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Fair Value Measurements
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Fair Value Measurements

12. Fair Value Measurements

GAAP defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Additionally, the inputs used to measure fair value are prioritized based on a three-level hierarchy. This hierarchy requires entities to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:

• Level 1— Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

• Level 2 — Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1. The Company values assets and liabilities included in this level using dealer and broker quotations, certain pricing models, bid prices, quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

• Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. This includes certain pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques that use significant unobservable inputs.

Recurring Fair Value Measurements

The following table presents the Company's financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis, excluding assets related to the Company's defined benefit pension plans, categorized using the fair value hierarchy:

 

December 31,

 

2024

 

 

 

Quoted
Prices in
Active Markets
(Level 1)

 

 

Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)

 

 

Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)

 

 

Total

 

 

 

(In thousands)

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Money market funds (1)

 

$

11,252

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

11,252

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contingent earnout liability (2)

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

1,382

 

 

 

1,382

 

 

 

December 31,

 

2023

 

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

 

Total

 

 

 

(In thousands)

 

Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Money market funds (1)

 

$

10,702

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

10,702

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contingent earnout liability (2)

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

7,511

 

 

 

7,511

 

(1) The fair values of the money market funds were based on recently quoted market prices and reported transactions in an active marketplace. Money market funds are included on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets in "Cash and cash equivalents."

(2) The contingent earnout liability relates to businesses acquired since 2020. See Note 3, "Business Acquisitions and Dispositions" for more information. The Level 3 fair value of the contingent earnout liability was estimated using revenue and EBITDA projections, and discount rates determined using a combination of observable and unobservable market data as well as volatility assumptions as applicable. The Company recognized a pretax contingent earnout (benefit) expense totaling $(1,099,000) in 2024 and $4,025,000 in 2023 related to the fair value adjustment of earnout liabilities arising from recent acquisitions. The fair value of the contingent earnout liability is included in "Other accrued liabilities" and "Other noncurrent liabilities" on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets, based upon the term of the contingent earnout agreement.

The following table summarizes the change in the fair value of the Company's contingent earnout liability balance:

 

December 31,

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

 

(In thousands)

 

Acquisition-related contingent consideration, beginning of the year

 

$

13,066

 

 

$

16,815

 

Change in fair value of contingent consideration, including foreign exchange impacts

 

 

(1,264

)

 

 

4,313

 

Settlement of contingent consideration

 

 

(9,283

)

 

 

(8,062

)

Acquisition-related contingent consideration, end of the year

 

$

2,519

 

 

$

13,066

 

As of December 31, 2024, an earnout liability of $1,137,000 for the 2024 earnout period is based on the actual achievement of performance targets and will be paid in 2025, thus is no longer subject to fair value measurement and was accordingly transferred out of Level 3. Changes in fair value of contingent consideration are included in "Selling, general, and administrative expenses" on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Fair Value Disclosures

The categorization of assets and liabilities within the fair value hierarchy and the measurement techniques are reviewed quarterly. Any transfers between levels are deemed to have occurred at the end of the quarter.

The fair values of accounts receivable, unbilled revenues, accounts payable and short-term borrowings approximate their respective carrying values due to the short-term maturities of the instruments. The interest rate on the Company's variable rate long-term debt resets at least every 90 days; therefore, the recorded value approximates fair value. These assets and liabilities are measured within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Nonrecurring Fair Value Disclosures

During 2022, the Company impaired and expensed goodwill of $36,808,000. See Note 4, "Goodwill and Intangible Assets," where discussed in more detail. There were no goodwill impairments in 2024 or 2023.

 

Fair Value Measurements for Defined Benefit Pension Plan Assets

The fair value hierarchy is also applied to certain other assets that indirectly impact the Company's consolidated financial statements. Assets contributed by the Company to its defined benefit pension plans become the property of the individual plans. Even though the Company no longer has control over these assets, it is indirectly impacted by subsequent fair value adjustments to these assets. The actual return on these assets impacts the Company's future net periodic benefit cost, as well as amounts recognized in its Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company uses the fair value hierarchy to measure the fair value of assets held by its U.S. and U.K. defined benefit pension plans.

The following table summarizes the level within the fair value hierarchy used to determine the fair value of the Company's pension plan assets for its U.S. Qualified Plan at December 31, 2024 and 2023:

 

December 31,

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

 

Total

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

 

Total

 

 

 

(In thousands)

 

Asset Category:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

2,551

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

2,551

 

 

$

3,482

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

3,482

 

Short-term investment funds

 

 

—

 

 

 

5,782

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

5,782

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

10,119

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

10,119

 

Common Collective Equity funds:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.

 

 

—

 

 

 

24,304

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

24,304

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

24,103

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

24,103

 

International

 

 

—

 

 

 

14,039

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

14,039

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

15,394

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

15,394

 

Common Collective Fixed Income Funds and Fixed Income Securities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.

 

 

46,572

 

 

 

135,047

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

181,619

 

 

 

51,784

 

 

 

134,864

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

186,648

 

International

 

 

—

 

 

 

22,040

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

22,040

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

19,177

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

19,177

 

Alternative strategy funds

 

 

—

 

 

 

500

 

 

 

10,528

 

 

 

11,028

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

1,190

 

 

 

11,299

 

 

 

12,489

 

Total Plan Assets

 

$

49,124

 

 

$

201,712

 

 

$

10,528

 

 

 

261,364

 

 

$

55,266

 

 

$

204,847

 

 

$

11,299

 

 

 

271,412

 

Other plan liabilities, net (a)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(31,891

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8,412

)

Net Plan Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

229,473

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

263,000

 

(a) net amounts payable for unsettled security transactions.

The following table summarizes the level within the fair value hierarchy used to determine the fair value of the Company's pension plan assets for its U.K. plans at December 31, 2024 and 2023:

 

December 31,

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

 

Total

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

 

Total

 

 

 

(In thousands)

 

Asset Category:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

701

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

701

 

 

$

2,272

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

—

 

 

$

2,272

 

Common Collective Fixed Income Funds and Fixed Income Securities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term investment funds:

 

 

—

 

 

 

46,997

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

46,997

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

42,859

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

42,859

 

Government securities

 

 

61,246

 

 

 

16,762

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

78,008

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

72,913

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

72,913

 

Alternative strategy funds

 

 

8,090

 

 

 

32,998

 

 

 

2,284

 

 

 

43,372

 

 

 

6,425

 

 

 

26,746

 

 

 

1,827

 

 

 

34,998

 

Real estate funds

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

666

 

 

 

666

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

3,100

 

 

 

3,100

 

Total

 

$

70,037

 

 

$

96,757

 

 

$

2,950

 

 

$

169,744

 

 

$

8,697

 

 

$

142,518

 

 

$

4,927

 

 

$

156,142

 

 

Short-term investment funds consist primarily of funds with a maturity of 60 days or less and are valued at amortized cost which approximates fair value.

Equity securities consist primarily of common collective funds (Level 2). Common collective funds are valued at the net asset value per share multiplied by the number of shares held as of the measurement date.

Fixed income securities consist of money market funds, government securities, corporate bonds and debt securities, mortgage-backed securities and other common collective funds. Government securities are valued by third-party pricing sources and are valued daily in an active market (Level 1). Corporate bonds are valued using either the yields currently available on comparable securities of issuers with similar credit ratings or using a discounted cash flows approach that utilizes observable inputs, such as current yields of similar instruments, and includes adjustments for valuation adjustments from internal pricing models which use observable inputs such as issuer details, interest rates, yield curves, default rates and quoted prices for similar assets (Level 2). Mortgage-backed securities are valued by pricing service providers that use broker-dealer quotations or valuation estimates from their internal pricing models (Level 2). Other common collective funds are valued at the net asset value per share multiplied by the number of shares held as of the measurement date (Level 2).

Alternative strategy funds are valued at the net asset value per share multiplied by the number of shares held as of the measurement date (Level 2). Alternative strategy funds may include derivative instruments such as futures, forward contracts, options and swaps and are used to help manage risks. Derivative instruments are generally valued by the investment managers or in certain instances by third party pricing sources (Level 2) or may, due to the inherent uncertainty of valuation for those investments, differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market for the investments existed, and the differences could be material (Level 3).

Real estate funds are primarily property unit trusts whose values are primarily reported by the fund manager and are based on valuation of the underlying investments which include inputs such as cost, discounted cash flows, independent appraisals and market-based comparable data (Level 3). The fair values may, due to the inherent uncertainty of valuation for those investments, differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market for the investments existed, and the differences could be material.

Changes in fair value related to assets still held at the reporting date are included in "Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss" on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance of Level 3 assets within the Company's U.S. and U.K. pension plans during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

 

 

 

U.S

 

 

U.K.

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Balance at December 31, 2022

 

$

18,194

 

 

$

9,475

 

Actual return on plan assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related to assets still held at the reporting date

 

 

(6,929

)

 

 

(4,548

)

Purchases, sales and settlements, net

 

 

34

 

 

-

 

Balance at December 31, 2023

 

 

11,299

 

 

 

4,927

 

Actual return on plan assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related to assets still held at the reporting date

 

 

(1,350

)

 

 

107

 

Related to assets sold during the period

 

 

(264

)

 

 

63

 

Purchases, sales and settlements, net

 

 

843

 

 

 

(3,113

)

Transfers into Level 3

 

 

—

 

 

 

966

 

Balance at December 31, 2024

 

$

10,528

 

 

$

2,950