Carlyle Revamps Pay Structure and Announces $1.4 Billion Stock Buyback Plan
In a strategic move to enhance shareholder value and retain top talent, Carlyle Group Inc. announced a significant overhaul of its dealmakers’ compensation plan, paired with an ambitious stock repurchase initiative valued at up to $1.4 billion.
The initiative, aiming to increase steady cash flows to shareholders, comes in response to Carlyle’s recent financial performance, surpassing Wall Street’s forecasts for the fourth quarter. The revised pay structure aims to offer employees, particularly those directly involved in deal facilitation, a larger portion of profits stemming from successful investment exits. This adjustment is seen as a bid to incentivize staff retention and bolster investment oversight during a period marked by a rejuvenation in dealmaking activity, stimulated by expectations of imminent interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
As part of the new compensation scheme, Carlyle plans to elevate the employees’ profit-sharing range from investment exits to between 60% and 70%, a substantial increase from the previous average of 47%. Concurrently, the proportion of compensation tied to fee-related earnings will be reduced. This pivot towards more performance-based compensation has necessitated a $1.1 billion accounting charge, contributing to a fourth-quarter loss of $692 million, or $1.92 per share.
In addition to the revised pay structure, Carlyle’s leadership, under CEO Harvey Schwartz, has committed to a sizable stock buyback program, signaling a robust vote of confidence in the firm’s future growth and stock performance. This program represents nearly 10% of Carlyle’s current market valuation, following a period of underperformance compared to industry counterparts.
Moreover, the firm has outlined ambitious expectations for fee-related earnings in 2024, projecting a 28% increase from the prior year. This forecast accompanies reported dips in distributable earnings amid a slowdown in deal exits but also highlights significant growth in fee-related earnings, underscoring the strategic pivot towards generating stable, recurring income.
This comprehensive strategy, embodying both compensation restructuring and shareholder value enhancement through stock repurchase, marks a pivotal moment for Carlyle as it navigates industry challenges and capitalizes on emerging opportunities for growth and investment success.
