M&A Activity in Benefits Administration: Round 2

Following the benefits administration merger and acquisition (M&A) frenzy of 2010 that resulted in some major consolidations including Aon Hewitt, Towers Watson, Xerox/ACS and ExcellerateHRO, to name a few, are we poised to see round 2?

The second wave actually began in early 2011 and tends to consist of the more established providers, in their own right, acquiring Tier 2 health and welfare (H&W) administration companies in the U.S.  Examples include:

• Towers Watson acquiring Aliquant in January 2011
• Sedgwick, a leader in the leave of absence administration market with ~20% market share, acquiring the productivity solutions unit of Nationwide Better Health in May 2011
• Morneau Shepell, the leading total benefits outsourcing (TBO) provider in Canada, acquiring SBC Systems Company in January 2012.

As of last week, we can now add ADP to this list since it signed a definitive agreement to acquire SHPS Human Resource Solutions—a subsidiary of SHPS, Inc. ADP has actually been making key acquisitions to strengthen components within its benefits administration offering for the last 18 months. It started with Workscape, which added compensation management services, and was followed by Asparity Decision Solutions for decision support tools and analytic capabilities.

Now, the SHPS acquisition strengthens ADP’s leave administration and reimbursement account administration offerings. The HSA and HRA components will be especially important considering the rising cost of health-care and the transition toward high-deductible health plans paired with these health savings accounts.

The H&W acquisition trend is also expanding beyond the U.S. It started in September 2010, when Capita – a U.K.-based HRO vendor providing total retirement outsourcing (TRO) exclusively in the U.K. – acquired FirstAssist Services Holdings for £12.5m. Then it continued when Mercer acquired REPCA – a brokering and advising firm for health and benefits (H&B) plans – to strengthen its H&B administration offering and advisory services in France.

The remaining question on my mind is whether U.S.-based TRO providers such as ING, Great-West, T. Rowe Price, etc. plan to jump on the H&W acquisition bandwagon to provide a one-stop shop for benefits administration like Fidelity Investments.

I’m eager to see who will make the next M&A move in benefits administration.  In the meantime, it’s always fun to hear about cross-selling opportunities that resulted in contract scope expansions.  Stay tuned.

Amy L. Gurchensky, Research Analyst, HRO, NelsonHall

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Modesty is the Order of the Day in Big HRO

As the earnings reporting season rolls on, some of the HRO heavy weights are reporting modest revenue growth for the second quarter 2010:

• ADP  Employer Services  $1.6 billion, up four percent

• Aon Consulting  $317 million, up six percent

• Mercer $838 million, up one percent  

There was no exuberance, rational or irrational, among the reporting executives. There was modestly cautious optimism based on some growth, strong pipelines and faith in that the cost-cutting actions taken during the downturn will continue to pay margin-enhancing benefits.

Benefits outsourcing revenues were stable at Aon Consulting ($51 million) and Mercer ($161 million). The hot action again seemed to be outside of the U.S., with health and benefits doing particularly well, and compensation consulting also up.

While ADP does not break out HRO, it did say revenue in the U.S., beyond payroll services, grew six percent. ADP Employer Services revenues are now 20 percent international, largely from payroll, and the global growth rate is expected to exceed that in the U.S.

Moderating a nice quarter is continued pricing pressures, client reluctance to make spending commitments on new outsourcing, and a slow return of discretionary spend on projects and other services. Mercer saw a nice sequential increase quarter to quarter in talent management and rewards, which it considers may be a bellwether of improved conditions.

Vendor operating margins have held up relatively well once actions were taken to lower expenses in line with lower incomes. ADP’s took a small dip of 3.2 percent because it has chosen to hire ahead of the full upturn, adding about 300 heads in sales and service. Mercer feels it is poised to move quickly to capture increased opportunities as they appear.

Aon Consulting will, of course, be busy with planning and then integration when it becomes Aon Hewitt. In commenting on the merger, Mercer was comfortable that, overall, it will be a stabilizing force in the market and a confirmation of Mercer’s own three pillars of consulting, outsourcing and investment services. Further, it expressed confidence in its ability to compete in the changed benefits landscape.

Still, it sure sounds likely that it will add something to bulk up a bit as well. MMC, Mercer’s parent,  has $1.5 billion in cash, with more coming in from the sale of Kroll. While it is perhaps not iminent, do expect to see Mercer make a move by the end of the year.  Any speculation on where it may add? Mercer is already strong in consulting, and at $2 billion per year, would it add in outsourcing, or perhaps investment services, which is its smallest, yet nicely growing unit?

Linda Merritt, Research Director, HRO, NelsonHall