HARTFORD INSURANCE GROUP, INC. (HIG) FY 2022 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Part II - Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
immaterial. The Company has not determined whether, and to what extent, contributions may be made to the U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan in 2023. The Company will monitor the funded status of the U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan during 2023 to make this determination. As of December 31, 2022, the U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan is fully funded and in an asset position. For further discussion of pension and other postretirement benefit obligations, see Note 18 - Employee Benefit Plans of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
|DERIVATIVE COMMITMENTS
Certain of the Company’s derivative agreements contain provisions that are tied to the financial strength ratings, as set by nationally recognized statistical rating agencies, of the individual legal entity that entered into the derivative agreement. If the legal entity’s financial strength were to fall below certain ratings, the counterparties to the derivative agreements could terminate agreements and demand immediate settlement of the outstanding net derivative positions transacted under each agreement. For further information, refer to Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
As of December 31, 2022, no derivative positions would be subject to immediate termination in the event of a downgrade of one level below the current financial strength ratings. This could change as a result of changes in our hedging activities or to the extent changes in contractual terms are negotiated.
|INSURANCE OPERATIONS
While subject to variability period to period, underwriting and investment cash flows continue to provide sufficient liquidity to meet anticipated demands.
The principal sources of operating funds are premiums, fees earned from insurance and administrative service agreements, and investment income, while investing cash flows primarily originate from maturities and sales of invested assets.
The Company’s insurance operations consist of property and casualty insurance products (collectively referred to as “Property & Casualty Operations”) and Group Benefits.
The Company's insurance operations hold fixed maturity securities including a significant short-term investment position (securities with maturities of one year or less at the time of purchase) to meet liquidity needs. Liquidity requirements that are unable to be funded by the Company's insurance operations' short-term investments would be satisfied with current operating funds, including premiums or investing cash flows, which includes proceeds received through the sale of invested assets. A sale of invested assets could result in significant realized losses.
The following tables represent the fixed maturity holdings, including the aforementioned cash and short-term investments available to meet liquidity needs, for each of the Company’s insurance operations.
Property & Casualty
| As of | ||
|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2022 | ||
| Fixed maturities | $ | 28,497 |
| Short-term investments | 2,475 | |
| Cash | 193 | |
| Less: Derivative collateral | 49 | |
| Total | $ | 31,116 |
Property & Casualty operations invested assets also include $1.2 billion in equity securities, $4.3 billion in mortgage loans and $3.3 billion in limited partnerships and other alternative investments.
Group Benefits Operations
| As of | ||
|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2022 | ||
| Fixed maturities | $ | 7,794 |
| Short-term investments | 325 | |
| Cash | 27 | |
| Less: Derivative collateral | 15 | |
| Total | $ | 8,131 |
Group Benefits operations invested assets also include $308 in equity securities, $1.7 billion in mortgage loans and $866 in limited partnerships and other alternative investments.
The primary uses of funds are to pay claims, claim adjustment expenses, commissions and other underwriting and insurance operating costs, to pay taxes, to purchase new investments and to make dividend payments to the HFSG Holding Company.
Property & Casualty reserves for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses as of December 31, 2022 were $33.1 billion and net of reinsurance were $26.6 billion. Reserves for Property & Casualty unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses include case reserves and IBNR. The ultimate amount to be paid to settle both case reserves and IBNR is an estimate, subject to significant uncertainty. The actual amount to be paid is not finally determined until the Company reaches a settlement with the claimant. Final claim settlements may vary significantly from the present estimates, particularly since many claims will not be settled until well into the future. For a discussion of The Hartford’s judgment in estimating reserves for Property & Casualty see Part II, Item 7, MD&A - Critical Accounting Estimates, Property & Casualty Insurance Product Reserves, Net of Reinsurance, and for historical payments by reserve line net of reinsurance, see Note 11 – Reserve for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. The timing of future payments for the next twelve months and for beyond twelve months could vary materially from historical payment patterns due to, among other things, changes in claim reporting and payment patterns and large unanticipated settlements. In particular, there is significant uncertainty over the claim payment patterns of asbestos and environmental claims.
Group Benefits reserves as of December 31, 2022 were $9.0 billion and net of reinsurance were $8.7 billion. Group life and disability obligations are estimated using assumptions based on the Company’s historical experience, modified for recent observed trends. For a discussion of The Hartford’s judgment in estimating reserves for Group Benefits see Part II, Item 7, MD&A - Critical Accounting Estimates, Group Benefit Reserves,
108
|
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Table of Contents | Index to MD&A |
Part II - Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Net of Reinsurance, for further discussion on future policy benefits, see Note 12 - Reserve for Future Policy Benefits of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and for historical payments by reserve line, net of reinsurance, see Note 11 – Reserve for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Due to the significance of the assumptions used, payments for the next twelve months and beyond twelve months could materially differ from historical patterns.
Corporate includes reserves of $420 as of December 31, 2022 related to retained run-off liabilities of its former life and annuity business. For further discussion on future policy benefits, see Note 12 - Reserve for Future Policy Benefits of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Hartford Funds
Hartford Funds principal sources of operating funds are fees earned from basis points on assets under management with uses primarily for payments to subadvisors and other general operating expenses. As of December 31, 2022, Hartford Funds cash and short-term investments were $208.
|PURCHASE AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS
The Hartford’s unfunded commitments to purchase investments in limited partnerships and other alternative investments, private placements, and mortgage loans are disclosed in Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. It is anticipated that these unfunded commitments will be funded through the Company’s normal operating and investing activities.
In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contractual commitments to purchase various goods and services such as maintenance, Human Resources, and information technology. The Company’s operating lease commitments are disclosed in Note 20 - Leases of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. It is anticipated that these purchase commitments and operating lease obligations will be funded through the Company’s normal operating and investing activities.
|CAPITALIZATION
| Capital Structure | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | Change | |||||
| Long-term debt | $ | 4,357 | $ | 4,944 | (12%) | ||
| Total debt | 4,357 | 4,944 | (12%) | ||||
| Common stockholders' equity, excluding AOCI, net of tax | 17,173 | 17,337 | (1%) | ||||
| Preferred stock | 334 | 334 | —% | ||||
| AOCI, net of tax | (3,876) | 172 | NM | ||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | $ | 13,631 | $ | 17,843 | (24%) | ||
| Total capitalization | $ | 17,988 | $ | 22,787 | (21%) | ||
| Debt to stockholders’ equity | 32 | % | 28 | % | |||
| Debt to capitalization | 24 | % | 22 | % |
Total capitalization decreased $4,799, or 21%, as of December 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021 primarily due to an increase in net unrealized losses on fixed maturities, AFS, share repurchases, and the Company's redemption of its 7.875% junior subordinated debentures, partially offset by net income in excess of common stockholder dividends in the period.
For additional information on AOCI, net of tax, including
unrealized gains from securities, see Note 17 - Changes in and Reclassifications From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) and Note 5 - Investments of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. For additional information on debt, see Note 13 - Debt of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
|CASH FLOW [1]
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 4,008 | $ | 4,093 | $ | 3,871 | ||
| Net cash used for investing activities | $ | (1,277) | $ | (2,466) | $ | (2,066) | ||
| Net cash used for financing activities | $ | (2,710) | $ | (1,581) | $ | (1,778) | ||
| Cash and restricted cash— end of year | $ | 344 | $ | 337 | $ | 239 |
[1]Cash activities in 2021 and 2020 include cash flows related to Continental Europe Operations classified as held for sale beginning in the third quarter of 2020 and sold on December 29, 2021. See Note 21 - Business Dispositions of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for discussion of this transaction.
109
|
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Table of Contents | Index to MD&A |
Part II - Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased slightly in 2022 as compared to the prior year period primarily driven by an increase in P&C loss and loss adjustment expenses paid, higher operating expenses, including increased commissions and staffing costs, a decrease in Hartford Funds fee income and higher taxes paid, mostly offset by an increase in P&C and Group Benefits premiums received and lower integration and restructuring costs.
Cash used for investing activities decreased in 2022 as compared to the prior year period primarily driven by a decrease in net payments for equity securities, a decrease in net payments for mortgage loans, a decrease in net payments for short term investments and a change from net payments to net proceeds from derivatives.
Cash used for financing activities increased primarily due to the redemption of $600 of 7.875% junior subordinated debentures in the second quarter of 2022, as well as proceeds from the issuance of debt in the third quarter of 2021, partially offset by a decrease in share repurchases.
Operating cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022 have been adequate to meet liquidity requirements.
|EQUITY MARKETS
For a discussion of the potential impact of the equity markets on capital and liquidity, see the Financial Risk on Statutory Capital and Liquidity Risk section in this MD&A.
|RATINGS
Ratings are an important factor in establishing a competitive position in the insurance marketplace and impact the Company's ability to access financing and its cost of borrowing. There can be no assurance that the Company’s ratings will continue for any given period of time, or that they will not be changed. In the event the Company’s ratings are downgraded, the Company’s competitive position, ability to access financing, and its cost of borrowing, may be adversely impacted.
On August 15, 2022, S&P upgraded the financial strength rating of The Navigators Group, Inc. and its core operating subsidiaries (collectively, "Navigators"), including NIC, to A+ from A with a Stable outlook. The upgrade of Navigators is reflective of its core status to the Company and recognizes its improved underwriting, which is in line with the Company's overall underwriting standard.
Insurance Financial Strength Ratings as of February 23, 2023
| A.M. Best | Standard & Poor's | Moody's | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford Fire Insurance Company | A+ | A+ | A1 |
| Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company | A+ | A+ | A1 |
| Navigators Insurance Company | A+ | A+ | Not Rated |
| Other Ratings: | |||
| The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.: | |||
| Senior debt | a- | BBB+ | Baa1 |
These ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any of The Hartford’s securities and they may be revised or withdrawn at any time at the discretion of the rating organization. Each agency’s rating should be evaluated independently of any other agency’s rating. The system and the number of rating categories can vary across rating agencies.
Among other factors, rating agencies consider the level of statutory capital and surplus of our U.S. insurance subsidiaries as well as the level of GAAP capital held by the Company in determining the Company's financial strength and credit ratings. Rating agencies may implement changes to their capital formulas that have the effect of increasing the amount of capital we must hold in order to maintain our current ratings. See Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors — “Downgrades in our financial strength or credit ratings may make our products less attractive, increase our cost of capital and inhibit our ability to refinance our debt.”
|STATUTORY CAPITAL
| U.S. Statutory Capital Rollforward for the Company's Insurance Subsidiaries | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Property and Casualty Insurance Subsidiaries [1] [2] | Group Benefits Insurance Subsidiary | Total | ||||||
| U.S. statutory capital at January 1, 2022 | $ | 11,914 | $ | 2,410 | $ | 14,324 | ||
| Statutory income | 1,514 | 378 | 1,892 | |||||
| Dividends to parent | (1,365) | (240) | (1,605) | |||||
| Other items | 48 | 23 | 71 | |||||
| Net change to U.S. statutory capital | 197 | 161 | 358 | |||||
| U.S. statutory capital at December 31, 2022 | $ | 12,111 | $ | 2,571 | $ | 14,682 |
[1]The statutory capital for property and casualty insurance subsidiaries in this table does not include the value of an intercompany note owed by HHI to Hartford Fire Insurance Company.
[2]Excludes insurance operations in the U.K.
110
|
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Table of Contents | Index to MD&A |
Part II - Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Stat to GAAP Differences
Significant differences between U.S. GAAP stockholders’ equity and aggregate statutory capital prepared in accordance with U.S. STAT include the following:
•U.S. STAT excludes equity of non-insurance and foreign insurance subsidiaries not held by U.S. insurance subsidiaries.
•Costs incurred by the Company to acquire insurance policies are deferred under U.S. GAAP while those costs are expensed immediately under U.S. STAT.
•Temporary differences between the book and tax basis of an asset or liability which are recorded as deferred tax assets are evaluated for recoverability under U.S. GAAP while these amounts are then subject to further admissibility tests under U.S. STAT.
•The assumptions used in the determination of Group Benefits reserves (i.e. for Group Benefits contracts) are prescribed under U.S. STAT, while the assumptions used under U.S. GAAP are generally the Company’s best estimates.
•The difference between the amortized cost and fair value of fixed maturity and other investments, net of tax, is recorded as an increase or decrease to the carrying value of the related asset and to equity under U.S. GAAP, while, under U.S. STAT, most investments are carried at amortized cost with only certain securities carried at fair value, such as equity securities and certain lower rated bonds required by
the NAIC to be recorded at the lower of amortized cost or fair value.
•U.S. STAT for life insurance companies like HLA establishes a formula reserve for realized and unrealized losses due to default and equity risks associated with certain invested assets (the Asset Valuation Reserve), while U.S. GAAP does not. Also, for those realized gains and losses caused by changes in interest rates, U.S. STAT for life insurance companies defers and amortizes the gains and losses, caused by changes in interest rates, into income over the original life to maturity of the asset sold (the Interest Maintenance Reserve) while U.S. GAAP does not.
•Goodwill arising from the acquisition of a business is tested for recoverability on an annual basis (or more frequently, as necessary) for U.S. GAAP, while under U.S. STAT goodwill is amortized over a period not to exceed 10 years and the amount of goodwill admitted as an asset is limited.
•The deferred gain on retroactive reinsurance for losses ceded to the Navigators and A&E ADC agreements is recognized within a special category of surplus under U.S. STAT but is recognized within other liabilities under U.S. GAAP.
In addition, certain assets, including a portion of premiums receivable and fixed assets, are non-admitted (recorded at zero value and charged against surplus) under U.S. STAT. U.S. GAAP generally evaluates assets based on their recoverability.
|RISK BASED CAPITAL
The Company's U.S. insurance companies' states of domicile impose RBC requirements. The requirements provide a means of measuring the minimum amount of statutory capital appropriate for an insurance company to support its overall business operations based on its size and risk profile. Companies below specific trigger points or ratios are classified within certain levels, each of which requires specified corrective action. All of the Company's U.S. operating insurance subsidiaries had RBC ratios in excess of the minimum levels required by the applicable insurance regulations.
Similar to the RBC ratios that are employed by U.S. insurance regulators, regulatory authorities in the international jurisdictions in which the Company operates generally establish minimum solvency requirements for insurance companies. All of the Company's international insurance subsidiaries expect to maintain capital levels in excess of the minimum levels required by the applicable regulatory authorities.
|SENSITIVITY
In any particular period, statutory capital amounts and RBC ratios may increase or decrease depending upon a variety of factors. The amount of change in the statutory capital or RBC ratios can vary based on individual factors and may be compounded in extreme scenarios or if multiple factors occur at the same time. At times the impact of changes in certain market factors or a combination of multiple factors on RBC ratios can be counterintuitive. For further discussion on these factors, see MD&A - Enterprise Risk Management, Financial Risk on Statutory Capital.
Statutory capital at the insurance subsidiaries has been maintained at capital levels commensurate with the Company's desired RBC ratios and ratings from rating agencies. The amount of statutory capital can increase or decrease depending on a number of factors affecting insurance results including, among other factors, the level of catastrophe claims incurred,
the amount of reserve development, the effect of changes in interest rates on investment income and the discounting of loss reserves, and the effect of realized gains and losses on investments.
|CONTINGENCIES
Legal Proceedings
For a discussion regarding The Hartford’s legal proceedings, see the information contained in Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and Part I, Item 3 Legal Proceedings, which are incorporated herein by reference.
111
|
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Table of Contents | Index to MD&A |
Part II - Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Legislative and Regulatory Developments
Inflation Reduction Act
On August 16, 2022, the U.S. enacted the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) which is generally effective for years beginning after December 31, 2022. Notably, the bill created a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax (“CAMT”) on corporations with three-year average financial statement income over $1 billion. The Internal Revenue Service has issued limited preliminary guidance. The Company has made certain interpretations and assumptions to comply with the CAMT. While the Company's financial statement income is over $1 billion, it is not expected the Company would have a CAMT liability. If CAMT is paid in the future, the amount would be indefinitely available as a credit carryforward that would reduce tax in future years and would be treated as a temporary item reflected within deferred taxes. The IRA also creates a 1% non-deductible excise tax on stock buybacks of publicly traded U.S. corporations. Such excise tax applies if a company repurchases in excess of $1 worth of its stock in any given calendar year. The impact of this provision will depend on the extent of share repurchases made in future periods. In addition, the IRA added
an $80 billion funding increase for the IRS to support tax enforcement and modernization. Increases to IRS enforcement resources could increase audits on corporate taxpayers, which may include the Company. Finally, the IRA provides the U.S. Department of Treasury with authority to promulgate additional regulations and guidance on implementing the new law.
In addition, Congress may consider a variety of proposals including a possible increase in the corporate tax rate to offset the cost of any new spending. Tax proposals and regulatory initiatives that may be considered by Congress and/or the U.S. Treasury Department could have a material effect on the Company and its insurance businesses. The nature and timing of any such Congressional or regulatory action with respect to any such efforts is unclear.
Guaranty Fund and Other Insurance-related Assessments
For a discussion regarding Guaranty Fund and Other Insurance-related Assessments, see Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
IMPACT OF NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
For a discussion of accounting standards, see Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
112
|
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Table of Contents | Index to MD&A |
Part II - Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
ACRONYMS
| A&E | Asbestos and Environmental | HIMCO | Hartford Investment Management Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABS | Asset Backed Securities | HLA | Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company |
| ACL | Allowance for Credit Losses | IBNR | Incurred But Not Reported |
| ADC | Adverse Development Cover | LAE | Loss Adjustment Expense |
| AFS | Available-For-Sale | LCL | Liability for Credit Losses |
| ALAE | Allocated Loss Adjustment Expenses | LIBOR | London Inter-Bank Offered Rate |
| AOCI | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | LTD | Long-Term Disability |
| AUM | Assets Under Management | LTV | Loan-to-Value |
| BSA | Boy Scouts of America | MD&A | Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations |
| CAY | Current Accident Year | NAIC | National Association of Insurance Commissioners |
| CLO | Collateralized Loan Obligations | NIC | Navigators Insurance Company |
| CMBS | Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities | NICO | National Indemnity Company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (“Berkshire”) |
| CPRI | Credit and Political Risk Insurance | NM | Not Meaningful |
| DAC | Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs | NOLs | Net Operating Loss Carryforwards or Carrybacks |
| DEI | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | NSIC | Navigators Specialty Insurance Company |
| DLR | Disabled Life Reserve | OCI | Other Comprehensive Income |
| DSCR | Debt Service Coverage Ratio | OTC | Over-the-Counter |
| ERCC | Enterprise Risk and Capital Committee | P&C | Property and Casualty |
| ESPP | The Hartford Employee Stock Purchase Plan | PG&E | PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
| ETF | Exchange-Traded Funds | PV&T | Political Violence and Terrorism |
| FAL | Funds at Lloyd's | PYD | Prior Accident Year Development |
| FASB | Financial Accounting Standards Board | RBC | Risk-Based Capital |
| FHLBB | Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston | RMBS | Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities |
| FVO | Fair Value Option | ROA | Return on Assets |
| GAAP | Generally Accepted Accounting Principles | ROE | Return on Equity |
| HFSG | Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. | SCR | Solvency Capital Requirement |
| HHI | Hartford Holdings, Inc. | ULAE | Unallocated Loss Adjustment Expenses |
113
|
Table of Contents