The following management's discussion and analysis covers the years endedDecember 31, 2021 , 2020 and 2019 and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements ofVirtu Financial, Inc. (the "Company"). This management's discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed below. Unless otherwise stated, all amounts are presented in thousands of dollars.
Forward-looking statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business strategy. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "may," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "project" or, in each case, their negative, or other variations or comparable terminology and expressions. These statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our experience in the industry as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. As you read and consider this Annual Report on Form 10-K, you should understand that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance or results and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate, may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Although we believe that the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors, including those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and cash flows, and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: •the continuing impacts of COVID-19 and the governmental and other responses thereto, including but not limited to the risk of employees and executives contracting COVID-19 and the deployment of our business continuity plan pursuant to which a significant number of our employees may work remotely and our return to office plan, each of which may increase operational risk, as well as increases in market, counterparty and other forms of operational risk;
•volatility of overall business activity levels;
•reliance on trade counterparties and clearing houses to fulfill their obligations to us;
•breakdowns of our personalized trading platform;
•risks inherent in electronic market making and trading in general;
•enhanced regulatory media scrutiny, including attention to electronic trading, wholesale market making and off-exchange trading, payment for order flow, and other market structure topics and both the impact of potential changes in regulation or law which could have an adverse effect on our business as well as the potential impact upon public perception of us or of companies in our industry; •increased competition in market making activities and execution services;
•dependency on continued access to sources of liquidity;
•risks associated with self-clearing and other operational elements of our business, including but limited to funding and liquidity risks;
•obligations to comply with applicable regulatory capital requirements;
• litigation or other legal and regulatory liabilities;
•changes in laws, rules or regulations, including proposed legislation that would impose taxes on certain financial transactions in theEuropean Union , theU.S. (and certain states therein) and other jurisdictions and other potential changes which could increase our corporate or other tax obligations in one or more jurisdictions;
• obligations to comply with the laws and regulations applicable to our operations in the
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•need to maintain and continue to develop proprietary technologies;
•the effect of the Acquisition of KCG and the ITG Acquisition (as defined below) on ongoing business operations generally, including the assumption of potential liabilities and risks relating to these historical acquisitions;
• capacity constraints, system failures and delays;
•dependency on third-party infrastructure or systems;
•use of open source software;
•failure to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights in our proprietary technology;
•failure to protect confidential and proprietary information;
•failure to protect our systems from internal or external cyber threats that could result in damage to our computer systems, business interruption, loss of data, monetary payment demands or other consequences;
•risks associated with international operations and expansion, including failed acquisitions or divestitures;
•the effects of and changes in economic conditions (such as volatility in the financial markets, inflation, monetary conditions and foreign currency and exchange rate fluctuations, foreign currency controls and/or government mandated pricing controls, as well as in trade, monetary, fiscal and tax policies in international markets), political conditions (such as military actions and terrorist activities), and other global events such as fires, natural disasters, pandemics or extreme weather;
•risks related to potential growth and associated securities transactions;
• inability to access or delay in accessing capital markets to sell shares or raise additional capital;
•loss of key executives and inability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; and
•the risks associated with the loss of access to a major stock exchange or other trading venue.
Our forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We expressly disclaim any intent, obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms "we," "us," "our," "Virtu" and the "Company" refer toVirtu Financial, Inc. , aDelaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries and the term "Virtu Financial" refers toVirtu Financial LLC , aDelaware limited liability company and a consolidated subsidiary of ours.
Basis of preparation
Our consolidated financial statements for the years endedDecember 31, 2021 and 2020 reflect our operations and those of our consolidated subsidiaries. As discussed in Note 1 "Organization and Basis of Presentation" and in Note 3 "ITG Acquisition" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have accounted for the ITG Acquisition under the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the assets and liabilities of ITG, as ofMarch 1, 2019 (the "ITG Closing Date"), were recorded at their respective fair values and added to the carrying value of our existing assets and liabilities. Our reported financial condition, results of operations and cash flows for the periods following the ITG Closing Date reflect ITG's and our balances, and reflect the impact of purchase accounting adjustments, including revised amortization and depreciation expense for acquired assets. 47 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview
We are a leading financial services firm that leverages cutting edge technology to deliver liquidity to the global markets and innovative, transparent trading solutions to our clients. Leveraging our global market structure expertise and scaled, multi-asset technology infrastructure, we provide our clients with a robust product suite including offerings in execution, liquidity sourcing, analytics and broker-neutral, multi-dealer platforms in workflow technology. Our product offerings allow our clients to trade on hundreds of venues across over 50 countries and in multiple asset classes, including global equities, ETFs, foreign exchange, futures, fixed income, cryptocurrencies and other commodities. Our integrated, multi-asset analytics platform provides a range of pre- and post-trade services, data products and compliance tools that our clients rely upon to invest, trade and manage risk across global markets. We believe that our broad diversification, in combination with our proprietary technology platform and low-cost structure gives us the scale necessary to grow our business around the globe as we service clients and facilitate risk transfer between global capital markets participants by providing liquidity, while at the same time earning attractive margins and returns. Technology and operational efficiency are at the core of our business, and our focus on technology is a key element of our success. We have developed a proprietary, multi-asset, multi-currency technology platform that is highly reliable, scalable and modular, and we integrate directly with exchanges, liquidity centers, and our clients. Our market data, order routing, transaction processing, risk management and market surveillance technology modules manage our market making and execution services activities in an efficient manner and enable us to scale our activities globally across additional securities and other financial instruments and asset classes without significant incremental costs or third-party licensing or processing fees. We believe that technology-enabled market makers and execution services providers like Virtu serve an important role in maintaining and enhancing the overall health and efficiency of the global capital markets by ensuring that market participants have an efficient means to invest, transfer risk and analyze the quality of executions. We believe that market participants benefit from the increased liquidity, lower overall trading costs and execution transparency that Virtu provides. Our execution services and client solutions products are designed to be transparent, because we believe transparency makes markets more efficient and helps investors make better, more informed decisions. We use the latest technology to create and deliver liquidity to global markets and innovative trading solutions and analytics tools to our clients. We interact directly with hundreds of retail brokers, Registered Investment Advisors, private client networks, sell-side brokers, and buy-side institutions. We have two operating segments: Market Making and Execution Services, and one non-operating segment: Corporate. Our management allocates resources, assesses performance and manages our business according to these segments.
Market creation
We leverage cutting edge technology to provide competitive and deep liquidity
that helps to create more efficient markets around the world. As a market maker
and liquidity provider, we stand ready, at any time, to buy or sell a broad
range of securities and other financial instruments, and we generate profits by
buying and selling large volumes of securities and other financial instruments
and earning small bid/ask spreads. Our market structure expertise, broad
diversification, and scalable execution technology enable us to provide
competitive bids and offers in over 25,000 securities and other financial
instruments, on over 235 venues, in 36 countries worldwide. We use the latest
technology to create and deliver liquidity to the global markets and automate
our market making, risk controls, and post-trade processes. As a market maker,
we interact directly with hundreds of retail brokers, Registered Investment
Advisors, private client networks, sell-side brokers, and buy-side institutions.
We believe the overall level of volumes and realized volatility in the various
markets we serve have the greatest impact on our market making businesses.
Increases in market volatility can cause bid/ask spreads to widen as market
participants are more willing to pay market makers like us to transact
immediately and as a result, market makers' capture rate per notional amount
transacted increases.
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Fulfillment Services
We offer client execution services and trading venues that provide transparent trading in global equities, ETFs, fixed income, currencies, and commodities to institutions, banks and broker-dealers. We generally earn commissions when transacting as an agent for our clients. Client-based, execution-only trading within this segment is done through a variety of access points including: (a) algorithmic trading and order routing; (b) institutional sales traders who offer portfolio trading and single stock sales trading which provides execution expertise for program, block and riskless principal trades in global equities and ETFs; and (c) matching of client conditional orders in POSIT Alert and in our ATSs, including Virtu MatchIt and POSIT. We also earn revenues (a) by providing our proprietary technology and infrastructure to select third parties for a service fee, (b) through workflow technology and our integrated, broker-neutral trading tools delivered across the globe, including order and execution management systems and order management software applications and network connectivity and (c) through trading analytics, including (1) tools enabling portfolio managers and traders to improve pre-trade, real-time and post-trade execution performance, (2) portfolio construction and optimization decisions and (3) securities valuation. The segment also includes the results of our capital markets business, in which we act as an agent for issuers in connection with at-the-market offerings and buyback programs.
Business
Our Corporate segment contains investments principally in strategic financial services-oriented opportunities and maintains corporate overhead expenses and all other income and expenses that are not attributable to our other segments.
Acquisition of ITG
OnMarch 1, 2019 , the "ITG Closing Date", we announced the completion ofInvestment Technology Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries ("ITG") in an all-cash transaction (the "ITG Acquisition"). In connection with the ITG Acquisition,Virtu Financial ,VFH Parent LLC , aDelaware limited liability company and a subsidiary ofVirtu Financial ("VFH"), andImpala Borrower LLC (the "Acquisition Borrower"), a subsidiary of the Company, entered into the Acquisition Credit Agreement, with the lenders party thereto,Jefferies Finance LLC , as administrative agent andJefferies Finance LLC andRBC Capital Markets , as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners. The Acquisition Credit Agreement provided (i) the First Lien Term Loan Facility (as defined below) in an aggregate principal amount of$1.5 billion , drawn in its entirety on the ITG Closing Date, with approximately$404.5 million borrowed by VFH to repay all amounts outstanding under its existing term loan facility and the remaining approximately$1,095.0 million borrowed by the Acquisition Borrower to finance the consideration and fees and expenses to be paid in connection with the ITG Acquisition, and (ii) the First Lien Revolving Facility (as defined below), with a$5.0 million letter of credit subfacility and a$5.0 million swingline subfacility. After the closing of the ITG Acquisition, VFH assumed the obligations of the Acquisition Borrower in respect of the acquisition term loans. Additionally, on the ITG Closing Date, the Company's fourth amended and restated credit agreement, dated as ofJune 30, 2017 (as amended onJanuary 2, 2018 andSeptember 19, 2018 , the "Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement") was terminated. As described below, the Acquisition Credit Agreement was amended onOctober 9, 2019 , on which date VFH borrowed an additional$525.0 million of incremental first lien term loans, the proceeds of which were used together with cash on hand to redeem the Notes (as defined below). The Indenture (as defined below) was fully terminated following such redemption. The Credit Agreement was further amended onMarch 2, 2020 to, among other things, reduce the interest rate spread over LIBOR or the applicable benchmark by 0.50%. OnJanuary 13, 2022 , VFH andVirtu Financial entered into the Credit Agreement, with the lenders party thereto,JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A . as administrative agent and JPMorgan Chase bank, N.A.,Goldman Sachs Bank USA ,RBC Capital Markets , Barclays Bank plc,Jefferies Finance LLC ,BMO Capital Markets Corp. , andCIBC World Markets Corp. , as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners. The proceeds of the Credit Agreement were used to pay off the Acquisition Credit Agreement. A further description of the Credit Agreement is set forth below in Note 26 "Subsequent Events" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 49 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amended and Updated 2015 Management Incentive Plan
The Company's Board of Directors and stockholders adopted the 2015 Management Incentive Plan, which became effective upon consummation of the Company's IPO and was subsequently amended and restated following receipt of approval from the Company's stockholders onJune 30, 2017 (the "Amended and Restated 2015 Management Incentive Plan"). The Amended and Restated 2015 Management Incentive Plan provides for the grant of stock options, restricted stock units, and other awards based on an aggregate of 16,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, par value$0.00001 per share (the "Class A Common Stock"), subject to additional sublimits, including limits on the total option grant to any one participant in a single year and the total performance award to any one participant in a single year. OnApril 23, 2020 , the Company's Board of Directors adopted an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated 2015 Management Incentive Plan in order to increase the number of shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock reserved for issuance, and in respect of which awards may be granted under the Amended and Restated 2015 Plan from 16,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock to an aggregate of 21,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock and the amendment was approved by the Company's shareholders at the Company's annual meeting of shareholders onJune 5, 2020 . In connection with the IPO, non-qualified stock options to purchase 9,228,000 shares were granted at the IPO per share price, each of which vests in equal annual installments over a period of four years from the grant date and expires not later than 10 years from the grant date. Subsequent to the IPO and throughDecember 31, 2021 , options to purchase 1,628,750 shares in the aggregate were forfeited and 5,722,095 options were exercised. The fair value of the stock option grants was determined through the application of the Black-Scholes-Merton model and was recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. In connection with and subsequent to the IPO, 1,677,318 shares of immediately vested Class A Common Stock and 2,620,051 restricted stock units were granted, which vest over a period of up to 4 years and are settled in shares of Class A Common Stock. The fair value of the Class A Common Stock and restricted stock units was determined based on the volume weighted average price for the three days preceding the grant, and with respect to the restricted stock units is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.
On the ITG Closing Date, the Company assumed the Amended and Restated ITG 2007 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan, dated as ofJune 8, 2017 (the "Amended and Restated ITG 2007 Equity Plan") and certain stock option awards, restricted stock unit awards, deferred stock unit awards and performance stock unit awards granted under the Amended and Restated ITG 2007 Equity Plan (the "Assumed Awards"). The Assumed Awards are subject to the same terms and conditions that were applicable to them under the Amended and Restated ITG 2007 Equity Plan, except that (i) the Assumed Awards relate to shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock, (ii) the number of shares of Class A Common Stock subject to the Assumed Awards was the result of an adjustment based upon an Exchange Ratio (as defined in the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and between the Company,Impala Merger Sub, Inc. , aDelaware corporation and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and ITG, dated as ofNovember 6, 2018 , the "ITG Merger Agreement") and (iii) the performance share unit awards were converted into service-based vesting restricted stock unit awards that were no longer subject to any performance based vesting conditions. As of the ITG Closing Date, the aggregate number of shares of Class A Common Stock subject to such Assumed Awards was 2,497,028 and the aggregate number of shares of Class A Common Stock that remained issuable pursuant to the Amended and Restated ITG 2007 Equity Plan was 1,230,406. The Company filed a Registration Statement on Form S-8 on the ITG Closing Date to register such shares of Class A Common Stock. 50 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Components of our operating results
The following table shows our i) Total revenue, ii) Total operating expenses, and iii) Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest by segment for the years endedDecember 31, 2021 , 2020 and 2019: (in thousands) Years Ended December 31, Market Making 2021 2020 2019 Total revenue $
2,203,046
Total operating expenses
1,277,078 1,352,029 918,904 Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 925,968 1,241,313 109,190 Execution Services Total revenue 600,215 650,143 491,736 Total operating expenses 530,196 475,526 618,667 Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 70,019 174,617 (126,931) Corporate Total revenue 8,224 (4,154) (2,338) Total operating expenses 7,307 28,939 95,903 Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 917 (33,093) (98,241)
Consolidated
Total revenue 2,811,485 3,239,331 1,517,492 Total operating expenses 1,814,581 1,856,494 1,633,474 Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest $
996 904
The following table shows our results of operations for the years endedDecember 31, 2021 , 2020, and 2019: Years Ended December 31, (in thousands) 2021 2020 2019 Revenues: Trading income, net $
2,105,194
Interest and dividends
75,384 62,119 108,778 Commissions, net and technology services 614,489 600,510 498,544 Other, net 16,418 83,454 (2,146) Total revenue 2,811,485 3,239,331 1,517,492 Operating Expenses: Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net 745,434 758,843 386,888 Communication and data processing 211,988 213,750 209,393 Employee compensation and payroll taxes 376,282 393,536 383,713 Interest and dividends expense 139,704 125,649 158,039 Operations and administrative 88,149 94,558 103,642 Depreciation and amortization 67,816 66,741 65,644 Amortization of purchased intangibles and acquired capitalized software 69,668 74,254 70,595 Termination of office leases 28,138 9,608 66,452 Debt issue cost related to debt refinancing, prepayment and commitment fees 6,590 28,879 41,132 Transaction advisory fees and expenses 843 2,941 26,117 Financing interest expense on long-term borrowings 79,969 87,735 121,859 Total operating expenses 1,814,581 1,856,494 1,633,474 Income (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interest 996,904 1,382,837 (115,982) Provision for (benefit from) income taxes 169,670 261,924 (12,277) Net income (loss)$ 827,234 $ 1,120,913 $ (103,705) 51
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Total revenue
Revenues are generated through market marking activities, commissions and fees on execution services activities, which include recurring subscriptions on workflow technology and analytic products. The majority of our revenues are generated through market making activities, which are recorded as Trading income, net and Interest and dividends income. Commissions and fees are derived from commissions charged for trade executions in client execution services. We earn commissions and commission equivalents, as well as, in certain cases, contingent fees based on client revenues, which represent variable consideration. The services offered under these contracts have the same pattern of transfer; accordingly, they are being measured and recognized as a single performance obligation. The performance obligation is satisfied over time, and accordingly, revenue is recognized as time passes. Variable consideration has not been included in the transaction price as the amount of consideration is contingent on factors outside our control. Recurring revenues are primarily derived from workflow technology connectivity fees generated for matching client orders, and analytics services to select third parties. Revenues from connectivity fees are recognized and billed to clients on a monthly basis. Revenues from commissions attributable to analytic products under bundled arrangements are recognized over the course of the year as the performance obligations for those analytics products are satisfied. Trading income, net. Trading income, net represents revenue earned from bid/ask spreads. Trading income is generated in the normal course of our market making activities and is typically proportional to the level of trading activity, or volumes, and bid/ask spreads in the asset classes we serve. Our trading income is highly diversified by asset class and geography and is comprised of small amounts earned on millions of trades on various exchanges. Our trading income, net, results from gains and losses associated with trading strategies, which are designed to capture small bid ask spreads, while hedging risks. Trading income, net, accounted for 75% and 77% of our total revenues for the years endedDecember 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Interest and dividends income. Our market making activities require us to hold securities on a regular basis, and we generate revenues in the form of interest and dividends income from these securities. Interest is also earned on securities borrowed from other market participants pursuant to collateralized financing arrangements and on cash held by brokers. Dividends income arises from holding market making positions over dates on which dividends are paid to shareholders of record. Commissions, net and technology services. We earn revenues on transactions for which we charge explicit commissions or commission equivalents, which include the majority of our institutional client orders. Commissions and fees are primarily affected by changes in our equities, fixed income and futures transaction volumes with institutional clients, which vary based on client relationships; changes in commission rates; client experience on the various platforms; level of volume based fees from providing liquidity to other trading venues; and the level of our soft dollar and commission recapture activity. Client commission fees are charged for client trades executed by us on behalf of third-party broker-dealers and other financial institutions. Revenue is recognized on a trade date basis, which is the point at which the performance obligation to the customer is satisfied, based on the trade being executed. In addition, we offer workflow technology and analytics services to select third parties. Revenues are derived from fees generated by matching sell-side and buy-side clients orders, and from analytic products delivered to the clients. Technology licensing fees are charged for the licensing of our proprietary technology and the provision of related services, including hosting, management and support. These fees include an up-front component and a recurring fee for the relevant terms, which may include both fixed and variable components. Revenue is recognized ratably for these services over the contractual term of the agreement. Other, net. We have interests in multiple strategic investments and telecommunications joint ventures ("JVs"). We record our pro-rata share of each JV's earnings or losses within other, net, while fees related to the use of communication services provided by the JVs are recorded within communications and data processing. We have a noncontrolling investment (the "JNX Investment ") inJapannext Co., Ltd. ("JNX"), a proprietary trading system based inTokyo . In connection with the investment, we issued bonds to certain affiliates of JNX and used the proceeds to partially finance the transaction. Revenues or losses are recognized due to the changes in fair value of the investment or fluctuations in Japanese Yen conversion rates within Other, net.
Others, net, may also include gains on business sales, revenue from service contracts related to the sale of businesses and the gain or loss on the ineffective portion of derivatives used as cash flow hedging instruments. Treasury.
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Functionnary costs
Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net. Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow are our most significant expenses, which include the direct expenses of executing and clearing transactions that we consummate in the course of our market making activities. Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow primarily consist of fees charged by third parties for executing, processing and settling trades. These fees generally increase and decrease in direct correlation with the level of our trading activity. Execution fees are paid primarily to exchanges and venues where we trade. Clearance fees are paid to clearing houses and clearing agents. Payments for order flow represent payments to broker-dealer clients, in the normal course of business, for directing their order flow inU.S. equities to the Company. Rebates based on volume discounts, credits or payments received from exchanges or other marketplaces are netted against brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow. Communication and data processing. Communication and data processing represent primarily fixed expenses for leased equipment, equipment co-location, network lines and connectivity for our trading centers and co-location facilities. Communications expense consists primarily of the cost of voice and data telecommunication lines supporting our business, including connectivity to data centers, exchanges, markets and liquidity pools around the world, and data processing expense consists primarily of market data subscription fees that we pay to third parties to receive price quotes and related information. Employee compensation and payroll taxes. Employee compensation and payroll taxes include employee salaries, cash and non-cash incentive compensation, employee benefits, payroll taxes, severance and other employee related costs. Employee compensation and payroll taxes also includes non-cash compensation expenses with respect to restricted stock units and restricted stock awards granted in connection with and subsequent to the IPO pursuant to the Amended and Restated 2015 Management Incentive Plan and Class A Common Stock underlying certain awards assumed pursuant to the Amended and Restated ITG 2007 Equity Plan. Interest and dividends expense. We incur interest expense from loaning certain equity securities in the general course of our market making activities pursuant to collateralized lending transactions. Typically, dividend expense is incurred when a dividend is paid on securities sold short. Operations and administrative. Operations and administrative expense represents occupancy, recruiting, travel and related expense, professional fees and other expenses. Depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense results from the depreciation of fixed assets, such as computing and communications hardware, as well as amortization of leasehold improvements and capitalized in-house software development. We depreciate our computer hardware and related software, office hardware and furniture and fixtures on a straight-line basis over a period of 3 to 7 years based on the estimated useful life of the underlying asset, and we amortize our capitalized software development costs on a straight-line basis over a period of 1.5 to 3 years, which represents the estimated useful lives of the underlying software. We amortize leasehold improvements on a straight-line basis over the lesser of the life of the improvement or the term of the lease. Amortization of purchased intangibles and acquired capitalized software. Amortization of purchased intangibles and acquired capitalized software represents the amortization of finite lived intangible assets acquired in connection with the acquisition of certain assets fromNyenburgh Holding B.V. , Teza Technologies, the Acquisition of KCG, and the ITG Acquisition. These assets are amortized over their useful lives, ranging from 1 to 15 years, except for certain assets which were categorized as having indefinite useful lives.
Termination of office leases. Termination of office leases represents write-off expense related to certain office space that we ceased to use as part of the effort to integrate and consolidate office space as part of the KCG acquisition and the acquisition of ITG. The total amount of the write-off includes depreciation of right-of-use assets relating to operating leases, leasehold improvements and fixed assets, as well as decay charges.
Debt issue costs related to debt refinancing, prepayment and commitment fees. As
a result of the refinancing or early termination of our long-term borrowings, we
accelerate the capitalized debt issue costs and the discount on the term loan
that would otherwise be amortized or accreted over the life of the term loan.
Premium paid in connection with retiring outstanding bonds, and commitment fees
paid for lines of credit are also included in this category.
Transaction advisory fees and expenses. Transaction advisory fees and expenses
primarily reflect professional fees incurred by us in connection with one or
more acquisitions or dispositions.
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Financing of interest charges on long-term borrowings. Interest expense on financing reflects accrued interest on outstanding debt under our long-term debt agreements.
Provision for (profit) income taxes
We are subject to
Our effective tax rate is subject to significant variation due to several
factors, including variability in our pre-tax and taxable income and loss and
the jurisdictions to which they relate, changes in how we do business,
acquisitions and investments, audit-related developments, tax law developments
(including changes in statutes, regulations, case law, and administrative
practices), and relative changes of expenses or losses for which tax benefits
are not recognized. Additionally, our effective tax rate can be more or less
volatile based on the amount of pre-tax income or loss. For example, the impact
of discrete items and non-deductible expenses on our effective tax rate is
greater when our pre-tax income is lower.
We regularly assess whether it is more likely than not that we will realize our
deferred tax assets in each taxing jurisdiction in which we operate. In
performing this assessment with respect to each jurisdiction, we review all
available evidence, including actual and expected future earnings, capital
gains, and investment in such jurisdiction, the carry-forward periods available
to us for tax reporting purposes, and other relevant factors. See Note 15
"Income Taxes" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data"
of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information.
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Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Items
To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles inthe United States ("U.S. GAAP"), we use the following non-U.S. GAAP ("Non-GAAP") financial measures of financial performance: •"Adjusted Net Trading Income", which is the amount of revenue we generate from our market making activities, or Trading income, net, plus Commissions, net and technology services, plus Interest and dividends income, less direct costs associated with those revenues, including Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net, and Interest and dividends expense. Management believes that this measurement is useful for comparing general operating performance from period to period. Although we use Adjusted Net Trading Income as a financial measure to assess the performance of our business, the use of Adjusted Net Trading Income is limited because it does not include certain material costs that are necessary to operate our business. Our presentation of Adjusted Net Trading Income should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by revenues or expenses that are not directly associated with our market making activities. •"EBITDA", which measures our operating performance by adjusting net income to exclude Financing interest expense on long-term borrowings, Debt issue cost related to debt refinancing, prepayment, and commitment fees, Depreciation and amortization, Amortization of purchased intangibles and acquired capitalized software, and Income tax expense, and "Adjusted EBITDA", which measures our operating performance by further adjusting EBITDA to exclude severance, transaction advisory fees and expenses, termination of office leases, charges related to share based compensation and other expenses, which includes reserves for legal matters, COVID-19 one-time costs and donations and Other, net. •"Normalized Adjusted Net Income", "Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes", "Normalized provision for income taxes", and "Normalized Adjusted EPS", which we calculate by adjusting Net Income to exclude certain items and other non-cash items, assuming that all vested and unvested Virtu Financial Units have been exchanged for Class A Common Stock, and applying an effective tax rate, which was approximately 24%.
•Operating margins, which are calculated by dividing net profit, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA by adjusted net operating income.
Adjusted Net Trading Income, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Normalized Adjusted Net Income, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes, Normalized Adjusted EPS, and Operating Margins (collectively, the "Company's Non-GAAP Measures") are non-GAAP financial measures used by management in evaluating operating performance and in making strategic decisions. In addition, the Company's Non-GAAP Measures or similar non-GAAP financial measures are used by research analysts, investment bankers and lenders to assess our operating performance. Management believes that the presentation of the Company's Non-GAAP Measures provides useful information to investors regarding our results of operations and cash flows because they assist both investors and management in analyzing and benchmarking the performance and value of our business. The Company's Non-GAAP Measures provide indicators of general economic performance that are not affected by fluctuations in certain costs or other items. Accordingly, management believes that these measurements are useful for comparing general operating performance from period to period. Furthermore, our Credit Agreement contains covenants and other tests based on metrics similar to Adjusted EBITDA. Other companies may define Adjusted Net Trading Income, Adjusted EBITDA, Normalized Adjusted Net Income, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes, Normalized Adjusted EPS, and Operating Margins differently, and as a result the Company's Non-GAAP Measures may not be directly comparable to those of other companies. Although we use the Company's Non-GAAP Measures as financial measures to assess the performance of our business, such use is limited because they do not include certain material costs necessary to operate our business. The Company's Non-GAAP Measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, Net Income in accordance withU.S. GAAP as a measure of performance. Our presentation of the Company's Non-GAAP Measures should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items. The Company's Non-GAAP Measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported underU.S. GAAP. Some of these limitations are:
•they do not reflect all cash expenditures, future investment needs or contractual commitments;
•our EBITDA-based measures do not reflect the significant interest expense or
the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payment on our
debt;
55
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•although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being
depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced or require improvements
in the future, and our EBITDA-based measures do not reflect any cash requirement
for such replacements or improvements;
•they are not adjusted for all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our consolidated statements of cash flows;
•they do not reflect the impact of income or expense resulting from matters that we believe are not indicative of our current operations; and
•they do not reflect the limitations of our costs linked to the transfer of profits from our subsidiaries to us.
Because of these limitations, the Company's Non-GAAP Measures are not intended as alternatives to Net Income as indicators of our operating performance and should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business or as measures of cash that will be available to us to meet our obligations. We compensate for these limitations by using the Company's Non-GAAP Measures along with other comparative tools, together withU.S. GAAP measurements, to assist in the evaluation of operating performance. TheseU.S. GAAP measurements include operating Net Income, cash flows from operations and cash flow data. See below a reconciliation of each of the Company's Non-GAAP Measures to the most directly comparableU.S. GAAP measure.
The following table reconciles the consolidated statements of comprehensive income to arrive at adjusted net operating income, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and operating margins for the years ended
Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands) 2021 2020 2019
Reconciliation of trading income, net to adjusted net trading income Trading income, net
$
2,105,194
Interest and dividends
75,384 62,119 108,778 Commissions, net and technology services 614,489 600,510 498,544
Brokerage, FX, clearance and payments for order flow, net
(745,434) (758,843) (386,888) Interest and dividends expense (139,704) (125,649) (158,039) Adjusted Net Trading Income $
1,909,929
Reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA Net income (loss)
$
827 234
Financing of interest charges on long-term borrowings
79,969 87,735 121,859 Debt issue cost related to debt refinancing, prepayment, and commitment fees 6,590 28,879 41,132 Depreciation and amortization 67,816 66,741 65,644
Amortization of purchased intangible assets and acquired capitalized software
69,668 74,254 70,595 Provision for (benefit from) income taxes 169,670 261,924 (12,277) EBITDA$ 1,220,947 $ 1,640,446 $ 183,248 Severance 6,112 10,286 102,768 Transaction advisory fees and expenses 843 2,941 26,117 Termination of office leases 28,138 9,608 66,452 Gain on sale of MATCHNow - (58,652) - Other (10,558) (16,418) 2,651 Share based compensation 55,751 59,838 50,627 Adjusted EBITDA$ 1,301,233 $ 1,648,049 $ 431,863 Selected Operating Margins Net Income Margin (1) 43.3 % 49.3 % (10.6) % EBITDA Margin (2) 63.9 % 72.2 % 18.8 % Adjusted EBITDA Margin (3) 68.1 % 72.6 % 44.3 %
(1) Calculated by dividing net income by adjusted net operating income. (2) Calculated by dividing EBITDA by adjusted net operating income. (3) Calculated by dividing adjusted EBITDA by adjusted net operating income.
56 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following table reconciles Net Income to arrive at Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes, Normalized Adjusted Net Income and Normalized Adjusted EPS for the years endedDecember 31, 2021 , 2020 and 2019: Years Ended December 31, (in thousands, except share and per share data) 2021 2020 2019
Reconciliation of net income to normalized adjusted net income Net income (loss)
Provision for (profit) income taxes
169,670 261,924 (12,277) Income (loss) before income taxes 996,904 1,382,837 (115,982)
Amortization of purchased intangible assets and acquired capitalized software
69,668 74,254 70,595 Debt issue cost related to debt refinancing, prepayment, and commitment fees 6,590 28,879 41,132 Severance 6,112 10,286 102,768 Transaction advisory fees and expenses 843 2,941 26,117 Termination of office leases 28,138 9,608 66,452 Gain on sale of MATCHNow - (58,652) - Other (10,558) (16,418) 2,651 Share based compensation 55,751 59,838 50,627 Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes 1,153,448 1,493,573 244,360 Normalized provision for income taxes (1) 276,827 358,458 58,646 Normalized Adjusted Net Income
Weighted Average Adjusted shares outstanding (2) 191,958,870 196,929,673 193,153,745 Normalized Adjusted EPS$ 4.57 $ 5.76 $ 0.96 (1)ReflectsU.S. federal, state, and local income tax rate applicable to corporations of approximately 24% for 2021, 2020, and 2019. (2)Assumes that (1) holders of all vested and unvested non-vesting Virtu Financial Units (together with corresponding shares of the Company's Class C common stock, par value$0.00001 per share (the "ClassC Common Stock")) have exercised their right to exchange such Virtu Financial Units for shares of Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis, (2) holders of all Virtu Financial Units (together with corresponding shares of the Company's Class D common stock, par value$0.00001 per share (the "Class D Common Stock")) have exercised their right to exchange such Virtu Financial Units for shares of the Company's Class B common stock, par value$0.00001 per share (the "Class B Common Stock") on a one-for-one basis, and subsequently exercised their right to convert the shares of Class B Common Stock into shares of Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis. Includes additional shares from dilutive impact of options, restricted stock units and restricted stock awards outstanding under the Amended and Restated 2015 Management Incentive Plan and the Amended and Restated ITG 2007 Equity Plan during the years endedDecember 31, 2021 , 2020 and 2019 as well as warrants issued in connection with the Founder Member Loan during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . 57 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following tables reconcile trading income, net and adjusted net trading income by segment for the years ended
Year Ended December 31, 2021
Execution
(in thousands) Market Making Services Corporate Total
Trading income, net $ 2,079,653 $ 25,541 $ - $ 2,105,194
Commissions, net and technology
services 40,955 573,534 - 614,489
Interest and dividends income 75,311 73 - 75,384
Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees
and payments for order flow, net (634,783) (110,651) - (745,434)
Interest and dividends expense (133,584) (6,120) - (139,704)
Adjusted Net Trading Income $ 1,427,552 $ 482,377 $ - $ 1,909,929
Year Ended December 31, 2020
Execution
(in thousands) Market Making Services Corporate Total
Trading income, net $ 2,455,182 $ 38,066 $ - $ 2,493,248
Commissions, net and technology
services 52,453 548,057 - 600,510
Interest and dividends income 61,485 634 - 62,119
Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees
and payments for order flow, net (662,994) (95,849) - (758,843)
Interest and dividends expense (123,715) (1,934) - (125,649)
Adjusted Net Trading Income $ 1,782,411 $ 488,974 $ - $ 2,271,385
Year Ended December 31, 2019
Execution
Market Making Services Corporate Total
Trading income, net $ 908,328 $ 3,988 $ - $ 912,316
Commissions, net and technology
services 23,526 475,018 - 498,544
Interest and dividends income 96,197 12,581 - 108,778
Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees
and payments for order flow, net (277,668) (109,220) - (386,888)
Interest and dividends expense (145,782) (12,257) - (158,039)
Adjusted Net Trading Income $ 604,601 $ 370,110 $ - $ 974,711
The following table shows our Adjusted Net Trading Income and average daily
Adjusted Net Trading Income by segment for the years ended December 31, 2021 ,
2020 and 2019:
(in thousands, except %) 2021 2020 2019
Adjusted Net Trading Average Average Average
Income by Segment: Total Daily % Total Daily % Total Daily %
Market Making $ 1,427,552 $ 5,665 74.7 % $ 1,782,411 $ 7,045 78.5 % $ 604,601 $ 2,390 62.0 %
Execution Services 482,377 1,914 25.3 % 488,974 1,933 21.5 % 370,110 1,463 38.0 %
Adjusted Net Trading
Income $ 1,909,929 $ 7,579 100.0 % $ 2,271,385 $ 8,978 100.0 % $ 974,711 $ 3,853 100.0 %
58
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Year ended
Total revenue
Our total revenues decreased$427.8 million , or 13.2%, to$2,811.5 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$3,239.3 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . This decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease of$388.1 million in Trading income, net, which was primarily driven by lower market volatility during the year endedDecember 31, 2021 compared to the prior period. Additionally, Other, net declined$67.0 million primarily attributable to the sale of MATCHNow onAugust 4, 2020 .
The following table shows total revenues by segment for the years ended
Years Ended
(in thousands, except for percentage) 2021
2020 % change
Market creation
Trading income, net$ 2,079,653 $
2,455,182 (15.3)%
Interest and dividends income 75,311
61,485 22.5%
Commissions, net and technology services 40,955
52,453 (21.9)%
Other, net 7,127
24,222 (70.6)%
Total revenues from Market Making$ 2,203,046 $ 2,593,342 (15.0)% Execution Services Trading income, net$ 25,541 $ 38,066 (32.9) Interest and dividends income 73
634 (88.5)%
Commissions, net and technology services 573,534
548,057 4.6%
Other, net 1,067
63,386 (98)%
Total revenues from Execution Services$ 600,215 $ 650,143 (7.7)% Corporate Other, net$ 8,224 $ (4,154) NM Total revenues from Corporate$ 8,224 $ (4,154) NM Consolidated Trading income, net$ 2,105,194 $ 2,493,248 (15.6)% Interest and dividends income 75,384
62,119 21.4%
Commissions, net and technology services 614,489 600,510 2.3% Other, net 16,418 83,454 (80.3)% Total revenues$ 2,811,485 $ 3,239,331 (13.2)% Trading income, net. Trading income, net was primarily earned by our Market Making segment. Trading income, net, decreased$388.1 million , or 15.6%, to$2,105.2 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$2,493.2 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The decrease was primarily driven by lower market volatility during the year endedDecember 31, 2021 compared to 2020, which experienced elevated levels of market volatility and trading volumes largely due to the impacts of COVID-19 and the governmental and other responses thereto. Average daily realized volatility of the S&P 500 Index decreased 57.27.2% compared to the prior period, and the average daily realized volatility of the CVIX decreased 611.22 compared to prior period. Rather than analyzing trading income, net, in isolation, we evaluate it in the broader context of our Adjusted Net Trading Income, together with Interest and dividends income, Interest and dividends expense, Commissions, net and technology services and Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net, each of which are described below. Interest and dividends income. Interest and dividends income was primarily earned by our Market Making segment. Interest and dividends income increased$13.3 million , or 21.4%, to$75.4 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$62.1 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . This increase was primarily attributable to higher interest income earned on cash collateral posted as part of securities borrowed transactions driven by higher interest rates for the period compared to the prior period. As indicated above, rather than analyzing interest and dividends income in isolation, we evaluate it in the broader context of our Adjusted Net Trading Income. 59 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commissions, net and technology services. Commissions, net and technology services revenues were primarily earned by our Execution Services segment. Commissions, net and technology services revenues increased$14.0 million , or 2.3%, to$614.5 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$600.5 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The increase was primarily attributable to higher trading volumes inU.S. equities. Average dailyU.S. equities consolidated volumes increased 4.4% compared to prior period. As indicated above, rather than analyzing commissions, net and technology services in isolation, we evaluate it in the broader context of our Adjusted Net Trading Income. Other, net. Other, net decreased$67.0 million , or 80.3%, to$16.4 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$83.5 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The decrease was primarily due to a$56.2 million gain recorded on the sale of MATCHNow in the third quarter 2020 (see Note 4 "Sale of MATCHNow" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for details on the MATCHNow sale).
Adjusted net trading income
Adjusted Net Trading Income decreased$361.5 million , or 15.9%, to$1,909.9 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$2,271.4 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . This decrease was primarily attributable to lower Trading Income, net (described above), driven by lower market volatility during the year endedDecember 31, 2021 compared to the prior period, partially offset by lower Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net (described below) incurred by Market Making. Average daily realized volatility of the S&P 500 Index and average daily CVIX realized volatility decreased 57.272% and 61.212%, respectively, compared to the prior period, while average dailyU.S. equity consolidated volumes increased 4.44.4%. Adjusted Net Trading Income per day decreased$1.4 million , or 15.6%, to$7.6 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$9.0 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The number of trading days was 252 days for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 and 253 days for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . Adjusted Net Trading Income is a non-GAAP measure. For a full description of Adjusted Net Trading Income and a reconciliation of Adjusted Net Trading Income to trading income, net, see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Items" in this "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations".
Functionnary costs
Our operating expenses decreased$41.9 million , or 2.3%, to$1,814.6 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$1,856.5 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The decrease in operating expenses was primarily due to lower Employee compensation and payroll taxes, Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net, and Debt issue cost related to debt refinancing, prepayment, and commitment fees, offset by increases in Interest and dividends expense and Termination of office leases as compared to the prior year, described in more detail below. Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net. Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net, decreased$13.4 million , or 1.8%, to$745.4 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$758.8 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . This decrease was primarily attributable to decreases in market volatility inU.S. equities markets offset by increases in volumes from our broker-dealer clients eligible for payments for order flow, driven by higher participation of retail investors in the market during the current year compared to the prior year. We evaluate this category, representing direct costs associated with transacting our business, in the broader context of our Adjusted Net Trading Income. Communication and data processing. Communication and data processing expense decreased$1.8 million , or 0.8%, to$212.0 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$213.8 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . This decrease was primarily attributable to reductions in connectivity connections as a result of an on-going effort to consolidate various communication and data processing services and subscriptions. Employee compensation and payroll taxes. Employee compensation and payroll taxes decreased$17.3 million , or 4.4%, to$376.3 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$393.5 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The decrease in compensation levels was primarily attributable to a reduction in accrued incentive compensation in the current period, relative to the prior period, which is recorded at management's discretion and is generally accrued in connection with the overall level of profitability, as well as a result of one-time cash bonuses awarded in the first quarter of 2020 to certain employees to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have capitalized and therefore excluded employee compensation and benefits related to software development of$35.8 million and$37.0 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. 60 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interest and dividends expense. Interest and dividends expense increased$14.1 million , or 11.2%, to$139.7 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$125.6 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . This increase was primarily attributable to higher interest expense incurred on cash collateral received driven by higher interest rates, as well as an increase in securities lending transactions for the period compared to the same period during the prior year. As indicated above, rather than analyzing interest and dividends expense in isolation, we generally evaluate it in the broader context of our Adjusted Net Trading Income. Operations and administrative. Operations and administrative expense decreased$6.4 million , or 6.8%, to$88.1 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$94.6 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The decrease was primarily attributable to decreases in travel and entertainment due to the on-going effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well the on-going efforts to consolidate office premises and professional services after the Acquisition of KCG and the ITG Acquisition.
Depreciation and amortization. Depreciation increased
Amortization of purchased intangibles and acquired capitalized software. Amortization of purchased intangibles and acquired capitalized software decreased$4.6 million , or 6.2%, to$69.7 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$74.3 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . This decrease was primarily attributable to certain intangible assets being fully amortized in 2020. Termination of office leases. Termination of office leases was$28.1 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$9.6 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . Expense from termination of office leases resulted from the impairment of operating lease right-of-use assets and leasehold improvements and fixed assets for certain office space that we abandoned as part of our efforts to integrate and consolidate office space, in connection with the Acquisition of KCG and the ITG Acquisition. The 2021 expense included the impairment of the lease and leasehold improvements of our former headquarters atOne Liberty Plaza . Debt issue costs related to debt refinancing, prepayment and commitment fees. Expense from debt issue costs related to debt refinancing, prepayment and commitment fees decreased$22.3 million , or 77.2%, to$6.6 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$28.9 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The amount for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 was primarily driven by the amortization of debt issue costs related to the addition of the Founder Member Loan Facility inMarch 2020 , which expired as ofSeptember 20, 2020 , costs incurred related to Amendment No. 2 to the Credit Agreement (as defined below), and the acceleration of amortization as a result of the prepayment of$288.5 million of long term borrowings made during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . See Note 10 "Borrowings" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional details. Transaction advisory fees and expenses. Transaction advisory fees and expenses decreased$2.1 million , or 71.3%, to$0.8 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$2.9 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The expense incurred in 2020 was primarily related to the sale of MatchNOW. See Note 4 "Sale of MATCHNow" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional details. Financing interest expense on long term borrowings. Financing interest expense on long-term borrowings decreased$7.8 million , or 8.9%, to$80.0 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to$87.7 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . This decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in outstanding principal as a result of prepayments made during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 , as discussed in Note 10 "Borrowings" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, in addition to lower interest rates.
Provision for (profit) income taxes
We incur corporate tax at theU.S. federal income tax rate on our taxable income, as adjusted for noncontrolling interest inVirtu Financial . Our income tax expense reflects suchU.S. federal income tax as well as taxes payable by certain of our non-U.S. subsidiaries. Our provision for income taxes and effective tax rates were$169.7 million , 17.0% for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to a provision for income taxes of$261.9 million , 18.9% for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . 61 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year ended
For discussion around our results of operations for the year endedDecember 31, 2019 and for a comparison of our results of operations for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 and year endedDecember 31, 2019 , see Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year endedDecember 31, 2020 , filed with theSEC onFebruary 25, 2021 .
Cash and capital resources
General
As ofDecember 31, 2021 , we had$1,071.5 million in Cash and cash equivalents. This balance is maintained primarily to support operating activities for capital expenditures and for short-term access to liquidity, and for other general corporate purposes. As ofDecember 31, 2021 , we had borrowings under our prime brokerage credit facilities of approximately$177.1 million , borrowings under our broker dealer facilities of$58.0 million , short-term bank overdrafts of$5.0 million , and long-term debt outstanding in an aggregate principal amount of approximately$1,630.5 million . The majority of our trading assets consist of exchange-listed marketable securities, which are marked-to-market daily, and collateralized receivables from broker-dealers and clearing organizations arising from proprietary securities transactions. Collateralized receivables consist primarily of securities borrowed, receivables from clearing houses for settlement of securities transactions and, to a lesser extent, securities purchased under agreements to resell. We actively manage our liquidity, and we maintain significant borrowing facilities through the securities lending markets and with banks and prime brokers. We have continually received the benefit of uncommitted margin financing from our prime brokers globally. These margin facilities are secured by securities in accounts held at the prime brokers. For purposes of providing additional liquidity, we maintain a committed credit facility and an uncommitted credit facility for our wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiary, as discussed in Note 10 "Borrowings" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Short-term liquidity and capital resources
Based on our current level of operations, we believe our cash flows from operations, available cash and cash equivalents, and available borrowings under our broker-dealer credit facilities will be adequate to meet our future liquidity needs for the next twelve months. We anticipate that our primary upcoming cash and liquidity needs will be increased margin requirements from increased trading activities in markets where we currently provide liquidity and in new markets into which we plan to expand. We manage and monitor our margin and liquidity needs on a real-time basis and can adjust our requirements both intra-day and inter-day, as required. We expect our principal sources of future liquidity to come from cash flows provided by operating activities and financing activities. Certain of our cash balances are insured by theFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation , generally up to$250,000 per account but without a cap under certain conditions. From time to time these cash balances may exceed insured limits, but we select financial institutions deemed highly credit worthy to minimize risk. We consider highly liquid investments with original maturities of less than three months, when acquired, to be cash equivalents.
Long-term liquidity and capital resources
Our principal demand for funds beyond the next twelve months will be payments on our long-term debt, operating lease payments, common stock repurchases under our share repurchase program, and dividend payments. Based on our current level of operations, we believe our cash flow from operations, and ability to raise funding, notably the refinancing of our term loan inJanuary 2022 , will be sufficient to fund capital demands. Our long-term debt was rated Ba3, and BB- by Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings, respectively, with both firms giving an outlook of Stable. 62 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreements on tax claims
Generally, we are required under the tax receivable agreements entered into in connection with our IPO to make payments to certain direct or indirect equity holders ofVirtu Financial that are generally equal to 85% of the applicable cash tax savings, if any, that we realize as a result of favorable tax attributes that are available to us as a result of the Reorganization Transactions, for exchanges of membership interests for Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock and payments made under the tax receivable agreements. We will retain the remaining 15% of any such cash tax savings. We expect that future payments to certain direct or indirect equity holders ofVirtu Financial described in Note 6 "Tax Receivable Agreements" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K are expected to range from approximately$0.4 million to$22.0 million per year over the next 15 years. Such payments will occur only after we have filed ourU.S. federal and state income tax returns and realized the cash tax savings from the favorable tax attributes. We made our first payment of$7.0 million inFebruary 2017 , our second payment of$12.4 million inSeptember 2018 , our third payment of$13.3 million inMarch 2020 , and our fourth payment of$16.5 million inApril 2021 . Future payments under the tax receivable agreements in respect of subsequent exchanges would be in addition to these amounts. We currently expect to fund these payments from realized cash tax savings from the favorable tax attributes. Under the tax receivable agreements, as a result of certain types of transactions and other factors, including a transaction resulting in a change of control, we may also be required to make payments to certain direct or indirect equity holders ofVirtu Financial in amounts equal to the present value of future payments we are obligated to make under the tax receivable agreements. We would expect any acceleration of these payments to be funded from the realized favorable tax attributes. However, if the payments under the tax receivable agreements are accelerated, we may be required to raise additional debt or equity to fund such payments. To the extent that we are unable to make payments under the tax receivable agreements for any reason (including because our Amended Credit Agreement restricts the ability of our subsidiaries to make distributions to us) such payments will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid.
Regulatory capital requirements
Our principalU.S. subsidiary,Virtu Americas LLC ("VAL") is subject to separate regulation and capital requirements in theU.S. and other jurisdictions. VAL is a registeredU.S. broker-dealer, and its primary regulators include theSEC and theFinancial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"). TheSEC andFINRA impose rules that require notification when regulatory capital falls below certain pre-defined criteria. These rules also dictate the ratio of debt-to-equity in the regulatory capital composition of a broker-dealer and constrain the ability of a broker-dealer to expand its business under certain circumstances. If a firm fails to maintain the required regulatory capital, it may be subject to suspension or revocation of registration by the applicable regulatory agency, and suspension or expulsion by these regulators could ultimately lead to the firm's liquidation. Additionally, certain applicable rules impose requirements that may have the effect of prohibiting a broker-dealer from distributing or withdrawing capital and requiring prior notice to and/or approval from theSEC andFINRA for certain capital withdrawals. VAL is also subject to rules set forth by NYSE and is required to maintain a certain level of capital in connection with the operation of its designated market maker business. Our Canadian subsidiaries,Virtu ITG Canada Corp. and Virtu Financial Canada ULC, are subject to regulatory capital requirements and periodic requirements to report their regulatory capital and submit other regulatory reports set forth by theInvestment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada . Our Irish subsidiaries,Virtu Financial Ireland Limited ("VFIL") andVirtu ITG Europe Limited ("VIEL") are regulated by theCentral Bank of Ireland as Investment Firms and in accordance withEuropean Union law are required to maintain a minimum amount of regulatory capital based upon their positions, financial conditions, and other factors. In addition to periodic requirements to report their regulatory capital and submit other regulatory reports, VFIL and VIEL are required to obtain consent prior to receiving capital contributions or making capital distributions from their regulatory capital. Failure to comply with their regulatory capital requirements could result in regulatory sanction or revocation of their regulatory license.Virtu ITG UK Limited is regulated by theFinancial Conduct Authority in theUnited Kingdom and is subject to similar prudential capital requirements.Virtu ITG Australia Limited ,Virtu ITG Hong Kong Limited , andVirtu ITG Singapore Pte Limited are also subject to local regulatory capital requirements and are regulated by theAustralian Securities and Investments Commission , theSecurities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong , and theMonetary Authority of Singapore , respectively.
See Note 22 “Regulatory Requirements” in Part II, Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of the regulatory capital requirements of our regulated subsidiaries.
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Broker credit facilities, short-term bank loans and prime brokerage credit facilities
We maintain various broker-dealer facilities and short-term credit facilities as part of our daily trading operations. See Note 10 "Borrowings" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for details on our various credit facilities. As ofDecember 31, 2021 , the outstanding principal balance on our broker-dealer facilities was$58.0 million and the outstanding aggregate short-term credit facilities with various prime brokers and other financial institutions from which the Company receives execution or clearing services was approximately$177.1 million , which was netted within Receivables from broker-dealers and clearing organizations on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. OnMarch 10, 2020 , a broker-dealer subsidiary of the Company entered into a short-term loan arrangement with Jefferies Financial Group, Inc., as lender, for a$20 million demand loan (the "Demand Loan") repayable no later than ninety (90) days after the date of borrowing. The Demand Loan bore interest at a rate of 10% per annum, increased by 2.0% with respect to any principal amounts not paid when due and payable. The Demand Loan was repaid in full as ofApril 17, 2020 . OnMarch 20, 2020 , a broker-dealer subsidiary of the Company entered into a loan agreement (the "Founder Member Loan Facility") withTJMT Holdings LLC (the "Founder Member"), as lender and administrative agent, providing for unsecured term loans from time to time (the "Founder Member Loans") in an aggregate original principal amount not to exceed$300 million . The Founder Member Loans were available to be borrowed in one or more borrowings on or afterMarch 20, 2020 and prior toSeptember 20, 2020 , though no borrowings were made during such period, which is now expired. The Founder Member is an affiliate of Mr.Vincent Viola , the Company's founder and Chairman Emeritus. Upon the execution of and in consideration for the Lender's commitments under the Founder Member Loan Facility, the Company delivered to the Founder Member a warrant to purchase shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock, as described below. OnMarch 20, 2020 , in connection with and in consideration of the Founder Member's commitments under the Founder Member Loan Facility, the Company delivered to the Founder Member a warrant (the "Warrant") to purchase shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock. Pursuant to the Warrant, the Founder Member was entitled to purchase up to 3,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock on or afterMay 22, 2020 up to and includingJanuary 15, 2022 . If at any time during the term of the Founder Member Loan Facility, the Founder Member Loans equal to or greater than$100 million had remained outstanding for a certain period of time specified in the Warrant, the number of shares would have increased to 10,000,000. The exercise price per share of the Class A Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Warrant was$22.98 . The Warrant was exercised onDecember 17, 2021 for the full 3,000,000 shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock. The Warrant and Class A Common Stock issued pursuant to the Warrant were offered, issued and sold, in reliance on the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, set forth under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act relating to sales by an issuer not involving any public offering.
credit agreement
In connection with the ITG Acquisition,Virtu Financial , VFH and the Acquisition Borrower entered into the Credit Agreement, with the lenders party thereto,Jefferies Finance LLC , as administrative agent andJefferies Finance LLC andRBC Capital Markets , as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners. The Acquisition Credit Agreement provided (i) the First Lien Term Loan Facility (as defined below) in an aggregate principal amount of$1,500 million , drawn in its entirety on the ITG Closing Date, of which approximately$404.5 million was borrowed by VFH to repay all amounts outstanding under a previous term loan facility and the remaining approximately$1,095 million was borrowed by the Acquisition Borrower to finance the consideration and fees and expenses paid in connection with the ITG Acquisition, and (ii) a$50.0 million senior secured first lien revolving facility to VFH (the "First Lien Revolving Facility"), with a$5.0 million letter of credit sub-facility and a$5.0 million swing-line sub-facility. After the ITG Closing Date, VFH assumed the obligations of the Acquisition Borrower in respect of the acquisition term loans. OnOctober 9, 2019 , VFH entered into an amendment ("Amendment No. 1"), which amended the Acquisition Credit Agreement dated as ofMarch 1, 2019 , to, among other things, provide for$525.0 million in aggregate principal amount of incremental term loans (the "Incremental Term Loans"), and amend the related collateral agreement. OnMarch 2, 2020 , VFH entered into a second amendment ("Amendment No. 2"), which further amended the Credit Agreement (as amended by Amendment No. 1 and Amendment No. 2, the "Amended Credit Agreement") to, among other things, reduce the interest rate spread over adjusted LIBOR or the alternate base rate by 0.50% per annum and eliminated any step-down in the spread based on VFH's first lien leverage ratio. The term loan borrowings and revolver borrowings under the Amended Credit Agreement bear interest at a per annum rate equal to, at the Company's election, either (i) the greatest of (a) 64 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- the prime rate in effect, (b) the greater of (1) the federal funds effective rate and (2) the overnight bank funding rate, in each case plus 0.50%, (c) an adjusted LIBOR rate for a Eurodollar borrowing with an interest period of one month plus 1.00% and (d) 1.00%, plus, in each case, 2.00%, or (ii) the greater of (x) an adjusted LIBOR rate for the interest period in effect and (y) 0%, plus, in each case, 3.00%. In addition, a commitment fee accrues at a rate of 0.50% per annum on the average daily unused amount of the First Lien Revolving Facility, with step-downs to 0.375% and 0.25% per annum based on VFH's first lien leverage ratio, and is payable quarterly in arrears. Under the Amended Credit Agreement, the term loans will mature onMarch 1, 2026 . The term loans amortize in annual installments equal to 1.0% of the original aggregate principal amount of the term loans. The revolving commitments will terminate onMarch 1, 2022 . The First Lien Revolving Facility under the Amended Credit Agreement is subject to a springing net first lien leverage ratio which may spring into effect as of the last day of a fiscal quarter if usage of the aggregate revolving commitments exceeds a specified level as of such date. VFH is also subject to contingent principal prepayments based on excess cash flow and certain other triggering events. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement are guaranteed byVirtu Financial and VFH's material non-regulated domestic restricted subsidiaries and secured by substantially all of the assets of VFH and the guarantors, in each case, subject to certain exceptions. The Amended Credit Agreement contains certain customary covenants and events of default, including relating to a change of control. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the lenders under the Amended Credit Agreement will be entitled to take various actions, including the acceleration of amounts outstanding under the Amended Credit Agreement and all actions permitted to be taken by a secured creditor in respect of the collateral securing the obligations under the Amended Credit Agreement. InOctober 2019 , we entered into a five-year$525.0 million floating-to-fixed interest rate swap agreement. InJanuary 2020 , we entered into a five-year$1,000.0 million floating-to-fixed interest rate swap agreement. These two interest rate swaps met the criteria to be considered and were designated as qualifying cash flow hedges under ASC 815 in the first quarter of 2020, and they effectively fix interest payment obligations on$525.0 million and$1,000.0 million of principal under the First Lien Term Loan Facility at rates of 4.3% and 4.4% throughSeptember 2024 andJanuary 2025 , respectively, based on the interest rates set forth in the Amended Credit Agreement. InApril 2021 , each of the swap agreements described above was novated to another counterparty and amended in connection with such novation. The amendments included certain changes to collateral posting obligations and also had the effect of increasing the effective fixed interest payment obligations to rates of 4.5%, with respect to the earlier maturing swap arrangement, and 4.6% with respect to the later maturing swap arrangement. InJanuary 2022 , we entered into a new senior secured first lien term loan for$1,800.0 million of principal. The proceeds from this new loan were primarily used to repay the First Lien Term Loan Facility. Refer to Note 26 "Subsequent Events" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We complied with all applicable covenants under the amended credit agreement at
Cash flow
Our primary sources of liquidity are cash flow from the operations of our subsidiaries, our broker credit facilities (as described above), margin funding provided by our prime brokers and cash on hand.
The table below summarizes our main sources and uses of cash for the years ended
Years Ended December 31,
Net cash provided by (used in): 2021 2020 2019
Operating activities $ 1,171,626 $ 1,060,884 $ 168,771
Investing activities (87,349) (2,559) (899,643)
Financing activities (957,859) (839,918) 769,580
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash
equivalents (12,470) 15,318 (1,475)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents $ 113,948 $ 233,725 $ 37,233
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Operational activities
Net cash provided by operating activities was$1,171.6 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to net cash provided by operating activities of$1,060.9 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was primarily attributable to an increase in Securities loaned, a decrease in Receivables from broker-dealers and clearing organizations, and an increase in trading liabilities, at fair value, offset by an increase in trading assets, at fair value, and a decrease in Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 compared to the prior period. Investing Activities Net cash used in investing activities was$87.3 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , compared to net cash used in investing activities of$2.6 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The increase in cash used in investing activities for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 was primarily attributable to an increase in contributions to our strategic investments in the current year, shown in Other investing activities on our consolidated statement of cash flows, offset by the sale of MATCHNow in the prior year.
Fundraising activities
Net cash used in financing activities was$957.9 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 , while net cash used in financing activities was$839.9 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . The cash used in financing activities for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 was primarily attributable to$548.0 million in dividends to stockholders and distributions made to noncontrolling interests and$427.5 million in purchases of treasury stock, partially offset by the proceeds of$68.9 million of Warrants exercised. The cash used in financing activities of$839.9 million during the same period of 2020 primarily reflects net dividends to stockholders and distributions to noncontrolling interests and repayment of long-term borrowings.
Share buyback program
OnFebruary 8, 2018 , the Company's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program of up to$50.0 million in Class A Common Stock and Virtu Financial Units, which was expanded to$100.0 million onJuly 27, 2018 . The Company repurchased approximately 2.6 million shares of Class A Common Stock and Virtu Financial Units for approximately$65.9 million under this program, which expired onSeptember 30, 2019 . OnNovember 6, 2020 , the Company's Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program of up to$100.0 million in Class A common stock and Virtu Financial Units byDecember 31, 2021 .
At
OnMay 4, 2021 , the Company's Board of Directors authorized the expansion of the Company's share repurchase program, increasing the total authorized amount by$300 million to$470 million in Class A Common Stock and Virtu Financial Units and extending the duration of the program throughMay 4, 2022 . OnNovember 3, 2021 , the Company's Board of Directors authorized the expansion of the Company's current share repurchase program, increasing the total authorized amount by$750 million to$1,220 million and extended the duration throughNovember 3, 2023 . Since the inception of the program throughNovember 3, 2021 . The share repurchase program authorizes the Company to repurchase shares from time to time in open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions or by other means. Repurchases are also permitted to be made under Rule 10b5-1 plans. The timing and amount of repurchase transactions are determined by the Company's management based on its evaluation of market conditions, share price, cash sources, legal requirements and other factors. From the inception of the program throughDecember 31, 2021 , the Company repurchased approximately 16.1 million shares of Class A Common Stock and Virtu Financial Units for approximately$439.1 million . As ofDecember 31, 2021 , the Company has approximately of$780.9 million remaining capacity for future purchases of shares of Class A Common Stock and Virtu Financial Units under the program. 66 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contractual obligations
Our expected material cash requirements include the following contractual obligations:
Debt
As ofDecember 31, 2021 , we had$1,599.8 million of outstanding principal on our First Lien Term Loan Facility. Subsequent to year end, we completed the issuance of a$1.8 billion senior secured first lien term loan due in 2029 ("New Term Loan"), and proceeds were used to repay the outstanding balance on the First Lien Term Loan Facility. See Note 26 "Subsequent Events" in Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more details on this transaction. Additionally,$30.7 million of long-term debt related to the SBI bonds is due in 2023. See Note 10 "Borrowings" in Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more details. Leases
We have lease agreements, primarily for office space, technology and equipment. From
Agreement on tax claims
The contractual obligation table above excludes contractual amounts owed under the tax receivable agreement as the ultimate amount and timing of the amounts due are not presently known. As ofDecember 31, 2021 , a total of$259.3 million has been recorded for amounts due pursuant to tax receivable agreements in the consolidated financial statements representing management's best estimate of the amounts currently expected to be owed under the tax receivable agreement, as savings are realized as a result of favorable tax attributes.
Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity withU.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the applicable reporting period. Critical accounting policies are those that are the most important portrayal of our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and that require our most difficult, subjective and complex judgments as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in the notes to our consolidated financial statements, our most critical accounting policies are discussed below. In applying such policies, we must use some amounts that are based upon our informed judgments and best estimates. Estimates, by their nature, are based upon judgments and available information. The estimates that we make are based upon historical factors, current circumstances and the experience and judgment of management. We evaluate our assumptions and estimates on an ongoing basis. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Valuation of Financial Instruments
Due to the nature of our operations, substantially all of our financial
instrument assets, comprised of financial instruments owned, securities
purchased under agreements to resell, and receivables from brokers, dealers and
clearing organizations are carried at fair value based on published market
prices and are marked to market daily, or are assets which are short-term in
nature and are reflected at amounts approximating fair value. Similarly, all of
our financial instrument liabilities that arise from financial instruments sold
but not yet purchased, securities sold under agreements to repurchase,
securities loaned, and payables to brokers, dealers and clearing organizations
are short-term in nature and are reported at quoted market prices or at amounts
approximating fair value.
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or
would be paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the exit price) in an orderly
transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Financial
instruments measured and reported at fair value are classified and disclosed in
one of the following categories based on inputs:
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Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities without restriction;
Level 2 - Quoted prices in markets that are not active and financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly; or
Level 3 – Prices or valuations requiring inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable
The fair values for substantially all of our financial instruments owned and financial instruments sold but not yet purchased are based on observable prices and inputs and are classified in levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Instruments categorized within level 3 of the fair value hierarchy are those which require one or more significant inputs that are not observable. Estimating the fair value of level 3 financial instruments requires judgments to be made. Due to the relative immateriality of our financial instruments classified as level 3, we do not believe that a significant change to the inputs underlying the fair value of our level 3 financial instruments would have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements See Note 11 "Financial Assets and Liabilities" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information about fair value measurements. Revenue Recognition Trading Income, Net Trading income, net, consists of trading gains and losses that are recorded on a trade date basis and reported on a net basis. Trading income, net, is comprised of changes in fair value of financial instruments owned and financial instruments sold, not yet purchased assets and liabilities (i.e., unrealized gains and losses) and realized gains and losses on equities, fixed income securities, currencies and commodities.
Interest and dividend income/Interest and dividend expense
Interest income and interest expense are accrued in accordance with contractual rates. Interest income consists of income earned on collateralized financing arrangements and on cash held by brokers. Interest expense includes interest expense from collateralized transactions, margin and related short-term lending facilities. Dividends are recorded on the ex-dividend date, and interest is recognized on an accrual basis.
Commissions, net services and technology
Commissions, net, which primarily comprise commissions and commission
equivalents earned on institutional client orders, are recorded on a trade date
basis, which is the point at which the performance obligation to the customer is
satisfied. Under a commission management program, we allow institutional clients
to allocate a portion of their gross commissions to pay for research and other
services provided by third parties. As we act as an agent in these transactions,
we record such expenses on a net basis within Commissions, net and technology
services in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.
Workflow technology revenues consist of order and trade execution management and
order routing services we provide through our front-end workflow solutions and
network capabilities.
We provide trade order routing from our execution management system ("EMS") to
our execution services offerings, with each trade order routed through the EMS
representing a separate performance obligation that is satisfied at a point in
time. A portion of the commissions earned on the trade is then allocated to
Workflow Technology based on the stand-alone selling price paid by third-party
brokers for order routing. The remaining commission is allocated to commissions,
net using a residual allocation approach. Commissions earned are fixed and
revenue is recognized on the trade date.
We participate in commission share arrangements, where trade orders are routed
to third-party brokers from our EMS and our order management system ("OMS").
Commission share revenues from third-party brokers are generally fixed and
revenue is recognized at a point in time on the trade date.
We also provide OMS and related software products and connectivity services to
customers and recognize license fee revenues and monthly connectivity fees.
License fee revenues, generated for the use of our OMS and other software
products, are fixed and recognized at the point in time at which the customer is
able to use and benefit from the license. Connectivity
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revenue is variable in nature, depending on the number of live connections, and is recognized over time on a monthly basis using a time-based measure of progress.
Analytics revenues are earned from providing customers with analytics products and services, including trading and portfolio analytics tools. We provide analytics products and services to customers and recognize subscription fees, which are fixed for the contract term, based on when the products and services are delivered. Analytics services can be delivered either over time (when customers are provided with distinct ongoing access to analytics data) or at a point in time (when reports are only delivered to the customer on a periodic basis). Over time performance obligations are recognized using a time-based measure of progress on a monthly basis, since the analytics products and services are continually provided to the client. Point in time performance obligations are recognized when the analytics reports are delivered to the client. Analytics products and services can also be paid for through variable bundled arrangements with trade execution services. Customers agree to pay for analytics products and services with commissions generated from trade execution services, and commissions are allocated to the analytics performance obligation(s) using: (i)the commission value for each customer for the products and services it receives, which is priced using the value for similar stand-alone subscription arrangements; and (ii)a calculated ratio of the commission value for the products and services relative to the total amount of commissions generated from the customer. For these bundled commission arrangements, the allocated commissions to each analytics performance obligation are then recognized as revenue when the analytics product is delivered, either over time or at a point in time. These allocated commissions may be deferred if the allocated amount exceeds the amount recognizable based on delivery.
Share-based compensation
We account for share-based compensation transactions with employees under the provisions of theFinancial Accounting Standards Board's Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 718, Compensation: Stock Compensation. Share-based compensation transactions with employees are measured based on the fair value of equity instruments issued. Share-based awards issued for compensation in connection with or subsequent to the Reorganization Transactions and the IPO pursuant to our Amended and Restated 2015 Management Incentive Plan, and assumed pursuant to the Amended and Restated ITG 2007 Equity Plan, were in the form of stock options, Class A Common Stock, restricted stock awards ("RSAs") and restricted stock units ("RSUs"). The fair value of the stock option grants is determined through the application of the Black-Scholes-Merton model. The fair value of the Class A Common Stock and RSUs is determined based on the volume weighted average price for the three days preceding the grant. With respect to the RSUs, we account for forfeitures as they occur. The fair value of RSAs is determined based on the closing price as of the date of grant. The fair value of share-based awards granted to employees is expensed based on the vesting conditions and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, or, in the case of RSAs subject to performance conditions, from the date that achievement becomes probable through the remainder of the vesting period. The assessment of the performance condition becomes certain within the year of grant. At year end there is no future assessment that would affect grants with a performance condition. We record as treasury stock shares repurchased from employees for the purpose of settling tax liabilities incurred upon the issuance of common stock, the vesting of RSUs or the exercise of stock options.
Income taxes
We conduct our business globally through a number of separate legal entities.
Consequently, our effective tax rate is dependent upon the geographic
distribution of our earnings or losses and the tax laws and regulations of each
legal jurisdiction in which we operate.
Certain of our wholly owned subsidiaries are subject to income taxes in foreign
jurisdictions. The provision for income tax is comprised of current tax and
deferred tax. Current tax represents the tax on current year tax returns, using
tax rates enacted at the balance sheet date. A deferred tax asset is recognized
only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable income will be
available against which the asset can be utilized.
We are currently subject to audit in various jurisdictions, and these
jurisdictions may assess additional income tax liabilities against us.
Developments in an audit, litigation, or the relevant laws, regulations,
administrative practices, principles, and interpretations could have a material
effect on our operating results or cash flows in the period or periods for which
that development occurs, as well as for prior and subsequent periods. We
recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position in
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accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes, only if it is more likely than not that
the tax position will be sustained on examination by the applicable taxing
authority, including resolution of the appeals or litigation processes, based on
the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the
consolidated financial statements from such a position are measured based on the
largest benefit for each such position that has a greater than fifty percent
likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. Many factors are
considered when evaluating and estimating the tax positions and tax benefits.
Such estimates involve interpretations of regulations, rulings, case law, etc.
and are inherently complex. Our estimates may require periodic adjustments and
may not accurately anticipate actual outcomes as resolution of income tax
treatments in individual jurisdictions typically would not be known for several
years after completion of any fiscal year. We believe the judgments and
estimates discussed above are reasonable. However, if actual results are not
consistent with our estimates or assumptions, we may be exposed to losses or
gains that could be material.
Agreements on tax claims
We are required under the tax receivable agreements entered into in connection with our IPO to make payments to certain direct or indirect equity holders ofVirtu Financial that are generally equal to 85% of the applicable cash tax savings, if any, that we realize as a result of favorable tax attributes that are available to us as a result of the Reorganization Transactions, for exchanges of membership interests for Class A Common Stock or ClassB Common Stock and payments made under the tax receivable agreements. An exchange of membership interests by the Virtu Members for Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock (an "Exchange") during the year will give rise to favorable tax attributes that may generate cash tax savings specific to the Exchange, to be realized over a specific period of time (generally 15 years). At each Exchange, we estimate the cumulative tax receivable agreement obligations to be reported on the consolidated financial statements. The tax attributes are computed as the difference between our basis in the partnership interest ("outside basis") as compared to our share of the adjusted tax basis of partnership property ("inside basis"), at the time of each Exchange. The computation of inside basis requires judgments in estimating the components included in the inside basis as of the date of the Exchange (such as, cash received on hypothetical sale of assets, allocation of gain/loss at the time of the Exchange taking into account complex partnership tax rules). In addition, we estimate the period of time that may generate cash tax savings of such tax attributes and the realizability of the tax attributes.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the underlying net tangible and intangible assets of our acquisitions.Goodwill is not amortized but is assessed for impairment on an annual basis and between annual assessments whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.Goodwill is assessed at the reporting unit level, which is defined as an operating segment or one level below the operating segment. When assessing impairment, an entity may perform an initial qualitative assessment, under which it assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. In evaluating whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, an entity shall assess relevant events and circumstances, including the following: •general economic conditions; •limitations on accessing capital; •fluctuations in foreign exchange rates or other developments in equity and credit markets; •industry and market considerations such as a deterioration in the environment in which an entity operates, an increased competitive environment, a decline in market-dependent multiples or metrics (considered in both absolute terms and relative to peers), a change in the market for an entity's products or services, or a regulatory or political development; •cost factors such as increases in raw materials, labor, or other costs that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows; •overall financial performance such as negative or declining cash flows or a decline in actual or planned revenue or earnings compared with actual and projected results of relevant prior periods; •other relevant entity-specific events such as changes in management, key personnel, strategy, or customers, contemplation of bankruptcy, or litigation.
If, after evaluating all of these events or circumstances, an entity determines that it is no more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, no further impairment of goodwill is necessary.
If further testing is necessary, the fair value of the reporting unit is
compared to its carrying value; if the fair value of the reporting unit is less
than its carrying value, a goodwill impairment loss is recorded, equal to the
excess of the reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value (not to
exceed the total goodwill allocated to that reporting unit). our estimate of
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goodwill impairment, if indicated based on the results of the qualitative assessment, is highly dependent on our estimate of a reporting unit’s fair value.
We test goodwill for impairment on an annual basis beginning on
Valuation of intangible assets involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions with respect to the timing and amounts of revenue growth rates, customer attrition rates, future tax rates, royalty rates, contributory asset charges, discount rate and the resulting cash flows. We amortize finite-lived intangible assets over their estimated useful lives. Our largest finite-lived intangible asset is customer relationships, which is being amortized over an estimated useful life of ten years. Had we used a shorter estimated useful life of seven years, the Company would have recorded an additional$16.5 million of amortization expense for the years ended 2021 and 2020, and an additional$7.0 million of expense for the year ended 2019. We test finite-lived intangible assets for impairment when impairment indicators are present, and if impaired, they are written down to fair value.
Recent accounting pronouncements
For a discussion of recently issued accounting developments and their impact or
potential impact on our consolidated financial statements, see Note 2 "Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies" of Part II Item 8 "Financial Statements and
Supplementary Data" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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