Operating Expenses
The Company’s operating expenses were $816.4 million and $1.6 billion for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively, compared to $798.9 million and $1.6 billion for the same periods in 2018. The Company’s operating expenses consist of cost of services and selling, general and administrative expenses. Cost of services describes the direct expenses incurred in performing a particular service for the Company’s customers, including the cost of reimbursable items and direct labor expense in putting the service in saleable condition. Selling, general and administrative expenses are incurred in selling or marketing and for the direction of the enterprise as a whole, including accounting, legal fees, sales, investor relations and mergers and acquisitions.
Operating expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 increased $17.5 million and $29.9 million, respectively, compared to the same periods last year. The increases primarily related to an increase in cost of services.
The Company’s cost of services were $630.8 million and $1.3 billion for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively, which were increases of 2.1% and 2.6%, respectively, compared to the same periods last year. The increase in cost of services for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 is due to an increase in merchant referral fees and commissions, reimbursable expenses and salaries. The Company’s selling, general and administrative expenses were $185.6 million and $364.6 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively, an increase of 2.5% and a decrease of 0.5%, respectively, compared to the same periods last year. The increase in selling, general, and administrative costs for the three months ended June 30, 2019 is the result of expenses related to the merger with Global Payments partially offset by a decrease in amortization of acquisition intangibles. The decrease in selling, general, and administrative costs for the six months ended June 30, 2019 is the result of a decrease in amortization of acquisition intangibles.
The Company’s transaction and integration expenses related to mergers and acquisitions were $17.6 million and $21.6 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively. These expenses consist of costs related to mergers and acquisitions such as legal, accounting and professional fees, share-based compensation, as well as, personnel costs for severance and retention.
Operating Income
Operating income increased 5.0% and 11.4% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2018. The Company’s operating profit margin for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, was 21.2% and 21.4%, respectively, compared to 20.7% and 19.9%, respectively, for the same periods last year. TSYS’ operating margin increased for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, as compared to the same periods in 2018, due primarily to a decrease in amortization of acquisition intangibles.
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