Kelly Tuminelli
Analyst · JPMorgan. Please go ahead
16:33 Thank you, Burton. The actions TriNet took during the first quarter and our particularly strong operating performance demonstrated the power of our sustainable business model and resulting cash generation. We are solidly positioned for continued strong performance in 2022. We closed on our acquisition of Zenefits, expanding our product offering, and positioning us to become the most trusted adviser to SMBs by harnessing the power of scale. We successfully returned capital to shareholders as we executed a $316 million share buyback using a modified Dutch auction tender offer. And notably, our strong revenue and earnings growth generated $193 million in corporate operating cash flow during the quarter. 17:24 Our first quarter achievements clearly demonstrate our commitment to serving all of our stakeholders who are represented by our shareholders, customers, employees, and the communities in which we operate. During the first quarter, total revenues increased 15% year-over-year to $1.2 billion. This would have been 14% growth excluding Zenefits. This outperformed our expected guidance by 2 points. The outperformance in total revenues for the first quarter was driven by WSEs outperforming our forecast as we once again benefited from strong hiring within our installed base and rate growth, benefiting both professional services and insurance revenues. We finished the first quarter with approximately 348,000 worksite employees, up 7% year-over-year with an average WSE count for the quarter of over 343,000, also up 7%. 18:31 As Burton noted in his prepared remarks and as we discussed on our Q4 earnings call, we expected and experienced higher than normal WSE attrition during the first quarter. This was primarily due to large customers leaving and M&A transactions within our valuable client base. This resulted in first quarter ending WSEs declining by 5% sequentially. Importantly, customer attrition, as measured by the total number of customers who left us in the first quarter is clearly in line with our historical experience, but those customers were larger this year. 19:10 To put in perspective how unusual this attrition was, during the first quarter 12 large customers left, which accounted for the bulk of this attrition. Half of these customers left due to M&A, which by definition is uncontrollable, although, as proof of our effectiveness and the other half grew out of our PEO model bringing HR in-house. Our recent average is for one similarly-sized customer to leave in the first quarter. That being said, we feel that we performed well during the cycle. We are confident. We are well-positioned to benefit from our current customers' future growth. 19:51 Turning to Professional Service revenues. In the quarter, Professional Service revenues grew 27% year-over-year to $194 million, benefiting directly by 5% from the Zenefits acquisition. Excluding the contribution from Zenefits, Professional Service revenue growth exceeded our first quarter guidance by 5%. The Professional Service revenue growth in excess of the high end of our prior guidance excluding HCM revenues was specifically attributable to rate, making up the majority of the benefit helped by some seasonal benefits and volume driving the remainder from continued strong hiring within our installed base. 20:35 Insurance revenue grew 13% in the quarter. It was primarily driven by volume, wage and healthy growth as well as the year-over-year benefit from last year's Recovery Credit Program not recurring. For the first quarter, our insurance cost ratio was 80.4%, lower than our forecasted range for the quarter of 82% to 85%. Our insurance cost ratio outperformed in the quarter as we benefited from favorable claims development as our fourth quarter reserves were paid during the first quarter. Given the higher paid claims activity in December, we had assumed higher levels of incurred, but unpaid health costs. 21:17 In fact, COVID-19 testing and vaccination costs were slightly higher than our forecast. However, once again, these higher than forecasted COVID-related costs were more than offset by reduced overall health services utilization. This was likely driven by the Omicron variant of COVID-19 as paid claims activity early in the quarter came in under forecast. 21:43 Let me point out that as the variant abated, we did see a return closer to expected utilization levels later in the quarter. Workers comp costs were relatively flat in the quarter. This is consistent with our mix of white-collared workers and continued remote work for a significant portion of our WSE population. 22:03 Turning to operating expenses during the first quarter, expenses grew 11% year-over-year. The excess growth in expenditures was largely attributable to the Zenefits acquisition and integration-related expenses, including investment banking and legal fees. We also experienced compensation-related expense growth reflective of current inflation and labor market dynamics. In spite of the increased transaction-related expenses, let me point out that we grew first quarter GAAP net income per diluted share by 46% year-over-year to $2.21 or $0.18 higher than our original guidance. 22:47 Adjusted net income per diluted share in the first quarter was $2.55 or $0.33 higher than our original guidance. Please note that our adjusted net income in the quarter excluded approximately $10 million or $0.11 per share of Zenefits related acquisition and integration costs. As a reminder, during the first quarter, we completed our tender offer where we repurchased over 3.6 million shares at an $86.50 price per share. However, given the timing of completion of the tender in the quarter, it clearly did not significantly impact our first quarter earnings per diluted share. 23:32 Our strong first quarter financial and operating performance generated over $193 million in corporate operating cash flows and $242 million of adjusted EBITDA. We ended with approximately $235 million of corporate cash after utilizing $316 million for our tender offer and $192 million for the cash portion of the Zenefits acquisition. Our purchase price of Zenefits was adjusted down to $209 million from $220 million. This was due to the accounting treatment of some acquisition triggered time-based payments. These will be captured in our integration costs and will be recognized over time. I would also like to highlight that the Zenefits back-office integration is on track. 24:24 Now let's turn to our second quarter and revised full year outlook, which now reflects our first quarter performance, the acquisition of Zenefits and the share repurchase executed through March. We are lifting the top end of our full year adjusted EPS guidance by $0.15. This is due to our first quarter outperformance continued above average hiring by our customers, good core cost control and the benefit of the share repurchase. These benefits are partially offset by Zenefits operating losses and an expected full return of healthcare utilization in the second half of the year. 25:08 Forecasting our insurance cost ratio due to the impact of COVID-19 remains a challenge due to many factors. These include the risk of new variants, a continuing period of deferred routine and elective care and potentially new government initiatives. Despite the strong first quarter insurance cost ratio or ICR results, we fully expect our second quarter ICR to return to within our historical seasonal range. Our second half view of ICR is more measured, as we expect the combination of seasonally higher utilization and a full return of primary care and elective visits to drive a higher claims rate than in the first half of the year. We will continue to watch this closely as we move throughout the year. 25:57 Now that our acquisition of Zenefits has completed, we are enthusiastic about the growth opportunities for this part of our business and are projecting an associated gross revenue lift of between $40 million and $45 million this year. We still anticipate retention and integration costs of approximately $40 million to $50 million, plus an additional $10 million to $15 million in amortization of purchased intangibles, both of which will impact our GAAP results but will be excluded from adjusted earnings per share. Finally, as a result of our successful tender offer, we expect to receive an $0.18 earnings per share benefit for the full year of 2022 over our previous guidance. 26:42 Turning to specific second-quarter 2022 guidance, including TriNet-Zenefits we expect total revenue growth to be in a range of 8% to 9% year-over-year and Professional Service revenue growth to be in a range of 14% to 15% year-over-year. Our robust second quarter Professional Service revenue growth outlook includes approximately $12 million of TriNet-Zenefits HCM cloud revenue. It also reflects our continued expectation of above average PEO customer hiring, double-digit year-over-year growth in our PEO new sales, and price increases at or above our service costs. 27:25 In the second quarter, we foresee healthcare utilization to return to pre-pandemic seasonal averages. As a result, we expect an insurance cost ratio of between 87.5% to 88.5% in the second quarter. Our second quarter estimate of GAAP net income per diluted share is in the range of $0.69 to $0.80 per share, reflecting the cost impact from the Zenefits acquisition and integration activities that are underway. Controlling for the one-time impacts from that acquisition, we believe our second quarter adjusted net income per diluted share will be in the range of $1.10 to $1.21 per share. 28:10 Regarding our full year 2022 guidance, we are now forecasting our year-over-year total revenue growth to be in the range of 7% to 9% with our professional service revenue expected to grow between 16% and 18%. Total revenues growth and professional service revenues growth both include approximately $40 million to $45 million of incremental TriNet-Zenefits HCM cloud revenue. Professional service revenues growth will benefit from continued hiring from our installed base above pre-pandemic rates and annual service fee increases. 28:50 Our insurance cost ratio guidance of 88% to 89% remains unchanged as we expect higher ICR rates in the second half of the year to offset the lower rate in Q1 during the Omicron peak. As I mentioned earlier, we will continue to cautiously monitor this as the year progresses. Given the integration expenses related to the Zenefits transaction offset in part by the benefit from the tender offer, we are revising our full year GAAP net income per diluted share guidance to $3.28 to $3.91. 29:29 We are raising our full year adjusted net income per diluted share guidance by $0.15 at the midpoint to $4.70 to $5.35, reflecting the benefit from our tender and the strong first quarter financial performance. TriNet has clearly delivered. While, at some point, there could be an opportunity to improve our outlook. We remain prudent in our projections given the remaining uncertainty in full year health utilization. 29:59 With that, I will turn the call to Burton for his closing remarks. Burton?