LPL Financial Announces First Quarter 2021 Results


Key Financial Results

  • Earnings per share ("EPS") was $1.59, and Net Income was $130 million.
    • Gross Profit** was $579 million.
    • Core G&A** was $236 million.
    • EBITDA** was $268 million and EBITDA** as a percentage of Gross Profit** was 46%.
  • EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets and Acquisition Costs** was $1.77.

Key Business Results

  • Total Advisory and Brokerage Assets increased 43% year-over-year to $958 billion.
    • Advisory assets increased 54% year-over-year to $497 billion.
    • Advisory assets as a percentage of total assets increased to 51.8%, up from 48.1% a year ago.
  • Total Organic Net New Assets(1) were $29 billion in Q1 2021, translating to 12.8% annualized growth, and $71 billion over the past twelve months, translating to 10.6% annualized growth.
    • Prior to assets onboarded from BMO Harris Financial Advisors ("BMO"), Q1 total organic net new assets were $17 billion, translating to 7.6% annualized growth.
    • Organic net new advisory assets were $23 billion, translating to 19.7% annualized growth.
    • Organic net new brokerage assets were $6 billion, translating to 5.6% annualized growth.
  • Recruited Assets(2) were $24 billion, contributing to a trailing twelve-month total of $56 billion, up 56% year-over-year.
  • Onboarded BMO Harris Financial Advisors in March:
    • BMO recruited assets were $15.2 billion, of which $11.8 billion transitioned onto our platform in Q1.
    • The remaining $3.4 billion of assets are directly held with sponsors and expected to onboard over the next few months.
  • Business Solutions subscriptions increased to ~1,700, up ~300 sequentially and ~1,000 year-over-year.
    • Annualized revenue from Business Solutions increased to ~$19 million, up by ~$9 million year-over-year.
  • Advisor count(3) was 17,672, up 385 sequentially and 909 year-over-year.
  • Total client cash balances were $48.3 billion, down $0.6 billion, or 1% sequentially.
    • Client cash balances as a percentage of total assets were 5.0%.

Key Updates on our acquisition of Waddell & Reed’s wealth management business:

  • Advisors serving ~95% of client assets have committed to join LPL.
  • Estimated Run-Rate EBITDA has increased from $50M+ at signing to $80M+.
  • Expected to close the acquisition as early as April 30, 2021.

Key Capital and Liquidity Results

  • Dividends paid of $20 million.
  • Corporate Cash(4) was $340 million.
  • Credit Agreement Net Leverage Ratio(5) was 2.11x.
  • Refinanced $900 million of senior unsecured notes to a lower rate of 4.00%, which we estimate will save ~$13 million of annual interest expense, and we increased our revolving credit facility to $1 billion.

SAN DIEGO, April 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) (the “Company”) today announced results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2021, reporting net income of $130 million, or $1.59 per share. This compares with $156 million, or $1.92 per share, in the first quarter of 2020 and $112 million, or $1.38 per share, in the prior quarter.

"Over the past quarter, our advisors continued to be a source of extraordinary support and guidance for their clients, and at the same time, we remained focused on our mission of taking care of our advisors, so they can take of their clients,” said Dan Arnold, President and CEO. “This combination positioned us to enhance our capabilities, service, and technology, which increased the appeal of our model and contributed to another quarter of solid business growth and financial results. As we look ahead, we aim to continue investing in our model and increasing our market share within the advisor-centered marketplace.”

“As we move into 2021, we remain focused on serving our advisors, growing our business, and delivering shareholder value. This focus led to our highest quarter of organic growth in our history,” said Matt Audette, CFO. “We also looking forward to onboarding three of our largest partners this year - BMO, M&T and Waddell & Reed – which collectively represent over $100 billion of assets to our platform. Looking ahead, our business momentum and financial strength position us well to continue creating long-term shareholder value.”

Conference Call and Additional Information

The Company will hold a conference call to discuss its results at 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 29. To listen, call 877-677-9122 (domestic) or 708-290-1401 (international); passcode 9514518, 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 6 and May 20, respectively. For telephonic replay, call 855-859-2056 (domestic) or 404-537-3406 (international); passcode 9514518.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial (Nasdaq: LPLA) was founded on the principle that the firm should work for the advisor, and not the other way around. Today, LPL is a leader* in the markets we serve, supporting more than 17,000 financial advisors, 800 institution-based investment programs and 450 independent RIA firms nationwide. We are steadfast in our commitment to the advisor-centered model and the belief that Americans deserve access to objective guidance from a financial advisor. At LPL, independence means that advisors have the freedom they deserve to choose the business model, services, and technology resources that allow them to run their perfect practice. And they have the freedom to manage their client relationships, because they know their clients best. Simply put, we take care of our advisors, so they can take care of their clients.

* Top RIA custodian (Cerulli Associates, 2019 U.S. RIA Marketplace Report)
No. 1 Independent Broker-Dealer in the U.S (Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine June 1996-2020)
No. 1 provider of third-party brokerage services to banks and credit unions (2019-2020 Kehrer Bielan Research & Consulting Annual TPM Report)

Securities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial LLC, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the "Investor Relations" or "Press Releases" section of our website.

**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 and Acquisition Costs is defined as GAAP EPS plus the per share impact of amortization of intangible assets and acquisition costs. The per share impact is calculated as amortization of intangible assets expense and acquisition costs, 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 and Acquisition Costs because management believes that the metric can provide investors with useful insight into the Company’s core operating performance by excluding non-cash items and acquisition costs that management does not believe impact the Company’s ongoing operations. EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets and Acquisition Costs 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 and Acquisition Costs to GAAP EPS, please see footnote 40 on page 19 of this release.

Gross Profit is calculated as total revenues, which were $1,708 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, less advisory and commission expenses and brokerage, clearing and exchange fees, which were $1,109 million and $19 million, respectively for the three months ended March 31, 2021. 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 Gross Profit to be a non-GAAP financial measure that may not be comparable to similar measures used by 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. For a calculation of Gross Profit, please see footnote 7 on page 16 of this release.

Core G&A consists of total operating expenses, which were $1,493 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, excluding the following expenses: advisory and commission, 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 advisory and commission 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 to the Company’s total operating expenses, please see footnote 11 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 advisory and commission 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 and other expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, and amortization of intangible assets. 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. For a reconciliation of EBITDA to net income, please see footnote 28 on page 18 of this release.

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 amortization of intangible assets, and is 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. 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 calculation of Credit Agreement 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. For a reconciliation of Credit Agreement EBITDA to net income, please see footnote 28 on page 18 of this release.

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 2021 Core G&A** outlook), future capabilities, future advisor service experience, future investments and capital deployment, long-term shareholder value and the planned acquisition of Waddell & Reed's wealth management business (the “Waddell & Reed Acquisition”), including the timing of the closing thereof, 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 April 29, 2021. 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 from 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 client cash programs; the Company's strategy and success in managing client cash 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 revenues; the 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 and the implementation of Regulation BI (Best Interest); 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; the execution of the Company's plans and its success in realizing the synergies, expense savings, service improvements and efficiencies expected to result from its initiatives, acquisitions and programs; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the parties’ satisfaction of the closing conditions applicable to the Waddell & Reed Acquisition, and the timely closing of such transaction thereafter; the successful onboarding of advisors and client assets in connection with the Waddell & Reed Acquisition; and the other factors set forth in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the Company's 2020 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 Securities and Exchange Commission. 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.

Investor Relations – Chris Koegel, (617) 897-4574
Media Relations – Lauren Hoyt-Williams, (813) 351-9203
investor.lpl.com/contactus.cfm


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

 Three Months Ended March 31,  
 2021 2020 % Change
REVENUES     
Advisory$722,046  $579,027   25%
Commission557,229  503,444   11%
Asset-based264,706  285,506   (7%)
Transaction and fee140,944  137,096   3%
Interest income6,518  9,542   (32%)
Other16,174  (51,218)  n/m 
Total revenues1,707,617  1,463,397   17%
EXPENSES     
Advisory and commission1,108,899  870,795   27%
Compensation and benefits161,540  146,802   10%
Promotional54,181  57,398   (6%)
Depreciation and amortization35,499  26,644   33%
Amortization of intangible assets17,431  16,570   5%
Occupancy and equipment43,584  39,546   10%
Professional services15,625  14,605   7%
Brokerage, clearing and exchange19,364  17,024   14%
Communications and data processing11,993  10,835   11%
Other24,900  26,228   (5%)
Total operating expenses1,493,016  1,226,447   22%
Non-operating interest expense and other25,059  29,318   (15%)
Loss on extinguishment of debt24,400     n/m 
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES165,142  207,632   (20%)
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES35,522  51,991   (32%)
NET INCOME$129,620  $155,641   (17%)
EARNINGS PER SHARE     
Earnings per share, basic$1.63  $1.96   (17%)
Earnings per share, diluted$1.59  $1.92   (17%)
Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic 79,697   79,507   %
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted 81,622   81,166   1%


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income Trend
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

 Quarterly Results
 Q1 2021 Q4 2020 Q3 2020
REVENUES     
Advisory$722,046  $638,181  $586,941 
Commission557,229  503,020  472,643 
Asset-based264,706  258,393  253,551 
Transaction and fee140,944  129,750  119,747 
Interest income6,518  6,707  6,623 
Other16,174  45,232  20,796 
Total revenues1,707,617  1,581,283  1,460,301 
EXPENSES     
Advisory and commission1,108,899  1,029,739  936,766 
Compensation and benefits161,540  167,864  151,271 
Promotional54,181  48,342  57,970 
Depreciation and amortization35,499  28,650  27,548 
Amortization of intangible assets17,431  17,270  16,829 
Occupancy and equipment43,584  41,903  41,874 
Professional services15,625  16,541  12,301 
Brokerage, clearing and exchange expense19,364  17,762  17,834 
Communications and data processing11,993  14,656  12,547 
Other24,900  27,744  24,852 
Total operating expenses1,493,016  1,410,471  1,299,792 
Non-operating interest expense and other25,059  24,979  25,179 
Loss on extinguishment of debt24,400     
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES165,142  145,833  135,330 
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES35,522  34,285  31,541 
NET INCOME$129,620  $111,548  $103,789 
EARNINGS PER SHARE     
Earnings per share, basic$1.63  $1.41  $1.31 
Earnings per share, diluted$1.59  $1.38  $1.29 
Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic 79,697   79,353   79,176 
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted 81,622   80,904   80,550 


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
(In thousands, except share data)
(Unaudited)

 March 31, 2021 December 31, 2020
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents$839,144   $808,612  
Cash segregated under federal and other regulations839,428   923,158  
Restricted cash73,507   67,264  
Receivables from:   
Clients, net of allowance453,132   405,106  
Product sponsors, broker-dealers and clearing organizations240,465   233,192  
Advisor loans, net of allowance558,144   547,372  
Others, net of allowance351,443   306,640  
Securities owned:   
Trading — at fair value47,964   29,252  
Held-to-maturity — at amortized cost11,972   13,235  
Securities borrowed13,565   30,130  
Fixed assets, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization588,736   582,868  
Operating lease assets99,306   101,921  
Goodwill1,513,866   1,513,866  
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization383,794   397,486  
Deferred income taxes, net24,246   24,112  
Other assets576,699   539,357  
Total assets$6,615,411   $6,523,571  
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
LIABILITIES:   
Drafts payable$151,397   $178,403  
Payables to clients1,294,664   1,356,083  
Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations125,563   89,743  
Accrued advisory and commission expenses payable195,044   187,040  
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities655,787   681,554  
Income taxes payable58,546   28,145  
Unearned revenue123,152   95,328  
Securities sold, but not yet purchased — at fair value1,316   206  
Long-term and other borrowings, net2,332,809   2,345,414  
Operating lease liabilities136,419   139,377  
Finance lease liabilities106,393   107,424  
Total liabilities5,181,090   5,208,717  
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:   
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 600,000,000 shares authorized; 128,136,874 shares issued at March 31, 2021 and 127,585,764 shares issued at December 31, 2020128   127  
Additional paid-in capital1,787,095   1,762,770  
Treasury stock, at cost — 48,210,851 shares at March 31, 2021 and 48,115,037 shares at December 31, 2020(2,406,221)  (2,391,062) 
Retained earnings2,053,319   1,943,019  
Total stockholders’ equity1,434,321   1,314,854  
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$6,615,411   $6,523,571  


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Management's Statements of Operations(6)
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

Certain information presented on pages 8-15 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 2021 Q4 2020 % Change Q1 2020 % Change
Gross Profit(7)         
Advisory$722,046   $638,181   13% $579,027   25%
Sales-based commissions236,273   202,504   17% 228,391   3%
Trailing commissions320,956   300,516   7% 275,053   17%
Advisory fees and commissions1,279,275   1,141,201   12% 1,082,471   18%
Production based payout(8)(1,095,377)  (987,882)  11% (920,835)  19%
Advisory fees and commissions, net of payout183,898   153,319   20% 161,636   14%
Client cash97,104   105,019   (8%) 151,398   (36%)
Other asset-based(9)167,602   153,374   9% 134,108   25%
Transaction and fee140,944   129,750   9% 137,096   3%
Interest income and other, net(10)9,170   10,082   (9%) 8,364   10%
Total net advisory fees and commissions and attachment revenue598,718   551,544   9% 592,602   1%
Brokerage, clearing and exchange expense(19,364)  (17,762)  9% (17,024)  14%
Gross Profit(7)579,354   533,782   9% 575,578   1%
          
G&A Expense         
Core G&A(11)236,263   252,391   (6%) 223,211   6%
Regulatory charges7,595   8,775   n/m  6,157   n/m 
Promotional54,181   48,342   12% 57,398   (6%)
Acquisition costs(12)2,429      n/m     n/m 
Employee share-based compensation11,356   7,542   51% 8,648   31%
Total G&A311,823   317,050   (2%) 295,414   6%
EBITDA(6)267,531   216,732   23% 280,164   (5%)
Depreciation and amortization35,499   28,650   24% 26,644   33%
Amortization of intangible assets17,431   17,270   1% 16,570   5%
Non-operating interest expense and other25,059   24,979   % 29,318   (15%)
Loss on extinguishment of debt24,400      n/m     n/m 
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES165,142   145,833   13% 207,632   (20%)
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES35,522   34,285   4% 51,991   (32%)
NET INCOME$129,620   $111,548   16% $155,641   (17%)
Earnings per share, diluted$1.59   $1.38   15% $1.92   (17%)
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted 81,622    80,904   1%  81,166   1%
EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets and Acquisition Costs(6)(40)$1.77   $1.53   16% $2.06   (14%)


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Management's Statements of Operations Trend(6)
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

 Quarterly Results
 Q1 2021 Q4 2020 Q3 2020
Gross Profit(7)     
Advisory$722,046   $638,181   $586,941  
Sales-based commissions236,273   202,504   180,357  
Trailing commissions320,956   300,516   292,286  
Advisory fees and commissions1,279,275   1,141,201   1,059,584  
Production based payout(8)(1,095,377)  (987,882)  (917,831) 
Advisory fees and commissions, net of payout183,898   153,319   141,753  
Client cash97,104   105,019   108,705  
Other asset-based(9)167,602   153,374   144,846  
Transaction and fee140,944   129,750   119,747  
Interest income and other, net(10)9,170   10,082   8,484  
Total net advisory fees and commissions and attachment revenue598,718   551,544   523,535  
Brokerage, clearing and exchange expense(19,364)  (17,762)  (17,834) 
Gross Profit(7)579,354   533,782   505,701  
      
G&A Expense     
Core G&A(11)236,263   252,391   227,099  
Regulatory charges7,595   8,775   8,326  
Promotional54,181   48,342   57,970  
Acquisition costs(12)2,429        
Employee share-based compensation11,356   7,542   7,420  
Total G&A311,823   317,050   300,815  
EBITDA(6)267,531   216,732   204,886  
Depreciation and amortization35,499   28,650   27,548  
Amortization of intangible assets17,431   17,270   16,829  
Non-operating interest expense and other25,059   24,979   25,179  
Loss on extinguishment of debt24,400        
INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES165,142   145,833   135,330  
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES35,522   34,285   31,541  
NET INCOME$129,620   $111,548   $103,789  
Earnings per share, diluted$1.59   $1.38   $1.29  
Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted 81,622    80,904    80,550  
EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets and Acquisition Costs(6)(40)$1.77   $1.53   $1.44  


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Operating Metrics(6)
(Dollars in billions, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

 Q1 2021 Q4 2020 Change Q1 2020 Change
Market Drivers         
S&P 500 Index (end of period)3,973  3,756  6% 2,585  54%
Fed Funds Daily Effective Rate (FFER) (average bps)8  9  (1bps) 123  (115bps)
          
Advisory and Brokerage Assets         
Advisory Assets(13)$496.7  $461.2  8% $322.3  54%
Brokerage Assets(14)461.6  441.9  4% 347.6  33%
Total Advisory and Brokerage Assets$958.3  $903.1  6% $669.9  43%
Advisory % of Total Advisory and Brokerage Assets51.8% 51.1% 70bps 48.1% 370bps
          
Assets by Platform         
Corporate Platform Advisory Assets(15)$317.5  $291.9  9% $200.7  58%
Hybrid Platform Advisory Assets(16)179.2  169.3  6% 121.6  47%
Brokerage Assets461.6  441.9  4% 347.6  33%
Total Advisory and Brokerage Assets$958.3  $903.1  6% $669.9  43%
          
Centrally Managed Assets         
Centrally Managed Assets(17)$77.0  $67.1  15% $46.9  64%
Centrally Managed % of Total Advisory Assets15.5% 14.6% 90bps 14.5% 100bps


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Operating Metrics(6)
(Dollars in billions, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

 Q1 2021 Q4 2020 Change Q1 2020 Change
Net New Assets (NNA)         
Net New Advisory Assets(18)$22.7  $18.4  n/m $13.2  n/m
Net New Brokerage Assets(19)6.2  3.4  n/m 1.2  n/m
Total Net New Assets$28.9  $21.8  n/m $14.3  n/m
          
Organic Net New Assets (NNA) (20)         
Organic Net New Advisory Assets$22.7  $15.9  n/m $13.2  n/m
Organic Net New Brokerage Assets6.2  1.9  n/m 1.2  n/m
Total Organic Net New Assets $28.9  $17.8  n/m $14.3  n/m
          
Net Brokerage to Advisory Conversions(21)$3.3  $2.6  n/m $2.4  n/m
Organic Advisory NNA Annualized Growth (22)19.7% 15.6% n/m 14.4% n/m
Total Organic NNA Annualized Growth (22)12.8% 8.8% n/m 7.5% n/m
          
Net New Advisory Assets         
Corporate Platform Net New Advisory Assets(23)$17.1  $15.0  n/m $7.8  n/m
Hybrid Platform Net New Advisory Assets(24)5.6  3.3  n/m 5.4  n/m
Total Net New Advisory Assets$22.7  $18.4  n/m $13.2  n/m
Centrally Managed Net New Advisory Assets(25)$7.8  $2.5  n/m $2.2  n/m
          
Client Cash Balances         
Insured Cash Account Balances$37.4  $37.3  —% $34.5  8%
Deposit Cash Account Balances7.9  8.2  (4%) 8.7  (9%)
Total Bank Sweep Balances45.3  45.5  —% 43.2  5%
Money Market Account Cash Balances1.3  1.5  (13%) 1.8  (28%)
Purchased Money Market Funds1.6  1.9  (16%) 2.8  (43%)
Total Money Market Balances3.0  3.3  (9%) 4.6  (35%)
Total Client Cash Balances$48.3  $48.9  (1%) $47.8  1%
Client Cash Balances % of Total Assets5.0% 5.4% (40bps) 7.1% (210bps)
          
Client Cash Balance Average Fees(26)         
Insured Cash Account Average Fee - bps99  108  (9) 195  (96)
Deposit Cash Account Average Fee - bps29  30  (1) 142  (113)
Money Market Account Average Fee - bps3  5  (2) 58  (55)
Purchased Money Market Fund Average Fee - bps9  13  n/m 29  n/m
Total Client Cash Balance Average Fee - bps81  87  (6) 168  (87)
          
Net Buy (Sell) Activity(27)$17.4  $12.2  n/m $0.2  n/m


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Monthly Metrics(6)
(Dollars in billions, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

 March 2021 February 2021 Feb to March Change January 2021 December 2020
Advisory and Brokerage Assets         
Advisory Assets(13)$496.7  $477.4   4.0% $464.6   $461.2 
Brokerage Assets(14)461.6  447.7   3.1% 442.3   441.9 
Total Advisory and Brokerage Assets$958.3  $925.1   3.6% $907.0   $903.1 
          
Net New Assets (NNA)         
Net New Advisory Assets(18)$12.5  $6.0   n/m $4.2   $6.8 
Net New Brokerage Assets(19)6.9  (0.0)  n/m (0.6)  1.1 
Total Net New Assets$19.4  $5.9   n/m $3.6   $7.9 
Net Brokerage to Advisory Conversions(21)$1.2  $1.1   n/m $1.0   $1.0 
          
Client Cash Balances         
Insured Cash Account Balances$37.4  $37.3   0.3% $37.5   $37.3 
Deposit Cash Account Balances7.9  7.9   —% 8.0   8.2 
Total Bank Sweep Balances45.3  45.2   0.2% 45.5   45.5 
Money Market Account Cash Balances1.3  1.4   (7.1%) 1.4   1.5 
Purchased Money Market Funds1.6  1.7   (5.9%) 1.8   1.9 
Total Money Market Balances3.0  3.1   (3.2%) 3.2   3.3 
Total Client Cash Balances$48.3  $48.3   —% $48.8   $48.9 
          
Net Buy (Sell) Activity(27)$6.9  $6.0   n/m $4.5   $5.6 
          
Market Indices         
S&P 500 Index (end of period)3,973  3,811   4.3% 3,714   3,756 
Fed Funds Effective Rate (average bps)7  8   (1bps) 9   9 


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Financial Measures(6)
(Dollars in thousands, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

 Q1 2021 Q4 2020 Change Q1 2020 Change
Commission Revenues by Product         
Annuities$280,776  $262,235  7% $245,662  14%
Mutual funds173,150  153,330  13% 156,156  11%
Fixed income32,162  24,395  32% 29,125  10%
Equities38,911  31,231  25% 37,421  4%
Other32,230  31,829  1% 35,080  (8%)
Total commission revenues$557,229  $503,020  11% $503,444  11%
          
Commission Revenues by Sales-based and Trailing Commission      
Sales-based commissions         
Annuities$95,539  $89,125  7% $92,525  3%
Mutual funds47,279  36,715  29% 45,534  4%
Fixed income32,162  24,395  32% 29,125  10%
Equities38,911  31,231  25% 37,421  4%
Other22,382  21,038  6% 23,786  (6%)
Total sales-based commissions$236,273  $202,504  17% $228,391  3%
Trailing commissions         
Annuities$185,237  $173,110  7% $153,137  21%
Mutual funds125,871  116,615  8% 110,622  14%
Other9,848  10,791  (9%) 11,294  (13%)
Total trailing commissions$320,956  $300,516  7% $275,053  17%
Total commission revenues$557,229  $503,020  11% $503,444  11%
          
Payout Ratio85.62% 86.57% (95bps) 85.07 % 55bps


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Capital Management Measures(6)
(Dollars in thousands, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

 Q1 2021 Q4 2020
Corporate Cash (4)   
Cash at Parent$286,156  $201,385 
Excess Cash at Broker-Dealer subsidiary per Credit Agreement41,941  67,574 
Other Available Cash12,177  10,960 
Total Corporate Cash$340,274  $279,919 
    
Credit Agreement Net Leverage   
Total Debt$2,356,625  $2,359,300 
Total Corporate Cash340,274  279,919 
Credit Agreement Net Debt$2,016,351  $2,079,381 
Credit Agreement EBITDA (trailing twelve months)(28)$954,752  $961,225 
Credit Agreement Net Leverage Ratio2.11x 2.16x


  March 31, 2021  
Total Debt Balance Current Applicable
Margin
 Yield At Issuance Interest Rate Maturity
Revolving Credit Facility(a) $  ABR+25bps    % 3/15/2026
Broker-Dealer Revolving Credit Facility(b)   FFR+125bps    % 7/31/2024
Senior Secured Term Loan B 1,056,625  LIBOR+175 bps(c)    1.859% 11/12/2026
Senior Unsecured Notes(d) 400,000  4.625% Fixed 4.625% 4.625% 11/15/2027
Senior Unsecured Notes(e) 900,000  4.000% Fixed 4.000% 4.000% 3/15/2029
Total / Weighted Average $2,356,625       3.146%  

(a) Secured borrowing capacity of $1 billion at LPL Holdings, Inc. (the "Parent").
(b) Unsecured borrowing capacity of $300 million at LPL Financial LLC.
(c) The LIBOR rate option is one-month LIBOR rate and subject to an interest rate floor of 0 basis points.
(d) The Senior Unsecured Notes were issued in November 2019 at par.
(e) The Senior Unsecured Notes were issued in March 2021 at par.


LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Key Business and Financial Metrics(5)
(Dollars in thousands, except where noted)
(Unaudited)

 Q1 2021 Q4 2020 Change Q1 2020 Change
Advisors         
Advisors 17,672   17,287  2%  16,763  5%
Net New Advisors 385   119  n/m   299  n/m 
Annualized advisory fees and commissions per Advisor(29)$293  $265  11% $261  12%
Average Total Assets per Advisor ($ in millions)(30)$54.2  $52.2  4% $40.0  36%
Transition assistance loan amortization ($ in millions)(31)$30.2  $29.7  2% $27.4  10%
Total client accounts (in millions)6.1  6.0  2% 5.8  5%
               
Employees - period end4,815  4,756  1% 4,358  10%
          
Productivity Metrics         
Business Solutions Subscriptions(32)1,700  1,400  21% 700  143%
Advisory Revenues as a % of Corporate Advisory Assets(33)1.01 % 1.02% (1bps) 1.01% bps
Gross Profit ROA(34)25.2bps 26.8bps (1.6bps) 30.4bps (5.2bps)
OPEX as a % of Advisory and Brokerage Assets(35)16.7bps 17.5bps (0.8bps) 18.3bps (1.6bps)
EBIT ROA(36)8.5bps 9.3bps (0.8bps) 12.2bps (3.7bps)
AUM Retention Rate (quarterly annualized)(37)98.1% 97.6% 50bps 98.4 % (30bps)
Recurring Gross Profit Rate(38)82.4% 84.8% (240bps) 88.1% (570bps)
EBITDA as a % of Gross Profit46.2% 40.6% 560bps 48.7% (250bps)
          
Capital Expenditure ($ in millions)$41.1  $43.6  (6%) $34.0  21%
          
Share Repurchases ($ in millions)$  $  % $150.0  (100%)
Dividends ($ in millions)20.0  19.8  1% 19.7  2%
Total Capital Allocated ($ in millions)$20.0  $19.8  1% $169.7  (88%)
Weighted-average Share Count, Diluted81.6  80.9  1% 81.2  1%
Total Capital Allocated per Share(39)$0.25  $0.25  % $2.09  (88%)

Endnote Disclosures

(1) In April 2020, the Company updated its definition of net new assets to include Dividends plus Interest, minus Advisory Fees. See FNs 18, 19, 23, 24 and 25.

(2) Represents the estimated total advisory and brokerage 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.

(3) The terms “Financial Advisors” and “Advisors” refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial, an SEC registered broker-dealer and investment adviser.

(4) We define corporate cash as the sum of (1) cash held at the Parent and its non-regulated subsidiaries, (2) cash held at The Private Trust Company in excess of Credit Agreement capital requirements and (3) cash held at LPL Financial in excess of 10 percent of its aggregate debits, which represents five times the net capital LPL Financial is required to maintain under the terms of our Credit Agreement.

(5) Compliance with the Credit Agreement Net Leverage Ratio is only required under our revolving credit facility.

(6) Certain information presented on pages 8-15 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” that begins on page 3 of this release.

(7) Gross Profit is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see a description of Gross Profit under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" on page 3 of this release for additional information. Below is a calculation of Gross Profit for the periods presented (in thousands):

 Q1 2021 Q4 2020 Q3 2020 Q1 2020
Total revenues$1,707,617  $1,581,283  $1,460,301  $1,463,397 
Advisory and commission expenses1,108,899  1,029,739  936,766  870,795 
Brokerage, clearing and exchange fees19,364  17,762  17,834  17,024 
Gross profit(+)$579,354  $533,782  $505,701  $575,578 

____________________
(+)        Balances may not foot due to rounding.

(8) Production based payout is an operating measure calculated as advisory and commission expenses less advisor deferred compensation expenses. Below is a reconciliation of production based payout against the Company’s advisory and commission expenses for the periods presented (in thousands):        

 Q1 2021 Q4 2020 Q3 2020 Q1 2020
Production based payout$1,095,377  $987,882  $917,831  $920,835  
Advisor deferred compensation expenses13,522  41,857  18,935  (50,040) 
Advisory and commission expenses$1,108,899  $1,029,739  $936,766  $870,795  

(9) 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 client cash 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.

(10) Interest income and other, net is an operating measure calculated as interest income plus other revenues, less advisor deferred compensation expenses. Below is a reconciliation of interest income and other, net against the Company’s interest income and other revenues for the periods presented (in thousands):

 Q1 2021 Q4 2020 Q3 2020 Q1 2020
Interest income$6,518   $6,707   $6,623   $9,542  
Plus: Other revenue16,174   45,232   20,796   (51,218) 
Less: Advisor deferred compensation expenses(13,522)  (41,857)  (18,935)  50,040  
Interest income and other, net $9,170   $10,082   $8,484   $8,364  

(11) 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 expenses for the periods presented:

 Q1 2021 Q4 2020 Q3 2020 Q1 2020
Operating Expense Reconciliation (in thousands)       
Core G&A$236,263  $252,391  $227,099  $223,211 
Regulatory charges7,595  8,775  8,326  6,157 
Promotional54,181  48,342  57,970  57,398 
Acquisition costs2,429       
Employee share-based compensation11,356  7,542  7,420  8,648 
Total G&A311,823  317,050  300,815  295,414 
Advisory and commission1,108,899  1,029,739  936,766  870,795 
Depreciation and amortization35,499  28,650  27,548  26,644 
Amortization of intangible assets17,431  17,270  16,829  16,570 
Brokerage, clearing and exchange19,364  17,762  17,834  17,024 
Total operating expenses$1,493,016  $1,410,471  $1,299,792  $1,226,447 

(12) Acquisition Cost is the one-time cost to setup, onboard and integrate acquired entities.

(13) Consists of total advisory assets under custody at LPL Financial. Q4 2020 also included advisory assets serviced by investment advisor representatives of Lucia Securities, LLC ("Lucia") and E.K. Riley Investments, LLC ("E.K. Riley") that were onboarded to LPL Financial's custodial platform in Q4 2020.

(14) Consists of brokerage assets serviced by advisors licensed with LPL Financial. Q4 2020 also included brokerage assets serviced by advisors licensed with Lucia and E.K. Riley that were onboarded to LPL Financial's custodial platform in Q4 2020.

(15) Consists of total assets on LPL Financial's corporate advisory platform serviced by investment advisor representatives of LPL Financial or Allen & Company.

(16) Consists of total assets on LPL Financial's independent advisory platform serviced by investment advisor representatives of separate registered investment advisor firms ("Hybrid RIAs"), rather than of LPL Financial.

(17) Represents those advisory assets in LPL Financial’s Model Wealth Portfolios, Optimum Market Portfolios, Personal Wealth Portfolios and Guided Wealth Portfolios platforms.

(18) Consists of total client deposits into advisory accounts, including advisory assets serviced by BMO Harris Financial Advisors, Lucia and E.K. Riley advisors, less total client withdrawals from advisory accounts, plus dividends, plus interest, minus advisory fees. The Company considers conversions from and to brokerage accounts as deposits and withdrawals, respectively. Figures for Net New Advisory Assets reported prior to April 2020 did not include dividends and interest or subtract advisory fees. The figure previously reported for Q1 2020 was an inflow of $12.5 billion. See FN 1.

(19) Consists of total client deposits into brokerage accounts, including brokerage assets serviced by BMO Harris Financial Advisors, Lucia and E.K. Riley advisors, less total client withdrawals from brokerage accounts, plus dividends, plus interest. The Company considers conversions from and to advisory accounts as deposits and withdrawals, respectively. Figures for Net New Brokerage Assets reported prior to April 2020 did not include dividends and interest. The figure previously reported for Q1 2020 was $0 billion. See FN 1.

(20) Consists of net new assets excluding the acquisitions of Lucia Securities, LLC and E.K. Riley Investments, LLC. Acquired assets include $2.5 billion of net new assets related to E.K. Riley Investments, LLC in November 2020, and $1.5 billion of net new assets from Lucia Securities, LLC in October 2020.

(21) Consists of existing custodied assets that converted from brokerage to advisory, less existing custodied assets that converted from advisory to brokerage.

(22) Calculated as annualized current period net new assets divided by preceding period assets in their respective categories of advisory assets or total advisory and brokerage assets. (See FN 20)

(23) Consists of total client deposits into advisory accounts on LPL Financial's corporate advisory platform (FN 15) less total client withdrawals from advisory accounts on its corporate advisory platform, plus dividends, plus interest, minus advisory fees. Figures for Corporate Platform Net New Advisory Assets reported prior to April 2020 did not include dividends and interest or subtract advisory fees. The figure previously reported for Q1 2020 was an inflow of $7.4 billion. See FN 1.

(24) Consists of total client deposits into advisory accounts on LPL Financial's independent advisory platform (FN 16) less total client withdrawals from advisory accounts on its independent advisory platform, plus dividends, plus interest, minus advisory fees. Figures for Hybrid Platform Net New Advisory Assets reported prior to April 2020 did not include dividends and interest or subtract advisory fees. The figure previously reported for Q1 2020 was an inflow of $5.1 billion. See FN 1.

(25) Consists of total client deposits into centrally managed assets accounts (FN 17) less total client withdrawals from centrally managed assets accounts, plus dividends, plus interest, minus advisory fees. Figures for Centrally Managed Net New Advisory Assets reported prior to April 2020 did not include dividends and interest or subtract advisory fees. The figure previously reported for Q1 2020 was an inflow of $2.2 billion. See FN 1.

(26) Calculated by dividing revenue for the period by the average balance during the period.

(27) 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.

(28) EBITDA and Credit Agreement EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. Please see a description of EBITDA and Credit Agreement EBITDA under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” on page 3 of this release for additional information. 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. Below are reconciliations of EBITDA and Credit Agreement EBITDA to net income for the periods presented (dollars in thousands):

 Q1 2021 Q4 2020
EBITDA and Credit Agreement EBITDA Reconciliations   
Net income$446,619  $472,640 
Non-operating interest expense and other101,506  105,765 
Provision for income taxes136,964  153,433 
Loss on extinguishment of debt24,400   
Depreciation and amortization118,587  109,732 
Amortization of intangible assets68,219  67,358 
EBITDA$896,295  $908,928 
Credit Agreement Adjustments:   
Employee share-based compensation expense$34,358  $31,650 
Advisor share-based compensation expense2,256  2,321 
Other21,843  18,326 
Credit Agreement EBITDA (trailing twelve months)$954,752  $961,225 

(29) Calculated based on the average advisor count from the current period and prior period.

(30) Calculated based on the end-of-period total advisory and brokerage assets divided by end-of-period advisor count.

(31) Represents the amortization expense amount of forgivable loans for transition assistance to advisors and financial institutions.

(32) Refers to active and contracted subscriptions related to Professional Services (Admin, Marketing and CFO Solutions) and Business Optimizers (Assurance Plan, Remote Office and M&A Solutions).

(33) Represents advisory revenues as a percentage of Corporate Platform Advisory Assets (FN 15) for the trailing twelve month period.

(34) Represents Gross Profit (FN 7), a non-GAAP financial measure, for the trailing twelve month period, divided by average month-end total advisory and brokerage assets for the trailing twelve month period.

(35) Represents operating expenses for the trailing twelve month period, excluding production-related expense, divided by average month-end total advisory and brokerage 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 11), a non-GAAP financial measure, as well as regulatory charges, promotional, employee share-based compensation, depreciation and amortization, and amortization of intangible assets.

(36) EBIT ROA is calculated as Gross Profit ROA (FN 34) less OPEX as a percentage of Advisory and Brokerage Assets. (FN 35)

(37) Reflects retention of total advisory and brokerage assets, calculated by deducting quarterly annualized attrition from total advisory and brokerage assets, over the prior-quarter total advisory and brokerage assets.

(38) 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, client cash 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 on a pro-rata basis against specific revenue lines at its discretion.

(39) Total Capital Allocated per Share equals the amount of capital allocated for share repurchases and cash dividends divided by the diluted weighted-average shares outstanding.

(40) EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets and Acquisition Costs is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see a description of EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets and Acquisition Costs 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 and Acquisition Costs to the Company’s GAAP EPS for the period presented:

EPS Reconciliation (in thousands, except per share data)Q1 2021
EPS$1.59  
Amortization of Intangible Assets17,431  
Acquisition Costs2,429  
Tax Benefit(5,332) 
Amortization of Intangible Assets and Acquisition Costs, Net of Tax Benefit$14,527  
Diluted Share Count81,622  
EPS Impact$0.18  
EPS Prior to Amortization of Intangible Assets and Acquisition Costs$1.77