Stagwell IncSTGW
Stagwell Inc Leases Disclosure
10. Leases
The Company leases office space in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East, Africa and Australia. These spaces are primarily used for office and administrative purposes by the Company’s employees in performing professional services. These leases are classified as operating leases and expire between years 2026 through 2036. The Company’s finance leases are immaterial.
The Company’s leasing policies are established in accordance with ASC 842, and accordingly, the Company recognizes on the balance sheet at the time of lease commencement a right-of-use lease asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments. Right-of-use lease assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. All right-of-use lease assets are reviewed for impairment. As the Company’s implicit rate in its leases is not readily determinable, in determining the present value of lease payments, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date. Lease payments included in the measurement of the lease liability comprise of non-cancellable lease payments, payments based upon an index or rate, payments for optional renewal periods where it is reasonably certain the renewal period will be exercised, and payments for early termination options unless it is reasonably certain the lease will not be terminated early.
Lease costs are recognized on the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the lease term on a straight-line basis. Leasehold improvements are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the lesser of the term of the related lease or the estimated useful life of the asset.
Some of the Company’s leases contain variable lease payments, including payments based upon an index or rate. Variable lease payments based upon an index or rate are initially measured using the index or rate in effect at the lease commencement date and are included within the lease liabilities. Lease liabilities are not remeasured as a result of changes in the index or rate, rather changes in these types of payments are recognized in the period in which the obligation for those payments is incurred. In addition, some of our leases contain variable payments for utilities, insurance, real estate tax, repairs and maintenance, and other variable operating expenses. Such amounts are not included in the measurement of the lease liability and are recognized in the period when the facts and circumstances which the variable lease payments are based upon occur. The Company has elected the practical expedient to not separate the lease components from the nonlease components.
Some of the Company’s leases include options to extend or renew the leases through 2044. The renewal and extension options are not included in the lease term as the Company is not reasonably certain that it will exercise its option.
From time to time, the Company enters into sublease arrangements with unrelated third parties. These subleases are classified as operating leases and expire between years 2026 and 2032. Sublease income is recognized over the lease term on a straight-line basis. Currently, the Company subleases office space in North America and Europe.
The discount rate used for leases accounted for under ASC 842 is the Company’s collateralized credit adjusted borrowing rate.
The following table presents lease costs and other quantitative information for the years ended December 31:
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| Lease Cost: | (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| Operating lease cost | $ | 67,495 | $ | 75,117 | $ | 76,750 | |||||||||||
| Variable lease cost | 21,211 | 23,782 | 20,924 | ||||||||||||||
| Sublease rental income | (8,182) | (8,404) | (9,659) | ||||||||||||||
| Total lease cost | $ | 80,524 | $ | 90,495 | $ | 88,015 | |||||||||||
| Additional information: | |||||||||||||||||
| Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities for operating leases | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating cash flows | $ | 77,427 | $ | 85,283 | $ | 88,955 | |||||||||||
| Right-of-use lease assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities and other non-cash adjustments | $ | 41,404 | $ | 22,105 | $ | 37,259 | |||||||||||
As of December 31, 2025, the weighted average remaining lease term was 5.3 years, and the weighted average discount rate was 5.8%.
Operating lease expense is included in Office and general expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company’s lease expense for leases with a term of 12 months or less was immaterial.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had entered into three operating leases for which the commencement date had not yet occurred because the premises were being prepared for occupancy by the landlords. Accordingly, these leases represent obligations of the Company that were not reflected within the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2025. The aggregate future liabilities related to these leases were $13.5 million as of December 31, 2025.
The following table presents minimum future rental payments under the Company’s leases as of December 31, 2025 and their reconciliation to the corresponding lease liabilities:
| Maturity Analysis | |||||
| (dollars in thousands) | |||||
| 2026 | $ | 67,812 | |||
| 2027 | 65,386 | ||||
| 2028 | 59,006 | ||||
| 2029 | 49,095 | ||||
| 2030 | 45,225 | ||||
| Thereafter | 41,443 | ||||
| Total | 327,967 | ||||
| Less: Present value discount | (48,184) | ||||
| Lease liability | $ | 279,783 | |||
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mar 13, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Mar 11, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Mar 11, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 6, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 17, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 16, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Mar 5, 2020 | |
About Leases Disclosures
Lease disclosures under ASC 842 provide a comprehensive view of a company's leased asset portfolio, including the split between operating and finance leases, discount rates used to present-value future payments, and the maturity schedule of lease obligations. This section reveals a significant source of off-balance-sheet commitments that were largely hidden before the current standard.
Key signals: the weighted-average discount rate affects the size of recorded lease liabilities — a higher rate reduces the reported obligation, so compare the chosen rate against the company's incremental borrowing rate. The operating versus finance lease mix affects both EBITDA and operating income presentation. Watch the maturity table for concentration risk: large payment cliffs in specific years may create cash flow pressure. Variable lease payments excluded from the liability measurement represent real obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet. Compare total lease costs against prior-year operating lease expense to assess the true economic burden.