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Acquisitions and Dispositions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Business Combinations [Abstract]  
Acquisitions and Dispositions Acquisitions and Dispositions
The Company’s acquisitions have been accounted for as business combinations. Net assets and results of operations are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements commencing at the respective purchase closing dates. In connection with acquisitions, the Company records the estimated values of the net tangible assets and the identifiable intangible assets purchased, which typically consist of customer relationships, developed technology, trademarks and non-compete agreements. The valuation of purchased intangible assets involves significant estimates and assumptions. The Company estimates the fair value of purchased intangible assets, primarily using the income approach, by determining the present value of future cash flows over the remaining economic life of the respective assets. The significant estimates and assumptions used in this approach include the determination of the discount rate, economic life, future revenue growth rates, expected account attrition rates and earnings margins. Refinement and completion of final valuation of net assets acquired could affect the carrying value of tangible assets, goodwill and identifiable intangible assets.
The Risk and Insurance Services segment completed seven acquisitions during 2020.
January – Marsh & McLennan Agency ("MMA") acquired Momentous Insurance Brokerage Inc., a California-based full-service risk management and employee benefits firm specializing in high net worth private client services and insurance solutions for the entertainment industry, and Ironwood Insurance Services, LLC, an Atlanta-based broker that provides commercial property/casualty insurance, employee benefits, and private client solutions to mid-size businesses and individuals across the U.S.
April – MMA acquired Assurance Holdings, Inc., an Illinois-based full service brokerage providing business insurance, employee benefits, private client insurance, and retirement services to businesses and individuals across the U.S.
June – MMA acquired Nico Insurance Services, Inc., a California-based agency providing employee benefits solutions to groups and individuals.
December – MMA acquired Heritage Insurance Services, Inc., a Kentucky-based full service broker that provides commercial property and casualty and personal lines primarily in the trucking and transportation industry, Inspro Insurance, Inc., a Nebraska-based full service broker that provides commercial property and casualty insurance, personal lines and employee benefits services, and Compass Financial Partners, LLC, a North Carolina-based retirement consulting and investment advisory firm.
Total purchase consideration for acquisitions made during 2020 was approximately $877 million, which consisted of cash paid of $694 million and deferred purchase and estimated contingent consideration of $183 million. Contingent consideration arrangements are based primarily on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") or revenue targets over a period of two to four years. During 2020, the Company also paid $68 million of deferred purchase consideration and $102 million of contingent consideration related to acquisitions made in prior years. Estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed are subject to adjustment when purchase accounting is finalized.
The following table presents the preliminary allocation of purchase consideration to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed during 2020 based on the estimated fair values for the acquisitions as of their respective acquisition dates:
Acquisitions for the Year-Ended December 31, 2020
(In millions)
Cash$694 
Estimated fair value of deferred/contingent consideration183 
Total consideration$877 
Allocation of purchase price:
Cash and cash equivalents$26 
Accounts receivable, net29 
Fixed assets, net16 
Other intangible assets278 
Goodwill593 
Other assets13 
Total assets acquired955 
Current liabilities25 
Other liabilities53 
Total liabilities assumed78 
Net assets acquired$877 
The purchase price allocation above is based on estimates that are preliminary in nature and subject to adjustments, which could be material. Any necessary adjustments must be finalized during the measurement period, which for a particular asset, liability, or non-controlling instrument ends once the acquirer determines that either (1) the necessary information has been obtained or (2) the information is not available. However, the measurement period for all items is limited to one year from the acquisition date.
Items subject to change include:
Amounts of intangible assets, fixed assets, capitalized software assets and right-of-use assets, subject to finalization of valuation efforts;
Amounts for contingencies, pending the finalization of the Company’s assessment of the portfolio of contingencies;
Amounts for deferred tax assets and liabilities pending the finalization of valuations of the assets acquired, liabilities assumed and associated goodwill discussed below; and
Amounts for income tax assets, receivables and liabilities, pending the filing of the acquired companies' pre-acquisition income tax returns and receipt of information from taxing authorities which may change certain estimates and assumptions used.
The estimation of fair value requires numerous judgments, assumptions and estimates about future events and uncertainties, which could materially impact these values, and the related amortization, where applicable, in the Company’s results of operations.
The following chart provides information about intangible assets acquired during 2020:
Intangible assets through December 31, 2020
(In millions)
Amount Weighted Average Amortization Period
Customer relationships$255 13.7 years
Other23 4.3 years
$278 
The consolidated statement of income for 2020 includes approximately $169 million of revenue and operating income of $11 million related to acquisitions made during 2020. The consolidated statement of income for 2019 includes approximately $1.2 billion of revenue and $40 million of operating loss related to acquisitions made during 2019, and the consolidated statement of income for 2018 includes approximately $120 million of revenue and $2 million of operating income related to acquisitions made during 2018.
In 2020, the Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $3 million, primarily related to legal fees. In 2019, the Company incurred acquisition-related costs, primarily related to legal, investment banking and U.K. stamp duty tax of $125 million, primarily related to the acquisition of JLT. Acquisition-related costs incurred in 2018 were $7 million. These costs are included in other operating expenses in the Company's consolidated statement of income.
Dispositions
During 2020, the Company sold certain businesses primarily in the U.S., U.K. and Canada for cash proceeds of approximately $98 million.
At December 31, 2019, the Company owned approximately 443 million shares of the common stock of Alexander Forbes ("AF"), a South African company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, which was accounted for under the equity method of accounting. In February 2020, the Company sold approximately 49 million shares of the common stock of AF, and in May 2020, sold an additional 193 million shares to third parties, leaving the Company with an investment of approximately 201 million shares of the common stock of AF at December 31, 2020. Upon completion of the May transaction, the investment in AF is accounted at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses recorded as investment (loss) income in the consolidated statement of income.
Prior year acquisitions
On April 1, 2019, the Company completed the JLT Transaction and purchased all of the outstanding shares of JLT. Under the terms of the Transaction, JLT shareholders received £19.15 in cash for each JLT share, which valued JLT’s existing issued and to be issued share capital at approximately £4.3 billion (or approximately $5.6 billion based on an exchange rate of U.S. $1.31:£1). The Company also assumed existing JLT long-term indebtedness of approximately $1 billion. The Company implemented the Transaction by way of a scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the United Kingdom Companies Act 2006, as amended.
The Transaction strengthened MMC’s leadership position in insurance and reinsurance broking and health and retirement. The addition of over 10,000 colleagues provided deeper industry expertise in almost every part of the Company. The Transaction also builds on MMC’s efforts to expand in faster-growing geographies and market segments, and facilitates investment in data and analytics.
During 2019, the Risk and Insurance Services segment completed five other acquisitions.
February – MMA acquired Bouchard Insurance, Inc., a Florida-based full service agency and Employee Benefits Group, Inc., a Maryland-based independent insurance agency.
April – MMA acquired Lovitt & Touche, Inc., an Arizona-based insurance agency and The Centurion Group, LLC, a Pennsylvania-based retirement consulting, asset management and benefit plan advisory firm.
October – MMA acquired Benefits Reports Insurance Services, Inc., a Massachusetts-based independent insurance agency.
Total purchase consideration for acquisitions made during 2019 was approximately $5,927 million, which consisted of cash paid of $5,861 million and deferred purchase and estimated contingent consideration of $66 million. Contingent consideration arrangements are based primarily on EBITDA and/or revenue targets over periods of two to four years. The fair value of the contingent consideration was based on projected revenue and earnings of the acquired entities. Estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed are subject to adjustment when purchase accounting is finalized. During 2019, the Company also paid $43 million of deferred purchase consideration and $63 million of contingent consideration related to acquisitions made in prior years.
Subsequent to the JLT acquisition, the Company purchased the outstanding non-controlling interests of several JLT subsidiaries for cash payments of approximately $79 million.
In January 2019, Marsh increased its equity ownership in Marsh India from 26% to 49%. Marsh India is accounted for under the equity method.
Prior year dispositions
During the third quarter of 2019, the Company completed the sale of a U.S. Specialty business at Marsh and a U.S. large market health and defined benefit business at Mercer for cash proceeds of approximately $60 million. Also, on June 1, 2019, the Company completed its disposition of JLT’s global aerospace business for cash proceeds of $165 million and contingent consideration receivable of approximately $65 million, based on the aerospace business achieving certain revenue milestones in 2020. The aerospace business was divested as part of the European Commission's approval of the JLT Transaction.
Pro-Forma Information
The following unaudited pro-forma financial data gives effect to the acquisitions made by the Company during 2020, 2019 and 2018. In accordance with accounting guidance related to pro-forma disclosures, the information presented for current year acquisitions is as if they occurred on January 1, 2019 and reflects acquisitions made in 2019 as if they occurred on January 1, 2018. The 2018 information includes 2018 acquisitions as if they occurred on January 1, 2017. The pro-forma information includes the effects of amortization of acquired intangibles in all years and additional interest expense related to the issuance of debt related to the JLT Transaction in the 2018 pro-forma. The unaudited pro-forma financial data is presented for illustrative purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the operating results that would have been achieved if such acquisitions had occurred on the dates indicated, nor is it necessarily indicative of future consolidated results.
  
Years Ended December 31,
(In millions, except per share data)202020192018
Revenue$17,301 $17,323 $17,106 
Net income attributable to the Company$2,021 $1,877 $1,302 
Basic net income per share attributable to the Company$3.99 $3.71 $2.58 
Diluted net income per share attributable to the Company$3.95 $3.67 $2.55 
The unaudited pro-forma information presented in the table above includes adjustments for acquisition related costs, the change in fair value of JLT acquisition related derivatives, bridge financing costs and the early extinguishment of debt, including $207 million of costs incurred in 2019 that were reflected in the 2018 pro-forma results presented above.