Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VOYA) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

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And hopefully, we were clear in our comments that our focus on ’23 is, I’ll just say 2 words: integration, execution. Integration and taking full advantage of the AGI, including Czech Asset Management as well as Benefitfocus and really driving the revenue growth we see and increasing shareholder value and then execution is we’re in year 2 of our Investor Day plan. We’ve executed on year 1. I think it’s demonstrated by our full year 2022 results. And so we’ve got our heads down for 2022, and that also includes capital management. And maybe the final comment for me on M&A is, as we think going forward, we’re going to continue to invest in initiatives that — whether it’s organically or inorganically, that will accelerate our strategy and always be in the best long-term interest of both shareholders and customers.

So hopefully, that gives you a little greater context of how we’re thinking about M&A.

Andrew Kligerman: Yes. Very helpful, Heather. And if I could just ask a quick technical question with the Inflation Reduction Act putting forth a corporate minimum tax, does that affect Voya in terms of having to pay taxes going forward? And any color on that would be appreciated.

Heather Lavallee: Yes. Thanks, Andrew. Don?

Don Templin: Yes. So we’re evaluating that act. I mean I think there’s some provisions that need to be clarified in terms of that act. At this point in time, we do not anticipate that we will be paying taxes. But that — there’s some consideration around the significant gains that we had in 2021 and how that gets evaluated for purposes of determining whether you fall into the category of being the alternative minimum tax payer.

Operator: Our next questions come from the line of John Barnidge with Piper Sandler.

John Barnidge: Congrats to Rob and Heather as well. Health Solutions had a strong quarter for distribution across the products. Can you maybe talk about the experience there? How Benefitfocus enhances this, and then an early look on stop loss? .

Heather Lavallee: Thanks, John. Rob will take your questions.

Rob Grubka: Yes. Great. Thanks, John. Yes, so a couple of things. As you look our business, just historically, obviously, first quarter, we always guide towards 1Q is going to be a real driver of how we think about the full year. . Part of what we’ve started to talk more about though is also in particular with stop losses broaden out, branching out our distribution approach and sort of the size part of the market that we focus in on, which helps lend towards some diversification on where we do business, who we partner with, how we partner with them. I would say what we saw this fourth quarter, while up a bit, not dramatic in the total of the full year, but those things are starting to create just a different diversity of who we’re talking to, when do we talk to them.

And as you get away from what we historically talked about is our middle and upmarket approach, think 500 lives and up, we’re going to start getting into different conversations, which also necessitates doing business and setting up cases in a more through-the-year sort of cycle. So net-net, I wouldn’t sort of view anything surprising there. It’s a bit of an outcome of us just thinking about the right we’ve earned, I think, by executing really strongly over a number of years now, a reputation in a market that’s brought us credibility and gives us access to more opportunities throughout the year. To the Benefitfocus question, look, we’re in early days. And again, to this point of when do you sell stuff? When are you busy in market? They’re busy right now.

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