Get Started for Free Contexxia identifies hard-to-find pieces of information in SEC filings. No more highlighters, no more redlining, no more poring over huge documents. ACXIOM CORP (733269) 10-Q published on Aug 09, 2018 at 4:37 pm
Reporting Period: Jun 29, 2018
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. enacted significant tax law changes following the passage of H.R. 1, "An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Titles II and V of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 "the Tax Act") (previously known as "The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act"). The Tax Act reduced the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, among other provisions. We believe we have properly estimated our federal and state income tax liabilities for the impacts of the Tax Act, including provisional amounts under SAB No. 118 related to the rate change, the impact of increased bonus depreciation, and the effects on executive compensation deductions. The Tax Act may be subject to technical amendments, as well as interpretations and implementing of regulations by the Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service, any of which could increase or decrease one or more impacts of the legislation. As such, we will continue to analyze the effects of the Tax Act and may record adjustments to provisional amounts during the measurement period ending no later than December 31, 2018. As of June 30, 2018, we have not changed the provisional estimates recognized in fiscal 2018. Any impacts to our income tax expense as a result of additional guidance will be recorded in the period in which the guidance is issued.
As we have scaled the LiveRamp network and technology, we have found additional ways to leverage our platform, deliver more value to clients and create incremental revenue streams. Leveraging LiveRamp’s common identity system and broad integration network, the IdentityLink Data Store is a data marketplace that seamlessly connects data owners’ audience data across the marketing ecosystem. The IdentityLink Data Store allows data owners to easily monetize their data across hundreds of marketing platforms and publishers with a single contract. At the same time, the Data Store provides a single gateway where data buyers, including platforms and publishers, in addition to brands and their agencies, can access high-quality third-party data from more than 150 data owners, supporting all industries and encompassing all types of data. Data providers include sources and
The announcement and pendency of the AMS Sale and Reorganization, whether or not consummated, may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock, our business or our relationships with clients, vendors and employees. As a result of the announcement and pendency of the AMS Sale and Reorganization, third parties may be unwilling to enter into material agreements with respect to our business. New or existing clients, vendors and other business partners may prefer to enter into agreements with our competitors who have not expressed an intention to sell a portion of their business because clients and business partners may perceive that such new relationships are likely to be more stable. In addition, pending the completion of the AMS Sale and Reorganization, we may be unable to attract and retain key personnel as our employees may become concerned about the future of our business and lose focus or seek other employment. Furthermore, our management’s focus and attention and employee resources may be diverted from operational matters during the pendency of the AMS Sale and Reorganization. The Membership Interest Purchase Agreement dated as of July 2, 2018 by and among IPG, LiveRamp, Inc., our wholly owned subsidiary (“LiveRamp”), Acxiom Holdings, Inc., our wholly owned subsidiary (“Holdco”), and us (the “Purchase Agreement”) also imposes certain restrictions on the conduct of our business prior to the completion of the AMS Sale and Reorganization, which could delay or prevent us from undertaking business opportunities that may arise pending completion of the AMS Sale and Reorganization. In the event that the AMS Sale and Reorganization is not completed, the announcement of the termination of the Purchase Agreement may also adversely affect the trading price of our common stock, our business or our relationships with clients, vendors and employees.
The Purchase Agreement contains provisions that prohibit us from selling the AMS Business to any party other than IPG. The Purchase Agreement also contains provisions that make it more difficult for us to sell the entire Company. These provisions include the prohibition on our ability to solicit a competing proposal with respect to the AMS Sale and the requirement that we pay a termination fee equal to $86.25 million or, in certain circumstances, up to $15 million of expenses (which is creditable toward the termination fee if it is also payable) if the Purchase Agreement is terminated in specified circumstances. These provisions could make it less advantageous for a third party that might have an interest in acquiring us to consider or propose an alternative transaction, even if that party were prepared to pay consideration with a higher value than the consideration to be paid by IPG.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from the AMS Sale to, among other things, pay the approximately $230 million balance of our outstanding loans under the Sixth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2017, by and among the Company and the financial institutions party thereto from time to time as lenders, and related fees, to initiate a $500 million cash tender offer for our common stock, increase our outstanding share repurchase authorization by up to $500 million, and extend the duration of the program to December 31, 2020, and to fund growth initiatives, strategic acquisition opportunities and meet on going cash needs. However, there is no guarantee that the cash tender offer or increase or extension in the share repurchase program will occur.