International. Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated shared information on operating performance for the first quarter of 2023 with a diluted loss per share of $0.19 and adjusted diluted earnings per share1 of $0.65.
The company said first-quarter revenue was $4.7 billion, up 1% in local currency, and commission income was $1.6 billion, down 15% in local currency.
Among the reasons indicated by the company on these figures is that the slowdown in transactions throughout the market continued to affect capital markets activity, which was lower than the solid previous year.
Muted leasing activity across asset classes and most geographies drove the decline in Markets Advisory
Strong demand for project management continued, driving double-digit growth in work dynamics
Margin contraction was primarily driven by declining transaction-based revenue
Growth in execution rate fixed expenses in recent quarters was partially offset by ongoing cost reduction actions
"Our first quarter financial results were in line with the expectations we had at the beginning of the year. Strong commission income growth in our resilient business lines was offset by the continued industry-wide slowdown in investment and lease sales volumes," said Christian Ulbrich, Executive Chairman of JLL. "JLL's diversified global platform and leadership position in both debt origination and equity placement in the U.S. puts us in a unique position to help our clients navigate the current operating environment. The investments we have made in our business over the past few years and the steps we have taken to reduce our operating costs position us to gain market share and drive long-term value for stakeholders."
Earnings
Revenue increased by 1% and commission income decreased by 15% compared to 2022. Economic headwinds and continued interest rate uncertainty continued to adversely affect most transaction-based businesses, in particular, Investment Sales and Debt/Equity Advisory within capital markets, as well as leasing within markets. Advisory.
However, continued demand in Project Management, within Work Dynamics, drove its fee revenue growth of 24%. Annuity-based businesses continued to demonstrate resilience while generating fee revenue growth for the quarter, as JLL Technologies grew 29%; Property Management, within Markets Advisory, grew by 12%; LaSalle's advisory fees grew 9%; and Workplace Management, within Work Dynamics, grew by 3%.
