Playtika Holding Corp
For the period ended Dec 31, 2023. Filed Feb 26, 2024.
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FY2023 · Filed Feb 26, 2024
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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(In millions, unless specified otherwise)
NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Description of business and organization
Playtika Holding Corp. (“Playtika”) and its subsidiaries (together with Playtika, the “Company”) is one of the world’s leading developers of mobile games creating fun, innovative experiences that entertain and engage its users. It has built best-in-class live game operations services and a proprietary technology platform to support its portfolio of games which enable it to drive strong user engagement and monetization. The Company’s games are free-to-play, and the Company seeks to provide novel, curated in-game content and offers to its users, at optimal points in their game journeys to drive user engagement and monetization. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had operations in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Finland, Georgia, Germany, India, Israel, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Basis of presentation and consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and include Playtika and all subsidiaries in which the Company has a controlling financial interest. Control generally equates to ownership percentage, whereby (i) affiliates that are more than 50% owned are consolidated; (ii) investments in affiliates of 50% or less but greater than 20% are generally accounted for using the equity method where the Company has determined that it has significant influence over the entities; and (iii) investments in affiliates of 20% or less are generally accounted for at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been recorded within the accompanying financial statements, consisting of normal, recurring adjustments, and all intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in the consolidation.
Investment in unconsolidated entities
The Company holds certain equity investments in various unconsolidated entities that, based upon the structure of the investment, are not within the scope of equity method investment accounting that would lead to the consolidation conclusions above. Instead, these investments fall within the scope of ASC 321, Investments - Equity Securities. As permitted within that guidance, the Company has elected to account for these investments at cost less impairment, adjusted for changes in fair value from observable transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer as of the respective transaction dates. No change to the carrying amounts were recorded in the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Use of estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions. The Company's management believes that the estimates, judgments and assumptions used are reasonable based upon information available at the time they are made. These estimates, judgments and assumptions can affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities at the dates of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Financial statements in United States dollars
The currency of the primary economic environment in which the operations of Playtika and certain subsidiaries are conducted is the U.S. dollar ("dollar"); thus, the dollar is the functional currency of Playtika and certain subsidiaries.
Playtika and certain subsidiaries' transactions and balances denominated in dollars are presented at their original amounts. Non-dollar transactions and balances have been remeasured to dollars in accordance with ASC 830, Foreign Currency
Matters. All transaction gains and losses from remeasurement of monetary balance sheet items denominated in non-dollar currencies are reflected in the statements of comprehensive income as financial income or expenses, as appropriate.
For those consolidated subsidiaries whose functional currency has been determined to be a non-dollar currency, assets and liabilities are translated at year-end exchange rates and statement of income items are translated using the date of the transaction exchange rate or at the average exchange rates prevailing during the year. Such translation adjustments are recorded as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders' equity (deficit).
Concentration of credit risk and significant customers
Financial instruments, which potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk, consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable and derivative contracts. The Company’s investment policy imposes certain maturity limits on the Company’s portfolio and restricts the permitted investments to the purchase of bank deposits and highly rated fixed income securities.
Apple, Facebook and Google are significant distribution, marketing, promotion and payment platforms for the Company's games. A significant portion of the Company’s revenues has been generated from players who accessed the Company's games through these platforms. Therefore, the Company's accounts receivable are derived mainly from sales through these three platforms. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers.
The following table summarizes the major accounts receivable of the Company as a percentage of the total accounts receivable as of the dates indicated:
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| % | ||
| Apple | 56 | 43 |
| 28 | 35 | |
| 4 | 7 | |
Accounts receivable are recorded at their transaction amounts and do not bear interest. The Company bases its allowance for credit losses on management's best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in the Company's existing accounts receivable based on historical collection experience and current and expected future economic and market conditions.
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to cash with original maturities of three months or less from the date acquired. Cash equivalents include investments in term deposits, commercial papers and money market funds that can be redeemed immediately at the current net asset value.
Restricted cash
Restricted cash primarily consists of deposits to secure obligations under the Company's operating lease agreements and to secure company-issued credit cards.
Property and equipment, net
The Company states property and equipment at cost. The Company computes depreciation using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets or, in the case of leasehold improvements, the lease term of the respective assets, whichever is shorter. The Company examines fully depreciated assets annually and writes off those no longer in use.
The depreciation periods for the Company's property and equipment are as follows:
| Useful life | |
| Computers and peripheral equipment | 3 to 5 years |
|---|---|
| Office furniture and equipment | 4 to 14 years |
| Vehicles and aircraft | 3 to 7 years |
| Leasehold improvements | Shorter of the estimated useful life or remaining term of lease |
Software development costs
The Company reviews internal use software development costs associated with infrastructure and new games or significant updates to existing games to determine if the costs qualify for capitalizing. The development costs incurred during the application development stage that are related to infrastructure are capitalized. Internal use software is included in intangible assets other than goodwill, net in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Capitalization of such costs begins when the preliminary project stage is completed and ceases at the point in which the project is substantially complete and is ready for its intended purpose. With respect to new games or updates to existing games, the preliminary project stage remains ongoing until just prior to worldwide launch. The development costs of new games or updates to existing games are expensed as incurred to research and development in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income.
Capitalized internal use software costs were approximately $40.4 million, $32.1 million and $35.5 million during the years ending December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The estimated useful life of costs capitalized is generally three years. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the amortization of capitalized software costs totaled approximately $31.7 million, $25.0 million and $21.8 million, respectively.
Business combination
The Company applies the provisions of ASC 805, Business Combination and allocates the fair value of purchase consideration to the tangible assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and intangible assets acquired based on their estimated fair values. The excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the fair values of these identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. When determining the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, management makes significant estimates and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets.
Significant estimates in valuing certain intangible assets include, but are not limited to future expected cash flows from acquired technology and acquired trademarks and user base from a market participant perspective, useful lives and discount rates. Management's estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable.
When business combinations include an earnout payment or contingent consideration that embodies an unconditional obligation for the Company to transfer assets on a specific agreed-upon date, that liability is measured at fair value as of the acquisition date and as of each reporting date until the obligation is resolved. Significant estimates in valuing such liabilities include, but are not limited to, future financial models and discount rates. Management’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price in a business combination over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired. Under ASC 350, Intangible - Goodwill and Other ("ASC 350"), goodwill is not amortized, but rather is subject to an annual impairment test.
The Company tests goodwill for impairment as of October 1st of each year, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that this asset may be impaired. For the purposes of impairment testing, the Company has determined that it hasone reporting unit. When performing the annual goodwill impairment testing, the Company either conducts a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired, or elects to bypass this qualitative assessment and perform a quantitative test for impairment. Under the qualitative assessment, the Company considers both positive and negative factors, including macroeconomic conditions, industry events, financial performance and other changes, and makes a determination of whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of goodwill is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the qualitative factors, the Company determines it is more likely than not the asset is impaired, it then performs a quantitative test in which the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is compared with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to the excess, limited to the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.
Intangible assets other than goodwill, net
Intangible assets other than goodwill are amortized over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line method, using the following ranges of useful lives:
| Useful life | |
| Developed games and acquired technology | 1 to 10 years |
|---|---|
| Trademarks and user base | 1 to 5 years |
| Internal use software | 3 years |
Impairment of long-lived assets
The Company’s long-lived assets to be held or used, including right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, and identifiable intangible assets that are subject to amortization are tested for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable, in accordance with ASC 360, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. Impairment indicators include any significant changes in the manner of the Company’s use of the assets and significant negative industry or economic trends. When impairment indicators exist, the Company evaluate recoverability of an asset group by a comparison of the aggregate undiscounted projection future cash flows to the carrying amounts of the asset group. If such evaluation indicates that the carrying amount of the asset group is not recoverable, an impairment loss is calculated based on the excess of the carrying amount of the assets group over its fair value. Fair value is generally measured based on a discounted cash flow analysis.
Upon determination that the carrying value of a long-lived asset may not be recoverable based upon a comparison of aggregate undiscounted projected future cash flows to the carrying amount of the asset, an impairment charge is recorded for the excess of the carrying amount over fair value.
Leases
The Company is the lessee under non-cancelable office real estate and data center leases. The Company accounts for its leases under ASC 842, Leases, and determines if a contract contains a lease at inception or modification of a contract. Operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments and lease incentives received over the defined lease term. As the Company’s leases do not generally provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate which is estimated based upon the capital structure of the Company and upon the other information available at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The implicit rate will be used when readily determinable. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend the lease. These options are included in the lease terms when it is reasonably certain they will be exercised. The ROU assets also include any prepaid lease payments and net of lease incentives. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company’s real estate lease agreements and data center leases do not contain any material residual value guarantees, restrictions or covenants. The Company’s lease agreements with lease and non-lease components are accounted for separately. The Company does not record an asset or liability for operating leases with a term of 12 months or less.
Revenue recognition
The Company primarily derives revenue from the sale of virtual items associated with online games. The Company distributes its games to the end customer through various web and mobile platforms such as Apple, Facebook, Google, and other web and mobile platforms. Through these platforms, users can download the Company’s free-to-play games and can purchase virtual currency which is redeemed in the game for virtual goods, or players can purchase virtual goods directly (collectively referred to as virtual items) to enhance their game-playing experience.
The initial download of the games does not create a contract under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers; however, the separate election by the player to make an in-application purchase satisfies the ASC 606 criterion for creating a contract.
Players can pay for their virtual item purchases through various widely accepted payment methods offered in the games. Payments from players for virtual items are required at the time of purchase, are non-refundable and relate to non-cancellable contracts that specify the Company’s obligations and cannot be redeemed for cash nor exchanged for anything other than virtual items within the Company’s games. The purchase price is a fixed amount which reflects the consideration that the Company expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for use of virtual items by its customers. The platform providers collect proceeds from the game players and remit the proceeds to the Company after deducting their respective platform fees.
The Company is primarily responsible for providing the virtual items, has control over the content and functionality of games and has the discretion to establish the virtual items’ prices. Therefore, the Company is the principal and, accordingly revenues are recorded on a gross basis. Payment processing fees paid to platform providers are recorded within cost of revenue. The Company’s performance obligation is to display the virtual items within the game over the estimated life of the paying player or until the virtual item is consumed in game play based upon the nature of the virtual item.
The Company categorizes its virtual items as either consumable or durable. The substantial majority of the Company’s games sell only consumable virtual items. Consumable virtual items represent items that can be consumed by a specific player action and do not provide the player any continuing benefit following consumption. For the sale of consumable virtual items, the Company recognizes revenue as the items are consumed which is usually over a period of time of up to one month. The Company has determined through a review of game play behavior that players generally do not purchase additional virtual currency until their existing virtual currency balances have been substantially consumed. This review, performed on a game-by-game basis, includes an analysis of game players’ historical play behavior, purchase behavior, and the amount of virtual currency outstanding. Based upon this analysis, the Company has estimated the rate at which virtual currency is consumed during game play. Accordingly, revenue is recognized using a user-based revenue model using these estimated consumption rates. The Company monitors its analysis of customer play behavior on a quarterly basis.
Durable virtual items represent items that are accessible to the player over an extended period of time. The Company recognizes revenue from the sale of durable virtual items ratably over the estimated average life of the paying player, which is estimated on a individual game basis and generally ranges from eight months tofourteen months. The Company estimates the average life of the paying player based on historical paying player patterns and playing behaviors within each of the specific games that offer durable virtual items. The Company monitors its operational data and player patterns and re-assesses its estimates on a quarterly basis.
Deferred revenues, which represent a contract liability, represent mostly unrecognized fees collected for virtual items which are not consumed at the balance sheets date, or for players that are still active in the games.
Sales and other taxes collected from customers on behalf of governmental authorities are accounted for on a net basis and are not included in revenues or operating expenses.
The Company also has relationships with certain advertising service providers for advertisements within its games and revenue from these advertising providers is generated through impressions, clickthroughs, banner ads and offers. The
Company has determined that displaying the advertisements within the mobile games is identified as a single performance obligation. The transaction price in advertising arrangements is established by our advertising service providers and is generally the product of the number of advertising units delivered (e.g. impressions, offers completed, etc.) and the contractually agreed upon price per unit. Revenue from advertisements and offers are recognized at a point-in-time when the advertisements are displayed in the game or the offer has been completed by the user as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided from these services. The Company has determined that it is generally acting as an agent in its advertising arrangements as the advertising service providers maintain the relationship with the customers, control the pricing of the advertising such that the Company does not know the total price paid by the customer to the service providers, and control the advertising product through the time the advertisements are displayed in our games. Therefore, the Company recognizes revenue related to these arrangements on a net basis.
Advertising expenses
Costs for marketing and advertising of the Company’s games are primarily expensed as incurred and are included in the sales and marketing expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Such costs primarily consist of player acquisition costs. Advertising expense was $451.8 million, $464.6 million and $457.8 million in the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Stock-based compensation expense
The Company has a stock-based compensation program which provides for equity awards including time-based stock options, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and performance stock units (“PSUs”). Stock-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date, based on the estimated fair value of the award, and is recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for options and RSUs and on an accelerated basis for PSUs. The Company records forfeitures as a reduction of stock-based compensation expense as those forfeitures occur.
The Company used the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value and compensation cost associated with stock options. As it does not have a long history of market prices for its common stock because the stock was not publicly traded prior to January 2021, the Company used observable data for a group of peer companies that grant options with substantially similar terms to assist in developing its volatility assumptions.
If factors change and the Company employs different assumptions, stock-based compensation cost on future awards may differ significantly from what the Company has recorded in the past. Higher volatility and longer expected terms result in an increase to stock-based compensation determined at the date of grant. Future stock-based compensation cost and unrecognized stock-based compensation will increase to the extent that the Company grants additional equity awards to employees or assumes unvested equity awards in connection with acquisitions. If there are any modifications or cancellations of the underlying unvested equity awards, the Company may be required to accelerate any remaining unearned stock-based compensation cost or incur incremental cost.
The Company uses the associated per-share value at the time of grant to determine the compensation cost to be recognized associated with RSUs and PSUs granted. The Company reviews the estimates of performance against the defined criteria to assess the expected payout of each outstanding PSU grant quarterly, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate there may be a change, and adjusts the stock compensation expense accordingly.
For RSUs, shares are issued on the vesting dates net of the applicable statutory income tax withholding to be paid by the Company on behalf of its employees. As a result, fewer shares are generally issued than the number of RSUs outstanding, and the income tax withholding is recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital.
The Company’s stock-based compensation expense is recorded in the financial statement line item relevant to each of the award recipients. See Note 13, Equity Transactions and Stock Incentive Plan, for additional disclosure.
Income taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method whereby deferred tax asset and liability account balances are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences will reverse. The Company provides a valuation allowance, if necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are presented under long-term assets and long-term liabilities, respectively.
The need to establish valuation allowances for deferred tax assets is assessed periodically based on the more likely than not realization threshold. This assessment considers, among other matters, the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative losses, forecasts of future profitability, the duration of statutory carryforward periods, the Company’s experience with operating loss and tax credit carryforwards expiring unused and tax planning alternatives.
The Company implements a two-step approach to recognize and measure uncertain tax positions. The first step is to evaluate the tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that, on an evaluation of the technical merits, the tax position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% (cumulative basis) likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) subjects a U.S. shareholder to tax on global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) earned by certain foreign subsidiaries. The Company can make an accounting policy election to either treat taxes due on the GILTI inclusion as a current period expense or factor such amounts into the measurement of deferred taxes. The Company elected to account for the income tax effects of GILTI as a “period cost,” or an income tax expense in the year the tax is incurred.
The Company classifies interest and penalties on income taxes (which includes uncertain tax positions) as taxes on income.
Employee related benefits
Appreciation and retention plan
In August 2019, the Company adopted the Playtika Holding Corp. Retention Plan (the “2021-2024 Retention Plan”) in order to retain key employees and reward them for contributing to the success of the Company. Under the 2021-2024 Retention Plan, eligible employees may be granted retention units that let them receive their pro rata portion of a retention pool of $25 million per year for each of the plan years, and may also be granted appreciation units which allow the employee to receive their pro-rata portion of an appreciation pool calculated as a specified percentage of Retention Plan Adjusted EBITDA for each of the plan years as described further in Note 19, Appreciation and Retention Plans.
The value of each unit of the 2021-2024 Retention Plan is being amortized into compensation expense using the straight-line method, which will result in the recognition of compensation costs in the same years as the underlying EBITDA used in the plan measurement is earned.
Severance pay
The liability for the Company’s employees in Israel in respect of severance pay is calculated in accordance with Section 14 of the Severance Pay Law 5723-1963 ("Section 14"). Section 14 states that Company's contributions for severance pay shall be in lieu of severance compensation. Upon deposit of the related obligation for the employee under Section 14, no additional obligations shall be conducted between the parties regarding the matter of severance pay and no additional payments are required to be made by the Company to the employee.
Expense resulting from contributions in accordance with Section 14 for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 was $7.6 million, $8.5 million and $7.1 million, respectively.
Exit or disposal activities
The Company accounts for exit or disposal cost obligations, including restructuring activities, under ASC 420-10, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations, which requires that companies only record liabilities for such activities when such liabilities have been incurred. During the second quarter of 2022, the Company announced the closure of its Montreal, Los Angeles, Helsinki and London studios, along with limited other cost reduction activities. Severance payments associated with these closures are being recorded as liabilities and recognized as expense over the period such payments are earned.
During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company reduced its workforce by approximatelyten percent. Severance liabilities associated with this reduction in force were recorded as the reduction in force was completed.
Total severance expense for the year ended December 31, 2022, for both the site closures and the reduction in force totaled approximately $16.4 million, included within operating expenses on the consolidated statements of comprehensive income, of which $10.1 million is accrued in accrued expenses and other current liabilities at December 31, 2022.
The Company concluded that certain announced activities, including the above, were triggering events for potential impairment under ASC 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment, and therefore assessed the associated asset groups for impairment. Based upon this assessment, the Company determined that no impairment was required for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Derivative instruments
The Company uses interest rate swap contracts to reduce its exposure to fluctuating interest rates associated with the Company’s variable rate debt, and to effectively increase the portion of debt upon which the Company pays a fixed interest rate. The Company’s interest rate swap agreements are designated as cash flow hedges under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”), involving the receipt of variable amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreement, without the exchange of the underlying notional amount. These hedges are highly effective in offsetting changes in the Company’s future expected cash flows due to the fluctuation of the Company’s variable rate debt.
The Company monitors the effectiveness of its hedges on a quarterly basis, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The Company performed a regression analysis at inception of the hedging relationship and at period end in which it compared the change in the fair value of the swap transactions and the change in fair value of a hypothetical interest rate swap having terms that identically match the terms of the debt's interest rate payments historical swap rates. The Company believes that the hedging instruments are expected to be highly effective at offsetting changes in the hedged transactions attributable to the risk being hedged. For each future reporting period, the Company will continue performing retrospective and prospective assessments of hedge effectiveness in a single regression analysis by updating the regression analysis that was prepared at inception of the hedging relationship.
The Company uses foreign currency derivative contracts to reduce its exposure to fluctuating exchange rates between the United States dollar (as the Company’s functional currency) and certain expense lines denominated in Israeli Shekels (“ILS”), Polish Zloty (“PLN”) and Romanian Leu (“RON”). The Company’s derivative contracts are designated as cash flow hedges under ASC 815. The Company monitors the effectiveness of its hedges on a quarterly basis, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and expects these hedges to remain highly effective at offsetting fluctuations in exchange rates through their respective maturity dates. See Note 14, Derivative Instruments, for additional discussion.
The fair value of derivative financial instruments is recognized as an asset or liability at each balance sheet date, with changes in fair value recorded in other comprehensive income on the consolidated statements of comprehensive income until the future underlying transactions occur. The fair value approximates the amount the Company would pay or receive if these contracts were settled at the respective valuation dates. The inputs used to measure the fair value of the Company’s interest rate swap agreements are categorized as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy as established by ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”). The inputs used to measure the fair value of the Company’s foreign currency derivative contracts are categorized as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy as established by ASC 820.
Cash flows from derivatives, which are designated as accounting hedges, are presented consistently with the cash flow classification of the related hedged items.
Fair value of financial instruments
The Company accounts for fair value in accordance with ASC 820. Fair value is defined under ASC 820 as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value under ASC 820 must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The Company uses a three tier hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:
Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 - Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
The carrying value of accounts receivable and payables and the Company's cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, approximates fair value due to the short time to expected payment or receipt of cash.
Net income per share attributable to common stockholders
For all periods presented herein, basic net income per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted-average common shares outstanding. Diluted net income per share reflects the effect of all potentially dilutive common shares outstanding by dividing net income by the weighted-average of all common and potentially dilutive shares outstanding. Performance Stock Units (“PSUs”) are considered potentially dilutive as of the first day of the reporting period in which the underlying performance metric is achieved. In the event of a loss, diluted shares are not considered because of their anti-dilutive effect. The Company uses the treasury stock method on a grant-by-grant basis as the method for determining the dilutive effect of options, RSUs and PSUs. Under this method, it is assumed that the hypothetical proceeds received upon settlement are used to repurchase common shares at the average market price during the period.
Accounting standards recently adopted by the Company
In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805)(“ASU 2021-08)”. ASU 2021-08 requires that an acquiring entity recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”) and that at the acquisition date, the acquirer accounts for related revenue contracts in accordance with ASC 606 as if it had originated the contracts. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2023, and the adoption did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In December 2022, the FASB issued ASU No. 2022-06, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 484(“ASU 2022-06”). The amendments of ASU No. 2020-06 apply only to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2023, and the adoption did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Recently issued accounting standards not yet adopted by the Company
In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which requires public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses and other segment items on an interim and annual basis. Public entities with a single reportable segment are required to apply the disclosure requirements in ASU 2023-07, as well as all existing segment disclosures and reconciliation requirements in ASC 280 on an interim and annual basis. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2023-07.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740). ASU 2023-09 requires that public business entities expand their annual disclosures related to rate reconciliation and income taxes paid, and provide a disaggregated presentation between domestic and foreign income or loss from continuing operations before income tax expense and income tax expense or benefit from continuing operations. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2023-09.
NOTE 2. BUSINESS COMBINATIONS
Acquisition of Reworks OY
On August 31, 2021, the Company entered into a Share Sale and Purchase Agreement (“SPA”) pursuant to which the Company (i) acquired 80% of all issued and registered shares and options (“Share Capital”) of Reworks Oy, a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of Finland (“Reworks”) in exchange for cash consideration of $400 million, subject to customary closing adjustments, and (ii) will acquire the remaining 20% of the Share Capital for additional cash consideration (“Earnout Payment”) in an amount to be determined based on certain performance metrics during the calendar year 2022. The Earnout Payment was contractually based on the amount of “Company EBITDA” (as defined in the SPA) in calendar year 2022 in excess of $10.3 million multiplied by 6.0, not to exceed $200 million, as further described in the SPA. In the event “Company EBITDA” (as defined in the SPA) was $10.3 million or less, the Earnout Payment would have been $1.
The acquisition date fair value of the Earnout Payment was estimated by management, with the assistance of third-party valuation specialists, based upon the probability-weighted fair values of multiple discounted cash flow analyses. In accordance with ASC 480, this liability has been measured at fair value as of the acquisition date and was remeasured to fair value on each subsequent reporting date until the contingency was resolved.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recorded a favorable fair value adjustment of $6.5 million, partially offset by $1.5 million of interest expense included within general and administrative expenses and interest expense, respectively, in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income to adjust the contingent consideration to estimated fair value. As of December 31, 2021, approximately $11 million had been recorded as compensation expense and was classified as an employee-related current liability on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.
In the first half of 2022, the Company recognized net expense of $5 million included within general and administrative expenses in connection with adjusting the Earnout Payment to estimated fair value. On August 1, 2022, the Company entered into an Omnibus Agreement to acquire the title to the remaining shares and options of Reworks in exchange for a $45 million cash payment to the sellers in lieu of the Earnout Payment. The cash payment was made in the third quarter of 2022. As a result, the Company has no earnout obligation associated with the Reworks acquisitions subsequent to this payment.
The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination with the Company consolidating Reworks subsequent to the August 31, 2021 closing date. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed have been recognized at their estimated fair values at the acquisition date, the determination of which was completed in the fourth quarter of 2021 and there were no material adjustments. The goodwill, which is non-deductible for tax purposes, is generally attributable to synergies between the Company's and Reworks' respective studio operations and apps.
| Consideration | |
|---|---|
| Total Consideration | $438.7 |
| Less: Cash acquired | (10.9) |
| Total consideration, net of cash acquired | 427.8 |
| Less: Acquisition date fair value of contingent consideration | (33.7) |
| Consideration paid as of August 31, 2021 | $394.1 |
| Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed | |
| Accounts receivable | $9.4 |
| Intangible assets other than goodwill | 143.0 |
| Goodwill | 312.6 |
| Deferred tax liabilities | (28.6) |
| Contingent consideration | (33.7) |
| Liabilities assumed | (8.6) |
| Total identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed | $394.1 |
The developed game and user base intangible assets acquired and included in the above table are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful life ofsix years andone year, respectively, which approximates the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are expected to be realized.
Transaction costs incurred by the Company in connection with the Reworks acquisition, were approximately $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, and were recorded within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Pro forma results of operations for this acquisition subsequent to the August 31, 2021 acquisition date have not been presented because the incremental results from Reworks are not material to the consolidated statements of comprehensive income presented herein.
Acquisition of JustPlay.LOL Ltd
On March 21, 2022, the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of JustPlay.LOL Ltd. (“JustPlay”) consistent with the Company’s strategy to increase its breadth of entertainment genres and leverage the Company’s Boost platform to enhance game-operations. Terms of the acquisition agreement include initial cash consideration of $30 million plus an earnout based on the performance of the acquired business, with a maximum total consideration of $120 million, subject to customary adjustments. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination.
Within the accompanying consolidated financial statements, management has recorded its final estimate of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the acquisition, along with an estimate of the fair value for contingent consideration payable, based upon management’s financial models for this acquisition, and upon similar allocations from prior acquisitions. The Company has engaged a third-party valuation specialist to assist the Company and such valuations were finalized during the third quarter of 2022.
The goodwill, which is non-deductible for tax purposes, is generally attributable to synergies between the Company's and JustPlay's respective studio operations and games.
| Consideration | |
|---|---|
| Total Consideration | $42.0 |
| Less: Cash acquired | (0.7) |
| Total consideration, net of cash acquired | 41.3 |
| Less: Acquisition date fair value of contingent consideration | (11.4) |
| Consideration paid as of March 23, 2022 | $29.9 |
| Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed | |
| Accounts receivable | $1.0 |
| Property and equipment | 0.1 |
| Intangible assets other than goodwill | 12.3 |
| Goodwill | 29.7 |
| Contingent consideration | (11.4) |
| Deferred tax liability | (1.5) |
| Liabilities assumed | (0.3) |
| Total identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed | $29.9 |
The developed game assets acquired and included in the above table are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful life ofsix years, which approximates the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are expected to be realized.
Transaction costs incurred by the Company in connection with the JustPlay acquisition, were approximately $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, and were recorded within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Pro forma results of operations for this acquisition subsequent to the March 23, 2022 acquisition date have not been presented because the incremental results from JustPlay are not material to the consolidated statements of comprehensive income presented herein.
Subsequent to the acquisition, the Company reduced the amount of contingent consideration expected to be paid. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company has no remaining liability reflected in the financial statements herein.
Acquisition of Youda Games
On August 28, 2023, the Company completed the acquisition of the Youda Games (the “Youda Games”) portfolio from Azerion Group N.V. consistent with the Company’s strategy to increase its breadth of entertainment genres and leverage the Company’s technology platforms and live operations. Terms of the acquisition agreement include initial cash consideration of EUR 81.3 million plus an earnout based on the performance of the acquired business, with a maximum total consideration of EUR 150 million, subject to customary adjustments. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination.
Within the accompanying consolidated financial statements, management has recorded the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the acquisition, along with its estimate of the fair value for contingent consideration payable, based upon management’s financial models for this acquisition, and upon similar allocations from prior acquisitions. The Company has engaged a third-party valuation specialist to assist the Company with estimating the acquisition-date fair value of the intangible assets acquired and contingent consideration payable. This valuation was finalized during the fourth quarter 2023 with no material adjustments from the Company’s initial estimates.
The goodwill, which is deductible for tax purposes, is generally attributable to synergies between the Company's and Youda Game's respective studio operations and games.
| Consideration | |
|---|---|
| Total Consideration | $89.9 |
| Less: Acquisition date fair value of contingent consideration | (2.4) |
| Consideration paid as of August 28, 2023 | $87.5 |
| Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed | |
| Intangible assets other than goodwill | $45.3 |
| Goodwill | 44.6 |
| Contingent consideration | (2.4) |
| Total identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed | $87.5 |
The developed game assets acquired and included in the above table are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful life ofeight years, which approximates the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are expected to be realized.
Transaction costs incurred by the Company in connection with the Youda Games acquisition, were approximately $1.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, and were recorded within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Pro forma results of operations for this acquisition subsequent to the August 28, 2023 acquisition date have not been presented because the incremental results from Youda Games are not material to the consolidated statements of comprehensive income presented herein.
Acquisition of G.S InnPlay Labs Ltd.
On September 14, 2023, the Company entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding share capital of G.S InnPlay Labs Ltd. (“InnPlay”) for an aggregate purchase price equal to (i) $80 million, subject to customary closing adjustments, and (ii) earnout payments of up to $220 million, the amounts of which will be based on certain revenue growth performance metrics of InnPlay during thetwo years following the closing of the transaction. The acquisition is consistent with the Company’s strategy to increase its breadth of entertainment genres and leverage the Company’s technology platforms and live operations expertise to enhance game operations. The acquisition transaction closed on September 28, 2023 and was accounted for as a business combination.
Within the accompanying consolidated financial statements, management has recorded the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the acquisition, along with an estimate of the fair value for contingent consideration payable, based upon management’s financial models for this acquisition, and upon similar allocations from prior acquisitions. The Company has engaged a third-party valuation specialist to assist the Company with estimating the acquisition-date fair value of the intangible assets acquired and contingent consideration payable. This valuation was finalized during the fourth quarter 2023.
Based upon the final valuation procedures, the estimated fair value of contingent consideration at the acquisition date was decreased from the Company’s initial estimates by $12 million, with a corresponding decrease to goodwill. The formal valuation also allowed the Company to conclude on and record the value of the intangible assets acquired other than goodwill of $14.8 million, with a corresponding decrease to goodwill. Other than these two measurement period adjustments, there were no other material changes to the initial purchase price allocation resulting from the finalization of the valuation process within the measurement period.
The goodwill, which is non-deductible for tax purposes, is generally attributable to synergies between the Company's and InnPlay's respective studio operations and games.
| Consideration | |
|---|---|
| Total Consideration | $140.5 |
| Less: Cash acquired | (0.8) |
| Total consideration, net of cash acquired | 139.7 |
| Less: Deferred consideration | (3.7) |
| Less: Acquisition date fair value of contingent consideration | (63.0) |
| Consideration paid as of September 28, 2023 | $73.0 |
| Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed | |
| Accounts receivable | $3.9 |
| Other current assets | 0.3 |
| Property and equipment | 0.2 |
| Intangible assets other than goodwill | 14.8 |
| Goodwill | 127.6 |
| Deferred tax asset | 3.4 |
| Deferred consideration | (3.7) |
| Contingent consideration | (63.0) |
| Deferred tax liability | (3.4) |
| Liabilities assumed | (7.1) |
| Total identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed | $73.0 |
Transaction costs incurred by the Company in connection with the InnPlay acquisition were approximately $1.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, and were recorded within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Pro forma results of operations for this acquisition subsequent to the September 28, 2023 acquisition date have not been presented because the incremental results from InnPlay, both individually and when aggregated with Youda pro forma results of operations, are not material to the consolidated statements of comprehensive income presented herein.
Other development transactions
During 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Company has made a small number of minority investments in early-stage high-growth potential game developers, all of which are accounted for as investments in unconsolidated affiliates.
NOTE 3. CASH EQUIVALENTS
Cash equivalents at December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follow (in millions):
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Money market funds | $524.4 | $294.8 |
| Term deposits | 290.3 | 243.3 |
| Commercial papers | 104.8 | 79.9 |
| Total cash equivalents | $919.5 | $618.0 |
NOTE 4. PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT ASSETS
Prepaid expenses and other current assets at December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows (in millions):
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Government authorities | $86.8 | $57.0 |
| Derivative instruments - interest rate swaps | 25.3 | 19.5 |
| Prepaid expenses | 15.4 | 16.0 |
| Deferred charges | 12.5 | 10.8 |
| Other | 7.9 | 10.1 |
| Total prepaid expenses and other current assets | $147.9 | $113.4 |
NOTE 5. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET
Property and equipment, net at December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follow (in millions):
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Computers and peripheral equipment | $228.2 | $205.7 |
| Office furniture and equipment | 19.2 | 17.1 |
| Vehicles and aircraft | 9.0 | 8.1 |
| Leasehold improvements | 59.2 | 53.0 |
| Total property and equipment, gross | 315.6 | 283.9 |
| Accumulated depreciation | (195.7) | (158.2) |
| Total property and equipment, net | $119.9 | $125.7 |
Depreciation expense was $45.7 million, $45.9 million and $42.5 million in the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
NOTE 6. GOODWILL
Changes in goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Balance at beginning of period | $811.2 | $788.1 |
| Goodwill acquired during the year | 172.2 | 29.7 |
| Foreign currency translation adjustments | 3.8 | (6.6) |
| Balance at end of period | $987.2 | $811.2 |
As of October 1 of each year, the Company performed a qualitative assessment for its reporting unit and concluded that the qualitative assessment did not result in a more likely than not indication of impairment, and therefore no further impairment testing was required. Accordingly, during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, no impairment charge was recognized.
NOTE 7. INTANGIBLE ASSETS OTHER THAN GOODWILL
The carrying amounts and accumulated amortization expenses of the acquired intangible assets other than goodwill, net, including the impact of foreign currency exchange translation, at December 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows (in millions):
| Weighted average remaining useful life (in years) | Balance | December 31, 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historical cost basis: | |||
| Developed games and acquired technology | 2.7 | $661.4 | $599.2 |
| Trademarks and user base | 1.0 | 37.1 | 31.0 |
| Internal use software | 2.3 | 166.7 | 126.2 |
| 865.2 | 756.4 | ||
| Accumulated amortization | |||
| Developed games and acquired technology | (433.6) | (315.4) | |
| Trademarks and user base | (32.5) | (31.0) | |
| Internal use software | (87.9) | (56.0) | |
| (554.0) | (402.4) | ||
| Intangible assets other than goodwill, net | $311.2 | $354.0 | |
The Company has included amortization of acquired intangible assets directly attributable to revenue-generating activities in cost of revenue. The Company has included amortization of acquired intangible assets not directly attributable to revenue-generating activities in operating expenses.
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded amortization expense in the amounts of $112.3 million, $116.1 million and $103.0 million, respectively.
In the second quarter of 2023, the Company recorded an intangible asset impairment of $9.7 million related to JustPlay.LOL Ltd’s game title.
In the third quarter of 2023, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $41.6 million related to the Redecor game title based upon lower than expected performance of that title. The Company has recently released certain changes to the game operations and mechanics in an effort to improve the performance of this title. Given the recent nature of the game updates, it is too early to determine if such changes will have a positive impact on the game. To the extent these recent changes to the game do not boost the performance of the Redecor title, the remaining balance of the Redecor game title of approximately $41 million may be impaired in future periods.
There wasno impairment of intangible assets in the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
As of December 31, 2023, the total expected future amortization related to intangible assets was as follows (in millions):
| 2024 | $104.2 |
| 2025 | 86.4 |
| 2026 | 71.1 |
| 2027 | 25.0 |
| Thereafter | 24.5 |
| Total | $311.2 |
NOTE 8. OTHER NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Other non-current assets at December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows (in millions):
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Long-term tax assets | $133.4 | $123.5 |
| Unrecognized gain on interest rate swaps | 15.2 | 29.3 |
| Deposits | 2.7 | 3.2 |
| Other | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Total other non-current assets | $151.6 | $156.7 |
NOTE 9. ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities at December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows (in millions):
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Employees and related expenses | $162.5 | $170.3 |
| Accrued expenses | 93.9 | 110.1 |
| Media buy | 54.5 | 41.3 |
| Deferred revenues | 46.0 | 38.6 |
| Contingent consideration | 46.0 | — |
| Tax accruals | 35.4 | 24.9 |
| Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities | $438.3 | $385.2 |
NOTE 10. OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES, INCLUDING EMPLOYEE RELATED BENEFITS
Other long-term liabilities, including employee related benefits at December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows (in millions):
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Long-term tax reserves | $312.9 | $248.6 |
| Unrecognized loss on interest rate swaps | 4.4 | — |
| Other | 1.4 | 3.5 |
| Total other long-term liabilities, including employee related benefits | $318.7 | $252.1 |
NOTE 11. LEASES
The Company's leases include office real estate and data center leases for its facilities worldwide, which are all classified as operating leases, and which expire on various dates, the latest of which is December 2035. Certain lease agreements include rental payments that are adjusted periodically for the consumer price index ("CPI"). The Company’s ROU assets and lease liabilities were calculated using the initial CPI and will not be subsequently adjusted. Certain leases include renewal options that are reasonably certain to be exercised.
The following is a summary of weighted average remaining lease terms and discount rates for all of the Company's operating leases:
| December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Weighted average remaining lease term (years) | 6.8 | 7.8 |
| Weighted average discount rates | 4.3% | 4.1% |
Total operating lease expense was $23.3 million, $25.5 million and $21.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities was $18.4 million, $24.5 million and $21.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Maturities of lease liabilities are as follows (in millions):
| 2024 | $24.2 |
| 2025 | 21.7 |
| 2026 | 19.1 |
| 2027 | 14.4 |
| 2028 | 10.3 |
| Thereafter | 32.7 |
| Total undiscounted cash flows | 122.4 |
| Less: imputed interest | (14.7) |
| Present value of lease liabilities | $107.7 |
NOTE 12. DEBT
| December 31, 2023 · December 31, 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions, except interest rates) | Maturity | Interest rate(s) | Book value | Face value | Book value |
| Term Loan | 2028 | 8.220% | $1,822.8 | $1,852.5 | $1,831.2 |
| Senior Notes | 2029 | 4.250% | 593.6 | 600.0 | 592.4 |
| Revolving Credit Facility | 2026 | n/a | — | — | — |
| Total debt | 2,416.4 | 2,452.5 | 2,423.6 | ||
| Less: Current portion of long-term debt | (16.8) | (23.8) | (12.4) | ||
| Long-term debt | $2,399.6 | $2,428.7 | $2,411.2 | ||
Book value of debt in the table above is reported net of deferred issuance costs and original issue discount of $36.1 million and $43.2 million at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Credit Agreement
On December 10, 2019, the Company entered into $2,750 million of senior secured credit facilities (the "Credit Facilities"), consisting of a $250 million revolving credit facility (the "Revolving Credit Facility"), and a $2,500 million first lien term loan (the "Old Term Loan"). The Credit Facilities were provided pursuant to a Credit Agreement, dated as of December 10, 2019 (the "Credit Agreement"), by and among Playtika, the lenders party thereto, and Credit Suisse, AG, Cayman Islands Branch, as administrative agent (in such capacity, the "Administrative Agent") and collateral agent (in such capacity, the "Collateral Agent"). Proceeds borrowed under the Credit Facilities on the closing date were used to pay off the outstanding balance on the Company’s prior debt facility. On June 15, 2020, the Company increased the capacity of the Revolving Credit
Facility to $350 million. On January 15, 2021, the Company increased the borrowing capacity of the Revolving Credit Facility from $350 million to $550 million.
On March 11, 2021, the Company amended the Credit Agreement pursuant to an Incremental Assumption Agreement No. 3 and Second Amendment to Credit Agreement (the “Second Amendment”). The Second Amendment, among other things, effected a refinancing of the Old Term Loan with a new $1.9 billion senior secured first lien term loan borrowed under the Credit Agreement (the “New Term Loan”), increased the Revolving Credit Facility to $600 million and extended the maturity of the Revolving Credit Facility to March 11, 2026. The New Term Loan matures on March 11, 2028 and requires scheduled quarterly principal payments in amounts equal to 0.25% of the original aggregate principal amount of the New Term Loan, with the balance due at maturity.
The Credit Agreement allows the Company to request one or more incremental term loan facilities, incremental revolving credit facilities and/or increases to the New Term Loan or the Revolving Credit Facility in an aggregate amount of up to the sum of (x) the greater of (1) $800 million and (2)1.00 times EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus (y) the amount of certain voluntary prepayments of indebtedness plus (z) such additional amount so long as, (i) in the case of loans under additional credit facilities that are secured by liens on the collateral securing the Credit Agreement, the Company's net total secured leverage ratio on a pro forma basis would not exceed 3.50 to 1.00 (or in the case of incremental facilities to fund certain investments and acquisitions, the net total secured leverage ratio immediately prior to such incurrence) and (iii) in the case of any other loans under additional credit facilities, the Company's fixed charge coverage ratio on a pro forma basis would not be less than 2.00 to 1.00 (or in the case of incremental facilities to fund certain investments and acquisitions, the fixed charge coverage ratio immediately prior to such incurrence), in each case, subject to certain conditions and receipt of commitments by existing or additional financial institutions or institutional lenders.
All future borrowings under the Credit Agreement are subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, including the absence of a default and the accuracy of representations and warranties, subject to certain exceptions.
Interest and Fees
Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at a rate equal to, at the Company’s option, either (a) LIBOR determined by reference to the cost of funds for Eurodollar deposits for the interest period relevant to such borrowing, adjusted for certain additional costs, subject to a floor of 0% or (b) a base rate determined by reference to the highest of (i) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (ii) the prime rate as determined by the administrative agent and (iii) the one-month adjusted LIBOR rate plus 1.00%, in each case plus an applicable margin. Such applicable margin is (x) with respect to the New Term Loan,2.75% per annum in the case of any LIBOR loan or 1.75% per annum in the case of any base rate loan, subject toone 0.25% step-down based on the Company’s credit ratings and (y) in the case of the Revolving Credit Facility, a range from 2.25% to 3.00% per annum in the case of any LIBOR loan and a range from 1.25% to 2.00% per annum in the case of any base rate loan, based on the Company’s net senior secured leverage ratio.
On June 19, 2023, the Company amended the Credit Agreement pursuant to a Third Amendment to Credit Agreement (the “Third Amendment”). The Third Amendment amended the Credit Agreement to bear interest or incur fees and other amounts denominated in Dollars to be based on the Adjusted Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus an applicable spread adjustment, rather than the previously permitted Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate, starting in the third quarter of 2023. The amendment did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or the effectiveness of the Company’s interest rate swap agreements.
In addition, on a quarterly basis, the Company is required to pay each lender under the Revolving Credit Facility a commitment fee in respect of any unused commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility in the amount of 0.50% of the principal amount of the daily unused commitments of such lender, subject to step-downs to 0.375% and 0.25% based upon the Company's senior secured leverage ratio. The Company is also required to pay customary agency fees as well as letter of credit participation fees on outstanding letters of credit.
The Credit Agreement permits voluntary prepayments and requires mandatory prepayments in certain events including among others,50% (subject to step-downs to 25% and 0% based upon the Company’s net total secured leverage ratio) of the Company’s excess cash flow to the extent such amount exceeds $10 million, certain net cash proceeds from non-ordinary asset sale transactions (subject to reinvestment rights), and 100% of net proceeds of any issuance of debt (except for debt permitted to be incurred by the Credit Agreement). The Company is not required to make an excess cash flow payment based upon its secured leverage ratio for 2023.
Collateral and Guarantors
The borrowings under the Credit Agreement are guaranteed by certain material, wholly-owned restricted subsidiaries of the Company, and are secured by a pledge of substantially all of the existing and future property and assets of the Company and the guarantors (subject to exceptions), including a pledge of the capital stock of the domestic subsidiaries held by the Company and the domestic guarantors and 65% (or 100% in the case of certain of the guarantors) of the capital stock of the first-tier foreign subsidiaries held by the Company and the domestic guarantors, in each case subject to exceptions.
The Credit Agreement requires that the Company and the guarantors (a) generate at least 80.0% of the EBITDA of the Company and its restricted subsidiaries for the four fiscal quarters most recently ended prior to the end of each fiscal quarter and (b) own all “Material Intellectual Property” (defined as any intellectual property rights consisting of registered trademarks or copyrights subsisting in the name or logo of any game that generates more than 5% of the EBITDA of the Company and its restricted subsidiaries for the then most recently ended four fiscal quarters) on the last day of the four fiscal quarters most recently ended prior to the end of each fiscal quarter. If the Company and the guarantors do not satisfy such requirement, then the Company must cause sufficient additional subsidiaries (which, subject to certain limitations, may include guarantors located in jurisdictions other than the United States, England and Wales and the State of Israel) to become guarantors in order to satisfy such requirement. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company voluntarily designated certain subsidiaries in Germany, Austria and Finland as additional guarantors. As of December 31, 2023, the Company was in compliance with these requirements.
Restrictive Covenants
The Revolving Credit Facility includes a maximum first-priority net senior secured leverage ratio financial maintenance covenant of 6.25 to 1.00, calculated as total first lien senior secured net debt divided by Credit Adjusted EBITDA. At December 31, 2023, the Company’s first-priority net senior secured leverage ratio was 0.99 to 1.00 based upon Credit Adjusted EBITDA of $832.2 million and net debt (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of $823.3 million.
In addition, the Credit Agreement includes negative covenants, subject to certain exceptions, restricting or limiting the Company's ability and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries to, among other things: (i) make non-ordinary course dispositions of assets; (ii) make certain mergers and acquisitions; (iii) complete dividends and stock repurchases and optional redemptions (and optional prepayments) of subordinated debt; (iv) incur indebtedness; (v) make certain loans and investments; (vi) incur liens and certain fixed charges; (vii) transact with affiliates; (viii) change the business of the Company and its restricted subsidiaries; (ix) enter into sale/leaseback transactions; (x) allow limitations on negative pledges and the ability of restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends or make distributions; (xi) change the fiscal year and (xii) modify subordinated debt documents. Under the Credit Agreement, the Company may be required to meet specified leverage ratios or fixed charge coverage ratios in order to take certain actions, such as incurring certain debt or liens or making certain investments.
The Company was in compliance with its financial and other covenants under the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2023.
Expenses Related to Modification of Debt
The Company accounts for the restructuring of its debt agreements in accordance with the accounting standards applicable to troubled debt restructuring, debt modification and debt extinguishment. Under the applicable accounting standards, the Company determined that the March 2021 financing transactions qualified for modification accounting. As a result, the Company expensed $14.5 million related to the debt modification, wrote off $22.9 million of previously deferred financing costs related to the modification of debt related to the Company’s Old Term Loan and carried over $34.9 million of deferred financing costs to the New Term Loan.
Offering of 4.250% Senior Notes due 2029
Indenture
On March 11, 2021, the Company issued $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 4.250% senior notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) under an indenture, dated March 11, 2021 (the “Indenture”), among the Company, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”).
Maturity and Interest
The Notes mature on March 15, 2029. Interest on the Notes will accrue at a rate of 4.250% per annum. Interest on the Notes payable semi-annually in cash in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commenced on September 15, 2021.
Guarantees
The Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior unsecured basis by the Company’s existing and future restricted subsidiaries that guarantee the obligations under the Credit Agreement (the “subsidiary guarantors”).
Ranking
The Notes and the note guarantees rank equally in right of payment to all of the Company’s and the subsidiary guarantors’ existing and future senior indebtedness and senior in right of payment to all of the Company’s and the subsidiary guarantors’ future subordinated indebtedness. The Notes and the note guarantees are effectively subordinated to any of the Company’s and the subsidiary guarantors’ existing and future secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, including indebtedness outstanding under the Credit Agreement. In addition, the Notes and the note guarantees are structurally subordinated to the existing and future liabilities of the Company’s non-guarantor subsidiaries.
Redemption
The Company may redeem the Notes at any time prior to March 15, 2024, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the accrued principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date, plus a make-whole premium.
The Company may redeem the Notes at any time on or after March 15, 2024, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to (i)102.125% of the principal amount thereof, should such redemption occur before March 15, 2025, (ii)101.063% of the principal amount thereof, should such redemption occur before March 15, 2026, and (iii)100.000% of the principal amount thereof, should such redemption occur on or after March 15, 2026, in each case plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date.
In addition, at any time prior to March 15, 2024, the Company may redeem up to 40% of the original aggregate principal amount of all Notes issued with the net cash proceeds from certain equity offerings at a redemption price of 104.250% of the principal amount redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date, so long as at least 50% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption, and the redemption date is within 90 days of the consummation of any such equity offering.
Covenants
The Indenture contains customary covenants that limit the Company’s ability and, in certain instances, the ability of the Company’s subsidiaries, to borrow money, create liens on assets, make distributions and pay dividends on or redeem or repurchase stock, make certain types of investments, sell stock in certain subsidiaries, enter into agreements that restrict dividends or other payments from subsidiaries, enter into transactions with affiliates, issue guarantees of indebtedness, and sell assets or merge with other companies. These limitations are subject to a number of important exceptions and qualifications set forth in the Indenture.
Change of Control
In the event of a change of control, the Company must offer to repurchase the Notes at a repurchase price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the repurchase date.
Events of Default
Events of default under the Indenture include, among others, the following with respect to the Notes: default which continues for 30 days in the payment of interest on the Notes; default in payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, on the Notes; failure to comply with certain covenants in the Indenture for 60 days (or 120 days with respect to the covenant relating to the provision of financial reports) upon the receipt of notice from the Trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes; acceleration or payment default of indebtedness of the Company or certain of its subsidiaries in excess of a specified amount that remains uncured following the applicable grace period provided in such indebtedness; final judgments against the Company or certain of its subsidiaries in excess of a specified amount that remains unpaid for 45 days; and certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency with respect to the Company or certain of its subsidiaries. In the case of an event of default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency with respect to the Company or certain of its subsidiaries, all Notes then outstanding will become due and payable immediately without further action or notice. If any other event of default occurs with respect to the Notes, the Trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes may declare all Notes then outstanding to be due and payable immediately.
Scheduled principal payments of long-term debt
The scheduled principal payments due on long-term debt are as follows (in millions):
| 2024 | $23.8 |
| 2025 | 19.0 |
| 2026 | 19.0 |
| 2027 | 19.0 |
| 2028 and thereafter | 2,371.7 |
| Total | $2,452.5 |
NOTE 13. EQUITY TRANSACTIONS AND STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
Common stock
The following are the rights and privileges of the Company’s common shares:
Dividends - The holders of outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available at the times and in the amounts which its board of directors may determine.
Voting rights – Holders of the Company’s common shares are entitled toone vote per share.
Liquidation – Upon the Company’s liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, the assets legally available for distribution to the Company’s stockholders would be distributable ratably among the holders of the Company’s common shares.
Preemptive or similar rights – None of the Company’s common shares is entitled to preemptive rights or subject to redemption.
Overview of Stock Incentive Plan
On May 26, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the Playtika Holding Corp. 2020 Incentive Award Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan authorizes the issuance of stock options, restricted stock, RSUs, dividend equivalents, stock appreciation rights, performance bonus awards and other incentive awards. The Plan authorizes the grant of awards to employees, non-employee directors and consultants of the Company.
As of December 31, 2023, a total of 56,232,228 shares of the Company’s common stock had been allocated to awards granted under the Plan and 5,779,753 shares remained available for future grants.
Equity transactions
On May 26, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company approved an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (the ”Stock Split”) to increase the authorized number of shares of the Company’s common stock from ten (10) shares to one million (1,000,000) shares, to decrease the par value of each share of common stock of the Company from $1.00 per share to $0.01 per share, and to reclassify each share of common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Stock Split into 94,500 shares of common stock.
On January 5, 2021, the Company’s Board of Directors approved an amended and restated certificate of incorporation of the Company effecting a 400-for-1 stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock and an increase to the authorized shares of our common stock and preferred stock to 1,600 million shares and 100 million shares, respectively. The split and the increase in authorized shares of the Company’s common stock was effected on January 6, 2021 and without any change in the par values per share.
All information herein related to the Company’s common stock and stock awards has been retroactively adjusted to give effect to both the May 26, 2020 stock split and the January 5, 2021 stock split.
In January 2021, promptly following the pricing of the Company’s IPO, the number of shares available for issuance under the Playtika Holding Corp. 2020 Incentive Award Plan (the “Plan”) increased by 14,335,499 shares of common stock, which represented 3.5% of the total number of shares outstanding immediately after the consummation of the IPO. If, on January 1st of each year through January 2030, the number of shares available for grant is less than 3.5% of the total shares of the Company’s outstanding common stock, then the number of shares available for grant will increase to an amount equal to the lesser of (i)3.5% of the total shares of the Company’s outstanding common stock or (ii) such number of shares determined by the Board of Directors. On January 1, 2024 and 2022, the number of shares of issuance under the Plan increased by 7.2 million and 14.0 million, respectively. On January 1, 2023, there wasno increase to the number of shares available for issuance under the Plan.
In connection with its January 15, 2021 IPO, the Company granted 7,985,297 stock options and 4,299,077 RSUs to certain of its employees. The stock options and RSUs generally vest 25% on the first anniversary of the grant date, and the remaining 75% of the options and RSUs vest in equal quarterly installments during thethree years following the first anniversary of the grant date.
Option Repricing
On February 7, 2022, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company approved an amendment to 5,303,242 options granted in 2021 that were scheduled to vest after the first anniversary of the grant date (the “Adjusted Portion”). The Adjusted Portion was amended to reduce the per share exercise prices of such Adjusted Portion to $18.71. The Company accounted for the repricing as a modification and is recording incremental compensation expense of approximately $8.8 million from the time of the repricing through the remaining vesting period. There were no awards included in this repricing to any named executive officers or other executives defined as insiders according to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Tender Offer
On August 29, 2022, the Company announced a tender offer for the purchase of up to 51,813,472 shares of its issued and outstanding common stock, par value $0.01 per share (each, a “Share” and collectively, “Shares”) or such lesser number of Shares as are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn, at a price of $11.58 per Share (the "Tender Offer"). On October 10, 2022, the Company announced that it accepted for purchase 51,813,472 Shares for an aggregate cost of $600 million, excluding fees and expense related to the Tender Offer. The number of shares that the Company has accepted for purchase in the Tender Offer represented approximately 12.6% of the total number of shares that were outstanding as of September 30, 2022. The Company’s shares outstanding and treasury stock are presented, and both basic and diluted earnings per share have been calculated, as if the entire 51,813,472 shares accepted in the Tender Offer were purchased on the closing date of the Tender Offer.
Option Exchange
On November 14, 2022, the Company commenced a voluntary, one-time stock option exchange program (the “Option Exchange”) pursuant to which eligible service providers (including eligible employees) were able to exchange outstanding stock options for a lesser amount of new RSUs to be issued under the Plan. No members of the Board held outstanding stock options and therefore did not participate in the Option Exchange. Service providers who elected to participate in the Option Exchange received one RSU for every 2.5 shares of Playtika common stock underlying the eligible options surrendered. This “exchange ratio” (2.5-for-1) was applied on a grant-by-grant basis.
On December 15, 2022,10,886,748 options were exchanged for 4,353,438 RSUs. The Company accounted for the Option Exchange as a modification and is recording incremental compensation expense of approximately $10.1 million from the time of the Option Exchange through the remaining vesting period.
Stock options
The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option activity:
| Stock · Weighted · Weighted | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Options | Average | Average | Intrinsic | |
| Outstanding | Remaining | Exercise | Value | |
| (in millions) | Term (in years) | Price | (in millions) | |
| Outstanding at January 1, 2023 | 3.4 | 8.2 | $19.08 | |
| Granted | 0.1 | $10.29 | ||
| Exercised | — | |||
| Cancelled | (1.8) | $20.14 | ||
| Expired | — | $— | ||
| Outstanding at December 31, 2023 | 1.7 | 7.6 | $17.72 | $— |
| Exercisable at December 31, 2023 | 0.9 | 7.4 | $19.80 | $— |
There wereno stock options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 or 2021. The weighted-average grant-date fair value of stock options granted during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $10.29 per share and $6.43 per share, respectively.
The Company will issue new shares of common stock upon exercise of stock options.
The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value and compensation cost associated with employee stock options, which is affected by the following assumptions regarding complex and subjective variables. Any changes in these assumptions may materially affect the estimated fair value of the stock-based award.
–Fair value of common stock - The Company uses the public trading price of its common stock on the Nasdaq stock market to determine the fair value of its common stock.
–Risk-free interest rate - The risk-free interest rate was estimated based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant and with maturities consistent with the expected term of the respective equity option award.
–Expected dividend yield - The fair value of options granted prior to February 2024 was determined based upon the assumption that we would not pay cash dividends on shares of our common stock.
–Expected term - The Company estimated the expected term based on the average time between the vesting date and expiration date, ten years after the grant date, of the respective equity option award.
–Expected volatility – Prior to the Company’s initial public offering of equity in January 2021, as the Company was a private company at the time of valuation, the Company estimated volatility based on the volatilities exhibited by comparable public companies and the Company’s capital structure and utilized the observable data for a group of peer companies that grant options with substantially similar terms to assist in developing its volatility assumption. Subsequent to the Company’s initial public offering, the Company continues to estimate volatility in the same manner as it has not yet established sufficient history to estimate volatility of its own.
The table below summarizes the assumptions used for the options granted in each respective period, as well as for options repriced during the first quarter of 2022:
| Year ended December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Risk-free interest rate | 3.34% - 3.79% | 0.67% - 3.88% |
| Expected dividend yield | — | — |
| Expected term in years | 6.1 | 6.1 |
| Expected volatility | 52.13% - 52.79% | 40.96% - 52.82% |
For options,25% of the options generally vest on the first anniversary of the grant date, and the remaining 75% of the options vest in equal quarterly installments during thethree years following the first anniversary of the grant date. The stock options have a contractual term often years. Except as provided in an option agreement between the Company and the employee, if an employee is terminated (voluntarily or involuntarily), any unvested awards as of the date of termination will be forfeited.
RSUs
RSUs generally vest 25% on the first anniversary of the grant date, and the remaining 75% of the RSUs vest in equal quarterly installments during thethree years following the first anniversary of the grant date. RSUs granted to the Board of Directors of the Company vest immediately. Certain RSUs granted in December 2023 vest 12.5%eighteen months after the grant date and then in equally quarterly installments over the following 3.5 years, and RSUs granted in 2022 as a result of the Option Exchange generally vest in equal quarterly installments over three years. Except as provided in an award agreement between the Company and the employee, if an employee is terminated (voluntarily or involuntarily), any unvested awards as of the date of termination will be forfeited. RSUs settle for outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock upon vesting.
The following table summarizes the Company’s RSU activity:
| Weighted · Total Fair | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Average · Value of | |||
| Shares | Grant Date | Shares Vested | |
| (in millions) | Fair Value | (in millions) | |
| Outstanding at January 1, 2021 | 5.9 | $21.04 | |
| Granted | 7.5 | $28.23 | |
| Vested | (1.5) | $21.17 | $26.6 |
| Cancelled | (0.5) | $30.62 | |
| Outstanding at December 31, 2021 | 11.4 | $25.29 | |
| Granted(1) | 11.0 | $15.43 | |
| Vested | (4.5) | $24.92 | $55.1 |
| Cancelled | (3.0) | $22.30 | |
| Outstanding at December 31, 2022 | 14.9 | $18.69 | |
| Granted | 13.8 | $8.81 | |
| Vested | (6.4) | $19.00 | $61.6 |
| Cancelled | (1.0) | $17.67 | |
| Outstanding at December 31, 2023 | 21.3 | $12.24 | |
(1) The number of RSUs granted includes those resulting from the Option Exchange.
PSUs
On February 7, 2022, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company approved the grant of PSUs to certain employees pursuant to the Plan. For each annual performance period consisting of calendar years 2022 through 2025, up to 25% of the PSUs will be eligible to vest based on the Company’s annual revenue growth rate during the applicable performance period relative to threshold, target and maximum achievement levels.
If the Company’s annual revenue growth rate for a performance period is between two achievement levels, the achievement percentage will be determined by linear interpolation between the applicable achievement levels. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall less than 25 PSUs vest during each performance period for Israeli participants.
The following table summarizes the Company’s PSU activity:
| Weighted · Total Fair | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Average · Value of | |||
| Shares(1) | Grant Date | Shares Vested | |
| (in millions) | Fair Value | (in millions) | |
| Outstanding at January 1, 2022 | — | $— | |
| Granted | 3.5 | $9.72 | |
| Vested | — | $— | $— |
| Cancelled | (0.3) | $9.72 | |
| Outstanding at December 31, 2022 | 3.2 | $9.72 | |
| Granted | — | $— | |
| Vested | (0.4) | $9.72 | $4.2 |
| Cancelled | (0.6) | $9.72 | |
| Outstanding at December 31, 2023 | 2.2 | $9.72 | |
(1) The number of shares for the PSUs listed as granted represent the total number of PSUs granted to each recipient eligible to vest if the Company meets its highest specified performance goals for the applicable period.
On November 10, 2022, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company approved an amendment to the performance stock unit agreement resulting in a modification of the PSU awards and stock-based compensation expense.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company believed it probable that the 2024 and 2025 performance targets, as outlined in the amended award agreements, would achieve 75% and 50% revenue growth achievement, respectively, as defined. Therefore, seventy five percent andfifty percent of the potential expense associated with the 2024 and 2025 tranches, respectively, was recognized or will be recognized over the applicable performance period of the respective tranche.
On February 9, 2023, the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the Company’s annual revenue growth rate during 2022 and approved the vesting of 50.9% of the PSU awards eligible to vest for the 2022 performance period. On February 7, 2024, the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the Company’s annual revenue growth rate during 2023. None of the PSU awards eligible to vest for the 2023 performance metric were approved to vest.
Stock-based compensation
The following table summarizes stock-based compensation costs by award type (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Stock options | $3.4 | $24.2 | $35.2 |
| RSUs | 106.7 | 96.1 | 67.9 |
| PSUs | 2.9 | 5.2 | — |
| Total stock-based compensation costs | $113.0 | $125.5 | $103.1 |
The following table summarizes stock-based compensation costs, net of amounts capitalized, as reported on the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Research and development expenses | $37.4 | $43.4 | $27.7 |
| Sales and marketing expenses | 9.1 | 10.6 | 8.3 |
| General and administrative expenses | 63.5 | 69.5 | 64.4 |
| Total stock-based compensation costs, net of amounts capitalized | $110.0 | $123.5 | $100.4 |
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company capitalized $3.0 million, $2.0 million and $2.7 million of stock-based compensation cost, respectively.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s unrecognized stock-based compensation expenses related to stock options, RSUs and PSUs was approximately $5.8 million, $247.0 million and $4.7 million, respectively. The expense related to stock options, RSUs and PSUs are expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.7 years,3.0 years and 1.5 years, respectively.
NOTE 14. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS
Interest rate swap agreements
In March 2021, the Company entered intotwo interest rate swap agreements, each with a notional value of $250 million. Each of these swap agreements is with a different financial institution as the counterparty to reduce the Company’s counterparty risk. Each swap requires the Company to pay a fixed interest rate of 0.9275% in exchange for receiving one-month LIBOR. The interest rate swap agreements settle monthly commencing in April 2021 through their termination dates on April 30, 2026. The estimated fair value of the Company’s interest rate swap agreements is derived from a discounted cash flow analysis. In June 2023 thesetwo interest rate swap agreements were amended so that effective July 31, 2023, the
Company will pay a fixed interest rate of 0.85% in exchange for receiving on-month Term SOFR. The amendment did not impact the hedge effectiveness.
In January 2023, the Company entered intotwo interest rate swap agreements, each with a notional value of $250 million. Each of these swap agreements is with a different financial institution, and each swap requires the Company to pay a fixed interest rate of 3.435% in exchange for receiving one-month LIBOR forsix months and one-month Term SOFR afterwards. The interest rate swap agreements settle monthly commencing in February 2023 through their termination dates on February 28, 2028. The estimated fair value of the Company’s interest rate swap agreements is derived from a discounted cash flow analysis.
The aggregate fair value of the Company’s interest rate swap agreements was an asset of $36.1 million as of December 31, 2023 and was recorded between prepaid expenses and other current assets, other non-current assets, and other long-term liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets based upon the timing of the underlying expected cash flows. The aggregate fair value of the Company’s interest rate swap agreements was an asset of $48.8 million as of December 31, 2022 and was recorded between prepaid expenses and other current assets and other non-current assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets based upon the timing of the underlying expected cash flows.
Foreign currency hedge agreements
At December 31, 2023, the Company had outstanding derivative contracts to purchase certain foreign currencies, including ILS, RON, and PLN at future dates. The amount of future salary expenses the Company had hedged was approximately $208.6 million, and all contracts are expected to mature during the upcoming 12 months. The aggregate fair value of the Company’s derivative contracts was a net asset of $3.4 million as of December 31, 2023 and was recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets and accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The aggregate fair value of the Company’s derivative contracts was a net liability of $5.3 million as of December 31, 2022 and was recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets and accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. In the second quarter of 2022, in conjunction with the announced closing of its Canadian operations, the Company terminated its derivative contract to purchase Canadian dollars resulting in an immaterial gain.
NOTE 15. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The Company’s assessment of goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment includes an assessment using various Level 2 (discount rate) and Level 3 (forecasted cash flows) inputs.
The following table summarizes the fair value measurement of the Company’s long-term debt (in millions):
| December 31, 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Face Value | Fair Value | Fair Value Hierarchy | |
| Term Loan | $1,852.5 | $1,847.9 | Level 2 |
| Senior Notes | 600.0 | 525.8 | Level 2 |
| Total debt | $2,452.5 | $2,373.7 | |
| December 31, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Face Value | Fair Value | Fair Value Hierarchy | |
| Term Loan | $1,866.8 | $1,794.5 | Level 2 |
| Senior Notes | 600.0 | 468.0 | Level 2 |
| Total debt | $2,466.8 | $2,262.5 | |
The estimated fair value of the Company’s term loan is based upon the prices at which the Company’s debt traded in the days immediately preceding the balance sheet date. As the trading volume of the Company’s debt is low relative to the overall debt balance, the Company does not believe that the associated transactions represent an active market, and therefore this indication of value represents a level 2 fair value input.
The following table sets forth the assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (in millions):
| Fair Value at | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| PricingCategory | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |
| Cash equivalents | |||
| Money market funds | Level 1 | $524.4 | $294.8 |
| Term deposits | Level 1 | 290.3 | 243.3 |
| Commercial papers | Level 2 | 104.8 | 79.9 |
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | |||
| Derivative instruments - interest rate swaps | Level 2 | $25.3 | $19.5 |
| Derivative instruments - foreign currency derivative contracts | Level 2 | 4.3 | 2.2 |
| Other non-current assets: | |||
| Derivative instruments - interest rate swaps | Level 2 | $15.2 | $29.3 |
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities: | |||
| Derivative instruments - foreign currency derivative contracts | Level 2 | $0.9 | $7.5 |
| Other long-term liabilities, including employee related benefits | |||
| Derivative instruments - interest rate swaps | Level 2 | $4.4 | $— |
The carrying values of the Company’s cash equivalents approximate fair value because of the short duration of these financial instruments.
The Company estimates the fair value of interest rate swap contracts by discounting the future cash flows of both the fixed rate and variable rate interest payments based on market yield curves. The inputs used to measure the fair value of the Company’s interest rate swap contracts are categorized as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy as established by ASC 820.
The fair value of the Company’s foreign currency contracts approximates the amount the Company would pay or receive if these contracts were settled at the respective valuation dates. The inputs used to measure the fair value of the Company’s foreign currency contracts are categorized as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy as established by ASC 820.
The change in fair value of contingent consideration payable was valued using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), was included in the general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income and consisted of the following (in millions):
| Balance as of December 31, 2021 | $28.7 |
|---|---|
| Recorded in connection with acquisition transactions | 11.4 |
| Adjustment based on subsequent settlement agreement(1) | (28.7) |
| Fair value adjustments based upon post-acquisition performance | (11.4) |
| Balance as of December 31, 2022 | — |
| Recorded in connection with acquisition transactions(2) | 65.4 |
| Fair value adjustments based upon post-acquisition performance | 1.4 |
| Balance as of December 31, 2023(3) | $66.8 |
(1)See Note 2, Business Combinations, Acquisition of Reworks OY, for additional discussion.
(2) Amount comprised of $63.0 million and $2.4 million for InnPlay and Youda acquisitions, respectively.
(3) Amount comprised of $64.4 million and $2.4 million for InnPlay and Youda acquisitions, respectively.
The Company estimated the fair value of its contingent consideration liabilities using probability-weighted discounted cash flow analyses. These fair value measurements are based on significant inputs not observable in the market and thus represent Level 3 measurements as defined in ASC 820. The extent to which the actual results differ from assumptions made within the probability-weighted analyses will result in adjustments to this liability in future periods.
The Company had no financial assets or liabilities measured at fair value as of December 31, 2022.
The Company has not elected the fair value measurement option available under U.S. GAAP for any of its assets or liabilities that meet the option for this criteria.
NOTE 16. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
In November 2013, the Company’s subsidiary, Playtika, Ltd., sent an initial demand letter to Enigmatus s.r.o., a game developer in the Czech Republic, which owns various U.S. trademark registrations that resemble the Company’s Sloto-formative trademark names, demanding that it cease use of the trademark Slotopoly. In response, Enigmatus s.r.o. asserted that it was the owner of the Sloto-formative trademarks and denied that its game title infringed upon the Company’s trademarks. Enigmatus s.r.o. applied to register one of the Company’s trademarks in the United Kingdom and European Union, and the Company successfully opposed its applications. In December 2016, Enigmatus s.r.o., filed a trademark infringement lawsuit, Enigmatus, s.r.o. v. Playtika LTD and Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Inc., against Playtika, Ltd. and Caesars Interactive Entertainment LLC in the Federal Court of Canada asserting that the Company’s use of the Slotomania trademarks violates its proprietary and trademark rights. The plaintiff sought injunctive relief and monetary damages. Pleadings have been exchanged and documentary discovery completed. A hearing for summary trial was conducted between June 27-29, 2023. The Company has defended this case vigorously and will continue to do so. As the case is in preliminary stages, the Company cannot estimate what impact, if any, the litigation may have on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
On November 23, 2021, the Company, its directors and certain of its officers were named in a putative class action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Bar-Asher v. Playtika Holding Corp. et al.). The complaint is allegedly brought on behalf of a class of purchasers of the Company’s securities between January 15, 2021 and November 2, 2021, and alleges violations of federal securities laws arising out of alleged misstatements or omissions by the defendants during the alleged class period. On March 10, 2022, the court appointed LBMotion Ltd as lead plaintiff, and the plaintiff filed an amended complaint on May 6, 2022. The amended complaint alleges violations of Section 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and seeks, among other things, damages and attorneys’ fees and costs on behalf of the putative class. The amended complaint also added the companies that served as underwriters for the Company’s IPO as defendants in the lawsuit. On September 15, 2022, in accordance with local rules of the Court, the Company and other defendants in the case filed a letter notifying the Court of defendants’ service upon plaintiffs of, among other things, a notice of motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ amended complaint and a memorandum of law in support of the defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ amended complaint. On November 30, 2022, the Company filed with the Court a motion to dismiss. As the case is in preliminary stages, the Company cannot estimate what impact, if any, the litigation may have on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. The Company has defended this case vigorously and will continue to do so.
On November 4, 2022, the Company and certain of its directors were named in a derivative action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Bushansky v. Antokol., et al.). The complaint was brought on behalf of the Company by a putative stockholder alleging that the named directors were negligent in their oversight of the preparation of the Company’s Proxy Statement in alleged violation of federal securities laws and that those directors breached their fiduciary duties upon related allegations. The complaint also asserts claims for contribution and indemnification, and aiding and abetting. The complaint seeks, among other things, damages, disgorgement and restitution by the director defendants, and attorneys’ fees and costs. Based upon an agreement of plaintiff, the Company, and the other defendants, on February 13, 2023, the Court stayed this action until the resolution of the motion to dismiss in the class action case of Bar-Asher v. Playtika Holding Corp. As the case is in preliminary stages, the Company cannot estimate what impact, if any, the litigation may have on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. The Company intends to vigorously defend this case.
On May 17, 2022, Guy David Ben Yosef filed a Motion for Approval of a class action lawsuit in district court in Tel Aviv-Jaffa Israel against Playtika Group Israel Ltd. (“PGI”), on behalf of all of PGI’s customers who made game token purchases in Israel as part of games marketed by PGI during theseven years preceding the filing of the motion and for all subsequent customers of such games who purchase tokens until the resolution of the claim. The Motion alleges that certain of the Company’s slot, poker and solitaire-themed games, including Slotomania, Caesars Slots, Solitaire Grand Harvest, House of Fun and Poker Heat, constitute illegal gambling and are prohibited under Israeli law and are misleading under Israeli consumer protection laws and alleges unjust enrichment. The Motion asserts damages of NIS 50 million. On January 12, 2023, PGI filed its response to the Motion for Approval. On March 5, 2023, the applicant submitted his reply to PGI’s response. A pre-trial hearing was held on May 4, 2023. The parties agreed to appoint a mediator to try and resolve the dispute. The first mediation meeting was held on August 16, 2023 and the second mediation meeting was held on January 7, 2024. The parties are actively working towards a settlement agreement with response to this matter and the expected range of loss is not material to the Company’s financial statements as a whole. If a mediated resolution is not reached the Company will continue defending this case vigorously.
On April 10, 2023, Playtika Holding UK II Limited, the Company’s controlling shareholder, and certain officers of the Company were sued (Kormos v Playtika Holding UK II Limited, et al.) in the Delaware Chancery Court. The lawsuit alleges generally that the defendants breached fiduciary duties owed to the Company and its stockholders with respect to the controlling shareholder’s indication of an interest in selling some or all of its shares, and the resulting strategic review process and self-tender offer. On August 18, 2023, defendants filed with the Court motions to dismiss the claims. A hearing on the motions to dismiss was held on November 21, 2023. On January 18, 2024, the court denied Playtika Holding UK II Limited’s motion to dismiss in an oral ruling but reserved decision on the motion to dismiss the claims against the Company’s officers for a written opinion. As the case is in preliminary stages, the Company cannot estimate what impact, if any, the litigation may have on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
On November 13, 2023, plaintiff Gina v. Burt filed a lawsuit against the Company and its subsidiary, Playtika Ltd., in the Circuit Court of Coffee County, Tennessee, alleging that the Company’s social casino-themed games are unlawful gambling under Tennessee law. The lawsuit seeks to recover all amounts paid by Tennessee residents to the Company in connection with its games during the period beginningone year before the filing of the lawsuit until the case is resolved but excluding any residents who spent $75,000 or more during such time period. After the Company removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, plaintiff filed a motion to remand the case back to the Coffee County Circuit Court. The Company filed a motion to dismiss and a motion to compel arbitration and intends to oppose the plaintiff’s motion to remand. As the case is in preliminary stages, the Company cannot estimate what impact, if any, the litigation may have on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. The Company intends to defend this case vigorously.
On March 8, 2023, plaintiff Gayla Hamilton Mills filed a lawsuit against the Company and its subsidiary, Playtika Ltd., in the Circuit Court of Franklin County, Alabama, alleging that the Company’s social casino-themed games are unlawful gambling under Alabama law. The lawsuit seeks to recover all amounts paid by Alabama residents to the Company in connection with its games during the period beginningone year before the filing of the lawsuit until the case is resolved. After the Company removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, plaintiff dismissed the complaint and filed a very similar new complaint in the Circuit Court of Franklin County, Alabama on August 25, 2023. The new complaint asserted the same cause of action and bases for relief, but limited the requested recovery to the amounts paid to the Company in connection with its games only by those Alabama residents who spent less than $75,000 during theone year before the filing of the lawsuit until the case is resolved. The Company timely removed the new complaint to the same U.S. district court on September 28, 2023. On October 20, 2023, the plaintiff filed a motion to remand the case back to the Franklin County Circuit Court and pleadings have been exchanged on the motion to remand. As the case is in preliminary stages, the Company cannot estimate what impact, if any, the litigation may have on its results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. The Company intends to defend this case vigorously.
On February 27, 2023, the company received a deficit notice from the Ben Gurion Airport Customs House concerning the purchase of a private aircraft. The deficit notice claims that the company's acquisition of the aircraft is an import into Israel, and, as a result, it was obliged to pay purchase tax and VAT for the acquisition. The company disputes that any tax or VAT is owed. On July 26, 2023, the Customs House's definitive response was received, with the deficit notice still intact. The current claimed amount of the deficit notice is approximately $3.6 million. The Company paid the deficit notice under protest and filed a claim with the district court on December 12, 2023. The Company intends to pursue this case vigorously.
The Company received seven demands for arbitration in late 2022 and early 2023 alleging that its games constitute illegal gambling under applicable state law. These demands generally attempted to recover amounts spent by third parties on the Company’s games by relying on state gambling loss recovery statutes. All of these demands have either been dismissed or resolved, on an individual basis, at an immaterial value.
NOTE 17. REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS
The following table provides information about disaggregated revenue by geographic location of the Company's players and type of platform (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Geographic location | |||
| USA | $1,777.5 | $1,843.0 | $1,816.7 |
| EMEA | 431.9 | 390.1 | 383.8 |
| APAC | 180.9 | 201.5 | 206.9 |
| Other | 176.7 | 180.9 | 175.6 |
| Total | $2,567.0 | $2,615.5 | $2,583.0 |
Revenues through third-party platforms and through the Company’s own Direct-to-Consumer platforms were as follows (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Revenues | |||
| Third-party platforms | $1,927.6 | $2,008.6 | $2,054.0 |
| Direct-to-Consumer platforms | 639.4 | 606.9 | 529.0 |
| Total | $2,567.0 | $2,615.5 | $2,583.0 |
Contract balances
Payments from players for virtual items are collected by platform providers or payment processors and remitted to the Company (net of the platform or clearing fees) generally within 45 days after the player transaction. The Company’s right to receive the payments collected by the platform providers or payment processors is recorded as an accounts receivable as the right to receive payment is unconditional. Deferred revenues, which represent a contract liability, represent mostly unrecognized fees billed for virtual items which have not yet been consumed at the balance sheet date. Platform fees paid to platform providers or payment processors and associated with deferred revenues represent a contract asset.
Balances of the Company’s contract assets and liabilities are as follows (in millions):
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Accounts receivable | $171.5 | $141.1 |
| Contract assets (1) | 12.5 | 10.8 |
| Contract liabilities (2) | 46.0 | 38.6 |
(1)Contract assets are included within prepaid expenses and other current assets as “deferred charges” in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
(2)Contract liabilities are included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities as “deferred revenues” in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recognized all of its contract liabilities balance as of December 31, 2022.
Unsatisfied performance obligations
Substantially all of the Company’s unsatisfied performance obligations relate to contracts with an original expected length of one year or less.
NOTE 18. SEGMENT INFORMATION
The Company operates its business asone operating segment andone reportable segment.
The Company’s long-lived assets, net, by country of domicile are as follows (in millions):
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Israel | $94.0 | $100.9 |
| USA | 64.8 | 62.0 |
| Ukraine | 21.8 | 26.1 |
| Other | 39.6 | 40.9 |
| Total long-lived assets, net | $220.2 | $229.9 |
NOTE 19. APPRECIATION AND RETENTION PLANS
In August 2019, the Board approved the 2021-2024 Retention Plan. Under the 2021-2024 Retention Plan, eligible employees may be granted retention awards that let them receive their pro rata portion of a retention pool of $25 million per year for each of the plan years, and may also be granted appreciation units which allow the employee to receive their pro-rata portion of an appreciation pool calculated as a specified percentage of Retention Plan Adjusted EBITDA in each of the plan years, determined as follows:
For 2021, (A)14% of the 2021-2024 Retention Plan Adjusted EBITDA for such calendar year, less (B) $25,000,000.
For 2022, (A)14.5% of the 2021-2024 Retention Plan Adjusted EBITDA for such calendar year, less (B) $25,000,000.
For each of 2023 and 2024, (A)15.0% of the 2021-2024 Retention Plan Adjusted EBITDA for such calendar year, less (B) $25,000,000.
Initial awards were granted under the 2021-2024 Retention Plan in August 2019, with subsequent awards to employees or consultants hired or retained after such date granted at the discretion of the administrator. Additional disclosure surrounding this plan and executive compensation can be found in the Company’s proxy statement.
For certain participants, in the event of the participant’s termination without cause or resignation for good reason, or termination by reason of death or disability, he or she will be eligible to receive a lump sum cash payment equal to his or her proportionate share (based on the number of retention units outstanding and eligible for payment as of such date) of the unpaid portion of the total retention pool for the remaining term of the 2021-2024 Retention Plan as of the date of termination, which amount shall be paid in cash within 60 days following the date of termination. In the event of such a termination, such participant will also remain eligible to receive payments in respect of his or her appreciation units for all vesting dates that have not yet occurred prior to the date of such termination, which payments will be made as and when such payments are made to other appreciation unit holders.
For all other participants, in the event of termination due to death or disability on or after January 1, 2021, but prior to December 31, 2024, the participant will receive a payment in respect of his or her proportionate share (based on the number of retention units outstanding and eligible for payment as of such date) of the unpaid portion of the total retention pool for the remaining term of the 2021-2024 Retention Plan as of the date of termination, pro-rated for the portion of the period between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2024 that has elapsed prior to termination, payable within 60 days following termination. In addition, the participant will retain the right to receive payments for a pro-rated portion of his or her appreciation units for all vesting dates that have not yet occurred prior to the date of such termination, which payments will be made as and when such payments are made to other appreciation unit holders.
All payments triggered by a termination of employment or service will be subject to the execution of a general release of claims in favor of the company. If a participant terminates service for any reason other than as described above, the participant will immediately forfeit all unearned benefits related to his or her unvested retention units and appreciation units.
In October 2020,43,000 appreciation units held under the 2021-2024 Retention Plan were cancelled. Pursuant to an amendment to the 2021-2024 Retention Plan adopted in October 2020, these cancelled appreciation units are considered “retired units” for purposes of the plan, and will be deemed to be outstanding and eligible for payment solely for purposes of determining the per unit value to be paid to participants, butno amounts will be paid with respect to such retired units.
Retention Plan Adjusted EBITDA represents Credit Adjusted EBITDA further adjusted to reflect certain elements of cash-based compensation including retention unit awards and appreciation unit awards under the 2021-2024 Plan and retention awards to key individuals with acquired companies.
The Company recognized compensation expenses in respect of retention bonus and appreciation unit awards under the 2021-2024 Plan of $111.9 million, $106.2 million and $112.7 million during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 respectively.
The Company has also granted retention awards to key individuals associated with acquired companies as an incentive to retain those individuals on a long-term basis. The Company recognized compensation expenses associated with these development-related retention payments of $0.3 million, $7.7 million and $21.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
NOTE 20. INTEREST EXPENSE AND OTHER, NET
Interest expense and other, net for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, are as follows (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Interest expense | $153.0 | $117.5 | $149.2 |
| Interest income | (42.7) | (14.1) | (0.8) |
| Foreign currency translation differences, net | (1.3) | 7.0 | 5.7 |
| Other | 0.5 | 0.2 | (0.3) |
| Total interest expense and other, net | $109.5 | $110.6 | $153.8 |
NOTE 21. INCOME TAXES
Deferred tax assets and liabilities
Deferred taxes reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts recorded for tax purposes. Significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in millions):
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Deferred tax assets | ||
| Net operating loss carry-forwards | $32.6 | $29.3 |
| Accrued employee costs | 8.7 | 8.3 |
| Research and development expenses | 57.7 | 41.8 |
| Operating lease liabilities | 20.9 | 21.4 |
| Stock-based compensation | 19.7 | 12.4 |
| Interest expense | 17.9 | 4.8 |
| Foreign tax credit carryforward | 37.2 | 37.2 |
| Other | 13.4 | 11.7 |
| Deferred tax assets | 208.1 | 166.9 |
| Valuation allowances | (45.0) | (39.4) |
| Net deferred tax assets | 163.1 | 127.5 |
| Deferred tax liabilities | ||
| Intangible assets | (36.4) | (54.6) |
| Undistributed foreign earnings | (11.0) | — |
| Debt issuance costs | (5.1) | (6.1) |
| Property and equipment | (8.1) | (9.0) |
| Derivative instruments | (8.4) | (11.3) |
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | (20.3) | (20.6) |
| Other | (4.1) | (4.2) |
| Deferred tax liabilities | (93.4) | (105.8) |
| Net deferred tax assets (liabilities) | $69.7 | $21.7 |
Deferred taxes are reported in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as follows (in millions):
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Deferred tax assets, net | $99.3 | $68.3 |
| Deferred tax liabilities, net | (29.6) | (46.6) |
| Net deferred tax (liabilities) assets | $69.7 | $21.7 |
Based on available evidence, management believes it is not more-likely-than-not that $45.0 million U.S. and Israel deferred tax assets will be fully realizable. Accordingly, in those jurisdictions, the Company has recorded a valuation allowance against these assets. The Company regularly reviews the deferred tax assets for recoverability based on all of the available positive and negative evidence, with a focus on historical taxable income, projected future taxable income, the expected timing of the reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and tax planning strategies by jurisdiction.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company reversed the previously accrued deferred tax liability for undistributed foreign earnings and recognized $46.2 million of tax benefit. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has reevaluated its assertion and considered that some of the undistributed earnings of its non-U.S. subsidiaries may be repatriated in the near future. As a result, the Company accrued $11.0 million of estimated withholding tax liability. The Company considers all remaining undistributed earnings of its non-U.S. subsidiaries to be indefinitely reinvested, with the exception of certain subsidiaries that can repatriate tax-free. The determination of the amount of any deferred income or withholding tax liability on these earnings is not practicable because of the complexities of the hypothetical calculation.
Net operating loss carry-forwards
The Company has net operating loss carryforwards in certain jurisdictions, including Israel, Finland, and the U.S. of $126.7 million, $33.8 million, and $8.4 million, respectively. The net operating losses in Israel and the U.S. are carried forward indefinitely. The net operating losses in the Finland expire from 2031 through 2033.
The Company’s income tax return is subject to examination by federal, state and non-U.S. tax authorities. The 2020 through 2022 U.S. federal income tax filings are currently open tax years available for examination by the IRS. U.S. state tax jurisdictions have statutes of limitation generally ranging from three tofive years, with the earliest open tax year for the Company being 2018. Years still open to examination by tax authorities in Israel, which is the main jurisdiction other than the U.S. are 2017 through 2022. The Israeli tax authorities are currently examining tax years 2017 through 2021.
Income before income taxes is comprised as follows (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Domestic (U.S.) | $97.2 | $127.0 | $52.9 |
| Foreign | 294.9 | 233.8 | 355.5 |
| Income before taxes on income | $392.1 | $360.8 | $408.4 |
Effective income tax rate reconciliations:
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| US statutory tax rate | 21.0% | 21.0% | 21.0% |
| Foreign tax rate differentials | 3.3% | 2.9% | 2.6% |
| Effect of “Preferred Technology Enterprise” status | (4.6)% | (3.8)% | (6.4)% |
| Nondeductible stock-based compensation | 1.5% | 2.4% | 2.0% |
| 162(m) Limitation | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| GILTI and Foreign adjustments | 4.3% | 4.3% | 6.3% |
| Change in valuation allowance | 1.1% | (4.0)% | 0.9% |
| Withholding taxes | 0.1% | 1.3% | 0.1% |
| State taxes, net of federal benefit | 2.0% | 1.4% | 0.3% |
| Change in uncertain tax positions | 8.9% | 0.6% | 5.8% |
| Repatriation of undistributed dividends | 2.8% | —% | (11.3)% |
| Return-To-Provision Adjustments | (1.2)% | (4.7)% | 1.7% |
| Other | (0.1)% | 1.4% | 0.4% |
| Effective tax rate | 40.1% | 23.7% | 24.5% |
The Company believes that certain of its Israeli subsidiaries qualify as Preferred Technology Enterprises, entitled to a special tax track, under the Israeli Investment Law, 5719-1959 (the “Investment Law”) and accordingly are eligible for a reduced corporate tax rate of 12% on their preferred technology income, as defined in the Investment Law, beginning from tax year 2017 and onwards. A Preferred Technology Enterprise becomes a Special Preferred Technology Enterprise and is entitled to a reduced corporate tax rate of 6% on their preferred technology income when the worldwide revenues reach ILS 10 billion annually. The Company expects that the Israeli subsidiaries qualifying as Preferred Technology Enterprises in the current year will continue to qualify as Preferred Technology Enterprises or become Special Preferred Technology Enterprises in subsequent tax years. Income not eligible for Preferred Technology Enterprise benefits is taxed at the regular corporate tax rate at 23% beginning in 2018. Non-Israeli subsidiaries are taxed according to the tax laws in their respective countries of residence. During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company received an assessment from the Israel Tax Authority asserting that a smaller proportion of the Company’s 2017 earnings qualified for reduced tax rates under the Preferred Technology Enterprise regime than what the Company had asserted on its tax return. Applying this same assertion to all open tax years 2017 through 2023, the assessment results in an aggregate exposure of approximately $133.3 million more income tax than what the Company has included on its prior tax returns for 2017 through 2022, or expects to include on its upcoming 2023 tax return. During the first quarter of 2023, the Company filed an appeal of the 2017 assessment and believes that its associated reserves are adequate based on available information. However, it is possible that any final amounts payable in connection with this tax assessment could exceed the Company’s current reserves.
The provision for income taxes is comprised as follows (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Current | $214.0 | $134.2 | $172.3 |
| Deferred | (56.9) | (48.7) | (72.4) |
| Total | $157.1 | $85.5 | $99.9 |
| Domestic (U.S.) | $42.4 | $(27.2) | $(19.6) |
| Foreign | 114.7 | 112.7 | 119.5 |
| Total | $157.1 | $85.5 | $99.9 |
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| U.S. Federal | |||
| Current | $63.1 | $(32.4) | $24.9 |
| Deferred | (30.8) | (1.3) | (48.5) |
| Total | $32.3 | $(33.7) | $(23.6) |
| U.S. State | |||
| Current | $9.9 | $9.2 | $3.5 |
| Deferred | 0.2 | (2.7) | 0.5 |
| Total | $10.1 | $6.5 | $4.0 |
| Foreign | |||
| Current | $141.0 | $157.5 | $143.9 |
| Deferred | (26.3) | (44.8) | (24.4) |
| Total | $114.7 | $112.7 | $119.5 |
Uncertain tax positions
A reconciliation of the opening and closing balances of total unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |
| Balance as of January 1 | $231.4 | $114.2 |
| Increases in respect of tax positions related to the current year | 56.7 | 44.5 |
| Increases in respect of tax positions related to prior years | 0.9 | 87.0 |
| Reductions in respect of settlements with authorities | (4.3) | (1.2) |
| Reductions in respect of tax positions related to prior years | (0.2) | (9.4) |
| Reductions in respect of exchange rate fluctuations | (23.5) | (3.7) |
| Balance as of December 31 | $261.0 | $231.4 |
Included in the balance of total unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2023 is $95.6 million of tax benefits that if recognized, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate. The balance of the accrual relating to interest and penalties as of December 31, 2023 is $19.8 million. The Company believes that it is reasonably possible that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits could change significantly within 12 months of the reporting date as a result of the open examination in Israel for the tax years ended 2017 through 2021. The nature of this uncertainty primarily relates to the applicability of beneficial tax rates on certain income streams. However, a reasonable estimate of the range of possible changes cannot be made at this time.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company has a net unrecognized tax benefit liability of $47.6 million associated with potential transfer pricing adjustments. The applicable guidance prohibits offsetting the unrecognized tax benefit liability and the unrecognized tax benefit asset amounts and accordingly, the Company presents such amounts on the balance sheet on a gross basis.
Pillar Two
In October 2021, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development finalized key components of the Base Erosion and Profits Shifting Project, a two-pillar plan on global tax reform. Pillar Two requires multinational enterprises with an annual global turnover exceeding €750 million to pay a global minimum tax of 15%. Pillar Two legislation has been enacted or substantively enacted in the UK and certain jurisdictions in the EU where the Company operates, effective beginning 2024. Additionally, the Company expects legislation to be enacted in Israel in the foreseeable future. The
Company has performed a preliminary assessment of the potential exposure to Pillar Two income taxes based on available information and does not currently expect a material impact on its financial statements.
NOTE 22. ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
The following table shows a summary of changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, for the respective periods (in millions):
| Foreign Currency Translation | Interest Rate Swaps | Foreign Currency Derivative Contracts | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance as of January 1, 2022 | $(1.9) | $4.2 | $0.9 | $3.2 |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications | (13.7) | 36.4 | (13.0) | 9.7 |
| Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) | — | (2.9) | 7.6 | 4.7 |
| Balance as of December 31, 2022 | (15.6) | 37.7 | (4.5) | 17.6 |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications | 5.6 | 12.3 | (1.7) | 16.2 |
| Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) | — | (22.2) | 9.0 | (13.2) |
| Balance as of December 31, 2023 | $(10.0) | $27.8 | $2.8 | $20.6 |
The amounts in the summary of changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) tables, above, are net of tax expense/(benefits) as follows (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Interest rate swaps | $(3.0) | $10.0 | $1.3 |
| Foreign currency derivative contracts | 1.4 | (1.0) | — |
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income for interest rate swaps and foreign currency derivative contracts were reclassified to interest expense and operating expenses, respectively, in the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
NOTE 23. NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO ORDINARY STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per share attributable to ordinary stockholders (in millions, except per share data):
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Numerator: | |||
| Net income | $235.0 | $275.3 | $308.5 |
| Denominator: | |||
| Weighted-average shares used in computing net income per share attributable to common stockholders, basic | 366.3 | 401.0 | 408.9 |
| Weighted-average shares used in computing net income per share attributable to common stockholders, diluted | 366.8 | 401.6 | 411.0 |
| Net income per share, basic | $0.64 | $0.69 | $0.75 |
| Net income per share, diluted | $0.64 | $0.69 | $0.75 |
The Company uses the treasury stock method on a grant-by-grant basis as the method for determining the dilutive effect of options, RSUs and PSUs. Under this method, it is assumed that the hypothetical proceeds received upon settlement are used to repurchase common shares at the average market price during the period. The following outstanding employee equity awards were excluded from the calculation of diluted net income per share because their effect would have been anti-dilutive for the periods presented (in millions):
| Year ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Stock options | 2.2 | 15.8 | 7.8 |
| RSUs | 10.9 | 13.0 | 4.5 |
| Total | 13.1 | 28.8 | 12.3 |
Option awards that were deemed to be anti-dilutive and were modified in the Option Exchange are included in table above for the period they were outstanding in 2022 prior to the Option Exchange. In addition,2.2 million PSUs were excluded from the calculation of diluted net income per share for the year ended December 31, 2023 because the minimum performance measures have not yet been met.
NOTE 24. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On February 25, 2024, Board of Directors of the Company declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share of the Company’s outstanding common stock, payable on April 5, 2024 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 22, 2024, with future dividends subject to market conditions and Board approval.
The Company’s management evaluates subsequent events through the date of issuance of the consolidated financial statements. Other than the dividend declaration and equity-related items disclosed in Note 13, Equity Transactions and Stock Incentive Plan, there have been no other subsequent events that occurred during such period that would require adjustment to or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.