UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(MARK ONE)
☒
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.
FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED March 31, 2024
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.
COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 000-21433
FORRESTER RESEARCH, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
04-2797789
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
60 Acorn Park Drive
Cambridge, Massachusetts
02140
(Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)
(617) 613-6000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class
Trading Symbol(s)
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, $.01 Par Value
FORR
Nasdaq Global Select Market
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
As of April 29, 2024, 19,107,000 shares of the registrant’s common stock were outstanding.
INDEX TO FORM 10-Q
Page
PART I
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.
Financial Statements (Unaudited)
3
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023
4
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023
5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023
6
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
7
Item 2.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
20
Item 3.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
27
Item 4.
Controls and Procedures
PART II
OTHER INFORMATION
Legal Proceedings
28
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Defaults Upon Senior Securities
Mine Safety Disclosures
Item 5.
Other Information
Item 6.
Exhibits
29
SIGNATURES
30
PART I.
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except per share data, unaudited)
March 31,
December 31,
2024
2023
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$
61,379
72,909
Marketable investments
57,095
51,580
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for expected credit losses of $764 and $574 as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively
54,717
58,999
Deferred commissions
21,498
23,207
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
23,892
9,305
Total current assets
218,581
216,000
Property and equipment, net
17,787
19,401
Operating lease right-of-use assets
34,380
39,722
Goodwill
243,028
244,257
Intangible assets, net
35,073
37,637
Other assets
6,821
7,157
Total assets
555,670
564,174
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable
2,749
1,796
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
44,698
81,482
Deferred revenue
193,664
156,798
Total current liabilities
241,111
240,076
Long-term debt
35,000
Non-current operating lease liabilities
34,472
37,673
Other non-current liabilities
14,156
11,160
Total liabilities
324,739
323,909
Commitments and contingencies (Note 15)
Stockholders' Equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value
Authorized - 500 shares; issued and outstanding - none
—
Common stock, $0.01 par value
Authorized - 125,000 shares
Issued - 24,881 and 24,684 shares as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively
Outstanding - 19,242 and 19,248 shares as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively
249
247
Additional paid-in capital
281,453
278,057
Retained earnings
171,008
177,681
Treasury stock - 5,639 and 5,437 shares as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively
(215,246
)
(211,149
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
(6,533
(4,571
Total stockholders’ equity
230,931
240,265
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Three Months Ended
Revenues:
Research
76,581
80,906
Consulting
23,141
31,750
Events
355
1,014
Total revenues
100,077
113,670
Operating expenses:
Cost of services and fulfillment
44,690
49,292
Selling and marketing
39,422
41,532
General and administrative
14,059
21,227
Depreciation
2,060
2,104
Amortization of intangible assets
2,514
3,066
Restructuring costs
6,624
1,589
Total operating expenses
109,369
118,810
Loss from operations
(9,292
(5,140
Interest expense
(762
(793
Other income, net
1,274
550
Loss before income taxes
(8,780
(5,383
Income tax benefit
(2,107
(1,308
Net loss
(6,673
(4,075
Basic loss per common share
(0.35
(0.21
Diluted loss per common share
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding
19,285
19,108
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(In thousands, unaudited)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Foreign currency translation
(1,968
1,206
Net change in market value of investments
33
Other comprehensive income (loss)
(1,962
1,239
Comprehensive loss
(8,635
(2,836
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Cash flows from operating activities:
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Impairment of property and equipment
646
Deferred income taxes
3,485
1,926
Stock-based compensation
3,574
3,165
Operating lease right-of-use assets amortization and impairments
5,679
2,886
Amortization of deferred financing fees
113
109
Amortization of discount on investments
(172
(63
Foreign currency losses
72
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
3,885
14,691
1,709
1,957
(14,617
(8,819
970
64
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
(36,002
(37,416
36,998
36,041
Operating lease liabilities
(3,630
(3,374
Net cash provided by operating activities
611
12,282
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment
(1,426
(1,632
Purchases of marketable investments
(32,745
(964
Proceeds from maturities of marketable investments
23,900
4,000
Proceeds from sales of marketable investments
3,021
Other investing activity
14
(62
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
(7,236
1,342
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on borrowings
(15,000
Repurchases of common stock
(4,097
Proceeds from issuance of common stock under employee equity incentive plans
1,253
1,840
Taxes paid related to net share settlements of stock-based compensation awards
(1,429
(1,079
Net cash used in financing activities
(4,273
(14,239
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
(652
1,249
Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
(11,550
634
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period
75,042
105,654
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period
63,492
106,288
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest
742
Cash paid for income taxes
3,195
1,620
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
Note 1 — Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for reporting on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures required for complete financial statements are not included herein. The year-end balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. It is recommended that these financial statements be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes that appear in the Forrester Research, Inc. (“Forrester”) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair statement of the financial position, results of operations, comprehensive loss, and cash flows as of the dates and for the periods presented have been included. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 may not be indicative of the results for the year ending December 31, 2024, or any other period.
Presentation of Restricted Cash
The following table summarizes the end-of-period cash and cash equivalents from the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets and the total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as presented on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands).
Three Months Ended March 31,
Cash and cash equivalents shown in balance sheets
104,217
Restricted cash classified in other assets (1):
2,113
2,071
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in statement of cash flows
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280) - Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. The new standard enhances the disclosures of reportable segment information, primarily in regards to significant segment expenses. The new standard will be effective for the Company for the annual periods beginning January 1, 2024, and for interim periods beginning January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. Upon adoption, the guidance should be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adoption of the standard on its consolidated financial statements.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The new standard enhances income tax disclosure requirements by requiring specified categories and greater disaggregation within the rate reconciliation table, disclosure of income taxes paid by jurisdiction, and providing clarification on uncertain tax positions and related financial statement impacts. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adoption of the standard on its consolidated financial statements.
Note 2 — Marketable Investments
The following table summarizes the Company’s marketable investments (in thousands):
As of March 31, 2024
Gross
Amortized
Unrealized
Market
Cost
Gains
Losses
Value
Corporate obligations
21,989
(66
21,923
Federal agency obligations
2,000
(4
1,996
Money market funds
33,176
Total
57,165
(70
As of December 31, 2023
18,049
(72
17,977
(7
1,993
31,610
51,659
(79
Realized gains and losses on investments are included in earnings and are determined using the specific identification method. There were no realized gains or losses on marketable investments during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023.
The following table summarizes the maturity periods of the marketable investments in the Company’s portfolio as of March 31, 2024 (in thousands).
FY 2024
FY 2025
19,475
2,448
54,647
The following table shows the gross unrealized losses and market value of the Company’s available-for-sale securities with unrealized losses that are not deemed to be other-than-temporary, aggregated by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position (in thousands):
Less Than 12 Months
12 Months or Greater
17,026
16
4,897
50
6,893
54
13,098
8
4,879
6,872
71
Note 3 — Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of acquired businesses over the estimated fair values of the tangible and identifiable intangible net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized; however, it is required to be tested for impairment annually, which requires assessment of the potential impairment at the reporting unit level. Reporting units are determined based on the components of the Company's operating segments that constitute a business for which discrete financial information is available and for which operating results are regularly reviewed by segment management. Testing for impairment is also required on an interim basis if an event or circumstance indicates it is more likely than not an impairment loss has been incurred.
The Company performed its annual impairment testing as of November 30, 2023 utilizing a quantitative assessment to determine if the fair values of each of its reporting units was less than their respective carrying values and concluded that no impairments existed. Subsequent to completing the annual test and through March 31, 2024, there were no events or circumstances that required an interim impairment test. Accordingly, as of March 31, 2024, the Company had no accumulated goodwill impairment losses. Approximately $8.2 million of goodwill is allocated to the Company’s Consulting reporting unit, which had a negative carrying value as of the date of the last test.
The change in the carrying amount of goodwill for the three months ended March 31, 2024 is summarized as follows (in thousands):
Balance at December 31, 2023
Translation adjustments
(1,229
Balance at March 31, 2024
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
The carrying values of finite-lived intangible assets are as follows (in thousands):
March 31, 2024
Net
Carrying
Accumulated
Amount
Amortization
Amortizable intangible assets:
Customer relationships
77,626
44,183
33,443
Technology
16,290
15,881
409
Trademarks
12,484
11,263
1,221
106,400
71,327
December 31, 2023
77,640
42,091
35,549
16,524
15,950
574
12,519
11,005
1,514
106,683
69,046
Estimated intangible asset amortization expense for each of the five succeeding years is as follows (in thousands):
2024 (remainder)
7,401
2025
8,875
2026
8,392
2027
8,324
2028
2,081
9
Note 4 — Debt
The Company has a credit facility that provides up to $150.0 million of revolving credit commitments and matures in December of 2026. The credit facility includes an expansion feature that permits the Company to increase the revolving credit commitments in an aggregate principal amount up to $50.0 million, subject to approval by the administrative agent and certain customary terms and conditions.
The credit facility contains certain customary restrictive loan covenants, including among others, financial covenants that apply a maximum leverage ratio, minimum interest coverage ratio, and maximum annual capital expenditures. The negative covenants limit, subject to various exceptions, the Company’s ability to incur additional indebtedness, create liens on assets, merge, consolidate, liquidate or dissolve any part of the Company, sell assets, change fiscal year, or enter into certain transactions with affiliates and subsidiaries. The Company was in full compliance with the covenants as of March 31, 2024.
The Company may voluntarily prepay revolving loans under the credit facility at any time and from time to time, without premium or penalty. No interim amortization payments are required to be made under the credit facility.
The credit facility provided that once LIBOR ceased to exist in 2023, the benchmark rate for the loans outstanding automatically transferred from LIBOR to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR). In April 2023, the Company executed a second amendment to the credit facility to facilitate the conversion from LIBOR to SOFR and to set the base interest rate at SOFR plus 10 basis points.
Up to $5.0 million of the credit facility is available for the issuance of letters of credit, and any drawings under the letters of credit must be reimbursed within one business day. As of March 31, 2024, $0.6 million in letters of credit were issued under the credit facility.
Outstanding Borrowings
The following table summarizes the Company’s total outstanding borrowings as of the dates indicated (in thousands):
Description:
Credit facility
The contractual annualized interest rate as of March 31, 2024 was 6.68%.
The Company had $114.4 million of available borrowing capacity on the credit facility (not including the expansion feature) as of March 31, 2024. The weighted average annual effective interest rate for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was 6.6883%.
All obligations under the credit facility are unconditionally guaranteed by each of the Company’s existing and future, direct and indirect, material wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries, other than certain excluded subsidiaries, and are collateralized by a first priority lien on substantially all tangible and intangible assets, including intellectual property, and all of the capital stock of the Company's subsidiaries (limited to 65% of the voting equity of certain subsidiaries).
Note 5 — Leases
All of the Company’s leases are operating leases, the majority of which are for office space. Operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and non-current operating lease liabilities are included as individual line items in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, while short-term operating lease liabilities are recorded within accrued expenses and other current liabilities. Leases with an initial term of twelve months or less are not recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are not material.
The components of lease expense were as follows (in thousands):
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
Operating lease cost
3,094
3,314
Short-term lease cost
214
261
Variable lease cost
1,230
785
Sublease income
(130
(131
Total lease cost
4,408
4,229
10
Additional lease information is summarized in the following table (in thousands, except lease term and discount rate):
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities
3,630
3,374
Operating lease ROU assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations
408
1,323
Weighted-average remaining lease term - operating leases (years)
4.1
4.9
Weighted-average discount rate - operating leases
4.2
%
4.3
Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable leases and estimated future sublease cash receipts from non-cancelable arrangements as of March 31, 2024 are as follows (in thousands):
Operating Lease
Sublease
Payments
Cash Receipts
12,209
471
13,933
12,325
5,707
2,875
Thereafter
6,024
Total lease payments and estimated sublease cash receipts
53,073
Less imputed interest
(4,515
Present value of lease liabilities
48,558
Lease balances as of March 31, 2024 are as follows (in thousands):
Operating lease ROU assets
Short-term operating lease liabilities (1)
14,086
Total operating lease liabilities
The Company’s leases do not contain residual value guarantees, material restrictions, or covenants.
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company recorded a $3.2 million ROU asset impairment and $0.6 million of leasehold improvements impairments related to closing the 11th floor of its offices located at 150 Spear Street, San Francisco, California. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company recorded a $0.4 million ROU asset impairment related to closing the 10th floor of its offices located at 150 Spear Street, San Francisco, California. The impairments are included in restructuring and related costs in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. As a result of the impairments, the ROU assets were required to be recorded at their estimated fair values as Level 3 non-financial assets. The fair values of the asset groups were determined using a discounted cash flow model, which required the use of estimates, including projected cash flows for the related assets, the selection of a discount rate used in the model, and regional real estate industry data.
11
Note 6 – Revenue and Related Matters
Disaggregated Revenue
The Company disaggregates revenue as set forth in the following tables (in thousands):
Revenue by Geography
Revenues: (1)
North America
79,629
92,671
Europe
13,437
13,712
Asia Pacific
4,891
5,382
Other
2,120
1,905
Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable includes amounts billed and currently due from customers. Since the only condition for payment of the Company’s invoices is the passage of time, a receivable is recorded on the date an invoice is issued. Also included in accounts receivable are unbilled amounts resulting from revenue exceeding the amount billed to the customer, where the right to payment is unconditional. If the right to payment for services performed was conditional on something other than the passage of time, the unbilled amount would be recorded as a separate contract asset. There were no contract assets as of March 31, 2024 or 2023.
The majority of the Company’s contracts are non-cancelable. However, for contracts that are cancelable by the customer, the Company does not record a receivable when it issues an invoice. The Company records accounts receivable on these contracts only up to the amount of revenue earned but not yet collected.
In addition, since the majority of the Company’s contracts are invoiced for annual periods, and payment is expected within one year from the transfer of products and services, the Company does not adjust its receivables or transaction prices for the effects of a significant financing component.
Deferred Revenue
The Company refers to contract liabilities as deferred revenue in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Payment terms in the Company’s customer contracts vary, but generally require payment in advance of fully satisfying the performance obligation(s). Deferred revenue consists of billings in excess of revenue recognized. Similar to accounts receivable, the Company does not record deferred revenue for unpaid invoices issued on a cancelable contract.
During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized $62.5 million and $72.9 million of revenue, respectively, related to its deferred revenue balance at January 1 of each such period.
Approximately $378.4 million of revenue is expected to be recognized during the next 24 months from remaining performance obligations as of March 31, 2024.
Reserves for Credit Losses
The allowance for expected credit losses on accounts receivable for the three months ended March 31, 2024 is summarized as follows (in thousands):
TotalAllowance
Provision for expected credit losses
223
Write-offs
(33
764
When evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for expected credit losses, the Company makes judgments regarding the collectability of accounts receivable based, in part, on the Company’s historical loss rate experience, customer concentrations, management’s expectations of future losses as informed by current economic conditions, and changes in customer payment terms. If the expected financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make
12
payments, additional allowances may be required. If the expected financial condition of the Company’s customers were to improve, the allowances may be reduced accordingly.
Cost to Obtain Contracts
The Company capitalizes commissions paid to sales representatives and related fringe benefits costs that are incremental to obtaining customer contracts. These costs are included in deferred commissions in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company accounts for these costs at a portfolio level as the Company’s contracts are similar in nature and the amortization model used closely matches the amortization expense that would be recognized on a contract-by-contract basis. Costs to obtain a contract are amortized to earnings over the initial contract term, which is the same period the related revenue is recognized. Amortization expense related to deferred commissions for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 was $7.9 million and $8.6 million, respectively. The Company evaluates the recoverability of deferred commissions at each balance sheet date and there were no impairments recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023.
Note 7 — Derivatives and Hedging
The Company enters into a limited number of foreign currency forward exchange contracts to mitigate the effects of adverse fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates on transactions entered into in the normal course of business that are denominated in foreign currencies that differ from the local functional currency. These contracts generally have short durations and are recorded at fair value with both realized and unrealized gains and losses recorded in other income, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations because the Company does not designate these contracts as hedges for accounting purposes.
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company entered into three foreign currency forward exchange contracts, all of which settled by March 31, 2024. Accordingly, as of March 31, 2024, there is no amount recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for these contracts. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company entered into three foreign currency forward exchange contracts, all of which settled by March 31, 2023. Accordingly, as of March 31, 2023, there is no amount recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for these contracts.
The Company’s derivative counterparties are investment grade financial institutions. The Company does not have any collateral arrangements with these counterparties and the derivative contracts do not contain credit risk-related contingent features. The table below provides information regarding amounts recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the derivative contracts for the periods indicated (in thousands):
Amount recorded in:
(14
62
Note 8 — Fair Value Measurements
The carrying amounts reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to their short-term maturities. The Company’s financial instruments also include its outstanding variable-rate borrowings (refer to Note 4 – Debt). The Company believes that the carrying amount of its variable-rate borrowings reasonably approximate their fair values because the rates of interest on those borrowings reflect current market rates of interest.
Additionally, the Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis including cash equivalents and marketable investments. The fair values of these financial assets and liabilities have been classified as Level 1, 2, or 3 within the fair value hierarchy as described in the accounting standards for fair value measurements:
Level 1 — Fair value based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 — Fair value based on inputs other than Level 1 inputs 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 — Fair value based on unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and such inputs are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
13
The following table represents the Company’s fair value hierarchy for its financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):
Level 1
Level 2
Assets:
Money market funds (1)
43,726
Marketable investments (3)
23,919
Total Assets
67,645
Money market funds (2)
55,128
19,970
75,098
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company did not transfer assets or liabilities between levels of the fair value hierarchy. Additionally, there have been no changes to the valuation techniques for Level 2 assets and liabilities.
Note 9 — Income Taxes
Forrester provides for income taxes on an interim basis according to management’s estimate of the effective tax rate expected to be applicable for the full fiscal year. Certain items such as changes in tax rates, tax benefits or expense related to settlements of share-based awards, and foreign currency gains or losses are treated as discrete items and are recorded in the period in which they arise.
Income tax benefit for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $2.1 million resulting in an effective tax rate of 24.0% for the period. Income tax benefit for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was $1.3 million resulting in an effective tax rate of 24.3% for the period.
The Company anticipates that its effective tax rate for the full year 2024 will be approximately 50%.
Note 10 — Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (“AOCL”)
The components of accumulated other comprehensive loss are as follows (net of tax, in thousands):
Marketable
Translation
Investments
Adjustment
Total AOCL
(60
(4,511
Foreign currency translation (1)
Unrealized gain, net of tax of $(2)
(54
(6,479
Balance at December 31, 2022
(159
(7,759
(7,918
Unrealized gain, net of tax of $(11)
Balance at March 31, 2023
(126
(6,553
(6,679
Note 11 — Net Loss Per Common Share
Basic net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the diluted weighted average number of common shares and common equivalent shares outstanding during the period. The weighted average number of common equivalent shares outstanding has been determined in accordance with the treasury-stock method. Common equivalent shares consist of common stock issuable on the exercise of outstanding stock options and the vesting of restricted stock units.
Basic and diluted weighted average common shares are as follows (in thousands):
Weighted average common equivalent shares
Options and restricted stock units excluded from diluted weighted average share calculation as effect would have been anti-dilutive
1,082
703
Note 12 — Stockholders’ Equity
The components of stockholders’ equity are as follows (in thousands):
Three Months Ended March 31, 2024
Common Stock
Treasury Stock
NumberofShares
$0.01ParValue
AdditionalPaid-inCapital
RetainedEarnings
OtherComprehensiveLoss
TotalStockholders'Equity
24,684
5,437
Issuance of common stock under stock plans, including tax effects
197
2
(178
(176
202
Stock-based compensation expense
Net change in marketable investments, net of tax
24,881
5,639
Three Months Ended March 31, 2023
24,367
244
261,766
174,631
5,305
(207,067
221,656
128
1
760
761
24,495
245
265,691
170,556
222,746
15
Equity Plans
Restricted stock unit activity for the three months ended March 31, 2024 is presented below (in thousands, except per share data):
Weighted-
Average
Number of
Grant Date
Shares
Fair Value
Unvested at December 31, 2023
999
37.66
Granted
163
25.34
Vested
(185
40.55
Forfeited
(37
37.64
Unvested at March 31, 2024
940
34.97
Stock option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2024 is presented below (in thousands, except per share data and contractual term):
Weighted -
Exercise
Remaining
Aggregate
Number
Price Per
Contractual
Intrinsic
of Shares
Share
Term (in years)
Outstanding at December 31, 2023
201
33.93
(12
36.92
Outstanding at March 31, 2024
189
33.74
6.44
Exercisable at March 31, 2024
93
34.47
3.86
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2024
No stock options were granted or exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2024.
Stock-Based Compensation
Forrester recognizes the fair value of stock-based compensation over the requisite service period of the individual grantee, which generally equals the vesting period. Stock-based compensation was recorded in the following expense categories in the Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands):
2,122
1,847
599
497
853
821
Forrester utilizes the Black-Scholes valuation model for estimating the fair value of options granted under the equity incentive plans and shares subject to purchase under the employee stock purchase plan, which were valued using the following assumptions:
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Equity Incentive Plans
Average risk-free interest rate
5.36
4.27
5.00
Expected dividend yield
0.0
Expected life
0.5 Years
4.75 Years
Expected volatility
39
43
46
Weighted average fair value
5.46
14.24
9.47
As of March 31, 2024, Forrester’s Board of Directors had authorized an aggregate $585.0 million to purchase common stock under its stock repurchase program. The shares repurchased may be used, among other things, in connection with Forrester’s equity incentive and purchase plans. During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company repurchased approximately 0.2 million shares of common stock at an aggregate cost of approximately $4.1 million. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company did not repurchase any shares of common stock. From the inception of the program through March 31, 2024, the Company repurchased 17.3 million shares of common stock at an aggregate cost of $518.2 million.
Note 13 — Restructuring and Related Costs
In January 2023, the Company implemented a reduction in its workforce of approximately 4% across various geographies and functions to streamline operations. The Company recorded $4.3 million of severance and related costs for this action during the fourth quarter of 2022, and $0.6 million during the first quarter of 2023. The Company also recorded a restructuring charge of $5.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2022 related to closing one floor of its offices located at 150 Spear Street, San Francisco, California, of which $3.7 million related to an impairment of a right-of-use asset and $1.3 million related to an impairment of leasehold improvements. In the first quarter of 2023, the Company recorded an incremental $0.4 million impairment to its California office and a $0.6 million charge for the write-off of a previously capitalized software project.
The following table rolls forward the activity in the restructuring accrual for the January 2023 action for the three months ended March 31, 2024 (in thousands):
Accrual at December 31, 2023
48
Additional restructuring and related costs
Cash payments
Accrual at March 31, 2024
In May 2023, the Company implemented a reduction in its workforce of approximately 8% across various geographies and functions to better align its cost structure and to streamline its sales and consulting organizations. The Company recorded $7.5 million of severance and related costs for this action during the second quarter of 2023. In addition, the Company closed certain of its smaller offices both inside and outside the U.S. in order to reduce facility costs and better match its facilities to its hybrid work strategy. As a result of closing the offices, the Company recorded restructuring costs of $2.3 million, which included $1.3 million related to right-of-use asset impairments and accelerated amortization and $0.6 million related to impairments of leasehold improvements. In addition, the Company incurred $0.7 million in contract termination costs. The accrued restructuring and related costs as of March 31, 2024 will be fully paid by the end of 2024.
The following table rolls forward the activity in the restructuring accrual for the May 2023 action for the three months ended March 31, 2024 (in thousands):
1,282
(820
501
In February 2024, the Company implemented a reduction in force of approximately 3% of its workforce across various geographies and functions to better align its cost structure with the revenue outlook for the year. The Company recorded $0.7 million of severance and related costs for this action during the fourth quarter of 2023, and $2.8 million during the first quarter of 2024. The Company also recorded a restructuring charge of $3.8 million during the first quarter of 2024 related to closing one floor of its offices located at 150 Spear Street, San Francisco, California, of which $3.2 million related to an impairment of a right-of-use asset and $0.6 million related to an impairment of leasehold improvements. The accrued restructuring and related costs as of March 31, 2024 will be fully paid by the end of 2024.
The following table rolls forward the activity in the restructuring accrual for the February 2024 action for the three months ended March 31, 2024 (in thousands):
732
6,571
Non-cash charge (included above)
(3,806
(1,256
2,241
17
Note 14 — Operating Segments
The Company's chief operating decision-maker (used in determining the Company's segments) is the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer. The Company operates in three segments: Research, Consulting, and Events. These segments, which are also the Company's reportable segments, are based on the management structure of the Company and how the chief operating decision maker uses financial information to evaluate performance and determine how to allocate resources. The Company’s products and services are delivered through each segment as described below.
The Research segment includes the revenues from all of the Company’s research products as well as consulting revenues from advisory services (such as speeches and advisory days) delivered by the Company’s research organization. Research segment costs include the cost of the organizations responsible for developing and delivering these products in addition to the costs of the product management organization responsible for product pricing and packaging, and the launch of new products.
The Consulting segment includes the revenues and the related costs of the Company’s project consulting organization. The project consulting organization delivers a majority of the Company’s project consulting revenue and certain advisory services.
The Events segment includes the revenues and the costs of the organization responsible for developing and hosting in-person and virtual events.
The Company evaluates reportable segment performance and allocates resources based on segment revenues and expenses. Segment expenses include the direct expenses of each segment organization and exclude selling and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses, stock-based compensation expense, depreciation expense, adjustments to incentive bonus compensation from target amounts, amortization of intangible assets, restructuring and related costs, interest expense, and other income. The accounting policies used by the segments are the same as those used in the consolidated financial statements.
The Company provides information by reportable segment in the tables below (in thousands):
Research Segment
Consulting Segment
Events Segment
Consolidated
Research revenues
Consulting revenues
4,643
18,498
Events revenues
Total segment revenues
81,224
Segment expenses
(33,514
(10,097
(1,486
(45,097
Selling, marketing, administrative and other expenses
(55,134
(2,514
(6,624
Interest expense and other income
512
7,919
23,831
88,825
(35,507
(12,353
(1,631
(49,491
(64,664
(3,066
(1,589
(243
Note 15 — Contingencies
From time to time, the Company may be subject to legal proceedings and civil and regulatory claims that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities. Regardless of the outcome, legal proceedings and claims can have a material adverse effect on the Company because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources, and other factors. It is the Company's policy to record accruals for legal contingencies to the extent that it has concluded that it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, and to expense costs associated with loss contingencies, including any related legal
18
fees, as they are incurred. The Company reviews its loss contingencies at least quarterly and adjusts its accruals and/or disclosures to reflect the impact of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel, or other new information, as deemed necessary. Once established, a provision may change in the future due to new developments or changes in circumstances and could increase or decrease the Company’s earnings in the period that the changes are made. Following an April 2023 mediation in a wage-related matter that resulted in a settlement agreement, the Company accrued $4.8 million of expense in the quarter ended March 31, 2023 that is classified in general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. This claim was fully paid in the first quarter of 2024.
Note 16 — Subsequent Events
On April 30, 2024, the Company announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a $25.0 million increase in the Company’s stock repurchase program, bringing the total available authorization to approximately $89.0 million as of April 30, 2024. The shares may be purchased in the open market or privately negotiated transactions.
19
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” or similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Reference is made in particular to our statements about changing stakeholder expectations, migration of our clients into our Forrester Decisions products, product development, holding hybrid events, possible acquisitions, future dividends, future share repurchases, future growth rates, operating income and cash from operations, future deferred revenue, future compliance with financial covenants under our credit facility, future interest expense, anticipated increases in, and productivity of, our sales force and headcount, the adequacy of our cash, and cash flows to satisfy our working capital and capital expenditures, and the anticipated impact of accounting standards. These statements are based on our current plans and expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual future activities and results to differ include, among others, our ability to retain and enrich subscriptions to, and licenses of, our Research products and services, our ability to fulfill existing or generate new consulting engagements and advisory services, our ability to generate and increase demand for the Events we host, any adverse economic conditions that result in a reduction in technology spending or demand for our products and services, our international operations expose us to a variety of operational risks which could negatively impact us, our ability to offer new products and services, the use of Generative AI in our business and by our clients and competitors, our dependence on key personnel, our ability to attract and retain qualified professional staff, our ability to respond to business and economic conditions and market trends, the impact of our outstanding debt, competition and industry consolidation, possible variations in our quarterly operating results, concentration of our stock ownership, the possibility of network disruptions and security breaches, our ability to enforce and protect our intellectual property rights, compliance with privacy laws, taxation risks, and any weakness identified in our system of internal controls. These risks are described more completely in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
We derive revenues from subscriptions to our Research products and services, licensing electronic “reprints” of our Research, performing consulting projects and advisory services, and hosting events. We offer contracts for our Research products as either multi-year contracts or annual contracts, which are typically payable in advance on an annual basis. Subscription products are recognized as revenue over the term of the contract. Accordingly, a substantial portion of our billings are initially recorded as deferred revenue. Reprints include an obligation to deliver a customer-selected research document and certain usage data provided through an on-line platform, which represents two performance obligations. We recognize revenue for the performance obligation for the data portion of the reprint ratably over the license term. We recognize revenue for the performance obligation for the research document at the time of providing access to the document. Billings for licensing of reprints are initially recorded as deferred revenue. Clients purchase consulting projects and advisory services independently and/or to supplement their access to our subscription-based products. Consulting project revenues, which are based upon fixed-fee agreements, are recognized as the services are provided. Advisory service revenues, such as speeches and advisory days, are recognized when the service is complete or the customer receives the agreed upon deliverable. Billings attributable to consulting projects and advisory services are initially recorded as deferred revenue. Events revenues consist of ticket and sponsorship sales for a Forrester-hosted event. Billings for events are also initially recorded as deferred revenue and are recognized as revenue upon completion of each event.
Our primary operating expenses consist of cost of services and fulfillment, selling and marketing expenses, and general and administrative expenses. Cost of services and fulfillment represents the costs associated with the production and delivery of our products and services, including salaries, bonuses, employee benefits, and stock-based compensation expense for all personnel that produce and deliver our products and services, including all associated editorial, travel, and support services. Selling and marketing expenses include salaries, sales commissions, bonuses, employee benefits, stock-based compensation expense, travel expenses, promotional costs, and other costs incurred in marketing and selling our products and services. General and administrative expenses include the costs of the technology, operations, finance, and human resources groups and our other administrative functions, including salaries, bonuses, employee benefits, and stock-based compensation expense. Overhead costs such as facilities, net of sublease income, and annual fees for cloud-based information technology systems are allocated to these categories according to the number of employees in each group.
Our key metrics focus on our contract value ("CV") products. We are focusing on CV products as these products are our most profitable products and historically our contracts for CV products have renewed at high rates (as measured by our client retention and wallet retention metrics).
We calculate CV at the foreign currency rates used for internal planning purposes each year. For comparative purposes, we have recast historical CV at the current year foreign currency rates and using the updated methodology as described on the investor relations section of our website. We have included the recast CV metric below for the three months ended March 31, 2023, and we have also provided recast CV amounts dating back to the first quarter of 2022, on the investor relations section of our website.
Contract value, client retention, wallet retention, and number of clients are metrics that we believe are important to understanding our research business. We define these metrics as follows:
Client retention and wallet retention are not necessarily indicative of the rate of future retention of our revenue base. A summary of our key metrics is as follows (dollars in millions):
As of
Absolute
Percentage
Increase
(Decrease)
Contract value
323.1
337.9
(14.8
%)
Client retention
74
(2) points
Wallet retention
88
90
Number of clients
2,308
2,678
(370
Contract value at March 31, 2024 decreased by 4% compared to the prior year period due to lower enrichment of retained customers and a decrease in the number of clients. Client retention and wallet retention decreased by 2 percentage points, respectively, at March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period. However, wallet retention increased by 1 percentage point compared to the prior quarter and client retention was consistent compared to the prior quarter. The decrease in our retention rates and number of clients from the prior year period is primarily attributable to 1) macroeconomic conditions affecting our client base including a) funding and budget pressure on our smaller technology clients and the technology industry in general, and b) the uncertain economic conditions caused by inflation, increased interest rates, and geopolitical turbulence, and 2) the ongoing transition of our client base to our Forrester Decisions product platform that was launched in August 2021. As of March 31, 2024, approximately 70% of our overall CV was in our Forrester Decisions product platform. In the longer term, we anticipate that approximately 80% of our CV will be in our Forrester Decisions product platform. The remaining approximate 20% of CV represents non-Forrester Decisions CV products, primarily reprints. The ongoing macroeconomic conditions and product transition are anticipated to pressure our key metrics through 2024.
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including but not limited to, those related to our revenue recognition, goodwill, intangible and other long-lived assets, and income taxes. Management bases its estimates on historical experience, data available at the time the estimates are made, and various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Our critical accounting estimates are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
21
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth our statement of operations as a percentage of total revenues for the periods indicated:
76.5
71.2
23.1
27.9
0.4
0.9
100.0
44.7
43.4
39.4
36.5
14.0
18.7
2.1
1.9
2.5
2.7
6.6
1.3
(9.3
(4.5
(0.8
(0.7
0.5
(8.8
(4.7
(2.1
(1.1
(6.7
(3.6
Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 and 2023
Revenues
(dollars in millions)
100.1
113.7
(13.6
76.6
80.9
(4.3
(5
31.8
(8.6
(27
1.0
(65
Revenues attributable to customers outside of the U.S.
23.5
25.2
(1.7
Percentage of revenue attributable to customers outside of the U.S.
23
22
1 point
Research revenues are recognized as revenue primarily on a ratable basis over the term of the contracts, which are generally 12 or 24-month periods. Research revenues decreased 5% during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period primarily due to the decrease in CV, as discussed above. From a product perspective, the decrease in revenues was primarily due to a decline in revenue from our reprint product and our other smaller and discontinued products. In addition, revenue from our subscription research products declined 3%.
Consulting revenues decreased 27% during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period. The decrease in revenues was due to a decrease in delivery of both advisory and consulting services due to lower client bookings.
Events revenues were insignificant during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 as no events were held during either period.
Refer to the “Segments Results” section below for a discussion of revenues and expenses by segment.
Cost of Services and Fulfillment
Cost of services and fulfillment (dollars in millions)
49.3
(4.6
(9
Cost of services and fulfillment as a percentage of total revenues
45
2 points
Service and fulfillment employees (at end of period)
747
873
Cost of services and fulfillment expenses decreased 9% during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period. The decrease was primarily due to (1) a $4.1 million decrease in compensation and benefit costs due to a decrease in headcount and incentive bonus costs, partially offset by an increase in benefit costs (due to a benefit during 2023 resulting from the introduction of the flexible vacation and personal paid time off policy in the United States) and (2) a $0.6 million decrease in professional services costs primarily due to a decrease in contractor costs.
Selling and Marketing
Selling and marketing expenses (dollars in millions)
41.5
Selling and marketing expenses as a percentage of total revenues
37
Selling and marketing employees (at end of period)
679
788
(109
Selling and marketing expenses decreased 5% during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period. The decrease was primarily due to a $2.4 million decrease in compensation and benefit costs due to a decrease in headcount, commissions expense, and incentive bonus costs, partially offset by an increase in benefit costs (due to a benefit during 2023 resulting from the introduction of the flexible vacation and personal paid time off policy in the United States). This decrease was partially offset by a $0.5 million increase in professional services costs primarily due to an increase in consulting fees.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses (dollars in millions)
14.1
21.2
(7.2
(34
General and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues
(5) points
General and administrative employees (at end of period)
264
304
(40
(13
General and administrative expenses decreased 34% during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period. The decrease was primarily due to (1) a $5.5 million decrease in legal costs, due primarily to a $4.8 million provision for a legal settlement recorded in 2023 for a wage-related matter and related legal services and (2) a $1.6 million decrease in compensation and benefit costs due to a decrease in headcount and incentive bonus costs, partially offset by an increase in benefit costs (due to a benefit during 2023 resulting from the introduction of the flexible vacation and personal paid time off policy in the United States).
The fluctuation for depreciation expense was immaterial during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period.
Amortization of Intangible Assets
Amortization expense decreased by $0.6 million during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period due to a decrease in the amortization of trademark and technology intangible assets.
Restructuring and Related Costs
In January 2023, we implemented a reduction in our workforce of approximately 4% across various geographies and functions to streamline operations. We recorded $4.3 million of severance and related costs for this action during the fourth quarter of 2022, and $0.6 million during the first quarter of 2023. We recorded a restructuring charge of $5.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2022 related to closing one floor of our offices in California, of which $3.7 million related to an impairment of a right-of-use asset and $1.3 million related to an impairment of leasehold improvements. During the first quarter of 2023, we recorded an incremental $0.4 million impairment to our California office. We also recorded a $0.6 million charge during the first quarter of 2023 for the write-off of a previously capitalized software project. Essentially all of the severance and related costs for this plan were paid during 2023.
In May 2023, we implemented a reduction in our workforce of approximately 8% across various geographies and functions to better align our cost structure with our revised revenue outlook for the year, and to streamline our sales and consulting organizations to more efficiently go to market in support of driving contract value growth in the future. We recorded $7.5 million of severance and related costs for this action during the second quarter of 2023. In addition, we closed certain of our smaller offices both inside and outside the U.S. in order to reduce facility costs and better match our facilities to our hybrid work strategy. As a result of closing the offices, we recorded restructuring costs of $2.3 million, which included $1.3 million related to right-of-use asset impairments and accelerated amortization and $0.6 million related to impairments of leasehold improvements. We also incurred $0.7 million in contract termination costs. The remaining $0.5 million of the severance and related costs for this plan, as of March 31, 2024, will be paid during 2024.
In February 2024, we implemented a reduction in our workforce of approximately 3% across various geographies and functions to better align our cost structure with the revenue outlook for the year. We recorded $0.7 million of severance and related costs for this action during the fourth quarter of 2023, and $2.8 million during the first quarter of 2024. We recorded a restructuring charge of $3.8 million during the first quarter of 2024 related to closing one floor of our offices in California, of which $3.2 million related to an impairment of a right-of-use asset and $0.6 million related to an impairment of leasehold improvements. We expect all of the severance and related costs for this plan to be paid during 2024.
Interest Expense
Interest expense consists of interest on our borrowings. The fluctuation for interest expense was immaterial during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period.
Other Income, Net
Other income, net primarily consists of interest income, gains and losses on foreign currency, and gains and losses on foreign currency forward contracts. Other income, net increased $0.7 million during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period primarily due to an increase in interest income.
Income Tax Benefit
Benefit from income taxes (dollars in millions)
(1.3
0.8
61
Effective tax rate
24
Income tax benefit increased by $0.8 million during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period primarily due to the increase in loss from operations. For the full year 2024, we anticipate that our effective tax rate will be approximately 50%.
Segment Results
We operate in three segments: Research, Consulting, and Events. These segments, which are also our reportable segments, are based on our management structure and how management uses financial information to evaluate performance and determine how to allocate resources. Our products and services are delivered through each segment as described below.
The Research segment includes the revenues from all of our research products as well as consulting revenues from advisory services (such as speeches and advisory days) delivered by our research organization. Research segment costs include the cost of the organizations responsible for developing and delivering these products in addition to the cost of the product management organization that is responsible for product pricing and packaging and the launch of new products.
The Consulting segment includes the revenues and the related costs of our project consulting organization. The project consulting organization delivers a majority of our project consulting revenue and certain advisory services.
We evaluate reportable segment performance and allocate resources based on segment revenues and expenses. Segment expenses include the direct expenses of each segment organization and exclude selling and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses, stock-based compensation expense, depreciation expense, adjustments to incentive bonus compensation from target amounts, amortization of intangible assets, restructuring and related costs, interest expense, and other income. The accounting policies used by the segments are the same as those used in the consolidated financial statements.
(dollars in thousands)
Year over year revenue change
(22
Year over year expense change
(6
(18
Research segment revenues decreased 9% during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period. Research product revenues within this segment decreased 5% primarily due to the decrease in CV, as discussed above. From a product perspective, the decrease in revenue was primarily due to a decline in revenue from our reprint product and our other smaller and discontinued products. In addition, revenue from our subscription research products declined 3%. Consulting product revenues within this segment decreased 41% primarily due to decreased delivery of consulting and advisory services by our research analysts due primarily to lower client bookings for these services.
Research segment expenses decreased 6% during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period. The decrease in expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2024 was primarily due to a $1.8 million decrease in compensation and benefit costs primarily due to a decrease in headcount.
Consulting segment revenues decreased 22% during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period. The decrease in revenues during the three months ended March 31, 2024 was primarily due to a decrease in delivery of consulting services due to lower client bookings.
Consulting segment expenses decreased 18% during the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period. The decrease in expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2024 was primarily due to (1) a $1.8 million decrease in compensation and benefit costs primarily due to a decrease in headcount and (2) a $0.4 million decrease in professional services primarily due to a decrease in contractor costs.
Event segment revenues and expenses were insignificant during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 as no events were held during either period.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We have historically financed our operations primarily through funds generated from operations. Research revenues, which constituted approximately 77% of our revenues during the three months ended March 31, 2024, are generally renewable and are typically payable in advance. We generated cash from operating activities of $0.6 million and $12.3 million during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The $11.7 million decrease in cash provided from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period was primarily due to a $9.8 million decrease in cash generated from accounts receivable and deferred revenue due to a decrease in contract bookings and a $5.8 million increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets, which was primarily due to the timing of payments in each period.
25
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, we used cash in investing activities of $7.2 million primarily from $5.8 million in net purchases of marketable investments and $1.4 million of purchases of property and equipment, primarily consisting of computer software. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, we generated cash from investing activities of $1.3 million primarily from $3.0 million in net maturities of marketable investments partially offset by $1.6 million of purchases of property and equipment, primarily consisting of computer software.
We used $4.3 million of cash from financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2024 primarily due to $4.1 million for purchases of our common stock and $1.4 million in taxes paid related to net share settlements of restricted stock units, partially offset by $1.3 million of net proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our stock-based incentive plans. We used $14.2 million of cash in financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2023 primarily due to $15.0 million of discretionary repayments of our revolving credit facility, as well as $1.1 million in taxes paid related to net share settlements of restricted stock units, partially offset by $1.8 million of net proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our stock-based incentive plans. As of March 31, 2024, our remaining stock repurchase authorization was approximately $66.8 million.
The Company has a credit facility that provides up to $150.0 million of revolving credit commitments. The credit facility has a balance of $35.0 million at March 31, 2024 and matures in December of 2026. The credit facility permits the Company to increase the revolving credit commitments in an aggregate principal amount up to $50.0 million, subject to approval by the administrative agent and certain customary terms and conditions.
The credit facility contains certain customary restrictive loan covenants, including among others, financial covenants that apply a maximum leverage ratio, minimum interest coverage ratio, and maximum annual capital expenditures. The negative covenants limit, subject to various exceptions, our ability to incur additional indebtedness, create liens on assets, merge, consolidate, liquidate or dissolve any part of the company, sell assets, change fiscal year, or enter into certain transactions with affiliates and subsidiaries. We were in full compliance with the covenants as of March 31, 2024 and expect to continue to be in compliance through the next 12 months.
Additional future contractual cash obligations extending over the next 12 months and beyond primarily consist of operating lease payments. We lease office space under non-cancelable operating lease agreements (refer to Note 5 – Leases in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information). The remaining duration of non-cancelable office space leases ranges from less than 1 year to 7 years. As of March 31, 2024, remaining non-cancelable lease payments are due as follows: $12.2 million in 2024, $26.3 million within 2025 and 2026, $8.6 million within 2027 and 2028, and $6.0 million beyond 2028.
In addition to the contractual cash commitments included above, we have other payables and liabilities that may be legally enforceable but are not considered contractual commitments.
As of March 31, 2024, we had cash, cash equivalents, and marketable investments of $118.5 million. This balance includes $77.8 million held outside of the U.S. If the cash outside of the U.S. is needed for operations in the U.S., we would be required to accrue and pay U.S. state taxes and may be required to pay withholding taxes to foreign jurisdictions to repatriate these funds. However, our intent is to permanently reinvest these funds outside of the U.S. and our current plans do not demonstrate a need to repatriate these funds for our U.S. operations. We believe that our current cash balance and cash flows from operations will satisfy working capital, financing activities, and capital expenditure requirements for the next twelve months and to meet our known long-term cash requirements.
Refer to Note 1 – Interim Consolidated Financial Statements in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a full description of recent accounting pronouncements including the expected dates of adoption and effects on results of operations and financial condition.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
For information regarding our critical accounting policies and estimates, please refer to Note 1, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" and Item 7, “Critical Accounting Estimates” contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. There have been no material changes to the critical accounting policies and estimates previously disclosed in that report.
26
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
There have been no material changes in our assessment of our sensitivity to market risk since our presentation set forth in Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain “disclosure controls and procedures,” as such term is defined under Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e), that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, our management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives and our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2024. Based upon their evaluation and subject to the foregoing, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide reasonable assurance as of that date.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that occurred during the quarter ended March 31, 2024, which has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The information set forth in the "Note 15 - Contingencies", in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In addition to the other information set forth in this Form 10-Q, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, “Item 1A: Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results. The risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K remain applicable to our business. The risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K are not the only risks that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results.
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
Through March 31, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized an aggregate $585.0 million to purchase common stock under our stock repurchase program. In April 2024, our Board of Directors increased our stock repurchase authorization by an additional $25.0 million. During the quarter ended March 31, 2024, we purchased the following shares of our common stock under the stock repurchase program:
Maximum Approximate Dollar
Total Number of Shares
Value of Shares that May
Total Number of
Average Price
Purchased as Part of Publicly
Yet be Purchased
Shares Purchased
Paid per Share
Announced Plans or Programs
Under the Plans or Programs
Period
(#)
($)
(In thousands)
Jan 1 - Jan 31
70,885
Feb 1 - Feb 29
30,000
20.14
70,280
Mar 1 - Mar 31
172,000
20.31
66,787
Total for the quarter
202,000
ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
Not applicable.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, no director or officer of the Company adopted or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as each term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS
3.1
Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Forrester Research, Inc. (see Exhibit 3.1 to Registration Statement on Form S-1A filed on November 5, 1996)
3.2
Certificate of Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation of Forrester Research, Inc. (see Exhibit 3.1 to Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999)
3.3
Certificate of Amendment to Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Forrester Research, Inc. (see Exhibit 3.1 to Form 8-K filed on May 25, 2017)
3.4
Amended and Restated By-Laws of Forrester Research, Inc. (see Exhibit 3.4 to Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022)
Specimen Certificate for shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value, of Forrester Research, Inc. (see Exhibit 4 to Registration Statement on Form S-1A filed on November 5, 1996)
31.1
Certification of the Principal Executive Officer. (filed herewith)
31.2
Certification of the Principal Financial Officer. (filed herewith)
32.1
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (furnished herewith)
32.2
Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (furnished herewith)
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. (filed herewith)
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document With Embedded Linkbase Documents. (filed herewith)
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL Document). (filed herewith)
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
By:
/s/ L. CHRISTIAN FINN
L. Christian Finn
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal financial officer)
Date: May 3, 2024