LPL Financial Announces First Quarter 2019 Results


First Quarter 2019 Key Performance Indicators

  • Earnings per share ("EPS") increased 77% year-over-year to $1.79. 
    -- Net Income increased 66% year-over-year to $155 million.
  • EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets** increased 74% year-over-year to $1.93.
  • Total Brokerage and Advisory Assets increased 6% year-over-year to $684 billion.
  • Total Net New Assets were an inflow of $4.0 billion, translating to a 2.5% annualized growth rate.
    -- 
    Net new advisory assets were an inflow of $4.6 billion, translating to a 6.5% annualized growth rate. 
    -- Net new brokerage assets were an outflow of $0.7 billion, translating to a (0.8)% annualized rate. 
    -- Recruited Assets(1) were $7.1 billion. 
    -- Advisor count was 16,189, up 80 sequentially, and up 122 year-over-year; production retention rate was 96%.
  • Total client cash sweep balances were $30.7 billion, down $4.1 billion sequentially. 
    -- 
    Total client cash sweep balances as a percent of total assets was 4.5%, down from 5.6% in the prior quarter.
  • Gross Profit** increased 20% year-over-year to $556 million.
  • EBITDA** increased 51% year-over-year to $276 million. 
    -- 
    EBITDA** as a percentage of Gross Profit** was 50%, up from 40% a year ago. 
    -- Core G&A** increased 6% year-over-year to $213 million, down 2% sequentially.
  • Shareholder capital returns were $146 million, translating to $1.68 per share. 
    -- 
    Share repurchases were $125 million for 1.7 million shares at an average purchase price of $71.57. 
    -- Weighted average fully diluted share count was 86.7 million, down 7% year-over-year. 
    -- Dividends were $21 million.
  • Cash available for corporate use was $376 million.
  • Credit Agreement Net Leverage Ratio(2) was 2.05x, down 0.10x from the prior quarter.

Key Updates

  • Maintained 2019 Core G&A** outlook range of $850 to $875 million.
  • Completed $125 million of share repurchases in the first quarter.
  • Reminder that the Company's Investor and Analyst Day is on May 22, 2019 in New York City.

SAN DIEGO, May 02, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) (the “Company”) today announced results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2019, reporting net income of $155 million, or $1.79 per share. This compares with $94 million, or $1.01 per share, in the first quarter of 2018 and $120 million, or $1.36 per share, in the prior quarter.

“We continue to focus on providing differentiated capabilities to help our advisors win in the marketplace,” said Dan Arnold, President and CEO.  "In the first quarter, we introduced new CRM capabilities, rolled out goals-based planning, and integrated our AdvisoryWorld acquisition.  These capabilities will help our advisors digitize their workflows to more efficiently turn prospects into clients.  Looking ahead, we remain focused on our strategic priorities of growing our core business and executing with excellence.”

“We began 2019 with another quarter of business and financial strength,” said Matt Audette, CFO.  "We grew gross profit while investing for growth and still delivering operating leverage.  Looking forward, we plan to continue to invest to drive organic growth and return capital to shareholders.  We believe our business results and financial strength position us well to continue creating long-term shareholder value."

Dividend Declaration
The Company's Board of Directors declared a $0.25 per share dividend to be paid on June 3, 2019 to all stockholders of record as of May 20, 2019.

Conference Call and Additional Information

The Company will hold a conference call to discuss its results at 5:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 2.  To listen, call 877-677-9122 (domestic) or 708-290-1401 (international); passcode 3794197, or visit investor.lpl.com (webcast).  Replays will be available by phone and on investor.lpl.com beginning two hours after the call and until May 9 and May 23, respectively.  For telephonic replay, call 855-859-2056 (domestic) or 404-537-3406 (international); passcode 3794197.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial is a leader in the retail financial advice market and the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer*. We serve independent financial advisors and financial institutions, providing them with the technology, research, clearing and compliance services, and practice management programs they need to create and grow their practices.  LPL enables them to provide objective guidance to millions of American families seeking wealth management, retirement planning, financial planning and asset management solutions.  LPL.com

*Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine June 1996-2018.

Securities and Advisory Services offered through LPL Financial. A Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.

**Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Management believes that presenting certain non-GAAP financial measures by excluding or including certain items can be helpful to investors and analysts who may wish to use this information to analyze the Company’s current performance, prospects, and valuation. Management uses this non-GAAP information internally to evaluate operating performance and in formulating the budget for future periods. Management believes that the non-GAAP financial measures and metrics discussed below are appropriate for evaluating the performance of the Company.

EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets is defined as GAAP EPS plus the per share impact of Amortization of Intangible Assets. The per share impact is calculated as Amortization of Intangible Assets expense, net of applicable tax benefit, divided by the number of shares outstanding for the applicable period. The Company presents EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets because management believes that the metric can provide investors with useful insight into the Company’s core operating performance by excluding non-cash items that management does not believe impact the Company’s ongoing operations. EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets is not a measure of the Company's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP EPS or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP. For a reconciliation of EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets to GAAP EPS, please see footnote 31 on page 19 of this release.

Gross Profit is calculated as net revenues, which were $1,372 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, less commission and advisory expenses and brokerage, clearing, and exchange fees, which were $800 million and $16 million, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2019. All other expense categories, including depreciation and amortization of fixed assets and amortization of intangible assets, are considered general and administrative in nature. Because the Company’s gross profit amounts do not include any depreciation and amortization expense, the Company considers its gross profit amounts to be non-GAAP financial measures that may not be comparable to those of others in its industry. Management believes that Gross Profit can provide investors with useful insight into the Company’s core operating performance before indirect costs that are general and administrative in nature.

Core G&A consists of total operating expenses, which were $1,135 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019, excluding the following expenses: commission and advisory, regulatory charges, promotional, employee share-based compensation, depreciation and amortization, amortization of intangible assets, and brokerage, clearing, and exchange. Management presents Core G&A because it believes Core G&A reflects the corporate operating expense categories over which management can generally exercise a measure of control, compared with expense items over which management either cannot exercise control, such as commission and advisory expenses, or which management views as promotional expense necessary to support advisor growth and retention including conferences and transition assistance. Core G&A is not a measure of the Company’s total operating expenses as calculated in accordance with GAAP. For a reconciliation of Core G&A against the Company’s total operating expenses, please see footnote 5 on page 17 of this release. The Company does not provide an outlook for its total operating expenses because it contains expense components, such as commission and advisory expenses, that are market-driven and over which the Company cannot exercise control. Accordingly a reconciliation of the Company’s outlook for Core G&A to an outlook for total operating expenses cannot be made available without unreasonable effort.

EBITDA is defined as net income plus interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation, amortization and loss on extinguishment of debt. The Company presents EBITDA because management believes that it can be a useful financial metric in understanding the Company’s earnings from operations. EBITDA is not a measure of the Company's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP, or as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of profitability or liquidity. In addition, the Company’s EBITDA can differ significantly from EBITDA calculated by other companies, depending on long-term strategic decisions regarding capital structure, the tax jurisdictions in which companies operate, and capital investments.

Credit Agreement EBITDA is defined in, and calculated by management in accordance with, the Company's credit agreement (“Credit Agreement”) as “Consolidated EBITDA,” which is Consolidated Net Income (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus interest expense, tax expense, depreciation and amortization and further adjusted to exclude certain non-cash charges and other adjustments, including unusual or non-recurring charges and gains, and to include future expected cost savings, operating expense reductions or other synergies from certain transactions, including the Company's acquisition of the broker/dealer network of National Planning Holdings, Inc. ("NPH"). The Company presents Credit Agreement EBITDA because management believes that it can be a useful financial metric in understanding the Company’s debt capacity and covenant compliance under its Credit Agreement. Credit Agreement EBITDA is not a measure of the Company's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP, or as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of profitability or liquidity. In addition, the Company’s Credit Agreement-defined EBITDA can differ significantly from adjusted EBITDA calculated by other companies, depending on long-term strategic decisions regarding capital structure, the tax jurisdictions in which companies operate, capital investments, and types of adjustments made by such companies.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release regarding the Company's future financial and operating results, growth, priorities and business strategies, including forecasts and statements relating to future expenses (including 2019 Core G&A** outlook), enhanced capabilities and advisor tools, future investments, future capital returns and long-term shareholder value, as well as any other statements that are not related to present facts or current conditions or that are not purely historical, constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's historical performance and its plans, estimates, and expectations as of May 2, 2019. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees that the future results, plans, intentions, or expectations expressed or implied will be achieved. Matters subject to forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including economic, legislative, regulatory, competitive, and other factors, which may cause actual financial or operating results, levels of activity, or the timing of events, to be materially different than those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include: changes in general economic and financial market conditions, including retail investor sentiment; changes in interest rates and fees payable by banks participating in the Company's cash sweep programs, the Company's strategy and success in managing cash sweep program fees; changes in the growth and profitability of the Company's fee-based business; fluctuations in the levels of advisory and brokerage assets, including net new assets, and the related impact on revenue; effects of competition in the financial services industry and the success of the Company in attracting and retaining financial advisors and institutions; whether the retail investors served by newly-recruited advisors choose to move their respective assets to new accounts at the Company; the effect of current, pending and future legislation, regulation and regulatory actions, including disciplinary actions imposed by federal and state regulators and self-regulatory organizations; the costs of settling and remediating issues related to regulatory matters or legal proceedings, including actual costs of reimbursing customers for losses in excess of our reserves; changes made to the Company’s services and pricing, and the effect that such changes may have on the Company’s gross profit streams and costs; execution of the Company's plans and its success in realizing the synergies, expense savings, service improvements, and/or efficiencies expected to result from its initiatives and programs, and the other factors set forth in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the Company's 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K, as may be amended or updated in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or other filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this earnings release, even if its estimates change, and you should not rely on statements contained herein as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

 Three Months Ended
March 31,
  
 2019 2018 %  Change
REVENUES     
Commission$461,359  $474,811  (3%)
Advisory453,938  422,387  7%
Asset-based296,363  219,336  35%
Transaction and fee122,480  116,649  5%
Interest income, net of interest expense12,321  7,781  58%
Other25,218  593  n/m 
Total net revenues1,371,679  1,241,557  10%
EXPENSES     
Commission and advisory799,698  761,697  5%
Compensation and benefits136,912  123,517  11%
Promotional51,349  67,427  (24%)
Depreciation and amortization23,470  20,701  13%
Amortization of intangible assets16,168  13,222  22%
Occupancy and equipment33,106  27,636  20%
Professional services19,612  22,172  (12%)
Brokerage, clearing and exchange16,144  15,877  2%
Communications and data processing12,327  11,174  10%
Other26,403  28,586  (8%)
Total operating expenses1,135,189  1,092,009  4%
Non-operating interest expense32,716  29,622  10%
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES203,774  119,926  70%
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES48,376  26,396  83%
NET INCOME$155,398  $93,530  66%
EARNINGS PER SHARE     
Earnings per share, basic$1.84  $1.04  77%
Earnings per share, diluted$1.79  $1.01  77%
Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic84,487  89,997  (6%)
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted86,742  92,784  (7%)
       


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income Trend
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

 Quarterly Results
 Q1 2019 Q4 2018 Q3 2018
REVENUES     
Commission$461,359  $469,923  $486,875 
Advisory453,938  474,102  458,087 
Asset-based296,363  265,681  248,895 
Transaction and fee122,480  119,254  118,941 
Interest income, net of interest expense12,321  11,784  10,512 
Other25,218  (23,702) 7,687 
Total net revenues1,371,679  1,317,042  1,330,997 
EXPENSES     
Commission and advisory799,698  793,310  821,950 
Compensation and benefits136,912  132,766  128,007 
Promotional51,349  45,141  52,628 
Depreciation and amortization23,470  21,897  22,838 
Amortization of intangible assets16,168  15,672  15,676 
Occupancy and equipment33,106  30,750  30,308 
Professional services19,612  24,428  23,129 
Brokerage, clearing and exchange expense16,144  16,000  15,844 
Communications and data processing12,327  11,776  12,334 
Other26,403  31,103  29,219 
Total operating expenses1,135,189  1,122,843  1,151,933 
Non-operating interest expense32,716  31,756  31,705 
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES203,774  162,443  147,359 
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES48,376  42,145  40,494 
NET INCOME$155,398  $120,298  $106,865 
EARNINGS PER SHARE     
Earnings per share, basic$1.84  $1.40  $1.22 
Earnings per share, diluted$1.79  $1.36  $1.19 
Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic84,487  85,976  87,426 
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted86,742  88,163  89,878 
         


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
(Dollars in thousands, except par value)
(Unaudited)

  March 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
 
ASSETS        
Cash and cash equivalents $676,903  $511,096 
Cash segregated under federal and other regulations 708,241  985,195 
Restricted cash 42,827  65,828 
Receivables from:    
Clients, net of allowance of $684 at March 31, 2019 and $640 at December 31, 2018 393,099  412,944 
Product sponsors, broker-dealers, and clearing organizations 156,915  166,793 
Advisor loans, net of allowance of $6,107 at March 31, 2019 and $5,080 at December 31, 2018 320,379  298,821 
Others, net of allowance of $10,386 at March 31, 2019 and $8,099 at December 31, 2018 269,153  248,711 
Securities owned:    
Trading — at fair value 27,361  29,267 
Held-to-maturity — at amortized cost 13,005  13,001 
Securities borrowed 2,670  4,829 
Fixed assets, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $318,520 at March 31, 2019 and $308,155 at December 31, 2018 472,528  461,418 
Operating lease assets 106,821   
Goodwill 1,490,247  1,490,247 
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $495,487 at March 31, 2019 and $479,319 at December 31, 2018 468,058  484,171 
Other assets 343,983  305,147 
Total assets $5,492,190  $5,477,468 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
LIABILITIES:    
Drafts payable $186,116  $225,034 
Payables to clients 778,902  950,946 
Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations 134,375  76,180 
Accrued commission and advisory expenses payable 154,840  164,211 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 411,316  478,644 
Income taxes payable 74,740  32,990 
Unearned revenue 99,035  80,524 
Securities sold, but not yet purchased — at fair value 66  169 
Long-term borrowing, net of unamortized debt issuance cost of $18,707 at March 31, 2019 and $19,525 at December 31, 2018 2,368,501  2,371,808 
Operating lease liabilities 147,326   
Finance lease liabilities 106,987   
Leasehold financing and capital lease obligations   104,564 
Deferred income taxes, net 20,291  18,325 
Total liabilities 4,482,495  4,503,395 
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:    
Common stock, $.001 par value; 600,000,000 shares authorized; 125,647,760 shares issued at March 31, 2019 and 124,909,796 shares issued at December 31, 2018 126  125 
Additional paid-in capital 1,658,631  1,634,337 
Treasury stock, at cost — 41,611,603 shares at March 31, 2019 and 39,820,646 shares at December 31, 2018 (1,859,484) (1,730,535)
Retained earnings 1,210,422  1,070,146 
Total stockholders’ equity 1,009,695  974,073 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $5,492,190  $5,477,468 
         


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Management's Statements of Operations(3)
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

Certain information presented on pages 8-16 of this release is presented as reviewed by the Company’s management and includes information derived from the Company’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, non-GAAP financial measures, and operational and performance metrics. For information on non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section titled "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" that begins on page 3 of this release. 

 Quarterly Results
 Q1 2019 Q4 2018 
Change
 Q1 2018 
Change
Gross Profit(3)         
Sales-based commissions$190,999  $199,468  (4%) $187,233  2%
Trailing commissions270,360  270,455  % 287,578  (6%)
Advisory453,938  474,102  (4%) 422,387  7%
Commission and advisory fees915,297  944,025  (3%) 897,198  2%
Commission and advisory expense(799,698) (793,310) 1% (761,697) 5%
Commission and advisory fees, net of payout115,599  150,715  (23%) 135,501  (15%)
Cash sweep173,139  147,774  17% 104,084  66%
Other asset-based(4)123,224  117,907  5% 115,252  7%
Transaction and fee122,480  119,254  3% 116,649  5%
Interest income and other37,539  (11,918) n/m  8,374  n/m 
Total net commission and advisory fees and attachment revenue571,981  523,732  9% 479,860  19%
Brokerage, clearing, and exchange expense(16,144) (16,000) 1% (15,877) 2%
Gross Profit(3)555,837  507,732  9% 463,983  20%
          
G&A Expense         
Core G&A(5)212,520  216,185  (2%) 201,039  6%
Regulatory charges7,873  9,593  n/m  6,440  n/m 
Promotional51,349  45,141  14% 67,427  (24%)
Employee share-based compensation7,967  5,045  58% 5,606  42%
Total G&A279,709  275,964  1% 280,512  %
EBITDA(3)276,128  231,768  19% 183,471  51%
Depreciation and amortization23,470  21,897  7% 20,701  13%
Amortization of intangible assets16,168  15,672  3% 13,222  22%
Non-operating interest expense32,716  31,756  3% 29,622  10%
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES203,774  162,443  25% 119,926  70%
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES48,376  42,145  15% 26,396  83%
NET INCOME$155,398  $120,298  29% $93,530  66%
Earnings per share, diluted$1.79  $1.36  32% $1.01  77%
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted86,742  88,163  (2%) 92,784  (7%)
EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets$1.93  $1.49  30% $1.11  74%


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Management's Statements of Operations Trend (3)
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

 Quarterly Results
 Q1 2019 Q4 2018 Q3 2018
Gross Profit(3)     
Sales-based commissions$190,999  $199,468  $193,545 
Trailing commissions270,360  270,455  293,330 
Advisory453,938  474,102  458,087 
Commission and advisory fees915,297  944,025  944,962 
Commission and advisory expense(799,698) (793,310) (821,950)
Commission and advisory fees, net of payout115,599  150,715  123,012 
Cash sweep173,139  147,774  127,174 
Other asset-based(4)123,224  117,907  121,721 
Transaction and fee122,480  119,254  118,941 
Interest income and other37,539  (11,918) 18,199 
Total net commission and advisory fees and attachment revenue571,981  523,732  509,047 
Brokerage, clearing, and exchange expense(16,144) (16,000) (15,844)
Gross Profit(3)555,837  507,732  493,203 
      
G&A Expense     
Core G&A(5)212,520  216,185  209,244 
Regulatory charges7,873  9,593  7,421 
Promotional51,349  45,141  52,628 
Employee share-based compensation7,967  5,045  6,332 
Total G&A279,709  275,964  275,625 
EBITDA(3)276,128  231,768  217,578 
Depreciation and amortization23,470  21,897  22,838 
Amortization of intangible assets16,168  15,672  15,676 
Non-operating interest expense32,716  31,756  31,705 
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES203,774  162,443  147,359 
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES48,376  42,145  40,494 
NET INCOME$155,398  $120,298  $106,865 
Earnings per share, diluted$1.79  $1.36  $1.19 
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted86,742  88,163  89,878 
EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets$1.93  $1.49  $1.32 
            


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Operating Measures(3)
(Dollars in billions, except where noted) (Unaudited)

 Q1 2019 Q4 2018 Change Q1 2018 Change
Market Drivers         
S&P 500 Index (end of period)2,834  2,507  13% 2,641  7%
Fed Funds Daily Effective Rate (FFER) (average bps)240  222  18bps 145  95bps
          
Assets         
Advisory Assets(6)$311.9  $282.0  11% $283.5  10%
Brokerage Assets(7)372.1  346.0  8% 364.1  2%
Total Brokerage and Advisory Assets$684.0  $628.1  9% $647.5  6%
Advisory % of Total Brokerage and Advisory Assets45.6% 44.9% 70bps 43.8% 180bps
          
Assets by Platform         
Corporate Platform Advisory Assets(8)$191.8  $172.3  11% $167.7  14%
Hybrid Platform Advisory Assets(9)120.1  109.7  9% 115.7  4%
Brokerage Assets372.1  346.0  8% 364.1  2%
Total Brokerage and Advisory Assets$684.0  $628.1  9% $647.5  6%
          
Centrally Managed Assets         
Centrally Managed Assets(10)$42.9  $38.5  11% $35.9  19%
Centrally Managed  % of Total Advisory Assets13.8% 13.7% 10bps 12.7% 110bps


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Operating Measures(3)
(Dollars in billions, except where noted) (Unaudited)

 Q1 2019 Q4 2018 Change Q1 2018 Change
Net New Assets (NNA)         
Net New Advisory Assets(11)$4.6  $5.0  n/m $13.1  n/m
Net New Brokerage Assets(12)(0.7) 0.9  n/m 25.8  n/m
Total Net New Assets$4.0  $5.9  n/m $38.9  n/m
          
Net Brokerage to Advisory Conversions(13)$1.4  $1.4  n/m $2.5  n/m
Advisory NNA Annualized Growth(14)7% 6% n/m 10% n/m
Total NNA Annualized Growth(14)3% 3% n/m 2% n/m
          
Net New Advisory Assets         
Corporate Platform Net New Advisory Assets(15)$4.2  $5.1  n/m $10.4  n/m
Hybrid Platform Net New Advisory Assets(16)0.4  (0.2) n/m 2.7  n/m
Total Net New Advisory Assets$4.6  $5.0  n/m $13.1  n/m
Centrally Managed Net New Advisory Assets(17)$1.0  $1.4  n/m $3.3  n/m
          
Cash Sweep Balances         
Insured Cash Account Balances$21.7  $24.8  (13%) $22.6  (4%)
Deposit Cash Account Balances4.3  5.1  (16%) 4.2  2%
Money Market Account Cash Balances4.8  4.9  (2%) 2.9  66%
Total Cash Sweep Balances$30.7  $34.9  (12%) $29.6  4%
Cash Sweep % of Total Assets4.5% 5.6% (110bps) 4.6% (10bps)
          
Cash Sweep Average Fees         
Insured Cash Account Average Fee - bps(18)250  215  35  152  98 
Deposit Cash Account Fee Average Fee - bps(18)220  207  13  150  70 
Money Market Account Average Fee - bps(18)77  75  2  71  6 
Total Cash Sweep Average Fee - bps(18)220  196  24  144  76 
          
Net Buy (Sell) Activity(19)$12.9  $2.3  461% $9.7  33%


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Monthly Metrics(3)
(Dollars in billions, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

  March
2019
 February
2019
 Feb to Mar
Change
 January
2019
 December
2018
Assets Served          
Advisory Assets(6) $311.9  $306.4  1.8% $298.5  $282.0 
Brokerage Assets(7) 372.1  369.2  0.8% 362.3  346.0 
Total Brokerage and Advisory Assets $684.0  $675.6  1.2% $660.8  $628.1 
           
Net New Assets          
Net New Advisory Assets(11) $2.2  $1.5  n/m $0.9  $0.9 
Net New Brokerage Assets(12) 0.1  (0.6) n/m (0.2) (0.1)
Total Net New Assets $2.3  $0.9  n/m $0.7  $0.8 
Net Brokerage to Advisory Conversions(13) $0.5  $0.5  n/m $0.3  $0.3 
           
Cash Sweep Balances          
Insured Cash Account Balances $21.7  $21.8  (0.5%) $22.9  $24.8 
Deposit Cash Account Balances 4.3  4.3  % 4.5  5.1 
Money Market Account Cash Balances 4.8  4.7  2.1% 4.8  4.9 
Total Client Cash Sweep Balances $30.7  $30.8  (0.3%) $32.2  $34.9 
           
Net Buy (Sell) Activity(19) $3.6  $4.4  (18.2%) $5.0  $(1.7)
           
Market Indices          
S&P 500 Index (end of period) 2,834  2,784  1.8% 2,704  2,507 
Fed Funds Effective Rate (average bps) 240  240  —bps 240  227 


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Financial Measures(3)
(Dollars in thousands, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

 Q1 2019 Q4 2018 %
Change
 Q1 2018 %
Change
Commission Revenue by Product         
Variable annuities$187,406  $188,439  (1%) $200,043  (6%)
Mutual funds140,662  145,780  (4%) 153,745  (9%)
Alternative investments6,786  5,414  25% 5,567  22%
Fixed annuities51,573  50,807  2% 34,055  51%
Equities18,364  22,752  (19%) 23,601  (22%)
Fixed income29,742  29,201  2% 30,324  (2%)
Insurance18,072  19,232  (6%) 18,494  (2%)
Group annuities8,474  7,966  6% 8,894  (5%)
Other280  332  (16%) 88  218%
Total commission revenue$461,359  $469,923  (2%) $474,811  (3%)
          
Commission Revenue by Sales-based and Trailing Commission      
Sales-based commissions         
Variable annuities$50,128  $54,744  (8%) $53,902  (7%)
Mutual funds34,631  33,687  3% 37,057  (7%)
Alternative investments1,890  2,049  (8%) 1,830  3%
Fixed annuities44,230  43,744  1% 28,337  56%
Equities18,364  22,752  (19%) 23,601  (22%)
Fixed income24,195  23,504  3% 24,355  (1%)
Insurance16,024  17,703  (9%) 16,865  (5%)
Group annuities1,257  953  32% 1,198  5%
Other280  332  (16%) 88  218%
Total sales-based commissions$190,999  $199,468  (4%) $187,233  2%
Trailing commissions         
Variable annuities$137,278  $133,695  3% $146,141  (6%)
Mutual funds106,031  112,093  (5%) 116,688  (9%)
Alternative investments4,896  3,365  45% 3,737  31%
Fixed annuities7,343  7,063  4% 5,718  28%
Fixed income5,547  5,697  (3%) 5,969  (7%)
Insurance2,048  1,529  34% 1,629  26%
Group annuities7,217  7,013  3% 7,696  (6%)
Total trailing commissions$270,360  $270,455  % $287,578  (6%)
Total commission revenue$461,359  $469,923  (2%) $474,811  (3%)
                  

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Financial Measures(3)
(Dollars in thousands, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

 Q1 2019 Q4 2018 Change Q1 2018 Change
Payout Rate         
Base Payout Rate82.84% 82.75% 9bps 82.60% 24bps
Production Based Bonuses2.04% 3.88% (184bps) 2.05% (1bps)
GDC Sensitive Payout84.88% 86.63% (175bps) 84.65% 23bps
Non-GDC Sensitive Payout2.49% (2.60)% 509bps 0.25% 224bps
Total Payout Ratio87.37% 84.03% 334bps 84.90% 247bps
Production Based Bonuses Ratio (Trailing Twelve Months)3.02% 3.03% (1bps) 2.73% 29bps


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Capital Management Measures(3)
(Dollars in thousands, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

 Q1 2019 Q4 2018
Cash Available for Corporate Use(20)   
Cash at Parent$263,122  $272,450 
Excess Cash at Broker-Dealer subsidiary per Credit Agreement103,369  56,248 
Other Available Cash9,533  10,302 
Total Cash Available for Corporate Use$376,024  $339,000 
    
Credit Agreement Net Leverage   
Total Debt (does not include unamortized premium)$2,377,500  $2,381,250 
Cash Available (up to $300 million)300,000  300,000 
Credit Agreement Net Debt$2,077,500  $2,081,250 
Credit Agreement EBITDA Trailing Twelve Months(21)$1,012,397  $969,288 
Credit Agreement Net Leverage Ratio2.05x 2.15x
      


  March 31, 2019  
Total Debt Balance Current Applicable
Margin
 Yield At
Issuance
 Interest Rate Maturity
Revolving Credit Facility(a) $  LIBOR+125bps(b)   % 9/21/2022
Senior Secured Term Loan B 1,477,500  LIBOR+225 bps(b)   4.74% 9/21/2024
Senior Unsecured Notes(c) 500,000  5.75% Fixed 5.750% 5.75% 9/15/2025
Senior Unsecured Notes(c) 400,000 (d)5.75% Fixed 5.115% 5.75% 9/15/2025
Total / Weighted Average $2,377,500      5.12%  

(a) The Revolving Credit Facility has a borrowing capacity of $500 million.
(b) The LIBOR rate option is one-month LIBOR rate and subject to an interest rate floor of 0 basis points.
(c) The Senior Unsecured Notes were issued in two separate transactions; $500 million in notes were issued in March 2017 at par; the remaining $400 million were issued in September 2017 and priced at 103% of the aggregate principal amount.
(d) Does not include unamortized premium of approximately $9.7 million as of March 31, 2019.


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Key Business and Financial Metrics(3)
(Dollars in thousands, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

 Q1 2019 Q4 2018 Change Q1 2018 Change
Advisors         
Advisors16,189  16,109  % 16,067  1%
Net New Advisors80  (65) n/m  857  n/m 
Annualized commission and advisory fees per Advisor(22)$227  $234  (3%) $230  (1%)
Average Total Assets per Advisor ($ in millions)(23)$42.2  $39.0  8% $40.3  5%
Transition assistance loan amortization($ in millions)(24)$23.2  $21.3  9% $16.8  38%
Total client accounts (in millions)5.5  5.4  2% 5.3  4%
          
Employees - period end4,269 4,229 1% 3,838 11%
          
Productivity Metrics         
Annualized Advisory Revenue as a percentage of Corporate Advisory Assets1.05% 1.03% 2bps 1.06% (1bps)
Gross Profit ROA(25)33.0bps 31.5bps 1.5bps 28.8bps 4.2bps
OPEX ROA(26)19.0bps 19.4bps (0.4bps) 19.5bps (0.5bps)
EBIT ROA(27)14.0bps 12.1bps 1.9bps 9.3bps 4.7bps
Production Retention Rate (YTD annualized)(28)96.2% 95.9% 30bps 96.2% bps
Recurring Gross Profit Rate (trailing twelve months) (29)86.3% 86.7% (40bps) 83.9% 240bps
EBITDA as a percentage of Gross Profit49.7% 45.6% 410bps 39.5% 1,020bps
          
Capital Expenditure ($ in millions)$30.3  $47.5  (36%) $22.9  32%
          
Share Repurchases$125.0  $117.8  6% $60.8  106%
Dividends21.1  21.5  (2%) 22.6  (7%)
Total Capital Allocated$146.1  $139.3  5% $83.4  75%
Weighted-average Share Count, Diluted86.7  88.2  (2%) 92.8  (7%)
Total Capital Allocated per Share(30)$1.68  $1.58  6% $0.90  87%

Endnote Disclosures

(1) Represents the estimated total brokerage and advisory assets expected to transition to the Company's broker-dealer subsidiary, LPL Financial LLC ("LPL Financial"), associated with advisors who transferred their licenses to LPL Financial during the period. The estimate is based on prior business reported by the advisors, which has not been independently and fully verified by LPL Financial. The actual transition of assets to LPL Financial generally occurs over several quarters including the initial quarter of the transition, and the actual amount transitioned may vary from the estimate.
(2) Compliance with the Credit Agreement Leverage Ratio is only required under the revolving credit facility.
(3) Certain information presented on pages 8-16 includes non-GAAP financial measures and operational and performance metrics. For more information on non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” on page 3.
(4) Consists of revenues from the Company's sponsorship programs with financial product manufacturers and omnibus processing and networking services, but does not include fees from cash sweep programs. Other asset-based revenues are a component of asset-based revenues and are derived from the Company's Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
(5) Core G&A is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see a description of Core G&A under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” on page 3 of this release for additional information. Below is a reconciliation of Core G&A against the Company’s total operating expense for the periods presented:

 Q1 2019 Q4 2018 Q3 2018 Q1 2018
Operating Expense Reconciliation (in thousands)       
Core G&A$212,520  $216,185  $209,244  $201,039 
Regulatory charges7,873  9,593  7,421  6,440 
Promotional51,349  45,141  52,628  67,427 
Employee share-based compensation7,967  5,045  6,332  5,606 
Total G&A279,709  275,964  275,625  280,512 
Commissions and advisory799,698  793,310  821,950  761,697 
Depreciation & amortization23,470  21,897  22,838  20,701 
Amortization of intangible assets16,168  15,672  15,676  13,222 
Brokerage, clearing and exchange16,144  16,000  15,844  15,877 
Total operating expense$1,135,189  $1,122,843  $1,151,933  $1,092,009 
                

(6) Consists of total advisory assets under custody at LPL Financial.
(7) Consists of brokerage assets serviced by advisors licensed with LPL Financial.
(8) Consists of total assets on LPL Financial's corporate advisory platform serviced by investment advisor representatives of LPL Financial.
(9) Consists of total assets on LPL Financial's independent advisory platform serviced by investment advisor representatives of separate investment advisor firms ("Hybrid RIAs"), rather than of LPL Financial.
(10) Represents those Advisory Assets in LPL Financial’s Model Wealth Portfolios, Optimum Market Portfolios, Personal Wealth Portfolios, and Guided Wealth Portfolios platforms.
(11) Consists of total client deposits into advisory accounts less total client withdrawals from advisory accounts. The Company considers conversions from and to brokerage accounts as deposits and withdrawals respectively.
(12) Consists of total client deposits into brokerage accounts less total client withdrawals from brokerage accounts. The Company considers conversions from and to advisory accounts as deposits and withdrawals, respectively.
(13) Consists of existing custodied assets that converted from brokerage to advisory, less existing custodied assets that converted from advisory to brokerage.
(14) Calculated as annualized current period net new assets divided by preceding period assets in their respective categories of advisory assets or total brokerage and advisory assets.
(15) Consists of total client deposits into advisory accounts on LPL Financial's corporate advisory platform (FN 8) less total client withdrawals from advisory accounts on its corporate advisory platform.
(16) Consists of total client deposits into advisory accounts on LPL Financial's independent advisory platform (FN 9) less total client withdrawals from advisory accounts on its independent advisory platform.
(17) Consists of total client deposits into Centrally Managed Assets accounts (FN 10) less total client withdrawals from Centrally Managed Assets accounts.
(18) Calculated by dividing revenue for the period by the average balance during the period.
(19) Represents the amount of securities purchased less the amount of securities sold in client accounts custodied with LPL Financial. Reported activity does not include any other cash activity, such as deposits, withdrawals, dividends received, or fees paid.
(20) Consists of cash unrestricted by the Credit Agreement and other regulations available for operating, investing, and financing uses. 
(21) Under the Credit Agreement, management calculates Credit Agreement EBITDA for a trailing twelve month period at the end of each fiscal quarter, and in doing so may make further adjustments to prior quarters.
(22) Calculated based on the average advisor count from the current period and prior period.
(23) Calculated based on the end of period Total Brokerage and Advisory Assets divided by end of period Advisor count.
(24) Represents the amortization expense amount of forgivable loans for transition assistance to advisors and financial institutions.
(25) Represents annualized Gross Profit (FN 3) for the period, divided by average month-end Total Brokerage and Advisory Assets for the period.
(26) Represents annualized operating expenses for the period, excluding production-related expense, divided by average month-end Total Brokerage and Advisory Assets for the period. Production-related expense includes commissions and advisory expense and brokerage, clearing and exchange expense. For purposes of this metric, operating expenses includes Core G&A (FN 5), Regulatory, Promotional, Employee Share Based Compensation, Depreciation & Amortization, and Amortization of Intangible Assets.
(27) EBIT ROA is calculated as Gross Profit ROA less OPEX ROA.
(28) Reflects retention of commission and advisory revenues, calculated by deducting the prior year production of the annualized year-to-date attrition rate, over the prior year total production.
(29) Recurring Gross Profit Rate refers to the percentage of the Company’s gross profit, a non-GAAP financial measure, that was recurring for the trailing twelve month period. Management tracks recurring gross profit, a characterization of gross profit and a statistical measure, which is defined to include the Company’s revenues from asset-based fees, advisory fees, trailing commissions, cash sweep programs, and certain other fees that are based upon client accounts and advisors, less the expenses associated with such revenues and certain other recurring expenses not specifically associated with a revenue line. Management allocates such other recurring expenses, such as non-GDC sensitive production expenses, on a pro-rata basis against specific revenue lines at its discretion.
(30) Capital Allocation per Share equals the amount of capital allocated for share repurchases and cash dividends divided by the diluted weighted-average shares outstanding.
(31) EPS prior to amortization of intangible assets is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see a description of EPS prior to amortization of intangible assets under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” on page 3 of this release for additional information. Below is a reconciliation of EPS prior to amortization of intangible assets to the Company’s GAAP EPS for the periods presented:

EPS Reconciliation (in thousands, except per share data)Q1 2019
EPS$1.79 
Amortization of Intangible Assets16,168 
Tax Benefit(4,527)
Amortization of Intangible Assets Net of Tax Benefit$11,641 
Diluted Share Count86,742 
EPS Impact$0.13 
EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets$1.93 
    


Investor Relations - Chris Koegel, (617) 897-4574
Media Relations - Jeff Mochal, (704) 733-3589
investor.lpl.com/contactus.cfm


 


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