Basis of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for Quad/Graphics, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company” or “Quad”) have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations for interim financial information of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been omitted pursuant to such SEC rules and regulations. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated annual financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021, and notes thereto included in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2022.

The Company is subject to seasonality in its quarterly results as net sales and operating income are typically higher in the third and fourth quarters of the calendar year as compared to the first and second quarters. The fourth quarter is typically the highest seasonal quarter for cash flows provided by operating activities and Free Cash Flow due to the reduction of working capital requirements that reach peak levels during the third quarter. Seasonality is driven by increased retail inserts and catalogs primarily due to back-to-school and holiday-related advertising and promotions. Due to the impacts from supply chain disruptions in 2022, the Company expects to reach higher than typical levels of working capital requirements during the first and second quarters. The Company expects seasonality impacts to continue in future years.

The financial information contained herein reflects all adjustments, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021. All of these adjustments are of a normal recurring nature, except as otherwise noted. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include estimates and assumptions of management that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts and Response - The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and will continue to have, a negative impact on the Company’s business, financial condition, cash flows, results of operations, supply chain and raw materials availability, although the full extent is still uncertain. Throughout the pandemic, the Company implemented cost reduction and cash conservation initiatives in response to the pandemic’s impact on its business. With ongoing advancements against the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects on the Company have lessened from previous periods. The Company continues to evaluate the impact and may implement additional cost reduction measures as necessary. The pandemic has also disrupted the Company’s supply chain and contributed to rising inflationary cost pressures within the Company’s raw materials, distribution and labor. The ultimate impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s business, financial condition, cash flows, results of operations, supply chain and raw materials availability, will depend on future developments, including the continuing duration of the pandemic and the related length of its impact on the global economy, all of which are still uncertain.