# MERCURY GENERAL CORP (MCY) Informational only - not investment advice. CIK: 0000064996 SIC: 6331 Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance SIC breadcrumb: [Finance, Insurance, And Real Estate](/division/H/) > [Insurance Carriers](/major-group/63/) > [SIC 6331 Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance](/industry/6331/) Latest 10-K filed: 2026-02-17 SEC page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=64996 Filing source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/64996/000006499626000005/mcy-20251231.htm ## Selected Fundamentals | Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed | | --- | ---: | --- | ---: | --- | | Revenue | 5992468000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-17 | | Net income | 541094000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-17 | | Assets | 9560669000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-17 | ## Financials Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-17. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000064996.json. Derived margins are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts. | Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | Revenue | 3,227,683,000 | 3,415,962,000 | 3,380,004,000 | 3,972,518,000 | 3,784,511,000 | 3,993,357,000 | 3,643,066,000 | 4,629,631,000 | 5,475,633,000 | 5,992,468,000 | | Net income | 73,044,000 | 144,877,000 | -5,728,000 | 320,087,000 | 374,607,000 | 247,937,000 | -512,672,000 | 96,336,000 | 467,953,000 | 541,094,000 | | Diluted EPS | 1.32 | 2.62 | -0.10 | 5.78 | 6.77 | 4.48 | -9.26 | 1.74 | 8.45 | 9.77 | | Assets | 4,788,718,000 | 5,101,323,000 | 5,433,729,000 | 5,889,157,000 | 6,328,246,000 | 6,772,472,000 | 6,514,188,000 | 7,103,397,000 | 8,310,632,000 | 9,560,669,000 | | Liabilities | 3,036,316,000 | 3,339,936,000 | 3,816,045,000 | 4,089,655,000 | 4,295,649,000 | 4,632,191,000 | 4,992,057,000 | 5,555,252,000 | 6,364,108,000 | 7,143,394,000 | | Stockholders' equity | 1,752,402,000 | 1,761,387,000 | 1,617,684,000 | 1,799,502,000 | 2,032,597,000 | 2,140,281,000 | 1,522,131,000 | 1,548,145,000 | 1,946,524,000 | 2,417,275,000 | | Net margin | 2.26% | 4.24% | -0.17% | 8.06% | 9.90% | 6.21% | -14.07% | 2.08% | 8.55% | 9.03% | ## Quarterly Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-05. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000064996.json. Flow metrics use discrete quarter-length periods from 10-Q/10-Q/A filings. Q4 revenue and net income are derived only when annual FY and nine-month YTD facts exist for the same fiscal year; derived Q4 values are labeled. EPS Q4 is not derived. | Quarter | End date | Revenue | Net income | Diluted EPS | Method | | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | --- | | 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | | | -3.80 | reported discrete quarter | | 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | | | -1.78 | reported discrete quarter | | 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | | | -0.82 | reported discrete quarter | | 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 1,083,227,000 | -41,543,000 | -0.75 | reported discrete quarter | | 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 1,065,192,000 | -8,227,000 | -0.15 | reported discrete quarter | | 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 1,374,633,000 | 191,394,000 | | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | | 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 1,274,085,000 | 73,462,000 | 1.33 | reported discrete quarter | | 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 1,304,994,000 | 62,568,000 | 1.13 | reported discrete quarter | | 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 1,530,374,000 | 230,856,000 | 4.17 | reported discrete quarter | | 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 1,366,179,000 | 101,067,000 | | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | | 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 1,393,879,000 | -108,327,000 | -1.96 | reported discrete quarter | | 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 1,477,885,000 | 166,472,000 | 3.01 | reported discrete quarter | | 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 1,584,926,000 | 280,403,000 | 5.06 | reported discrete quarter | | 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 1,535,779,000 | 202,547,000 | | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | | 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 1,539,809,000 | 190,421,000 | 3.44 | reported discrete quarter | ## Macro Cross-References - [CPIAUCSL](/indicator/CPIAUCSL/): Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average - [UNRATE](/indicator/UNRATE/): Unemployment Rate - [FEDFUNDS](/indicator/FEDFUNDS/): Federal Funds Effective Rate - [CES0500000003](/indicator/CES0500000003/): Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private - [DFEDTARU](/indicator/DFEDTARU/): Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit - [DFEDTARL](/indicator/DFEDTARL/): Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit - [DGS3MO](/indicator/DGS3MO/): Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity - [DGS2](/indicator/DGS2/): Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity - [DGS10](/indicator/DGS10/): Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity - [DGS30](/indicator/DGS30/): Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity - [T10Y2Y](/indicator/T10Y2Y/): 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity - [CPILFESL](/indicator/CPILFESL/): Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy - [CPIUFDSL](/indicator/CPIUFDSL/): Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food - [CPIENGSL](/indicator/CPIENGSL/): Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy - [CUSR0000SAH1](/indicator/CUSR0000SAH1/): Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter - [PCEPI](/indicator/PCEPI/): Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index - [PCEPILFE](/indicator/PCEPILFE/): Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index - [PPIACO](/indicator/PPIACO/): Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities - [T10YIE](/indicator/T10YIE/): 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate - [U6RATE](/indicator/U6RATE/): Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons - [PAYEMS](/indicator/PAYEMS/): All Employees, Total Nonfarm - [CIVPART](/indicator/CIVPART/): Labor Force Participation Rate - [EMRATIO](/indicator/EMRATIO/): Employment-Population Ratio - [UNEMPLOY](/indicator/UNEMPLOY/): Unemployed - [CE16OV](/indicator/CE16OV/): Employment Level - [ICSA](/indicator/ICSA/): Initial Claims - [JTSJOL](/indicator/JTSJOL/): Job Openings: Total Nonfarm - [JTSQUR](/indicator/JTSQUR/): Quits: Total Nonfarm - [GDPC1](/indicator/GDPC1/): Real Gross Domestic Product - [A191RL1Q225SBEA](/indicator/A191RL1Q225SBEA/): Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period - [INDPRO](/indicator/INDPRO/): Industrial Production: Total Index - [TCU](/indicator/TCU/): Capacity Utilization: Total Index - [HOUST](/indicator/HOUST/): New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units - [PERMIT](/indicator/PERMIT/): New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units - [RSAFS](/indicator/RSAFS/): Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade - [PCE](/indicator/PCE/): Personal Consumption Expenditures - [DSPIC96](/indicator/DSPIC96/): Real Disposable Personal Income - [PSAVERT](/indicator/PSAVERT/): Personal Saving Rate - [M2SL](/indicator/M2SL/): M2 - [BOPGSTB](/indicator/BOPGSTB/): U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance - [MSPUS](/indicator/MSPUS/): Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States - [HSN1F](/indicator/HSN1F/): New One Family Houses Sold: United States - [RHORUSQ156N](/indicator/RHORUSQ156N/): Homeownership Rate in the United States - [TTLCONS](/indicator/TTLCONS/): Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States - [RRVRUSQ156N](/indicator/RRVRUSQ156N/): Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States - [TOTALSL](/indicator/TOTALSL/): Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized - [REVOLSL](/indicator/REVOLSL/): Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized - [DRCCLACBS](/indicator/DRCCLACBS/): Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks - [GDP](/indicator/GDP/): Gross Domestic Product - [GPDI](/indicator/GPDI/): Gross Private Domestic Investment - [GCE](/indicator/GCE/): Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment - [PCEC](/indicator/PCEC/): Personal Consumption Expenditures - [NETEXP](/indicator/NETEXP/): Net Exports of Goods and Services - [GFDEBTN](/indicator/GFDEBTN/): Federal Debt: Total Public Debt - [GFDEGDQ188S](/indicator/GFDEGDQ188S/): Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product - [FYFSD](/indicator/FYFSD/): Federal Surplus or Deficit - [FGRECPT](/indicator/FGRECPT/): Federal Government Current Receipts - [FGEXPND](/indicator/FGEXPND/): Federal Government: Current Expenditures - [MANEMP](/indicator/MANEMP/): All Employees, Manufacturing - [USCONS](/indicator/USCONS/): All Employees, Construction - [USTRADE](/indicator/USTRADE/): All Employees, Retail Trade - [USFIRE](/indicator/USFIRE/): All Employees, Financial Activities - [USGOVT](/indicator/USGOVT/): All Employees, Government - [AWHAETP](/indicator/AWHAETP/): Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private - [DGORDER](/indicator/DGORDER/): Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods - [NEWORDER](/indicator/NEWORDER/): Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft - [BUSINV](/indicator/BUSINV/): Total Business Inventories - [EXPGS](/indicator/EXPGS/): Exports of Goods and Services - [IMPGS](/indicator/IMPGS/): Imports of Goods and Services - [IR](/indicator/IR/): Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities - [PPIFIS](/indicator/PPIFIS/): Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand ## Latest quarter (10-Q) Latest 10-Q source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/64996/000006499626000014/mcy-20260331.htm Extracted between Part I Item 2 and the next Item 3/4 or Part II heading after HTML sanitization. Confidence: high Filing date: 2026-05-05 Report date: 2026-03-31 Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Forward-Looking Statements The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe harbor” for certain forward-looking statements. Certain statements contained in this report are forward-looking statements based on the Company’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the Company. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by the Company. Actual results may differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of the Company) and are subject to change based upon various factors, including but not limited to the following risks and uncertainties: changes in the demand for the Company’s insurance products, inflation and general economic conditions, including general market risks associated with the Company’s investment portfolio; the accuracy and adequacy of the Company’s pricing methodologies; catastrophes in the markets served by the Company; uncertainties related to estimates, assumptions and projections generally; the possibility that actual loss experience may vary adversely from the actuarial estimates made to determine the Company’s loss reserves in general, including subrogation recovery estimates; the Company’s ability to obtain and the timing of the approval of premium rate changes for insurance policies issued in the states where it operates; legislation adverse to the automobile or homeowners insurance industry or business generally that may be enacted in the states where the Company operates; the Company’s success in managing its business in non-California states; the presence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing and marketing efforts; the Company's ability to successfully allocate the resources used in the states with reduced or exited operations to its operations in other states; changes in driving patterns and loss trends; acts of war and terrorist activities; effects of changing climate conditions; pandemics, epidemics, widespread health emergencies, or outbreaks of infectious diseases; court decisions and trends in litigation and health care and auto repair costs; changes in global trade policies, including trade barriers or restrictions; and legal, cybersecurity, regulatory and litigation risks. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new information, future events or otherwise. For a more detailed discussion of some of the foregoing risks and uncertainties, see the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 17, 2026. OVERVIEW A. General The operating results of property and casualty insurance companies are subject to significant quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year fluctuations due to the effect of competition on pricing, the frequency and severity of losses, the effect of weather and natural disasters on losses, general economic conditions, the general regulatory environment in states in which an insurer operates, state regulation of insurance including premium rates, changes in fair value of investments, and other factors such as changes in tax laws. The property and casualty insurance industry has been highly cyclical, with periods of high premium rates and shortages of underwriting capacity followed by periods of severe price competition and excess capacity. These cycles can have a significant impact on the Company’s ability to grow and retain business. This section discusses some of the relevant factors that management considers in evaluating the Company’s performance, prospects, and risks. It is not all-inclusive and is meant to be read in conjunction with the entirety of management’s discussion and analysis, the Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, and all other items contained within this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. B. Business The Company is primarily engaged in writing personal automobile insurance through 12 insurance subsidiaries (“Insurance Companies”) in 11 states, principally California. The Company also writes homeowners, commercial automobile, commercial property, mechanical protection, and umbrella insurance. The Company's insurance policies are mostly sold through independent agents who receive a commission for selling policies. The Company believes that it has thorough underwriting, pricing and claims handling processes that, together with its agent relationships, provide the Company with competitive advantages. 26 Table of Contents The following tables present direct premiums written, by state and line of insurance business, for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025: Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 (Dollars in thousands) Private Passenger  Automobile Homeowners Commercial Automobile Other Lines (2) Total California $ 817,037  $ 299,644  $ 94,658  $ 91,947  $ 1,303,286  82.9  % Texas 32,698  53,279  17,045  1,385  104,407  6.6  % Other states (1) 90,702  63,452  7,849  3,045  165,048  10.5  % Total $ 940,437  $ 416,375  $ 119,552  $ 96,377  $ 1,572,741  100.0  % 59.8  % 26.5  % 7.6  % 6.1  % 100.0  % Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 (Dollars in thousands) Private Passenger  Automobile Homeowners Commercial Automobile Other Lines (2) Total California $ 771,889  $ 236,535  $ 78,629  $ 83,938  $ 1,170,991  81.1  % Texas 31,836  55,043  17,463  1,882  106,224  7.3  % Other states (1) 102,748  52,667  10,437  2,376  168,228  11.6  % Total $ 906,473  $ 344,245  $ 106,529  $ 88,196  $ 1,445,443  100.0  % 62.7  % 23.8  % 7.4  % 6.1  % 100.0  % ______________ (1) No individual state accounted for more than 5% of total direct premiums written. (2) No individual line of insurance business accounted for more than 5% of total direct premiums written. C. Regulatory and Legal Matters The DOI in each state in which the Company operates is responsible for conducting periodic financial, market conduct, and rating and underwriting examinations of the Insurance Companies in their states. Market conduct examinations typically review compliance with insurance statutes and regulations with respect to rating, underwriting, claims handling, billing, and other practices. During the course of and at the conclusion of the examinations, the examining DOI generally reports findings to the Company. In late 2024, as part of the California insurance commissioner’s “Sustainable Insurance Strategy,” the California DOI issued two regulations that may impact how insurers price and write certain of their California property insurance policies: one allowing insurers to incorporate catastrophe modeling into rate-making with a requirement for them to align their share of insured properties in distressed wildfire-prone areas of the state to at least 85% of their state-wide market share, which may be increased by 5% per year, if necessary, until that level is reached; and the other allowing insurers to incorporate reinsurance costs into rate-making for certain specific catastrophe perils and wildfire exposures when meeting the same requirement governing the use of catastrophe modeling. The California insurance commissioner has also implemented changes to the California FAIR Plan, expanding coverage offerings and changing the assessment and recoupment processes in order to enhance market stability: the FAIR Plan’s member insurers may now request the California insurance commissioner’s prior approval to collect temporary supplemental fees from their own policyholders in order to recoup up to 50% of amounts assessed up to $1 billion in aggregate assessments in the industry and 100% of all amounts assessed over that $1 billion threshold for each of personal and commercial lines of insurance business, and 100% of all amounts assessed over $2 billion in aggregate assessments in the industry for the combined personal and commercial lines of insurance business. In December 2025, the California DOI approved the Company's rate application, which incorporates catastrophe modeling and reinsurance costs into its ratemaking in accordance with the new regulations. The Company will adhere to the market-share requirements when the new rating plan is effective in July 2026. In January 2025, the California DOI approved a 12% rate increase on the California homeowners line of insurance business. This rate increase became effective in March 2025. In addition, in December 2025, the California DOI approved a 6.9% rate increase on the California homeowners line of insurance business. This rate increase is expected to become effective in July 2026. The California homeowners line of insurance business represented approximately 17% of the Company's total net premiums earned for the three months ended March 31, 2026. 27 Table of Contents The Company is, from time to time, named as a defendant in various lawsuits or regulatory actions incidental to its insurance business. The majority of lawsuits brought against the Company relate to insurance claims that arise in the normal course of business and are reserved for through the reserving process. For a discussion of the Company’s reserving methods, see the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. The Company establishes reserves for non-insurance claims related lawsuits, regulatory actions, and other contingencies when the Company believes a loss is probable and is able to estimate its potential exposure. For loss contingencies believed to be reasonably possible, the Company also discloses the nature of the loss contingency and an estimate of the possible loss, range of loss, or a statement that such an estimate cannot be made. In addition, the Company accrues for anticipated legal defense costs associated with such lawsuits and regulatory actions. While actual losses may differ from the amounts recorded and the ultimate outcome of the Company's pending actions is generally not yet determinable, the Company does not believe that the ultimate resolution of currently pending legal or regulatory proceedings, either individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or cash flows. In all cases, the Company vigorously defends itself unless a reasonable settlement appears appropriate. For a discussion of any additional regulatory or legal matters, see the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. D. Critical Accounting Estimates Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves ("Loss Reserves") Preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements requires management’s judgment and estimates. The most significant is the estimate of loss reserves. Estimating loss reserves is a difficult process as many factors can ultimately affect the final settlement of a claim and, therefore, the loss reserve that is required. A key assumption in estimating loss reserves is the degree to which the historical data used to analyze reserves will be predictive of ultimate claim costs on incurred claims. Changes in the regulatory and legal environments, results of litigation, medical costs, the cost of repair materials, and labor rates, among other factors, can impact this assumption. In addition, time can be a critical part of reserving determinations since the longer the span between the incidence of a loss and the payment or settlement of a claim, the more variable the ultimate settlement amount could be. Accordingly, short-tail claims, such as property damage claims, tend to be more reasonably predictable than long-tail liability cl [Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.] ## Latest 10-K MD&A Extracted between Item 7 and the next Item 7A/8 heading after HTML sanitization. Confidence: high Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Forward-looking Statements     The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe harbor” for certain forward-looking statements. Certain statements contained in this report are forward-looking statements based on the Company’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the Company. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by the Company. Actual results may differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of the Company) and are subject to change based upon various factors, including but not limited to the following risks and uncertainties: changes in the demand for the Company’s insurance products, inflation and general economic conditions, including general market risks associated with the Company’s investment portfolio; the accuracy and adequacy of the Company’s pricing methodologies; catastrophes in the markets served by the Company; uncertainties related to estimates, assumptions and projections generally; the possibility that actual loss experience may vary adversely from the actuarial estimates made to determine the Company’s loss reserves in general, including subrogation recovery estimates; the Company’s ability to obtain and the timing of the approval of premium rate changes for insurance policies issued in states where the Company operates; legislation adverse to the automobile insurance industry or business generally that may be enacted in the states where the Company operates; the Company’s success in managing its business in non-California states; the presence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing and marketing efforts; the Company's ability to successfully allocate the resources used in the states with reduced or exited operations to its operations in other states; changes in driving patterns and loss trends; acts of war and terrorist activities; effects of changing climate conditions; pandemics, epidemics, widespread health emergencies, or outbreaks of infectious diseases; court decisions and trends in litigation and health care and auto repair costs; changes in global trade policies, including trade barriers or restrictions; and legal, cybersecurity, regulatory and litigation risks.     From time to time, forward-looking statements are also included in the Company’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, in press releases, in presentations, on its web site, and in other materials released to the public. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or, in the case of any document the Company incorporates by reference, any other report filed with the SEC or any other public statement made by the Company, the date of the document, report or statement. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise. OVERVIEW A. General The operating results of property and casualty insurance companies are subject to significant quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year fluctuations due to the effect of competition on pricing, the frequency and severity of losses, the effect of weather and natural disasters on losses, general economic conditions, the general regulatory environment in states in which an insurer operates, state regulation of insurance including premium rates, changes in fair value of investments, and other factors such as changes in tax laws. The property and casualty insurance industry has been highly cyclical, with periods of high premium rates and shortages of underwriting capacity followed by periods of severe price competition and excess capacity. These cycles can have a significant impact on the Company’s ability to grow and retain business. The Company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California and writes primarily personal automobile lines of business selling policies through a network of independent agents, 100% owned insurance agents and direct channels, in 11 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. The Company also offers homeowners, commercial automobile, commercial property, mechanical protection, fire, and umbrella insurance. Private passenger automobile lines of insurance business accounted for approximately 60% of the $6.0 billion of the Company’s direct premiums written in 2025, and approximately 86% of the private passenger automobile premiums were written in California.  This section discusses some of the relevant factors that management considers in evaluating the Company’s performance, prospects, and risks. It is not all-inclusive and is meant to be read in conjunction with the entirety of management’s discussion and analysis, the Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, and all other items contained within this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 33 2025 Financial Performance Summary The Company’s net income for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $541.1 million, or $9.77 per diluted share, compared to $468.0 million, or $8.45 per diluted share, for the same period in 2024. Included in net income was $328.7 million of pre-tax net investment income that was generated during 2025 on a portfolio of $6.6 billion, at fair value, at December 31, 2025, compared to $280.0 million of pre-tax net investment income that was generated during 2024 on a portfolio of $6.1 billion, at fair value, at December 31, 2024. Also included in net income were pre-tax net realized investment gains of $131.4 million and $88.7 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively, and pre-tax catastrophe losses, net of reinsurance and reinstatement premiums earned, of approximately $608.6 million and $277.0 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively. The Company’s operating results and growth have allowed it to consistently generate positive cash flow from operations, which was approximately $1,087 million and $1,037 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively.  The Company continued its marketing efforts to enhance name recognition and lead generation in 2025, and increased the spending for advertising and marketing. The Company believes that its marketing efforts and broad independent agent distribution network, combined with its ability to maintain relatively low prices and a strong reputation, make its insurance products competitive in California and in other states. The Company believes its thorough underwriting process gives it an advantage over its competitors. The Company’s agent relationships and underwriting and claims processes are its most important competitive advantages. Economic and Industry Wide Factors •Regulatory Uncertainty—The insurance industry is subject to strict state regulation and oversight and is governed by the laws of each state in which each insurance company operates. State regulators generally have substantial power and authority over insurance companies including, in some states, approving rate changes and rating factors, restricting cancellation and non-renewal of insurance policies, and establishing minimum capital and surplus requirements. In many states, insurance commissioners may emphasize different agendas or interpret existing regulations differently than previous commissioners. There is no certainty that current or future regulations and the interpretation of those regulations by insurance commissioners and the courts will not have an adverse impact on the Company. •Cost Uncertainty—Because insurance companies pay claims after premiums are collected, the ultimate cost of an insurance policy is not known until well after the policy revenues are earned. Consequently, significant assumptions are made when establishing insurance rates and loss reserves. While insurance companies use sophisticated models and experienced actuaries to assist in setting rates and establishing loss reserves, there can be no assurance that current rates or current reserve estimates will be adequate. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that insurance regulators will approve rate increases when the Company’s actuarial analyses indicate that they are needed. •Economic Conditions—The Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity may be negatively impacted by global, national and local economic conditions, such as recessions, increased levels of unemployment, inflation, and large fluctuations in interest rates. Further, volatility in global capital markets could adversely affect the Company’s investment portfolio. The Company is not able to predict the timing and effect of these factors, or their duration and severity. •Inflation—The largest cost component for automobile insurers is losses, which include medical, replacement automobile parts, and labor costs. There can be significant variation in the overall increases in medical cost inflation, and it is often years after the respective fiscal period ends before sufficient claims have closed for the inflation rate to be known with a reasonable degree of certainty. Therefore, it can be difficult to establish reserves and set premium rates, particularly when actual inflation rates may be higher or lower than anticipated. •Loss Frequency—Another component of overall loss costs is loss frequency, which is the number of claims per risk insured. Loss frequency trends are affected by many factors such as fuel prices, the economy, the prevalence of distracted driving, and collision avoidance and other technology in vehicles. •Underwriting Cycle and Competition—The property and casualty insurance industry is highly cyclical, with alternating hard and soft market conditions. The Company believes that the automobile insurance market in most states went through a transitional period from hard to softening market conditions during 2025 as many insurance carriers experienced improved profitability and increased competition, with inflation easing and rates stabilizing. Technology The Company has invested in improvements to automation, customer and agent experience, internal process efficiencies, 34 and cybersecurity protections in 2025. In 2026, the Company expects to continue to invest in customer and agent experience, automation, cybersecurity, and in the decommissioning of legacy systems. B. Regulatory and Legal Matters The process for implementing rate changes varies by state. For more detailed information related to insurance rate approval, see "Item 1. Business—Regulation." In late 2024, as part of the California insurance commissioner’s “Sustainable Insurance Strategy,” the California DOI issued two regulations that may impact how insurers price and write certain of their California property insurance policies: one allowing insurers to incorporate catastrophe modeling into rate-making with a requirement for them to align their share of insured properties in distressed wildfire-prone areas of the state to at least 85% of their state-wide market share, which may be increased by 5% per year, if necessary, until that level is reached; and the other allowing insurers to incorporate reinsurance costs into rate-making for certain specific catastrophe perils and wildfire exposures when meeting the same requirement governing the use of catastrophe modeling. The California insurance commissioner has also implemented changes to the California FAIR Plan, expanding coverage offerings and changing the assessment and recoupment processes in order to enhance market stability: the FAIR Plan’s member insurers may now request the California insurance commissioner’s prior approval to collect temporary supplemental fees from their own policyholders in order to recoup up to 50% of amounts assessed up to $1 billion in aggregate assessments in the industry and 100% of all amounts assessed over that $1 billion threshold for each of personal and commercial lines of insurance business, and 100% of all amounts assessed over $2 billion in aggregate assessments in the industry for the combined personal and commercial lines of insurance business. In December 2025, the California DOI approved the Company's rate application, which incorporates catastrophe modeling and reinsurance costs into its ratemaking in accordance with the new regulations. The Company will adhere to the market-share requirements when the new rating plan is effective in July 2026. During the first quarter of 2025, the Company was assessed $50 million by the California FAIR Plan to strengthen the FAIR Plan's capital position following the significant losses resulting from the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in January 2025. The Company has received approval from the California DOI to recoup $25 million through temporary supplemental fees from its policyholders, as allowed under the changes to the California FAIR Plan described above. During 2025, the Company implemented rate changes in 11 states. The following are recent rate increases approved by the California DOI for lines of insurance business that accounted for 5% or more of the Company's total net premiums earned in 2025: •In January 2024, the California DOI approved a 22.5% rate increase for MIC and a 3.8% rate increase for CAIC on the private passenger automobile line of insurance business. These rate increases became effective in February 2024. The private passenger automobile line of insurance business of MIC and CAIC represented approximately 49% and 6%, respectively, of the Company's total net premiums earned in 2025. •In March 2024, the California DOI approved a 6.99% rate increase on the California homeowners line of insurance business. This rate increase became effective in May 2024. In January 2025, the California DOI approved a 12% rate increase on the California homeowners line of insurance business. This rate increase became effective in March 2025. In addition, in December 2025, the California DOI approved a 6.9% rate increase on the California homeowners line of insurance business. This rate increase is expected to become effective in July 2026. The California homeowners line of insurance business represented approximately 15% of the Company's total net premiums earned in 2025. •In April 2024, the California DOI approved a 14.9% rate increase on the California commercial automobile line of insurance business. This rate increase became effective in July 2024. In December 2024, the California DOI approved a 15.6% rate increase on the California commercial automobile line of insurance business. This rate increase became effective in February 2025. In addition, in August 2025, the California DOI approved a 9.6% rate increase on the California commercial automobile line of insurance business. This rate increase became effective in November 2025. The California commercial automobile line of insurance business represented approximately 5% of the Company's total net premiums earned in 2025. The Company is, from time to time, named as a defendant in various lawsuits or regulatory actions incidental to its insurance business. The majority of lawsuits brought against the Company relate to insurance claims that arise in the normal course of business and are reserved for through the reserving process. For a discussion of the Company’s reserving methods, see "Critical Accounting Estimates" below and Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." The Company also establishes accruals for estimated liabilities for non-insurance claims related lawsuits, regulatory 35 actions, and other contingencies when the Company believes a loss is probable and is able to estimate its potential exposure. For material loss contingencies believed to be reasonably possible, the Company also discloses the nature of the loss contingency and an estimate of the possible loss, range of loss, or a statement that such an estimate cannot be made. In addition, the Company accrues for anticipated legal defense costs associated with such lawsuits and regulatory actions. While actual losses may differ from the amounts recorded and the ultimate outcome of the Company’s pending actions is generally not yet determinable, the Company does not believe that the ultimate resolution of currently pending legal or regulatory proceedings, either individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or cash flows. For a discussion of additional regulatory and legal matters, see Note 18. Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." In all cases, the Company vigorously defends itself unless a reasonable settlement appears appropriate. C. Critical Accounting Estimates Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves ("Loss Reserves") Preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements requires management’s judgment and estimates. The most significant is the estimate of loss reserves. Estimating loss reserves is a difficult process as many factors can ultimately affect the final settlement of a claim and, therefore, the loss reserve that is required. A key assumption in estimating loss reserves is the degree to which the historical data used to analyze reserves will be predictive of ultimate claim costs on incurred claims. Changes in the regulatory and legal environments, results of litigation, medical costs, the cost of repair materials, and labor rates, among other factors, can impact this assumption. In addition, time can be a critical part of reserving determinations since the longer the span between the incidence of a loss and the payment or settlement of a claim, the more variable the ultimate settlement amount could be. Accordingly, short-tail liability claims, such as property damage claims, tend to be more reasonably predictable than long-tail liability claims. The Company calculates a loss reserve point estimate rather than a range. There is inherent uncertainty with estimates and this is particularly true with loss reserve estimates. This uncertainty comes from many factors which may include changes in claims reporting and settlement patterns, changes in the regulatory and legal environments, uncertainty over inflation rates, and uncertainty for unknown items. The Company does not make specific provisions for these uncertainties, rather it considers them in establishing its loss reserve by looking at historical patterns and trends and projecting these out to current loss reserves. The underlying factors and assumptions that serve as the basis for preparing the loss reserve estimate include paid and incurred loss development factors, expected average costs per claim, inflation trends, expected loss ratios, industry data, and other relevant information such as subrogation recoverable. The Company also engages independent actuarial consultants to review the Company’s loss reserves and to provide the annual actuarial opinions required under state statutory accounting requirements. The Company analyzes loss reserves quarterly primarily using the incurred loss method, paid loss method, and average severity method coupled with the claim count development method, as described below. When deciding among methods to use, the Company evaluates the credibility of each method based on the maturity of the data available and the claims settlement practices for each particular line of insurance business or coverage within a line of insurance business. The Company may also evaluate qualitative factors such as known changes in laws or legal rulings that could affect claims handling or other external environmental factors or internal factors that could affect the settlement of claims. When establishing the loss reserve, the Company generally analyzes the results from all of the methods used rather than relying on a single method. While these methods are designed to determine the ultimate losses on claims under the Company’s policies, there is inherent uncertainty in all actuarial models since they use historical data to project outcomes. The Company believes that the techniques it uses provide a reasonable basis in estimating loss reserves. •The incurred loss method analyzes historical incurred case loss (case reserves plus paid losses) development to estimate ultimate losses. The Company applies development factors against current case incurred losses by accident period to calculate ultimate expected losses. The Company believes that the incurred loss method provides a reasonable basis for evaluating ultimate losses, particularly in the Company’s larger, more established lines of insurance business which have a long operating history. •The paid loss method analyzes historical payment patterns to estimate the amount of losses yet to be paid. •The average severity method analyzes historical loss payments and/or incurred losses divided by closed claims and/or total claims to calculate an estimated average cost per claim. From this, the expected ultimate average cost per claim can be estimated. The average severity method coupled with the claim count development method provides meaningful information regarding inflation and frequency trends that the Company believes is useful in establishing loss reserves. The claim count development method analyzes historical claim count development to estimate future 36 incurred claim count development for current claims. The Company applies these development factors against current claim counts by accident period to calculate ultimate expected claim counts. The Company analyzes catastrophe losses separately from non-catastrophe losses. The Company classifies certain losses as catastrophe losses based on catastrophe events designated by Property Claim Services, a unit of Insurance Services Office, Inc. For catastrophe losses, the Company generally determines claim counts based on claims reported and development expectations from previous catastrophes and applies an average expected loss per claim based on loss reserves established by adjusters and average losses on previous similar catastrophes. For catastrophe losses that are considered “total losses” where the entire dwelling was destroyed, the Company primarily estimates losses based on the expected amounts to be paid out on the policy limits. Homeowners policies have multiple coverages, including dwelling, additional replacement costs, additional living expenses, and personal property, and on a typical total loss, many, but not all, of the various coverage limits are exhausted. It can take up to five years or longer for total loss claims to close, and the Company will reevaluate its total loss estimates periodically based on many factors, including estimated costs to rebuild if a decision was made to rebuild, actual rebuilding costs incurred, estimated time to rebuild, value of personal belongings destroyed, expected duration for the homeowner to be displaced, and demand surge. In addition, subrogation may play an important role in the catastrophe loss estimate. For additional discussion on subrogation, see disclosures on the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in Note 12. Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." There are many factors that can cause variability between the ultimate expected loss and the actual developed loss. While there are certainly other factors, the Company believes that the following four items tend to create the most variability between expected losses and actual losses. (1) Inflation For the Company’s California automobile lines of insurance business, total reserves excluding salvage and subrogation are comprised of the following: •BI reserves—approximately 75% of total reserves •Material damage ("MD") reserves, including collision and comprehensive property damage—approximately 5% of total reserves •Loss adjustment expense reserves—approximately 20% of total reserves. Loss development on MD reserves is generally insignificant because MD claims are generally settled in a shorter period than BI claims. The majority of the loss adjustment expense reserves are estimated costs to defend BI claims, which tend to require longer periods of time to settle as compared to MD claims. BI loss reserves are generally the most difficult to estimate because they take longer to close than other coverages. BI coverage in the Company’s policies includes injuries sustained by any person other than the insured, except in the case of uninsured or underinsured motorist BI coverage, which covers damages to the insured for BI caused by uninsured or underinsured motorists. BI payments are primarily for medical costs and general damages. The following table presents the typical cumulative closure patterns of BI claims in the Company's California personal automobile insurance coverage: % of Total Claims Closed Dollars Paid BI claims closed in the accident year reported 39% 12% BI claims closed one year after the accident year reported 79% 54% BI claims closed two years after the accident year reported 93% 79% BI claims closed three years after the accident year reported 97% 89% BI claims closed in the accident year reported are generally the smaller and less complex claims that settle for approximately $11,000 to $12,000 on average, whereas the total average settlement, once all claims are closed for a particular 37 accident year, is approximately $29,000 to $40,000. The Company creates incurred and paid loss triangles to estimate ultimate losses utilizing historical payment and reserving patterns and evaluates the results of this analysis against its frequency and severity analysis to establish BI loss reserves. The Company adjusts development factors to account for inflation trends it sees in loss severity. As a larger proportion of claims from an accident year are settled, there emerges a higher degree of certainty for the loss reserves established for that accident year. At December 31, 2025, the accident years that are most likely to develop are the 2023 through 2025 accident years; however, it is possible that older accident years could develop as well. In 2022, excessive inflation led to significant increases in loss severities related to vehicle repairs and bodily injuries. The severe inflationary trend continued into 2023, but moderated as the year progressed. During 2024 and 2025, the inflation rate continued to be moderate for automobile parts and labor but it was at an elevated level for bodily injury costs. In general, the Company expects that historical claims trends will continue with costs tending to increase, which is generally consistent with historical data, and therefore the Company believes that it is reasonable to expect inflation to continue. Many potential factors can affect the BI inflation rate, including changes in claims handling process, changes in statutes and regulations, the number of litigated files, increased use of medical procedures such as MRIs and epidural injections, general economic factors, timeliness of claims adjudication, vehicle safety, weather patterns, changes in the relative percentages of single- and multi-car accidents, social inflation, and gasoline prices, among other factors; however, the magnitude of the impact of such factors on the inflation rate is unknown. The Company believes that it is reasonably possible that the California automobile BI severity could vary from recorded amounts by as much as 12%, 8% and 6% for 2025, 2024 and 2023 accident years, respectively; however, the variation could be more or less than these amounts. During the years 2021 through 2025, the changes in the loss severity amounts for the three preceding accident years from the prior year amounts (BI severity variance from prior year) have ranged as follows: High Low Immediate preceding accident year 7.9% (1.6)% Second preceding accident year 5.4% (1.0)% Third preceding accident year 3.6% (2.6)% The following table presents the effects on the California automobile BI loss reserves for the 2025, 2024 and 2023 accident years based on possible variations in the severity recorded; however, the actual variations could be more or less than these amounts: California Automobile Bodily Injury Inflation Reserve Sensitivity Analysis Accident Year Number of Claims Expected Actual Recorded Severity at 12/31/2025 Implied Inflation Rate Recorded (1) (A) Pro-forma severity if actual severity is lower by 12% for 2025, 8% for 2024, and 6% for 2023 (B) Pro-forma severity if actual severity is higher by 12% for 2025, 8% for 2024, and 6% for 2023 Favorable loss development if actual severity is less than recorded (Column A) Unfavorable loss development if actual severity is more than recorded (Column B) 2025 21,556  $ 39,826  17.8  % $ 35,047  $ 44,605  $ 103,016,000  $ (103,016,000) 2024 21,143  $ 33,813  14.6  % $ 31,108  $ 36,518  $ 57,192,000  $ (57,192,000) 2023 21,308  $ 29,496  13.5  % $ 27,726  $ 31,266  $ 37,715,000  $ (37,715,000) 2022 21,284  $ 25,987  —  —  —  —  —  Total Loss Development—Favorable (Unfavorable) $ 197,923,000  $ (197,923,000) ___________ (1)    Implied inflation rate is calculated by dividing the difference between the current and prior year actual recorded severity by the prior year actual recorded severity. The Company believes that severity increases are caused by litigation, medical costs, inflation, and increased utilization of medical procedures. (2) Claim Count Development The Company generally estimates ultimate claim counts for an accident period based on development of claim counts in prior accident periods. Typically, almost every claim is reported within one year following the end of an accident year and at that point the Company has a high degree of certainty as to the ultimate claim count. There are many factors that can affect the number of claims reported after an accident period ends. These factors include changes in weather patterns, a change in the number of litigated files, the number of automobiles insured, and whether the last day of the accident period falls on a weekday 38 or a weekend. However, the Company is unable to determine which, if any, of the factors actually impact the number of claims reported and, if so, by what magnitude. At December 31, 2025, there were 19,506 California automobile BI claims reported for the 2025 accident year and the Company estimates that these are expected to ultimately grow by approximately 10.5%. The Company believes that while actual development in recent years has ranged approximately from 3% to 12%, it is reasonable to expect that the range of the development could be as great as between 0% and 15%. However, actual development may be more or less than the expected range. The following table presents the effects on loss development of different claim counts within the broader possible range at December 31, 2025: California Automobile Bodily Injury Claim Count Reserve Sensitivity Analysis 2025 Accident Year Claims Reported Amount Recorded at 12/31/2025 at  Approximately 10.5% Claim Count Development Total Expected Amount If Claim Count Development is 0% Total Expected Amount If Claim Count Development is 15% Claim count 19,506  21,556  19,506  22,432  Approximate average cost per claim Not meaningful $ 39,826  $ 39,826  $ 39,826  Total dollars Not meaningful $ 858,489,000  $ 776,846,000  $ 893,377,000  Total Loss Development—Favorable (Unfavorable) $ 81,643,000  $ (34,888,000) (3) Unexpected Losses Unexpected losses are generally not provided for in the current loss reserve because they are not known or expected or differ materially from reasonable loss development expectations, and therefore they tend to be unquantifiable. Once known or otherwise quantifiable, the Company establishes a provision for the losses, but it is not possible to provide any meaningful sensitivity analysis as to the potential size of any unexpected losses. These losses can be caused by many factors, including unexpected legal interpretations of coverage, ineffective claims handling, regulations extending claims reporting periods, assumption of unexpected or unknown risks, adverse court decisions as well as many unknown factors. Unexpected losses are fairly infrequent but can have a large impact on the Company’s losses. To mitigate this risk, the Company has established claims handling and review procedures. However, it is still possible that these procedures will not prove entirely effective, and the Company may have material unexpected losses in future periods. It is also possible that the Company has not identified and established a sufficient loss reserve for all material unexpected losses, even though a comprehensive claims file review was undertaken. The Company may experience additional development on these loss reserves. (4) Palisades and Eaton Wildfires The Palisades and Eaton wildfire losses and loss adjustment expenses (discussed in detail in Note 12. Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data") have the potential to cause significant reserve variability primarily due to: 1) the large size of losses and loss adjustment expenses from those catastrophes totaling approximately $2.2 billion before subrogation and reinsurance; 2) the estimate for subrogation recoverable on the Eaton fire of approximately $538 million; and 3) changes in loss estimates provided by the FAIR Plan (the Company's share of the FAIR Plan losses from the Palisades and Eaton wildfires is recorded as part of the Company's losses and loss adjustment expenses from those catastrophes). The Company has made adjustments to the ultimate net losses and loss adjustment expenses from the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in each of the four quarters of 2025, based on updated information available at each measurement date. The total ultimate net losses and loss adjustment expenses recognized for the Palisades and Eaton wildfires were approximately $380.4 million, $381.0 million, $359.0 million, and $414.0 million at December 31, September 30, June 30, and March 31 of 2025, respectively. Discussion of Losses and Loss Reserves and Prior Period Loss Development At December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company recorded its point estimate of approximately $3.63 billion and $3.15 billion ($3.60 billion and $3.12 billion, net of reinsurance), respectively, in loss and loss adjustment expense reserves, which included approximately $2.12 billion and $1.92 billion ($2.12 billion and $1.92 billion, net of reinsurance), respectively, of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities ("IBNR"). IBNR includes estimates, based upon past experience, of ultimate developed 39 costs, which may differ from case estimates, unreported claims that occurred on or prior to December 31, 2025 and 2024, and estimated future payments for reopened claims. Management believes that the liability for losses and loss adjustment expenses is adequate to cover the ultimate net cost of losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred to date; however, since the provisions are necessarily based upon estimates, the ultimate liability may be more or less than such provisions. The Company evaluates its loss reserves quarterly. When management determines that the estimated ultimate claim cost requires a decrease for previously reported accident years, favorable development occurs and a reduction in losses and loss adjustment expenses is reported in the current period. If the estimated ultimate claim cost requires an increase for previously reported accident years, unfavorable development occurs and an increase in losses and loss adjustment expenses is reported in the current period. For 2025, the Company reported favorable development of approximately $92 million on the 2024 and prior accident years’ loss and loss adjustment expense reserves. The favorable development in 2025 was primarily attributable to lower than estimated losses and loss adjustment expenses in the automobile and homeowners lines of insurance business, including favorable development on the prior years' catastrophe losses. The Company recorded catastrophe losses of approximately $508 million net of reinsurance in 2025. Catastrophe losses incurred in 2025 was reduced by approximately $586 million of subrogation recorded on the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. The majority of the 2025 catastrophe losses resulted from the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in California and severe storms in Texas, Oklahoma and California. In addition, the Company experienced favorable development of approximately $23 million on prior years' catastrophe losses in 2025. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2024 Revenues Net premiums earned and net premiums written in 2025 increased 8.5% and 6.4%, respectively, from 2024. The increases in net premiums earned and net premiums written were primarily due to rate increases in the California automobile and homeowners lines of insurance business combined with increases in the number of policies written in the California private passenger automobile and homeowners lines of insurance business, partially offset by increases in ceded premiums earned and ceded premiums written, respectively. Net premiums earned included ceded premiums earned of $287.0 million and $136.7 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively. Net premiums written included ceded premiums written of $287.0 million and $138.0 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively. The increases in ceded premiums earned and ceded premiums written resulted mostly from reinstatement premiums earned and written of $101 million for use of reinsurance benefits associated with the Palisades and Eaton wildfires as well as higher reinsurance coverage and rates and growth in the covered book of business. Net premiums earned, a GAAP measure, represents the portion of net premiums written that is recognized as revenue in the financial statements for the periods presented, earned on a pro-rata basis over the term of the policies. Net premiums written is a non-GAAP financial measure which represents the premiums charged on policies issued during a fiscal period less any applicable reinsurance. Net premiums written is a statutory measure designed to determine production levels. The following is a reconciliation of total net premiums earned to net premiums written: Year Ended December 31, 2025 2024 (Amounts in thousands) Net premiums earned $ 5,505,613  $ 5,075,456  Change in net unearned premiums 216,165  302,854  Net premiums written $ 5,721,778  $ 5,378,310  40 Expenses Loss and expense ratios are used to interpret the underwriting experience of property and casualty insurance companies. The following table presents the Insurance Companies’ loss, expense, and combined ratios determined in accordance with GAAP: Year Ended December 31, 2025 2024 Loss ratio 72.0  % 72.6  % Expense ratio 24.3  % 23.4  % Combined ratio 96.3  % 96.0  % Loss ratio is calculated by dividing losses and loss adjustment expenses by net premiums earned. The Company’s loss ratio was affected by favorable development of approximately $92 million and unfavorable development of approximately $25 million on prior accident years’ loss and loss adjustment expense reserves for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The favorable development in 2025 was primarily attributable to lower than estimated losses and loss adjustment expenses in the automobile and homeowners lines of insurance business, including favorable development on the prior years' catastrophe losses. The unfavorable development in 2024 was primarily attributable to higher than estimated losses and loss adjustment expenses in the commercial automobile and commercial property lines of insurance business, partially offset by favorable reserve development in the private passenger automobile line of insurance business. The 2025 loss ratio was negatively impacted by a total of approximately $531 million of catastrophe losses, excluding favorable development of approximately $23 million on prior years' catastrophe losses, primarily due to the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in California and severe storms in Texas, Oklahoma and California. Catastrophe losses incurred in 2025 was reduced by approximately $586 million of subrogation recorded on the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. For additional discussion on subrogation, see disclosures on the Palisades and Eaton wildfires in Note 12. Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." The 2024 loss ratio was negatively impacted by a total of approximately $268 million of catastrophe losses, excluding unfavorable development of approximately $9 million on prior years' catastrophe losses, primarily due to tornadoes, hailstorms and convective storms in Texas and Oklahoma, winter storms, rainstorms and wildfires in California, and the impact of Hurricane Helene in Florida and Georgia. Excluding the effect of estimated prior accident years’ loss development and catastrophe losses, the loss ratio was 64.0% and 66.8% for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The decrease in the loss ratio was primarily due to rate increases in the California automobile and homeowners lines of insurance business and a decrease in loss frequency in the California private passenger automobile line of insurance business, partially offset by an increase in loss severity in the California private passenger automobile line of insurance business and an increase in ceded premiums earned due to reinstatement premiums resulting from the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. Expense ratio is calculated by dividing the sum of policy acquisition costs and other operating expenses by net premiums earned. The expense ratio for 2025 increased compared to 2024, largely due to increases in expenses for profitability-related accruals and advertising, as well as an increase in ceded premiums earned due to reinstatement premiums resulting from the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, partially offset by the rate increases discussed above. Combined ratio is equal to loss ratio plus expense ratio and is the key measure of underwriting performance traditionally used in the property and casualty insurance industry. A combined ratio under 100% generally reflects profitable underwriting results; a combined ratio over 100% generally reflects unprofitable underwriting results. Income tax expense was $122.6 million and $106.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The increase in income tax expense was mainly due to an increase in pre-tax income. The Company’s effective income tax rate can be affected by several factors. These generally include large changes in fully-taxable income including net realized investment gains or losses, tax-exempt investment income, nondeductible expenses, and periodically, non-routine tax items such as adjustments to unrecognized tax benefits related to tax uncertainties. Income tax expense of $122.6 million on pre-tax income of $663.6 million, including tax-exempt investment income of $99.2 million, resulted in an effective tax rate of 18.5%, below the statutory tax rate of 21%, for 2025, and income tax expense of $106.9 million on pre-tax income of $574.9 million, including tax-exempt investment income of $83.3 million, resulted in an effective tax rate of 18.6% for 2024. 41 Investments The following table presents the investment results of the Company: Year Ended December 31, 2025 2024 (Amounts in thousands) Average invested assets at cost (1) $ 5,968,575  $ 5,683,973  Net investment income (2)(3) Before income taxes $ 328,701  $ 279,989  After income taxes $ 276,214  $ 235,419  Average annual yield on investments (2) Before income taxes 4.7  % 4.5  % After income taxes 4.0  % 3.8  % Net realized investment gains $ 131,368  $ 88,671  __________  (1)Fixed maturities and short-term bonds at amortized cost; equities and other short-term investments at cost. Average invested assets at cost are based on the monthly amortized cost of the invested assets for each period. (2)Net investment income includes approximately $50.7 million and $25.5 million of interest income earned on cash (approximately $40.1 million and $20.2 million after tax) for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Average annual yield on investments does not include interest income earned on cash. (3)Net investment income before and after income taxes increased, primarily due to higher average invested assets and cash combined with higher average yield. Average annual yield on investments before and after income taxes increased, primarily due to the maturity and replacement of lower yielding investments purchased when market interest rates were lower with higher yielding investments, combined with the higher average yield on investments purchased in 2025 using cash generated from operations compared to the average yield on overall investments in 2024. The following tables present the components of net realized investment gains (losses) included in net income: Year Ended December 31, 2025 Gains (Losses) Recognized in Net Income Sales Changes in fair value Total (Amounts in thousands) Net realized investment gains (losses): Fixed maturity securities (1)(2)(4) $ (17,105) $ 49,606  $ 32,501  Equity securities (1)(3)(4) 90,792  221  91,013  Short-term investments (1) —  (11) (11) Note receivable (1) —  182  182  Options sold 7,922  (239) 7,683  Total $ 81,609  $ 49,759  $ 131,368  42 Year Ended December 31, 2024 Gains (Losses) Recognized in Net Income Sales Changes in fair value Total (Amounts in thousands) Net realized investment gains (losses): Fixed maturity securities (1)(2) $ (2,745) $ 6,566  $ 3,821  Equity securities (1)(3) 63,070  8,352  71,422  Short-term investments (1) (714) 909  195  Notes receivable (1) —  (162) (162) Options sold 12,781  614  13,395  Total $ 72,392  $ 16,279  $ 88,671  __________  (1)The changes in fair value of the investment portfolio and notes receivable resulted from the application of the fair value option. (2)The increases in fair value of fixed maturity securities in 2025 and 2024 resulted primarily from decreases in certain market interest rates associated with the Company's fixed maturity securities. (3)The increases in fair value of equity securities in 2025 and 2024 resulted primarily from the overall improvement in equity markets. (4)The gains and losses on sales for the year ended December 31, 2025 primarily relate to the sale of low-yielding stocks and bonds in January 2025 to generate ample liquidity following the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. Net Income (Loss) Year Ended December 31, 2025 2024 (Amounts in thousands, except per share data) Net income $ 541,094  $ 467,953  Basic average shares outstanding 55,389  55,373  Diluted average shares outstanding 55,389  55,377  Basic Per Share Data: Net income $ 9.77  $ 8.45  Net realized investment gains, net of tax $ 1.87  $ 1.27  Diluted Per Share Data: Net income $ 9.77  $ 8.45  Net realized investment gains, net of tax $ 1.87  $ 1.26  Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023 See "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 for a discussion of changes in its results of operations from the year ended December 31, 2023 to the year ended December 31, 2024. LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES A. General The Company is largely dependent upon dividends received from its insurance subsidiaries in the current and prior years to pay debt service costs and to make distributions to its shareholders. Under current insurance law, the Insurance Companies are entitled to pay ordinary dividends of approximately $448 million in 2026 to Mercury General. As of December 31, 2025, Mercury General had approximately $114 million in investments and cash that could be utilized to satisfy its direct holding company obligations. 43 The principal sources of funds for the Insurance Companies are premiums, sales and maturity of invested assets, and dividend and interest income from invested assets. The principal uses of funds for the Insurance Companies are the payment of claims and related expenses, operating expenses, dividends to Mercury General, and the purchase of investments. B. Cash Flows The Company has generated positive cash flow from operations in each full year since the public offering of its common stock in November 1985. The Company does not attempt to match the duration and timing of asset maturities with those of liabilities; rather, it manages its portfolio with a view towards maximizing total return with an emphasis on after-tax income. With combined cash and short-term investments of $1,652.6 million at December 31, 2025 as well as $50 million of undrawn credit in its unsecured credit facility, the Company believes its cash flow from operations is adequate to satisfy its future liquidity requirements without the forced sale of investments. Investment maturities are also available to meet the Company’s liquidity needs. However, the Company operates in a rapidly evolving and often unpredictable business environment that may change the timing or amount of expected future cash receipts and expenditures. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Company’s sources of funds will be sufficient to meet its liquidity needs or that the Company will not be required to raise additional funds to meet those needs or for future business expansion, through the sale of equity or debt securities or from credit facilities with lending institutions. Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $1,087.2 million, an increase of $50.1 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily due to increases in reinsurance and subrogation recoveries, premium collections and investment income received, partially offset by increases in payments for losses and loss adjustment expenses and commissions and other acquisition costs. The Company utilized the cash provided by operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2025 primarily for the net purchases of investment securities and payment of dividends to its shareholders, with the remaining invested in cash accounts for future liquidity needs, including additional payment for losses from the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. The average annual net cash provided by operating activities for the past 10 years was approximately $557 million, and cash generated from operations was sufficient to meet the liquidity needs over this period. The following table presents the estimated fair value of fixed maturity securities at December 31, 2025 by contractual maturity in the next five years. Fixed Maturity Securities (Amounts in thousands) Due in one year or less $ 298,705  Due after one year through two years 215,514  Due after two years through three years 159,061  Due after three years through four years 237,111  Due after four years through five years 154,669  $ 1,065,060  See "D. Debt" below for cash flow related to outstanding debt. C. Invested Assets Portfolio Composition An important component of the Company’s financial results is the return on its investment portfolio. The Company’s investment strategy emphasizes safety of principal and consistent income generation, within a total return framework. The investment strategy has historically focused on maximizing after-tax yield with a primary emphasis on maintaining a well-diversified, investment grade, fixed income portfolio to support the underlying liabilities and achieve return on capital and profitable growth. The Company believes that investment yield is maximized by selecting assets that perform favorably on a long-term basis and by disposing of certain assets to enhance after-tax yield and minimize the potential effect of downgrades and defaults. The Company believes that this strategy enables the optimal investment performance necessary to sustain investment income over time. The Company’s portfolio management approach utilizes a market risk and consistent asset allocation strategy as the primary basis for the allocation of interest sensitive, liquid and credit assets as well as for determining overall below investment grade exposure and diversification requirements. Within the ranges set by the asset allocation strategy, tactical investment decisions are made in consideration of prevailing market conditions. 44 The following table presents the composition of the total investment portfolio of the Company at December 31, 2025: Cost(1) Fair Value (Amounts in thousands) Fixed maturity securities: U.S. government bonds $ 21,436  $ 21,546  Municipal securities 3,533,295  3,538,473  Mortgage-backed securities 303,314  297,381  Corporate securities 747,723  751,602  Collateralized loan obligations 733,034  722,794  Other asset-backed securities 110,924  98,455  5,449,726  5,430,251  Equity securities: Common stock 557,738  679,594  Non-redeemable preferred stock 52,206  38,761  Private equity funds measured at net asset value (2) 118,516  94,432  728,460  812,787  Short-term investments 336,978  336,992  Total investments $ 6,515,164  $ 6,580,030   __________ (1)Fixed maturities and short-term bonds at amortized cost and equities and other short-term investments at cost. (2)The fair value is measured using the net asset value practical expedient. See Note 4. Fair Value Measurements, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for additional information. At December 31, 2025, 43.6% of the Company’s total investment portfolio at fair value and 52.8% of its total fixed maturity investments at fair value were invested in tax-exempt state and municipal bonds. Equity holdings consist of non-redeemable preferred stocks, dividend-bearing common stocks on which dividend income is partially tax-sheltered by the 50% corporate dividend received deduction, and private equity funds. At December 31, 2025, 89.9% of short-term investments consisted of highly rated short-duration securities redeemable on a daily or weekly basis. Fixed Maturity Securities and Short-Term Investments Fixed maturity securities include debt securities, which may have fixed or variable principal payment schedules, may be held for indefinite periods of time, and may be used as a part of the Company’s asset/liability strategy or sold in response to changes in interest rates, anticipated prepayments, risk/reward characteristics, liquidity needs, tax planning considerations, or other economic factors. Short-term investments include money market accounts, options, and short-term bonds that are highly rated short duration securities and redeemable within one year. A primary exposure for the fixed maturity securities is interest rate risk. The longer the duration, the more sensitive the asset is to market interest rate fluctuations. As assets with longer maturity dates tend to produce higher current yields, the Company’s historical investment philosophy has resulted in a portfolio with a moderate duration. The Company's portfolio is heavily weighted in investment grade tax-exempt municipal bonds. Fixed maturity securities purchased by the Company typically have call options attached, which further reduce the duration of the asset as interest rates decline. The holdings, that are heavily weighted with high coupon issues, are expected to be called prior to maturity. Modified duration measures the length of time it takes, on average, to receive the present value of all the cash flows produced by a bond, including reinvestment of interest. As it measures four factors (maturity, coupon rate, yield and call terms) which determine sensitivity to changes in interest rates, modified duration is considered a better indicator of price volatility than simple maturity alone. 45 The following table presents the maturities and durations of the Company's fixed maturity securities: December 31, 2025 December 31, 2024 (in years) Fixed Maturity Securities Nominal average maturity: excluding short-term investments 14.7 11.7 including short-term investments 13.8 11.1 Call-adjusted average maturities: excluding short-term investments 4.8 4.2 including short-term investments 4.5 4.0 Modified duration reflecting anticipated early calls: excluding short-term investments 4.6 3.6 including short-term investments 4.4 3.4 Another exposure related to the fixed maturity securities is credit risk, which is managed by maintaining a weighted-average portfolio credit quality rating of A+, at fair value at December 31, 2025, consistent with the average rating at December 31, 2024. The Company’s municipal bond holdings, of which 81.1% were tax exempt, represented 65.2% of its fixed maturity portfolio at December 31, 2025, at fair value, and were broadly diversified geographically. To calculate the weighted-average credit quality ratings as disclosed throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, individual securities were weighted based on fair value and a credit quality numeric score that was assigned to each security’s average of ratings assigned by nationally recognized securities rating organizations. Taxable holdings consist principally of investment grade issues. At December 31, 2025, fixed maturity holdings rated below investment grade and non-rated bonds totaled $10.1 million and $50.6 million, respectively, at fair value, and represented 0.2% and 0.9%, respectively, of total fixed maturity securities. The majority of non-rated issues are a result of municipalities pre-funding and collateralizing those issues with U.S. government securities with an implicit AAA equivalent credit risk. At December 31, 2024, fixed maturity holdings rated below investment grade and non-rated bonds totaled $6.2 million and $62.3 million, respectively, at fair value, and represented 0.1% and 1.3%, respectively, of total fixed maturity securities. During 2025, approximately 92.3% of the Company's fixed maturity securities at fair value experienced no changes in their overall credit ratings, and approximately 5.9% and 1.8% experienced upgrades and downgrades, respectively. 46 The following table presents the credit quality ratings of the Company’s fixed maturity securities by security type at fair value: December 31, 2025 Security Type AAA(1) AA(1) A(1) BBB(1) Non-Rated/Other (1) Total Fair Value(1) (Dollars in thousands) U.S. government bonds: Treasuries $ 21,546  $ —  $ —  $ —  $ —  $ 21,546  Total 21,546  —  —  —  —  21,546  100.0  % —  % —  % —  % —  % 100.0  % Municipal securities: Insured 57,310  267,446  96,453  34,588  1,001  456,798  Uninsured 192,656  1,418,858  1,332,526  126,798  10,837  3,081,675  Total 249,966  1,686,304  1,428,979  161,386  11,838  3,538,473  7.1  % 47.6  % 40.4  % 4.6  % 0.3  % 100.0  % Mortgage-backed securities: Commercial 10,959  —  —  220  —  11,179  Agencies —  69,089  —  —  —  69,089  Non-agencies: Prime 102,479  113,396  —  —  277  216,152  Alt-A —  386  85  —  490  961         Total 113,438  182,871  85  220  767  297,381  38.1  % 61.5  % —  % 0.1  % 0.3  % 100.0  % Corporate securities: Basic Materials —  —  —  4,557  —  4,557  Communications —  —  —  3,773  —  3,773  Consumer, cyclical —  1,994  30,040  17,197  —  49,231  Consumer, non-cyclical —  15,156  78,970  8,176  —  102,302  Energy —  6,481  —  43,040  —  49,521  Financial —  70,960  365,111  32,897  9,525  478,493  Industrial —  15,000  10,829  16,842  —  42,671  Technology —  —  1,797  —  —  1,797  Utilities —  —  3,251  16,006  —  19,257  Total —  109,591  489,998  142,488  9,525  751,602  —  % 14.6  % 65.1  % 19.0  % 1.3  % 100.0  % Collateralized loan obligations: Corporate 158,344  166,551  359,304  —  38,595  722,794  Total 158,344  166,551  359,304  —  38,595  722,794  21.9  % 23.0  % 49.8  % —  % 5.3  % 100.0  % Other asset-backed securities —  2,329  64,009  32,117  —  98,455  —  % 2.4  % 65.0  % 32.6  % —  % 100.0  % Total $ 543,294  $ 2,147,646  $ 2,342,375  $ 336,211  $ 60,725  $ 5,430,251  10.0  % 39.5  % 43.2  % 6.2  % 1.1  % 100.0  % __________ (1)Intermediate ratings are included at each level (e.g., AA includes AA+, AA and AA-). U.S. Government Bonds The Company had $21.5 million and $93.8 million, or 0.4% and 1.9% of its fixed maturity portfolio, at fair value, in U.S. government bonds at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Moody's and Fitch ratings for U.S. government-issued debt 47 were Aa1 and AA+, respectively, at December 31, 2025, and Aaa and AA+, respectively, at December 31, 2024. The Company understands that market participants continue to use rates of return on U.S. government debt as a risk-free rate and have continued to invest in U.S. Treasury securities. The modified duration of the U.S. government bonds portfolio reflecting anticipated early calls was 2.9 years and 1.3 years at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Municipal Securities The Company had $3.54 billion and $2.99 billion, or 65.2% and 60.8% of its fixed maturity securities portfolio, at fair value, in municipal securities at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. At December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the weighted-average rating of the Company’s total municipal securities was AA- and A+, respectively. 18.9% and 26.0% of the Company's municipal securities, at fair value, were subject to federal taxes at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The modified duration of the municipal securities portfolio reflecting anticipated early calls was 4.9 years and 3.6 years at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. At December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, $456.8 million and $492.7 million, respectively, of the Company's municipal securities, at fair value, were insured. The Company considers the strength of the underlying credit as a buffer against potential market value declines which may result from future rating downgrades of the bond insurers. In addition, the Company has a long-term time horizon for its municipal bond holdings, which generally allows it to recover the full principal amounts upon maturity and avoid forced sales prior to maturity of bonds that have declined in market value due to the bond insurers’ rating downgrades. Based on the uncertainty surrounding the financial condition of these insurers, it is possible that there will be future downgrades to below investment grade ratings by the rating agencies in the future, and such downgrades could impact the estimated fair value of municipal bonds. Mortgage-Backed Securities At December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, the mortgage-backed securities portfolio of $297.4 million and $259.4 million, or 5.5% and 5.3% of the Company's fixed maturity securities portfolio, at fair value, was categorized as loans to "prime" residential and commercial real estate borrowers. The Company had holdings of $11.2 million and $16.0 million, at fair value, in commercial mortgage-backed securities at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The weighted-average rating of the entire mortgage backed securities portfolio was AA+ at December 31, 2025 and 2024. The modified duration of the mortgage-backed securities portfolio reflecting anticipated early calls was 3.4 years and 4.9 years at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Corporate Securities At December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, the company had corporate securities of $751.6 million and $841.7 million, or 13.8% and 17.1% of its fixed maturity securities portfolio, at fair value. The weighted-average rating was A at December 31, 2025 and 2024. The modified duration reflecting anticipated early calls was 2.9 years and 3.0 years at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Collateralized Loan Obligations At December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, the Company had collateralized loan obligations of $722.8 million and $626.3 million, or 13.3% and 12.7% of its fixed maturity securities portfolio, at fair value. The weighted-average rating was AA- at December 31, 2025 and 2024. The modified duration reflecting anticipated early calls was 5.9 years and 4.9 years at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Other Asset-Backed Securities The Company had other asset-backed securities of $98.5 million and $105.1 million, which represented 1.8% and 2.1% of its fixed maturity securities portfolio, at fair value, at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The weighted-average rating was A- at December 31, 2025 and 2024. The modified duration reflecting anticipated early calls was 0.9 years and 1.4 years at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Equity Securities Equity holdings of $812.8 million and $879.2 million, at fair value, as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, consisted of non-redeemable preferred stocks, common stocks on which dividend income is partially tax-sheltered by the 50% corporate dividend received deduction, and private equity funds. The net gains due to changes in fair value of the Company’s 48 equity portfolio were $0.2 million and $8.4 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively. The primary cause for the increases in fair value of the Company's equity securities in 2025 and 2024 was the overall improvement in equity markets. The Company’s common stock allocation is intended to enhance the return of and provide diversification for the total portfolio. At December 31, 2025, 12.4% of the total investment portfolio, at fair value, was held in equity securities, compared to 14.5% at December 31, 2024. The following table presents the equity security portfolio by industry sector at December 31, 2025 and 2024: December 31, 2025 2024 Cost Fair Value Cost Fair Value (Amounts in thousands) Equity securities: Basic materials $ 33,994  $ 39,963  $ 37,257  $ 28,814  Communications 30,043  29,712  39,463  43,801  Consumer, cyclical 12,940  19,744  36,810  41,510  Consumer, non-cyclical 42,133  58,242  62,377  71,520  Energy 47,756  53,170  114,379  120,619  Financial 101,345  95,420  100,075  97,470  Funds 149,085  140,318  133,934  128,541  Industrial 49,975  76,526  49,442  75,748  Technology 80,094  113,892  103,828  147,102  Utilities 181,095  185,800  117,503  124,050  $ 728,460  $ 812,787  $ 795,068  $ 879,175  D. Debt The Company's debt consists of the following: December 31, Lender Interest Rate Expiration 2025 2024 (Amounts in thousands) Senior unsecured notes(1) Publicly traded 4.40% March 15, 2027 $ 375,000  $ 375,000  Unsecured credit facility(2) Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, BMO Bank, and U.S. Bank Term SOFR plus 112.5-150.0 basis points November 18, 2027 200,000  200,000      Total principal amount 575,000  575,000  Less unamortized discount and debt issuance costs(3) 473  872  Total $ 574,527  $ 574,128  __________ (1)    On March 8, 2017, the Company completed a public debt offering issuing $375 million of senior notes. The notes are unsecured senior obligations of the Company, with a 4.4% annual coupon payable on March 15 and September 15 of each year commencing September 15, 2017. These notes mature on March 15, 2027. The Company used the proceeds from the notes to pay off amounts outstanding under the existing loan and credit facilities and for general corporate purposes. The Company incurred debt issuance costs of approximately $3.4 million, inclusive of underwriters' fees. The notes were issued at a slight discount of 99.847% of par, resulting in the effective annualized interest rate, including debt issuance costs, of approximately 4.45%. (2)    On March 31, 2021, the Company entered into an unsecured $75 million five-year revolving credit facility. On November 18, 2022, the Company entered into the First Amendment to this credit facility. The First Amendment extended the maturity date of the loan to November 16, 2026 from March 31, 2026 with possible further extension if certain conditions are met, increased the aggregate commitments by all the lenders to $200 million from $75 million, and replaced the LIBOR with the term SOFR. On November 30, 2023, the Company entered into the Second Amendment to this credit facility, which further increased the aggregate commitments by all the lenders to $250 million from $200 million. On November 22, 2024, the Company entered into the Third Amendment to this credit facility, which extended and fixed the maturity 49 date of the loan to November 18, 2027. The interest rates on borrowings under the credit facility are based on the Company's debt to total capital ratio and range from Term SOFR plus 112.5 basis points when the ratio is under 20% to Term SOFR plus 150.0 basis points when the ratio is greater than or equal to 30%. Commitment fees for the undrawn portions of the credit facility range from 12.5 basis points when the ratio is under 20% to 22.5 basis points when the ratio is greater than or equal to 30%. The debt to total capital ratio is expressed as a percentage of (a) consolidated debt to (b) consolidated shareholders' equity plus consolidated debt. The Company's debt to total capital ratio was 19.2% at December 31, 2025, resulting in a 12.5 basis point commitment fee on any undrawn portion of the credit facility. As of February 17, 2026, a total of $200 million was drawn under this facility on a three-month revolving basis at an annual interest rate of approximately 5.09%, with $50 million available to be drawn. The Company contributed $150 million of the total amount drawn to the surplus of its consolidated insurance subsidiaries in 2023, and used the remainder for general corporate purposes. (3)    The unamortized discount and debt issuance costs are associated with the publicly traded $375 million senior unsecured notes. These are amortized to interest expense over the life of the notes, and the unamortized balance is presented in the Company's consolidated balance sheets as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt. The unamortized debt issuance cost of approximately $0.4 million associated with the $250 million unsecured revolving credit facility maturing on November 18, 2027 is included in other assets in the Company's consolidated balance sheets and amortized to interest expense over the term of the credit facility. The Company was in compliance with all of its financial covenants pertaining to minimum statutory surplus, debt to total capital ratio, and RBC ratio under the unsecured credit facility at December 31, 2025. For a further discussion, see Note 8. Notes Payable, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." E. Uses of Capital Dividends Cash returned to shareholders through dividends was approximately $70.3 million in each of 2025, 2024 and 2023. On February 13, 2026, the Board of Directors declared a $0.3175 quarterly dividend per share payable on March 26, 2026 to shareholders of record on March 12, 2026, with an expected payout of approximately $18 million. The Company currently expects quarterly dividends to continue in future periods, although the declaration and amount of any future cash dividends are at the discretion and subject to the approval of its Board of Directors. The decisions of the Company's Board of Directors regarding the amount and payment of dividends will depend on many factors, such as its financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business conditions, debt service obligations, industry practice, legal requirements, regulatory constraints, and other factors that its Board of Directors may deem relevant. The Company expects to fund its future dividend payments primarily with a combination of cash expected to be generated from future operations and cash and short-term investments on hand. For a further discussion, see Note 13. Dividends, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." Capital Expenditures The Company's capital expenditures were approximately $58.4 million, $46.1 million and $36.8 million for 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and they were primarily related to improving the Company's information technology infrastructure. The Company expects the capital spending for 2026, primarily for continued investments in its technology assets, to be somewhat larger than that for 2025. The Company expects to fund its 2026 capital expenditures primarily with a combination of cash expected to be generated from future operations and cash and short-term investments on hand. 50 Contractual Obligations The Company’s material cash requirements include the following contractual obligations at December 31, 2025: Contractual Obligations Payments Due By Period Total 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Thereafter (Amounts in thousands) Debt (including interest)(1) $ 619,007  $ 26,680  $ 592,327  $ —  $ —  $ —  $ —  Lease obligations(2) 22,880  8,356  5,826  4,144  2,570  548  1,436  Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves(3) 3,633,338  2,026,083  741,296  334,367  211,019  113,727  206,846  Total contractual obligations $ 4,275,225  $ 2,061,119  $ 1,339,449  $ 338,511  $ 213,589  $ 114,275  $ 208,282  __________  (1)The Company’s debt contains various terms, conditions and covenants which, if violated by the Company, would result in a default and could result in the acceleration of the Company’s payment obligations. Amounts differ from the balances presented on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2025 because the debt amounts above include interest and exclude the discount and issuance costs of the debt. (2)The Company is obligated under various non-cancellable lease agreements providing for office space, automobiles, office equipment, and electronic data processing equipment that expire at various dates through the year 2036. Lease obligations include $8.1 million in lease commitments that have not yet commenced as of December 31, 2025. See Note 7. Leases, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for additional information on lease obligations. (3)Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves represents an estimate of amounts necessary to settle all outstanding claims, including IBNR as of December 31, 2025. The Company has estimated the timing of these payments based on its historical experience and expectation of future payment patterns. However, the timing of these payments may vary significantly from the amounts shown above. The ultimate cost of losses may vary materially from recorded amounts which are the Company’s best estimates. For more detailed information on the Company's historical loss experience and payment patterns, see "Overview—C. Critical Accounting Estimates" in "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," as well as Note 12. Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." The Company expects to meet these contractual obligations primarily with a combination of cash expected to be generated from future operations and cash and short-term investments on hand, except for the payment of the principal of the debt, which is expected to be made with a future borrowing. F. Regulatory Capital Requirements The Insurance Companies must comply with minimum capital requirements under applicable state laws and regulations. The RBC formula is used by insurance regulators to monitor capital and surplus levels. It was designed to capture the widely varying elements of risks undertaken by writers of different lines of insurance business having differing risk characteristics, as well as writers of similar lines where differences in risk may be related to corporate structure, investment policies, reinsurance arrangements, and a number of other factors. The Company periodically monitors the RBC level of each of the Insurance Companies. As of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, each of the Insurance Companies exceeded the minimum required RBC level, as determined by the NAIC and adopted by the state insurance regulators. None of the Insurance Companies’ RBC ratios were less than 350% of the authorized control level RBC as of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023. Generally, an RBC ratio of 200% or less would require some form of regulatory or company action. Among other considerations, industry and regulatory guidelines suggest that the ratio of a property and casualty insurer’s annual net premiums written to statutory policyholders’ surplus should not exceed 3.0 to 1. Based on the combined surplus of all the Insurance Companies of $2.39 billion at December 31, 2025 and net premiums written in 2025 of $5.7 billion, the ratio of premiums written to surplus was 2.39 to 1. Insurance companies are required to file an Own Risk and Solvency Assessment ("ORSA") with the insurance regulators in their domiciliary states. The ORSA is required to cover, among many items, a company’s risk management policies, the material risks to which the company is exposed, how the company measures, monitors, manages and mitigates material risks, and how much economic and regulatory capital is needed to continue to operate in a strong and healthy manner. The ORSA is intended to be used by state insurance regulators to evaluate the risk exposure and quality of the risk management processes 51 within insurance companies to assist in conducting risk-focused financial examinations and for determining the overall financial condition of insurance companies. The Company filed its most recent ORSA Summary Report with the California DOI in November 2025. Compliance with the ORSA requirements did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. The DOI in each state in which the Company operates is responsible for conducting periodic financial and market conduct examinations of the Insurance Companies in their states. Market conduct examinations typically review compliance with insurance statutes and regulations with respect to rating, underwriting, claims handling, billing, and other practices. The following table presents a summary of recent examinations: State Exam Type Period Under Review Status TX Market Conduct 2022 Final examination reports were issued in the first half of 2025. During the course of and at the conclusion of the examinations, the examining DOI generally reports findings to the Company. No material findings have been communicated to the Company in the Texas market conduct examination reports noted above. 52