(5.9%)

          Latin America



6,260











7,557





(17.2%)





29,400











31,896





(7.8%)

Total Executive Search





167,855











190,888





(12.1%)





732,470











774,842





(5.5%)

RPO and Professional Search





82,353











92,786





(11.2%)





364,801











330,143





10.5%

          Total fee revenue



440,469











490,756





(10.2%)





1,932,732











1,926,033





0.3%

Reimbursed out-of-pocket engagement expenses





8,507











11,779





(27.8%)





44,598











47,829





(6.8%)

          Total revenue

$

448,976









$

502,535





(10.7%)



$

1,977,330









$

1,973,862





0.2%





















































Operating (loss) income:









Margin









Margin









Margin









Margin

Consulting



$

(6,577)





(5.4%)



$

13,316





9.2%



$

17,695





3.3%



$

(34,115)





(6.0%)

Digital





5,873





8.5%





16,675





26.6%





46,909





16.0%





39,732





15.7%

Executive Search:

















































          North America



32,826





32.1%





28,316





24.9%





113,080





26.0%





120,754





26.5%

          EMEA



2,619





6.6%





8,161





18.0%





21,085





12.4%





29,974





16.4%

          Asia Pacific



48





0.2%





5,027





20.6%





17,914





18.3%





24,364





23.4%

          Latin America



1,861





29.7%





538





7.1%





4,860





16.5%





3,998





12.5%

Total Executive Search





37,354





22.3%





42,042





22.0%





156,939





21.4%





179,090





23.1%

RPO and Professional Search





6,159





7.5%





14,547





15.7%





50,438





13.8%





50,884





15.4%

Corporate





(20,582)











(24,305)











(95,956)











(94,765)







          Total operating income

$

22,227





5.0%



$

62,275





12.7%



$

176,025





9.1%



$

140,826





7.3%

 

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)















April 30,



April 30,





2020



2019















ASSETS













Cash and cash equivalents



$

689,244



$

626,360

Marketable securities





41,951





8,288

Receivables due from clients, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $23,795 and $21,582 at April 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively





397,165





404,857

Income taxes and other receivables





38,755





26,767

Unearned compensation





43,117





42,003

Prepaid expenses and other assets





26,851





28,535

Total current assets





1,237,083





1,136,810















Marketable securities, non-current





132,134





132,463

Property and equipment, net





142,728





131,505

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net





195,077





-

Cash surrender value of company-owned life insurance policies, net of loans





146,408





126,000

Deferred income taxes





55,479





43,220

Goodwill





613,943





578,298

Intangible assets, net





111,926





82,948

Unearned compensation, non-current





79,510





80,924

Investments and other assets





29,540





22,684

Total assets



$

2,743,828



$

2,334,852















LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY













Accounts payable



$

45,684



$

39,156

Income taxes payable





21,158





21,145

Compensation and benefits payable





280,911





328,610

Operating lease liability, current





54,851





-

Other accrued liabilities





221,603





162,047

Total current liabilities





624,207





550,958















Deferred compensation and other retirement plans





289,136





257,635

Operating lease liability, non-current





180,766





-

Long-term debt





394,144





222,878

Deferred tax liabilities





1,056





1,103

Other liabilities





30,828





58,891

Total liabilities





1,520,137





1,091,465















Stockholders' equity













Common stock: $0.01 par value, 150,000 shares authorized, 73,205 and 72,442 shares issued and 54,450 and 56,431 shares outstanding at April 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively





585,560





656,463

Retained earnings





742,993





660,845

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net





(107,172)





(76,652)

Total Korn Ferry stockholders' equity





1,221,381





1,240,656

Noncontrolling interest





2,310





2,731

Total stockholders' equity





1,223,691





1,243,387

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity



$

2,743,828



$

2,334,852

 

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

(in thousands, except per share amounts)











Three Months Ended



Year Ended



April 30,



April 30,



2020



2019



2020



2019



























(unaudited)









 Net (loss) income attributable to Korn Ferry

$

(802)



$

50,264



$

104,946



$

102,651

 Net income attributable to non-controlling interest



181





363





2,071





2,145

      Net (loss) income



(621)





50,627





107,017





104,796

 Income tax provision



4,957





15,401





43,945





29,544

      Income before provision for income taxes



4,336





66,028





150,962





134,340

 Other loss (income), net



10,893





(7,922)





2,879





(10,405)

 Interest expense, net



6,998





4,169





22,184





16,891

      Operating income



22,227





62,275





176,025





140,826

 Depreciation and amortization



14,956





11,999





55,311





46,489

 Other (loss) income, net



(10,893)





7,922





(2,879)





10,405

         EBITDA



26,290





82,196





228,457





197,720

 Integration/acquisition costs (1)



2,833





-





12,152





6,746

 Restructuring charges, net (2)



40,466





-





58,559





-

 Separation costs (3)



-





-





1,783





-

 Tradename write-offs (4)



-





-





-





106,555

         Adjusted EBITDA

$

69,589



$

82,196



$

300,951



$

311,021

























 Operating margin



5.0%





12.7%





9.1%





7.3%

 Depreciation and amortization



3.4%





2.4%





2.8%





2.4%

 Other (loss) income, net



(2.4%)





1.6%





(0.1%)





0.6%

         EBITDA margin



6.0%





16.7%





11.8%





10.3%

 Integration/acquisition costs (1)



0.6%





-





0.7%





0.4%

 Restructuring charges, net (2)



9.2%





-





3.0%





-

 Separation costs (3)



-





-





0.1%





-

 Tradename write-offs (4)



-





-





-





5.4%

         Adjusted EBITDA margin



15.8%





16.7%





15.6%





16.1%

























 Net (loss) income attributable to Korn Ferry

$

(802)



$

50,264



$

104,946



$

102,651

 Integration/acquisition costs (1)



2,833





-





12,152





6,746

 Restructuring charges, net (2)



40,466





-





58,559





-

 Separation costs (3)



-





-





1,783





-

 Tradename write-offs (4)



-





-





-





106,555

 Debt refinancing costs (5)



-





-





828





-

 Tax effect on the adjusted items (6)



(9,819)





(598)





(16,938)





(28,094)

         Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry

$

32,678



$

49,666



$

161,330



$

187,858

























 Basic (loss) earnings per common share

$

(0.02)



$

0.90



$

1.91



$

1.84

 Integration/acquisition costs (1)



0.05





-





0.22





0.12

 Restructuring charges, net (2)



0.75





-





1.07





-

 Separation costs (3)



-





-





0.03





-

 Tradename write-offs (4)



-





-





-





1.93

 Debt refinancing costs (5)



-





-





0.02





-

 Tax effect on the adjusted items (6)



(0.18)





(0.01)





(0.31)





(0.53)

         Adjusted basic earnings per share

$

0.60



$

0.89



$

2.94



$

3.36

























 Diluted (loss) earnings per common share

$

(0.02)



$

0.89



$

1.90



$

1.81

 Integration/acquisition costs (1)



0.05





-





0.22





0.12

 Restructuring charges, net (2)



0.75





-





1.06





-

 Separation costs (3)



-





-





0.03





-

 Tradename write-offs (4)



-





-





-





1.88

 Debt refinancing costs (5)



-





-





0.01





-

 Tax effect on the adjusted items (6)



(0.18)





(0.01)





(0.31)





(0.50)

         Adjusted diluted earnings per share

$

0.60



$

0.88



$

2.91



$

3.31



 Explanation of Non-GAAP Adjustments

(1)

Costs associated with current and previous acquisitions, such as legal and professional fees, retention awards and the on-going integration expenses to combine the companies.

(2)

Restructuring charges we incurred to rationalize our cost structure by eliminating redundant positions as a result of COVID-19 and due to the acquisition of Miller Heiman Group, AchieveForum and Strategy Execution on November 1, 2019.

(3)

Costs associated with certain senior management separation charges.

(4)

The Company implemented a plan to go to market under a single, master brand architecture to simplify the Company's organizational structure by eliminating and/or consolidating certain legal entities and implemented a rebranding of the Company to offer the Company's current products and services using the "Korn Ferry" name, branding and trademarks. As a result of this the Company was required under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles to record a one-time, non-cash tradename write-offs.

(5)

Costs to write-off debt issuance costs and interest rate swap as a result of replacing our prior Credit Agreement with a new senior secured Credit Agreement.

(6)

Tax effect on integration/acquisition costs, restructuring charges, net, separation costs, tradename write-offs and write-off of debt issuance cost.

 

 KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF NET (LOSS) INCOME AND OPERATING INCOME (GAAP) TO

EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (NON-GAAP)

(in thousands)

(unaudited)



.



Three Months Ended April 30, 2020

















Executive Search







Consulting



Digital



North America



EMEA



Asia Pacific



Latin America



Subtotal



RPO and Professional Search



Corporate



Consolidated































































Fee revenue



$

120,992



$

69,269



$

102,196



$

39,662



$

19,737



$

6,260



$

167,855



$

82,353



$

-



$

440,469

Total revenue



$

123,423



$

69,890



$

104,775



$

40,148



$

20,008



$

6,282



$

171,213



$

84,450



$

-



$

448,976































































Net loss attributable to Korn Ferry

























































$

(802)

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest



























































181

Other loss net



























































10,893

Interest expense, net



























































6,998

Income tax provision



























































4,957

Operating (loss) income



$

(6,577)



$

5,873



$

32,826



$

2,619



$

48



$

1,861



$

37,354



$

6,159



$

(20,582)





22,227

Depreciation and amortization





4,379





6,105





835





385





307





244





1,771





945





1,756





14,956

Other loss, net





(143)





(43)





(8,791)





(9)





(182)





(198)





(9,180)





(134)





(1,393)





(10,893)

EBITDA





(2,341)





11,935





24,870





2,995





173





1,907





29,945





6,970





(20,219)





26,290

EBITDA margin





(1.9%)





17.2%





24.3%





7.6%





0.9%





30.5%





17.8%





8.5%











6.0%































































Integration/acquisition costs





-





1,605





-





-





-





-





-





-





1,228





2,833

Restructuring, charges, net





13,443





3,449





7,244





6,347





3,649





309





17,549





5,742





283





40,466

Adjusted EBITDA



$

11,102



$

16,989



$

32,114



$

9,342



$

3,822



$

2,216



$

47,494



$

12,712



$

(18,708)



$

69,589

Adjusted EBITDA margin





9.2%





24.5%





31.4%





23.6%





19.4%





35.4%





28.3%





15.4%











15.8%

































































































































Three Months Ended April 30, 2019

















Executive Search























Consulting



Digital



North America



EMEA



Asia Pacific



Latin America



Subtotal



RPO and Professional Search



Corporate



Consolidated

Fee revenue



$

144,363



$

62,719



$

113,651



$

45,307



$

24,373



$

7,557



$

190,888



$

92,786



$

-



$

490,756

Total revenue



$

148,658



$

62,719



$

116,939



$

46,107



$

24,726



$

7,572



$

195,344



$

95,814



$

-



$

502,535































































Net income attributable to Korn Ferry

























































$

50,264

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest



























































363

Other income, net



























































(7,922)

Interest expense, net



























































4,169

Income tax provision



























































15,401

Operating income (loss)



$

13,316



$

16,675



$

28,316



$

8,161



$

5,027



$

538



$

42,042



$

14,547



$

(24,305)





62,275

Depreciation and amortization





3,953





3,402





973





387





345





105





1,810





930





1,904





11,999

Other income, net





1,096





481





5,553





44





163





59





5,819





165





361





7,922

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA



$

18,365



$

20,558



$

34,842



$

8,592



$

5,535



$

702



$

49,671



$

15,642



$

(22,040)



$

82,196

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin





12.7%





32.8%





30.7%





19.0%





22.7%





9.3%





26.0%





16.9%











16.7%

 

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME AND OPERATING INCOME (GAAP) TO

EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (NON-GAAP)

(in thousands)











Year Ended April 30, 2020

















Executive Search























Consulting



Digital



North America



EMEA



Asia Pacific



Latin America



Subtotal



RPO and Professional Search



Corporate



Consolidated































































Fee revenue



$

543,095



$

292,366



$

434,624



$

170,314



$

98,132



$

29,400



$

732,470



$

364,801



$

-



$

1,932,732

Total revenue



$

557,255



$

294,261



$

447,528



$

172,978



$

99,209



$

29,493



$

749,208



$

376,606



$

-



$

1,977,330































































Net income attributable to Korn Ferry

























































$

104,946

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest



























































2,071

Other loss, net



























































2,879

Interest expense, net



























































22,184

Income tax provision



























































43,945

Operating income (loss)



$

17,695



$

46,909



$

113,080



$

21,085



$

17,914



$

4,860



$

156,939



$

50,438



$

(95,956)





176,025

Depreciation and amortization





17,567





19,261





3,452





1,713





1,311





1,182





7,658





3,906





6,919





55,311

Other income (loss), net





1,326





485





(3,051)





139





11





51





(2,850)





82





(1,922)





(2,879)

EBITDA





36,588





66,655





113,481





22,937





19,236





6,093





161,747





54,426





(90,959)





228,457

EBITDA margin





6.7%





22.8%





26.1%





13.5%





19.6%





20.7%





22.1%





14.9%











11.8%































































Integration/acquisition costs





-





5,937





-





-





-





-





-





-





6,215





12,152

Restructuring charges, net





24,504





10,481





7,244





6,347





3,649





309





17,549





5,742





283





58,559

Separation costs





-





-





-





1,783





-





-





1,783





-





-





1,783

Adjusted EBITDA



$

61,092



$

83,073



$

120,725



$

31,067



$

22,885



$

6,402



$

181,079



$

60,168



$

(84,461)



$

300,951

Adjusted EBITDA margin





11.2%





28.4%





27.8%





18.2%





23.3%





21.8%





24.7%





16.5%











15.6%

































































































































Year Ended April 30, 2019

















Executive Search























Consulting



Digital



North America



EMEA



Asia Pacific



Latin America



Subtotal



RPO and Professional Search



Corporate



Consolidated































































Fee revenue



$

568,321



$

252,727



$

455,826



$

182,829



$

104,291



$

31,896



$

774,842



$

330,143



$

-



$

1,926,033

Total revenue



$

585,893



$

252,727



$

469,743



$

186,131



$

105,543



$

31,960



$

793,377



$

341,865



$

-



$

1,973,862































































Net income attributable to Korn Ferry

























































$

102,651

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest



























































2,145

Other income, net



























































(10,405)

Interest expense, net



























































16,891

Income tax provision



























































29,544

Operating (loss) income



$

(34,115)



$

39,732



$

120,754



$

29,974



$

24,364



$

3,998



$

179,090



$

50,884



$

(94,765)





140,826

Depreciation and amortization





16,172





12,885





3,890





1,254





1,428





410





6,982





3,255





7,195





46,489

Other income (loss), net





2,203





995





6,699





432





281





322





7,734





268





(795)





10,405

EBITDA





(15,740)





53,612





131,343





31,660





26,073





4,730





193,806





54,407





(88,365)





197,720

EBITDA margin





(2.8%)





21.2%





28.8%





17.3%





25.0%





14.8%





25.0%





16.5%











10.3%































































Integration/acquisition costs





5,304





1,255





-





-





-





-





-





-





187





6,746

Tradename write-offs





76,967





29,588





-





-





-





-





-





-





-





106,555

Adjusted EBITDA



$

66,531



$

84,455



$

131,343



$

31,660



$

26,073



$

4,730



$

193,806



$

54,407



$

(88,178)



$

311,021

Adjusted EBITDA margin





11.7%





33.4%





28.8%





17.3%





25.0%





14.8%





25.0%





16.5%











16.1%

 

KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS (GAAP) TO

INVESTABLE CASH (NON-GAAP)

(in thousands)











April 30,





2020









Cash and cash equivalents



$

689,244

add:







Marketable securities





174,085

less:







Bonus liability





189,976

Deferred compensation





141,412

Investable cash



$

531,941

 

Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/korn-ferry-announces-fourth-quarter-and-fiscal-2020-results-of-operations-301087458.html

SOURCE Korn Ferry

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