Marsh & McLennan Companies 10-Q 2021-09-30

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2021

OR

For the transition period from to

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.

1166 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10036

(212) 345-5000

Commission file number 1-5998

State of Incorporation: Delaware

I.R.S. Employer Identification No. 36-2668272

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ý No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ý

As of October 15, 2021, there were outstanding 504,895,367 shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the registrant.

INFORMATION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains "forward-looking statements," as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which express management's current views concerning future events or results, use words like "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project" and similar terms, and future or conditional tense verbs like "could," "may," "might," "should," "will" and "would."

Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could materially affect our future results include, among other things:

• the increasing prevalence of ransomware, supply chain and other forms of cyber attacks, and their potential to disrupt our operations and result in the disclosure of confidential client or company information;

• the impact from lawsuits or investigations arising from errors and omissions, breaches of fiduciary duty or other claims against us in our capacity as a broker or investment advisor;

• increased regulatory activity and scrutiny by regulatory or law enforcement authorities;

• the financial and operational impact of complying with laws and regulations where we operate and the risks of noncompliance with such laws by us or third-party providers, including anti-corruption laws such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, U.K. Anti-Bribery Act and cybersecurity and data privacy regulations such as the E.U.’s General Data Protection Regulation;

• the impact of COVID-19, including emerging vaccine mandates, on our business operations, results of operations, cash flows and financial position;

• our ability to compete effectively and adapt to changes in the competitive environment, including to respond to technological change, disintermediation, digital disruption and other types of innovation;

• our ability to manage risks associated with our investment management and related services business, particularly in the context of uncertain equity markets, including our ability to execute timely trades in light of increased trading volume and to manage potential conflicts of interest;

• our ability to attract and retain industry leading talent;

• the impact of changes in tax laws, guidance and interpretations, or disagreements with tax authorities; and

• the regulatory, contractual and reputational risks that arise based on insurance placement activities and insurer revenue streams.

The factors identified above are not exhaustive. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the "Company" or "Marsh McLennan") operate in a dynamic business environment in which new risks emerge frequently. Accordingly, we caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the dates on which they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which it is made.

Further information concerning Marsh McLennan and its businesses, including information about factors that could materially affect our results of operations and financial condition, is contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the "Risk Factors" section and the "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" section of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

MARSH & McLENNAN COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated statements.

MARSH & McLENNAN COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated statements.

MARSH & McLENNAN COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated statements.

MARSH & McLENNAN COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Continued)

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General

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (the "Company" or "Marsh McLennan") is a global professional services firm offering clients advice in the areas of risk, strategy and people. The Company’s 81,000 colleagues advise clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue over $19 billion, the Company helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment through four market-leading businesses. Marsh advises individual and commercial clients of all sizes on insurance broking and innovative risk management solutions. Guy Carpenter develops advanced risk, reinsurance and capital strategies that help clients grow profitably and pursue emerging opportunities. Mercer delivers advice and technology-driven solutions that help organizations redefine the world of work, reshape retirement and investment outcomes, and unlock health and well being for a changing workforce. Oliver Wyman Group serves as a critical strategic, economic and brand advisor to private sector and governmental clients.

The Company conducts business through two segments:

• Risk and Insurance Services** includes risk management activities (risk advice, risk transfer and risk control and mitigation solutions) as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services. The Company conducts business in this segment through Marsh and Guy Carpenter.

• Consulting** includes health, wealth and career consulting services and products, and specialized management, economic and brand consulting services. The Company conducts business in this segment through Mercer and Oliver Wyman Group.

A reconciliation of segment operating income to total operating income is included in Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements included in Part I Item 1 in this report. The accounting policies used for each segment are the same as those used for the consolidated financial statements.

For information on the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 results and similar comparisons, see "Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Business Update Related To COVID-19

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020. The pandemic has impacted businesses globally including virtually every geography in which the Company operates. Governments continue to ease restrictions or fully reopen their economies, as the various vaccines are effective in mitigating the effects of the virus. Our businesses have been resilient throughout the pandemic and demand for our advice and services remains strong as the global economic conditions improve.

Although the vast majority of colleagues continue to work in a remote environment, the Company has provided guidelines on a gradual and phased return to the office depending on the level of virus containment and local health and safety regulations in each geography. The safety and well-being of our colleagues is paramount and the Company expects to continue to service clients effectively in the current remote environment and as colleagues gradually return to the office.

The Company had strong revenue growth through the first nine months of 2021 and benefited from the continued recovery of the global economy. However, uncertainty remains in the economic outlook and the ultimate extent of COVID-19 impact to the Company will depend on future developments that it is unable to predict, including new “waves” of infection from emerging variants of the virus, potential renewed restrictions and mandates by various governments or agencies, and the distribution and uptake of vaccines.

Factors that could adversely affect the Company’s financial statements related to the financial and operational impact of COVID-19 are outlined in “Item 1A - Risk Factors” in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Acquisitions and dispositions impacting the Risk and Insurance Services and Consulting segments are discussed in Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements.

This Management's Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A") contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. See "Information Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" at the outset of this report.

Consolidated Results of Operations

Risk and Insurance Services

The following reflects the results of operations for the Risk and Insurance Services segment:

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Market Risk and Credit Risk

Certain of the Company’s revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities are exposed to the impact of interest rate changes and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and equity markets.

Interest Rate Risk and Credit Risk

Interest income generated from the Company's cash investments as well as invested fiduciary funds will vary with the general level of interest rates.

The Company had the following investments subject to variable interest rates:

Based on these balances, if short-term interest rates increased or decreased by 10%, or 2 basis points, over the full year, annual interest income, including interest earned on fiduciary funds, would increase or decrease by approximately $1 million.

Changes in interest rates can also affect the discount rate and assumed rate of return on plan assets, two of the assumptions among several others used to measure net periodic pension expense. The assumptions used to measure plan assets and liabilities are typically assessed at the end of each year, and determine the expense for the subsequent year. Assumptions used to determine net periodic expense for 2021 are discussed in Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements included in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K. For a discussion on pension expense sensitivity to changes in these rates, see the "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Management’s Discussion of Critical Accounting Policies-Retirement Benefits" section of our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.

In addition to interest rate risk, our cash investments and fiduciary fund investments are subject to potential loss of value due to counter-party credit risk. To minimize this risk, the Company invests pursuant to a Board approved investment policy. The policy mandates the preservation of principal and liquidity and requires broad diversification with counter-party limits assigned based primarily on credit rating and type of investment. The Company carefully monitors its cash and fiduciary fund investments and will further restrict the portfolio as appropriate to market conditions. The majority of cash and fiduciary fund investments are invested in short-term bank deposits and liquid money market funds.

Foreign Currency Risk

The translated values of revenue and expense from the Company’s international operations are subject to fluctuations due to changes in currency exchange rates. The non-U.S. based revenue that is exposed to foreign exchange fluctuations is approximately 53% of total revenue. We periodically use forward contracts and options to limit foreign currency exchange rate exposure on net income and cash flows for specific, clearly defined transactions arising in the ordinary course of business. Although the Company has significant revenue generated in foreign locations which is subject to foreign exchange rate fluctuations, in most cases both the foreign currency revenue and expenses are in the functional currency of the foreign location. As such, under normal circumstances, the U.S. dollar translation of both the revenues and expenses, as well as the potentially offsetting movements of various currencies against the U.S. dollar, generally tends to mitigate the impact on net operating income of foreign currency risk. However, there have been periods where the impact was not mitigated due to external market factors, and external macroeconomic events may result in greater foreign exchange rate fluctuations in the future. If foreign exchange rates of major currencies (Euro, Sterling, Australian dollar and Canadian dollar) moved 10% in the same direction against the U.S. dollar that held constant over the course of the year, the Company estimates that full year net operating income would increase or decrease by approximately $65 million. The Company has exposure to approximately 80 foreign currencies overall. If exchange rates at September 30, 2021 hold constant for the rest of 2021, the Company estimates the year-over-year impact from conversion of foreign currency earnings will increase full year net operating income by approximately $49 million.

In Continental Europe, the largest amount of revenue from renewals for the Risk and Insurance Services segment occurs in the first quarter.

Equity Price Risk

The Company holds investments in both public and private companies as well as private equity funds, including investments of approximately $74 million that are valued using readily determinable fair values and approximately $33 million of investments without readily determinable fair values. The Company also has investments of approximately $328 million that are accounted for using the equity method. The investments are subject to risk of decline in market value, which, if determined to be other than temporary for assets without readily determinable fair values, could result in realized impairment losses. The Company periodically reviews the carrying value of such investments to determine if any valuation adjustments are appropriate under the applicable accounting pronouncements.

At September 30, 2021, the Company owns approximately 14% of the common stock of Alexander Forbes ("AF"), a South African company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, at a closing share price of 4.15 South African Rand per share. The investment in AF is accounted at fair value, with investment gains and losses recorded as investment income in the consolidated statement of income. The fair value of this investment at September 30, 2021 was approximately $55 million.

Other

A number of lawsuits and regulatory proceedings are pending. See Note 17 ("Claims, Lawsuits and Other Contingencies") to the consolidated financial statements in this report.

a. Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Based on their evaluation, as of the end of the period covered by this report, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) are effective.

b. Changes in Internal Control

There were no other changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that occurred during the Company’s last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

The Company and its subsidiaries are also party to a variety of other legal, administrative, regulatory and government proceedings, claims and inquiries arising in the normal course of business. Additional information regarding certain legal proceedings and related matters as set forth in Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements provided in Part I of this report is incorporated herein by reference.

The Company and its subsidiaries face a number of risks and uncertainties. In addition to the other information in this report and our other filings with the SEC, readers should consider carefully the risk factors discussed in "Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

If any of the risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K or such other risks actually occur, our business, results of operations or financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.

Issuer Repurchases of Equity Securities

In November 2019, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the Company to repurchase up to $2.5 billion in shares of the Company's common stock, which superseded any prior authorizations. The Company repurchased approximately 1.9 million shares of its common stock for $289 million during the third quarter of 2021. As of September 30, 2021, the Company remained authorized to repurchase up to approximately $1.7 billion in shares of its common stock. There is no time limit on the authorization.

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities.

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosure.

Not Applicable.

None.

See the Exhibit Index immediately following the signature page of this report, which is incorporated herein by reference.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

EXHIBIT INDEX