Raymond James Financial, Inc. — Form 10-Q Summary
Reporting period: Fiscal second quarter and six months ended March 31, 2015. Financial statements are unaudited. Raymond James is a diversified financial services and bank holding company, with private client, capital markets, asset management, and banking operations.
Financial performance and position
| Metric | Quarter ended Mar. 31, 2015 | Prior-year quarter | Six months ended Mar. 31, 2015 | Prior-year six months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenues | $1.313 billion | $1.205 billion | $2.592 billion | $2.413 billion |
| Net revenues | $1.286 billion | $1.179 billion | $2.538 billion | $2.362 billion |
| Pre-tax income, including noncontrolling interests | $175.6 million | $153.0 million | $374.3 million | $331.8 million |
| Net income attributable to Raymond James | $113.5 million | $104.6 million | $239.8 million | $221.2 million |
| Diluted EPS | $0.77 | $0.72 | $1.64 | $1.54 |
- Quarterly net revenues rose 9% and attributable net income rose 9% year over year. Six-month net revenues increased 7% and attributable net income increased 8%.
- Quarterly non-interest expenses increased 8% year over year to $1.110 billion; compensation and benefits were the largest expense. The quarterly bank loan-loss provision was $3.9 million, versus $2.0 million.
- Six-month operating cash flow was $380.7 million; investing activities used $1.266 billion, mainly to fund bank-loan growth; financing activities provided $1.276 billion, primarily from increased bank deposits. Cash and cash equivalents ended at $2.540 billion, up from $2.199 billion at September 30, 2014.
- At March 31, total assets were $24.968 billion, total liabilities $20.316 billion, and total equity $4.652 billion. Bank loans, net, were $12.061 billion; bank deposits were $11.272 billion.
- Corporate debt was $1.189 billion and other borrowings were $721.7 million. Separately, securities sold under repurchase agreements totaled $277.4 million. The company reported approximately $1.21 billion of cash available without restrictions.
- RJF and RJ Bank met the regulatory definition of “well capitalized.” RJF reported Basel III common equity Tier 1 of 19.2% and total capital of 20.1%; RJ Bank reported 11.5% and 12.8%, respectively.
Material changes and business drivers
- Private Client Group: Quarterly revenue increased 7%, but pre-tax income fell 2% to $75.4 million. Client assets under administration reached $471.1 billion, up 9% year over year. Growth in fee-based accounts and related fees was partly offset by higher expenses and a $6 million mutual-fund share-class remediation expense.
- Capital Markets: Quarterly revenue rose 6%, while pre-tax income declined 29% to $20.8 million. M&A and advisory fees increased 48% and institutional fixed-income commissions increased 21%; equity underwriting revenue fell 30%. Management cited costs of investment-banking expansion and difficult Canadian market conditions.
- Asset Management: Quarterly revenue rose 7% and pre-tax income 4%. Managed-program assets were $69.4 billion, up 11% year over year.
- RJ Bank: Quarterly pre-tax income increased 25% to $71.3 million, primarily on higher net interest income from loan growth and improved net interest margin. The bank-loan portfolio grew to $12.2 billion; the allowance was $160.0 million, or 1.32% of loans. Nonperforming loans declined to $69.6 million from $80.7 million at September 30, 2014.
- Client assets under administration reached a company record of $496 billion. Management attributed inflows to advisor retention and recruiting, alongside market appreciation.
Outlook, commentary, risks and unusual items
- No specific earnings or revenue guidance was provided. Management said a 100-basis-point instantaneous rise in short-term rates was estimated to add approximately $130 million to pre-tax income over 12 months, based on static balances and assumptions about rates credited to client cash; actual results could differ materially.
- Management described market conditions, interest rates, regulatory developments, competition, credit trends, and client participation in financial markets as important uncertainties. A proposed Department of Labor fiduciary rule was under review; its eventual business impact was unknown. Basel III reporting began in January 2015, with no significant effect on reported capital ratios.
- RJF agreed to acquire Cougar Global Investments in March and completed the acquisition on April 30, 2015. Cougar had more than $1 billion of assets under management at December 31, 2014; the filing said the acquisition was not material to RJF’s overall financial condition.
- RJF recognized approximately $17 million of private-equity valuation gains in the quarter’s Other segment; the segment’s pre-tax loss narrowed to $18.3 million. Level 3 assets included $220.9 million of private equity and $202.1 million of auction-rate securities, requiring significant unobservable valuation inputs.
- The mutual-fund share-class issue resulted in a $6 million quarterly expense; the firm decided to bear the full refund cost rather than seek a portion from advisors. Refunds were to begin in April 2015.
- A $250 million senior-note issuance matures in April 2016; management stated it did not then intend to refinance it. A Regions credit facility expired and was repaid on April 2, 2015.
- Pre-closing Morgan Keegan legal matters are subject to Regions indemnification; management estimated potential liabilities of $37 million to $205 million and recorded related indemnification assets and liabilities. Other legal matters had an estimated possible loss range of $0 to $9 million above accrued amounts; management said resolution could affect results in a future period.
- Other risks include loan growth and credit-loss estimates, interest-rate and foreign-exchange movements, valuation uncertainty, regulatory and legal proceedings, and technology or cybersecurity disruption. Management reported no material changes to its previously disclosed risk factors.
Important facts for investors to verify
- Whether client-asset inflows and fee-based revenue growth continue, and whether expense growth permits margins to recover.
- Credit quality and allowance adequacy as RJ Bank’s loan portfolio expands, including commercial and residential mortgage exposures.
- Realization of private-equity and auction-rate-security valuations, and the sensitivity of reported earnings to Level 3 assumptions.
- Actual impact of interest-rate changes, deposit pricing, and the planned 2016 senior-note repayment on earnings and liquidity.
- Costs and outcomes of the mutual-fund share-class remediation and outstanding litigation, including the scope and timing of Regions indemnification.
- Integration and contribution of Cougar Global following its April 2015 closing, as well as the final impact of proposed regulatory changes.