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PHOENIX, Feb. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) today reported net income of $313.1 million, or $0.98 per diluted share, for the three months ended December 31, 2021, versus $235.5 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, for the comparable 2020 period. Excluding certain benefits and expenses, on an adjusted basis, net income for the three months ended December 31, 2021 was $325.5 million, or $1.02 per diluted share, versus $320.4 million, or $1.00 per diluted share, for the comparable 2020 period.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, net income was $1,290.4 million, or $4.04 per diluted share, versus $967.2 million, or $3.02 per diluted share, for 2020. On an adjusted basis, net income for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $1,330.6 million, or $4.17 per diluted share, versus $1,137.8 million, or $3.56 per diluted share, for 2020.

"We finished the year strong, capping off our best year of financial performance in Company history. We consistently exceeded expectations and delivered double digit growth in revenue, EBITDA, earnings and free cash flow during the year," said Jon Vander Ark, president and chief executive officer. "Additionally, we invested over $1 billion in value-creating acquisitions and returned over $800 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases."

Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2021 Highlights:

• Fourth quarter EPS was $0.98 per share, and adjusted EPS, a non-GAAP measure, was $1.02 per share.
• Full-year EPS was $4.04 per share, and adjusted EPS, a non-GAAP measure, was $4.17 per share, an increase of 17 percent over the prior year. Adjusted EPS exceeded the Company's upwardly revised full-year guidance.
• Full-year cash provided by operating activities was $2.79 billion, an increase of 13 percent versus the prior year. Adjusted free cash flow, a non-GAAP measure, was $1.52 billion, an increase of 23 percent versus the prior year. Adjusted free cash flow exceeded the Company's upwardly revised full-year guidance.
• Republic invested $1.06 billion in acquisitions, or $1.02 billion net of divestitures.
• Full-year cash returned to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases was $805 million.
• Full-year revenue growth from average yield was 2.9 percent and volume increased 3.8 percent.
• Fourth quarter revenue growth from average yield was 3.4 percent and volume increased 3.6 percent. Fourth quarter core price increased revenue by 5.4 percent. Core price consisted of 7.0 percent in the open market and 2.9 percent in the restricted portion of the business.
• Full-year adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, was $3.38 billion and adjusted EBITDA margin was 30.0 percent of revenue, which represents a 60 basis point increase over the prior year.
• The Company's average recycled commodity price per ton sold during the fourth quarter was $218. This represents a decrease from the third quarter of $12 per ton and an increase of $108 per ton over the prior year.
• The Company recognized front-line employees for their hard work and dedication throughout the pandemic with an additional $500 Committed to Serve award. The total paid in the fourth quarter was $17 million, bringing our total support provided through our Committed to Serve initiative to $50 million over two years.
• Republic was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the sixth consecutive year and was upgraded to "A" in MSCI's ESG ratings, which is the highest rating among environmental services providers.

2022 Financial Guidance

Republic's financial guidance is based on current economic conditions and does not assume any significant changes in the overall economy in 2022 and does not contemplate the impact from the pending acquisition of US Ecology, Inc. which is subject to regulatory and other approvals. Please refer to the Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements section of this document.

Full-year 2022 financial guidance is as follows:

Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share:  The Company expects adjusted diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $4.58 to $4.65. Detail relating to the computation of adjusted diluted earnings per share is contained in the Reconciliation of 2022 Financial Guidance section of this document.

Adjusted Free Cash Flow:  Republic expects adjusted free cash flow to be in the range of $1,625 million to $1,675 million. Detail relating to the computation of adjusted free cash flow is contained in the Reconciliation of 2022 Financial Guidance section of this document.

Revenue:  Republic expects an increase in average yield of approximately 3.4% and volume growth to be in the range of 1.5% to 2.0%.

Adjusted EBITDA Margin:  Republic expects adjusted EBITDA margin to expand over full-year 2021 performance by approximately 30 to 40 basis points.

Acquisitions & Investments:  Republic expects to invest at least $500 million in acquisitions and $175 million in solar energy investments that qualify for tax credits.

"We expect to deliver another strong year of earnings and free cash flow in 2022 through outsized revenue growth, margin expansion and free cash flow conversion improvement," said Mr. Vander Ark. "This financial outlook is a direct result of leveraging our broad capabilities, delivering comprehensive products and services, and developing innovative solutions to drive profitable growth and create a more sustainable world."

Company Declares Quarterly Dividend

Republic announced today that its Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share for shareholders of record on April 1, 2022. The dividend will be paid on April 14, 2022.

Presentation of Certain Non-GAAP Measures

Adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted net income, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted free cash flow are described in the Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Measures section of this document. The adjusted diluted earnings per share and adjusted free cash flow related to the 2022 financial guidance are described in the Reconciliation of 2022 Financial Guidance section of this press release.

About Republic Services
Republic Services, Inc. is a leader in the U.S. environmental services industry. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides superior service offerings while partnering with customers to create a more sustainable world. For more information, visit RepublicServices.com, or follow us at Facebook.com/RepublicServices, @RepublicService on Twitter or Republic Services on LinkedIn.

You should read the following information in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing in our Annual Report on Form 10-K as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021 (when filed). All amounts below are in millions and as a percentage of our revenue, except per share data.

REVENUE

The following table reflects our total revenue by line of business for the three months and years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

The following table reflects changes in components of our revenue, as a percentage of total revenue, for the three months and years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

Average yield is defined as revenue growth from the change in average price per unit of service, expressed as a percentage. Core price is defined as price increases to our customers and fees, excluding fuel recovery fees, net of price decreases to retain customers. We also measure changes in average yield and core price as a percentage of related-business revenue, defined as total revenue excluding recycled commodities, fuel recovery fees and environmental solutions revenue to determine the effectiveness of our pricing strategies. Average yield as a percentage of related-business revenue was 3.6% and 3.1% for the three months and year ended December 31, 2021, respectively, and 2.6% and 2.8% for each of the same respective periods in 2020. Core price as a percentage of related-business revenue was 5.8% and 5.3% for the three months and year ended December 31, 2021, respectively, and 4.9% and 5.1% for the same respective periods in 2020.

The following table reflects changes in average yield and volume, as a percentage of total revenue by line of business, for the three months and years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

COST OF OPERATIONS

The following table summarizes the major components of our cost of operations for the three months and years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020: (in millions of dollars and as a percentage of revenue):

These cost categories may change from time to time and may not be comparable to similarly titled categories used by other companies. As such, you should take care when comparing our cost of operations by cost component to that of other companies and of ours for prior periods.

SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

The following table summarizes our selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months and years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020: (in millions of dollars and as a percentage of revenue):

These cost categories may change from time to time and may not be comparable to similarly titled categories used by other companies. As such, you should take care when comparing our selling, general and administrative expenses by cost component to those of other companies and of ours for prior periods.

RECONCILIATION OF CERTAIN NON-GAAP MEASURES

EBITDA

The following table calculates EBITDA, which is not a measure determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP), for the three months and years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

We believe that presenting EBITDA is useful to investors because it provides important information concerning our operating performance exclusive of certain non-cash and other costs. EBITDA demonstrates our ability to execute our financial strategy, which includes reinvesting in existing capital assets to ensure a high level of customer service, investing in capital assets to facilitate growth in our customer base and services provided, maintaining our investment grade credit ratings and minimizing debt, paying cash dividends, repurchasing our common stock, and maintaining and improving our market position through business optimization. This measure has limitations. Although depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion are considered operating costs in accordance with U.S. GAAP, they represent the allocation of non-cash costs generally associated with long-lived assets acquired or constructed in prior years. Our definition of EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

Adjusted Earnings

Diluted earnings per share was $0.98 and $4.04 for the three months and year ended December 31, 2021 respectively, compared to $0.74 and $3.02 for the same respective periods in 2020. During the three months and years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recorded a number of charges and other expenses and gains that impacted our EBITDA, pre-tax income, net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc. (net income – Republic) and diluted earnings per share. For comparative purposes, certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. The table below sets forth such measures on an adjusted basis to exclude such charges, other expenses and gains:

We believe that presenting adjusted EBITDA, adjusted pre-tax income, adjusted net income - Republic, and adjusted diluted earnings per share, which are not measures determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, provide an understanding of operational activities before the financial impact of certain items. We use these measures, and believe investors will find them helpful, in understanding the ongoing performance of our operations separate from items that have a disproportionate impact on our results for a particular period. We have incurred comparable charges, costs and recoveries in prior periods, and similar types of adjustments can reasonably be expected to be recorded in future periods. Our definition of adjusted EBITDA, adjusted pre-tax income, adjusted net income - Republic, and adjusted diluted earnings per share may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Further information on each of these adjustments is included below.

Loss on extinguishment of debt.  During 2020, we paid cash premiums related to the early extinguishment of certain senior notes and incurred corresponding non-cash charges related to debt issuance costs, discounts and hedging strategies.

Restructuring charges.  In 2020, we incurred costs related to the redesign of certain back-office software systems, which continued into 2021. In addition, in July 2020, we eliminated certain back-office support positions in response to a decline in the underlying demand for services resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Loss on business divestitures and impairments, net.  During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recorded a net loss on business divestitures and impairments of $0.5 million and $77.7 million, respectively. In 2021, we also recognized an increase in our deferred tax provision of $5.5 million due to a change in our U.S. operational footprint as a result of certain acquisitions that closed during the period.

Withdrawal costs - multiemployer pension funds.  During 2020, we recorded charges to earnings for withdrawal events at multiemployer pension funds to which we contribute. As we obtain updated information regarding multiemployer pension funds, the factors used in deriving our estimated withdrawal liabilities will be subject to change, which may adversely impact our reserves for withdrawal costs.

Accelerated vesting of compensation expense for CEO transition.  In June 2021, Donald W. Slager retired as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Republic Services, Inc. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we recognized a charge of $22.0 million primarily related to the accelerated vesting of his compensation awards that were previously scheduled to vest in 2022 and beyond.

Bridgeton insurance recovery.  During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recognized an insurance recovery related to our closed Bridgeton Landfill in Missouri as a reduction of remediation expenses in our cost of operations.

Adjusted Free Cash Flow

The following table calculates our adjusted free cash flow, which is not a measure determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

We believe that presenting adjusted free cash flow provides useful information regarding our recurring cash provided by operating activities after certain expenditures or recoveries. It also demonstrates our ability to execute our financial strategy and is a key metric we use to determine compensation. The presentation of adjusted free cash flow has material limitations. Adjusted free cash flow does not represent our cash flow available for discretionary payments because it excludes certain payments that are required or to which we have committed, such as debt service requirements and dividend payments. Our definition of adjusted free cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

Purchases of property and equipment as reflected on our consolidated statements of cash flows represent amounts paid during the period for such expenditures. A reconciliation of property and equipment expenditures reflected on our consolidated statements of cash flows to property and equipment received during the period follows for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

The adjustments noted above do not affect our net change in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents as reflected in our consolidated statements of cash flows.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, accounts receivable were $1,271.4 million and $1,091.3 million, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $38.5 million and $34.7 million, respectively, resulting in days sales outstanding of 39.2, or 27.5 days net of deferred revenue, compared to 38.6, or 26.4 days net of deferred revenue, respectively.

CASH DIVIDENDS

In October 2021, we paid a cash dividend of $146.1 million to shareholders of record as of October 1, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we recorded a quarterly dividend payable of $145.9 million to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 3, 2022, which was paid on January 14, 2022.

SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

During the three months ended December 31, 2021, we repurchased 0.3 million shares of our stock for $36.7 million at a weighted average cost per share of $122.69. As of December 31, 2021, the remaining authorized purchase capacity under our October 2020 repurchase program was $1.7 billion.

2022 FINANCIAL GUIDANCE

Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share

The following is a summary of anticipated adjusted diluted earnings per share for the year ending December 31, 2022 compared to the actual adjusted diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2021. Adjusted diluted earnings per share is not a measure determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP:

We believe that presenting adjusted diluted earnings per share provides an understanding of operational activities before the financial impact of certain items. We use this measure, and believe investors will find it helpful, in understanding the ongoing performance of our operations separate from items that have a disproportionate impact on our results for a particular period. We have incurred comparable charges, costs and recoveries in prior periods, and similar types of adjustments can reasonably be expected to be recorded in future periods. Our definition of adjusted diluted earnings per share may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

Adjusted Free Cash Flow

Our anticipated adjusted free cash flow for the year ending December 31, 2022, and our actual adjusted free cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2021 which are not measures determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, are calculated as follows:

We believe that presenting adjusted free cash flow provides useful information regarding our recurring cash provided by operating activities after certain expenditures or recoveries. It also demonstrates our ability to execute our financial strategy and is a key metric we use to determine compensation. The presentation of adjusted free cash flow has material limitations. Adjusted free cash flow does not represent our cash flow available for discretionary payments because it excludes certain payments that are required or to which we have committed, such as debt service requirements and dividend payments. Our definition of adjusted free cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

INFORMATION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains certain forward-looking information about us that is intended to be covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Words such as "guidance," "expect," "will," "may," "anticipate," "plan," "estimate," "project," "intend," "should," "can," "likely," "could," "outlook" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include information about our plans, strategies and prospects. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are subject to risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that the expectations will prove to be correct. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements are the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and actions taken in response thereto, acts of war, riots or terrorism, and the impact of these acts on economic, financial and social conditions in the United States as well as our dependence on large, long-term collection, transfer and disposal contracts. More information on factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated is included from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 (when filed), particularly under Part I, Item 1A - Risk Factors. Additionally, new risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all such risk factors, or to assess the impact such risk factors might have on our business. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Republic Services, Inc.