PEGASYSTEMS INC (PEGA)
SIC breadcrumb: Services > Business Services > SIC 7374 Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1013857. Latest filing source: 0001013857-26-000017.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read PEGA's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read PEGA's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 1,745,812,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-10 |
| Net income | 393,437,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-10 |
| Assets | 1,631,844,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-10 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-10. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001013857.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 888,467,000 | 891,581,000 | 911,383,000 | 1,017,517,000 | 1,211,653,000 | 1,317,845,000 | 1,432,616,000 | 1,497,180,000 | 1,745,812,000 | ||
| Net income | 45,015,000 | 98,548,000 | 10,617,000 | -90,433,000 | -61,373,000 | -63,040,000 | -345,582,000 | 67,808,000 | 99,189,000 | 393,437,000 | |
| Operating income | 50,644,000 | 93,177,000 | -17,032,000 | -134,878,000 | -143,527,000 | -94,732,000 | -109,405,000 | 80,954,000 | 123,882,000 | 263,100,000 | |
| Gross profit | 522,973,000 | 608,794,000 | 589,816,000 | 601,361,000 | 706,604,000 | 875,290,000 | 949,210,000 | 1,054,133,000 | 1,106,515,000 | 1,324,430,000 | |
| Diluted EPS | 0.56 | 1.19 | 0.13 | -1.14 | -0.76 | -0.77 | -4.22 | 0.37 | 0.55 | 2.13 | |
| Operating cash flow | 39,874,000 | 158,235,000 | 104,356,000 | -42,165,000 | -563,000 | 39,118,000 | 22,336,000 | 217,785,000 | 345,926,000 | 505,227,000 | |
| Capital expenditures | 19,088,000 | 13,741,000 | 11,893,000 | 10,608,000 | 25,369,000 | 10,456,000 | 35,379,000 | 16,781,000 | 7,712,000 | 14,504,000 | |
| Dividends paid | 9,174,000 | 9,277,000 | 9,432,000 | 9,486,000 | 9,628,000 | 9,761,000 | 9,834,000 | 9,964,000 | 10,199,000 | 15,422,000 | |
| Share buybacks | 27,248,000 | 4,335,000 | 54,434,000 | 22,135,000 | 27,974,000 | 52,711,000 | 25,707,000 | 0.00 | 68,057,000 | 499,689,000 | |
| Assets | 654,656,000 | 1,012,753,000 | 982,553,000 | 984,812,000 | 1,604,262,000 | 1,593,531,000 | 1,357,672,000 | 1,510,736,000 | 1,768,273,000 | 1,631,844,000 | |
| Liabilities | 318,767,000 | 356,883,000 | 361,022,000 | 445,802,000 | 1,062,090,000 | 1,177,443,000 | 1,226,829,000 | 1,156,898,000 | 1,182,793,000 | 844,463,000 | |
| Stockholders' equity | 548,940,000 | 655,870,000 | 621,531,000 | 539,010,000 | 542,172,000 | 416,088,000 | 130,843,000 | 353,838,000 | 585,480,000 | 787,381,000 | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 93,026,000 | 70,594,000 | 162,279,000 | 114,422,000 | 171,899,000 | 159,965,000 | 145,054,000 | 229,902,000 | 337,103,000 | 212,447,000 | |
| Free cash flow | 20,786,000 | 144,494,000 | 92,463,000 | -52,773,000 | -25,932,000 | 28,662,000 | -13,043,000 | 201,004,000 | 338,214,000 | 490,723,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 11.09% | 1.19% | -9.92% | -6.03% | -5.20% | -26.22% | 4.73% | 6.63% | 22.54% | ||
| Operating margin | 10.49% | -1.91% | -14.80% | -14.11% | -7.82% | -8.30% | 5.65% | 8.27% | 15.07% | ||
| Return on equity | 8.20% | 15.03% | 1.71% | -16.78% | -11.32% | -15.15% | -264.12% | 19.16% | 16.94% | 49.97% | |
| Return on assets | 6.88% | 9.73% | 1.08% | -9.18% | -3.83% | -3.96% | -25.45% | 4.49% | 5.61% | 24.11% | |
| Liabilities / equity | 0.58 | 0.54 | 0.58 | 0.83 | 1.96 | 2.83 | 9.38 | 3.27 | 2.02 | 1.07 | |
| Current ratio | 1.48 | 2.20 | 1.84 | 1.34 | 2.12 | 1.73 | 1.57 | 1.78 | 1.23 | 1.33 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Income statement bridge from reported figures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Revenue: accession 0001013857-26-000017; concept RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax; source concepts us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax | Gross profit: accession 0001013857-26-000017; concept GrossProfit; source concepts us-gaap:GrossProfit | Operating income: accession 0001013857-26-000017; concept OperatingIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss | Net income: accession 0001013857-26-000017; concept NetIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0001013857-26-000017; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0001013857-26-000017; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0001013857-26-000017; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: GrossProfit. Source concepts: us-gaap:GrossProfit.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001013857-26-000017; filed 2026-02-10. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-07-21. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001013857.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | -1.14 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | -0.25 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | -0.56 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-06-30 | -46,804,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 334,643,000 | -0.09 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 474,233,000 | 142,665,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 330,147,000 | -12,124,000 | -0.14 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-03-31 | -12,124,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 351,153,000 | 0.07 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-06-30 | 6,613,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 325,050,000 | -0.17 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 490,830,000 | 119,090,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 475,633,000 | 85,422,000 | 0.91 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-03-31 | 85,422,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 384,512,000 | 0.17 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-06-30 | 30,077,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 381,350,000 | 0.24 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 504,317,000 | 234,574,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 429,973,000 | 32,764,000 | 0.18 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q2 | 2026-03-31 | 32,764,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2026-Q2 | 2026-06-30 | 420,716,000 | 0.08 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001013857-26-000050; filed 2026-07-21. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001013857-26-000026; filed 2026-04-21. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001013857-26-000050; filed 2026-07-21. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001013857-26-000050.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Quarterly Report”) contains or incorporates forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including the sufficiency of our capital, our position and estimates relating to tax, and legal proceedings.
Words such as expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, will, could, should, estimates, may, targets, strategies, intends to, projects, positions, forecasts, guidance, likely, and usually or variations of such words and other similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These statements represent our views only as of the date the statement was made and are based on current expectations and assumptions.
Forward-looking statements deal with future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, including, but not limited to:
•our future financial performance and business plans;
•the adequacy of our liquidity and capital resources;
•the successful execution of investments in artificial intelligence;
•our ability to protect our intellectual property rights, costs associated with defending such rights, intellectual property rights claims, and other related claims by third parties against us, including related costs, damages, and other relief that may be granted against us;
•our ongoing litigation with Appian Corp. and associated legal proceedings; and
•management of our growth.
These risks and others that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements are described further in Part I of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, Part II of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and other filings we make with the SEC.
Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, and there are no assurances that the results included in such statements will be achieved. Although subsequent events may cause our view to change, except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake and expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
The forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report represent our views as of July 21, 2026.
NON-GAAP MEASURES
Our non-GAAP financial measures should only be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these measures help investors understand our core operating results and prospects, which is consistent with how management measures and forecasts our performance without the effect of often one-time charges and other items outside our normal operations. Management uses these measures to assess the performance of the company's operations and establish operational goals and incentives. They are not a substitute for financial measures prepared under U.S. GAAP. A reconciliation of GAAP and non-GAAP measures is located with each non-GAAP measure.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
We develop, market, license, host, and support enterprise software that helps organizations optimize decisions and processes in real-time so they can deliver outcomes that transform their business. Our powerful platform for enterprise AI decisioning and workflow automation enables the world’s leading brands and government agencies to hyper-personalize customer experiences, automate customer service, and streamline operations, mission-critical business processes, and workflows, and transform legacy systems. Clients can leverage our AI technology and scalable architecture to accelerate their digital transformation. In addition, our sales and client success teams, world-class partners, and clients are able to leverage Pega BlueprintTM (“Blueprint”) to rapidly prototype and accelerate the development and deployment of applications quickly and collaboratively.
We focus on enterprise-scale businesses and government agencies that require advanced solutions to distinguish themselves in the competitive markets they serve. Our solutions achieve and facilitate differentiation by increasing business agility, driving growth and modernization, improving productivity, attracting and retaining customers, and reducing risk. Along with our partners, we deliver solutions tailored by industry.
Performance metrics
We use performance metrics to analyze and assess our overall performance, make operating decisions, and forecast and plan for future periods, including:
20
Annual contract value (“ACV”)
ACV represents the annualized value of our active contracts as of the measurement date. The contract's total value is divided by its duration in years to calculate ACV. ACV is a performance measure that we believe provides useful information to our management and investors.
| (Dollars in thousands) | June 30, 2025 | June 30, 2026 | Change | Constant Currency Change | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pega Cloud | $ | 761,051 | $ | 926,290 | $ | 165,239 | 22 | % | 22 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 301,375 | 271,328 | (30,047) | (10) | % | (9) | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 1,062,426 | 1,197,618 | 135,192 | 13 | % | 13 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license | 451,591 | 422,316 | (29,275) | (6) | % | (6) | % | ||||||||
| $ | 1,514,017 | $ | 1,619,934 | $ | 105,917 | 7 | % | 8 | % |
Unprecedented changes in the AI market caused clients to delay their purchasing decisions. As a result, our ACV growth rate significantly slowed during the six months ended June 30, 2026, as compared to the same period last year. These factors may continue to adversely affect the ACV growth rate for the rest of the year.
Reconciliation of ACV and constant currency ACV
| (in millions, except percentages) | June 30, 2025 | June 30, 2026 | 1-Year Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACV | $ | 1,514 | $ | 1,620 | 7 | % | ||
| Impact of changes in foreign exchange rates | — | 10 | ||||||
| Constant currency ACV | $ | 1,514 | $ | 1,630 | 8 | % |
Note: Constant currency ACV is calculated by applying the June 30, 2025 foreign exchange rates to current period shown.
21
Cash Flow
| (Dollars in thousands) | Six Months Ended June 30, | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2026 | |||||||||
| Cash provided by operating activities | $ | 290,496 | $ | 298,225 | 3 | % | ||||
| Investment in property and equipment | (4,015) | (9,967) | ||||||||
| Free cash flow (1) | $ | 286,481 | $ | 288,258 | 1 | % | ||||
| Supplemental information (2) | ||||||||||
| Legal fees | $ | 10,020 | $ | 9,188 | ||||||
| Restructuring | 1,354 | 11,449 | ||||||||
| Interest paid on convertible senior notes | 1,754 | — | ||||||||
| Other | — | (689) | ||||||||
| Income taxes, net of refunds | (702) | 10,842 | ||||||||
| $ | 12,426 | $ | 30,790 |
As a result of the factors discussed under ACV above, our cash flow generation may continue to be adversely affected for the rest of the year.
(1) Our non-GAAP free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities less investment in property and equipment. Investment in property and equipment fluctuates in amount and frequency and is significantly affected by the timing and size of investments in our facilities and equipment. We provide information on free cash flow to enable investors to assess our ability to generate cash without incurring additional external financings. This information is not a substitute for financial measures prepared under U.S. GAAP.
(2) The supplemental information below identifies certain items included in operating cash flow that may affect comparability between periods.
•Legal fees: Legal and related fees arising from proceedings outside the ordinary course of business.
•Restructuring: Restructuring fluctuates in amount and frequency and is significantly affected by the timing and size of our restructuring activities.
•Interest on convertible senior notes: In February 2020, we issued convertible senior notes (the “Notes”), due March 1, 2025, in a private placement. The Notes accrued interest at an annual rate of 0.75%, paid semi-annually in arrears on March 1 and September 1. The outstanding Notes were repaid in their entirety at maturity.
•Other: One-time cash flow items not part of our ongoing operations.
•Income taxes, net of refunds: Direct income taxes paid net of refunds received.
22
Remaining performance obligations (“Backlog”)
Reconciliation of Backlog and Constant Currency Backlog (Non-GAAP)
| (in millions, except percentages) | June 30, 2025 | June 30, 2026 | 1-Year Growth Rate | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backlog - GAAP | $ | 1,835 | $ | 2,019 | 10 | % | ||||
| Impact of changes in foreign exchange rates | — | 20 | ||||||||
| Constant currency backlog | $ | 1,835 | $ | 2,039 | 11 | % |
Note: Constant currency Backlog is calculated by applying the June 30, 2025 foreign exchange rates to current period shown.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based upon our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared following accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. and the rules and regulations of the SEC for interim financial reporting. Preparing these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience, knowledge of current conditions, and expectations of what could occur in the future based on the available information.
For more information about our critical accounting policies, we encourage you to read the discussion in the following locations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025:
•“Critical Accounting Estimates and Significant Judgments” in Item 7; and
•“Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies” in Item 8.
No significant changes have been made to our critical accounting policies as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.
23
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Revenue
| (Dollars in thousands) | Three Months Ended June 30, | Change | Six Months Ended June 30, | Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pega Cloud | $ | 213,934 | 51 | % | $ | 166,743 | 43 | % | $ | 47,191 | 28 | % | $ | 418,965 | 49 | % | $ | 317,866 | 37 | % | $ | 101,099 | 32 | % | |||||||||||
| Maintenance | 74,528 | 18 | % | 79,271 | 21 | % | (4,743) | (6) | % | 149,845 | 18 | % | 155,639 | 18 | % | (5,794) | (4) | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Subscription services | 288,462 | 69 | % | 246,014 | 64 | % | 42,448 | 17 | % | 568,810 | 67 | % | 473,505 | 55 | % | 95,305 | 20 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Subscription license | 82,028 | 19 | % | 80,674 | 21 | % | 1,354 | 2 | % | 176,880 | 21 | % | 268,395 | 31 | % | (91,515) | (34) | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Subscription | 370,490 | 88 | % | 326,688 | 85 | % | 43,802 | 13 | % | 745,690 | 88 | % | 741,900 | 86 | % | 3,790 | 1 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Consulting | 50,226 | 12 | % | 57,824 | 15 | % | (7,598) | (13) | % | 104,999 | 12 | % | 118,245 | 14 | % | (13,246) | (11) | % | |||||||||||||||||
| $ | 420,716 | 100 | % | $ | 384,512 | 100 | % | $ | 36,204 | 9 | % | $ | 850,689 | 100 | % | $ | 860,145 | 100 | % | $ | (9,456) | (1) | % |
•The increases in Pega Cloud revenue in the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 were primarily due to expanded
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NON-GAAP MEASURES
Our non-GAAP financial measures should only be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these measures help investors understand our core operating results and prospects, which is consistent with how management measures and forecasts our performance without the effect of often one-time charges and other items outside our normal operations. Management uses these measures to assess the performance of the company's operations and establish operational goals and incentives. They are not a substitute for financial measures prepared under U.S. GAAP. A reconciliation of GAAP and non-GAAP measures is located with each non-GAAP measure.
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BUSINESS OVERVIEW
We develop, market, license, host, and support enterprise software that helps organizations optimize decisions and processes in real-time so they can deliver outcomes that transform their business. Our powerful platform for enterprise AI decisioning and workflow automation enables the world’s leading brands and government agencies to hyper-personalize customer experiences, automate customer service, and streamline operations, mission-critical business processes, and workflows, and transform legacy systems. Clients can leverage our AI technology and scalable architecture to accelerate their digital transformation. In addition, our sales and client success teams, world-class partners, and clients can leverage Blueprint to rapidly prototype and accelerate the development and deployment of applications quickly and collaboratively.
We focus on enterprise-scale businesses and government agencies that require advanced solutions to distinguish themselves in the competitive markets they serve. Our solutions achieve and facilitate differentiation by increasing business agility, driving growth and modernization, improving productivity, attracting and retaining customers, and reducing risk. Along with our partners, we deliver solutions tailored by industry.
Performance metrics
We use performance metrics to analyze and assess our overall performance, make operating decisions, and forecast and plan for future periods, including:
ACV represents the annualized value of our active contracts as of the measurement date. The contract's total value is divided by its duration in years to calculate ACV. ACV is a performance measure that we believe provides useful information to our management and investors.
| (Dollars in thousands) | December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2025 | Change | Constant Currency Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pega Cloud | $ | 652,443 | $ | 866,612 | $ | 214,169 | 33 | % | 28 | % | ||||||
| Maintenance | 291,807 | 288,873 | (2,934) | (1) | % | (4) | % | |||||||||
| Subscription services | 944,250 | 1,155,485 | 211,235 | 22 | % | 18 | % | |||||||||
| Subscription license | 427,268 | 452,902 | 25,634 | 6 | % | 4 | % | |||||||||
| $ | 1,371,518 | $ | 1,608,387 | $ | 236,869 | 17 | % | 14 | % |
Reconciliation of ACV and constant currency ACV
| (in millions, except percentages) | December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2025 | 1-Year Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACV | $ | 1,372 | $ | 1,608 | 17 | % | ||||
| Impact of changes in foreign exchange rates | — | (46) | ||||||||
| Constant currency ACV | $ | 1,372 | $ | 1,562 | 14 | % |
Note: Constant currency ACV is calculated by applying the December 31, 2024 foreign exchange rates to current period shown.
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| (Dollars in thousands) | 2024 | 2025 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash provided by operating activities | $ | 345,926 | $ | 505,227 | 46 | % | ||||
| Investment in property and equipment | (7,712) | (14,504) | ||||||||
| Free cash flow (1) | $ | 338,214 | $ | 490,723 | 45 | % | ||||
| Supplemental information (2) | ||||||||||
| Litigation settlement, net of recoveries | $ | 32,403 | $ | — | ||||||
| Legal fees | 16,197 | 35,484 | ||||||||
| Restructuring | 5,252 | 2,056 | ||||||||
| Interest paid on convertible senior notes | 3,810 | 1,754 | ||||||||
| Income taxes, net of refunds | 82,317 | 21,630 | ||||||||
| $ | 139,979 | $ | 60,924 |
(1) Our non-GAAP free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities less investment in property and equipment. Investment in property and equipment fluctuates in amount and frequency and is significantly affected by the timing and size of investments in our facilities and equipment. We provide information on free cash flow to enable investors to assess our ability to generate cash without incurring additional external financings. This information is not a substitute for financial measures prepared under U.S. GAAP.
(2) The supplemental information discloses items that affect our cash flows and are considered by management not to be representative of our core business operations and ongoing operational performance.
◦Litigation settlement, net of recoveries: Cost to settle litigation, net of insurance recoveries, arising from proceedings outside the ordinary course of business. See "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for further information.
◦Legal fees: Legal and related fees arising from proceedings outside the ordinary course of business.
◦Restructuring: Restructuring fluctuates in amount and frequency and is significantly affected by the timing and size of our restructuring activities.
◦Interest paid on convertible senior notes: In February 2020, we issued the Notes, due March 1, 2025, in a private placement. The Notes accrued interest at an annual rate of 0.75%, paid semi-annually in arrears on March 1 and September 1.The outstanding Notes were repaid in their entirety at maturity.
◦Income taxes, net of refunds: Direct income taxes paid net of refunds received.
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Reconciliation of Backlog and Constant Currency Backlog (Non-GAAP)
| (in millions, except percentages) | December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2025 | 1-Year Growth Rate | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backlog - GAAP | $ | 1,623 | $ | 2,074 | 28 | % | ||||
| Impact of changes in foreign exchange rates | — | (80) | ||||||||
| Constant currency backlog | $ | 1,623 | $ | 1,994 | 23 | % |
Note: Constant currency Backlog is calculated by applying the December 31, 2024 foreign exchange rates to current period shown.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Revenue
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pega Cloud | $ | 695,902 | 40 | % | $ | 558,734 | 37 | % | $ | 137,168 | 25 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 314,593 | 18 | % | 323,304 | 22 | % | (8,711) | (3) | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 1,010,495 | 58 | % | 882,038 | 59 | % | 128,457 | 15 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license | 507,368 | 29 | % | 401,869 | 27 | % | 105,499 | 26 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription | 1,517,863 | 87 | % | 1,283,907 | 86 | % | 233,956 | 18 | % | ||||||||
| Consulting | 227,949 | 13 | % | 213,273 | 14 | % | 14,676 | 7 | % | ||||||||
| $ | 1,745,812 | 100 | % | $ | 1,497,180 | 100 | % | $ | 248,632 | 17 | % |
•The increase in Pega Cloud revenue in 2025 was primarily due to expanded adoption of Pega Cloud by our existing clients.
•The decrease in maintenance revenue in 2025 was primarily due to our clients’ shift to Pega Cloud-based offerings, which do not generally result in maintenance revenue.
•The increase in subscription license revenue in 2025 was primarily due to our clients’ shift to Pega Cloud-based offerings, and several large multi-year subscription license contracts recognized in revenue in 2025.
•The increase in consulting revenue in 2025 was primarily due to an increase in consultant billable hours in our International regions.
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Gross profit
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in thousands) | Gross Profit % | Gross Profit % | Change | ||||||||||||||
| Pega Cloud | $ | 548,523 | 79 | % | $ | 434,261 | 78 | % | $ | 114,262 | 26 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 292,725 | 93 | % | 297,859 | 92 | % | (5,134) | (2) | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 841,248 | 83 | % | 732,120 | 83 | % | 109,128 | 15 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license | 505,986 | 100 | % | 399,964 | 100 | % | 106,022 | 27 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription | 1,347,234 | 89 | % | 1,132,084 | 88 | % | 215,150 | 19 | % | ||||||||
| Consulting | (22,804) | (10) | % | (25,569) | (12) | % | 2,765 | 11 | % | ||||||||
| $ | 1,324,430 | 76 | % | $ | 1,106,515 | 74 | % | $ | 217,915 | 20 | % |
The gross profit change in 2025 was primarily due to a shift in the revenue mix. Also contributing to the change was:
•The increase in Pega Cloud gross profit percent in 2025 was primarily due to increased hosting cost efficiencies as Pega Cloud continues to grow and scale and a reallocation of certain headcount from Pega Cloud to Maintenance to align with the change in the nature of their responsibilities.
•The increase in consulting gross profit percent in 2025 was primarily due to an increase in consultant utilization rates offset by an increase in contracted services of $6.1 million.
Operating expenses
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in thousands) | % of Revenue | % of Revenue | |||||||||||||||
| Selling and marketing | $ | 578,637 | 33 | % | $ | 534,780 | 36 | % | $ | 43,857 | 8 | % | |||||
| Research and development | $ | 312,681 | 18 | % | $ | 298,074 | 20 | % | $ | 14,607 | 5 | % | |||||
| General and administrative | $ | 148,722 | 9 | % | $ | 112,848 | 8 | % | $ | 35,874 | 32 | % | |||||
| Litigation settlement, net of recoveries | $ | 9,750 | 1 | % | $ | 32,403 | 2 | % | $ | (22,653) | * | ||||||
| Restructuring | $ | 11,540 | 1 | % | $ | 4,528 | — | % | $ | 7,012 | 155 | % |
* Not meaningful
•The increase in selling and marketing in 2025 was primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits of $31.3 million attributable to increases in headcount and incentive compensation.
•The increase in research and development in 2025 was primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits of $11.6 million attributable to increases in headcount and incentive compensation.
•The increase in general and administrative in 2025 was primarily due to an increase of $20.4 million in legal fees and related expenses arising from legal proceedings outside the ordinary course of business. We expect to continue to incur additional costs for these proceedings. For additional information, see "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report. In 2025 we experienced an increase of $11.8 million in compensation and benefits attributable to equity compensation and a reallocation of certain headcount from research and development to general and administrative to align with the change in the nature of their responsibilities.
•The decrease in litigation settlement, net of recoveries in 2025 was primarily due to the estimated cost to settle ongoing litigation arising from proceedings outside the ordinary course of business. For additional information, see "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
•During the fourth quarter of 2025, management committed to a restructuring plan, primarily within our consulting organization, intended to better align roles and capacity to an AI-first delivery model. The plan resulted in a restructuring expense of approximately $13 million in 2025, associated with severance and benefits for impacted employees. For additional information, see "Note 12. Restructuring" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Other income and expenses
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | Change | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign currency transaction (loss) | $ | (14,890) | $ | (912) | $ | (13,978) | * | ||||||
| Interest income | 13,641 | 25,779 | (12,138) | (47) | % | ||||||||
| Interest expense | (1,285) | (6,835) | 5,550 | 81 | % | ||||||||
| (Loss) on capped call transactions | (223) | (663) | 440 | 66 | % | ||||||||
| Other income, net | 20,284 | 1,385 | 18,899 | * | |||||||||
| $ | 17,527 | $ | 18,754 | $ | (1,227) | (7) | % |
* Not meaningful
•The change in foreign currency transaction (loss) in 2025 was primarily due to the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates associated with foreign currency-denominated receivables held by our subsidiary in the United Kingdom.
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•The decrease in interest income in 2025 was primarily due to lower investment balances as a result of the repayment of the Notes at maturity during the three months ended March 31, 2025.
•The change in (loss) on capped call transactions in 2025 was due to the expiration of the capped call transactions in the three months ended March 31, 2025.
•The increase in other income, net in 2025 was primarily due to the gain from the partial sale of a venture investment. For additional information, see "Note 13. Fair Value Measurements" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
(Benefit from) provision for income taxes
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Benefit from) provision for income taxes | $ | (112,810) | $ | 43,447 | ||
| Effective income tax rate | (40) | % | 30 | % |
The effective income tax rate and tax benefit recorded in 2025 was primarily driven by the release of the valuation allowance on our net deferred tax assets in the U.S. and U.K.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) has introduced new global minimum tax regulations, known as Pillar Two, that was supported by over 130 countries worldwide. Certain aspects of Pillar Two are effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2024. Although the U.S. has not enacted legislation to adopt Pillar Two, certain countries in which we operate have already adopted, or are in the process of adopting, legislation to implement Pillar Two. We do not expect this legislation to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. We will continue to monitor and evaluate new legislation and guidance, which could change our current assessment.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash (used in) provided by | ||||||
| Operating activities | $ | 505,227 | $ | 345,926 | ||
| Investing activities | 197,246 | (202,576) | ||||
| Financing activities | (834,630) | (30,214) | ||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | 6,988 | (4,434) | ||||
| Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | $ | (125,169) | $ | 108,702 |
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| Held in U.S. entities | $ | 157,449 | $ | 474,509 | ||
| Held in foreign entities | 268,350 | 265,464 | ||||
| Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities | 425,799 | 739,973 | ||||
| Restricted cash included in other current assets | 1,577 | 98 | ||||
| Restricted cash included in other long-term assets | 2,336 | 4,328 | ||||
| Total cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, and restricted cash | $ | 429,712 | $ | 744,399 |
We believe that our current cash, marketable securities, cash flow provided by operations, borrowing capacity, and ability to engage in capital market transactions will be sufficient to fund our operations, stock repurchases, and quarterly cash dividends for at least the next 12 months and to meet our known long-term cash requirements. Whether these resources are adequate to meet our liquidity needs beyond that period will depend on our future growth, operating results, and the investments needed to support our operations. We may utilize available funds or seek external financing if we require additional capital resources.
If it becomes necessary or desirable to repatriate foreign funds, we may have to pay federal, state, and local income taxes as well as foreign withholding taxes upon repatriation. However, estimating the taxes we would have to pay on the amounts we consider indefinitely reinvested is impracticable due to the complexity of income tax laws and regulations. We have provided a deferred tax liability associated with the tax cost of repatriating unremitted earnings which we do not consider indefinitely reinvested. For additional information, see risk factor "If it becomes necessary or desirable to repatriate our foreign cash balances to the United States, we may be subject to increased taxes, other restrictions, and limitations" in Item 1A of this Annual Report.
Operating activities
The change in cash provided by operating activities in 2025 was primarily due to increase in client collections.
Investing activities
The change in cash provided by (used in) investing activities in 2025 was primarily due to scheduled maturities of our investments in financial instruments in anticipation of the repayment of the maturing Notes and the consideration received from the sale of a venture investment.
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Financing activities
Debt financing
In February 2020, we issued $600 million in aggregate principal amount of Notes, which matured on March 1, 2025. The remaining outstanding principal balance on the Notes and accrued interest totaling $469.6 million was repaid in its entirety at maturity during the three months ended March 31, 2025. For additional information, see "Note 11. Debt" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
In November 2019, and as since amended, we entered into a five-year $100 million senior secured revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Facility”) with PNC Bank, National Association. Effective as of February 4, 2025, the Credit Facility was amended to extend the expiration date to February 4, 2027.
As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had letters of credit of $26.7 million and $27.3 million, respectively, under the Credit Facility, however we had no cash borrowings.
Stock repurchase program
Changes in the remaining stock repurchase authority:
| (in thousands)(1) | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2024 | $ | 240,443 |
| Authorizations (2) | 500,000 | |
| Repurchases (3) | (498,189) | |
| December 31, 2025 | $ | 242,254 |
(1) Amounts presented are exclusive of the U.S. excise tax on share repurchases.
(2) On April 22, 2025, our Board of Directors extended the expiration date of the share repurchase program from December 31, 2025 to June 30, 2026 and increased the authorized repurchase amount by $500 million. On February 10, 2026, our Board of Directors further extended the expiration date of the share repurchase program from June 30, 2026 to June 30, 2027 and increased the authorized repurchase amount by $1 billion.
(3) All purchases under this program have been made on the open market.
Common stock repurchases
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | ||||||||
| Repurchases paid | 10,659 | $ | 498,189 | 1,618 | $ | 68,057 | ||||||
| Repurchases unpaid at period end | — | — | 32 | 1,500 | ||||||||
| Stock repurchase program (1) | 10,659 | 498,189 | 1,650 | 69,557 | ||||||||
| Tax withholdings for net settlement of equity awards | 328 | 17,541 | 150 | 5,435 | ||||||||
| 10,987 | $ | 515,730 | 1,800 | $ | 74,992 |
(1) Amounts presented are exclusive of the U.S. excise tax on share repurchases.
On June 20, 2025, we effected the Stock Split of our Common Stock described within "Note 1. Basis Of Presentation" in Item 8 of this Annual Report. All share and per share amounts in our consolidated financial statements and in the accompanying notes for all prior periods presented have been recast to reflect the effect of the Stock Split.
In 2025 and 2024, instead of receiving cash from the equity holders, we withheld shares with a value of $22.4 million and $6.3 million, respectively, for the exercise price of options. These amounts are not included in the table above.
Dividends
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend payments to stockholders | $ | 15,422 | $ | 10,199 |
Following the Stock Split and commencing with the third quarter of 2025, we paid and intend to continue to pay a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per share, or the equivalent of $0.06 per share prior to the Stock Split. However, the Board of Directors may terminate or modify the dividend program without prior notice.
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Contractual obligations
As of December 31, 2025, our contractual obligations were:
| Payments due by period | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 and thereafter | Other | Total | |||||||||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations (1) | $ | 143,478 | $ | 190,521 | $ | 46,489 | $ | 721 | $ | 775 | $ | 381,984 | ||||||||||||||
| Operating lease obligations | 18,275 | 16,635 | 14,879 | 12,046 | 25,263 | — | 87,098 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Venture investment commitments (2) | 1,600 | — | — | — | — | — | 1,600 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Liability for uncertain tax positions (3) | — | — | — | — | — | 23,331 | 23,331 | |||||||||||||||||||
| $ | 163,353 | $ | 207,156 | $ | 61,368 | $ | 12,767 | $ | 26,038 | $ | 23,331 | $ | 494,013 |
(1) Represents the fixed amount owed for purchase obligations including software licenses, hosting services, and sales and marketing programs.
(2) Represents the maximum funding under existing venture investment agreements. Our venture investment agreements generally allow us to withhold unpaid funds at our discretion.
(3) We cannot reasonably estimate the timing of this cash outflow due to uncertainties in the timing of the effective settlement of tax positions.
A detailed discussion and analysis of the 2024 year-over-year changes can be found in "Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND SIGNIFICANT JUDGMENTS
Management’s discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared following accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for annual financial reporting. Preparing these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience, knowledge of current conditions, and beliefs about what could occur in the future, given the available information.
We believe that of our significant accounting policies, described in “Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies” in Item 8 of this Annual Report, the following accounting policies are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and require the most subjective judgment. Accordingly, these are the policies we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. If actual results differ significantly from management’s estimates and projections, there could be a material effect on our financial statements.
Revenue recognition
Our client contracts typically contain promises by us to provide multiple products and services. Specifically, contracts associated with Pega Platform sales and other software applications, sold as licenses to use functional intellectual property or as a cloud-based solution, typically include consulting services. Determining whether such products and services within a client contract are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately requires significant judgment. Accordingly, we review client contracts to identify all separate promises to transfer goods and services that would be considered performance obligations. Judgment is also required in determining whether an option to acquire additional products and services within a client contract represents a material right that the client would not receive without entering into that contract.
A contract modification is a legally binding change to an existing contract’s scope, price, or both. Contract modifications are reviewed to determine whether they should be accounted for as part of the original contract or as a separate contract. This determination requires significant judgment, which could impact the timing of revenue recognition. We typically account for contract modifications prospectively as a separate contract. The additional performance obligation(s) in our contract modifications are generally distinct and priced at their stand-alone selling price.
We allocate the transaction price to the distinct performance obligations, including options in contracts determined to represent a material right, based on each performance obligation's relative stand-alone selling price. Judgment is required in estimating stand-alone selling prices. We maximize the use of observable inputs by maintaining pricing analyses that consider our pricing policies, historical stand-alone sales when they exist, and historical renewal prices charged to clients. We have concluded that the stand-alone selling prices of certain performance obligations, specifically software licenses and Pega Cloud arrangements, are highly variable. In these instances, we estimate the stand-alone selling prices using the residual approach, which is determined based on the total transaction price minus the stand-alone selling price of other performance obligations promised in the contract. We update our stand-alone selling price analysis periodically, including a re-assessment of whether the residual approach used to determine the stand-alone selling prices for software licenses and Pega Cloud arrangements remains appropriate.
Changes in the assumptions or judgments used in determining the performance obligations in client contracts and stand-alone selling prices could significantly impact the timing and amount of revenue we report in a particular period.
For additional information see "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies", "Note 4. Receivables, Contract Assets, And Deferred Revenue", and "Note 15. Revenue" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
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Goodwill impairment
Our goodwill arises from our previous business acquisitions.
•Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually or as circumstances indicate its value may no longer be recoverable.
•We do not have any intangible assets with indefinite useful lives other than goodwill.
•We perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of November 30th. To assess if goodwill is impaired, we first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary. If, based on the qualitative assessment, we consider it more-likely-than-not that our reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying amount, we perform a quantitative impairment test. An excess of carrying value over fair value would indicate that goodwill may be impaired.
•We periodically reevaluate our business and have determined that we have one operating segment and one reporting unit. If our assumptions change in the future, we may be required to record impairment charges to reduce our goodwill's carrying value. Changes in the valuation of goodwill could materially impact our operating results and financial position.
As of December 31, 2025, we had $81.5 million of goodwill. Changes in the valuation of long-lived assets could materially impact our operating results and financial position. To date, there have been no impairments of goodwill.
For additional information see "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 7. Goodwill And Other Intangible Assets" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Accounting for income taxes
Significant judgment is required to determine our provision for income taxes and income tax assets and liabilities, including evaluating uncertainties in applying accounting principles and complex tax laws. Accordingly, changes in tax laws or our interpretation of tax laws and the resolution of any tax audits could significantly impact our financial statements.
We regularly assess the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. The future realization of our deferred tax assets ultimately depends on sufficient taxable income within the available carryback or carryforward periods. Changes in our valuation allowance impact income tax expense in the period of adjustment. Our deferred tax valuation allowance requires significant judgment and uncertainties, including assumptions about future taxable income based on historical and projected information.
We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe they are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we consider all available objective and verifiable negative and positive evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income (including the impact of enacted legislation), tax-planning strategies and results of recent operations. As of December 31, 2025, we concluded that substantially all of our deferred tax assets are more likely than not to be realized.
We assess our income tax positions and record tax benefits based on management’s evaluation of the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting date. For those tax positions where it is more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, we record the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit is recognized in the financial statements.
As a global company, we use significant judgment to calculate and provide for income taxes in each of the tax jurisdictions in which we operate. In the ordinary course of our business, transactions and calculations occur whose ultimate tax outcome cannot be certain. Some of these uncertainties arise due to transfer pricing for transactions with our subsidiaries, the determination of tax nexus, and tax credit estimates. In addition, the calculation of acquired tax attributes and the associated limitations are complex. We estimate our exposure to unfavorable outcomes related to these uncertainties and the probability of such outcomes.
Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, there is no guarantee that the final tax outcome will not differ from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions, returns, and accruals. Such differences, or changes in estimates relating to potential differences, could have a material impact on our income tax provision and operating results in the period such a determination is made.
For additional information see "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 18. Income Taxes" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Loss Contingencies
We are subject to various claims, including claims with customers and vendors, pending and potential legal actions for damages, investigations relating to governmental laws and regulations, and other matters arising out of the normal conduct of our business. When a loss is considered probable and reasonably estimable, we record a liability in the amount of our best estimate for the ultimate loss. However, the likelihood of a loss with respect to a particular contingency is often difficult to predict, and determining a meaningful estimate of the loss or a range of loss may not be practicable based on the information available and the potential effect of future events and decisions by third parties that will determine the ultimate resolution of the contingency. Moreover, it is common for such matters to be resolved over many years, during which time relevant developments and new information must be reevaluated at least quarterly to determine both the likelihood of potential loss and whether it is possible to reasonably estimate a range of possible loss. When a material loss is reasonably possible or probable, but a reasonable estimate cannot be made, disclosure of the proceeding is provided. Legal fees are recognized as incurred when the legal services are provided.
We review all contingencies at least quarterly to determine whether the likelihood of loss has changed and to assess whether a reasonable estimate of the potential loss or range of the loss can be made.
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See "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001013857-25-000024.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NON-GAAP MEASURES
Our non-GAAP financial measures should only be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these measures help investors understand our core operating results and prospects, which is consistent with how management measures and forecasts our performance without the effect of often one-time charges and other items outside our normal operations. Management uses these measures to assess the performance of the company's operations and establish operational goals and incentives. They are not a substitute for financial measures prepared under U.S. GAAP. A reconciliation of GAAP and non-GAAP measures is located with each non-GAAP measure.
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BUSINESS OVERVIEW
We develop, market, license, host, and support enterprise software that helps organizations optimize decisions and processes in real-time so they can deliver outcomes that transform their business. Our powerful platform for enterprise AI decisioning and workflow automation enables the world’s leading brands and government agencies to hyper-personalize customer experiences, automate customer service, and streamline operations, mission-critical business processes, and workflows. With Pega, our clients can leverage our AI technology and scalable architecture to accelerate their digital transformation. In addition, our sales and client success teams, world-class partners, and clients are able to leverage Pega GenAI BlueprintTM (“Blueprint”) to rapidly prototype and accelerate the development and deployment of applications quickly and collaboratively.
Our target clients are Global 2000 organizations and government agencies that require solutions to distinguish themselves in the markets they serve. Our solutions achieve and facilitate differentiation by increasing business agility, driving growth, improving productivity, attracting and retaining customers, and reducing risk. Along with our partners, we deliver solutions tailored by industry.
Performance metrics
We use performance metrics to analyze and assess our overall performance, make operating decisions, and forecast and plan for future periods, including:
Annual Contract Value (“ACV”) represents the annualized value of our active contracts as of the measurement date. The contract's total value is divided by its duration in years to calculate ACV. ACV is a performance measure that we believe provides useful information to our management and investors.
| (Dollars in thousands) | December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | Change | Constant Currency Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pega Cloud | $ | 652,443 | $ | 552,998 | $ | 99,445 | 18 | % | 21 | % | ||||||
| Maintenance | 291,807 | 324,091 | (32,284) | (10) | % | (8) | % | |||||||||
| Subscription services | 944,250 | 877,089 | 67,161 | 8 | % | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Subscription license | 427,268 | 377,794 | 49,474 | 13 | % | 14 | % | |||||||||
| $ | 1,371,518 | $ | 1,254,883 | $ | 116,635 | 9 | % | 11 | % |
Reconciliation of ACV and constant currency ACV
| (in millions, except percentages) | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2024 | 1-Year Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACV | $ | 1,255 | $ | 1,372 | 9 | % | ||||
| Impact of changes in foreign exchange rates | — | 23 | ||||||||
| Constant currency ACV | $ | 1,255 | $ | 1,395 | 11 | % |
Note: Constant currency ACV is calculated by applying the December 31, 2023 foreign exchange rates to all periods shown.
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| (Dollars in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash provided by operating activities | $ | 345,926 | $ | 217,785 | 59 | % | ||||
| Investment in property and equipment | (7,712) | (16,781) | ||||||||
| Free cash flow (1) | $ | 338,214 | $ | 201,004 | 68 | % | ||||
| Supplemental information (2) | ||||||||||
| Litigation settlement, net of recoveries | $ | 32,403 | $ | — | ||||||
| Legal fees | 16,197 | 14,645 | ||||||||
| Restructuring | 5,252 | 29,401 | ||||||||
| Interest on convertible senior notes | 3,810 | 4,134 | ||||||||
| Other | — | 601 | ||||||||
| Income taxes | 82,317 | 11,664 | ||||||||
| $ | 139,979 | $ | 60,445 |
(1) Our non-GAAP free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities less investment in property and equipment. Investment in property and equipment fluctuates in amount and frequency and is significantly affected by the timing and size of investments in our facilities. We provide information on free cash flow to enable investors to assess our ability to generate cash without incurring additional external financings. This information is not a substitute for financial measures prepared under U.S. GAAP.
(2) The supplemental information discloses items that affect our cash flows and are considered by management not to be representative of our core business operations and ongoing operational performance.
◦Litigation settlement, net of recoveries: Cost to settle litigation, net of insurance recoveries, arising from proceedings outside the ordinary course of business. See "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for further information.
◦Legal fees: Legal and related fees arising from proceedings outside the ordinary course of business.
◦Restructuring: Restructuring fluctuates in amount and frequency and is significantly affected by the timing and size of our restructuring activities.
◦Interest on convertible senior notes: In February 2020, we issued convertible senior notes, due March 1, 2025, in a private placement. The convertible senior notes accrue interest at an annual rate of 0.75%, payable semi-annually in arrears on March 1 and September 1.
◦Other: Fees related to canceled in-person sales and marketing events.
◦Income taxes: Direct income taxes paid net of refunds received.
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Reconciliation of Backlog and Constant Currency Backlog (Non-GAAP)
| (in millions, except percentages) | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2024 | 1-Year Growth Rate | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backlog - GAAP | $ | 1,463 | $ | 1,623 | 11 | % | ||||
| Impact of changes in foreign exchange rates | — | 39 | ||||||||
| Constant currency backlog | $ | 1,463 | $ | 1,662 | 14 | % |
Note: Constant currency Backlog is calculated by applying the December 31, 2023 foreign exchange rates to all periods shown.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Revenue
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pega Cloud | $ | 558,734 | 37 | % | $ | 461,328 | 32 | % | $ | 97,406 | 21 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 323,304 | 22 | % | 331,856 | 24 | % | (8,552) | (3) | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 882,038 | 59 | % | 793,184 | 56 | % | 88,854 | 11 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license | 398,102 | 27 | % | 407,625 | 28 | % | (9,523) | (2) | % | ||||||||
| Subscription | 1,280,140 | 86 | % | 1,200,809 | 84 | % | 79,331 | 7 | % | ||||||||
| Perpetual license | 3,767 | — | % | 10,101 | 1 | % | (6,334) | (63) | % | ||||||||
| Consulting | 213,273 | 14 | % | 221,706 | 15 | % | (8,433) | (4) | % | ||||||||
| $ | 1,497,180 | 100 | % | $ | 1,432,616 | 100 | % | $ | 64,564 | 5 | % |
•The increase in Pega Cloud revenue in 2024 was primarily due to expanded adoption of Pega Cloud by our existing clients.
•The decrease in maintenance revenue in 2024 was primarily due to our clients’ shift to Pega Cloud-based offerings, which do not generally result in maintenance revenue.
•The decrease in subscription license revenue in 2024 was primarily due to our clients’ shift to Pega Cloud-based offerings, and several large multi-year subscription license contracts recognized in revenue in 2023.
•The decrease in perpetual license revenue in 2024 reflects our strategy of promoting subscription-based arrangements.
•The decrease in consulting revenue in 2024 was primarily due to decreases in consultant billable hours.
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Gross profit
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in thousands) | Gross Profit % | Gross Profit % | Change | ||||||||||||||
| Pega Cloud | $ | 434,261 | 78 | % | $ | 342,670 | 74 | % | $ | 91,591 | 27 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 297,859 | 92 | % | 306,264 | 92 | % | (8,405) | (3) | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 732,120 | 83 | % | 648,934 | 82 | % | 83,186 | 13 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license | 396,214 | 100 | % | 405,019 | 99 | % | (8,805) | (2) | % | ||||||||
| Subscription | 1,128,334 | 88 | % | 1,053,953 | 88 | % | 74,381 | 7 | % | ||||||||
| Perpetual license | 3,750 | 100 | % | 10,034 | 99 | % | (6,284) | (63) | % | ||||||||
| Consulting | (25,569) | (12) | % | (9,854) | (4) | % | (15,715) | (159) | % | ||||||||
| $ | 1,106,515 | 74 | % | $ | 1,054,133 | 74 | % | $ | 52,382 | 5 | % |
The gross profit change in 2024 was primarily due to a shift in the revenue mix. Also contributing to the change was:
•The increase in Pega Cloud gross profit percent in 2024 was primarily due to increased cost efficiency, primarily for hosting services and employee compensation and benefits, as Pega Cloud continues to grow and scale.
•The decrease in consulting gross profit percent in 2024 was primarily due to a decrease in utilization rates.
Operating expenses
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in thousands) | % of Revenue | % of Revenue | |||||||||||||||
| Selling and marketing | $ | 534,780 | 36 | % | $ | 559,177 | 39 | % | $ | (24,397) | (4) | % | |||||
| Research and development | $ | 298,074 | 20 | % | $ | 295,512 | 21 | % | $ | 2,562 | 1 | % | |||||
| General and administrative | $ | 112,848 | 8 | % | $ | 96,743 | 7 | % | $ | 16,105 | 17 | % | |||||
| Litigation settlement, net of recoveries | $ | 32,403 | 2 | % | $ | — | — | % | $ | 32,403 | * | ||||||
| Restructuring | $ | 4,528 | — | % | $ | 21,747 | 2 | % | $ | (17,219) | (79) | % |
* not meaningful
•The decrease in selling and marketing in 2024 was primarily due to a decrease in compensation and benefits of $27.8 million due to reduced headcount from the optimization of our go-to-market strategy. For additional information, see "Note 12. Restructuring" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
•The increase in general and administrative in 2024 was primarily due to an increase of $10.7 million in compensation and benefits including $4.8 million of stock based compensation expense associated with performance stock options granted in 2023 (see "Note 16. Stock-Based Compensation") and an increase of $4.8 million in legal fees and related expenses arising from legal proceedings outside the ordinary course of business. We expect to continue to incur additional costs for these proceedings. For additional information, see "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
•The restructuring in 2024 and 2023 was primarily due to our efforts to optimize our go-to-market organization and office space. For additional information, see "Note 12. Restructuring" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Other income and expenses
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | Change | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign currency transaction (loss) gain | $ | (912) | $ | (5,242) | $ | 4,330 | 83 | % | |||||
| Interest income | 25,779 | 9,259 | 16,520 | 178 | % | ||||||||
| Interest expense | (6,835) | (6,876) | 41 | 1 | % | ||||||||
| (Loss) on capped call transactions | (663) | (1,348) | 685 | 51 | % | ||||||||
| Other income, net | 1,385 | 18,693 | (17,308) | (93) | % | ||||||||
| $ | 18,754 | $ | 14,486 | $ | 4,268 | 29 | % |
•The change in foreign currency transaction (loss) gain in 2024 was primarily due to the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates associated with foreign currency-denominated cash and receivables held by our subsidiary in the United Kingdom.
•The increase in interest income in 2024 was primarily due to higher investment balances and higher interest rate yields.
•The change in (loss) on capped call transactions in 2024 was due to fair value adjustments for our capped call transactions.
•The decrease in other income, net in 2024, was due to a reduction of $7.4 million in the gain from repurchases of our convertible senior notes and a reduction of $10 million in the gain in the value of equity securities held in our venture investments portfolio. For additional information, see "Note 11. Debt" and "Note 13. Fair Value Measurements" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
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Provision for income taxes
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provision for income taxes | $ | 43,447 | $ | 27,632 | ||
| Effective income tax rate | 30 | % | 29 | % |
The effective income tax rate in 2024 was primarily driven by the valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets and tax expense in the U.S. and U.K., partially offset by available tax attributes.
On December 15, 2022, the European Union (EU) Member States formally adopted the EU’s Pillar Two Directive, which generally provides for a minimum effective tax rate of 15%, as established by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Pillar Two Framework that was supported by over 130 countries worldwide. The EU effective dates were January 1, 2024, and January 1, 2025, for different aspects of the directive. The impact of the Pillar Two Framework on the Company’s income tax provision in 2024 was not material. The Company is continuing to evaluate the potential impact of the Pillar Two Framework on future periods, pending legislative adoption by additional individual countries.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
| (in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash provided by (used in) | ||||||
| Operating activities | $ | 345,926 | $ | 217,785 | ||
| Investing activities | (202,576) | (50,750) | ||||
| Financing activities | (30,214) | (81,963) | ||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | (4,434) | 2,701 | ||||
| Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | $ | 108,702 | $ | 87,773 |
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | ||||
| Held in U.S. entities | $ | 474,509 | $ | 263,453 | ||
| Held in foreign entities | 265,464 | 159,885 | ||||
| Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities | 739,973 | 423,338 | ||||
| Restricted cash included in other current assets | 98 | — | ||||
| Restricted cash included in other long-term assets | 4,328 | 2,925 | ||||
| Total cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, and restricted cash | $ | 744,399 | $ | 426,263 |
We believe that our current cash, marketable securities, cash flow provided by operations, borrowing capacity, and ability to engage in capital market transactions will be sufficient to fund our operations, settlement of our convertible senior notes due on March 1, 2025, stock repurchases, and quarterly cash dividends for at least the next 12 months and to meet our known long-term cash requirements. Whether these resources are adequate to meet our liquidity needs beyond that period will depend on our future growth, operating results, and the investments needed to support our operations. We may utilize available funds or seek external financing if we require additional capital resources.
If it becomes necessary or desirable to repatriate foreign funds, we may have to pay federal, state, and local income taxes as well as foreign withholding taxes upon repatriation. However, estimating the taxes we would have to pay is impracticable due to the complexity of income tax laws and regulations. For additional information, see risk factor "If it becomes necessary or desirable to repatriate our foreign cash balances to the United States, we may be subject to increased taxes, other restrictions, and limitations" in Item 1A of this Annual Report.
Operating activities
The change in cash provided by operating activities in 2024 was primarily due to growth in client collections and the impact of our cost-efficiency initiatives. For additional information, see "Note 12. Restructuring" in Item 8 of this Annual Report. We expect to continue to incur legal fees and related costs arising from proceedings outside the ordinary course of business. For additional information, see "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Investing activities
The change in cash (used in) investing activities in 2024 was primarily due to our increased investments in financial instruments and reduced investment in property and equipment as we optimized our office space.
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Financing activities
Debt financing
In February 2020, we issued $600 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes, which mature on March 1, 2025. In 2024, we paid $33.9 million to repurchase $34.4 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes. As of December 31, 2024, we had $468 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes outstanding due on March 1, 2025. For additional information, see "Note 11. Debt" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
In November 2019, and as since amended, we entered into a five-year $100 million senior secured revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Facility”) with PNC Bank, National Association. As of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had $27.3 million in outstanding letters of credit under the Credit Facility, reducing available borrowing capacity, but no outstanding cash borrowings. For additional information, see "Note 11. Debt" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Stock repurchase program
Changes in the remaining stock repurchase authority:
| (in thousands) | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2023 | $ | 60,000 |
| Authorizations (1) | 250,000 | |
| Repurchases (2) | (69,557) | |
| December 31, 2024 | $ | 240,443 |
(1) On April 23, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors extended the expiration date of the share repurchase program from June 30, 2024 to June 30, 2025. On October 22, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors further extended the expiration date of the share repurchase program from June 30, 2025 to December 31, 2025 and increased the authorized repurchases by $250 million to $310 million as of that date.
(2) All purchases under this program have been made on the open market.
Common stock repurchases
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | ||||||||
| Repurchases paid | 809 | $ | 68,057 | — | — | |||||||
| Repurchases unpaid at period end | 16 | 1,500 | — | — | ||||||||
| Stock repurchase program | 825 | 69,557 | — | — | ||||||||
| Tax withholdings for net settlement of equity awards | 75 | 5,435 | 44 | 1,916 | ||||||||
| 900 | $ | 74,992 | 44 | $ | 1,916 |
In 2024 and 2023, instead of receiving cash from the equity holders, we withheld shares with a value of $6.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively, for the exercise price of options. These amounts are not included in the table above.
Dividends
| (in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend payments to stockholders | $ | 10,199 | $ | 9,964 |
We intend to pay a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per share. However, the Board of Directors may terminate or modify the dividend program without prior notice.
Contractual obligations
As of December 31, 2024, our contractual obligations were:
| Payments due by period | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 and thereafter | Other | Total | |||||||||||||||||||
| Convertible senior notes (1) | $ | 469,618 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 469,618 | ||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations (2) | 134,631 | 150,178 | 165,000 | 28,242 | 1,003 | — | 479,054 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating lease obligations | 18,106 | 15,404 | 13,972 | 13,367 | 34,277 | — | 95,126 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Venture investment commitments (3) | 500 | 500 | — | — | — | — | 1,000 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Liability for uncertain tax positions (4) | — | — | — | — | — | 15,956 | 15,956 | |||||||||||||||||||
| $ | 622,855 | $ | 166,082 | $ | 178,972 | $ | 41,609 | $ | 35,280 | $ | 15,956 | $ | 1,060,754 |
(1) Includes principal and interest.
(2) Represents the fixed amount owed for purchase obligations including software licenses, hosting services, and sales and marketing programs.
(3) Represents the maximum funding under existing venture investment agreements. Our venture investment agreements generally allow us to withhold unpaid funds at our discretion.
(4) We cannot reasonably estimate the timing of this cash outflow due to uncertainties in the timing of the effective settlement of tax positions.
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A detailed discussion and analysis of the 2023 year-over-year changes can be found in "Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND SIGNIFICANT JUDGMENTS
Management’s discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared following accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for annual financial reporting. Preparing these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience, knowledge of current conditions, and beliefs about what could occur in the future, given the available information.
We believe that of our significant accounting policies, described in “Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies” in Item 8 of this Annual Report, the following accounting policies are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and require the most subjective judgment. Accordingly, these are the policies we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. If actual results differ significantly from management’s estimates and projections, there could be a material effect on our financial statements.
Revenue recognition
Our client contracts typically contain promises by us to provide multiple products and services. Specifically, contracts associated with Pega Platform sales and other software applications, sold as licenses to use functional intellectual property or as a cloud-based solution, typically include consulting services. Determining whether such products and services within a client contract are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately requires significant judgment. Accordingly, we review client contracts to identify all separate promises to transfer goods and services that would be considered performance obligations. Judgment is also required in determining whether an option to acquire additional products and services within a client contract represents a material right that the client would not receive without entering into that contract.
A contract modification is a legally binding change to an existing contract’s scope, price, or both. Contract modifications are reviewed to determine whether they should be accounted for as part of the original contract or as a separate contract. This determination requires significant judgment, which could impact the timing of revenue recognition. We typically account for contract modifications prospectively as a separate contract. The additional performance obligation(s) in our contract modifications are generally distinct and priced at their stand-alone selling price.
We allocate the transaction price to the distinct performance obligations, including options in contracts determined to represent a material right, based on each performance obligation's relative stand-alone selling price. Judgment is required in estimating stand-alone selling prices. We maximize the use of observable inputs by maintaining pricing analyses that consider our pricing policies, historical stand-alone sales when they exist, and historical renewal prices charged to clients. We have concluded that the stand-alone selling prices of certain performance obligations, specifically software licenses and Pega Cloud arrangements, are highly variable. In these instances, we estimate the stand-alone selling prices using the residual approach, which is determined based on the total transaction price minus the stand-alone selling price of other performance obligations promised in the contract. We update our stand-alone selling price analysis periodically, including a re-assessment of whether the residual approach used to determine the stand-alone selling prices for software licenses and Pega Cloud arrangements remains appropriate.
Changes in the assumptions or judgments used in determining the performance obligations in client contracts and stand-alone selling prices could significantly impact the timing and amount of revenue we report in a particular period.
For additional information see "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies", "Note 4. Receivables, Contract Assets, And Deferred Revenue", and "Note 15. Revenue" in Item 8 of this Annual Report
Goodwill impairment
Our goodwill arises from our previous business acquisitions.
•Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually or as circumstances indicate its value may no longer be recoverable.
•We do not have any intangible assets with indefinite useful lives other than goodwill.
•We perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of November 30th. To assess if goodwill is impaired, we first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary. If, based on the qualitative assessment, we consider it more-likely-than-not that our reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying amount, we perform a quantitative impairment test. An excess of carrying value over fair value would indicate that goodwill may be impaired.
•We periodically reevaluate our business and have determined that we have one operating segment and one reporting unit. If our assumptions change in the future, we may be required to record impairment charges to reduce our goodwill's carrying value. Changes in the valuation of goodwill could materially impact our operating results and financial position.
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As of December 31, 2024, we had $81.1 million of goodwill. Changes in the valuation of long-lived assets could materially impact our operating results and financial position. To date, there have been no impairments of goodwill.
For additional information see "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 7. Goodwill And Other Intangible Assets" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Accounting for income taxes
Significant judgment is required to determine our provision for income taxes and income tax assets and liabilities, including evaluating uncertainties in applying accounting principles and complex tax laws. Accordingly, changes in tax laws or our interpretation of tax laws and the resolution of any tax audits could significantly impact our financial statements.
We regularly assess the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. The future realization of our deferred tax assets ultimately depends on sufficient taxable income within the available carryback or carryforward periods. Changes in our valuation allowance impact income tax expense in the period of adjustment. Our deferred tax valuation allowance requires significant judgment and uncertainties, including assumptions about future taxable income based on historical and projected information.
We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe they are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we consider all available objective and verifiable negative and positive evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income (including the impact of enacted legislation), tax-planning strategies and results of recent operations. The Company determined that the objectively and verifiable negative evidence outweighed the positive evidence, as such maintained a valuation allowance on our U.S. and U.K. deferred tax assets.
We assess our income tax positions and record tax benefits based on management’s evaluation of the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting date. For those tax positions where it is more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, we record the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit is recognized in the financial statements.
As a global company, we use significant judgment to calculate and provide for income taxes in each of the tax jurisdictions in which we operate. In the ordinary course of our business, transactions and calculations occur whose ultimate tax outcome cannot be certain. Some of these uncertainties arise due to transfer pricing for transactions with our subsidiaries, the determination of tax nexus, and tax credit estimates. In addition, the calculation of acquired tax attributes and the associated limitations are complex. We estimate our exposure to unfavorable outcomes related to these uncertainties and the probability of such outcomes.
Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, there is no guarantee that the final tax outcome will not differ from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions, returns, and accruals. Such differences, or changes in estimates relating to potential differences, could have a material impact on our income tax provision and operating results in the period such a determination is made.
For additional information see "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 18. Income Taxes" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Loss Contingencies
We are subject to various claims, including claims with customers and vendors, pending and potential legal actions for damages, investigations relating to governmental laws and regulations, and other matters arising out of the normal conduct of our business. When a loss is considered probable and reasonably estimable, we record a liability in the amount of our best estimate for the ultimate loss. However, the likelihood of a loss with respect to a particular contingency is often difficult to predict, and determining a meaningful estimate of the loss or a range of loss may not be practicable based on the information available and the potential effect of future events and decisions by third parties that will determine the ultimate resolution of the contingency. Moreover, it is common for such matters to be resolved over many years, during which time relevant developments and new information must be reevaluated at least quarterly to determine both the likelihood of potential loss and whether it is possible to reasonably estimate a range of possible loss. When a material loss is reasonably possible or probable, but a reasonable estimate cannot be made, disclosure of the proceeding is provided. Legal fees are recognized as incurred when the legal services are provided.
We review all contingencies at least quarterly to determine whether the likelihood of loss has changed and to assess whether a reasonable estimate of the potential loss or range of the loss can be made.
See "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001013857-24-000012.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NON-GAAP MEASURES
Our non-GAAP financial measures should only be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these measures help investors understand our core operating results and prospects, which is consistent with how management measures and forecasts our performance without the effect of often one-time charges and other items outside our normal operations. They are not a substitute for financial measures prepared under U.S. GAAP. A reconciliation of GAAP and non-GAAP measures is located with each non-GAAP measure.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
We develop, market, license, host, and support enterprise software that helps organizations build agility into their business so they can adapt to change. Our powerful, low-code platform for workflow automation and artificial intelligence-powered decisioning enables the world’s leading brands and government agencies to hyper-personalize customer experiences, streamline customer service, and automate mission-critical business processes and workflows. With Pega, our clients can leverage our artificial intelligence (“AI”) technology and scalable architecture to accelerate their digital transformation. In addition, our client success teams, world-class partners, and clients leverage our Pega Express™ methodology to design and deploy mission-critical applications quickly and collaboratively.
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Our target clients are Global 2000 organizations and government agencies that require solutions to distinguish themselves in the markets they serve. Our solutions achieve and facilitate differentiation by increasing business agility, driving growth, improving productivity, attracting and retaining customers, and reducing risk. Along with our partners, we deliver solutions tailored to the specific industry needs of our clients.
Performance metrics
We use performance metrics to analyze and assess our overall performance, make operating decisions, and forecast and plan for future periods, including:
Annual contract value (“ACV”)
ACV represents the annualized value of our active contracts as of the measurement date. The contract's total value is divided by its duration in years to calculate ACV. ACV is a performance measure that we believe provides useful information to our management and investors.
In 2023, the Company revised its ACV methodology for maintenance and all contracts less than 12 months as its overall client renewal rate exceeds 90%. The impact of the change was $3 million or 0.3% of Total ACV or less for all quarters in 2022. Previously disclosed ACV amounts have been updated to allow for comparability. This simplification, made possible by improvements to the Company’s financial systems, ensures that ACV for all contract types and lengths is consistently calculated as the total contract value divided by the duration in years. Previously, ACV for maintenance was calculated as the maintenance revenue for the quarter then ended, multiplied by four, and ACV for contracts less than 12 months was equal to the contract’s total value. The Company believes the simplified methodology better represents the current value of its contracts and better aligns its definition with comparable companies.
Reconciliation of ACV and ACV (constant currency)
| (in millions, except percentages) | December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2023 | 1-Year Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACV | $ | 1,126 | $ | 1,255 | 11 | % | ||||||||||
| Impact of changes in foreign exchange rates | — | (11) | ||||||||||||||
| ACV (constant currency) | $ | 1,126 | $ | 1,244 | 11 | % |
Note: ACV (constant currency) is calculated by applying the December 31, 2022 foreign exchange rates to all periods shown.
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Cash flow
Note: Starting in the third quarter of 2023, the Company calculated free cash flow as cash provided by operating activities less investments in property and equipment. To ensure comparability, previously disclosed amounts have been updated.
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margin (2) | Margin (2) | ||||||||||
| Cash provided by operating activities | $ | 217,785 | 15 | % | $ | 22,336 | 2 | % | |||
| Investment in property and equipment | (16,781) | (35,379) | |||||||||
| Free cash flow (1) | $ | 201,004 | 14 | % | $ | (13,043) | (1) | % | |||
| Supplemental information (3) | |||||||||||
| Restructuring | $ | 29,401 | $ | — | |||||||
| Legal fees | 14,645 | 41,789 | |||||||||
| Interest on convertible senior notes | 4,134 | 4,500 | |||||||||
| Other | 601 | 6,805 | |||||||||
| Income taxes | 11,664 | 7,645 | |||||||||
| $ | 60,445 | $ | 60,739 | ||||||||
| Effect of supplemental information to Rule of 40 achievement (4) | 4 | % | 5 | % |
(1) Our non-GAAP free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities less investment in property and equipment. Investment in property and equipment fluctuates in amount and frequency and is significantly affected by the timing and size of investments in our facilities. We provide information on free cash flow to enable investors to assess our ability to generate cash without incurring additional external financings. This information is not a substitute for financial measures prepared under U.S. GAAP. Starting in the third quarter of 2023, the Company calculated free cash flow as cash provided by operating activities less investments in property and equipment. To ensure comparability, previously disclosed amounts have been updated.
(2) Operating and free cash flow margin are calculated by comparing the respective cash flow to total revenue.
(3) The supplemental information discloses items that affect our cash flows and are considered by management not to be representative of our core business operations and ongoing operational performance.
•Restructuring: Restructuring fluctuates in amount and frequency and is significantly affected by the timing and size of our restructuring activities.
•Legal fees: Legal and related fees arising from proceedings outside the ordinary course of business.
•Interest on convertible senior notes: In February 2020, we issued convertible senior notes, due March 1, 2025, in a private placement. The Notes accrue interest at an annual rate of 0.75%, payable semi-annually in arrears on March 1 and September 1.
•Other: Fees related to capital advisory services, canceled in-person sales and marketing events, and incremental costs incurred integrating acquisitions.
•Income taxes: Direct income taxes paid net of refunds received.
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(4) Rule of 40: A performance metric calculated by adding the annual contract value (“ACV”) growth rate and the free cash flow margin. We also provide a table of supplemental information of other items that affect our cash flows and Rule of 40 achievement.
Remaining performance obligations (“Backlog”)
Reconciliation of Backlog and Constant Currency Backlog (Non-GAAP)
| December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2023 | 1 Year Growth Rate | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backlog - GAAP | $ | 1,356 | $ | 1,463 | 8 | % | ||||
| Impact of changes in foreign exchange rates | — | (16) | ||||||||
| Constant currency backlog | $ | 1,356 | $ | 1,447 | 7 | % |
Note: Constant currency Backlog is calculated by applying the Q4 2022 foreign exchange rates to all periods shown.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Revenue
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pega Cloud | $ | 461,328 | 32 | % | $ | 384,271 | 29 | % | $ | 77,057 | 20 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 331,856 | 24 | % | 317,564 | 24 | % | 14,292 | 5 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 793,184 | 56 | % | 701,835 | 53 | % | 91,349 | 13 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license | 407,625 | 28 | % | 366,063 | 28 | % | 41,562 | 11 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription | 1,200,809 | 84 | % | 1,067,898 | 81 | % | 132,911 | 12 | % | ||||||||
| Perpetual license | 10,101 | 1 | % | 19,293 | 1 | % | (9,192) | (48) | % | ||||||||
| Consulting | 221,706 | 15 | % | 230,654 | 18 | % | (8,948) | (4) | % | ||||||||
| $ | 1,432,616 | 100 | % | $ | 1,317,845 | 100 | % | $ | 114,771 | 9 | % |
•The increase in Pega Cloud revenue in 2023 was primarily due to the growth of the hosted client base as our clients continued to expand their use of Pega Cloud.
•The increase in maintenance revenue in 2023 was primarily due to continued demand for our subscription license offerings, which are sold with maintenance committed for the full term of the subscription license
•The increase in subscription license revenue in 2023 was primarily due to high renewal activity, resulting in an increase in license deliveries.
•The decrease in perpetual license revenue in 2023 reflects our strategy of promoting subscription-based arrangements.
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•The decrease in consulting revenue in 2023 was primarily due to lower consultant billable hours outside of North America and lower realization rates in North America.
Gross profit
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in thousands) | Gross Profit % | Gross Profit % | Change | ||||||||||||||
| Pega Cloud | $ | 342,670 | 74 | % | $ | 267,523 | 70 | % | $ | 75,147 | 28 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 306,264 | 92 | % | 295,576 | 93 | % | 10,688 | 4 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 648,934 | 82 | % | 563,099 | 80 | % | 85,835 | 15 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license | 405,019 | 99 | % | 363,421 | 99 | % | 41,598 | 11 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription | 1,053,953 | 88 | % | 926,520 | 87 | % | 127,433 | 14 | % | ||||||||
| Perpetual license | 10,034 | 99 | % | 19,118 | 99 | % | (9,084) | (48) | % | ||||||||
| Consulting | (9,854) | (4) | % | 3,572 | 2 | % | (13,426) | * | |||||||||
| $ | 1,054,133 | 74 | % | $ | 949,210 | 72 | % | $ | 104,923 | 11 | % |
* not meaningful
The gross profit change in 2023 was primarily due to a shift in the revenue mix. Also contributing to the change was:
•The increase in Pega Cloud gross profit percent in 2023 was primarily due to an increase in cost efficiency, particularly for hosting services, as Pega Cloud continues to grow and scale.
•The decrease in maintenance gross profit percent in 2023 was primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits as a result of an increase in headcount.
•The decrease in consulting gross profit percent in 2023 was primarily due to lower consultant billable hours outside of North America and lower realization rates in North America.
Operating expenses
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in thousands) | % of Revenue | % of Revenue | |||||||||||||||
| Selling and marketing | $ | 559,177 | 39 | % | $ | 624,789 | 47 | % | $ | (65,612) | (11) | % | |||||
| Research and development | $ | 295,512 | 21 | % | $ | 294,349 | 22 | % | $ | 1,163 | — | % | |||||
| General and administrative | $ | 96,743 | 7 | % | $ | 117,734 | 9 | % | $ | (20,991) | (18) | % | |||||
| Restructuring | $ | 21,747 | 2 | % | $ | 21,743 | 2 | % | $ | 4 | — | % |
* not meaningful
•The decrease in selling and marketing in 2023 was primarily due to a decrease in compensation and benefits of $59.5 million due to reduced headcount as we optimize our go-to-market strategy. For additional information, see "Note 12. Restructuring" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
•The decrease in general and administrative in 2023 was primarily due to a decrease of $20.7 million in legal fees and related expenses arising from proceedings outside the ordinary course of business. We expect to continue to incur additional costs for these proceedings. For additional information, see "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
•The restructuring in 2023 and 2022 was primarily due to our efforts to optimize our go-to-market organization. For additional information, see "Note 12. Restructuring" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Other income and expenses
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign currency transaction (loss) gain | $ | (5,242) | $ | 4,560 | $ | (9,802) | * | |||||
| Interest income | 9,259 | 1,643 | 7,616 | 464 | % | |||||||
| Interest expense | (6,876) | (7,792) | 916 | 12 | % | |||||||
| (Loss) on capped call transactions | (1,348) | (57,382) | 56,034 | 98 | % | |||||||
| Other income, net | 18,693 | 6,579 | 12,114 | 184 | % | |||||||
| $ | 14,486 | $ | (52,392) | $ | 66,878 | * |
* not meaningful
•The change in foreign currency transaction (loss) gain in 2023 was primarily due to the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates associated with foreign currency-denominated cash and receivables held by our subsidiary in the United Kingdom.
•The increase in interest income in 2023 was primarily due to an increase in market interest rates.
•The decrease in interest expense in 2023 was due to our repurchases of convertible senior notes. For additional information, see "Note 11. Debt" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
•The change in (loss) on capped call transactions in 2023 was due to fair value adjustments for our capped call transactions.
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•The increase in other income, net in 2023, was due to a $7.9 million gain from repurchases of our convertible senior notes and a $10.9 million increase in the value of equity securities held in our venture investments portfolio. For additional information, see "Note 11. Debt" and "Note 13. Fair Value Measurements" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Provision for income taxes
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provision for income taxes | $ | 27,632 | $ | 183,785 | ||
| Effective income tax rate | 29 | % | 114 | % |
The effective income tax rate in the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily driven by the valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets in the U.S. and U.K. and the taxable income position in the U.S and the UK., partially offset by available tax credits and losses in those jurisdictions.
On December 15, 2022, the European Union (EU) Member States formally adopted the EU’s Pillar Two Directive, which generally provides for a minimum effective tax rate of 15%, as established by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Pillar Two Framework that was supported by over 130 countries worldwide. The effective dates are January 1, 2024, and January 1, 2025, for different aspects of the directive. A significant number of countries are also implementing similar local legislation. The Company is continuing to evaluate the potential impact of the Pillar Two Framework on future periods, pending legislative adoption by additional individual countries.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
| (in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash provided by (used in) | ||||||
| Operating activities | $ | 217,785 | $ | 22,336 | ||
| Investing activities | (50,750) | 13,075 | ||||
| Financing activities | (81,963) | (46,989) | ||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | 2,701 | (3,333) | ||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | $ | 87,773 | $ | (14,911) |
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Held in U.S. entities | $ | 263,453 | $ | 248,389 | ||
| Held in foreign entities | 159,885 | 48,832 | ||||
| Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities | 423,338 | 297,221 | ||||
| Restricted cash | 2,925 | — | ||||
| Total cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, and restricted cash | $ | 426,263 | $ | 297,221 |
We believe that our current cash, marketable securities, cash flow provided by operations, borrowing capacity, and ability to engage in capital market transactions will be sufficient to fund our operations, stock repurchases, and quarterly cash dividends for at least the next 12 months and to meet our known long-term cash requirements, including our convertible senior notes due March 1, 2025. Whether these resources are adequate to meet our liquidity needs beyond that period will depend on our future growth, operating results, and the investments needed to support our operations. We may utilize available funds or seek external financing if we require additional capital resources.
If it becomes necessary or desirable to repatriate foreign funds, we may have to pay federal, state, and local income taxes as well as foreign withholding taxes upon repatriation. However, estimating the taxes we would have to pay is impracticable due to the complexity of income tax laws and regulations. For additional information, see risk factor "If it becomes necessary or desirable to repatriate our foreign cash balances to the United States, we may be subject to increased taxes, other restrictions, and limitations" in Item 1A of this Annual Report.
Operating activities
The change in cash provided by operating activities in 2023 was primarily due to growth in client collections, the impact of our cost-efficiency initiatives, and lower legal fees and related costs arising from proceedings outside the ordinary course of business. We expect to continue to incur additional costs for these proceedings. For additional information, see "Note 12. Restructuring" and "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Investing activities
The change in cash (used in) provided by investing activities in 2023 was primarily due to our increased investments in financial instruments and reduced investment in property and equipment as we optimize our office space.
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Financing activities
Debt financing
In February 2020, we issued $600 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes, which mature on March 1, 2025. In the year ended December 31, 2023, we paid $89 million to repurchase $97.7 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes. As of December 31, 2023, we had $502 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes outstanding due on March 1, 2025. For additional information, see "Note 11. Debt" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
In November 2019, and as since amended, we entered into a five-year $100 million senior secured revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Facility”) with PNC Bank, National Association. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we had $27.3 million in outstanding letters of credit, reducing available borrowing capacity under the Credit Facility, but no outstanding cash borrowings. For additional information, see "Note 11. Debt" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Stock repurchase program
Changes in the remaining stock repurchase authority:
| (in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2022 | $ | 58,075 |
| Authorizations (1) | 1,925 | |
| December 31, 2023 | $ | 60,000 |
(1) On April 25, 2023, our Board of Directors extended the expiration date of our current share repurchase program from June 30, 2023 to June 30, 2024, and the amount of stock we are authorized to repurchase was increased to $60 million.
Common stock repurchases
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||
| (in thousands) | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | ||||||||
| Stock repurchase program | — | — | 280 | 24,508 | ||||||||
| Tax withholdings for net settlement of equity awards | 44 | 1,916 | 342 | 20,620 | ||||||||
| 44 | $ | 1,916 | 622 | $ | 45,128 |
In 2023 and 2022, instead of receiving cash from the equity holders, we withheld shares with a value of $1.2 million and $14.3 million, respectively, for the exercise price of options. These amounts are not included in the table above.
Dividends
| (in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend payments to stockholders | $ | 9,964 | $ | 9,834 |
We intend to pay a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per share. However, the Board of Directors may terminate or modify the dividend program without prior notice.
Contractual obligations
As of December 31, 2023, our contractual obligations were:
| Payments due by period | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 and thereafter | Other | Total | |||||||||||||||||||
| Convertible senior notes (1) | $ | 3,767 | $ | 504,154 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 507,921 | ||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations (2) | 138,662 | 134,825 | 126,637 | 138,208 | 990 | — | 539,322 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating lease obligations | 17,971 | 15,602 | 11,164 | 10,114 | 39,549 | — | 94,400 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Venture investment commitments (3) | 1,000 | — | — | — | — | — | 1,000 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Liability for uncertain tax positions (4) | — | — | — | — | — | 859 | 859 | |||||||||||||||||||
| $ | 161,400 | $ | 654,581 | $ | 137,801 | $ | 148,322 | $ | 40,539 | $ | 859 | $ | 1,143,502 |
(1) Includes principal and interest.
(2) Represents the fixed amount owed for purchase obligations of software licenses, hosting services, and sales and marketing programs.
(3) Represents the maximum funding under existing venture investment agreements. Our venture investment agreements generally allow us to withhold unpaid funds at our discretion.
(4) We cannot reasonably estimate the timing of this cash outflow due to uncertainties in the timing of the effective settlement of tax positions.
A detailed discussion and analysis of the 2022 year-over-year changes can be found in "Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND SIGNIFICANT JUDGMENTS
Management’s discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared following accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for annual financial reporting. Preparing these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience, knowledge of current conditions, and beliefs about what could occur in the future, given the available information.
We believe that of our significant accounting policies, described in “Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies” in Item 8 of this Annual Report, the following accounting policies are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and require the most subjective judgment. Accordingly, these are the policies we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. If actual results differ significantly from management’s estimates and projections, there could be a material effect on our financial statements.
Revenue recognition
Our client contracts typically contain promises by us to provide multiple products and services. Specifically, contracts associated with Pega Platform sales and other software applications, sold as licenses to use functional intellectual property or as a cloud-based solution, typically include consulting services. Determining whether such products and services within a client contract are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately requires significant judgment. Accordingly, we review client contracts to identify all separate promises to transfer goods and services that would be considered performance obligations. Judgment is also required in determining whether an option to acquire additional products and services within a client contract represents a material right that the client would not receive without entering into that contract.
A contract modification is a legally binding change to an existing contract’s scope, price, or both. Contract modifications are reviewed to determine whether they should be accounted for as part of the original contract or as a separate contract. This determination requires significant judgment, which could impact the timing of revenue recognition. We typically account for contract modifications prospectively as a separate contract. The additional performance obligation(s) in our contract modifications are generally distinct and priced at their stand-alone selling price.
We allocate the transaction price to the distinct performance obligations, including options in contracts determined to represent a material right, based on each performance obligation's relative stand-alone selling price. Judgment is required in estimating stand-alone selling prices. We maximize the use of observable inputs by maintaining pricing analyses that consider our pricing policies, historical stand-alone sales when they exist, and historical renewal prices charged to clients. We have concluded that the stand-alone selling prices of certain performance obligations, specifically software licenses and Pega Cloud arrangements, are highly variable. In these instances, we estimate the stand-alone selling prices using the residual approach, which is determined based on the total transaction price minus the stand-alone selling price of other performance obligations promised in the contract. We update our stand-alone selling price analysis periodically, including a re-assessment of whether the residual approach used to determine the stand-alone selling prices for software licenses and Pega Cloud arrangements remains appropriate.
Changes in the assumptions or judgments used in determining the performance obligations in client contracts and stand-alone selling prices could significantly impact the timing and amount of revenue we report in a particular period.
For additional information see "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies", "Note 4. Receivables, Contract Assets, And Deferred Revenue", and "Note 15. Revenue" in Item 8 of this Annual Report
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment
Our goodwill and intangible assets arise from our previous business acquisitions.
•Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually or as circumstances indicate its value may no longer be recoverable.
•We do not have any intangible assets with indefinite useful lives other than goodwill.
•We perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of November 30th. To assess if goodwill is impaired, we first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary. If, based on the qualitative assessment, we consider it more-likely-than-not that our reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying amount, we perform a quantitative impairment test. An excess of carrying value over fair value would indicate that goodwill may be impaired.
•We periodically reevaluate our business and have determined that we have one operating segment and one reporting unit. If our assumptions change in the future, we may be required to record impairment charges to reduce our goodwill's carrying value. Changes in the valuation of goodwill could materially impact our operating results and financial position.
We evaluate our intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that such assets' carrying amount may not be recoverable. When evaluating potential impairment of these assets, we specifically consider whether any indicators of impairment are present, including, but not limited to:
•whether there has been a significant adverse change in the business climate that affects the value of an asset;
•whether there has been a significant change in the extent or way an asset is used; and
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•whether it is expected that the asset will be sold or disposed of before the end of its originally estimated useful life.
If indicators of impairment are present, we compare the estimated undiscounted cash flows that the asset is expected to generate to the carrying value. The key assumptions of the cash flow model involve significant subjectivity. If such assets are impaired, an impairment is measured by the amount the asset’s carrying value exceeds its fair value.
As of December 31, 2023, we had $81.6 million of goodwill and $7.0 million of intangible assets. Changes in the valuation of long-lived assets could materially impact our operating results and financial position. To date, there have been no impairments of goodwill or intangible assets.
For additional information see "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 7. Goodwill And Other Intangible Assets" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Accounting for income taxes
Significant judgment is required to determine our provision for income taxes and income tax assets and liabilities, including evaluating uncertainties in applying accounting principles and complex tax laws. Accordingly, changes in tax laws or our interpretation of tax laws and the resolution of any tax audits could significantly impact our financial statements.
We regularly assess the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. The future realization of our deferred tax assets ultimately depends on sufficient taxable income within the available carryback or carryforward periods. Changes in our valuation allowance impact income tax expense in the period of adjustment. Our deferred tax valuation allowance requires significant judgment and uncertainties, including assumptions about future taxable income based on historical and projected information.
We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe they are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we consider all available objective and verifiable negative and positive evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income (including the impact of enacted legislation), tax-planning strategies and results of recent operations. The Company determined that the objectively and verifiable negative evidence outweighed the positive evidence, as such maintained a valuation allowance on our U.S. and U.K. deferred tax assets.
We assess our income tax positions and record tax benefits based on management’s evaluation of the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting date. For those tax positions where it is more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, we record the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit is recognized in the financial statements.
As a global company, we use significant judgment to calculate and provide for income taxes in each of the tax jurisdictions in which we operate. In the ordinary course of our business, transactions and calculations occur whose ultimate tax outcome cannot be certain. Some of these uncertainties arise due to transfer pricing for transactions with our subsidiaries, the determination of tax nexus, and tax credit estimates. In addition, the calculation of acquired tax attributes and the associated limitations are complex. We estimate our exposure to unfavorable outcomes related to these uncertainties and the probability of such outcomes.
Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, there is no guarantee that the final tax outcome will not differ from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions, returns, and accruals. Such differences, or changes in estimates relating to potential differences, could have a material impact on our income tax provision and operating results in the period such a determination is made.
For additional information see "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 18. Income Taxes" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Capped call transactions
As of December 31, 2023, we had $502.3 million in aggregate principal outstanding on our convertible senior notes. Additionally, we had Capped Call Transactions that covered 3.7 million shares of our common stock, the number of shares for which the Notes are convertible. These capped call transactions are generally expected to reduce the potential dilution of our common stock upon any conversion of the Notes.
The capped call transactions are accounted for as derivative instruments and do not qualify for the Company’s own equity scope exception in ASC 815 since, in some cases of early settlement, the settlement value calculated following the governing documents may not represent a fair value measurement. Applying the accounting framework for the Capped Call Transactions requires the exercise of judgment and the determination of the fair value of the Capped Call Transactions requires us to make significant estimates and assumptions.
The fair value of the Capped Call Transactions at the end of each reporting period is determined using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The valuation model uses various market-based inputs, including stock price, remaining contractual term, expected volatility, risk-free interest rate, and expected dividend yield. Management applies judgment when determining expected volatility. We consider the underlying equity security’s historical and implied volatility levels. As of December 31, 2023, a hypothetical 10% increase in our stock price would have increased the fair value of the capped call to $1.6 million, while a hypothetical 10% decrease in our stock price would have decreased the fair value of the capped call to $0.5 million.
For additional information see "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies", "Note 11. Debt", and "Note 13. Fair Value Measurements" in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
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Loss Contingencies
We are subject to various claims, including claims with customers and vendors, pending and potential legal actions for damages, investigations relating to governmental laws and regulations, and other matters arising out of the normal conduct of our business. When a loss is considered probable and reasonably estimable, we record a liability in the amount of our best estimate for the ultimate loss. However, the likelihood of a loss with respect to a particular contingency is often difficult to predict, and determining a meaningful estimate of the loss or a range of loss may not be practicable based on the information available and the potential effect of future events and decisions by third parties that will determine the ultimate resolution of the contingency. Moreover, it is common for such matters to be resolved over many years, during which time relevant developments and new information must be reevaluated at least quarterly to determine both the likelihood of potential loss and whether it is possible to reasonably estimate a range of possible loss. When a material loss is reasonably possible or probable, but a reasonable estimate cannot be made, disclosure of the proceeding is provided. Legal fees are recognized as incurred when the legal services are provided.
We review all contingencies at least quarterly to determine whether the likelihood of loss has changed and to assess whether a reasonable estimate of the potential loss or range of the loss can be made.
See "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001013857-23-000020.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
We develop, market, license, host, and support enterprise software that helps organizations build agility into their business so they can adapt to change. Our powerful low-code platform for workflow automation and artificial intelligence-powered decisioning enables the world’s leading brands and government agencies to hyper-personalize customer experiences, streamline customer service, and automate mission-critical business processes and workflows. With Pega, our clients can leverage our intelligent technology and scalable architecture to accelerate their digital transformation. In addition, our client success teams, world-class partners, and clients leverage our Pega Express™ methodology to design and deploy mission-critical applications quickly and collaboratively.
Our target clients are Global 2000 organizations and government agencies that require solutions to distinguish themselves in the markets they serve. Our solutions achieve and facilitate differentiation by increasing business agility, driving growth, improving productivity, attracting and retaining customers, and reducing risk. Along with our partners, we deliver solutions tailored to the specific industry needs of our clients.
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Subscription transition
We are transitioning our business to sell software primarily through subscription arrangements. Until we fully complete our subscription transition, which we expect will occur in 2023, our operating results may be impacted. Operating performance, revenue mix, and new arrangements in each period can fluctuate based on client preferences for our perpetual and subscription offerings. See risk factor "If we fail to manage our transition to a more subscription-based business model successfully, our results of operations and/or cash flows could be negatively impacted" in Item 1A of this Annual Report for additional information.
Ukraine
Our direct financial exposure to Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus is not material. In 2021, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we made a business decision to stop pursuing new clients in Russia and closed our local office. However, the ultimate impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on our business will depend on future developments, including the duration and spread of the conflict and the impact on our people, partners, clients, and vendors in neighboring countries and globally, all of which are uncertain and unpredictable.
Performance metrics
We use performance metrics to analyze and assess our overall performance, make operating decisions, and forecast and plan for future periods, including:
Annual contract value (“ACV”)
ACV represents the annualized value of our active contracts as of the measurement date. The contract's total value is divided by its duration in years to calculate ACV for subscription license and Pega Cloud contracts. Maintenance revenue for the quarter then ended is multiplied by four to calculate ACV for maintenance. ACV is a performance measure that we believe provides useful information to our management and investors, particularly during our subscription transition.
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Remaining performance obligations (“Backlog”)
Reconciliation of GAAP Backlog and Constant Currency Backlog
| (in millions, except percentages) | Q4 2022 | 1 Year Growth Rate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backlog | $ | 1,356 | 1 | % | ||
| Impact of changes in foreign exchange rates | 39 | 3 | % | |||
| Backlog - Constant Currency | $ | 1,395 | 4 | % |
Note: Constant currency measures are calculated by applying foreign exchange rates for the earliest period shown to all periods. The above constant currency measures reflect foreign exchange rates applicable as of Q4 2021. We believe that non-GAAP financial measures help investors understand our core operating results and prospects, consistent with how management measures and forecasts our performance without the effect of often one-time charges and other items outside our normal operations. The supplementary non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be superior to or a substitute for financial measures prepared under U.S. GAAP.
Free Cash Flow (1)
| (in thousands, except percentages) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | ||||||||
| Cash provided by operating activities | $ | 22,336 | $ | 39,118 | (43) | % | ||||
| Investment in property and equipment | (35,379) | (10,456) | ||||||||
| Legal fees | 41,789 | 11,390 | ||||||||
| Interest on convertible senior notes | 4,500 | 4,500 | ||||||||
| Facilities | — | (18,000) | ||||||||
| Other | 6,805 | 115 | ||||||||
| Free cash flow | $ | 40,051 | $ | 26,667 | 50 | % | ||||
| Total Revenue | $ | 1,317,845 | $ | 1,211,653 | ||||||
| Free cash flow margin | 3 | % | 2 | % |
* not meaningful
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(1) Our non-GAAP free cash flow measures reflect the following adjustments:
•Investment in property and equipment: Investment in property and equipment fluctuates in amount and frequency and is significantly affected by the timing and size of investments in our facilities. We believe excluding these amounts provides a useful comparison of our operational performance in different periods.
•Legal Fees: Includes legal and related fees arising from proceedings outside of the ordinary course of business. We believe excluding these expenses from our non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as the disputes giving rise to them are not representative of our core business operations and ongoing operating performance.
•Interest on convertible senior notes: In February 2020, we issued convertible senior notes with an aggregate principal amount of $600 million, due March 1, 2025, in a private placement. We believe excluding the interest payments provides a useful comparison of our operational performance in different periods.
•Facilities: In February 2021, we agreed to accelerate our exit from our then Cambridge, Massachusetts headquarters to October 1, 2021, in exchange for a one-time payment from our landlord of $18 million, which was received in October 2021. We believe excluding the impact from our non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as the modified lease, including the $18 million payment, is not representative of our core business operations and ongoing operating performance.
•Other: We have excluded capital advisory fees and fees incurred due to the cancellation of in-person sales and marketing events. We believe excluding these amounts from our non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as the types of events giving rise to them are not representative of our core business operations and ongoing operating performance.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Revenue
Subscription transition
We are transitioning our business to sell software primarily through subscription arrangements.
This transition has impacted revenue growth as revenue from subscription service arrangements, which includes Pega Cloud and maintenance, is typically recognized over the contract term, while revenue from license sales is recognized when the license rights become effective, typically upfront.
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pega Cloud | $ | 384,271 | 29 | % | $ | 300,966 | 25 | % | $ | 83,305 | 28 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 317,564 | 24 | % | 320,257 | 26 | % | (2,693) | (1) | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 701,835 | 53 | % | 621,223 | 51 | % | 80,612 | 13 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license | 366,063 | 28 | % | 336,248 | 28 | % | 29,815 | 9 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription | 1,067,898 | 81 | % | 957,471 | 79 | % | 110,427 | 12 | % | ||||||||
| Perpetual license | 19,293 | 1 | % | 32,172 | 3 | % | (12,879) | (40) | % | ||||||||
| Consulting | 230,654 | 18 | % | 222,010 | 18 | % | 8,644 | 4 | % | ||||||||
| $ | 1,317,845 | 100 | % | $ | 1,211,653 | 100 | % | $ | 106,192 | 9 | % |
The revenue change in 2022 generally reflects the impact of our subscription transition.
Other factors impacting our revenue include:
•The U.S. dollar has strengthened against foreign currencies in our operating markets, which reduced total revenue growth by approximately 4 percent.
•The decrease in maintenance revenue was primarily due to the continuing shift to Pega Cloud.
•The increase in consulting revenue was primarily due to an increase in consultant billable hours in North America.
Gross profit
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pega Cloud | $ | 267,523 | 70 | % | $ | 202,171 | 67 | % | $ | 65,352 | 32 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 295,576 | 93 | % | 298,606 | 93 | % | (3,030) | (1) | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 563,099 | 80 | % | 500,777 | 81 | % | 62,322 | 12 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license | 363,421 | 99 | % | 333,859 | 99 | % | 29,562 | 9 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription | 926,520 | 87 | % | 834,636 | 87 | % | 91,884 | 11 | % | ||||||||
| Perpetual license | 19,118 | 99 | % | 31,943 | 99 | % | (12,825) | (40) | % | ||||||||
| Consulting | 3,572 | 2 | % | 8,711 | 4 | % | (5,139) | (59) | % | ||||||||
| $ | 949,210 | 72 | % | $ | 875,290 | 72 | % | $ | 73,920 | 8 | % |
The gross profit change in 2022 was primarily due to a shift in the revenue mix.
•The increase in Pega Cloud gross profit percent was primarily due to cost-efficiency gains as Pega Cloud grows and scales.
•The decrease in consulting gross profit percent was due to an increase in consultant availability.
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Operating expenses
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in thousands) | % of Revenue | % of Revenue | |||||||||||||||
| Selling and marketing | $ | 624,789 | 47 | % | $ | 625,886 | 52 | % | $ | (1,097) | — | % | |||||
| Research and development | $ | 294,349 | 22 | % | $ | 260,630 | 22 | % | $ | 33,719 | 13 | % | |||||
| General and administrative | $ | 117,734 | 9 | % | $ | 83,506 | 7 | % | $ | 34,228 | 41 | % | |||||
| Restructuring | $ | 21,743 | 2 | % | $ | — | — | % | $ | 21,743 | * |
* not meaningful
•The decrease in selling and marketing was primarily due to a decrease in marketing programs of $12.1 million, partially offset by an increase in professional services of $4.9 million and an increase in facilities expense of $4.9 million.
•The increase in research and development was primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits of $24.2 million, attributable to an increase in headcount and incentive compensation, and an increase in facilities expense of $4.2 million. The increase in headcount reflects additional investments in developing our solutions.
•The increase in general and administrative was primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits of $8.4 million, an increase in facilities expense of $2.9 million, and an increase in legal fees and related expenses arising from litigation proceedings outside the ordinary course of business of $16.4 million. We have incurred and expect to continue to incur additional costs for these proceedings in 2023. See "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 and Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report for additional information.
•During the fourth quarter of 2022, management committed to a restructuring plan aligned with our target organization go-to-market strategy and commitment to be a Rule of 40 managed company. The plan resulted in a restructuring expense of $21.7 million in 2022, primarily associated with severance and benefits for impacted employees and expenses incurred as a result of the closure of our Salem, New Hampshire office.
Other income and expenses
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign currency transaction gain (loss) | $ | 4,560 | $ | (6,459) | $ | 11,019 | * | ||||||
| Interest income | 1,643 | 704 | 939 | 133 | % | ||||||||
| Interest expense | (7,792) | (7,956) | 164 | 2 | % | ||||||||
| (Loss) gain on capped call transactions | (57,382) | (23,633) | (33,749) | (143) | % | ||||||||
| Other income, net | 6,579 | 89 | 6,490 | 7,292 | % | ||||||||
| $ | (52,392) | $ | (37,255) | $ | (15,137) | (41) | % |
* not meaningful
•The increase in foreign currency transaction gain (loss) was primarily due to the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates associated with foreign currency-denominated cash and receivables held by our subsidiary in the United Kingdom.
•The increase in interest income was primarily due to increases in market interest rates.
•The increase in (loss) gain on capped call transactions was due to fair value adjustments for our capped call transactions. See "Note 14. Fair Value Measurements" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
•The increase in other income, net was due to gains on our venture investments.
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | $ | 183,785 | $ | (68,947) | ||
| Effective income tax rate (benefit rate) | 114 | % | (52) | % |
The change in the effective income tax rate (benefit rate) in 2022 was primarily due to the recognition of a full valuation allowance of $188.3 million on our U.S. and U.K. deferred tax assets.
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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
| (in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash (used in) provided by | ||||||
| Operating activities | $ | 22,336 | $ | 39,118 | ||
| Investing activities | 13,075 | 72,503 | ||||
| Financing activities | (46,989) | (121,843) | ||||
| Effect of exchange rate on cash and cash equivalents | (3,333) | (1,712) | ||||
| Net (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | (14,911) | $ | (11,934) |
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||
| Held in U.S. entities | $ | 248,389 | $ | 274,813 | ||
| Held in foreign entities | 48,832 | 87,966 | ||||
| Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities | $ | 297,221 | $ | 362,779 |
We believe that our current cash, cash flow from operations, borrowing capacity, and ability to engage in capital market transactions will be sufficient to fund our operations, stock repurchases, and quarterly cash dividends for at least the next 12 months and to meet our known long-term cash requirements. Whether these resources are adequate to meet our liquidity needs beyond that period will depend on our future growth, operating results, and the investments needed to support our operations. We may utilize available funds or seek external financing if we require additional capital resources.
If it becomes necessary or desirable to repatriate these funds, we may be required to pay federal, state, and local income and foreign withholding taxes upon repatriation. However, due to the complexity of income tax laws and regulations, it is impracticable to estimate the amount of taxes we would have to pay. See risk factor "If it becomes necessary or desirable to repatriate our foreign cash balances to the United States, we may be subject to increased taxes, other restrictions, and limitations" in Item 1A of this Annual Report for additional information.
Cash provided by operating activities
We are transitioning our business to sell software primarily through subscription arrangements. This transition has impacted and is expected to continue affecting our billings and cash collections. Subscription licenses and services are typically billed and collected over the contract term, while perpetual license arrangements are generally billed and collected upfront when the license rights become effective.
The change in cash provided by operating activities in 2022 was primarily due to our subscription transition and increased costs as we invested in research and development to support the development of our offerings, partially offset by strong client collections. In addition, in 2022 and 2021, we incurred $34.6 million and $18.2 million in legal fees and related expenses arising from proceedings that originated outside of the ordinary course of business. We expect to continue to incur additional costs for these proceedings. See "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 and Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report for additional information
Investing activities
The change in cash provided by investing activities in 2022 was primarily driven by our investments in financial instruments and capital expenditures for our recently completed office in Waltham, Massachusetts. See "Note 11. Leases" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
Financing activities
Debt financing
In February 2020, we issued $600 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes, which mature on March 1, 2025.
In November 2019, and as since amended, we entered into a five-year $100 million senior secured revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Facility”) with PNC Bank, National Association. As of December 31, 2022, we had no outstanding cash borrowings under the Credit Facility but had $27.3 million in outstanding letters of credit which reduce the available borrowing capacity. See "Note 12. Debt" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
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Stock repurchase program
Changes in the remaining stock repurchase authority:
| (in thousands) | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2021 | $ | 22,583 |
| Authorizations (1) | 60,000 | |
| Repurchases (2) | (24,508) | |
| December 31, 2022 | $ | 58,075 |
(1) On June 2, 2022, we announced that our Board of Directors extended the current stock repurchase program’s expiration date to June 30, 2023.
(2) Purchases under this program have been made on the open market.
Common stock repurchases
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | ||||||||
| Repurchases paid | 280 | $ | 24,508 | 422 | $ | 52,411 | ||||||
| Repurchases unpaid at period end | — | — | 10 | 1,199 | ||||||||
| Stock repurchase program | 280 | 24,508 | 432 | 53,610 | ||||||||
| Tax withholdings for net settlement of equity awards | 342 | 20,620 | 550 | 69,925 | ||||||||
| 622 | $ | 45,128 | 982 | $ | 123,535 |
During 2022 and 2021, instead of receiving cash from the equity holders for the exercise price of options, we withheld shares with a value of $14.3 million and $56.1 million, respectively. These amounts have been excluded from the table above.
Dividends
| (in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend payments to stockholders | $ | 9,834 | $ | 9,761 |
We intend to pay a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per share. However, the Board of Directors may terminate or modify the dividend program without prior notice.
Contractual obligations
As of December 31, 2022, our contractual obligations were:
| Payments due by period | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 and thereafter | Other | Total | |||||||||||||||||||
| Convertible senior notes (1) | $ | 4,500 | $ | 4,500 | $ | 602,250 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 611,250 | ||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations (2) | 21,708 | 18,525 | 20,471 | 14,646 | 14 | — | 75,364 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating lease obligations | 18,476 | 17,101 | 14,444 | 10,860 | 49,079 | — | 109,960 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Investment commitments | 1,000 | — | — | — | — | — | 1,000 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Liability for uncertain tax positions (3) | — | — | — | — | — | 3,207 | 3,207 | |||||||||||||||||||
| $ | 45,684 | $ | 40,126 | $ | 637,165 | $ | 25,506 | $ | 49,093 | $ | 3,207 | $ | 800,781 |
(1) Includes principal and interest.
(2) Represents the fixed or minimum amounts due under purchase obligations for hosting services, software subscriptions, and sales and marketing programs.
(3) We are unable to reasonably estimate the timing of the cash outflow due to uncertainties in the timing of the effective settlement of tax positions.
A detailed discussion and analysis of the 2021 year-over-year changes can be found in "Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND SIGNIFICANT JUDGMENTS
Management’s discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared following accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for annual financial reporting. Preparing these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience, knowledge of current conditions, and beliefs about what could occur in the future, given the available information.
We believe that of our significant accounting policies, described in “Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies” in Item 8 of this Annual Report, the following accounting policies are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and require the most subjective judgment. Accordingly, these are the policies we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. If actual results differ significantly from management’s estimates and projections, there could be a material effect on our financial statements.
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Revenue recognition
Our client contracts typically contain promises by us to provide multiple products and services. Specifically, contracts associated with Pega Platform sales and other software applications, sold as licenses to use functional intellectual property or as a cloud-based solution, typically include consulting services. Determining whether such products and services within a client contract are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately requires significant judgment. Accordingly, we review client contracts to identify all separate promises to transfer goods and services that would be considered performance obligations. Judgment is also required in determining whether an option to acquire additional products and services within a client contract represents a material right that the client would not receive without entering into that contract.
A contract modification is a legally binding change to an existing contract’s scope, price, or both. Contract modifications are reviewed to determine whether they should be accounted for as part of the original contract or as a separate contract. This determination requires significant judgment, which could impact the timing of revenue recognition. We typically account for contract modifications prospectively as a separate contract. The additional performance obligation(s) in our contract modifications are generally distinct and priced at their stand-alone selling price.
We allocate the transaction price to the distinct performance obligations, including options in contracts determined to represent a material right, based on each performance obligation's relative stand-alone selling price. Judgment is required in estimating stand-alone selling prices. We maximize the use of observable inputs by maintaining pricing analyses that consider our pricing policies, historical stand-alone sales when they exist, and historical renewal prices charged to clients. We have concluded that the stand-alone selling prices of certain performance obligations, specifically software licenses and Pega Cloud arrangements, are highly variable. In these instances, we estimate the stand-alone selling prices using the residual approach, determined based on the total transaction price minus the stand-alone selling price of other performance obligations promised in the contract. We update our stand-alone selling price analysis periodically, including a re-assessment of whether the residual approach used to determine the stand-alone selling prices for software licenses and Pega Cloud arrangements remains appropriate.
Changes in the assumptions or judgments used in determining the performance obligations in client contracts and stand-alone selling prices could significantly impact the timing and amount of revenue we report in a particular period.
See "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies", "Note 4. Receivables, Contract Assets, And Deferred Revenue", and "Note 15. Revenue" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment
Our goodwill and intangible assets arise from our previous business acquisitions.
•Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually or as circumstances indicate its value may no longer be recoverable.
•We do not have any intangible assets with indefinite useful lives other than goodwill.
•We perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of November 30th. To assess if goodwill is impaired, we first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary. If, based on the qualitative assessment, we consider it more-likely-than-not that our reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying amount, we perform a quantitative impairment test. An excess of carrying value over fair value would indicate that goodwill may be impaired.
•We periodically reevaluate our business and have determined that we have one operating segment and one reporting unit. If our assumptions change in the future, we may be required to record impairment charges to reduce our goodwill's carrying value. Changes in the valuation of goodwill could materially impact our operating results and financial position.
We evaluate our intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that such assets' carrying amount may not be recoverable. In evaluating potential impairment of these assets, we specifically consider whether any indicators of impairment are present, including, but not limited to:
•whether there has been a significant adverse change in the business climate that affects the value of an asset;
•whether there has been a significant change in the extent or way an asset is used; and
•whether it is expected that the asset will be sold or disposed of before the end of its originally estimated useful life.
If indicators of impairment are present, we compare the estimated undiscounted cash flows that the asset is expected to generate to the carrying value. The key assumptions of the cash flow model involve significant subjectivity. If such assets are impaired, an impairment is measured by the amount the asset’s carrying value exceeds its fair value.
As of December 31, 2022, we had $81.4 million of goodwill and $10.9 million of intangible assets. Changes in the valuation of long-lived assets could materially impact our operating results and financial position. To date, there have been no impairments of goodwill or intangible assets.
See "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 7. Goodwill And Other Intangible Assets" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
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Accounting for income taxes
Significant judgment is required to determine our provision for income taxes and income tax assets and liabilities, including evaluating uncertainties in applying accounting principles and complex tax laws. Accordingly, changes in tax laws or our interpretation of tax laws and the resolution of any tax audits could significantly impact our financial statements.
We regularly assess the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. The future realization of our deferred tax assets ultimately depends on sufficient taxable income within the available carryback or carryforward periods. Changes in our valuation allowance impact income tax expense in the period of adjustment. Our deferred tax valuation allowance requires significant judgment and uncertainties, including assumptions about future taxable income based on historical and projected information.
We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe that they are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we consider all available objective and verifiable negative and positive evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, our firm contractual backlog, projected future taxable income (including the impact of enacted legislation), tax-planning strategies and results of recent operations. In 2022, we determined that the objectively and verifiable negative evidence outweighed the positive evidence, and we recorded a full valuation allowance of $188.3 million on our U.S. and U.K. deferred tax assets.
We assess our income tax positions and record tax benefits based on management’s evaluation of the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting date. For those tax positions where it is more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, we record the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit is recognized in the financial statements.
As a global company, we use significant judgment to calculate and provide for income taxes in each of the tax jurisdictions in which we operate. In the ordinary course of our business, transactions and calculations occur whose ultimate tax outcome cannot be certain. Some of these uncertainties arise due to transfer pricing for transactions with our subsidiaries, the determination of tax nexus, and tax credit estimates. In addition, the calculation of acquired tax attributes and the associated limitations are complex. We estimate our exposure to unfavorable outcomes related to these uncertainties and the probability of such outcomes.
Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, there is no guarantee that the final tax outcome will not be different from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions, returns, and accruals. Such differences, or changes in estimates relating to potential differences, could have a material impact on our income tax provision and operating results in the period in which such a determination is made.
See "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 18. Income Taxes" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
Capped call transactions
In February 2020, we issued Convertible Senior Notes (the "Notes") with an aggregate principal amount of $600 million, due March 1, 2025, in a private placement. We also entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions (“Capped Call Transactions”) with certain financial institutions. The Capped Call Transactions cover 4.4 million shares (representing the number of shares for which the Notes are initially convertible) of our common stock and are generally expected to reduce potential dilution of our common stock upon any conversion of the Notes.
The Capped Call Transactions are accounted for as derivative instruments and do not qualify for the Company’s own equity scope exception in ASC 815 since, in some cases of early settlement, the settlement value of the Capped Call Transactions, calculated following the governing documents, may not represent a fair value measurement. Applying the accounting framework for the Capped Call Transactions requires the exercise of judgment and the determination of the fair value of the Capped Call Transactions requires us to make significant estimates and assumptions.
The fair value of the Capped Call Transactions at the end of each reporting period is determined using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The valuation model uses various market-based inputs, including stock price, remaining contractual term, expected volatility, risk-free interest rate, and expected dividend yield. Management applies judgment when determining expected volatility. We consider the underlying equity security’s historical and implied volatility levels. As of December 31, 2022, a hypothetical 10% increase in our stock price would have increased the fair value of the capped call to $3.6 million, while a hypothetical 10% decrease in our stock price would have decreased the fair value of the capped call to $1.7 million.
See "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies", "Note 12. Debt", and "Note 14. Fair Value Measurements" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
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Loss Contingencies
We are subject to various claims, including claims with customers and vendors, pending and potential legal actions for damages, investigations relating to governmental laws and regulations, and other matters arising out of the normal conduct of our business. When a loss is considered probable and reasonably estimable, we record a liability in the amount of our best estimate for the ultimate loss. However, the likelihood of a loss with respect to a particular contingency is often difficult to predict and determining a meaningful estimate of the loss or a range of loss may not be practicable based on the information available and the potential effect of future events and decisions by third parties that will determine the ultimate resolution of the contingency. Moreover, it is common for such matters to be resolved over many years, during which time relevant developments and new information must be reevaluated at least quarterly to determine both the likelihood of potential loss and whether it is possible to reasonably estimate a range of possible loss. When a material loss is reasonably possible or probable, but a reasonable estimate cannot be made, disclosure of the proceeding is provided. Legal fees are recognized as incurred when the legal services are provided.
We review all contingencies at least quarterly to determine whether the likelihood of loss has changed and to assess whether a reasonable estimate of the potential loss or range of the loss can be made.
See "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies" and "Note 20. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001013857-22-000042.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
We develop, market, license, host, and support enterprise software that helps organizations simplify business complexity. Our powerful low-code platform for workflow automation and AI-powered decisioning enables the world’s leading brands and government agencies to hyper-personalize customer experiences, streamline customer service, and automate mission-critical business processes and workflows. With Pega, our clients can leverage our intelligent technology and scalable architecture to accelerate their digital transformation. Our client success teams, world-class partners, and clients themselves leverage our Pega Express™ methodology to design and deploy mission-critical applications quickly and collaboratively.
Our target clients are Global 3000 organizations and government agencies that require solutions to distinguish themselves in the markets they serve. Our solutions achieve and facilitate differentiation by increasing business agility, driving growth, improving productivity, attracting and retaining customers, and reducing risk. Along with our partners, we deliver solutions tailored to our clients’ specific industry needs.
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Subscription transition
We are transitioning our business to sell software primarily through subscription arrangements. Until we fully complete our subscription transition, which we expect will occur in 2023, our revenue and operating cash flow growth may be impacted. Operating performance and the actual mix of revenue and new arrangements in each period can fluctuate based on client preferences for our perpetual and subscription offerings. See risk factor "If we fail to manage our transition to a more subscription-based business model successfully, our results of operations and/or cash flows could be negatively impacted" in Item 1A of this Annual Report for additional information.
Coronavirus (‘COVID-19”)
As of December 31, 2021, COVID-19 has not had a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition.
Performance metrics
We use performance metrics to analyze and assess our overall performance, make operating decisions, and forecast and plan for future periods, including:
Annual contract value (“ACV”) | Increased 20% since December 31, 2020
ACV represents the annualized value of our active contracts as of the measurement date. The contract's total value is divided by its duration in years to calculate ACV for term license and Pega Cloud contracts. Maintenance revenue for the quarter then ended is multiplied by four to calculate ACV for maintenance. ACV is a performance measure that we believe provides useful information to our management and investors, particularly during our subscription transition. Foreign currency exchange rate changes were a 1% headwind to ACV growth in 2021.
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Remaining performance obligations (“Backlog”) | Increased 25% since December 31, 2020
Expected future revenue from existing non-cancellable contracts:
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Revenue
Subscription transition
We are transitioning our business to sell software primarily through subscription arrangements. This transition has impacted revenue growth as revenue is recognized differently for subscription services than for license sales. Revenue from Pega Cloud and maintenance arrangements is typically recognized over the contract term, while revenue from license sales is recognized when the license rights become effective, typically upfront.
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pega Cloud | $ | 300,966 | 25 | % | $ | 208,268 | 20 | % | $ | 92,698 | 45 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 320,257 | 26 | % | 296,709 | 30 | % | 23,548 | 8 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 621,223 | 51 | % | 504,977 | 50 | % | 116,246 | 23 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license (A) | 336,248 | 28 | % | 266,352 | 26 | % | 69,896 | 26 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription | 957,471 | 79 | % | 771,329 | 76 | % | 186,142 | 24 | % | ||||||||
| Perpetual license | 32,172 | 3 | % | 28,558 | 3 | % | 3,614 | 13 | % | ||||||||
| Consulting | 222,010 | 18 | % | 217,630 | 21 | % | 4,380 | 2 | % | ||||||||
| $ | 1,211,653 | 100 | % | $ | 1,017,517 | 100 | % | $ | 194,136 | 19 | % |
(A) Revenue from term licenses.
The change in revenue in 2021 generally reflects the impact of our subscription transition. Additional contributing factors were:
•An increasing portion of our term license contracts include multi-year committed maintenance periods instead of annually renewable maintenance. Under multi-year committed maintenance arrangements, a larger portion of the total contract value is recognized as maintenance revenue over the contract term rather than upon the effectiveness of the license rights as subscription license revenue. In 2021, multi-year committed maintenance contributed $17.1 million to maintenance revenue growth and reduced subscription license revenue growth by $4.0 million.
•Maintenance renewal rates remained over 90% in 2021.
•The increase in perpetual revenue was primarily due to license rights becoming effective in 2021 related to several large software license contracts entered into in prior years.
•The increase in consulting revenue in 2021 was primarily due to an increase in billable hours, which offset the impact of reduced billable travel expenses due to COVID-19. As part of our long-term strategy, we intend to continue growing and increasingly leveraging our ecosystem of partners on future implementation projects, potentially reducing our future consulting revenue growth rate.
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Gross profit
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pega Cloud | $ | 202,171 | 67 | % | $ | 131,693 | 63 | % | $ | 70,478 | 54 | % | |||||
| Maintenance | 298,606 | 93 | % | 274,398 | 92 | % | 24,208 | 9 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription services | 500,777 | 81 | % | 406,091 | 80 | % | 94,686 | 23 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription license | 333,859 | 99 | % | 263,708 | 99 | % | 70,151 | 27 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription | 834,636 | 87 | % | 669,799 | 87 | % | 164,837 | 25 | % | ||||||||
| Perpetual license | 31,943 | 99 | % | 28,274 | 99 | % | 3,669 | 13 | % | ||||||||
| Consulting | 8,711 | 4 | % | 8,531 | 4 | % | 180 | 2 | % | ||||||||
| $ | 875,290 | 72 | % | $ | 706,604 | 69 | % | $ | 168,686 | 24 | % |
The increase in gross profit in 2021 was primarily due to overall revenue growth and cost-efficiency gains as Pega Cloud grows and scales because of our subscription transition.
Operating expenses
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in thousands) | % of Revenue | % of Revenue | |||||||||||||||
| Selling and marketing | $ | 625,886 | 52 | % | $ | 545,693 | 54 | % | $ | 80,193 | 15 | % | |||||
| Research and development | $ | 260,630 | 22 | % | $ | 236,986 | 23 | % | $ | 23,644 | 10 | % | |||||
| General and administrative | $ | 83,506 | 7 | % | $ | 67,452 | 7 | % | $ | 16,054 | 24 | % |
•The increase in selling and marketing in 2021 was primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits of $82.7 million, attributable to increases in headcount and incentive compensation. The increase in headcount reflects our efforts to increase our sales capacity to deepen relationships with existing clients and target new accounts.
•The increase in research and development in 2021 was primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits of $24.8 million, attributable to increases in headcount and incentive compensation. The increase in headcount reflects additional investments in the development of our solutions, particularly for Pega Cloud.
•The increase in general and administrative in 2021 was primarily due to an increase of $14.4 million in legal fees and related expenses arising from proceedings that originated outside of the ordinary course of business. We have incurred and expect to continue to incur additional expenses for these proceedings in 2022. See "Note 19. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
•In February 2021, we agreed to accelerate our exit from our prior Cambridge, Massachusetts headquarters to October 1, 2021, in exchange for a one-time payment from our landlord of $18 million. This agreement was the primary contributor to decreases in facilities expenses of $5.1 million in selling and marketing, $5.6 million in research and development, and $2.7 million in general and administrative, in 2021.
Other income and expenses
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | Change | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign currency transaction (loss) gain | $ | (6,459) | $ | 3,704 | $ | (10,163) | * | |||||
| Interest income | 704 | 1,223 | (519) | (42) | % | |||||||
| Interest expense | (7,956) | (19,356) | 11,400 | 59 | % | |||||||
| (Loss) gain on capped call transactions | (23,633) | 31,697 | (55,330) | * | ||||||||
| Other income, net | 89 | 1,370 | (1,281) | (94) | % | |||||||
| $ | (37,255) | $ | 18,638 | $ | (55,893) | * |
* not meaningful
•The change in foreign currency transaction (loss) gain in 2021 was primarily due to the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates associated with our foreign currency-denominated cash, receivables, and intercompany balances held by our subsidiary in the United Kingdom.
•The decrease in interest income in 2021 was primarily due to declines in market interest rates and invested funds.
•The decrease in interest expense in 2021 was primarily due to our adoption of Accounting Standards Update 2020-06 on January 1, 2021. See "Note 11. Debt" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
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Interest expense related to the Notes:
| (in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contractual interest expense (0.75% coupon) | $ | 4,500 | $ | 3,825 | $ | 675 | ||||
| Amortization of debt discount | — | 12,898 | (12,898) | |||||||
| Amortization of issuance costs | 2,977 | 1,915 | 1,062 | |||||||
| $ | 7,477 | $ | 18,638 | $ | (11,161) |
•The decrease in the (loss) gain on capped call transactions in 2021 was due to fair value adjustments on the Capped Call Transactions. See "Note 11. Debt" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
•The decrease in other income, net in 2021 was due to a smaller gain from our venture investments portfolio in 2021.
(Benefit from) income taxes
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Benefit from) income taxes | $ | (68,947) | $ | (63,516) | ||
| Effective income tax benefit rate | 52 | % | 51 | % |
During 2021, the change in our effective income tax benefit rate was primarily due to the impact of excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation and changes in statutory tax rates applicable to our U.K.-based deferred tax assets. See "Note 17. Income Taxes" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
Stock-based compensation increases the variability of our effective tax rates. The impact on our effective tax rate in each period depends on our profitability and the tax deductions from our stock compensation activity, which depend upon our stock price and the award holders' exercise behavior.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
| (in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash (used in) provided by | ||||||
| Operating activities | $ | 39,118 | $ | (563) | ||
| Investing activities | 72,503 | (321,683) | ||||
| Financing activities | (121,843) | 423,448 | ||||
| Effect of exchange rate on cash and cash equivalents | (1,712) | 2,334 | ||||
| Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents | $ | (11,934) | $ | 103,536 |
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Held in U.S. entities | $ | 274,813 | $ | 399,138 | ||
| Held in foreign entities | 87,966 | 66,030 | ||||
| Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities | $ | 362,779 | $ | 465,168 |
We believe that our current cash, cash flow from operations, and borrowing capacity will be sufficient to fund our operations, stock repurchases, and quarterly cash dividends for at least the next 12 months and to meet our known long-term cash requirements. Whether these resources are adequate to meet our liquidity needs beyond that period will depend on our future growth, operating results, and the investments needed to support our operations. If we require additional capital resources, we may utilize available funds or additional external financing.
If it becomes necessary to repatriate foreign funds, we may have to pay U.S. and foreign taxes upon repatriation. Due to the complexity of income tax laws and regulations, it is impracticable to estimate the amount of taxes we would have to pay. See risk factor "If it becomes necessary or desirable to repatriate any of our foreign cash balances to the United States, we may be subject to increased taxes, other restrictions, and limitations" in Item 1A of this Annual Report for additional information.
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities
We are transitioning our business to sell software primarily through subscription arrangements. This transition has impacted and is expected to continue impacting our billings and cash collections, as the timing of billings and cash collections generally differs between our subscription and perpetual license arrangements. Subscription license and services are generally billed and collected over the contract term, while perpetual license arrangements usually are billed and collected upfront when the license rights become effective.
The change in cash provided by (used in) operating activities in 2021 was primarily due to a significant increase in client collections. In addition, in 2021 we incurred $18.2 million in legal fees and related expenses arising from proceedings that originated outside of the ordinary course of business. We have incurred and expect to continue to incur additional expenses for these proceedings in 2022. See "Note 19. Commitments And Contingencies" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
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Corporate headquarters
In February 2021, we agreed to accelerate our exit from our previous corporate headquarters to October 1, 2021, in exchange for a one-time payment from our landlord of $18 million, which was received in October 2021. The accelerated exit from this lease reduced our future lease liabilities by $21.1 million. On March 31, 2021 we leased office space at One Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to serve as our corporate headquarters. The 4.5 year lease includes a base rent of $2 million per year.
New Waltham Office
On July 6, 2021, we entered into an office space lease for 131 thousand square feet in Waltham, Massachusetts. The lease term of 11 years began on August 1, 2021. The annual rent equals the base rent plus a portion of building operating costs and real estate taxes. Rent first becomes payable on August 1, 2022. Base rent for the first year is approximately $6 million and will increase by 3% annually. In addition, we will receive an improvement allowance from the landlord of up to $11.8 million. This lease increased our lease liabilities and lease-related right of use assets by $42.1 million on August 1, 2021.
Investing activities
The change in cash provided by (used in) investing activities in 2021 was primarily driven by investments in financial instruments, an acquisition, and a decrease in office space related capital expenditures.
Financing activities
Debt financing
In February 2020, we issued $600 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes which mature on March 1, 2025.
| (in thousands) | Amount | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal | $ | 600,000 | |
| Less: issuance costs | (14,527) | ||
| Less: Capped Call Transactions | (51,900) | ||
| $ | 533,573 |
In November 2019, and as amended as of February 2020, July 2020, and September 2020, we entered into a five-year $100 million senior secured revolving credit agreement with PNC Bank, National Association. As of December 31, 2021, we had no outstanding borrowings under the Credit Facility.
See "Note 11. Debt" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
Stock repurchase program
Changes in the remaining stock repurchase authority:
| (in thousands) | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2020 | $ | 37,726 |
| Authorizations (1) | 38,467 | |
| Repurchases (2) | (53,610) | |
| December 31, 2021 | $ | 22,583 |
(1) On June 8, 2021, we announced that our Board of Directors extended the current stock repurchase program’s expiration date to June 30, 2022 and increased the remaining common stock repurchase authority to $60 million.
(2) Purchases under this program have been made on the open market.
Common stock repurchases
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | ||||||||
| Repurchases paid | 422 | $ | 52,411 | 276 | $ | 27,974 | ||||||
| Repurchases unpaid at period end | 10 | 1,199 | 2 | 300 | ||||||||
| Stock repurchase program | 432 | 53,610 | 278 | 28,274 | ||||||||
| Tax withholdings for net settlement of equity awards | 550 | 69,925 | 725 | 75,560 | ||||||||
| 982 | $ | 123,535 | 1,003 | $ | 103,834 |
During 2021 and 2020, instead of receiving cash from the equity holders, we withheld shares with a value of $56.1 million and $59.6 million, respectively, for the exercise price of options. These amounts have been excluded from the table above.
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Dividends
| (in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend payments to stockholders | $ | 9,761 | $ | 9,628 |
We intend to pay a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per share. However, the Board of Directors may terminate or modify the dividend program at any time without prior notice.
Contractual obligations
As of December 31, 2021, our contractual obligations were:
| Payments due by period | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 and thereafter | Other | Total | |||||||||||||||||||
| Convertible senior notes (1) | $ | 4,500 | $ | 4,500 | $ | 4,500 | $ | 602,250 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 615,750 | ||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations (2) | 102,452 | 11,989 | 2,569 | 479 | — | — | 117,489 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating lease obligations | 8,942 | 17,705 | 16,411 | 13,553 | 58,298 | — | 114,909 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Liability for uncertain tax positions (3) | — | — | — | — | — | 1,690 | 1,690 | |||||||||||||||||||
| $ | 115,894 | $ | 34,194 | $ | 23,480 | $ | 616,282 | $ | 58,298 | $ | 1,690 | $ | 849,838 |
(1) Includes principal and interest.
(2) Represents the fixed or minimum amounts due under purchase obligations for hosting services and sales and marketing programs.
(3) We are unable to reasonably estimate the timing of the cash outflow due to uncertainties in the timing of the effective settlement of tax positions.
A detailed discussion and analysis of the 2020 year-over-year changes can be found in "Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND SIGNIFICANT JUDGMENTS
Management’s discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for annual financial reporting. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience, knowledge of current conditions, and beliefs of what could occur in the future, given the available information.
We believe that, of our significant accounting policies, described in “Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies” in Item 8 of this Annual Report, the following accounting policies are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and require the most subjective judgment. Accordingly, these are the policies we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. If actual results differ significantly from management’s estimates and projections, there could be a material effect on our financial statements.
Revenue recognition
Our client contracts typically contain promises by us to provide multiple products and services. Specifically, contracts associated with Pega Platform sales and other software applications, sold either as licenses to use functional intellectual property or as a cloud-based solution, typically include consulting services. Determining whether such products and services within a client contract are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately requires significant judgment. We review client contracts to identify all separate promises to transfer goods and services that would be considered performance obligations. Judgment is also required in determining whether an option to acquire additional products and services within a client contract represents a material right that the client would not receive without entering into that contract.
A contract modification is a legally binding change to the scope, price, or both of an existing contract. Contract modifications are reviewed to determine whether they should be accounted for as part of the original contract or as a separate contract. This determination requires significant judgment, which could impact the timing of revenue recognition. We typically account for contract modifications prospectively as a separate contract. The additional performance obligation(s) in our contract modifications are generally distinct and priced at their stand-alone selling price.
We allocate the transaction price to the distinct performance obligations, including options in contracts determined to represent a material right, based on each performance obligation's relative stand-alone selling price. Judgment is required in estimating stand-alone selling prices. We maximize the use of observable inputs by maintaining pricing analyses that consider our pricing policies, historical stand-alone sales when they exist, and historical renewal prices charged to clients. We have concluded that the stand-alone selling prices of certain performance obligations, specifically software licenses and Pega Cloud arrangements, are highly variable. In these instances, we estimate the stand-alone selling prices using the residual approach, determined based on total transaction price minus the stand-alone selling price of other performance obligations promised in the contract. We update our stand-alone selling price analysis periodically, including a re-assessment of whether the residual approach used to determine the stand-alone selling prices for software licenses and Pega Cloud arrangements remains appropriate.
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Changes in the assumptions or judgments used in determining the performance obligations in client contracts and stand-alone selling prices could significantly impact the timing and amount of revenue we report in a particular period.
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment
Our goodwill and intangible assets result from our previous business acquisitions. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized but are tested for impairment at least annually or as circumstances indicate their value may no longer be recoverable. We do not carry any intangible assets with indefinite useful lives other than goodwill. We perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of November 30th. To assess if goodwill is impaired, we first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary. If based on the qualitative assessment, we consider it more-likely-than-not that our reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying amount, we perform a quantitative impairment test. An excess of carrying value over fair value would indicate that goodwill may be impaired. We periodically reevaluate our business and have determined that we have one operating segment and one reporting unit. If our assumptions change in the future, we may be required to record impairment charges to reduce our goodwill's carrying value. Changes in the valuation of goodwill could materially impact our operating results and financial position.
We evaluate our intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that such assets' carrying amount may not be recoverable. In evaluating potential impairment of these assets, we specifically consider whether any indicators of impairment are present, including, but not limited to:
•whether there has been a significant adverse change in the business climate that affects the value of an asset;
•whether there has been a significant change in the extent or way an asset is used; and
•whether it is expected that the asset will be sold or disposed of before the end of its originally estimated useful life.
If indicators of impairment are present, we compare the estimated undiscounted cash flows that the asset is expected to generate to the carrying value. The key assumptions of the cash flow model involve significant subjectivity. If such assets are impaired, an impairment is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value.
As of December 31, 2021, we had $81.9 million of goodwill and $14.1 million of intangible assets. Changes in the valuation of long-lived assets could materially impact our operating results and financial position. To date, there have been no impairments of goodwill or intangible assets.
Accounting for income taxes
Significant judgment is required to determine our provision for income taxes and income tax assets and liabilities, including evaluating uncertainties in applying accounting principles and complex tax laws. Changes in tax laws or our interpretation of tax laws and the resolution of any tax audits could significantly impact our financial statements.
We regularly assess the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. Future realization of our deferred tax assets ultimately depends on sufficient taxable income within the available carryback or carryforward periods. Changes in our valuation allowance impact income tax expense in the period of adjustment. Our deferred tax valuation allowance requires significant judgment and uncertainties, including assumptions about future taxable income based on historical and projected information.
We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we consider all available objective and verifiable negative and positive evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, our firm contractual backlog, projected future taxable income (inclusive of the impact of enacted legislation), tax-planning strategies and results of recent operations. Based on our firm contractual backlog and our current projections of taxable income, we determined that it is more likely than not that we will be able to realize our net deferred tax asset as of December 31, 2021.
We assess our income tax positions and record tax benefits based upon management’s evaluation of the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting date. For those tax positions where it is more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, we record the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit is recognized in the financial statements.
As a global company, we use significant judgment to calculate and provide for income taxes in each of the tax jurisdictions in which we operate. In the ordinary course of our business, there are transactions and calculations undertaken whose ultimate tax outcome cannot be certain. Some of these uncertainties arise due to transfer pricing for transactions with our subsidiaries, the determination of tax nexus, and tax credit estimates. In addition, the calculation of acquired tax attributes and the associated limitations are complex. We estimate our exposure to unfavorable outcomes related to these uncertainties and estimate the probability of such outcomes.
Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, no guarantee can be given that the final tax outcome will not be different from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions, returns, and accruals. Such differences, or changes in estimates relating to potential differences, could have a material impact on our income tax provision and operating results in the period in which such a determination is made.
See "Note 17. Income Taxes" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
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Capped call transactions
In February 2020, we issued Convertible Senior Notes (the "Notes") with an aggregate principal amount of $600 million, due March 1, 2025, in a private placement. We also entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions (“Capped Call Transactions”) with certain financial institutions. The Capped Call Transactions cover 4.4 million shares (representing the number of shares for which the Notes are initially convertible) of our common stock and are generally expected to reduce potential dilution of our common stock upon any conversion of the Notes.
The Capped Call Transactions are accounted for as derivative instruments and do not qualify for the Company’s own equity scope exception in ASC 815 since, in some cases of early settlement, the settlement value of the Capped Call Transactions, calculated following the governing documents, may not represent a fair value measurement. Applying the accounting framework for the Capped Call Transactions requires the exercise of judgment and the determination of the fair value of the Capped Call Transactions requires us to make significant estimates and assumptions.
The fair value of the Capped Call Transactions at the end of each reporting period is determined using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The valuation models use various market-based inputs, including stock price, remaining contractual term, expected volatility, risk-free interest rate, and expected dividend yield. Management applies judgment when determining expected volatility. We consider both historical and implied volatility levels of the underlying equity security. As of December 31, 2021, a hypothetical 10% increase in our stock price would have increased the fair value of the capped call to $72.4 million, while a hypothetical 10% decrease in our stock price would have decreased the fair value of the capped call to $47.8 million.
See "Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies", "Note 11. Debt", and "Note 13. Fair Value Measurements" in Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.