UNIVERSAL INSURANCE HOLDINGS, INC. (UVE)
SIC breadcrumb: Finance, Insurance, And Real Estate > Insurance Carriers > SIC 6331 Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=891166. Latest filing source: 0000891166-26-000010.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read UVE's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read UVE's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 1,603,915,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-27 |
| Net income | 182,951,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-27 |
| Assets | 2,839,695,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-27 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-27. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000891166.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2013 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 685,289,000 | 751,916,000 | 823,816,000 | 939,351,000 | 1,072,770,000 | 1,121,851,000 | 1,222,658,000 | 1,391,582,000 | 1,520,536,000 | 1,603,915,000 | |
| Net income | 99,410,000 | 106,935,000 | 117,051,000 | 46,514,000 | 19,105,000 | 20,407,000 | -22,257,000 | 66,823,000 | 58,928,000 | 182,951,000 | |
| Diluted EPS | 2.79 | 2.99 | 3.27 | 1.36 | 0.60 | 0.65 | -0.72 | 2.22 | 2.01 | 6.32 | |
| Operating cash flow | 156,959,000 | 245,010,000 | 230,105,000 | 84,598,000 | 29,348,000 | 234,378,000 | 324,515,000 | 70,971,000 | 137,358,000 | 381,493,000 | |
| Capital expenditures | 8,223,000 | 4,618,000 | 6,731,000 | 11,314,000 | 17,216,000 | 7,226,000 | 4,899,000 | 4,019,000 | 7,368,000 | 4,438,000 | |
| Dividends paid | 24,192,000 | 24,001,000 | 25,508,000 | 26,106,000 | 24,547,000 | 24,191,000 | 23,774,000 | 23,279,000 | 22,316,000 | 22,165,000 | |
| Share buybacks | 8,510,000 | 18,141,000 | 25,276,000 | 66,186,000 | 28,921,000 | 1,609,000 | 11,643,000 | 22,021,000 | 21,914,000 | 22,370,000 | |
| Assets | 1,060,007,000 | 1,454,999,000 | 1,858,390,000 | 1,719,852,000 | 1,758,741,000 | 2,056,141,000 | 2,890,154,000 | 2,316,561,000 | 2,841,861,000 | 2,839,695,000 | |
| Liabilities | 688,817,000 | 1,015,011,000 | 1,356,757,000 | 1,225,951,000 | 1,309,479,000 | 1,626,439,000 | 2,602,258,000 | 1,975,264,000 | 2,468,611,000 | 2,288,660,000 | |
| Stockholders' equity | 371,190,000 | 439,988,000 | 501,633,000 | 493,901,000 | 449,262,000 | 429,702,000 | 287,896,000 | 341,297,000 | 373,250,000 | 551,035,000 | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 105,730,000 | 213,486,000 | 166,428,000 | 182,109,000 | 167,156,000 | 250,508,000 | 388,706,000 | 397,306,000 | 259,441,000 | 408,868,000 | |
| Free cash flow | 240,392,000 | 223,374,000 | 73,284,000 | 12,132,000 | 227,152,000 | 319,616,000 | 66,952,000 | 129,990,000 | 377,055,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2013 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 14.51% | 14.22% | 14.21% | 4.95% | 1.78% | 1.82% | -1.82% | 4.80% | 3.88% | 11.41% | |
| Return on equity | 26.78% | 24.30% | 23.33% | 9.42% | 4.25% | 4.75% | -7.73% | 19.58% | 15.79% | 33.20% | |
| Return on assets | 9.38% | 7.35% | 6.30% | 2.70% | 1.09% | 0.99% | -0.77% | 2.88% | 2.07% | 6.44% | |
| Liabilities / equity | 1.86 | 2.31 | 2.70 | 2.48 | 2.91 | 3.79 | 9.04 | 5.79 | 6.61 | 4.15 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0000891166-26-000010; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0000891166-26-000010; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0000891166-26-000010; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: Revenues. Source concepts: us-gaap:Revenues.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000891166-26-000010; filed 2026-02-27. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-07-30. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000891166.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | -2.36 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 0.79 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 0.93 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 360,048,000 | -5,918,000 | -0.20 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 375,456,000 | 19,997,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 367,959,000 | 33,654,000 | 1.14 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 380,214,000 | 35,414,000 | 1.21 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 387,554,000 | -16,166,000 | -0.57 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 384,809,000 | 6,016,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 394,867,000 | 41,436,000 | 1.44 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 400,141,000 | 35,091,000 | 1.21 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 400,981,000 | 39,827,000 | 1.38 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 407,926,000 | 66,587,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 393,565,000 | 54,288,000 | 1.88 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q2 | 2026-06-30 | 427,033,000 | 59,186,000 | 2.04 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0000891166-26-000088; filed 2026-07-30. Concept: Revenues. Source concepts: us-gaap:Revenues.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0000891166-26-000088; filed 2026-07-30. Concept: NetIncomeLossAvailableToCommonStockholdersBasic. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLossAvailableToCommonStockholdersBasic.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0000891166-26-000088; filed 2026-07-30. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0000891166-26-000088.
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “we,” “us,” “our,” and “Company” refer to Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (“UVE”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. You should read the following discussion together with our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements (“Financial Statements”) and the related notes thereto included in “Part I, Item 1—Financial Statements,” and our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in “Part II, Item 8—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. Operating results for any one quarter are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any quarter or for the year.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this report may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The forward-looking statements anticipate results based on our estimates, assumptions and plans that are subject to uncertainty. These forward-looking statements may be identified by their use of words like “plans,” “seeks,” “expects,” “will,” “should,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “believes,” “likely,” “targets,” and other words with similar meanings. These statements may address, among other things, our strategy for growth, catastrophe exposure and other risk management, product development, investment results, regulatory approvals, market position, expenses, financial results, projections, estimates, litigation and reserves. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in any of our forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results or outcomes could differ materially from those projected or assumed in any of our forward-looking statements. There may be other factors not presently known to us or which we currently consider to be immaterial that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements we make. We believe that these statements are based on reasonable estimates, assumptions and plans. A detailed discussion of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking statements is set forth below, which are a summary of those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” (Part I, Item 1A) of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Risks and uncertainties that may affect, or have affected, our financial condition and operating results include, but are not limited to, the following:
•As a property and casualty insurer, we may face significant losses, and our financial results may vary from period to period, due to exposure to catastrophic events and severe weather conditions, the frequency and severity of which could be affected by climate change.
•Because we have significant exposure to the Florida market, our financial results are affected by the regulatory, economic, and weather conditions in Florida.
•We have entered new markets and expect that we will continue to do so, but there can be no assurance that our diversification and growth strategy will be effective.
•Actual claims incurred have exceeded, and in the future may exceed, reserves established for claims, adversely affecting our operating results and financial condition.
•If we fail to adequately price the risks we underwrite, if emerging trends outpace our ability to adjust prices in a timely manner, or if we lose desirable exposures to competitors by overpricing our risks, we may experience underwriting losses, thereby depleting surplus at the Insurance Entities and capital at the holding company.
•Unanticipated increases in the severity or frequency of claims adversely affect our profitability and financial condition.
•The failure of the risk mitigation strategies we utilize could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
•Pandemics and macroeconomic conditions could impact our business, financial results, and growth.
•Because we rely on independent insurance agents, the loss of these independent agent relationships and the business they control or our ability to attract new independent agents could have an adverse impact on our business.
•We rely on models as a tool to evaluate risk, and those models are inherently uncertain and may not accurately predict existing or future losses.
•Reinsurance may be unavailable in the future at reasonable levels and prices or on reasonable terms, which may limit our ability to write new business or to adequately mitigate our exposure to loss.
•Reinsurance subjects us to the credit risk of our reinsurers, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.
•Our financial condition and operating results are subject to the cyclical nature of the property and casualty insurance business.
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Table of Contents
•An overall decline in the housing market or general economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on the financial condition and results of operations of our business.
•Our success depends, in part, on our ability to attract, retain, and develop talented employees, and the loss of any one of our key personnel could adversely impact our operations.
•We could be adversely affected if our controls designed to ensure compliance with guidelines, policies and legal and regulatory standards are not effective.
•The failure of our claims professionals to effectively manage claims could adversely affect our insurance business and financial results.
•Litigation or regulatory actions could result in material settlements, judgments, fines, or penalties and consequently have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and reputation.
•Failure to maintain or enhance our brand or damage to our reputation could adversely impact our business.
•Our future results are dependent in part on our ability to successfully operate in a highly competitive insurance industry.
•A downgrade in our financial strength or stability ratings may have an adverse effect on our competitive position, the marketability of our product offerings, and our liquidity, operating results and financial condition.
•Breaches or other failures of our information systems or denial of service on our website could have an adverse impact on our business and reputation.
•Our ability to implement or adjust to technological changes, especially regarding artificial intelligence (“AI”), may be limited, or we could introduce technology containing errors, which may trigger regulatory actions or put us at a competitive disadvantage.
•Lack of effectiveness of exclusions and other loss limitation methods in the insurance policies we write or changes in laws and/or potential regulatory approaches relating to them could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
•We are subject to market risk, which may adversely affect investment income.
•Our overall financial performance depends in part on the returns on our investment portfolio.
•We are subject to extensive regulation and potential further restrictive regulation may increase our operating costs and limit our growth and profitability.
•UVE is a holding company and, consequently, its cash flow is dependent on dividends and other permissible payments from its subsidiaries.
•Regulations limiting rate changes and requiring us to participate in loss sharing or assessments may decrease our profitability.
•The amount of statutory capital and surplus that each of the Insurance Entities has and the amount of statutory capital and surplus it must hold vary and are sensitive to a number of factors outside of our control, including market conditions and the regulatory environment and rules.
•To service our debt, we will require a significant amount of cash. Our ability to generate cash depends on many factors.
•Our indebtedness could adversely affect our financial results and prevent us from fulfilling our obligations under the Notes.
27
Table of Contents
OVERVIEW
We are a vertically integrated insurance holding company focused primarily on personal residential homeowners insurance. Our insurance subsidiaries, Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company (“UPCIC”) and American Platinum Property and Casualty Insurance Company (“APPCIC” and, together with UPCIC, the “Insurance Entities”), write homeowners and related property insurance through appointed independent agents and online distribution channels across 19 states. Our integrated operating model allows us to manage underwriting, product design, distribution, risk management and claims handling through affiliated service companies, which supports consistency in execution and provides additional fee-based revenue streams.
Our results are driven principally by the size, mix and profitability of our insured portfolio; the frequency and severity of weather and non-weather claims; the cost and structure of our catastrophe reinsurance program; investment income; and operating efficiency. Management’s objective is to generate long-term underwriting profitability while maintaining sufficient liquidity and capital to support policyholder obligations, catastrophe exposure and disciplined growth. We evaluate underwriting profitability based on net premiums earned less losses, loss adjustment expenses, policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses.
During 2026, we continued to pursue selective growth in Florida and other states where market conditions have improved or otherwise support attractive risk-adjusted returns. In Florida, legislative reforms enacted in late 2022 have contributed to improved claim and litigation trends on policies issued or renewed after the reforms, supporting our decision to expand new homeowners writings in most territories, introduce new coverage options and adjust rates. Outside Florida, we continued to refine rates, coverage offerings and underwriting criteria in response to inflation, weather risk, reinsurance costs and other market conditions. These actions are intended to support growth while maintaining underwriting discipline and geographic diversification.
Although Florida represented approximately 72.9% of direct premiums written for the six months ended June 30, 2026, it represented approximately 47.1% of total insured value as of June 30, 2026. This difference reflects the higher premium levels associated with Florida’s catastrophe exposure, reinsurance costs and market conditions, while also demonstrating the Company’s continued diversification of insured exposure outside Florida. Management views this diversification as an important component of its long-term strategy to balance growth, underwriting profitability and catastrophe risk across its multi-state homeowners insurance platform.
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read together with the condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as the audited consolidated financial statements, related notes and MD&A included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. This MD&A contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those discussed due to the factors described under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Risk Factor
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to assist in an understanding of our financial condition and results of operations and should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in “Part II—Item 8—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” below. Except for the historical information contained herein, the discussions in this MD&A contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our future results could differ materially from those discussed herein. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed above under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Part I— Item 1A—Risk Factors”.
Overview
We are a vertically integrated holding company offering property and casualty insurance and value-added insurance services. In addition, we generate revenue from our investment portfolio, reinsurance brokerage services, the receipt of managing general agency fees from policy holders and from other sources of revenue (collectively “Other Revenue Sources”). We develop, market, and underwrite insurance products for consumers predominantly in the personal residential homeowners’ line of business and perform substantially all insurance-related services for our insurance entities, including risk management, claims management, and distribution. Our Insurance Entities offer insurance products through both appointed independent insurance agents and through our online distribution channel across 19 states, with licenses to write insurance in one additional state. We seek to produce an underwriting profit (defined as net premiums earned minus losses, LAE, policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses) over the long term, along with growing our Other Revenue Sources.
Revenues
We generate revenue primarily from the collection of insurance premiums. Other sources of revenue include: commissions paid by our reinsurers to our reinsurance intermediary subsidiary BARC on reinsurance it places for the Insurance Entities; policy fees collected from policyholders by our managing general agent subsidiary, ERA; and financing fees charged to policyholders who choose to defer premium payments reflected in other income. In addition, our subsidiary Alder receives fees from the Insurance Entities for claims-handling services. The Insurance Entities are reimbursed for these fees on claims that are subject to recovery under the Insurance Entities’ respective reinsurance programs. These fees, after expenses, are recorded in the consolidated financial statements as an adjustment to LAE. We also generate income by investing our assets.
The nature of our business tends to be seasonal during the year, reflecting consumer behaviors in connection with the Florida residential real estate market and the hurricane season. The amount of direct premiums written tends to be highest in the second and third quarters of our fiscal year and lowest in the first and fourth quarters.
Trends and Geographical Distribution
Florida Trends
Regulatory Environment
We seek to achieve long-term rate adequacy and earnings for the Insurance Entities while managing our risks through market cycles and looking to take advantage of what we believe to be market opportunities. We currently transact insurance in 19 states. Although the majority of our policies cover properties in Florida, our business in other states continues to grow as a percentage of our total policies in force and premium volume.
Our ability to write and retain policies is influenced by a range of local, national and global factors. Among these, the amount and types of policies we write depend on the regulatory environments in the states in which the Insurance Entities write policies. In particular, the Florida personal residential insurance market is experiencing significant transitions due to a series of law changes passed in December 2022 that were intended to address substantial market disruption.
Prior to the 2022 reforms, the Florida residential property insurance market suffered from declining availability and increasing premiums among authorized insurers. This was attributable to elevated loss and LAE levels and related impacts on reinsurance pricing and availability. During this period, Citizens, which generally is intended to be the state’s market of last resort, instead became a market of choice as insurers limited writings and state laws capped Citizens’ annual rate increases at levels well below market levels.
The overall residential property insurance market in Florida has steadily improved since 2023. Nonetheless, the ultimate long-term benefits of Florida’s statutory reforms remain unknown and difficult to predict. The Florida political environment, prevailing sentiment among policymakers or the public such as growing concerns with inflation and costs of living, and economic factors beyond insurers’ control may directly or indirectly mitigate the impact of the reforms. These influences can mask the reforms’ benefits or diminish their perceived effectiveness even when the market shows objective signs of improvement through moderating rate levels, increased product availability and competition, and reductions in Citizens’ policy count. Over time, these political or external influences can result in policymakers questioning the merits of the reforms, considering proposals to reverse them, or pursuing other law changes or interpretations that could negate improvements in the Florida market and renew concerns with rising costs and reduced availability.
28
Competition
Prior to the 2022 reforms, most residential property insurers in Florida, including the Insurance Entities, sought to limit their exposure to rising losses and LAE. Although the Insurance Entities faced little competition from authorized insurers during this period, the Insurance Entities’ own exposure management considerations led them to limit their new business intake. The Insurance Entities historically have enjoyed a high policyholder retention rate from year to year, both prior to the reforms and currently. Even so, the Company’s limited appetite for new business prior to the reforms led to a decline in their in-force Florida policy count. During this time, Citizens grew to become the largest insurer of residential property in Florida by a wide margin.
Since 2023, the Insurance Entities have gradually increased their appetite for new business in Florida. In both 2024 and 2025, the Insurance Entities filed and gained regulatory approval of statewide average rate decreases for their homeowners’ insurance programs. In addition, the Insurance Entities began to expand, and have continued to expand, the areas in Florida and the types of policies they seek to write.
Other established insurers also are expanding new business writings. In addition, a reported 17 new insurers have entered the Florida market in recent years. Unlike the Insurance Entities, some new and established insurers write business predominantly by assuming risks from Citizens. All together, renewed activity among authorized insurers has led to a decrease in Citizens’ policy count by approximately one million policies since the reforms. As a result, UPCIC is one of the largest residential property insurers in Florida. Still, as the benefits of the reforms continue to emerge, new and existing competitors in the post-reform market often remain selective as to the policy types, locations, coverage limits or other characteristics of policies they write, leading to segmentation in the market. The degree of competition the insurers face in Florida therefore varies by policy type, region, and other factors.
Other states have experienced less disruption than Florida. The Insurance Entities therefore experience a high but stable degree of competition when entering and expanding in other states. In these states, we often compete with national or regional insurers with greater experience in the specific markets. Our growth plan therefore includes developing relationships with the states’ independent agents and gradually expanding our presence as we gain familiarity with new markets. Over time, this has allowed our business outside of Florida to steadily increase as a percentage of our overall business.
Claims
The Insurance Entities’ loss and LAE experience on Florida claims has improved significantly for policies written after the statutory reforms. This is attributable to reduced incentives for policyholders, vendors and their representatives to pursue questionable, inflated and litigated claims. In addition, the Company’s own initiatives, coupled with enhanced claim-handling standards included in the reforms, have resulted in faster claims-handling times, process improvements and greater customer satisfaction.
The Company continues to experience higher costs associated with claims that pre-date the reforms. The remaining pre-reform claims typically are litigated claims that have resisted formal and informal efforts at dispute resolution. Although the number of claims subject to pre-reform laws continues to decline, it may be several years before all of them are resolved.
The Company has increasingly used video and other technology to facilitate reviews of damaged property and improve efficiency in the claims process. As technologies evolve, the Company continually evaluates and implements enhancements to streamline workflows and enhance customer experience. The Company also regularly monitors regulatory developments pertaining to uses of technology, including oversight of AI in claims processes and other aspects of our operations.
Economic Conditions
Our business is affected by evolving domestic, national or global economic conditions, including the potential impact from tariffs and other inflationary pressures. Increased costs of labor and materials can adversely affect our claims costs. This can lead to direct effects on our business, such as increasing the values of properties we insure and the corresponding premium levels, as well as indirect effects such as offsetting and diminishing the perceived benefits of the statutory reforms. We will continue to monitor our business model and strategy as these events develop.
We also rely on global reinsurance markets to mitigate exposures under policies we write. The availability and pricing of reinsurance can be influenced by global economic conditions such as inflation. Our ability to purchase desired levels of reinsurance at competitive prices also can be influenced by severe weather in Florida and elsewhere. Florida did not suffer a landfalling hurricane in 2025, which is a favorable consideration as we prepare for the mid-year renewal of our catastrophe reinsurance program. However, this benefit might be offset by reinsurers’ assessments of past and potential future events.
Across the United States, third-party financing contributes to expansion of claims litigation and vendors’ efforts to solicit claims. Some states have enacted laws intended to curtail or require disclosure of litigation financing. The largest state in which we write business, Florida, does not currently have any such laws. It is difficult to quantify the impact on losses, LAE and ultimately premium attributable to vendor-related financing and litigation financing.
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Summary of Recent Rate Changes
In 2024, for Florida, UPCIC implemented new homeowners policy rates, resulting in an average rate decrease of 1.5% compared to previous rates, effective for new policies August 15, 2024 and renewal policies May 17, 2025. These Florida rate changes were implemented under use and file rating laws and subsequently received regulatory approval. In October 2025, UPCIC implemented new homeowners policy rates for new and renewal business policies, resulting in an average rate decrease of 5.1% compared to previous rates with an effective date of October 16, 2025.
For 2025, the following rate changes for UPCIC have been approved by regulators in states other than Florida:
•Michigan: +24.8% effective January 20, 2025, for new business, and March 11, 2025, for renewal business
•Georgia: +7.4% effective March 1, 2025, for new business and renewal business
•Alabama: +8.1% effective March 13, 2025, for new business and May 2, 2025, for renewal business
•Indiana: +6.0% effective March 22, 2025, for new business and May 11, 2025, for renewal business
•Massachusetts: +12.9% effective April 8, 2025, for new business and May 28, 2025, for renewal business
•South Carolina: +8.6% effective April 21, 2025, for new business and June 10, 2025, for renewal business
•Minnesota: +15.0%, effective May 16, 2025, for new business and July 20, 2025, for renewal business
•North Carolina: +7.5% effective June 1, 2025, for new business and renewal business
•Pennsylvania: +8.0% effective June 1, 2025, for new business and July 21, 2025, for renewal business
•Delaware: +15.0%, effective June 24, 2025, for new business and August 13, 2025, for renewal business
•New York: +10.2%, effective August 4, 2025, for new business and September 23, 2025, for renewal business
•Illinois: +8.0%, effective August 12, 2025, for new business and October 1, 2025, for renewal business
•Iowa: +20.0%, effective August 20, 2025, for new business and October 24, 2025, for renewal business
•Wisconsin: +15.0%, effective September 2, 2025, for new business and October 22, 2025, for renewal business
•New Hampshire: +16.5%, effective September 23, 2025, for new business and November 12, 2025, for renewal business
•Virginia: +10.7%, effective December 31, 2025, for new business and renewal business
The following rate filings are pending approval by state regulators:
•New Jersey: +18.9%, the effective date for new business and renewal business.
•Massachusetts: +6.1%, the effective date for new business and renewal business.
•South Carolina: +6.9%, the effective date for new business and renewal business.
•Georgia: +7.9%, the effective date for new business and renewal business.
For 2026, the following rate changes for UPCIC have been approved by regulators in states other than Florida:
•Maryland: +4.6%, effective January 1, 2026, for new business and renewal business
•North Carolina: +7.5%, effective June 1, 2026, for new business and renewal business
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Geographical Distribution
Direct premiums written continue to increase across 17 of the 19 states in which we conduct business year-over-year. As a result of our business strategy, rate changes and disciplined underwriting initiatives, we have seen an increase in total policy count in 13 out of 19 states, as well as increases in in-force premium in 17 states and total insured value in 16 states. Direct premiums written for states outside of Florida increased 24.3%, representing a $114.7 million increase during 2025. Direct premiums written for Florida decreased 2.8%, representing a $44.1 million decrease during 2025. The following table provides direct premiums written for Florida and other states for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended | Growth Year Over Year | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| State | Direct Premiums Written | % | Direct Premiums Written | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||
| Florida | $ | 1,554,345 | 72.6 | % | $ | 1,598,426 | 77.2 | % | $ | (44,081) | (2.8) | % | |||||||||
| Other states | 585,911 | 27.4 | % | 471,266 | 22.8 | % | 114,645 | 24.3 | % | ||||||||||||
| Grand total | $ | 2,140,256 | 100.0 | % | $ | 2,069,692 | 100.0 | % | $ | 70,564 | 3.4 | % |
We seek to prudently grow and generate long-term rate adequate premium in each state where we offer policies. Our diversification strategy seeks to increase business outside of Florida and to improve geographical distribution within Florida.
The geographical distribution of our policies in force, premium in force and total insured value across all states were as follows, as of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 (dollars in thousands, rounded to the nearest thousand):
| As of December 31, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 567,095 | 63.3 | % | $ | 1,561,889 | 72.7 | % | $ | 186,809,542 | 47.5 | % | |||||||||
| Alabama | 20,024 | 2.2 | % | 46,775 | 2.2 | % | 10,013,163 | 2.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 4,133 | 0.5 | % | 6,878 | 0.3 | % | 2,973,218 | 0.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 28,976 | 3.3 | % | 63,574 | 3.0 | % | 16,830,368 | 4.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 9,048 | 1.0 | % | 16,650 | 0.8 | % | 6,333,278 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 13,320 | 1.5 | % | 23,664 | 1.1 | % | 6,254,986 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 12,095 | 1.3 | % | 18,992 | 0.9 | % | 7,555,921 | 1.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 27,173 | 3.1 | % | 56,056 | 2.6 | % | 23,833,849 | 6.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 23,189 | 2.6 | % | 32,248 | 1.5 | % | 15,160,321 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 13,288 | 1.5 | % | 26,008 | 1.2 | % | 7,890,368 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 14,778 | 1.6 | % | 36,755 | 1.7 | % | 10,025,432 | 2.5 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 328 | — | % | 450 | — | % | 253,578 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 17,997 | 2.0 | % | 28,236 | 1.3 | % | 13,363,747 | 3.4 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 7,564 | 0.8 | % | 14,406 | 0.7 | % | 6,790,699 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| North Carolina | 72,839 | 8.2 | % | 102,413 | 4.7 | % | 39,143,671 | 10.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 7,534 | 0.8 | % | 11,795 | 0.5 | % | 4,223,413 | 1.1 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 30,025 | 3.4 | % | 59,939 | 2.8 | % | 16,862,738 | 4.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 25,475 | 2.8 | % | 39,973 | 1.9 | % | 18,225,461 | 4.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 1,046 | 0.1 | % | 1,240 | 0.1 | % | 805,779 | 0.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 895,927 | 100.0 | % | $ | 2,147,941 | 100.0 | % | $ | 393,349,532 | 100.0 | % |
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| As of December 31, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 567,307 | 66.4 | % | $ | 1,608,142 | 77.3 | % | $ | 186,751,842 | 52.1 | % | |||||||||
| Alabama | 18,907 | 2.2 | % | 39,774 | 1.9 | % | 9,072,192 | 2.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 3,219 | 0.4 | % | 4,883 | 0.2 | % | 2,249,566 | 0.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 29,470 | 3.4 | % | 59,530 | 2.9 | % | 16,332,651 | 4.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 5,634 | 0.7 | % | 9,637 | 0.5 | % | 3,767,743 | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 12,861 | 1.5 | % | 20,945 | 1.0 | % | 5,737,050 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 7,978 | 0.9 | % | 12,611 | 0.6 | % | 4,865,077 | 1.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 24,475 | 2.9 | % | 44,279 | 2.1 | % | 20,418,055 | 5.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 15,669 | 1.8 | % | 20,284 | 1.0 | % | 9,591,760 | 2.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 10,655 | 1.2 | % | 18,041 | 0.9 | % | 6,199,390 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 11,340 | 1.3 | % | 26,351 | 1.3 | % | 7,103,977 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| North Carolina | 65,901 | 7.8 | % | 86,556 | 4.2 | % | 33,078,243 | 9.2 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 330 | — | % | 397 | — | % | 252,782 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 18,834 | 2.2 | % | 28,012 | 1.3 | % | 13,830,947 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 7,951 | 0.9 | % | 14,056 | 0.7 | % | 6,828,505 | 1.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 8,375 | 1.0 | % | 12,139 | 0.6 | % | 4,562,202 | 1.2 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 24,766 | 2.9 | % | 43,306 | 2.1 | % | 12,745,333 | 3.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 21,751 | 2.5 | % | 30,011 | 1.4 | % | 15,044,367 | 4.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 103 | — | % | 115 | — | % | 79,529 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 855,526 | 100.0 | % | $ | 2,079,069 | 100.0 | % | $ | 358,511,211 | 100.0 | % |
| As of December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 567,893 | 70.1 | % | $ | 1,577,210 | 81.5 | % | $ | 188,516,949 | 58.3 | % | |||||||||
| Alabama | 16,440 | 2.0 | % | 29,589 | 1.5 | % | 7,404,975 | 2.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 2,341 | 0.2 | % | 3,330 | 0.2 | % | 1,531,896 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 31,335 | 3.9 | % | 54,315 | 2.8 | % | 16,704,678 | 5.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 858 | 0.1 | % | 1,100 | 0.1 | % | 510,735 | 0.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 2,491 | 0.3 | % | 3,720 | 0.2 | % | 1,498,349 | 0.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 12,584 | 1.6 | % | 18,386 | 1.0 | % | 5,326,469 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 874 | 0.1 | % | 1,222 | 0.1 | % | 476,843 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 21,443 | 2.6 | % | 33,902 | 1.8 | % | 16,702,823 | 5.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 8,671 | 1.1 | % | 9,379 | 0.4 | % | 4,431,977 | 1.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 4,890 | 0.6 | % | 7,641 | 0.4 | % | 2,634,991 | 0.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 9,446 | 1.2 | % | 19,407 | 1.0 | % | 5,613,856 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| North Carolina | 56,787 | 7.0 | % | 70,170 | 3.6 | % | 25,990,577 | 8.0 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 318 | — | % | 358 | — | % | 230,587 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 18,606 | 2.3 | % | 25,712 | 1.3 | % | 13,358,747 | 4.1 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 7,102 | 0.9 | % | 12,359 | 0.6 | % | 5,771,055 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 9,439 | 1.2 | % | 12,648 | 0.7 | % | 4,965,478 | 1.5 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 19,201 | 2.4 | % | 28,184 | 1.5 | % | 8,997,564 | 2.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 19,213 | 2.4 | % | 25,736 | 1.3 | % | 12,788,156 | 4.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 809,932 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,934,368 | 100.0 | % | $ | 323,456,705 | 100.0 | % |
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KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The Company considers the measures and ratios in the following discussion to be key performance indicators for its businesses. Management believes that these indicators are helpful in understanding the underlying trends in the Company’s businesses. Some of these indicators are reported on a quarterly basis and others on an annual basis. Please also refer to “Part II—Item 8—Note 2 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies)” for definitions of certain other terms we use when describing our financial results.
These indicators may not be comparable to other performance measures used by the Company’s competitors and should only be evaluated together with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.
Definitions of Key Performance Indicators
Book Value Per Common Share ― total stockholders’ equity, adjusted for preferred stock liquidation, divided by the number of common shares outstanding as of a reporting period. Book value per common share is the excess of assets over liabilities at a reporting period attributed to each share of common stock. Changes in book value per common share informs shareholders of retained equity in the Company on a per share basis, which may assist in understanding market value trends for the Company’s stock.
Combined Ratio ― the combined ratio is a measure of underwriting profitability for a reporting period and is calculated by dividing total operating costs and expenses (which is made up of losses and LAE, policy acquisition costs and other operating expenses) by premiums earned, net, which is net of ceded premium earned. Changes to the combined ratio over time provide management with an understanding of costs to operate its business in relation to net premiums it is earning and the impact of rate, underwriting and other business management actions, weather and other external factors on underwriting profitability. A combined ratio below 100% indicates an underwriting profit; a combined ratio above 100% indicates an underwriting loss.
Core Loss Ratio ― an operational metric used in the insurance industry to describe the ratio of current year losses and LAE, excluding current accident year weather and prior year development, to premiums earned. Core loss ratio is an important measure identifying profitability trends of premiums in force. Core losses consists of losses and LAE excluding current year weather events and prior years’ reserve development and is net of estimated subrogation recoveries. The financial benefit from the management of claims, including claim fees ceded to reinsurers, is also recorded in the condensed consolidated financial statements as a reduction to core losses. The core loss ratio can be measured on a direct basis, using direct earned premiums, or on a net basis, using premiums earned, net (i.e., direct premiums earned less ceded premiums earned).
Debt-to-Equity Ratio ― long-term debt, including current portion, divided by stockholders’ equity. This ratio helps management measure the amount of financing leverage in place in relation to equity and allows investors to evaluate future leverage capacity.
Debt-to-Total Capital Ratio ― long-term debt, including current portion, divided by the sum of total stockholders’ equity and long-term debt (often referred to as total capital resources). This ratio helps management measure the amount of financing leverage in place (long-term debt) in relation to total capital resources and allows investors to evaluate future leverage capacity.
Direct Premiums Written (“DPW”) ― reflects the total value of policies issued during a period before considering premiums ceded to reinsurers. Direct premiums written, comprised of renewal premiums, endorsements, and new business, is initially recorded as unearned premium in the balance sheet, which is then earned pro-rata over the next year or remaining policy term. Direct premiums written reflect current trends in the Company’s sale of property and casualty insurance products and amounts that will be recognized as earned premiums in the future.
DPW (Florida) ― includes only DPW in the state of Florida. This measure allows management to analyze growth in our primary market and is also a measure of business concentration risk.
Expense Ratio (Including Policy Acquisition Cost Ratio and Other Operating Cost Ratio) ― calculated as policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses as a percentage of premiums earned, net. Policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses include such items as underwriting costs, facilities, and corporate overhead. The expense ratio, including the sub-expense ratios of policy acquisition cost ratio and other operating cost ratio, are indicators to management of the Company’s cost efficiency in acquiring and servicing its business and the impact of expense items to overall profitability.
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expense Ratio or Loss and LAE Ratio ― a measure of the cost of claims and claim settlement expenses incurred in a reporting period as a percentage of premiums earned in that same reporting period. Losses and LAE incurred in a reporting period includes both amounts related to the current accident year and prior accident years, if any, referred to as development. Ultimate losses and LAE are based on actuarial estimates with changes in those estimates recognized in the period the estimates are revised. Losses and LAE consist of claim costs arising from claims occurring and settling in the current period, an estimate of claim costs for reported but unpaid claims, an estimate of unpaid claim costs for incurred-but-not-reported claims and an estimate of claim settlement expenses associated with reported and unreported claims which occurred during the reporting period. The loss and LAE ratio can be measured on a direct basis, which includes losses and LAE divided by direct earned premiums, or on a net basis, which includes losses and LAE divided by premiums earned, net (i.e., direct premium earned less ceded premium earned). The net loss and LAE ratio is a measure of underwriting profitability after giving consideration to the effect of reinsurance. Trends in the net loss and LAE ratio are an indication to management of current and future profitability.
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Monthly Weighted Average Renewal Retention Rate ― measures the monthly average of policyholders that renew their policies over the period of a calendar year. This measure allows management to assess customer retention.
Premiums Earned, Net ― the pro-rata portion of current and previously written premiums that the Company recognizes as earned premium during the reporting period, net of ceded premium earned. Ceded premiums are premiums paid or payable by the Company for reinsurance protection. Written premiums are considered earned and are recognized pro-rata over the policy coverage period. Premiums earned, net is a measure that allows management to identify revenue trends.
Policies in Force ― represents the number of active policies with coverage in effect as of the end of the reporting period. The change in the number of policies in force is a growth measure and provides management with an indication of progress toward achieving strategic objectives. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Premium in Force ― is the amount of the annual direct premiums written previously recorded by the Company for policies which are still active as of the reporting date. This measure assists management in measuring the level of insured exposure and progress toward meeting revenue goals for the current year, and provides an indication of business available for renewal in the next twelve months. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Return on Average Common Equity (“ROCE”) ― calculated as actual net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders divided by average common stockholders’ equity. ROCE is a capital profitability measure of how efficiently management creates profits.
Total Insured Value ― represents the amount of insurance limits available on a policy for a single loss based on all policies active as of the reporting date. This measure assists management in measuring the level of insured exposure.
Unearned Premiums ― represents the portion of direct premiums corresponding to the time period remaining on an insurance policy and available for future earning by the Company. Trends in unearned premiums generally indicate expansion, if growing, or contraction, if declining, which are important indicators to management. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Weather events ― an estimate of losses and LAE from weather events occurring during the current accident year that exceed initial estimates of expected weather events when establishing the expected loss ratio for each accident year. This metric informs management of factors impacting overall current year profitability.
REINSURANCE
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events. Developing and implementing our reinsurance strategy to adequately protect our policyholders, balance sheet, and Insurance Entities in the event of one or more catastrophes while maintaining efficient reinsurance costs has been our key strategic priority. To limit the Insurance Entities’ potential exposure to catastrophic events, we purchase significant reinsurance from third-party reinsurers and the FHCF. The FLOIR requires the Insurance Entities, like all residential property insurance companies doing business in Florida, to have a certain amount of capital and reinsurance coverage to cover losses upon the occurrence of a single catastrophic event and a series of catastrophic events occurring in the same hurricane season. The Insurance Entities’ 2025-2026 catastrophic reinsurance program meets the FLOIR’s requirements, which are based on, among other things, successfully demonstrating cohesive and comprehensive reinsurance coverages that protect the policyholders of our Insurance Entities under a series of stress test catastrophe loss scenarios. Similarly, the Insurance Entities’ 2025-2026 catastrophic reinsurance program meets the stress test and review requirements of Demotech, Inc., for maintaining Financial Stability Ratings® of “A” (Exceptional) and of Kroll for maintaining insurer financial strength rating of “A-”.
We believe the Insurance Entities’ retentions under the jointly shared reinsurance program are appropriate and structured to protect policyholders and the Insurance Entities’ capital structure. We test the sufficiency of the catastrophe reinsurance coverage by subjecting the Insurance Entities’ personal residential exposures to scenario testing using third-party catastrophe models. These models combine simulations of the natural occurrence patterns and characteristics of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other catastrophes with information on property values, construction types, and occupancy classes. These models’ outputs provide information concerning the potential for simulated large losses, which enables the Insurance Entities to limit the financial impact from catastrophic events. Refer to the risk factors disclosed in “Part I, Item 1A—Risk Factors,” set forth elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K, for details of specific risks attributable to catastrophic losses and reinsurance.
Effective June 1, 2025, the Insurance Entities entered into multiple reinsurance agreements comprising our 2025-2026 reinsurance program. See “Item 1—Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
Insurance Entities 2025-2026 All States Reinsurance Program (“All States”)
•First event All States combined retention of $45.0 million.
•All States first event tower extends to $2.575 billion with no co-participation in any of the layers, no limitation on LAE and no accelerated deposit premiums.
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•Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (“UIH”) established the first event layer of 100% of $66.0 million in excess of $45.0 million in a captive insurance arrangement. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 18 (Variable Interest Entities).”
•Assuming a first event completely exhausts the $2.575 billion tower, the second event exhaustion point would be $1.209 billion.
•Full reinstatement is available on the combined $1.098 billion of the All States first-event catastrophe coverage for a guaranteed second-event coverage. Additionally, a second event private market excess of loss coverage of $66.0 million in excess of $45.0 million succeeds the captive in the event of a loss from a second event, resulting in a $66.0 million reduction in retention on a consolidated basis for a second event.
•For all layers purchased between $111.0 million and the projected attachment point of the FHCF layer, to the extent that all of our coverage or a portion thereof is exhausted in a first catastrophic event and reinstatement premium is due, we have purchased enough reinstatement premium protection coverage (“RPP”) to fund the reinstatement premiums due on the reinstatement of these coverages. Losses exceeding the RPP limit would be subject to reinstatement premiums.
•Specific third and fourth event private market excess of loss coverage of $86.0 million in excess of $25.0 million provides frequency protection for multiple events during the treaty period, an incremental $20.0 million reduction in retention for a third and fourth event.
•For the FHCF Reimbursement Contracts effective June 1, 2025, the Insurance Entities have continued the election at the 90% coverage level. We estimate the total mandatory FHCF coverage will provide approximately $1.37 billion of coverage for UPCIC, and $22.8 million for APPCIC which complements and inures to the benefit of the All States coverage secured from private market reinsurers and discussed above.
•To further insulate future years, the Insurance Entities have secured certain multi-year treaties, providing $352.0 million of capacity that extends portions of the catastrophe coverage to include the 2026-2027 treaty year.
Reinsurers
The table below provides the A.M. Best and S&P financial strength ratings for each of the largest rated third-party reinsurers in the Insurance Entities’ 2025-2026 reinsurance program:
| Reinsurer | A.M. Best | S&P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (1) | N/A | N/A | ||
| Various Lloyd’s of London Syndicates | A+ | AA- | ||
| DaVinci Reinsurance Ltd. | A | A+ | ||
| Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. | A+ | A+ | ||
| Markel Bermuda Ltd. | A | A | ||
| Everest Reinsurance Co. | A+ | A+ |
(1)No rating is available, because the fund is not rated.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA |
The following selected historical consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and “Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” set forth elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K. The historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected in any future period.
The following tables present historical selected consolidated financial data of Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries for the five years ended December 31, 2025 (in thousands, except per share data):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| Statement of Income Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 2,140,256 | $ | 2,069,692 | $ | 1,921,833 | $ | 1,845,786 | $ | 1,671,252 | |||||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (31,513) | (69,887) | (46,704) | (86,085) | (74,634) | ||||||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 2,108,743 | 1,999,805 | 1,875,129 | 1,759,701 | 1,596,618 |
35
| Ceded premium earned | (669,728) | (626,732) | (623,193) | (631,075) | (561,155) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiums earned, net | 1,439,015 | 1,373,073 | 1,251,936 | 1,128,626 | 1,035,463 | ||||||||||||||
| Net investment income (1) | 70,627 | 59,148 | 48,449 | 25,785 | 12,535 | ||||||||||||||
| Other revenue (2) | 89,752 | 79,694 | 80,380 | 81,044 | 71,993 | ||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,603,915 | 1,520,536 | 1,391,582 | 1,222,658 | 1,121,851 | ||||||||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 985,878 | 1,087,366 | 992,636 | 938,399 | 779,205 | ||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 250,246 | 233,444 | 208,011 | 214,259 | 226,167 | ||||||||||||||
| Other operating costs and expenses | 118,300 | 108,639 | 96,055 | 90,638 | 87,428 | ||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 1,354,424 | 1,429,449 | 1,296,702 | 1,243,296 | 1,092,800 | ||||||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,422 | 6,476 | 6,531 | 6,609 | 638 | ||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) | 243,069 | 84,611 | 88,349 | (27,247) | 28,413 | ||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 60,118 | 25,683 | 21,526 | (4,990) | 8,006 | ||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 182,951 | $ | 58,928 | $ | 66,823 | $ | (22,257) | $ | 20,407 | |||||||||
| Per Share Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Basic earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 6.56 | $ | 2.07 | $ | 2.24 | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | |||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 6.32 | $ | 2.01 | $ | 2.22 | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | |||||||||
| Dividends declared per common share | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | |||||||||
| As of December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total invested assets | $ | 1,532,604 | $ | 1,371,276 | $ | 1,160,784 | $ | 1,105,806 | $ | 1,093,680 | |||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 408,868 | 259,441 | 397,306 | 388,706 | 250,508 | ||||||||||||||
| Total assets | 2,839,695 | 2,841,861 | 2,316,561 | 2,890,154 | 2,056,141 | ||||||||||||||
| Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses | 680,712 | 959,291 | 510,117 | 1,038,790 | 346,216 | ||||||||||||||
| Unearned premiums | 1,091,959 | 1,060,446 | 990,559 | 943,854 | 857,769 | ||||||||||||||
| Debt, net | 100,481 | 101,243 | 102,006 | 102,769 | 103,676 | ||||||||||||||
| Total liabilities | 2,288,660 | 2,468,611 | 1,975,264 | 2,602,258 | 1,626,439 | ||||||||||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | $ | 551,035 | $ | 373,250 | $ | 341,297 | $ | 287,896 | $ | 429,702 | |||||||||
| Shares outstanding end of period | 28,008 | 28,096 | 28,966 | 30,389 | 31,221 | ||||||||||||||
| Book value per share | $ | 19.67 | $ | 13.28 | $ | 11.78 | $ | 9.47 | $ | 13.76 | |||||||||
| Return on average common equity (ROCE) | 39.6 | % | 16.5 | % | 21.2 | % | (6.2) | % | 4.6 | % | |||||||||
| Selected Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Loss and loss adjustment expense ratio (3) | 68.5 | % | 79.2 | % | 79.3 | % | 83.2 | % | 75.3 | % | |||||||||
| Expense ratio (4) | 25.6 | % | 24.9 | % | 24.3 | % | 27.0 | % | 30.2 | % | |||||||||
| Combined Ratio (5) | 94.1 | % | 104.1 | % | 103.6 | % | 110.2 | % | 105.5 | % |
(1)Net investment income excludes net realized gains (losses) on sale of investments and net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments.
(2)Other revenue consists of commission revenue, policy fees, and other revenue.
(3)The loss and LAE ratio is calculated by dividing losses and LAEs by premiums earned, net.
(4)The expense ratio is calculated by dividing the sum of policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses by premiums earned, net.
(5)The combined ratio is the sum of the losses and LAE ratio and the expense ratio.
36
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
2025 Financial and Business Highlights (comparisons are to 2024 unless otherwise specified)
•Direct premiums written increased by $70.6 million, to $2.14 billion, driven by a $114.7 million or 24.3% increase in premiums written outside of Florida, which offset a $44.1 million or 2.8% decrease in premiums written in Florida.
•The Insurance Entities have resumed accepting new business across all Florida territories for all homeowners and dwelling policy forms, reversing previous trends.
•In Florida, the Insurance Entities have filed for overall rate reductions in each of the past two years, reflecting a 1.5% decrease for 2024 and a 5.1% decrease for 2025 in homeowner policies. Conversely, outside of Florida, the Insurance Entities have continued to file for rate increases, averaging 10.1% in 2024 and 10.4% in 2025.
•Insurance entities in Florida have introduced policy coverage options that affect water damage limits and premiums. These new water endorsements strengthen the Insurance Entities competitive position in the state. Policyholders may opt to lower their coverage for water damage perils in return for premium credits reflecting adjusted loss limits.
•Rate filings and automatic inflation adjustments to policy values are affecting written and earned premiums as they apply to renewals and new policies. Management continues to focus on risk selection and improving risk diversification along with adjustments to filed rate plans as needed.
•The Company continues to see growing competition and better loss trends in Florida as the 2022 legislative reforms reduce litigation, attract more insurers, and support market recovery.
•Net investment income increased in 2025 to $70.6 million, an increase of $11.5 million or 19.4% compared to $59.1 million in 2024 due to an increase in the book yield and an 11.8% increase in invested assets.
•No hurricanes made landfall in the year ended December 31, 2025, in contrast to the occurrence of Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton during the same period in 2024.
•The net combined ratio was 94.1% for the year ended December 31, 2025, a decrease of 10.0 points compared to the year ended December 31, 2024.
•In the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company repurchased 843,651 shares, at an average share price of $26.52, for a total of $22.4 million. In January 2026, the Board authorized an additional $20 million of share repurchases.
•Demotech reaffirmed its A rating for UPCIC and APPCIC on December 10, 2025.
•Kroll reaffirmed its A- rating for UPCIC and APPCIC on September 18, 2025.
•Egan-Jones reaffirmed its A rating for UIH on October 2, 2025.
37
All comparisons for the year ended December 31, 2025 results of operations are to the corresponding prior year period (unless otherwise specified).
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2025, was $183.0 million, compared to $58.9 million in the previous year. Diluted earnings per share was $6.32 compared to $2.01 in 2024. During 2025, the Company experienced growth in net premiums earned, net investment income, net realized gains on investments, and commission revenue, alongside a decrease in total operating costs and expenses. Notably, the absence of significant hurricane activity in 2025 resulted in a reduction in loss and loss adjustment expense (LAE) versus 2024, when Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton adversely affected results, adding 11.4 points to the 2024 loss ratio. The net loss ratio improved to 68.5% in 2025 from 79.2% in 2024, while the combined ratio was 94.1% for 2025 compared to 104.1% for 2024. Further details are available in the “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” section.
A detailed discussion of our operations follows the table below (in thousands, except per share data).
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| REVENUES | |||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 2,140,256 | $ | 2,069,692 | $ | 70,564 | 3.4 | % | |||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (31,513) | (69,887) | 38,374 | (54.9) | % | ||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 2,108,743 | 1,999,805 | 108,938 | 5.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (669,728) | (626,732) | (42,996) | 6.9 | % | ||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,439,015 | 1,373,073 | 65,942 | 4.8 | % | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | 70,627 | 59,148 | 11,479 | 19.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Net realized gains (losses) on investments | 5,698 | (1,315) | 7,013 | NM | |||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | (1,177) | 9,936 | (11,113) | NM | |||||||||||
| Commission revenue | 61,336 | 51,792 | 9,544 | 18.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Policy fees | 20,100 | 19,490 | 610 | 3.1 | % | ||||||||||
| Other revenue | 8,316 | 8,412 | (96) | (1.1) | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,603,915 | 1,520,536 | 83,379 | 5.5 | % | ||||||||||
| OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 985,878 | 1,087,366 | (101,488) | (9.3) | % | ||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 250,246 | 233,444 | 16,802 | 7.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Other operating costs and expenses | 118,300 | 108,639 | 9,661 | 8.9 | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,354,424 | 1,429,449 | (84,686) | (5.9) | % | ||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,422 | 6,476 | (54) | (0.8) | % | ||||||||||
| INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT) | 243,069 | 84,611 | 158,458 | 187.3 | % | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 60,118 | 25,683 | 34,435 | 134.1 | % | ||||||||||
| NET INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 182,951 | $ | 58,928 | $ | 124,023 | 210.5 | % | |||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | 37,015 | 11,006 | 26,009 | 236.3 | % | ||||||||||
| COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 219,966 | $ | 69,934 | $ | 150,032 | 214.5 | % | |||||||
| DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE DATA: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 6.32 | $ | 2.01 | $ | 4.31 | 214.4 | % | |||||||
| Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding | 28,956 | 29,274 | (318) | (1.1) | % |
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Premium Revenues
Direct premiums written increased by $70.6 million, or 3.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2025, driven by premium growth in our other states business of $114.7 million, or 24.3%, offset by a decrease in our Florida business of $44.1 million, or 2.8%, as compared to the prior year. The primary factors impacting written premiums were new and previous rate changes earned in during 2025, increased policies in force during 2025 and policy inflation adjustments. There was an increase in policies in force across 13 states. In total, policies in force increased 40,401, or 4.7%, from 855,526 at December 31, 2024 to 895,927 at December 31, 2025. A summary of the recent rate adjustments driving changes in written premiums is discussed above under “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
The Insurance Entities have resumed writing new business in most Florida areas for all homeowners and dwelling policies. They filed for rate reductions in Florida—down 1.5% for 2024 and 5.1% for 2025—while pursuing average rate increases outside Florida of 10.1% in 2024 and 10.4% in 2025. Rate filings and inflation adjustments affect premiums for new and renewed policies. Management continues to refine policy features, risk selection, diversification, and rate plans. Increased competition and improved loss trends in Florida, helped by 2022 legislative reforms, are reducing litigation and supporting market recovery. Rate changes are applied at policy inception or renewal and reflect claim cost trends, including material, labor, weather events, reinsurance, and litigated claims. Rate adjustments often lag actual experience due to analysis and implementation delays. Coverage limits are updated at renewal to keep pace with inflation, based on industry data. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends and Summary of Recent Rate Changes.”
The Insurance Entities manage their business by controlling changes in policy counts, premiums, insured value, and factors affecting the purchase of reinsurance. Policy rates are monitored and adjusted as needed and new business underwriting rules are reviewed and updated as needed in the states where we transact business. Policy retention is also an important factor and impacts the level of new business written. This year we saw an increase in policies in force of 40,401, or 4.7%, an increase of $68.9 million or 3.3% in premiums in force and an increase of $34.8 billion or 9.7% in total insured value. See “Overview— Summary of Recent Rate Changes and Geographic Distribution”. Direct premiums written continue to increase across the majority of states in which we conduct business. We have policies in force in 19 states on December 31, 2025. In 2024 UPCIC wrote its first policy in Wisconsin. In addition, we are authorized to do business in Tennessee and are in the process of submitting our rate filing. In 2023, UPCIC received approval from its regulators in Hawaii to withdraw from the state and non-renew all policies in Hawaii. At December 31, 2025, no policies are in force in Hawaii, and UPCIC is in the process of completing its remaining administrative tasks to finalize its withdrawal from the state.
Direct premium earned increased by $108.9 million, or 5.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2025. This change is attributed to the recognition of premiums written over the preceding twelve months, incorporating the effects of implemented rate filings and policy premium adjustments prompted by inflation-induced changes in insured values. See the discussion above for the “—Overview—Summary of Recent Rate Changes.”
Reinsurance
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events and other covered events, but it also is a significant cost, which lowers net earned premiums. These costs are generally recognized over the annual reinsurance contract period (June 1st - May 31st).
For the year ended December 31, 2025, ceded premium earned increased by $43.0 million, or 6.9%, compared to the previous year. As a percentage of direct earned premiums, ceded earned premiums rose to 31.8% in 2025 from 31.3% in 2024. Reinstatement premiums related to prior year hurricanes totaled $0.5 million in 2025 compared to $23.4 million in 2024. During the first half of 2024, reinsurance expenses were reduced by two factors: Florida's Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders (RAP) program, part of the 2023-2024 contract, which lowered reinsurance costs until its conclusion in May 2024; and the conclusion of the Catastrophe Bond in March 2024, which was not replaced until June 1, 2024. Excluding reinstatement premiums, reinsurance costs as a percentage of direct earned premiums increased 10.9% during 2025. Further information regarding the Insurance Entities’ 2025-2026 reinsurance programs can be found in the discussion above and in “Part II—Item 8—Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
Investment Results
Net investment income was $70.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $59.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $11.5 million, or 19.4%. This change was due to increased investments in our portfolio and new investments generating higher average book yields than maturing assets, partially offset by reduced yields from invested cash and cash equivalent balances in 2025.
The yield curve continues to decline over time with Federal Reserve rate cuts during 2025, in addition to expected further cuts in 2026, particularly in the front end of the curve, which is impacting short duration cash reinvestment rates, resulting in fixed income price increases and decreasing yields. See “Item 1— Note 3 (Investments)” for information on investment income.
Net realized gains for the year were driven by liquidating equity investments, partially offset by optimizing the fixed income portfolio to lock in longer duration yields. Net change in unrealized losses for the year were driven by realizing gains, which impact the change in unrealized gains, largely offset by the continued appreciation of remaining equity holdings. See “―Analysis of Financial Condition” for details on changes in total invested assets balances during 2025.
39
Commissions, Policy Fees and Other Revenue
Commission revenue mainly comes from brokerage commissions earned from traditional open-market third-party reinsurers. Premiums ceded to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) do not generate commissions. Revenue from commissions is recognized on a pro-rata basis throughout the reinsurance policy period, which lasts from June 1st until May 31st of the following year. For the year ended December 31, 2025, commission revenue totaled $61.3 million, up from $51.8 million for the previous year ended December 31, 2024. The increase of $9.5 million, or 18.4%, in commission revenue for 2025 was largely due to higher reinsurance spending by the Insurance Entities compared to 2024. Additionally, reinsurance spending was lower during the 2023-2024 contract period because of RAP program, which lowered reinsurance costs and reduced brokerage commissions until the program ended in May 2024. Commission on reinstatement premiums was $4.9 million in 2025, compared to $2.9 million in 2024, resulting from commissions on 2024 hurricane-related reinstatement premiums, which were earned in the 2024-2025 contract period.
Other revenue, representing revenue from policy installment fees, premium financing, and other miscellaneous income, was $8.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $8.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
Net losses and LAE, after reinsurance recoveries and subrogation recoveries, were $985.9 million with a 68.5% net loss ratio for 2025, compared to $1,087.4 million, and 79.2% net loss ratio for the prior year. The absence of significant hurricane activity in 2025 resulted in a reduction in loss and loss adjustment expense (LAE) versus 2024, when Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton adversely affected results, adding 11.4 points to the 2024 loss ratio.
Unfavorable prior-year development arises when claims are resolved for amounts exceeding previous estimates or the liabilities related to prior-year claims increase. This is attributable to escalating claims costs, inflation, and heightened expenses associated with litigated claims. For further information, refer to “—Overview—Florida Trends” above. During the year ended December 31, 2025, net unfavorable prior-year development totaled $25.8 million (1.8 loss ratio points), compared to $29.1 million (2.1 loss ratio points) in unfavorable prior-year development for 2024. The 2025 prior-year development was driven by revised estimates to settle pre-reform non-catastrophe claims currently in litigation and governed by pre-reform statutes in Florida. Although favorable claim trends have continued for Florida losses occurring after the effective date of the reform legislation (December 16, 2022), claims under policies issued before the reforms remain subject to prolonged dispute resolution periods, elevated LAE and increased uncertainty. Consequently, these claims collectively have experienced and may continue to experience adverse development, as settlements deviate from earlier projections. It will be several years until all claims from the pre-reform period are resolved and the impact of abusive claim practices permitted under the prior laws are fully extinguished.
In 2025, there were no catastrophic weather events, unlike in 2024 when Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton resulted in $156.0 million in net costs (11.4 loss ratio points) after reinsurance. The 2024-2025 reinsurance program adequately protected the Insurance Entities beyond the retention limit for these events.
All other losses, excluding prior year development and catastrophic weather discussed above, amounted to $960.0 million (66.7 loss ratio points) in 2025, up from $902.2 million (65.7 loss ratio points) in 2024. This includes the impact of claims handling discussed below. The 2025 loss ratio was affected by higher reinsurance costs, which reduced net earned premium, as well as a more cautious approach in estimating 2025 losses.
All other losses include results from our adjusting company's activities within our holding system when handling claims for the Insurance Entities and reinsurers. The net pre-tax results for Alder serve as an adjustment to LAE in consolidation, in addition to LAE incurred by the Insurance Entities. By keeping claims and legal operations in-house, especially in Florida's litigation-heavy environment, we achieve greater efficiency and coordination than if we relied more heavily on outsourcing these functions. This synergy can lead to cost savings at the consolidated level, particularly after catastrophes. Alder generated a pre-tax loss of $22.8 million during 2025 compared to a pre-tax profit of $19.7 million in the 2024. The loss in 2025 resulted from costs associated with pre-reform claims, whereas the 2024 profit occurred from the handling of 2024 hurricane claims.
Policy Acquisition Costs and other operating costs and expenses
For the year ended December 31, 2025, policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses were $368.5 million, compared to $342.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, as follows (dollars in thousands):
40
| For the Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Ratio | $ | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | $ | 1,439,015 | $ | 1,373,073 | $ | 65,942 | 4.8 | % | |||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 250,246 | 17.4 | % | 233,444 | 17.0 | % | 16,802 | 7.2 | % | ||||||||||||
| Other operating costs and expenses | 118,300 | 8.2 | % | 108,639 | 7.9 | % | 9,661 | 8.9 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses | $ | 368,546 | 25.6 | % | $ | 342,083 | 24.9 | % | $ | 26,463 | 7.7 | % |
For the year ended December 31, 2025 policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses increased by $26.5 million, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, which was the result of an increase in policy acquisition costs of $16.8 million and an increase in other operating costs of $9.7 million. The total expense ratio was 25.6% for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to 24.9% for the year ended December 31, 2024.
•Policy acquisition costs rose by $16.8 million, mainly due to an increase in direct written premiums and higher-premium growth outside Florida, where commissions are greater. In 2025, these costs represented 17.4% of net earned premiums—a 0.4% increase—driven by a greater share of premiums from outside Florida and higher reinsurance costs, which reduced net earned premiums compared to 2024.
•In 2025, other operating costs and expenses increased by $9.7 million, primarily attributable to higher employee-related expenses, including stock-based compensation and employee benefits. An elevated level of policy issuance costs also contributed to this rise. The ratio of these other operating costs to net earned premiums was 8.2% for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 7.9% in the prior year.
Combined Ratio
As a result of the trends discussed above for losses and LAE and policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2025 was 94.1% compared to 104.1% for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Interest and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs
Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs were $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $6.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense was $60.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to an income tax expense of $25.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Our effective tax rate (“ETR”) decreased to 24.7% for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to 30.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 12 (Income Taxes)” for a table of items reconciling statutory rates to the effective rate for years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Other comprehensive income, net of taxes for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $37.0 million compared to other comprehensive income of $11.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, reflecting after-tax changes in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities held in our investment portfolio and reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income for available-for-sale debt securities sold. This year’s results reflects favorable shifts in market prices during 2025 compared to 2024. During 2025, maturing securities and investment returns were reinvested at market rates, reducing unrealized losses on maturing securities. The maturity of the remaining securities in an unrealized loss position has also reduced during the year. Over time, unrealized losses on securities in an unrealized loss position lessen as the remaining maturity shortens and securities approach their maturity or par value. See the discussion above and “Part II—Item 8—Note 14 (Other Comprehensive Income (Loss))” for additional information about the amounts comprising other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes for these periods and “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments)” for explanations on changes in investments.
41
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $58.9 million, compared to $66.8 million in the previous year. Diluted earnings per share was $2.01 compared to $2.22 in 2023. Retained losses from Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton were $111.0 million and $45.0 million, respectively, affecting 2024 results compared to Hurricane Idalia’s $45.0 million retained loss in 2023. Positive factors in 2024 included higher net premiums earned and investment income, offset by lower commission revenue and higher operating costs. Prior-year net loss reserve development was $29.1 million in 2024, compared to $110.6 million in 2023. Direct and net premiums earned grew by 6.6% and 9.7%, respectively, due to premium growth in 18 states and more policies in force in 16 states.
The net loss ratio was 79.2% in 2024 compared to 79.3% in 2023, with the combined ratio at 104.1% compared to 103.6% in 2023. Further details are available in the “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” section.
A detailed discussion of our results of operations follows the table below (in thousands, except per share data).
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| REVENUES | |||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 2,069,692 | $ | 1,921,833 | $ | 147,859 | 7.7 | % | |||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (69,887) | (46,704) | (23,183) | 49.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,999,805 | 1,875,129 | 124,676 | 6.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (626,732) | (623,193) | (3,539) | 0.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,373,073 | 1,251,936 | 121,137 | 9.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | 59,148 | 48,449 | 10,699 | 22.1 | % | ||||||||||
| Net realized gains (losses) on investments | (1,315) | (1,229) | (86) | 7.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | 9,936 | 12,046 | (2,110) | (17.5) | % | ||||||||||
| Commission revenue | 51,792 | 54,058 | (2,266) | (4.2) | % | ||||||||||
| Policy fees | 19,490 | 18,881 | 609 | 3.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Other revenue | 8,412 | 7,441 | 971 | 13.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,520,536 | 1,391,582 | 128,954 | 9.3 | % | ||||||||||
| OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 1,087,366 | 992,636 | 94,730 | 9.5 | % | ||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 233,444 | 208,011 | 25,433 | 12.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Other operating costs and expenses | 108,639 | 96,055 | 12,584 | 13.1 | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,429,449 | 1,296,702 | 132,747 | 10.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,476 | 6,531 | (55) | (0.8) | % | ||||||||||
| INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT) | 84,611 | 88,349 | (3,738) | (4.2) | % | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 25,683 | 21,526 | 4,157 | 19.3 | % | ||||||||||
| NET INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 58,928 | $ | 66,823 | $ | (7,895) | (11.8) | % | |||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | 11,006 | 29,610 | (18,604) | (62.8) | % | ||||||||||
| COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 69,934 | $ | 96,433 | $ | (26,499) | (27.5) | % | |||||||
| DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE DATA: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings per common share | $ | 2.01 | $ | 2.22 | $ | (0.21) | (9.5) | % | |||||||
| Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding | 29,274 | 30,147 | (873) | (2.9) | % |
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Revenues
Direct premiums written increased by $147.9 million, or 7.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, driven by premium growth within our Florida business of $33.2 million, or 2.1%, and premium growth in our other states business of $114.6 million, or 32.1%, as compared to the prior year. The primary factors contributing to the increase in written premiums were new and previous rate changes earned during 2024, increased policies in force during 2024, and policy inflation adjustments. There was an increase in policies in force across 16 states. In total, policies in force increased 46,452, or 5.7%, from 809,932 at December 31, 2023 to 855,526 at December 31, 2024. A summary of the recent rate adjustments driving changes in written premiums is discussed above under “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
Rate changes are applied on new business submissions at policy inception and on renewals from the effective date of their renewal, and then are earned subsequently over the policy period. Rate changes that are implemented are in response to trends in claim costs driven by changes in costs of material and labor associated with claims, the cost of weather events, the cost of catastrophe and other reinsurance protecting policyholders and the legacy effect of the cost to settle litigated claims in Florida. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends and Summary of Recent Rate Changes.” Due to the time associated with analyzing data, preparing and submitting rate filings, implementing new rate levels and earning the corresponding premiums, the Insurance Entities’ rate adjustments typically lag their enactment by months or even years. The Insurance Entities’ policies also adjust coverage limits at renewal to account for inflation since the last renewal which is based on third-party industry data sources that monitor inflation factors.
The Insurance Entities manage their business by controlling changes in policy counts, premiums, insured value, and factors affecting the purchase of reinsurance. Policy rates are monitored and adjusted as needed and new business underwriting rules are reviewed and updated as needed in the states where we underwrite. Policy retention is also an important factor and impacts the level of new business written. This year we saw an increase in policies in force of 46,452, or 5.7%, an increase of $145.8 million or 7.5% in premiums in force and an increase of $35.1 billion or 10.84% in total insured value. See “Overview— Summary of Recent Rate Changes and Geographic Distribution”. Direct premiums written continue to increase across the majority of states in which we conduct business. We had policies in force in 19 states on December 31, 2024. In 2024, UPCIC wrote its first policy in Wisconsin. In addition, in 2024 we began the process of submitting our rate filing in Tennessee, where we are authorized to do business. In 2023, UPCIC received approval from its regulators in Hawaii to withdraw from the state and non-renew all policies in Hawaii. At December 31, 2024, no policies were in force in Hawaii, and UPCIC is in the process of completing its remaining administrative tasks to finalize its withdrawal from the state.
Direct premium earned increased by $124.7 million, or 6.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2024. This change is attributed to the recognition of premiums written over the preceding twelve months, incorporating the effects of implemented rate filings and policy premium adjustments prompted by inflation-induced changes in insured values. See the discussion above for the “—Overview—Summary of Recent Rate Changes.”
Reinsurance
Reinsurance allows our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events and other covered events. Each year, the Insurance Entities enter into contracts with various third-party reinsurers and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) to obtain necessary reinsurance protection. Refer to “Item 7— Management’s Discussion and Analysis— Reinsurance” for further details. Reinsurance costs associated with each year’s reinsurance program are earned over the annual policy period, typically from June 1st to May 31st. Specific reinsurance policies require reinstatement premiums based on contractual triggering events. Ceded reinsurance premiums and ceded reinstatement premiums (collectively “ceded premiums”) are recognized over the coverage period of the underlying contract. Ceded premiums represent amounts payable to reinsurers for reinsurance protection, and reduce both written and earned premiums. In 2024, reinstatement premiums for prior and current hurricanes were recorded, totaling $22.7 million compared to $2.2 million in 2023. Overall, ceded premium earned increased $3.5 million, or 0.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the previous year. As a percentage of direct earned premiums, ceded earned premiums declined to 31.3% in 2024 from 33.2% in 2023.
Investment Results
Net investment income was $59.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $48.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $10.7 million, or 22.1%. Net investment income increased as a result of deploying excess cash and liquidity from maturities, principal repayments, sales, and interest payments received into higher yields throughout the year.
We look to optimize our investment portfolio on a rolling basis, which, from time-to-time, results in portfolio shaping opportunities. During the year ended December 31, 2024, sales of available-for-sale debt securities and sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized loss of $1.3 million compared to a net loss of $1.2 million from our equity securities in the prior year. The turnover was driven in part by locking in longer duration yield where attractive as the Federal Reserve reduced rates throughout 2024, despite market yields reversing course and increasing in the fourth quarter of 2024 due to macro and geopolitical uncertainty.
There was a $9.9 million net unrealized gain on investments during the year ended December 31, 2024, largely driven by our portfolio optimization efforts in the private and public equity markets, coupled with the overall domestic equity market appreciation tailwind during 2024, compared to a $12.0 million net unrealized gain on investments for the year ended December 31, 2023. See “—Analysis of Financial Condition” for details on changes in total invested assets balances during 2024.
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Commissions, Policy Fees and Other Revenue
Commission revenue is primarily derived from brokerage commissions earned from traditional open-market third-party reinsurers, excluding reinsurance provided by the State of Florida as well as catastrophe bond participants. Commission revenue is earned pro-rata over the reinsurance policy period which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. For the year ended December 31, 2024, commission revenue amounted to $51.8 million, compared to $54.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The $2.3 million decrease in commission revenue, or 4.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily due to the impact of Florida’s Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders (RAP) program, which reduced reinsurance brokerage commissions and expired in 2024. Additionally, there were higher levels of commissions earned from the previous year’s reinsurance program expiring in 2023.
Policy fees for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $19.5 million compared to $18.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease of $0.6 million, or 3.2%, was the result of an increase in the combined total number of new and renewal policies written during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023 in states in which we are permitted to charge this fee.
Other revenue, representing revenue from policy installment fees, premium financing, and other miscellaneous income, was $8.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $7.4 million for the same period in 2023.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
Net losses and LAE, after reinsurance recoveries and subrogation recoveries, were $1.09 billion with a 79.2% net loss ratio for 2024, compared to $992.6 million, and 79.3% net loss ratio for the prior year. The increase in the net losses for the year ended December 31, 2024 was mainly due to the impact from Hurricanes Helene and Milton offset by lower year-to-date unfavorable prior year development.
On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend area of the Florida Gulf Coast and continued northward, resulting in hurricane damage across several states in the Southeast region. After estimated reinsurance recoveries, net losses and LAE exposure to the Insurance Entities are estimated at $45.0 million. The Insurance Entities’ reinsurance recoveries include losses and LAE recoveries of $66.0 million from UVE’s pre-funded captive insurance arrangement. On October 9, 2024 Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida as a category 3 hurricane. The retention on this storm was $45.0 million. In total, net losses from Hurricane Helene and Milton, including losses and LAE incurred under the funded captive insurance arrangement, were $156.0 million. Our 2024-2025 reinsurance program provides the Insurance Entities with adequate protection beyond our retention limit. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company incurred $45.6 million in losses from Hurricane Idalia.
Reform legislation passed in Florida late 2022 represented a positive step towards reducing claim costs in Florida. The Company realized some of those benefits in 2024 for policies fully subject to the reforms. However, the full transition to these new laws will take several years. Many of the reforms apply only to policies written or renewed after the effective date of the legislation and provide marginal benefit for claims filed on policies issued prior to the new laws’ effective date. As for prior policy periods, insurers typically must continue to adjust claims under the prior laws that were subject to abuse while awaiting the expiration of applicable claim reporting periods and statute of limitations periods. Therefore, it will be several years until the abusive claim practices permitted under the prior laws are fully extinguished and the full benefit of the legislation can be realized.
Unfavorable prior-year development occurs when claims are settled for amounts higher than previously estimated or when the liabilities for prior-year claims increase. This is due to rising claims costs, inflation, and increased costs associated with litigated claims. Refer to “—Overview—Florida Trends” above for more details. During the year ended December 31, 2024, net prior year development was $29.1 million, compared to unfavorable prior year development of $110.6 million for 2023. We continue to see favorable claim trends on Florida losses that occurred after the effective date of the Florida reform legislation (December 16, 2022). However, claims under policies that pre-date the reforms have greater uncertainty. As such, those claims in the aggregate may potentially experience adverse development, as claims settlements vary from previously estimated amounts.
Net losses and LAE for the current accident year, excluding hurricanes and prior year development were $902.3 million for 2024, compared to $836.4 million in 2023.
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Consolidated net losses and LAE also reflect the net results from activities performed by the adjusting company within our holding company system. These activities can provide potential savings when adjusting claims on behalf of our Insurance Entities and our reinsurers. When claims are adjusted by our claims team and files are handled by our legal group, synergies are achieved by having these two functions within the same consolidated group that could not be achieved through third parties. This synergistic relationship results in more efficient handling and coordination of claims, including represented claims handled by our legal group. By choosing not to outsource these activities in most instances, we also save money for the consolidated group by generating a potential financial benefit outside of the Insurance Entities that reduces LAE at the consolidated level (contra LAE), particularly following catastrophes. During the year ended December 31, 2024, claims-related activities resulted in a financial benefit of $19.7 million, compared to a financial benefit of $50.4 million in the previous year. Alder's profits often lag as claims from hurricanes are settled and billed. The profits from 2023 were due to the settlement of Hurricane Ian claims, which occurred in 2022. In 2024, claims and billing for Hurricane Debby, Helene and Milton are still ongoing.
Policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses
For the year ended December 31, 2024, policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses were $342.1 million, compared to $304.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2023, as follows (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Ratio | $ | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | $ | 1,373,073 | $ | 1,251,936 | $ | 121,137 | 9.7 | % | |||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 233,444 | 17.0 | % | 208,011 | 16.6 | % | 25,433 | 12.2 | % | ||||||||||||
| Other operating costs and expenses | 108,639 | 7.9 | % | 96,055 | 7.7 | % | 12,584 | 13.1 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses | $ | 342,083 | 24.9 | % | $ | 304,066 | 24.3 | % | $ | 38,017 | 12.5 | % |
For the year ended December 31, 2024, policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses increased by $38.0 million, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, which was the result of an increase in policy acquisition costs of $25.4 million and an increase in other operating costs and expenses of $12.6 million. The total expense ratio was 24.9% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 24.3% for the year ended December 31, 2023.
•The policy acquisition costs increased by $25.4 million due to higher commissions resulting from a 7.7% increase in the direct premiums written compared to the previous year, as well as more writings outside of Florida which incur higher commissions. Additionally, the lower level of reinsurance commissions and an increased level of agent bonus commissions impacted 2024.
•The increase in other operating costs and expenses of $12.6 million was largely driven by employee related expenses including stock based compensation, and employee benefits. The other operating cost ratio was 7.9% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 7.7% for the year ended December 31, 2023.
As a result of the trends discussed above for losses and LAE and policy acquisition costs and other operating costs and expenses, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 104.1% compared to 103.6% for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Interest and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs
Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs were $6.5 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense was $25.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to an income tax expense of $21.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Our effective tax rate (“ETR”) increased to 30.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to 24.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 12 (Income Taxes)” for a table of items reconciling statutory rates to the effective rate for years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Other comprehensive income, net of taxes for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $11.0 million compared to other comprehensive income of $29.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting after-tax changes in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities held in our investment portfolio and reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income for available-for-sale debt securities sold. This year’s result reflects favorable shifts in market prices during 2024 compared to 2023. During 2024, maturing securities and investment returns were reinvested at market rates, reducing unrealized losses on maturing securities. The maturity of the remaining securities in an unrealized loss position has also reduced
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during the year. Over time, unrealized losses on securities in an unrealized loss position lessen as the remaining maturity shortens and securities approach their maturity or par value. See the discussion above and “Part II—Item 8—Note 14 (Other Comprehensive Income (Loss))” for additional information about the amounts comprising other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes for these periods and “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments)” for explanations on changes in investments.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity
Liquidity is a measure of a company’s ability to generate sufficient cash flows to meet its short- and long-term obligations. Funds generated from operations have been sufficient and we expect them to be sufficient to meet our current and long term liquidity requirements.
The balance of cash and cash equivalents, excluding restricted cash, as of December 31, 2025 was $408.9 million, compared to $259.4 million at December 31, 2024. See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” for a reconciliation of the balance of cash and cash equivalents between December 31, 2025 and 2024. This increase is largely attributable to the improved underwriting results and lower losses compared to the prior year stemming from the absence of significant hurricane activity in 2025, coupled with increases in investment income earned and commission and fee revenue on a year over year basis. Our cash investment strategy at times includes cash investments where the right of offset against other bank accounts does not exist. A book overdraft occurs when aggregating the book balance of all accounts at a financial institution for accounts which have the right of offset, and if the aggregation results in a net negative book balance, that balance is reclassified from cash and cash equivalents in our Consolidated Balance Sheets to book overdraft. Cash and cash equivalents balances are available to settle book overdrafts, and to pay reinsurance premiums, expenses and claims. Reinsurance premiums are paid in installments during the reinsurance policy period, which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. The FHCF reimbursement premiums are paid in three installments on August 1st, October 1st and December 1st, and third-party reinsurance premiums are generally paid in four installments on July 1st, October 1st, January 1st and April 1st, resulting in significant payments at those times. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)” and additional discussion below under the caption “—Material Cash Requirements” for more information.
During 2025, there were no significant hurricanes which exceeded the Company’s reinsurance attachment point. During 2024, there were two significant hurricanes, Hurricane Helene and Milton, which exceeded the Company’s reinsurance attachment point. The Company’s reinsurance program provides sufficient liquidity in the form of cash advances for paid losses ceded to the reinsurers in the case of weather events with losses above the Company’s reinsurance attachment point. See “—Results of Operations” for more information.
The balance of restricted cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 represents cash equivalents on deposit with certain regulatory agencies in the various states in which our Insurance Entities do business.
Liquidity is required at the holding company for us to cover the payment of holding company general operating expenses, provide for contingencies if needed, dividends to shareholders (if and when authorized and declared by our Board of Directors), payment for the possible repurchase of our common stock (if and when authorized by our Board of Directors), payment of our tax obligations to taxing authorities, settlement of taxes between subsidiaries in accordance with our tax sharing agreement, capital contributions to subsidiaries or surplus note contributions to the Insurance Entities, if needed, and interest and principal payments on outstanding debt obligations of the holding company. Effective in 2021 for UPCIC and 2022 for APPCIC, the holding company has put in place an ongoing surplus note arrangement with the Insurance Entities, which has been approved by the FLOIR as the Insurance Entities’ domestic regulator. Surplus notes are unsecured debt issued by the Insurance Entities that are subordinated to all claims by policyholders and creditors, with interest and principal payments on the surplus notes to the holding company being made only upon the FLOIR’s express approval. Surplus notes are considered bonds in function and payout structure, but are accounted for as equity in the statutory reporting of the Insurance Entities. The holding company has outstanding with the Insurance Entities $187.2 million in surplus notes and accrued interest as of December 31, 2025. Under the terms of the surplus notes, interest accrues at a variable rate which resets annually (currently 11.33% for 2025) on the outstanding surplus note balances and, if approved by the FLOIR, is payable annually to the holding company. The declaration and payment of future dividends to our shareholders, and any future repurchases of our common stock, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon many factors, including our operating results, financial condition, debt covenants and any regulatory constraints. New regulations or changes to existing regulations or their interpretations imposed on the Company and its affiliates may also impact the availability, amount and timing of future dividend payments to the parent. Principal sources of liquidity for the holding company include dividends paid by our service entities generated from income earned on fees paid by the Insurance Entities to affiliated companies for general agency, inspections and claims adjusting services. Dividends are also paid from income earned from brokerage commissions paid by third-party reinsurers earned on reinsurance contracts placed by our wholly-owned subsidiary, BARC and policy fees charged to policyholders. We also maintain high quality investments in our portfolio as a source of liquidity along with ongoing interest and dividend income from those investments. As discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations)”, there are limitations on the dividends the Insurance Entities may pay to their immediate parent company, Protection Solutions, Inc. (“PSI,” formerly known as Universal Insurance Holding Company of Florida).
The maximum amount of dividends that can be paid by Florida insurance companies without prior approval of the FLOIR is subject to restrictions as referenced below and in “Part II—Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations)”. Dividends from the Insurance Entities can only be paid from accumulated unassigned funds derived from net operating profits and net realized capital gains. Subject to such accumulated unassigned funds, the maximum dividend that may be paid by the Insurance Entities to PSI without prior approval (an “ordinary dividend”) is further limited to the lesser of statutory net income from operations of
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the preceding calendar year or statutory unassigned surplus as of the preceding year end. During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 the Insurance Entities did not pay dividends to PSI. As of December 31, 2025, the Insurance Entities did not have the capacity to pay ordinary dividends.
On November 23, 2021, we issued $100.0 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026. We used the net proceeds to support the Insurance Entities’ statutory capital requirements and for general corporate purposes. If necessary, the Company also has amounts available under our unsecured revolving loan as discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Debt)”. Management is still evaluating whether this will be repaid or refinanced later in 2026.
Liquidity for the Insurance Entities is primarily required to cover payments for reinsurance premiums, claims payments including potential payments of catastrophe losses (offset by recovery of any reimbursement amounts under our reinsurance agreements), fees paid to affiliates for managing general agency services, inspections and claims adjusting services, agent commissions, premium and income taxes, regulatory assessments, general operating expenses, and interest and principal payments on debt obligations. The principal source of liquidity for the Insurance Entities consists of the revenue generated from the collection of premiums earned, net, interest and dividend income from the investment portfolio, the collection of reinsurance recoverable and financing fees.
Our insurance operations provide liquidity as premiums are generally received months or even years before potential losses are paid under the policies written. In the event of catastrophic events, many of our reinsurance agreements provide for “cash advance” whereby reinsurers advance or prepay amounts to us, thereby providing liquidity, which we utilize in the claim settlement process. In addition, the Insurance Entities maintain substantial investments in highly liquid, marketable securities, which would generate funds upon sale. The average credit rating on our available-for-sale securities was A+ as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024. Credit ratings are a measure of collection risk on invested assets. Credit ratings are provided by third party nationally recognized rating agencies and are periodically updated. Management establishes guidelines for minimum credit rating and overall credit rating for all investments. The duration of our available-for-sale securities was 3.6 years as of December 31, 2025 compared to 3.4 years at December 31, 2024. Duration is a measure of a bond’s sensitivity to interest rate changes and is used by management to limit the potential impact of longer-term investments.
The Insurance Entities are responsible for losses related to catastrophic events in excess of coverage provided by the Insurance Entities’ reinsurance programs and retentions before our reinsurance protection commences. Also, the Insurance Entities are responsible for all other losses that otherwise may not be covered by the reinsurance programs and any amounts arising in the event of a reinsurer default. Losses or a default by reinsurers may have a material adverse effect on either of the Insurance Entities or on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments)” for more information.
Capital Resources
Capital resources provide protection for policyholders, furnish the financial strength to support the business of underwriting insurance risks and facilitate continued business growth. The following table provides our stockholders’ equity, total debt, total capital resources, debt-to-total capital ratio and debt-to-equity ratio as of the dates presented (dollars in thousands):
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| Stockholders’ equity | $ | 551,035 | $ | 373,250 | |||
| Total debt | 100,481 | 101,243 | |||||
| Total capital resources | $ | 651,516 | $ | 474,493 | |||
| Debt-to-total capital ratio | 15.4 | % | 21.3 | % | |||
| Debt-to-equity ratio | 18.2 | % | 27.1 | % |
Capital resources, net increased by $177.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, reflecting a net increase in total stockholders’ equity, partially offset by a decline in debt. The change in stockholders’ equity was the result of our 2025 net income offset by treasury share purchases and dividends to shareholders. See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity” and “Part II—Item 8—Note 8 (Stockholders’ Equity)” for an explanation of changes in treasury stock. The reduction during 2025 in debt was primarily the result of principal payments on debt of $1.5 million offset by amortization of debt issuance costs of $0.7 million on our 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.
Additional paid-in-capital increased by $2.5 million primarily from increases from stock option exercises of $12.8 million and share-based compensation expense of $8.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2025. These increases were largely offset by common stock value acquired and cancelled through withholdings for the intrinsic value and tax liabilities upon exercise of stock options and tax withholdings on performance share units, restricted stock units and restricted stock awards vested for share-based payment transactions totaling $18.9 million.
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The debt-to-total capital ratio is total debt divided by total capital resources, whereas the debt-to-equity ratio is total debt divided by stockholders’ equity. These ratios help management measure the amount of financing leverage in place in relation to equity and future leverage capacity.
Risk-Based Capital Requirements
The Insurance Entities are required annually to comply with the NAIC RBC requirements. RBC requirements prescribe a method of measuring the amount of capital appropriate for an insurance company to support its overall business operations in light of its size and risk profile. NAIC’s RBC requirements are used by regulators to determine appropriate regulatory actions relating to insurers who show signs of weak or deteriorating condition. As of December 31, 2025, based on calculations using the appropriate NAIC RBC formula, the Insurance Entities reported respective total adjusted capital in excess of the requirements. Failure by the Insurance Entities to maintain the required level of statutory capital and surplus could result in the suspension of their authority to write new or renewal business, other regulatory actions, or ultimately, in the revocation of their certificate of authority by the FLOIR.
Unsecured Revolving Loan
As discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Debt)”, the Company entered into a committed and unsecured $50.0 million revolving credit line with JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. This agreement succeeded the previous $50.0 million revolving credit line with J.P. Morgan Chase, N.A. As of December 31, 2025, the Company has not borrowed any amount under this revolving loan. The Company must pay an annual commitment of 0.50% of the unused portion of the commitment. Borrowings mature on May 29, 2026, 364 days after the inception date and carries an interest rate of prime rate plus a margin of 2.00% on borrowings. The credit line is subject to annual renewals. The credit line contains customary financial and other covenants, with which the Company is in compliance.
Debt
In November 2021, we issued and sold $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 (the “Notes”) to certain institutional accredited investors and qualified institutional buyers. The Notes mature on November 30, 2026, at which time the entire $100 million of principal is due and payable. At any time on or after November 30, 2023, the Company may redeem all or part of the Notes. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Debt)” for additional details. As of December 31, 2025, we were in compliance with all applicable covenants.
We will also continue to evaluate opportunities to access the debt capital markets to raise additional capital. We anticipate any proceeds would be used for general corporate purposes, including investing in the capital and surplus of the Insurance Entities.
In 2006, UPCIC entered into a $25.0 million surplus note with the State Board of Administration of Florida (the “SBA”) under Florida’s Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program (the “ICBUI”). The surplus note has a twenty-year term, with quarterly payments of interest based on the 10-year Constant Maturity Treasury Index. As of December 31, 2025, UPCIC’s net written premium to surplus ratio and gross written premium to surplus ratio were in excess of the required minimums and, therefore, UPCIC is not subject to increases in interest rates. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Debt)” for additional details. At December 31, 2025, UPCIC was in compliance with the terms of the surplus note and with each of the loan’s covenants as implemented by rules promulgated by the SBA. Total adjusted capital and surplus, which includes the surplus note, was in excess of regulatory requirements for both UPCIC and APPCIC.
In addition to liquidity generated from our operations, we maintain a prudent investment portfolio, mainly consisting of high-grade fixed income securities. Our primary goal is to safeguard capital and ensure sufficient liquidity for potential claims and other financial requirements. The portfolio also aims to achieve a comprehensive return, with a focus on investment income. Our operations have historically produced a steady flow of funds, contributing to the growth of our cash and investments.
Looking Forward
We continue to monitor various financial metrics related to our business. Although we have not encountered significant adverse effects on our operations or liquidity, conditions are subject to change based on the economic outcomes and the pace and extent of economic, regulatory, and market developments and their impact on us. For more information on our response to the Florida market, please refer to “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
Common Stock Repurchases
We may repurchase shares from time to time at our discretion, based on ongoing assessments of our capital needs, the market price of our common stock, and general market conditions. We will fund the share repurchase program with cash from operations. During 2025, there were two authorized repurchase plans in effect:
•On March 11, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized the March 2026 Share Repurchase Program pursuant to which we repurchased 977,616 shares of our common stock at an aggregate cost of approximately $20.0 million. As of December 31, 2025, we have repurchased all authorized common stock under the March 2026 Share Repurchase Program.
•On May 1, 2025, our Board of Directors authorized the May 2027 Share Repurchase Program, pursuant to which we have repurchased 737,462 shares of our common stock at an aggregate cost of approximately $19.8 million. As of
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December 31, 2025, we have the ability to purchase up to approximately $0.2 million of our common stock under the May 2027 Share Repurchase Program.
In total, during the year ended December 31, 2025, we repurchased an aggregate of 843,651 shares of our common stock in the open market at an aggregate purchase price of $22.4 million. Also see “Part II—Item 5—Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities—Registrant Purchases of Equity Securities” for share repurchase activity during the three months ended December 31, 2025.
On January 7, 2026, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an additional $20.0 million of our common stock through January 8, 2028 (the “January 2028 Share Repurchase Program”). As of February 23, 2026 we have the ability to purchase approximately $20 million of our common stock under the January 2028 Share Repurchase Program.
Cash Dividends
The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid by the Company during the year ended December 31, 2025:
| Dividend | Shareholders | Dividend | Cash Dividend | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Declared Date | Record Date | Payable Date | Per Share Amount | |||||
| First Quarter | February 6, 2025 | March 7, 2025 | March 14, 2025 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Second Quarter | April 14, 2025 | May 9, 2025 | May 16, 2025 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Third Quarter | July 9, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | August 8, 2025 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Fourth Quarter | November 6, 2025 | December 5, 2025 | December 12, 2025 | $ | 0.29 |
Reinsurance Recoverable
The following table provides total unpaid loss and LAE, net of related reinsurance recoverable for the dates presented (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| Unpaid loss and LAE, net | $ | 26,871 | $ | 28,115 | |||
| IBNR loss and LAE, net | 439,497 | 369,240 | |||||
| Total unpaid loss and LAE, net | $ | 466,368 | $ | 397,355 | |||
| Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid loss and LAE | $ | 21,740 | $ | 97,250 | |||
| Reinsurance recoverable on IBNR loss and LAE | 192,604 | 464,686 | |||||
| Total reinsurance recoverable on unpaid loss and LAE | $ | 214,344 | $ | 561,936 |
Statutory Loss Ratios
Underwriting results of insurance companies are frequently measured by their combined ratios, which is the sum of the loss and expense ratios described in the following paragraph. However, investment income, federal income taxes and other non-underwriting income or expense are not reflected in the combined ratio. The profitability of property and casualty insurance
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companies depends on income from underwriting, investment and service operations. Underwriting results are considered profitable when the combined ratio is under 100% and unprofitable when the combined ratio is over 100%.
The following table provides the statutory loss ratios, expense ratios and combined ratios for the periods indicated for the Insurance Entities:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| Loss and LAE Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 70 | % | 78 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 42 | % | 60 | % | ||
| Expense Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 30 | % | 24 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 58 | % | 38 | % | ||
| Combined Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 100 | % | 102 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 100 | % | 98 | % |
(1)The ratios are net of ceded premiums and losses and LAE, including premiums ceded to our catastrophe reinsurers which comprise a significant cost, and losses and LAE ceded to reinsurers. The expense ratio includes management fees and commissions, which are based on market rates, paid to an affiliate of the Insurance Entities in the amount of $119.5 million and $55.8 million for UPCIC for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and $2.8 million for APPCIC for each of the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The management fees and commissions paid to the affiliate are eliminated in consolidation.
Ratings
The Insurance Entities’ financial strength and stability are rated by certain independent insurance rating agencies to measure the Insurance Entities’ ability to meet their financial obligations to its policyholders. For the Insurance Entities’ policies to be considered acceptable to the secondary mortgage market, the Insurance Entities must maintain a specified rating level with at least one independent insurance rating agency recognized by each of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) or alternatively must qualify for an exception to the rating requirement. The Insurance Entities currently maintain acceptable ratings from two rating agencies recognized by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
In 2025, Demotech, Inc. affirmed the Financial Stability Rating® of “A” for the Insurance Entities and Kroll affirmed its insurer financial strength ratings of “A-”. According to Demotech, Inc., the assigned rating represents a company’s continued positive surplus related to policyholders, liquidity of invested assets, an acceptable level of financial leverage, reasonable loss and LAE reserves, and realistic pricing. According to Kroll, its category of “A” ratings, inclusive of A+, A, and A- ratings, indicates an insurer’s financial condition is strong and it is very likely to meet its policy obligations under difficult economic, financial, and business conditions. The ratings of the Insurance Entities are subject to at least annual review by the respective rating agencies, and may be revised upward or downward or revoked at the sole discretion of the rating agencies. Insurer financial stability or financial strength ratings are primarily directed towards policyholders, and are not evaluations directed toward the protection of investors in a company, including holders of a company’s common stock, and are not recommendations to buy, sell, or hold securities.
The “A” rating on the 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 was reaffirmed by Egan-Jones Ratings Company in 2025. There are three notches in the rating categories assigned by Egan-Jones Ratings Company (e.g., A-, A, and A+), except for AAA and those deep into speculative grade, i.e., CC, C, and D, which do not have notches. According to Egan-Jones Ratings Company, the assigned rating pertains solely to their view of current and prospective credit quality. Their rating does not address pricing, liquidity, or other risks associated with holding investments in the issuer (UVE). Their rating is dependent on numerous factors including the reliability, accuracy, and quality of the data used in determining the credit rating.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that are reasonably likely to have a material effect on the financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital resources of the Company, except for multi-year reinsurance contract commitments for future years that will be recorded at the commencement of the coverage period. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)” for more information.
MATERIAL CASH REQUIREMENTS
The following table represents our material cash requirements for which cash flows are fixed or determinable as of December 31, 2025 (in thousands):
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| Total | Next 12 months | Beyond 12 months | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reinsurance payable and multi-year commitments (1) | $ | 564,334 | $ | 346,299 | $ | 218,035 | |||||
| Unpaid losses and LAE, direct (2) | 680,712 | 349,886 | 330,826 | ||||||||
| Debt (3) | 106,751 | 106,751 | — | ||||||||
| Total material cash requirements | $ | 1,351,797 | $ | 802,936 | $ | 548,861 |
(1)The amount represents the payment of reinsurance premiums payable under multi-year commitments. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)”.
(2)There are generally no notional or stated amounts related to unpaid losses and LAE. Both the amounts and timing of future loss and LAE payments are estimates and subject to the inherent variability of legal and market conditions affecting the obligations and make the timing of cash outflows uncertain. The ultimate amount and timing of unpaid losses and LAE could differ materially from the amounts in the table above. Further, the unpaid losses and LAE do not represent all the obligations that will arise under the contracts, but rather only the estimated liability incurred through December 31, 2025. Unpaid losses and LAE are net of estimated subrogation recoveries. In addition, these balances exclude amounts recoverable from our reinsurance program. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 4 (Reinsurance)” and “—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)”.
(3)Debt consists of a Surplus note and 5.625% senior unsecured notes. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Debt)”.
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ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2025 COMPARED TO DECEMBER 31, 2024
We believe that the cash flows generated from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital requirements for at least the next twelve months. We invest amounts considered to be in excess of current working capital requirements.
The following table summarizes, by type, the carrying values of investments as of the dates presented (in thousands):
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Investment | 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| Available-for-sale debt securities | $ | 1,431,028 | $ | 1,269,079 | |||
| Equity securities | 85,420 | 77,752 | |||||
| Other investments, at fair value | 10,693 | 16,123 | |||||
| Investment real estate, net | 5,463 | 8,322 | |||||
| Total | $ | 1,532,604 | $ | 1,371,276 |
Total invested assets were $1.53 billion as of December 31, 2025 compared to $1.37 billion as of December 31, 2024. The increase is primarily attributable to investment of excess cash into the portfolio, unrealized gains on our debt and equity securities, and increases in net investment income. Cash and cash equivalents were $408.9 million at December 31, 2025 compared to $259.4 million at December 31, 2024, an increase of 57.6%. See below “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information. Cash and cash equivalents are invested short-term until needed to settle loss and LAE payments, reinsurance premium payments, and operating cash needs, or until they are deployed by our investment advisors.
See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” and “Item 8—Note 3 (Investments)” for explanations on changes in investments.
Prepaid reinsurance premiums represent the portion of unearned ceded written premium that will be earned pro-rata over the coverage period of our reinsurance program, which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. The increase of $28.3 million to $291.0 million as of December 31, 2025 was primarily due to increased reinsurance costs relating to the placement of our 2025-2026 catastrophe reinsurance program beginning on June 1, 2025, less amortization of ceded written premium for the reinsurance costs earned since the beginning of the new program. See “Part II— Item 7— “Reinsurance Program” regarding the Company’s reinsurance placement.
Reinsurance recoverable represents the estimated amount of paid and unpaid losses, LAE, and other expenses that are expected to be recovered from reinsurers. The decrease of $394.7 million to $232.9 million as of December 31, 2025 was primarily due to the collection of ceded losses from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as other prior events collected during 2025 from reinsurers.
Premiums receivable, net represents amounts receivable from policyholders. The decrease in premiums receivable, net, to $75.7 million as of December 31, 2025 is consistent with premium trends including seasonality and consumer payment behaviors.
Deferred policy acquisition costs (“DPAC”) increased by $7.4 million to $128.6 million as of December 31, 2025, and is consistent with written premium trends and changes in commissions paid to agents. See “Item 1—Note 5 (Insurance Operations)” for a roll-forward in the balance of our DPAC.
Income taxes payable/recoverable represents the amounts due to/from taxing jurisdictions within one year. An income tax payable arises when current income tax liabilities exceed tax payments, and an income tax recoverable occurs when tax payments exceed current income tax liabilities. As of December 31, 2025, the balance of income taxes payable was $28.6 million, compared to a balance payable of $6.6 million as of December 31, 2024.
Deferred income taxes represent the estimated tax asset or tax liability caused by temporary differences between the tax return basis of certain assets and liabilities and amounts recorded in the financial statements. During the year ended December 31, 2025, net deferred income tax assets, decreased by $14.5 million to $27.7 million, primarily due to the impact of an increase in unrealized gains on investments and a reduction of net operating loss carryforwards. Deferred income taxes reverse in future years as the temporary differences between book and tax reverse.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for a roll-forward in the balance of our unpaid losses and LAE. Unpaid losses and LAE decreased by $278.6 million to $680.7 million as of December 31, 2025. Unpaid losses and LAE decreased in 2025 as a result of payment of current and prior year claims including the settlement of Hurricanes Helene and Milton claims during 2025, along with normal recurring claim activity. Unpaid losses and LAE are net of estimated subrogation recoveries of $43.4 million as of December 31, 2025 compared to $69.2 million as of December 31, 2024.
Unearned premiums represent the portion of direct premiums written that will be earned pro-rata in the future. The increase of $31.5 million from December 31, 2024 to $1.09 billion as of December 31, 2025 reflects our increase in direct premiums written.
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Advance premium represents premium payments made by policyholders ahead of the effective date of the policies. The increase of $15.6 million from December 31, 2024 to $61.8 million as of December 31, 2025 reflects customer payment behavior and the payment behavior of mortgage escrow service providers as well as premium trends.
Reinsurance payable, net, represents the unpaid reinsurance premium installments owed to reinsurers, unpaid reinstatement premiums due to reinsurers, and cash advances received from reinsurers, if any. On June 1st of each year, we renew our core catastrophe reinsurance program and record the estimated annual cost of our reinsurance program. These estimated annual costs are increased or decreased during the year based on premium adjustments or as a result of new placements during the year. The annual cost initially increases reinsurance payable, which is then reduced as installment payments are made over the policy period of the reinsurance, which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st. The balance increased by $36.9 million to $257.2 million as of December 31, 2025 as a result of the renewal of the 2025-2026 reinsurance program effective June 1, 2025. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information about timing of reinsurance premium installment payments.
Other liabilities and accrued expenses decreased by $7.0 million to $41.6 million as of December 31, 2025, primarily driven by an increase in other operating accrued expense and amounts payable for securities resulting from trades executed that had not settled as of December 31, 2025 offset by a decrease in amounts payable for accrued taxes and fees.
See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information about the changes in additional paid-in capital during 2025.
ARRANGEMENTS WITH VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES
We entered into a reinsurance captive arrangement with a VIE in the normal course of business, and consolidated the VIE since we are the primary beneficiary.
For a further discussion of our involvement with the VIE, see “Part II—Item 8—Note 2 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies)” and “Item 8—Note 18 (Variable Interest Entities)”.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.
Liability for Unpaid Losses and LAE
A liability, net of estimated subrogation, is established to provide for the estimated costs of paying losses and LAE under insurance policies the Insurance Entities have issued. Underwriting results are significantly influenced by an estimate of a liability for unpaid losses and LAE. The liability is an estimate of amounts necessary to settle all outstanding claims, including claims that have been incurred, but not yet reported as of the financial statement date. The process of estimating loss reserves requires significant judgment due to a number of variables, such as the type, severity and jurisdiction of loss, economic conditions including inflation, social attitudes, judicial decisions and legislative development, and changes in claims handling procedures. These variables will inherently result in an ultimate liability that will differ from initial estimates. We revise our reserve for unpaid losses as additional information becomes available, and reflect adjustments, if any, in our earnings in the periods in which we determine the adjustments are necessary. Additionally, we estimate and accrue our right to subrogate reported or estimated claims against other parties. Subrogated claims are recorded at amounts estimated to be received from the subrogated parties, net of expenses and netted against unpaid losses and LAE.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for a discussion of the Company’s basis and methodologies used to establish its liability for unpaid losses and LAE along with the following quantitative disclosures:
•Five-year accident year table on incurred claim and allocated claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance including columns of:
◦IBNR—Total of Incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development (redundancy) on reported claims by accident year, and
◦Claim counts—cumulative number of reported claims by accident year.
•Five-year accident year table on cumulative paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance,
•Reconciliation of net incurred and paid claims development tables to the liability for unpaid losses and LAE in the consolidated balance sheets,
•Duration—a table of the average historical claims duration for the past five years, and
•Reconciliation of the change in liability for unpaid losses and LAE presented in the consolidated financial statements.
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We utilize independent actuaries to help establish liabilities for unpaid losses, anticipated loss recoveries, and LAE. We do not discount the liability for unpaid losses and LAE for financial statement purposes. In establishing the liability for unpaid losses and LAE, actuarial best practices and judgment are relied upon in order to make appropriate selections of ultimate losses. There are inherent uncertainties associated with this estimation process, especially when a company is undergoing changes in its claims settlement practices, when a company has limited experience in a certain area or when behaviors of policyholders are influenced by external factors and/or market dynamics. As an example, a dramatic change occurred at the end of calendar year 2022 when significant reforms were enacted in Florida to eliminate a statutory right to attorneys’ fees in favor of policyholders and eliminate the use of assignments of benefits (“AOB”) by third parties such as contractors, both of which had previously increased represented claims and claims-related abuses. These reforms also reduced the time period for policyholders to file claims and shortened Florida insurers’ settlement requirements on property claims. As a result, these changes have had a meaningful influence on development pattern selections applied to accident periods subsequent to 2022 in the reserving estimates for each of the methods described in “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)”. We are monitoring this loss experience in order to best reflect revised development patterns in estimation methods used to select ultimate loss and LAE for each accident period.
Factors Affecting Reserve Estimates
Reserve estimates are developed based on the processes and historical development trends discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. These estimates are considered in conjunction with known facts and interpretations of circumstances and factors including our experience with similar cases, actual claims paid, differing payment patterns and pending levels of unpaid claims, loss management programs, product mix and contractual terms, changes in law and regulation, judicial decisions, and economic conditions. When these types of changes are experienced, actuarial judgment is applied in the determination and selection of development factors in order to better reflect new trends or expectations. For example, if a change in law is expected to have a significant impact on the development of claim severity, actuarial judgment is applied to determine appropriate development factors that will most accurately reflect the expected impact on that specific estimate. As an example, the Company considered and included the effects of the enacted legislation in developing its ultimate loss projections and reserve estimates as of December 31, 2023, as noted in “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. Another example would be when a change in economic conditions is expected to affect the cost of repairs to property; actuarial judgment is applied to determine appropriate development factors to use in the reserve estimate that will most accurately reflect the expected impacts on severity development.
Changes in homeowners current year claim severity are generally influenced by inflation in the cost of building materials, the cost of construction and property repair services, the cost of replacing home furnishings and other contents, the types of claims that qualify for coverage, the presence of third party representation, such as legal or repair contractors (which serve to inflate claim expenses), and other economic and environmental factors. We employ various loss management programs to mitigate the effects of these factors.
Key assumptions that may materially affect the estimate of the reserve for loss and LAE relate to the effects of emerging claim and coverage issues. As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other environmental conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverages may emerge. These issues may adversely affect our business by either extending coverage beyond our underwriting intent, lengthening the time to final settlement, or by increasing the number or size of claims. Key assumptions that are premised on future emergence that are inconsistent with historical loss reserve development patterns include but are not limited to:
•Adverse changes in loss cost trends, including inflationary pressures in home repair costs;
•Judicial expansion of policy coverage and the impact of new theories of liability; and
•Plaintiffs targeting property and casualty insurers in purported class action or other litigation related to claims-handling and other practices.
As loss experience for the current year develops for each type of loss, the reserves for loss and LAE are monitored relative to initial assumptions until they are judged to have sufficient statistical credibility. From that point in time and forward, reserves are re-estimated using statistical actuarial processes to reflect the impact loss trends have on development factors incorporated into the actuarial estimation processes.
Causes of Reserve Estimate Uncertainty
Since reserves are estimates of the unpaid portions of claims and claims expenses that have occurred, the establishment of appropriate reserves, including reserves for catastrophes, requires regular reevaluation and refinement of estimates to determine ultimate loss and LAE estimates.
At each reporting date, the highest degree of uncertainty in reserve estimates arises from claims remaining to be settled for the current accident year and the most recent preceding accident year, and claims that have occurred but have not been reported. The estimate for the current accident year contains the greatest degree of uncertainty because it contains the greatest proportion of losses that have not been reported or settled but must be estimated as of the current reporting date. During the first year after the end of an accident year, a large portion of the total losses for that accident year are settled. When accident year losses paid through the end of the first year following the initial accident year are incorporated into updated actuarial estimates, the trends inherent in the settlement of claims emerge more clearly. Consequently, this is the point in time at which the largest re-
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estimates of losses for an accident year can occur. After the second year, the losses paid for the accident year typically relate to claims that are more difficult to settle, such as those involving litigation.
Reserves for Catastrophe Losses
Loss and LAE reserves also include reserves for catastrophe losses. Catastrophe losses are an inherent risk of the property-casualty insurance industry that have contributed, and will continue to contribute, to potentially material year-to-year fluctuations in results of operations and financial position. A catastrophe is an event that produces significant insured losses before reinsurance and involves multiple first party policyholders, or an event that produces a number of claims in excess of a preset, per-event threshold of average claims in a specific area, occurring within a certain amount of time following the event. Catastrophes are commonly caused by various natural events including high winds, tornadoes, wildfires, winter storms, tropical storms and hurricanes.
The estimation of claims and claims expense reserves for catastrophes also comprises estimates of losses from reported and unreported claims, primarily for damage to property. In general, estimates for catastrophe reserves are based on claim adjuster inspections and the application of historical loss development factors as described previously and in “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. However, depending on the nature of the catastrophe, as noted above, the estimation process can be further complicated. For example, for hurricanes, complications could include the inability of insureds to be able to promptly report losses, a prevalence of solicited and late-reported claims creating or compounding challenges with determining the cause and amount of loss, limitations placed on claims adjusting staff affecting their ability to inspect losses, determining whether losses are covered by our homeowners policy (generally for damage caused by wind or wind driven rain) or are specifically excluded from coverage such as losses caused by flood, estimating additional living expenses or assessing the impact of demand surge and exposure to mold damage. The effects of numerous other considerations, include the timing of a catastrophe in relation to other events, such as at or near the end of a financial reporting period, which can affect the availability of information needed to estimate reserves for that reporting period. In these situations, practices are adapted to accommodate these circumstances in order to determine a best estimate of losses from a catastrophe.
Key Actuarial Assumptions That Affect the Loss and LAE Estimate
The aggregation of estimates for reported losses and IBNR forms the reserve liability recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
At any given point in time, the recorded loss and LAE reserves represent our best estimate of the ultimate settlement and administration cost of insured claims incurred and unpaid. Since the process of estimating loss and LAE reserves requires significant judgment due to a number of variables, such as fluctuations in inflation, judicial decisions, legislative changes and changes in claims handling procedures, ultimate liability may exceed or be less than these estimates. Reserves for losses and LAE are revised as additional information becomes available, and adjustments, if any, are reflected in earnings in the periods in which they are determined.
In selecting development factors and averages described in “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements, due consideration is given to how the historical experience patterns change from one year to the next over the course of several consecutive years of recent history. Predictions surrounding these patterns drive the estimates that are produced by each method, and are based on statistical techniques that follow standard actuarial practices.
In compliance with annual statutory reporting requirements, our appointed independent actuary provides a Statement of Actuarial Opinion (“SAO”) indicating that carried loss and LAE reserves recorded at each annual balance sheet date make a reasonable provision for all of the Insurance Entities’ unpaid loss and LAE obligations under the terms of contracts and agreements with our policyholders. Recorded reserves are compared to the indicated range provided in the actuary’s report accompanying the SAO. At December 31, 2025, the recorded amount for net loss and LAE falls within the range determined by the Company’s appointed independent actuary.
Potential Reserve Estimate Variability
The methods employed by actuaries include a range of estimated unpaid losses, each reflecting a level of uncertainty. Projections of loss and LAE liabilities are subject to potentially large variability in the estimation process since the ultimate disposition of claims incurred prior to the financial statement date, whether reported or not, is subject to the outcome of events that have not yet occurred. Examples of these events include jury decisions, court interpretations, legislative changes, public attitudes, and social/economic conditions such as inflation. Any estimate of future costs is subject to the inherent limitation on one’s ability to predict the aggregate course of future events. It should therefore be expected that the actual emergence of losses and LAE will vary, perhaps materially, from any estimate.
In selecting the range of reasonable estimates, the range of indications produced by the various methods is evaluated, the relative strengths and weaknesses of each method are considered, and from those inputs a range of estimates can be selected. For reasons cited above, this range of estimated ultimate losses is typically smaller for older, more mature accident periods and greater for more recent, less mature accident periods. The greatest level of uncertainty is associated with the most recent accident years, and particularly years during which catastrophe events occurred.
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The inherent uncertainty associated with our loss and LAE liability is magnified due to our concentration of property business in catastrophe-exposed and litigious states, primarily Florida. In 2018, for example, loss and expense payments for Hurricane Irma claims exceeded initial liability estimates that were established at year-end 2017, which was shortly after the event occurred. This unexpected development was partially due to the influence of plaintiff attorneys in the claim filing process; both at initial contact prior to coverage validation or damage assessment, and after claims were settled and closed which resulted in a large number of claims being reopened during the year. In 2019, UPCIC continued to experience unanticipated unfavorable development on losses from claims being reopened and new claims being opened due to public adjusters encouraging policyholders to file new claims. Due to the relatively low frequency and inherent uncertainty of catastrophe events, the parameters utilized in loss estimation methodologies are updated whenever new information emerges.
The following table summarizes the effect on net loss and LAE reserves and net loss, net of tax in the event of reasonably likely changes in the severity of claims considered in establishing loss and LAE reserves. The range of reasonably likely changes in the severity of our claims was established based on a review of changes in loss year development and applied loss and LAE reserves as a whole. The selected range of changes does not indicate what could be the potential best or worst case or likely scenarios (dollars in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, 2025 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent Change in | |||||||
| Change in Reserves | Reserves | Net Income | |||||
| -20.0% | $ | 544,570 | 56 | % | |||
| -15.0% | 578,605 | 42 | % | ||||
| -10.0% | 612,641 | 28 | % | ||||
| -5.0% | 646,676 | 14 | % | ||||
| Base | 680,712 | — | |||||
| 5.0% | 714,748 | (14) | % | ||||
| 10.0% | 748,783 | (28) | % | ||||
| 15.0% | 782,819 | (42) | % | ||||
| 20.0% | 816,854 | (56) | % |
Adequacy of Reserve Estimates
We believe our net loss and LAE reserves and estimated subrogation recoveries are appropriately established based on available methodology, facts, technology, laws, and regulations. We calculate and record a single best reserve estimate, in conformance with generally accepted actuarial standards, for reported and unreported losses, LAE losses and subrogation, and as a result we believe no other estimate is better than our recorded amount.
Due to the uncertainties involved, the ultimate cost of losses and LAE may vary materially from recorded amounts, which are based on our best estimates. The liability for unpaid losses and LAE, net of subrogation at December 31, 2025 is $680.7 million.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In November 2024, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2024-03, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures, which requires additional disclosure of certain costs and expenses within the notes to the financial statements. The updated standard is effective for annual periods beginning in 2027 and interim periods beginning in the first quarter of 2028. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the updated standard will have on financial statement disclosures.
In September 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-06, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software, which modernizes the accounting for internal-use software and clarifies capitalization criteria. The updated standard is effective for the company beginning with interim and annual reporting periods in 2028. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the updated standard will have on the Consolidated Financial Statements.
There have been no other recent accounting pronouncements or changes in accounting pronouncements that are identified to have significance or potential significance to the Company.
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000891166-25-000025.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to assist in an understanding of our financial condition and results of operations and should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in “Part II—Item 8—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” below. Except for the historical information contained herein, the discussions in this MD&A contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our future results could differ materially from those discussed herein. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed above under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Part I— Item 1A—Risk Factors.”
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Overview
We are a vertically integrated holding company offering property and casualty insurance and value-added insurance services. In addition, we generate revenue from our investment portfolio, reinsurance brokerage services, the receipt of managing general agency fees from policy holders and from other sources of revenue (collectively “Other Revenue Sources”). We develop, market, and underwrite insurance products for consumers predominantly in the personal residential homeowners’ line of business and perform substantially all insurance-related services for our insurance entities, including risk management, claims management, and distribution. Our Insurance Entities offer insurance products through both appointed independent insurance agents and through our online distribution channel across 19 states with Florida representing 77.2% of our direct premiums written for the year ended December 31, 2024, with licenses to write insurance in one additional state. We seek to produce an underwriting profit (defined as earned premium-net minus losses, LAE, policy acquisition costs and other operating costs) over the long term, along with growing our Other Revenue Sources.
Revenues
We generate revenue primarily from the collection of insurance premiums. Other sources of revenue include: commissions paid by our reinsurers to our reinsurance intermediary subsidiary BARC on reinsurance it places for the Insurance Entities; policy fees collected from policyholders by our managing general agent subsidiary, ERA; and financing fees charged to policyholders who choose to defer premium payments reflected in other income. In addition, our subsidiary Alder receives fees from the Insurance Entities for claims-handling services. The Insurance Entities are reimbursed for these fees on claims that are subject to recovery under the Insurance Entities’ respective reinsurance programs. These fees, after expenses, are recorded in the consolidated financial statements as an adjustment to LAE. We also generate income by investing our assets.
The nature of our business tends to be seasonal during the year, reflecting consumer behaviors in connection with the Florida residential real estate market and the hurricane season. The amount of direct premiums written tends to be highest in the second and third quarters of our fiscal year and lowest in the first and fourth quarters.
Trends and Geographical Distribution
Florida Trends
We seek to achieve long-term rate adequacy and earnings for the Insurance Entities while managing our risks through market cycles and looking to take advantage of what we believe to be market opportunities. The Florida personal lines homeowners’ market in recent years has operated under distressed conditions wherein insurance companies’ major cost items, such as losses, LAE and reinsurance, significantly increased and led to insurance companies’ striving to recover or mitigate these costs through rate and underwriting action. While we took these steps and increased our estimates of expected losses, in recent years we have recorded adverse claim development on prior years’ loss reserves to address the impacts of Florida’s market disruptions on claim cost trends.
As a result of market conditions in Florida, personal residential insurance premiums have risen significantly, many insurers have reduced coverages, and underwriting standards have tightened. Due to these conditions and factors more generally affecting the U.S. and global reinsurance markets, reinsurance for Florida property insurance risk also has been subject to increases in pricing and less favorable terms in recent years. These market forces combined to decrease insurance availability among admitted insurers, and consequently to increase the policy count of Citizens. Although Citizens was created to be the “market of last resort” or residual property insurance market in Florida, its rate increases are limited by law, resulting in its policies typically being priced lower than admitted market policies. This causes Citizens, for many policy types and areas of Florida, to become viewed as a desirable lower-cost alternative to the admitted market.
After several prior efforts at legal reforms that had limited effect, in December 2022 the Florida Legislature enacted substantial law changes intended to mitigate rising claims costs and further premium increases, while also enhancing service standards for the benefit of policyholders. These laws required insurers, including the Insurance Entities, to implement faster claims-response standards, increased penalties for non-compliance, enhanced regulatory oversight of insurers’ financial conditions and holding company systems, and added other consumer protections. The reforms also sought to curtail certain claimants’ abusive claims practices against insurance carriers, which contributed substantially to the Florida market’s recent problems. Among the reforms, the Florida Legislature eliminated policyholders’ former one-way statutory right to attorneys’ fees and eliminated the ability of policyholders to assign their insurance benefits to third parties. The Florida Legislature also reduced the post-loss time period for submitting claims to one year as contrasted with prior laws permitting claims to be reported two years or even three years after loss events, which led to extended solicitations of claims by contractors, public adjusters, and attorneys and created challenges for insurers in evaluating the cause and amount of the late-reported claims.
The most significant statutory reforms took effect for policies issued after December 16, 2022. Remaining pre-reform claims typically reflect disproportionately high incidences of represented and litigated claims. As a result, losses and LAE associated with these claims remain high, exceeding historical patterns in Florida and in other states. Although the Insurance Entities’ number of remaining claims subject to pre-reform laws continues to decline, it will be several years before all of these claims are settled or brought to an adjudicated conclusion. We are optimistic that the legislative reforms will gradually improve the Florida claims environment as the number of claims associated with the pre-reform era continues to decline and more of the Insurance Entities’ claims benefit from the reforms.
We seek to achieve rate adequacy for the Insurance Entities, recognizing the effects of the recent Florida claims environment on losses, LAE and expenses, while also taking into account potential benefits associated with the reforms. The favorable impact
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of the reforms has led many insurers in Florida, including the Insurance Entities, to submit rate filings in 2024 reflecting overall average rates equal to or even slightly lower than their prior year’s rates. Even so, some areas of Florida such as Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties continue to experience disproportionately high incidences of represented and litigated claims as compared to other areas of the state and other jurisdictions. These dynamics are compounded by the litigation financing industry and other types of third-party financing, which in some cases fund the solicitation and litigation of claims or the activities of certain contractors. In addition, inflation, as reflected in the cost of labor and materials, remains a contributing factor in elevated costs associated with the settlement of claims.
Rate filings rely upon past loss and expense data and take time to develop, file and implement. We therefore can experience significant delays between identifying needed rate adjustments, filing the associated rate changes, and ultimately collecting and earning the resulting increased premiums. This is particularly the case following active hurricane seasons in Florida, when administrative orders can extend the regulatory review period for rate filings. Further, the ultimate effectiveness of Florida’s reforms is still unknown and difficult to quantify, especially because future market conditions or claims patterns might differ from recent or past experience. Similarly, the Company evaluates and periodically adjusts its policy forms in response to market factors and competitive considerations. While policy form changes can be beneficial in the Company’s risk management initiatives, like with rate adjustments, we can experience delays between identifying desired changes, filing and gaining regulatory approval of the changes, and implementing the new forms.
The Company updates its claims-handling procedures over time in response to market trends. The Company has adopted initiatives to adjust and pay straightforward, meritorious claims as promptly as possible to mitigate the adverse impacts that can be seen with claims that remain open for longer periods. The Company also has increasingly used video and other technology to facilitate reviews of damaged property and improve efficiency in the claims process. In addition, we develop in-house expertise, often in the form of dedicated internal units, to respond to certain types of claims such as water damage claims, represented claims, and large-loss claims. The Company additionally has established significant in-house legal services to address the high volume of litigated or represented claims as cost-effectively as possible, as well as a subrogation unit that seeks to mitigate losses for the benefit of policyholders and the Company when damages are caused by third parties.
The active 2024 hurricane season adds complexity to a market that is still experiencing residual adverse effects of pre-reform laws and behaviors even as it begins to benefit from the legal changes. As a result of the reforms and operational initiatives taken by the Company in recent years, the Insurance Entities have cautiously increased their appetite for new business. Several new competitors also have entered the Florida market after the law changes, with some seeking to assume policies from Citizens. It is premature to evaluate the impact of the current hurricane season on reinsurance and capital markets, competitors and potential future entrants to the market, and the overall level of admitted market writings and corresponding effect on Citizens’ exposures. Additionally, the full impact of the legal changes and our operational initiatives on the claims settlement process and associated costs is unknown and may evolve differently following an active hurricane season than in a non-catastrophe environment. We will continue to monitor these impacts and market conditions on recording and reporting of claims costs, rate levels and competitive conditions.
Summary of Recent Rate Changes
In April 2023, UPCIC submitted and received approval for a rate decrease of 1.4% for Homeowners’, and a rate decrease of 1.6% for Dwelling Fire in the State of Florida, effective July 15, 2023, for new and renewal business. This filing resulted from UPCIC’s statutorily required participation in Florida’s Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders Program (“RAP”). This program is unrelated to the FHCF and allowed insurers to access a layer of reinsurance coverage below the FHCF industry retention at no cost to the insurer. In exchange the Insurance Entities adopted a corresponding one-year rate reduction. The RAP program expired with the reinsurance contract year ending May 31, 2024. Accordingly, the rate decrease that was temporarily implemented in response to the RAP coverage expired one year from its effective date, on July 15, 2024.
In July 2023, UPCIC filed a 7.5% rate increase on Florida personal residential homeowners’ line of business, effective July 17, 2023, for new business and November 4, 2023, for renewal business. Additionally, in October 2023, UPCIC filed a 4.1% rate increase on Florida personal dwelling-fire lines of business, effective January 15, 2024, for both new and renewal business. Both of these rate increases were implemented under use and file rating laws and subsequently received regulatory approval. In August 2024, UPCIC implemented new homeowners rates for new policies, resulting in an average rate decrease of 1.5% compared to previous rates. The implementation of these rates for renewal business was initially scheduled for November 2024 but has been postponed due to a tolling period for regulatory reviews adopted by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. UPCIC will seek to implement the filed rates after the expiration of the tolling period.
For 2024, the following rate changes for UPCIC have been approved by regulators in states other than Florida:
•Georgia: +14.8% effective November 21, 2023, for new business, and January 10, 2024, for renewal business
•South Carolina: +7.8% effective January 16, 2024, for new business, and March 6, 2024, for renewal business
•Alabama: +14.3% effective March 13, 2024, for new business, and May 2, 2024, for renewal business
•Indiana: +8.0% effective March 22, 2024, for new business, and May 11, 2024, for renewal business
•Minnesota: +14.9% effective April 19, 2024, for new business, and May 20, 2024, for renewal business
•Massachusetts: +11.9% effective April 8, 2024, for new business, and May 28, 2024, for renewal business
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•Pennsylvania: +3.0% effective June 1, 2024, for new business, and July 21, 2024, for renewal business
•Maryland: +13.3% effective June 17, 2024 for new business, and August 6, 2024, for renewal business
•Illinois: +11.8% effective August 12, 2024 for new business, and October 1, 2024, for renewal business
•New Jersey: +4.8% effective August 21, 2024 for new business, and October 10, 2024, for renewal business
•New Hampshire: +14.3% effective September 23, 2024 for new business, and November 12, 2024, for renewal business
•Virginia: +15.4% effective November 11, 2024 for new business, and December 31, 2024, for renewal business
•Michigan: +24.8% effective January 20, 2025 for new business, and March 11, 2025, for renewal business
•Georgia: +7.4% effective March 1, 2025 for new business and existing business
•Alabama: +8.1% effective March 13, 2025 for new business and existing business
•Indiana: +6.0% effective March 22, 2025 for new business and May 11, 2025, for renewal business
•North Carolina: +7.5% effective June 1, 2025 for new business and existing business
The following rate filings are pending approval by state regulators:
•South Carolina: +8.6%, the effective date for new business, and renewal business is pending approval
•Massachusetts: +12.9%, the effective date for new business, and renewal business is pending approval
•Minnesota: +15.0%, the effective date for new business, and renewal business is pending approval
•New York: +10.2%, the effective date for new business and renewal business is pending approval
Geographical Distribution
Direct premiums written continue to increase across 18 of the 19 states in which we conduct business year-over-year. As a result of our business strategy, rate changes and disciplined underwriting initiatives, we have seen an increase in total policy count in 16 out of 19 states, as well increase in in-force premium in 18 states and total insured value in 16 states. Direct premiums written for states outside of Florida increased 32.1%, representing a $114.6 million increase during 2024. Direct premiums written for Florida increased 2.1%, representing a $33.2 million increase during 2024. The following table provides direct premiums written for Florida and other states for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended | Growth Year Over Year | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| State | Direct Premiums Written | % | Direct Premiums Written | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||
| Florida | $ | 1,598,426 | 77.2 | % | $ | 1,565,197 | 81.4 | % | $ | 33,229 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||
| Other states | 471,266 | 22.8 | % | 356,636 | 18.6 | % | 114,630 | 32.1 | % | ||||||||||||
| Grand total | $ | 2,069,692 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,921,833 | 100.0 | % | $ | 147,859 | 7.7 | % |
We seek to prudently grow and generate long-term rate adequate premium in each state where we offer policies. Our diversification strategy seeks to increase business outside of Florida and to improve geographical distribution within Florida.
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The geographical distribution of our policies in force, premium in force and total insured value across all states were as follows, as of December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 (dollars in thousands, rounded to the nearest thousand):
| As of December 31, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 567,307 | 66.4 | % | $ | 1,608,142 | 77.3 | % | $ | 186,751,842 | 52.1 | % | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 65,901 | 7.8 | % | 86,556 | 4.2 | % | 33,078,243 | 9.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 29,470 | 3.4 | % | 59,530 | 2.9 | % | 16,332,651 | 4.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 24,475 | 2.9 | % | 44,279 | 2.1 | % | 20,418,055 | 5.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 21,751 | 2.5 | % | 30,011 | 1.4 | % | 15,044,367 | 4.2 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 18,834 | 2.2 | % | 28,012 | 1.3 | % | 13,830,947 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 18,907 | 2.2 | % | 39,774 | 1.9 | % | 9,072,192 | 2.5 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 24,766 | 2.9 | % | 43,306 | 2.1 | % | 12,745,333 | 3.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 12,861 | 1.5 | % | 20,945 | 1.0 | % | 5,737,050 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 11,340 | 1.3 | % | 26,351 | 1.3 | % | 7,103,977 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 8,375 | 1.0 | % | 12,139 | 0.6 | % | 4,562,202 | 1.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 15,669 | 1.8 | % | 20,284 | 1.0 | % | 9,591,760 | 2.7 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 7,951 | 0.9 | % | 14,056 | 0.7 | % | 6,828,505 | 1.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 10,655 | 1.2 | % | 18,041 | 0.9 | % | 6,199,390 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 3,219 | 0.4 | % | 4,883 | 0.2 | % | 2,249,566 | 0.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 5,634 | 0.7 | % | 9,637 | 0.5 | % | 3,767,743 | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 330 | — | % | 397 | — | % | 252,782 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 7,978 | 0.9 | % | 12,611 | 0.6 | % | 4,865,077 | 1.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 103 | — | % | 115 | — | % | 79,529 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 855,526 | 100.0 | % | $ | 2,079,069 | 100.0 | % | $ | 358,511,211 | 100.0 | % |
| As of December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 567,893 | 70.1 | % | $ | 1,577,210 | 81.5 | % | $ | 188,516,949 | 58.3 | % | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 56,787 | 7.0 | % | 70,170 | 3.6 | % | 25,990,577 | 8.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 31,335 | 3.9 | % | 54,315 | 2.8 | % | 16,704,678 | 5.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 21,443 | 2.6 | % | 33,902 | 1.8 | % | 16,702,823 | 5.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 19,213 | 2.4 | % | 25,736 | 1.3 | % | 12,788,156 | 4.0 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 18,606 | 2.3 | % | 25,712 | 1.3 | % | 13,358,747 | 4.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 16,440 | 2.0 | % | 29,589 | 1.5 | % | 7,404,975 | 2.3 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 19,201 | 2.4 | % | 28,184 | 1.5 | % | 8,997,564 | 2.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 12,584 | 1.6 | % | 18,386 | 1.0 | % | 5,326,469 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 9,446 | 1.2 | % | 19,407 | 1.0 | % | 5,613,856 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 9,439 | 1.2 | % | 12,648 | 0.7 | % | 4,965,478 | 1.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 8,671 | 1.1 | % | 9,379 | 0.4 | % | 4,431,977 | 1.4 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 7,102 | 0.9 | % | 12,359 | 0.6 | % | 5,771,055 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 4,890 | 0.6 | % | 7,641 | 0.4 | % | 2,634,991 | 0.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 2,341 | 0.2 | % | 3,330 | 0.2 | % | 1,531,896 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 858 | 0.1 | % | 1,100 | 0.1 | % | 510,735 | 0.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 2,491 | 0.3 | % | 3,720 | 0.2 | % | 1,498,349 | 0.4 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 318 | — | % | 358 | — | % | 230,587 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 874 | 0.1 | % | 1,222 | 0.1 | % | 476,843 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 809,932 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,934,368 | 100.0 | % | $ | 323,456,705 | 100.0 | % |
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| As of December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 615,796 | 72.5 | % | $ | 1,547,383 | 83.4 | % | $ | 201,237,145 | 62.4 | % | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 54,988 | 6.5 | % | 60,990 | 3.3 | % | 23,135,353 | 7.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 35,174 | 4.2 | % | 53,250 | 2.9 | % | 17,684,518 | 5.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 18,849 | 2.2 | % | 28,729 | 1.5 | % | 13,886,783 | 4.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 20,123 | 2.4 | % | 24,622 | 1.3 | % | 12,691,444 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 17,965 | 2.1 | % | 23,551 | 1.3 | % | 12,434,136 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 14,218 | 1.7 | % | 22,794 | 1.2 | % | 6,043,021 | 1.9 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 17,260 | 2.0 | % | 20,304 | 1.1 | % | 7,344,000 | 2.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 14,441 | 1.7 | % | 18,804 | 1.0 | % | 5,885,207 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 9,545 | 1.1 | % | 18,100 | 1.0 | % | 5,456,394 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 11,179 | 1.3 | % | 13,700 | 0.7 | % | 5,645,993 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 6,840 | 0.8 | % | 6,642 | 0.4 | % | 3,116,236 | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 3,897 | 0.5 | % | 5,963 | 0.3 | % | 2,912,117 | 0.9 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 3,497 | 0.4 | % | 4,995 | 0.3 | % | 1,756,525 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 1,939 | 0.2 | % | 2,645 | 0.1 | % | 1,220,586 | 0.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 1,566 | 0.2 | % | 1,901 | 0.1 | % | 875,158 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 1,057 | 0.1 | % | 1,435 | 0.1 | % | 588,925 | 0.2 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 350 | 0.1 | % | 306 | — | % | 239,970 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 172 | — | % | 225 | — | % | 89,629 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 848,856 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,856,339 | 100.0 | % | $ | 322,243,140 | 100.0 | % |
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The Company considers the measures and ratios in the following discussion to be key performance indicators for its businesses. Management believes that these indicators are helpful in understanding the underlying trends in the Company’s businesses. Some of these indicators are reported on a quarterly basis and others on an annual basis. Please also refer to “Part II—Item 8—Note 2 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies)” for definitions of certain other terms we use when describing our financial results.
These indicators may not be comparable to other performance measures used by the Company’s competitors and should only be evaluated together with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.
In addition to our key performance indicators and other financial measures presented in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), management also uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Company's financial performance and the overall growth in value generated for the Company’s common shareholders. Management believes that non-GAAP financial measures, which may be defined differently by other companies, help to explain the Company’s results to investors in a manner that allows for a more complete understanding of the underlying trends in the Company’s business. The non-GAAP measures should not be viewed as a substitute for those determined in accordance with GAAP. The calculation of these key financial measures including the reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the nearest GAAP measure are found below under “—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
Definitions of Key Performance Indicators and GAAP and Non-GAAP Measures
Adjusted book value per common share ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated as adjusted common stockholders’ equity divided by common shares outstanding at the end of the period. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying book value growth by excluding the impact of unrealized gains and losses due to interest rate volatility.
Adjusted common stockholders’ equity ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated as GAAP common stockholders’ equity less accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying growth in stockholders’ equity by excluding the impact of unrealized gains and losses due to interest rate volatility.
Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated as GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, less net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net of tax. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
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Adjusted operating income (loss) ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated as GAAP operating income (loss), less net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Adjusted operating income (loss) margin ― is a non-GAAP measure that is computed as adjusted operating income (loss) divided by core revenue. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Adjusted return on common equity (Adjusted “ROCE”) ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated as actual or annualized adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders divided by average adjusted common stockholders’ equity, with the denominator excluding current period income statement net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net of tax. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Book Value Per Common Share ― total stockholders’ equity, adjusted for preferred stock liquidation, divided by the number of common shares outstanding as of a reporting period. Book value per common share is the excess of assets over liabilities at a reporting period attributed to each share of common stock. Changes in book value per common share informs shareholders of retained equity in the Company on a per share basis, which may assist in understanding market value trends for the Company’s stock.
Combined Ratio ― the combined ratio is a measure of underwriting profitability for a reporting period and is calculated by dividing total operating costs and expenses (which is made up of losses and LAE and general and administrative expenses) by premiums earned, net, which is net of ceded premium earned. Changes to the combined ratio over time provide management with an understanding of costs to operate its business in relation to net premiums it is earning and the impact of rate, underwriting and other business management actions on underwriting profitability. A combined ratio below 100% indicates an underwriting profit; a combined ratio above 100% indicates an underwriting loss.
Core Loss Ratio ― an operational metric used in the insurance industry to describe the ratio of current year losses and LAE, excluding current accident year weather and prior year development, to premiums earned. Core loss ratio is an important measure identifying profitability trends of premiums in force. Core losses consists of losses and LAE excluding current year weather events and prior years’ reserve development and is net estimated subrogation recoveries. The financial benefit from the management of claims, including claim fees ceded to reinsurers, is also recorded in the condensed consolidated financial statements as a reduction to core losses. The core loss ratio can be measured on a direct basis, using direct earned premiums, or on a net basis, using premiums earned, net (i.e., direct premiums earned less ceded premiums earned).
Core revenue ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated as total GAAP revenue, less net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying revenue trends and enhances comparability across periods by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio ― long-term debt divided by stockholders’ equity. This ratio helps management measure the amount of financing leverage in place in relation to equity and allows investors to evaluate future leverage capacity.
Debt-to-Total Capital Ratio ― long-term debt divided by the sum of total stockholders’ equity and long-term debt (often referred to as total capital resources). This ratio helps management measure the amount of financing leverage in place (long-term debt) in relation to total capital resources and allows investors to evaluate future leverage capacity.
Diluted adjusted earnings per common share ― is a non-GAAP measure, which is calculated as adjusted net income available to common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Direct Premiums Written (“DPW”) ― reflects the total value of policies issued during a period before considering premiums ceded to reinsurers. Direct premiums written, comprised of renewal premiums, endorsements, and new business, is initially recorded as unearned premium in the balance sheet, which is then earned pro-rata over the next year or remaining policy term. Direct premiums written reflect current trends in the Company’s sale of property and casualty insurance products and amounts that will be recognized as earned premiums in the future.
DPW (Florida) ― includes only DPW in the state of Florida. This measure allows management to analyze growth in our primary market and is also a measure of business concentration risk.
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Expense Ratio (Including Policy Acquisition Cost Ratio and Other Operating Cost Ratio) ― calculated as general and administrative expenses as a percentage of premiums earned, net. General and administrative expenses are comprised of policy acquisition costs and other operating costs, which includes such items as underwriting costs, facilities, and corporate overhead. The expense ratio, including the sub-expense ratios of policy acquisition cost ratio and other operating cost ratio, are indicators to management of the Company’s cost efficiency in acquiring and servicing its business and the impact of expense items to overall profitability.
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expense Ratio or Loss and LAE Ratio ― a measure of the cost of claims and claim settlement expenses incurred in a reporting period as a percentage of premiums earned in that same reporting period. Losses and LAE incurred in a reporting period includes both amounts related to the current accident year and prior accident years, if any, referred to as development. Ultimate losses and LAE are based on actuarial estimates with changes in those estimates recognized in the period the estimates are revised. Losses and LAE consist of claim costs arising from claims occurring and settling in the current period, an estimate of claim costs for reported but unpaid claims, an estimate of unpaid claim costs for incurred-but-not-reported claims and an estimate of claim settlement expenses associated with reported and unreported claims which occurred during the reporting period. The loss and LAE ratio can be measured on a direct basis, which includes losses and LAE divided by direct earned premiums, or on a net basis, which includes losses and LAE divided by premiums earned, net (i.e., direct premium earned less ceded premium earned). The net loss and LAE ratio is a measure of underwriting profitability after giving consideration to the effect of reinsurance. Trends in the net loss and LAE ratio are an indication to management of current and future profitability.
Monthly Weighted Average Renewal Retention Rate ― measures the monthly average of policyholders that renew their policies over the period of a calendar year. This measure allows management to assess customer retention.
Premiums Earned, Net ― the pro-rata portion of current and previously written premiums that the Company recognizes as earned premium during the reporting period, net of ceded premium earned. Ceded premiums are premiums paid or payable by the Company for reinsurance protection. Written premiums are considered earned and are recognized pro-rata over the policy coverage period. Premiums earned, net is a measure that allows management to identify revenue trends.
Policies in Force ― represents the number of active policies with coverage in effect as of the end of the reporting period. The change in the number of policies in force is a growth measure and provides management with an indication of progress toward achieving strategic objectives. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Premium in Force ― is the amount of the annual direct premiums written previously recorded by the Company for policies which are still active as of the reporting date. This measure assists management in measuring the level of insured exposure and progress toward meeting revenue goals for the current year, and provides an indication of business available for renewal in the next twelve months. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Return on Average Common Equity (“ROCE”) ― calculated as actual net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders divided by average common stockholders’ equity. ROCE is a capital profitability measure of how efficiently management creates profits.
Total Insured Value ― represents the amount of insurance limits available on a policy for a single loss based on all policies active as of the reporting date. This measure assists management in measuring the level of insured exposure.
Unearned Premiums ― represents the portion of direct premiums corresponding to the time period remaining on an insurance policy and available for future earning by the Company. Trends in unearned premiums generally indicate expansion, if growing, or contraction, if declining, which are important indicators to management. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Weather events ― an estimate of losses and LAE from weather events occurring during the current accident year that exceed initial estimates of expected weather events when establishing the expected loss ratio for each accident year. This metric informs management of factors impacting overall current year profitability.
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REINSURANCE
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events. Developing and implementing our reinsurance strategy to adequately protect our policyholders, balance sheet, and Insurance Entities in the event of one or more catastrophes while maintaining efficient reinsurance costs has been our key strategic priority. To limit the Insurance Entities’ potential exposure to catastrophic events, we purchase significant reinsurance from third-party reinsurers and the FHCF. The FLOIR requires the Insurance Entities, like all residential property insurance companies doing business in Florida, to have a certain amount of capital and reinsurance coverage to cover losses upon the occurrence of a single catastrophic event and a series of catastrophic events occurring in the same hurricane season. The Insurance Entities’ 2024-2025 catastrophic reinsurance program meets the FLOIR’s requirements, which are based on, among other things, successfully demonstrating cohesive and comprehensive reinsurance coverages that protect the policyholders of our Insurance Entities under a series of stress test catastrophe loss scenarios. Similarly, the Insurance Entities’ 2024-2025 catastrophic reinsurance program meets the stress test and review requirements of Demotech, Inc., for maintaining Financial Stability Ratings® of “A” (Exceptional) and of Kroll for maintaining insurer financial strength rating of “A-”.
We believe the Insurance Entities’ retentions under the jointly shared reinsurance program are appropriate and structured to protect policyholders and the Insurance Entities’ capital structure. We test the sufficiency of the catastrophe reinsurance coverage by subjecting the Insurance Entities’ personal residential exposures to scenario testing using third-party catastrophe models. These models combine simulations of the natural occurrence patterns and characteristics of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other catastrophes with information on property values, construction types, and occupancy classes. These models’ outputs provide information concerning the potential for simulated large losses, which enables the Insurance Entities to limit the financial impact from catastrophic events. Refer to the risk factors disclosed in “Part I, Item 1A—Risk Factors,” set forth elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K, for details of specific risks attributable to catastrophic losses and reinsurance.
Effective June 1, 2024, the Insurance Entities entered into multiple reinsurance agreements comprising our 2024-2025 reinsurance program. See “Item 1—Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
Insurance Entities 2024-2025 All States Reinsurance Program (“All States”)
•First event All States combined retention of $45 million.
•All States first event tower extends to $2.416 billion with no co-participation in any of the layers, no limitation on loss adjustment expenses and no accelerated deposit premiums.
•Assuming a first event completely exhausts the $2.416 billion tower, the second event exhaustion point would be $1.134 billion.
•Full reinstatement is available on the combined $1.023 billion of the All States first-event catastrophe coverage for a guaranteed second-event coverage. For all layers purchased between $111.0 million and the projected attachment point of the FHCF layer, to the extent that all of our coverage or a portion thereof is exhausted in a first catastrophic event and reinstatement premium is due, we have purchased enough reinstatement premium protection coverage (“RPP”) to fund the reinstatement premiums due on the reinstatement of these coverages. Losses exceeding the RPP limit would be subject to reinstatement premiums.
•Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (“UIH”) established the first event layer of 100% of $66.0 million in excess of $45 million in a captive insurance arrangement. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 18 (Variable Interest Entities).”
•Additionally, a second event private market excess of loss coverage of $66.0 million in excess of $45 million succeeds the captive in the event of a loss from a second event, resulting in a $66 million reduction in retention on a consolidated basis for a second event.
•Specific third and fourth event private market excess of loss coverage of $86 million in excess of $25 million provides frequency protection for multiple events during the treaty period, an incremental $20 million reduction in retention for a third and fourth event.
•For the FHCF Reimbursement Contracts effective June 1, 2024, the Insurance Entities have continued the election at the 90% coverage level. We estimate the total mandatory FHCF coverage will provide approximately $1.262 billion of coverage for UPCIC, and $20.4 million for APPCIC which complements and inures to the benefit of the All States coverage secured from private market reinsurers and discussed above.
•To further insulate future years, the Insurance Entities have secured certain multi-year treaties, providing $240 million of capacity that extends portions of the catastrophe coverage to include the 2025-2026 treaty year.
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Reinsurers
The table below provides the A.M. Best and S&P financial strength ratings for each of the largest rated third-party reinsurers in the Insurance Entities’ 2024-2025 reinsurance program:
| Reinsurer | A.M. Best | S&P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (1) | N/A | N/A | ||
| Various Lloyd’s of London Syndicates | A+ | AA- | ||
| Munich Reinsurance America Inc. | A+ | AA | ||
| DaVinci Reinsurance Ltd. | A | A+ | ||
| Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. | A+ | A+ | ||
| Chubb Tempest Reinsurance Ltd. | A++ | AA | ||
| Markel Bermuda Ltd. | A | A | ||
| Everest Reinsurance Co. | A+ | A+ |
(1)No rating is available, because the fund is not rated.
The catastrophe reinsurance program for the Insurance Entities, covering the period of June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025, as described above, is projected to cost $676 million, prior to any potential reinstatement premiums due, and represents approximately 33.0% of projected direct premium earned for the 12-month treaty period.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA |
The following selected historical consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and “Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” set forth elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K. The historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected in any future period.
The following tables present historical selected consolidated financial data of Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries for the five years ended December 31, 2024 (in thousands, except per share data):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Statement of Income Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 2,069,692 | $ | 1,921,833 | $ | 1,845,786 | $ | 1,671,252 | $ | 1,517,479 | |||||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (69,887) | (46,704) | (86,085) | (74,634) | (121,856) | ||||||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,999,805 | 1,875,129 | 1,759,701 | 1,596,618 | 1,395,623 | ||||||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (626,732) | (623,193) | (631,075) | (561,155) | (472,060) | ||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,373,073 | 1,251,936 | 1,128,626 | 1,035,463 | 923,563 | ||||||||||||||
| Net investment income (1) | 59,148 | 48,449 | 25,785 | 12,535 | 20,393 | ||||||||||||||
| Other revenue (2) | 79,694 | 80,380 | 81,044 | 71,993 | 65,437 | ||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,520,536 | 1,391,582 | 1,222,658 | 1,121,851 | 1,072,770 | ||||||||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 1,087,366 | 992,636 | 938,399 | 779,205 | 758,810 | ||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 233,444 | 208,011 | 214,259 | 226,167 | 199,102 | ||||||||||||||
| Other operating costs | 108,639 | 96,055 | 90,638 | 87,428 | 90,532 | ||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 1,429,449 | 1,296,702 | 1,243,296 | 1,092,800 | 1,048,444 | ||||||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,476 | 6,531 | 6,609 | 638 | 95 | ||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) | 84,611 | 88,349 | (27,247) | 28,413 | 24,231 | ||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 25,683 | 21,526 | (4,990) | 8,006 | 5,126 | ||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 58,928 | $ | 66,823 | $ | (22,257) | $ | 20,407 | $ | 19,105 | |||||||||
| Per Share Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Basic earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 2.07 | $ | 2.24 | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 | |||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 2.01 | $ | 2.22 | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 |
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| Dividends declared per common share | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total invested assets | $ | 1,371,276 | $ | 1,160,784 | $ | 1,105,806 | $ | 1,093,680 | $ | 919,924 | |||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 259,441 | 397,306 | 388,706 | 250,508 | 167,156 | ||||||||||||||
| Total assets | 2,841,861 | 2,316,561 | 2,890,154 | 2,056,141 | 1,758,741 | ||||||||||||||
| Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses | 959,291 | 510,117 | 1,038,790 | 346,216 | 322,465 | ||||||||||||||
| Unearned premiums | 1,060,446 | 990,559 | 943,854 | 857,769 | 783,135 | ||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt (3) | 101,243 | 102,006 | 102,769 | 103,676 | 8,456 | ||||||||||||||
| Total liabilities | 2,468,611 | 1,975,264 | 2,602,258 | 1,626,439 | 1,309,479 | ||||||||||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | $ | 373,250 | $ | 341,297 | $ | 287,896 | $ | 429,702 | $ | 449,262 | |||||||||
| Shares outstanding end of period | 28,096 | 28,966 | 30,389 | 31,221 | 31,137 | ||||||||||||||
| Book value per share | $ | 13.28 | $ | 11.78 | $ | 9.47 | $ | 13.76 | $ | 14.43 | |||||||||
| Return on average common equity (ROCE) | 16.5 | % | 21.2 | % | (6.2) | % | 4.6 | % | 4.1 | % | |||||||||
| Selected Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Loss and loss adjustment expense ratio (4) | 79.2 | % | 79.3 | % | 83.2 | % | 75.3 | % | 82.1 | % | |||||||||
| General and administrative expense ratio (5) | 24.9 | % | 24.3 | % | 27.0 | % | 30.2 | % | 31.4 | % | |||||||||
| Combined Ratio (6) | 104.1 | % | 103.6 | % | 110.2 | % | 105.5 | % | 113.5 | % |
(1)Net investment income excludes net realized gains (losses) on sale of investments and net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments.
(2)Other revenue consists of commission revenue, policy fees, and other revenue.
(3)For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 long-term debt includes a private placement of $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Note due 2026. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
(4)The loss and loss adjustment expense ratio is calculated by dividing losses and loss adjustment expenses by premiums earned, net.
(5)The general and administrative expense ratio is calculated by dividing general and administrative expense by premiums earned, net.
(6)The combined ratio is the sum of the losses and loss adjustment expense ratio and the general and administrative expense ratio.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
2024 Financial and Business Highlights (comparisons are to 2023 unless otherwise specified)
•Management is continuing its efforts to prudently manage new business risk selection, improve risk exposure diversification and moderate new business growth rates, compared to prior years, while prior year rate increases are taking effect to improve profitability.
•Rate filings and inflation adjustments to policy insured values are increasing written and earned premiums as the new rates and property insured values take effect on policy renewals and new business, and earn prospectively over the policy period.
•Policies in force increased to 855,526 as of December 31, 2024, an increase of 45,594 policies, or 5.6%, compared to 809,932 policies in force as of December 31, 2023.
•Renewal retention rates have improved to 92.0% from 88.6% year over year as the pace of rate increases has slowed.
•Ceded premiums earned for 2024 were $626.7 million, $3.5 million or 0.6% higher than 2023. The increase is due to the higher cost of reinsurance from 3rd party reinsurers as well as the expiration of Florida’s RAP program, which served to reduce reinsurance premiums reported in periods prior to the reinsurance contract period (June to May). The higher reinsurance costs, effective June 1, 2024, impact financial ratios which are based on net earned premium.
•On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall in the Big Bend area of the Florida Gulf Coast, causing damage across several southeastern states. Net losses and LAE for Insurance Entities are estimated at $45.0 million after reinsurance recoveries. Consolidated net losses for Hurricane Helene are $111.0 million after including $66.0 million of losses from the Company’s captive reinsurance arrangement.
•On October 9, 2024, Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm, made landfall near Sarasota, primarily impacting our central and north Florida policyholders. This was the second event under our 2024-2025 reinsurance program. The retained losses for a second event were $45.0 million.
•UPCIC began operations in Wisconsin and issued its first policy in October 2024. UPCIC completed its withdrawal from the Hawaii market in 2024.
•Net investment income increased in 2024 to $59.1 million, an increase of $10.7 million or 22.1% compared to $48.4 million in 2023,
•The net combined ratio was 104.1% for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of 50 basis points compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.
•The Company continued to return shareholder value with quarterly dividends and share repurchases. In the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company repurchased 1,079,149 shares, at an average share price of $19.97, for a total of $21.5 million. As of December 31, 2024, $2.6 million remains available under the March 2026 Share Repurchase Program, which runs until March 11, 2026.
•Demotech reaffirmed its A rating for UPCIC and APPCIC on December 12, 2024.
•Kroll reaffirmed its A- rating for UPCIC and APPCIC on September 20, 2024.
•Egan-Jones reaffirmed its A rating for UIH on October 03, 2024.
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All comparisons for the year ended December 31, 2024 results of operations are to the corresponding prior year period (unless otherwise specified).
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $58.9 million, compared to $66.8 million in the previous year. Diluted earnings per share was $2.01 compared to $2.22 in 2023. Retained losses from Hurricanes Helene and Milton were $111.0 million and $45.0 million, respectively, affecting 2024 results compared to Hurricane Idalia's $45.0 million retained loss in 2023. Positive factors in 2024 included higher net premiums earned and investment income, offset by lower commission revenue and higher operating costs. Prior-year net loss reserve development was $29.1 million in 2024, compared to $110.6 million in 2023. Direct and net premiums earned grew by 6.6% and 9.7%, respectively, due to premium growth in 18 states and more policies in force in 16 states.
The net loss ratio was 79.2% in 2024 compared to 79.3% in 2023, with the combined ratio at 104.1% compared to 103.6% in 2023. Further details are available in the “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” section.
A detailed discussion of our operations follows the table below (in thousands, except per share data).
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| REVENUES | |||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 2,069,692 | $ | 1,921,833 | $ | 147,859 | 7.7 | % | |||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (69,887) | (46,704) | (23,183) | 49.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,999,805 | 1,875,129 | 124,676 | 6.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (626,732) | (623,193) | (3,539) | 0.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,373,073 | 1,251,936 | 121,137 | 9.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | 59,148 | 48,449 | 10,699 | 22.1 | % | ||||||||||
| Net realized gains (losses) on investments | (1,315) | (1,229) | (86) | 7.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | 9,936 | 12,046 | (2,110) | (17.5) | % | ||||||||||
| Commission revenue | 51,792 | 54,058 | (2,266) | (4.2) | % | ||||||||||
| Policy fees | 19,490 | 18,881 | 609 | 3.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Other revenue | 8,412 | 7,441 | 971 | 13.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,520,536 | 1,391,582 | 128,954 | 9.3 | % | ||||||||||
| OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 1,087,366 | 992,636 | 94,730 | 9.5 | % | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 342,083 | 304,066 | 38,017 | 12.5 | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,429,449 | 1,296,702 | 132,747 | 10.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,476 | 6,531 | (55) | (0.8) | % | ||||||||||
| INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT) | 84,611 | 88,349 | (3,738) | (4.2) | % | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 25,683 | 21,526 | 4,157 | 19.3 | % | ||||||||||
| NET INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 58,928 | $ | 66,823 | $ | (7,895) | (11.8) | % | |||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | 11,006 | 29,610 | (18,604) | (62.8) | % | ||||||||||
| COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 69,934 | $ | 96,433 | $ | (26,499) | (27.5) | % | |||||||
| DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE DATA: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 2.01 | $ | 2.22 | $ | (0.21) | (9.5) | % | |||||||
| Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding | 29,274 | 30,147 | (873) | (2.9) | % |
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Premium Revenues
Direct premiums written increased by $147.9 million, or 7.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, driven by premium growth within our Florida business of $33.2 million, or 2.1%, and premium growth in our other states business of $114.6 million, or 32.1%, as compared to the prior year. The primary factors contributing to the increase in written premiums were new and previous rate changes earned in during 2024, increased policies in force during 2024 and policy inflation adjustments. There was an increase in policies in force across 16 states. In total, policies in force increased 45,594, or 5.6%, from 809,932 at December 31, 2023 to 855,526 at December 31, 2024. A summary of the recent rate adjustments driving changes in written premiums is discussed above under “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
Rate changes are applied on new business submissions at policy inception and on renewals from the effective date of their renewal, and then are earned subsequently over the policy period. Rate changes that are implemented are in response to trends in claim costs driven by changes in costs of material and labor associated with claims, the cost of weather events, the cost of catastrophe and other reinsurance protecting policyholders and the legacy effect of the cost to settle litigated claims in Florida. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends and Summary of Recent Rate Changes.” Due to the time associated with analyzing data, preparing and submitting rate filings, implementing new rate levels and earning the corresponding premiums, the Insurance Entities’ rate adjustments typically lag their experience by months or even years. The Insurance Entities’ policies also adjust coverage limits at renewal to account for inflation since the last renewal which is based on third-party industry data sources that monitor inflation factors.
The Insurance Entities manage their business by controlling changes in policy counts, premiums, insured value, and factors affecting the purchase of reinsurance. Policy rates are monitored and adjusted as needed and new business underwriting rules are reviewed and updated as needed in the states where we underwrite. Policy retention is also an important factor and impacts the level of new business written. This year we saw an increase in policies in force of 45,594, or 5.6%, an increase of $144.7 million or 7.5% in premiums in force and an increase of $35.1 billion or 10.8% in total insured value. See “Overview— Summary of Recent Rate Changes and Geographic Distribution”. Direct premiums written continue to increase across the majority of states in which we conduct business. We have policies in force in 19 states on December 31, 2024. In 2024 UPCIC wrote its first policy in Wisconsin. In addition, we are authorized to do business in Tennessee and are in the process of submitting our rate filing. In 2023, UPCIC received approval from its regulators in Hawaii to withdraw from the state and non-renew all policies in Hawaii. At December 31, 2024, no policies are in force in Hawaii, and UPCIC is in the process of completing its remaining administrative tasks to finalize its withdrawal from the state.
Direct premium earned increased by $124.7 million, or 6.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2024. This change is attributed to the recognition of premiums written over the preceding twelve months, incorporating the effects of implemented rate filings and policy premium adjustments prompted by inflation-induced changes in insured values. See the discussion above for the “—Overview—Summary of Recent Rate Changes.”
Reinsurance
Reinsurance allows our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events and other covered events. Each year, the Insurance Entities enter into contracts with various third-party reinsurers and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) to obtain necessary reinsurance protection. Refer to “Item 7— Management’s Discussion and Analysis— Reinsurance” for further details. Reinsurance costs associated with each year’s reinsurance program are earned over the annual policy period, typically from June 1st to May 31st. Specific reinsurance policies require reinstatement premiums based on contractual triggering events. Ceded reinsurance premiums and ceded reinstatement premiums (collectively “ceded premiums”) are recognized over the coverage period of the underlying contract. Ceded premiums represent amounts payable to reinsurers for reinsurance protection, and reduce both written and earned premiums. In 2024, reinstatement premiums for prior and current hurricanes were recorded, totaling $22.7 million compared to $2.2 million in 2023. Overall, ceded premium earned increased by $3.5 million, or 0.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the previous year. As a percentage of direct earned premiums, ceded earned premiums declined to 31.3% in 2024 from 33.2% in 2023. See the discussion above for the Insurance Entities’ 2024-2025 reinsurance programs and “Part II—Item 8— Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
Investment Results
Net investment income was $59.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $48.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $10.7 million, or 22.1%. Net investment income increased as a result of deploying excess cash and liquidity from maturities, principal repayments, sales, and interest payments received into higher yields throughout the year.
We look to optimize our investment portfolio on a rolling basis, which, from time-to-time, results in portfolio shaping opportunities. During the year ended December 31, 2024, sales of available-for-sale debt securities and sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized loss of $1.3 million, compared to a net loss of $1.2 million from our equity securities in the prior year. The turnover was driven in part by locking in longer duration yield where attractive as the Federal Reserve reduced rates throughout 2024, despite market yields reversing course and increasing in the fourth quarter of 2024 due to macro and geopolitical uncertainty.
There was a $9.9 million net unrealized gain on investments during the year ended December 31, 2024, largely driven by portfolio optimization efforts in the private and public equity markets, coupled with the overall domestic equity market appreciation tailwind during 2024, compared to a $12.0 million net unrealized gain on investments for the year ended
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December 31, 2023. See “—Analysis of Financial Condition” for details on changes in total invested assets balances during 2024.
Commissions, Policy Fees and Other Revenue
Commission revenue is primarily derived from brokerage commissions earned from traditional open-market third-party reinsurers, excluding reinsurance provided by the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF). This revenue is recognized on a pro-rata basis over the reinsurance policy period which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. For the year ended December 31, 2024, commission revenue amounted to $51.8 million, compared to $54.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The $2.3 million decrease in commission revenue, or 4.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily due to the impact of Florida’s Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders (RAP) program, which reduced reinsurance brokerage commissions expiring in 2024. Additionally, there were higher levels of commissions earned from the previous year’s reinsurance program expiring in 2023.
Policy fees for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $19.5 million compared to $18.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase of $0.6 million, or 3.2%, was the result of an increase in the combined total number of new and renewal policies written during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023 in states in which we are permitted to charge this fee.
Other revenue, representing revenue from policy installment fees, premium financing, and other miscellaneous income, was $8.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $7.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
Net losses and LAE, after reinsurance recoveries and subrogation recoveries, were $1.09 billion with a 79.2% net loss ratio for 2024, compared to $992.6 million, and 79.3% net loss ratio for the prior year. The increase in the net losses for the year ended December 31, 2024 was mainly due to the impact from Hurricanes Helene and Milton offset by lower year-to-date unfavorable prior year development. .
On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend area of the Florida Gulf Coast and continued northward, resulting in hurricane damage across several states in the Southeast region. After estimated reinsurance recoveries, net losses and LAE exposure to the Insurance Entities are estimated at $45.0 million. The Insurance Entities’ reinsurance recoveries include losses and LAE recoveries of $66.0 million from UVE’s pre-funded captive insurance arrangement. On October 9, 2024 Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key Florida as a category 3 hurricane. The retention on this storm was $45.0 million. In total, net losses from Hurricane Helene and Milton, including losses and LAE incurred under the funded captive insurance arrangement, were $156.0 million. Our 2024-2025 reinsurance program provides the Insurance Entities with adequate protection beyond our retention limit. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company incurred $45.6 million in losses from Hurricane Idalia.
We believe the legislation passed in late 2022 represents a positive step towards reducing claim costs in Florida and management is optimistic about its eventual benefits. The Company is beginning to realize some of those benefits in 2024 for policies fully subject to this legislation. However, the full transition to these new laws will take several years. Many of the reforms apply only to policies written or renewed after the effective date of the legislation and provide marginal benefit for claims filed on policies issued prior to the new laws’ effective date. As for prior policy periods, with respect to some aspects of the reforms, insurers must continue to adjust claims under the prior laws that were subject to abuse while awaiting the expiration of claim reporting periods and statute of limitations periods applicable to those policies. Therefore, it will be several years until the abusive claim practices permitted under the prior laws are fully extinguished and the full benefit of the legislation can be realized.
Unfavorable prior-year development occurs when claims are settled for amounts higher than previously estimated or when the liabilities for prior-year claims increase. This is due to rising claims costs, inflation, and increased costs associated with litigated claims. Refer to “—Overview—Florida Trends” above for more details. During the year ended December 31, 2024, net prior year development was $29.1 million, compared to unfavorable prior year development of $110.6 million for 2023. We continue to see favorable claim trends on Florida losses that occurred after the effective date of the Florida reform legislation (December 16, 2022). However, claims under policies that pre-date the reforms have greater uncertainty. As such, those claims in the aggregate may potentially experience adverse development, as claims settlements vary from previously estimated amounts.
Net losses and LAE for the current accident year, excluding hurricanes and prior year development were $902.3 million for 2024, compared to $836.4 million in 2023.
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Consolidated net losses and LAE also reflect the net results from activities performed by the adjusting company within our holding company system. These activities can provide potential savings when adjusting claims on behalf of our Insurance Entities and our reinsurers. When claims are adjusted by our claims team and files are handled by our legal group in this litigious environment in Florida, synergies are achieved by having these two functions within the same consolidated group that could not be achieved through third parties. This synergistic relationship results in more efficient handling and coordination of claims, including represented claims handled by our legal group. By choosing not to outsource these activities in most instances, we also save money for the consolidated group by generating a potential financial benefit outside of the Insurance Entities that reduces LAE at the consolidated level (contra LAE), particularly following catastrophes. During the year ended December 31, 2024, claims-related activities resulted in a financial benefit of $19.7 million, compared to a financial benefit of $50.4 million in the previous year. Alder's profits often lag as claims from hurricanes are settled and billed. The profits from 2023 were due to the settlement of Hurricane Ian claims, which occurred in 2022. In 2024, claims and billing for Hurricane Helene and Milton are still ongoing.
General and Administrative Expenses
For the year ended December 31, 2024, general and administrative expenses were $342.1 million, compared to $304.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2023, as follows (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Ratio | $ | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | $ | 1,373,073 | $ | 1,251,936 | $ | 121,137 | 9.7 | % | |||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 233,444 | 17.0 | % | 208,011 | 16.6 | % | 25,433 | 12.2 | % | ||||||||||||
| Other operating costs | 108,639 | 7.9 | % | 96,055 | 7.7 | % | 12,584 | 13.1 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 342,083 | 24.9 | % | $ | 304,066 | 24.3 | % | $ | 38,017 | 12.5 | % |
For the year ended December 31, 2024 general and administrative expenses increased by $38.0 million, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, which was the result of an increase in policy acquisition costs of $25.4 million and an increase in other operating costs of $12.6 million. The total general and administrative expense ratio was 24.9% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 24.3% for the year ended December 31, 2023.
•The policy acquisition costs increased by $25.4 million due to higher commissions resulting from a 7.7% increase in direct written premiums compared to the previous year, as well as more writings outside of Florida which incur higher commissions. Additionally, the lower level of reinsurance commissions and an increased level of agent bonus commissions impacted 2024.
•The increase in other operating costs of $12.6 million was largely driven by employee related expenses including stock based compensation, and employee benefits. The other operating cost ratio was 7.9% for the year ended year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 7.7% for the year ended December 31, 2023.
As a result of the trends discussed above for losses and LAE and general and administrative expenses, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 104.1% compared to 103.6% for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Interest and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs
Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs were $6.5 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense was $25.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to an income tax expense of $21.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Our effective tax rate (“ETR”) increased to 30.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to 24.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 12 (Income Taxes)” for a table of items reconciling statutory rates to the effective rate for years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Other comprehensive income, net of taxes for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $11.0 million compared to other comprehensive income of $29.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting after-tax changes in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities held in our investment portfolio and reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income for available-for-sale debt securities sold. This years results reflects favorable shifts in market prices during 2024 compared to 2023. During 2024, maturing securities and investment returns were reinvested at market rates, reducing
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unrealized losses on maturing securities. The maturity of the remaining securities in an unrealized loss position has also reduced during the year. Over time, unrealized losses on securities in an unrealized loss position lessen as the remaining maturity shortens and securities approach their maturity or par value. See the discussion above and “Part II—Item 8—Note 14 (Other Comprehensive Income (Loss))” for additional information about the amounts comprising other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes for these periods and “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments)” for explanations on changes in investments.
Non-GAAP
Core revenue, representing total GAAP revenue, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, was $1.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $1.4 billion for the the year ended December 31, 2023.
Adjusted operating income (loss) represents GAAP operating income (loss), excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments. Adjusted operating income was $82.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to adjusted operating income of $84.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Adjusted operating income (loss) margin represents adjusted operating income (loss) divided by core revenue. Adjusted operating income margin was 5.5% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to adjusted operating income margin of 6.1% for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders represents GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net of tax. Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders was $52.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders of $58.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Diluted adjusted earnings (loss) per common share represents adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Diluted adjusted income per common share was $1.79 for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to diluted adjusted income per share of $1.95 for the year ended December 31, 2023.
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YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022
Net income was $66.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a net loss of $22.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Benefiting the year ended December 31, 2023 were increases in premiums earned, net, an increase in net investment income, the change in unrealized gains in the current year compared to unrealized losses in the prior year, offset by an increase in losses and loss adjustment expenses, net. In 2023, direct premium earned and premiums earned, net were up 6.6% and 10.9%, respectively compared to direct premium earned and premiums earned in 2022, due to premium growth in the majority of states in which we are licensed and writing during the past 12 months as a result of rate increases implemented during 2022 and 2023, in addition to an increase in policies in force in 11 states. Premiums earned, net, were favorably impacted by a decrease in reinsurance expenses for the 2023-2024 contract year primarily due to the Insurance Entities’ mandatory participation in Florida’s RAP program, which allowed insurers to access a layer of reinsurance coverage below the FHCF industry retention at no cost to the insurers. The lower reinsurance costs, effective June 1, 2023, have a favorable effect on financial ratios which are based on net earned premium. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the loss ratio declined to 79.3% from 83.2% in 2022 due to the absence of major hurricane events in 2023 when compared to Hurricane Ian in 2022, offset by higher prior year development in 2023. See 2023 Reinsurance Ratio Benefit noted below. As a result of the above and as further explained below, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 103.6% compared to 110.2% for the year ended December 31, 2022. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” regarding our response to the Florida market.
A detailed discussion of our results of operations follows the table below (in thousands, except per share data).
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| REVENUES | |||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 1,921,833 | $ | 1,845,786 | $ | 76,047 | 4.1 | % | |||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (46,704) | (86,085) | 39,381 | (45.7) | % | ||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,875,129 | 1,759,701 | 115,428 | 6.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (623,193) | (631,075) | 7,882 | (1.2) | % | ||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,251,936 | 1,128,626 | 123,310 | 10.9 | % | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | 48,449 | 25,785 | 22,664 | 87.9 | % | ||||||||||
| Net realized gains (losses) on investments | (1,229) | 348 | (1,577) | NM | |||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | 12,046 | (13,145) | 25,191 | NM | |||||||||||
| Commission revenue | 54,058 | 53,168 | 890 | 1.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Policy fees | 18,881 | 20,182 | (1,301) | (6.4) | % | ||||||||||
| Other revenue | 7,441 | 7,694 | (253) | (3.3) | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,391,582 | 1,222,658 | 168,924 | 13.8 | % | ||||||||||
| OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 992,636 | 938,399 | 54,237 | 5.8 | % | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 304,066 | 304,897 | (831) | (0.3) | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,296,702 | 1,243,296 | 53,406 | 4.3 | % | ||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,531 | 6,609 | (78) | (1.2) | % | ||||||||||
| INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT) | 88,349 | (27,247) | 115,596 | NM | |||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 21,526 | (4,990) | 26,516 | NM | |||||||||||
| NET INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 66,823 | $ | (22,257) | $ | 89,080 | NM | ||||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | 29,610 | (88,214) | 117,824 | NM | |||||||||||
| COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 96,433 | $ | (110,471) | $ | 206,904 | NM | ||||||||
| DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE DATA: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings per common share | $ | 2.22 | $ | (0.72) | $ | 2.94 | NM | ||||||||
| Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding | 30,147 | 30,751 | (604) | (2.0) | % | ||||||||||
| NM - Not Meaningful |
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Revenues
Direct premiums written increased by $76.0 million, or 4.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, driven by premium growth within our Florida business of $27.1 million, or 1.8%, and premium growth in our other states business of $49.0 million, or 15.9%, as compared to the prior year. Rate increases approved in 2022 and 2023 for Florida and for certain other states and policy inflation adjustments were the principal driver of higher written premiums, in addition to an increase in policies in force in 11 other states. In total, policies in force declined 38,924, or 4.6%, from 848,856 at December 31, 2022 to 809,932 at December 31, 2023. A summary of the recent rate increases which are driving increases in written premium is discussed above under “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
Rate changes are applied on new business submissions and renewals from the effective date of their renewal, and then are earned subsequently over the policy period. The recent rate and inflation increases in Florida are in response to rising claim costs driven by higher costs of material and labor associated with claims, the cost of weather events, the rising cost of catastrophe and other reinsurance protecting policyholders and, more importantly, the impact of an increased cost and use of litigation by policyholders on claims as claim settlements increasingly have involved inflated demands, representation, and litigation. In addition, the Insurance Entities’ policies provide for coverage limits to be adjusted at renewal to adjust insured value coverage limits for the impact of changes in inflation. This is based on third-party industry data sources that monitor inflation factors such as changes in costs for residential building materials and labor.
During 2023, management continued efforts to tactically manage policy counts and exposures intended to slow the growth of exposures relating to new business compared to prior years while filed rate increases are taking effect. The impact of policy reductions through attrition attributable to selective underwriting, together with selected policy non-renewals, have resulted in a decrease in policies in force of 38,924, or 4.6%, during 2023 from 848,856 at December 31, 2022 to 809,932 at December 31, 2023. Direct premiums written continue to increase across the majority of states in which we conduct business. As a result of our business strategy, rate changes and disciplined underwriting initiatives, we have seen an overall decrease in policies in force in the aggregate, but an increase in premium in force, and an increase in total insured value in a majority of states for the past two years. We actively wrote policies in 18 states during 2023 and 19 states during 2022. In addition, we are authorized to do business in Tennessee and Wisconsin. In 2023, UPCIC filed with its regulators in Hawaii to withdraw from the state, with the withdrawal and nonrenewal of policies expected to be completed within the next year. At December 31, 2023, policies in force decreased by 38,924 policies, or 4.6%, premium in force increased $78.0 million, or 4.2%, and total insured value increased $1.2 billion, or 0.4%, compared to December 31, 2022.
Direct premium earned increased by $115.4 million, or 6.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting the earning of premiums written over the past 12 months, including the benefit of rate changes due to primary rate filings, filings to cover increased reinsurance costs as well as policy premium adjustments due to increases in insured values caused by inflation.
Reinsurance
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events and other covered events. Ceded premium represents premiums paid to reinsurers for this protection and is a cost which reduces net written and net earned premiums. Hurricane Ian triggered reinstatement premiums, increasing ceded premiums written by $24.6 million which were earned prospectively effective September 28, 2022 to May 31, 2023, increasing ceded premiums earned for the year ended December 31, 2023 by $15.0 million, in addition to $2.2 million of reinstatement premiums in December 2023 which were also attributable to Hurricane Ian, and which were earned immediately. In total, ceded premium earned decreased $7.9 million, or 1.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the same period of the prior year. The decrease in reinsurance cost reflects several factors, including the Insurance Entities’ mandatory participation in the RAP program for the 2023/2024 reinsurance program, which allowed insurers to access a layer of reinsurance coverage that is below the FHCF industry retention at no cost to the insurer. In exchange, the Insurance Entities adopted a 1.4% one-year rate reduction. Also benefiting the year were lower reinstatement premiums in the second half of the year. Reinsurance costs, as a percentage of direct premium earned, decreased from 35.9% in 2022 to 33.2% in 2023. Reinsurance costs associated with each year’s reinsurance program are earned over the annual policy period which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st. See the discussion above for the Insurance Entities’ 2022-2023 reinsurance programs and “Part II—Item 8— Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
2023 Reinsurance Ratio Benefit
Costs for the 2023 reinsurance was lower than 2022 because of Florida’s RAP program in the 2023-2024 reinsurance program. This is a one time, no cost reinsurance benefit to the Insurance Entities which in exchange provided a rate decrease to policyholders of approximately 1.4%. The lower reinsurance costs, effective June 1 2023, have a favorable effect on financial ratios which are based on net earned premium.
Premiums earned, net of ceded premium earned, grew by 10.9%, or $123.3 million, to $1.25 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting an increase in direct premium earned and decreased costs for reinsurance.
Investment Results
Net investment income was $48.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $25.8 million for the same period in 2022, an increase of $22.7 million, or 87.9%. Invested cash balances along with liquidity generated by our investment portfolio from maturities, principal repayments, and interest payments received were invested in higher rates, resulting in an increase in investment returns on our portfolio and cash balances.
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We look to optimize our investment portfolio on a rolling basis, which, from time-to-time, results in portfolio shaping opportunities. During the year ended December 31, 2023, sales of available-for-sale debt securities and sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized loss of $1.2 million.
There was a $12.0 million net unrealized gain on investments during the year ended December 31, 2023, largely driven by our portfolio optimization efforts in the private and public equity markets, coupled with the overall domestic equity market appreciation tailwind during 2023, compared to a $13.1 million net unrealized loss on investments during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Total invested assets were $1.16 billion as of December 31, 2023 compared to $1.1 billion as of December 31, 2022. The increase is primarily attributable to unrealized gains on our fixed income and equity portfolio, and increases in net investment income. Cash and cash equivalents were $397.3 million at December 31, 2023 compared to $388.7 million at December 31, 2022, an increase of 2.2%. See below “—Analysis of Financial Condition” for more information. Cash and cash equivalents are invested short-term until needed to settle loss and LAE payments, reinsurance premium payments, and operating cash needs or until they are deployed by our investment advisors.
Commissions, Policy Fees and Other Revenue
Commission revenue is comprised principally of brokerage commissions we earn from traditional open market third-party reinsurers, which excludes reinsurance provided by the State of Florida as well as catastrophe bond participants. Commission revenue is earned pro-rata over the reinsurance policy period which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. For the year ended December 31, 2023, commission revenue was $54.1 million, compared to $53.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in commission revenue of $0.9 million, or 1.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to reinstatement premiums attributable to Hurricane Ian which were earned through May 31, 2023, or the conclusion of the 2022-2023 reinsurance contract period.
Policy fees for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $18.9 million compared to $20.2 million for the same period in 2022. The decrease of $1.3 million, or 6.4%, was the result of a decrease in the combined total number of new and renewal policies written during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 in states where we are permitted to charge this fee.
Other revenue, representing revenue from policy installment fees, premium financing, and other miscellaneous income, was $7.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $7.7 million for the same period in 2022.
Non-GAAP
Core revenue, representing total GAAP revenue, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, was $1.38 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $1.24 billion for the same period in 2022.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
Losses and LAE experience over the past several years including both 2023 and 2022, reflects an adverse litigation environment and other market conditions in Florida that the Florida Legislature has been attempting to address with the passage of legislation spanning several years with the most significant changes made during a special session held in December 2022.
Losses and LAE, net of reinsurance recoveries was $992.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, resulting in a net loss ratio of 79.3%, compared to $938.4 million, and 83.2%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the decline in loss ratio was primarily due to the absence of major hurricane events in 2023, in contrast to 2022 which saw Hurricane Ian make landfall on Florida’s gulf coast, offset by higher prior year development in 2023. See 2023 Reinsurance Ratio Benefit noted above.
Prior year development includes changes in previous estimates for unpaid Losses and LAE for all events occurring in prior years including hurricanes, other weather, and non-weather claims affected by pre-reform market conditions in Florida as well as changes in prior estimates resulting from the evaluation of claims in anticipation of the commutation of Hurricane Irma losses with the FHCF. In recent years, we have strengthened reserves as a result of adverse development due to Florida homeowners, tenants and condo owners coverages arising from non-weather and weather events. Similar to other carriers operating in the Florida homeowners marketplace, we have experienced deterioration in water and hurricane claims due to an unfavorable claims environment characterized by increases in policyholder demands related to roof repairs and significant attorney representation. In 2023, adverse development was due to represented and litigated claims, and Florida weather claims for accident years 2017 and later. One of management’s objectives in 2023 was to strengthen reserves on those prior period claims which do not benefit from the new legislation signed in late 2022 that eliminated the one-way attorneys’ fee statute and assignments of benefits and made other reforms intended to improve the Florida market. Prior year development was $110.6 million, or 8.8 net loss ratio points for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $25.0 million for 2022, or 2.2 net loss ratio points. We continue to see adverse claim trends on Florida losses which occurred prior to the effective date of recent legislation (December 16, 2022) introduced in Florida, which was intended to curtail the impact of certain abusive claims
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We believe the legislation passed in late 2022 represents a positive step towards reducing claim costs in Florida and management is optimistic about its eventual benefits. However, the full transition to these new laws will take many years. Many of the reforms apply only prospectively and provide only marginal benefit for claims filed prior to the new laws’ effective date. The transition to the new laws therefore involves first renewing policies during the year following the effective date, such that the policies, and subsequent claims under those policies, are governed by the new requirements. As for prior policy periods, insurers must continue to adjust claims under the prior laws that were subject to abuse while awaiting the expiration of claim reporting periods and statute of limitations periods applicable to those policies. Therefore, it will be several years until the abusive claim practices permitted under the prior laws, including those resulting from requiring insurance companies to pay claimants’ litigation costs, are fully extinguished and the full benefit of the new legislation can be realized. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
Excluding prior year development recorded in 2023, for prior accident years, all other losses and LAE, net for the current accident year are estimated to be $882.1 million or 70.5 net loss ratio points for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $802.4 million, or 71.1 net loss ratio points in 2022. See 2023 ratio benefit noted above. This category also reflects savings from activities performed by affiliates within our holding company system on behalf of our Insurance Entities and our reinsurers when losses and LAE are ceded under our reinsurance contracts. When claims are adjusted by our claims team and files handled by our legal group in this litigious environment in Florida, there are synergies achieved by having these two functions within the same consolidated group that could not be achieved through third parties. This synergistic relationship results in more efficient handling and coordination of claims including represented claims handled by our legal group of close to 500 employees. By choosing not to outsource these activities, we also save money for the consolidated group by generating a potential financial benefit outside of the Insurance Entities that serves to reduce LAE at the consolidated level (contra LAE). During 2023 these claims related activities generated a financial benefit of $50.4 million compared to $62.4 million during 2022.
General and Administrative Expenses
For the year ended December 31, 2023, general and administrative expenses were $304.1 million, compared to $304.9 million during the same period in 2022, as follows (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Ratio | $ | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | $ | 1,251,936 | $ | 1,128,626 | $ | 123,310 | 10.9 | % | |||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 208,011 | 16.6 | % | 214,259 | 19.0 | % | (6,248) | (2.9) | % | ||||||||||||
| Other operating costs | 96,055 | 7.7 | % | 90,638 | 8.0 | % | 5,417 | 6.0 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 304,066 | 24.3 | % | $ | 304,897 | 27.0 | % | $ | (831) | (0.3) | % |
General and administrative expenses decreased by $0.8 million, which was the result of decreases in policy acquisition costs of $6.2 million offset by an increase in other operating costs of $5.4 million. The total general and administrative expense ratio was 24.3% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to 27.0% for the year ended December 31, 2022.
•The decrease in policy acquisition costs of $6.2 million was primarily attributable to an increase in reinsurance profit commissions which were received as a result of commutations with reinsurers concluded during the year and lower total commissions expense for the year offset by slightly higher premium taxes.
•The increase in other operating costs of $5.4 million primarily reflects an increase in salaries, performance bonuses, and stock based compensation and an increase in other miscellaneous operating expenses. The other operating cost ratio was 7.7% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to 8.0% in the year ended December 31, 2022. This reduction primarily reflects the increase in premiums earned, net for the year.
As a result of the above, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 103.6% compared to 110.2% for the same period in 2022. The decrease was due to the absence of a hurricane in the current year compared to Hurricane Ian in 2022, in addition to an increase in premiums earned, net, offset by higher prior year development.
Interest and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs
Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $6.5 million compared to $6.6 million for the same period in 2022.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense was $21.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to income tax benefit of $5.0 million or the year ended December 31, 2022. Our effective tax rate (“ETR”) increased to 24.4% for the year ended December 31,
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2023, as compared to 18.3% for the year ended December 31, 2022. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 12 (Income Taxes)” for a table of items reconciling statutory rates to the effective rate for years 2023 and 2022.
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Other comprehensive income, net of taxes for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $29.6 million compared to other comprehensive loss of $88.2 million for the same period in 2022, reflecting after-tax changes in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities held in our investment portfolio and reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income for available-for-sale debt securities sold. The improvement in 2023 reflects investment actions and relative stability in market prices during 2023 compared to 2022. During 2023, maturing securities and investment returns were reinvested at market rates, reducing unrealized losses on maturing securities. The maturity of the remaining securities in an unrealized loss position has also reduced during the year. Over time, unrealized losses on securities in an unrealized loss position lessens as the remaining maturity shortens and securities approach their maturity or par value. See discussion above and “Part II—Item 8—Note 14 (Other Comprehensive Income (Loss))” for additional information about the amounts comprising other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes for these periods.
Non-GAAP
Adjusted operating income (loss) represents GAAP operating income (loss), excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments. Adjusted operating income was $84.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to adjusted operating income of $7.8 million for the same period in 2022.
Adjusted operating income (loss) margin represents adjusted operating income (loss) divided by core revenue. Adjusted operating income margin was 6.1% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to adjusted operating loss margin of 0.6% for the same period in 2022.
Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders represents GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net of tax. Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders was $58.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to adjusted net loss attributable to common stockholders of $12.6 million for the same period in 2022.
Diluted adjusted earnings (loss) per common share represents adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Diluted adjusted income per common share was $1.95 for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to diluted adjusted loss per common share of $0.41 for the same period in 2022.
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ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2024 COMPARED TO DECEMBER 31, 2023
We believe that the cash flows generated from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital requirements for at least the next twelve months. We invest amounts considered to be in excess of current working capital requirements.
The following table summarizes, by type, the carrying values of investments as of the dates presented (in thousands):
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Investment | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| Available-for-sale debt securities | $ | 1,269,079 | $ | 1,064,330 | |||
| Equity securities | 77,752 | 80,495 | |||||
| Other investments, at fair value | 16,123 | 10,434 | |||||
| Investment real estate, net | 8,322 | 5,525 | |||||
| Total | $ | 1,371,276 | $ | 1,160,784 |
Total invested assets were $1.37 billion as of December 31, 2024 compared to $1.16 billion as of December 31, 2023. The increase is primarily attributable to investment of excess cash into the portfolio, unrealized gains on our debt securities and equity portfolios, and increases in net investment income. Cash and cash equivalents were $259.4 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $397.3 million at December 31, 2023, a decrease of 34.7%. See below “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information. Cash and cash equivalents available for investment are invested short-term until needed to settle loss and LAE payments, reinsurance premium payments, and operating cash needs, or until they are deployed by our investment advisors.
See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” and “Item 8—Note 3 (Investments)” for explanations on changes in investments.
Prepaid reinsurance premiums represent the portion of unearned ceded written premium that will be earned pro-rata over the coverage period of our reinsurance program, which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. The increase of $26.5 million to $262.7 million as of December 31, 2024 was primarily due to increased reinsurance costs relating to the placement of our 2024-2025 catastrophe reinsurance program beginning on June 1, 2024, less amortization of ceded written premium for the reinsurance costs earned since the beginning of the new program. See “Part II— Item 7— “Reinsurance Program” regarding the Company’s reinsurance placement.
Reinsurance recoverable represents the estimated amount of paid and unpaid losses, LAE, and other expenses that are expected to be recovered from reinsurers. The increase of $408.5 million to $627.6 million as of December 31, 2024 was primarily due to ceded losses from Hurricanes Helene and Milton occurring in 2024, net of the settlement and collection of amounts recoverable from reinsurers relating to various other ceded events.
Premiums receivable, net represents amounts receivable from policyholders. The increase in premiums receivable, net of $0.9 million to $77.9 million as of December 31, 2024 is consistent with premium trends including seasonality and consumer payment behaviors.
Deferred policy acquisition costs (“DPAC”) increased by $11.2 million to $121.2 million as of December 31, 2024, and is consistent with written premium trends and changes in commissions paid to agents. See “Item 1—Note 5 (Insurance Operations)” for a roll-forward in the balance of our DPAC.
Income taxes payable/recoverable represents the amounts due to/from taxing jurisdictions within one year. An income tax payable arises when current income tax liabilities exceed tax payments, and an income tax recoverable occurs when tax payments exceed current income tax liabilities. As of December 31, 2024, the balance of income taxes payable was $6.6 million, compared to a balance payable of $5.9 million as of December 31, 2023.
Deferred income taxes represent the estimated tax asset or tax liability caused by temporary differences between the tax return basis of certain assets and liabilities and amounts recorded in the financial statements. During the year ended December 31, 2024, deferred income tax assets, net decreased by $1.0 million to $42.2 million, primarily due to a decrease in unrealized losses on investments. Deferred income taxes reverse in future years as the temporary differences between book and tax reverse.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for a roll-forward in the balance of our unpaid losses and LAE. Unpaid losses and LAE increased by $449.2 million to $959.3 million as of December 31, 2024. The majority of the increase in 2024 was a result of losses recorded in the third and fourth quarters of 2024 for Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Unpaid losses and LAE are net of estimated subrogation recoveries of $69.2 million as of December 31, 2024 compared to $144.1 million as of December 31, 2023.
Unearned premiums represent the portion of direct premiums written that will be earned pro-rata in the future. The increase of $69.9 million from December 31, 2023 to $1.06 billion as of December 31, 2024 reflects our increase in direct premiums written.
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Advance premium represents premium payments made by policyholders ahead of the effective date of the policies. The decrease of $2.4 million from December 31, 2023 to $46.2 million as of December 31, 2024 reflects customer payment behavior and the payment behavior of mortgage escrow service providers as well as premium trends.
We exclude net negative cash balances, if any, from cash and cash equivalents that we have with any single financial institution based on aggregating the book balance of all accounts at the institution which have the right of offset. If the aggregation results in a net negative book balance, that balance is reclassified from cash and cash equivalents in our Consolidated Balance Sheet to book overdraft. These amounts represent outstanding checks or drafts not yet presented to the financial institution in excess of amounts on deposit at the financial institutions. We maintain a short-term cash investment strategy sweep to maximize investment returns on cash balances. Funds from these sweep accounts are used to meet obligations under outstanding checks and drafts and transferred to the respective financial institutions upon presentment. There were no book overdrafts as of December 31, 2024, compared to $14.6 million as of December 31, 2023. The decrease of $14.6 million is the result of higher cash balances available for offset as of December 31, 2024 compared to December 31, 2023. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.
Reinsurance payable, net, represents the unpaid reinsurance premium installments owed to reinsurers, unpaid reinstatement premiums due to reinsurers, and cash advances received from reinsurers, if any. On June 1st of each year, we renew our core catastrophe reinsurance program and record the estimated annual cost of our reinsurance program. These estimated annual costs are increased or decreased during the year based on premium adjustments or as a result of new placements during the year. The annual cost initially increases reinsurance payable, which is then reduced as installment payments are made over the policy period of the reinsurance, which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st. The balance increased by $28.5 million to $220.3 million as of December 31, 2024 as a result of the renewal of the 2024-2025 reinsurance program effective June 1, 2024. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information about timing of reinsurance premium installment payments.
Other liabilities and accrued expenses decreased by $42.0 million to $48.6 million as of December 31, 2024, primarily driven by a decrease in amounts payable for securities resulting from trades executed that had not settled as of December 31, 2023.
See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information about the changes in additional paid-in capital during 2024.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity
Liquidity is a measure of a company’s ability to generate sufficient cash flows to meet its short- and long-term obligations. Funds generated from operations have been sufficient and we expect them to be sufficient to meet our current and long term liquidity requirements.
The balance of cash and cash equivalents, excluding restricted cash, as of December 31, 2024 was $259.4 million, compared to $397.3 million at December 31, 2023. See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” for a reconciliation of the balance of cash and cash equivalents between December 31, 2024 and 2023. This decrease is largely attributable to the investment of excess cash into long-term investments. Our cash investment strategy at times includes cash investments where the right of offset against other bank accounts does not exist. A book overdraft occurs when aggregating the book balance of all accounts at a financial institution for accounts which have the right of offset, and if the aggregation results in a net negative book balance, that balance is reclassified from cash and cash equivalents in our Consolidated Balance Sheet to book overdraft. Cash and cash equivalents balances are available to settle book overdrafts, and to pay reinsurance premiums, expenses and claims. Reinsurance premiums are paid in installments during the reinsurance policy period, which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. The FHCF reimbursement premiums are paid in three installments on August 1st, October 1st and December 1st, and third-party reinsurance premiums are generally paid in four installments on July 1st, October 1st, January 1st and April 1st, resulting in significant payments at those times. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)” and additional discussion below under the caption “—Material Cash Requirements” for more information.
During 2024, there were two significant hurricanes, Hurricane Helene and Milton, which exceeded the Company’s reinsurance attachment point. During 2023, there was one significant hurricane, Hurricane Idalia, which was below the Company’s reinsurance attachment point. The Company’s reinsurance program provides sufficient liquidity in the form of cash advances for paid losses ceded to the reinsurers in the case of weather events with losses above the Company’s reinsurance attachment point. See “—Results of Operations” for more information.
The balance of restricted cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 represents cash equivalents on deposit with certain regulatory agencies in the various states in which our Insurance Entities do business.
Liquidity is required at the holding company for us to cover the payment of holding company general operating expenses, provide for contingencies if needed, dividends to shareholders (if and when authorized and declared by our Board of Directors), payment for the possible repurchase of our common stock (if and when authorized by our Board of Directors), payment of our tax obligations to taxing authorities, settlement of taxes between subsidiaries in accordance with our tax sharing agreement, capital contributions to subsidiaries or surplus note contributions to the Insurance Entities, if needed, and interest and principal payments on outstanding debt obligations of the holding company. Effective in 2021 for UPCIC and 2022 for APPCIC, the holding company has put in place an ongoing surplus note arrangement with the Insurance Entities, which has been approved by the FLOIR as the Insurance Entities’ domestic regulator. Surplus notes are unsecured debt issued by the Insurance Entities that are subordinated to all claims by policyholders and creditors, with interest and principal payments on the surplus notes to the holding company being made only upon the FLOIR’s express approval. Surplus notes are considered bonds in function and
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payout structure, but are accounted for as equity in the statutory reporting of the Insurance Entities. The holding company has outstanding with the Insurance Entities $134.0 million in surplus notes and accrued interest as of December 31, 2024. Under the terms of the surplus notes, interest accrues at a variable rate which resets annually (currently 10.70% for 2024) on the outstanding surplus note balances and, if approved by the FLOIR, is payable annually to the holding company. The declaration and payment of future dividends to our shareholders, and any future repurchases of our common stock, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon many factors, including our operating results, financial condition, debt covenants and any regulatory constraints. New regulations or changes to existing regulations or their interpretations imposed on the Company and its affiliates may also impact the availability, amount and timing of future dividend payments to the parent. Principal sources of liquidity for the holding company include dividends paid by our service entities generated from income earned on fees paid by the Insurance Entities to affiliated companies for general agency, inspections and claims adjusting services. Dividends are also paid from income earned from brokerage commissions paid by third-party reinsurers earned on reinsurance contracts placed by our wholly-owned subsidiary, BARC and policy fees charged to policyholders. We also maintain high quality investments in our portfolio as a source of liquidity along with ongoing interest and dividend income from those investments. As discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations),” there are limitations on the dividends the Insurance Entities may pay to their immediate parent company, Protection Solutions, Inc. (“PSI,” formerly known as Universal Insurance Holding Company of Florida).
The maximum amount of dividends that can be paid by Florida insurance companies without prior approval of the FLOIR is subject to restrictions as referenced below and in “Part II—Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations).” Dividends from the Insurance Entities can only be paid from accumulated unassigned funds derived from net operating profits and net realized capital gains. Subject to such accumulated unassigned funds, the maximum dividend that may be paid by the Insurance Entities to PSI without prior approval (an “ordinary dividend”) is further limited to the lesser of statutory net income from operations of the preceding calendar year or statutory unassigned surplus as of the preceding year end. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 the Insurance Entities did not pay dividends to PSI. As of December 31, 2024, the Insurance Entities did not have the capacity to pay ordinary dividends.
On November 23, 2021, we issued $100.0 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026. We used the net proceeds to support the Insurance Entities’ statutory capital requirements and for general corporate purposes. If necessary, the Company also has amounts available under our unsecured revolving loan as discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
Liquidity for the Insurance Entities is primarily required to cover payments for reinsurance premiums, claims payments including potential payments of catastrophe losses (offset by recovery of any reimbursement amounts under our reinsurance agreements), fees paid to affiliates for managing general agency services, inspections and claims adjusting services, agent commissions, premium and income taxes, regulatory assessments, general operating expenses, and interest and principal payments on debt obligations. The principal source of liquidity for the Insurance Entities consists of the revenue generated from the collection of premiums earned, net, interest and dividend income from the investment portfolio, the collection of reinsurance recoverable and financing fees.
Our insurance operations provide liquidity as premiums are generally received months or even years before potential losses are paid under the policies written. In the event of catastrophic events, many of our reinsurance agreements provide for “cash advance” whereby reinsurers advance or prepay amounts to us, thereby providing liquidity, which we utilize in the claim settlement process. In addition, the Insurance Entities maintain substantial investments in highly liquid, marketable securities, which would generate funds upon sale. The average credit rating on our available-for-sale securities was A+ as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023. Credit ratings are a measure of collection risk on invested assets. Credit ratings are provided by third party nationally recognized rating agencies and are periodically updated. Management establishes guidelines for minimum credit rating and overall credit rating for all investments. The duration of our available-for-sale securities was 3.4 years as of December 31, 2024 compared to 3.7 years at December 31, 2023. Duration is a measure of a bond’s sensitivity to interest rate changes and is used by management to limit the potential impact of longer-term investments.
The Insurance Entities are responsible for losses related to catastrophic events in excess of coverage provided by the Insurance Entities’ reinsurance programs and retentions before our reinsurance protection commences. Also, the Insurance Entities are responsible for all other losses that otherwise may not be covered by the reinsurance programs and any amounts arising in the event of a reinsurer default. Losses or a default by reinsurers may have a material adverse effect on either of the Insurance Entities or on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments)” for more information.
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Capital Resources
Capital resources provide protection for policyholders, furnish the financial strength to support the business of underwriting insurance risks and facilitate continued business growth. The following table provides our stockholders’ equity, total long-term debt, total capital resources, debt-to-total capital ratio and debt-to-equity ratio as of the dates presented (dollars in thousands):
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Stockholders’ equity | $ | 373,250 | $ | 341,297 | |||
| Total long-term debt | 101,243 | 102,006 | |||||
| Total capital resources | $ | 474,493 | $ | 443,303 | |||
| Debt-to-total capital ratio | 21.3 | % | 23.0 | % | |||
| Debt-to-equity ratio | 27.1 | % | 29.9 | % |
Capital resources, net increased by $31.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, reflecting a net increase in total stockholders’ equity, partially offset by a decline in long-term debt. The change in stockholders’ equity was the result of our 2024 net income offset by treasury share purchases and dividends to shareholders. See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity” and “Part II—Item 8—Note 8 (Stockholders’ Equity)” for an explanation of changes in treasury stock. The reduction during 2024 in long-term debt was primarily the result of principal payments on long-term debt of $1.5 million offset by amortization of debt issuance costs of $0.7 million on our 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.
Additional paid-in-capital increased by $6.7 million primarily from increases in share-based compensation expense of $8.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. This was largely offset by common stock value acquired and cancelled through tax withholdings on the intrinsic value of restricted stock units vested for share-based payment transaction of $1.5 million and $0.5 million in connection with the settlement of certain restricted stock units.
The debt-to-total capital ratio is total long-term debt divided by total capital resources, whereas the debt-to-equity ratio is total long-term debt divided by stockholders’ equity. These ratios help management measure the amount of financing leverage in place in relation to equity and future leverage capacity.
Risk-Based Capital Requirements
The Insurance Entities are required annually to comply with the NAIC RBC requirements. RBC requirements prescribe a method of measuring the amount of capital appropriate for an insurance company to support its overall business operations in light of its size and risk profile. NAIC’s RBC requirements are used by regulators to determine appropriate regulatory actions relating to insurers who show signs of weak or deteriorating condition. As of December 31, 2024, based on calculations using the appropriate NAIC RBC formula, the Insurance Entities reported respective total adjusted capital in excess of the requirements. Failure by the Insurance Entities to maintain the required level of statutory capital and surplus could result in the suspension of their authority to write new or renewal business, other regulatory actions, or ultimately, in the revocation of their certificate of authority by the FLOIR.
Non-GAAP
Adjusted common stockholders’ equity, representing GAAP common stockholders’ equity, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), was $436.3 million as of December 31, 2024 and $415.4 million as of December 31, 2023.
Adjusted book value per common share, representing adjusted common stockholders’ equity divided by outstanding common shares at the end of the reporting period, was $15.53 as of December 31, 2024 and $14.34 as of December 31, 2023.
Adjusted return on common equity representing actual or annualized adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders divided by average adjusted common stockholders' equity, with the denominator excluding current period income statement after-tax net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net of tax, was 12.4% as of December 31, 2024 and 14.7% as of December 31, 2023.
Revolving Loan
As discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term Debt),” the Company entered into a committed and unsecured $50.0 million revolving credit line with JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. This agreement succeeded the previous $40.0 million revolving credit line with J.P. Morgan Chase, N.A. As of December 31, 2024, the Company has not borrowed any amount under this revolving loan. The Company must pay an annual commitment of 0.50% of the unused portion of the commitment. Borrowings mature on May 30, 2025, 364 days after the inception date and carries an interest rate of prime rate plus a margin of 2.00% on borrowings. The credit line is subject to annual renewals. The credit line contains customary financial and other covenants, with which the Company is in compliance.
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Long-term Debt
In November 2021, we issued and sold $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 (the “Notes”) to certain institutional accredited investors and qualified institutional buyers. The Notes mature on November 30, 2026, at which time the entire $100 million of principal is due and payable. At any time on or after November 30, 2023, the Company may redeem all or part of the Notes. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” for additional details. As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all applicable covenants.
We will also continue to evaluate opportunities to access the debt capital markets to raise additional capital. We anticipate any proceeds would be used for general corporate purposes, including investing in the capital and surplus of the Insurance Entities.
In addition to the funds liquidity generated from our operations, we maintain a prudent investment portfolio, mainly consisting of high-grade fixed income securities. Our primary goal is to safeguard capital and ensure sufficient liquidity for potential claims and other financial requirements. The portfolio also aims to achieve a comprehensive return, with a focus on investment income. Our operations have historically produced a steady flow of funds, contributing to the growth of our cash and investments. We have never needed to sell off investments to support our operations or finance activities.
In 2006, UPCIC entered into a $25.0 million surplus note with the State Board of Administration of Florida (the “SBA”) under Florida’s Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program (the “ICBUI”). The surplus note has a twenty-year term, with quarterly payments of interest based on the 10-year Constant Maturity Treasury Index. As of December 31, 2024, UPCIC’s net written premium to surplus ratio and gross written premium to surplus ratio were in excess of the required minimums and, therefore, UPCIC is not subject to increases in interest rates. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” for additional details. At December 31, 2024, UPCIC was in compliance with the terms of the surplus note and with each of the loan’s covenants as implemented by rules promulgated by the SBA. Total adjusted capital and surplus, which includes the surplus note, was in excess of regulatory requirements for both UPCIC and APPCIC.
Looking Forward
We continue to monitor a range of financial metrics related to our business. Although we have not experienced material adverse impacts on our business or liquidity, conditions are subject to change depending on the extent of the economic outcomes, and the pace and extent of an economic recovery. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” regarding our response to the Florida market.
Common Stock Repurchases
We may repurchase shares from time to time at our discretion, based on ongoing assessments of our capital needs, the market price of our common stock, and general market conditions. We will fund the share repurchase program with cash from operations. During 2024, there were two authorized repurchase plans in effect:
•On June 12, 2023, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $20.0 million of our common stock through June 10, 2025 (the “June 2025 Share Repurchase Program”) pursuant to which we repurchased 1,320,675 shares of our common stock at an aggregate cost of approximately $20.0 million. As of December 31, 2024, we have repurchased all authorized common stock under the June 2025 Share Repurchase Program.
•On March 11, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $20.0 million of our common stock through March 11, 2026 (the “March 2026 Share Repurchase Program”) pursuant to which we repurchased 871,427 shares of our common stock at an aggregate cost of approximately $17.4 million. As of December 31, 2024, we have the ability to purchase up to approximately $2.6 million of our common stock under the March 2026 Share Repurchase Program.
In total, during the year ended December 31, 2024, we repurchased an aggregate of 1,079,149 shares of our common stock in the open market at an aggregate purchase price of $21.5 million. Also see “Part II—Item 5—Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities—Registrant Purchases of Equity Securities” for share repurchase activity during the three months ended December 31, 2024.
Cash Dividends
The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid by the Company during the year ended December 31, 2024:
| Dividend | Shareholders | Dividend | Cash Dividend | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Declared Date | Record Date | Payable Date | Per Share Amount | |||||
| First Quarter | February 8, 2024 | March 8, 2024 | March 15, 2024 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Second Quarter | April 10, 2024 | May 10, 2024 | May 17, 2024 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Third Quarter | July 11, 2024 | August 2, 2024 | August 9, 2024 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Fourth Quarter | November 6, 2024 | December 6, 2024 | December 13, 2024 | $ | 0.29 |
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Reinsurance Recoverable
The following table provides total unpaid loss and LAE, net of related reinsurance recoverable for the dates presented (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Unpaid loss and LAE, net | $ | 28,115 | $ | 44,508 | |||
| IBNR loss and LAE, net | 369,240 | 282,174 | |||||
| Total unpaid loss and LAE, net | $ | 397,355 | $ | 326,682 | |||
| Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid loss and LAE | $ | 97,250 | $ | 49,250 | |||
| Reinsurance recoverable on IBNR loss and LAE | 464,686 | 134,185 | |||||
| Total reinsurance recoverable on unpaid loss and LAE | $ | 561,936 | $ | 183,435 |
Statutory Loss Ratios
Underwriting results of insurance companies are frequently measured by their combined ratios, which is the sum of the loss and expense ratios described in the following paragraph. However, investment income, federal income taxes and other non-underwriting income or expense are not reflected in the combined ratio. The profitability of property and casualty insurance companies depends on income from underwriting, investment and service operations. Underwriting results are considered profitable when the combined ratio is under 100% and unprofitable when the combined ratio is over 100%.
The following table provides the statutory loss ratios, expense ratios and combined ratios for the periods indicated for the Insurance Entities:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| Loss and LAE Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 78 | % | 86 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 60 | % | 58 | % | ||
| Expense Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 24 | % | 25 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 38 | % | 33 | % | ||
| Combined Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 102 | % | 111 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 98 | % | 91 | % |
(1)The ratios are net of ceded premiums and losses and LAE, including premiums ceded to our catastrophe reinsurers which comprise a significant cost, and losses and LAE ceded to reinsurers. The expense ratio includes management fees and commissions, which are based on market rates, paid to an affiliate of the Insurance Entities in the amount of $55.8 million and $86.8 million for UPCIC for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $2.8 million for APPCIC for each of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The management fees and commissions paid to the affiliate are eliminated in consolidation.
Ratings
The Insurance Entities’ financial strength and stability are rated by certain independent insurance rating agencies to measure the Insurance Entities’ ability to meet their financial obligations to its policyholders. For the Insurance Entities’ policies to be considered acceptable to the secondary mortgage market, the Insurance Entities must maintain a specified rating level with at least one independent insurance rating agency recognized by each of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) or alternatively must qualify for an exception to the rating requirement. The Insurance Entities currently maintain acceptable ratings from two rating agencies recognized by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
In 2024, Demotech, Inc. affirmed the Financial Stability Rating® of “A” for the Insurance Entities and Kroll affirmed its insurer financial strength ratings of “A-”. According to Demotech, Inc., the assigned rating represents a company’s continued positive surplus related to policyholders, liquidity of invested assets, an acceptable level of financial leverage, reasonable loss and LAE reserves, and realistic pricing. According to Kroll, its category of “A” ratings, inclusive of A+, A, and A- ratings, indicates an insurer’s financial condition is strong and it is very likely to meet its policy obligations under difficult economic,
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financial, and business conditions. The ratings of the Insurance Entities are subject to at least annual review by the respective rating agencies, and may be revised upward or downward or revoked at the sole discretion of the rating agencies. Insurer financial stability or financial strength ratings primarily directed towards policyholders, and are not evaluations directed toward the protection of investors in a company, including holders of a company’s common stock, and are not recommendations to buy, sell, or hold securities.
The “A” rating on the 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 was reaffirmed by Egan-Jones Ratings Company in 2024. There are three notches in the rating categories assigned by Egan-Jones Ratings Company (e.g., A-, A, and A+), except for AAA and those deep into speculative grade, i.e., CC, C, and D, which do not have notches. According to Egan-Jones Ratings Company, the assigned rating pertains solely to their view of current and prospective credit quality. Their rating does not address pricing, liquidity, or other risks associated with holding investments in the issuer (UVE). Their rating is dependent on numerous factors including the reliability, accuracy, and quality of the data used in determining the credit rating.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that are reasonably likely to have a material effect on the financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital resources of the Company, except for multi-year reinsurance contract commitments for future years that will be recorded at the commencement of the coverage period. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)” for more information.
MATERIAL CASH REQUIREMENTS
The following table represents our material cash requirements for which cash flows are fixed or determinable as of December 31, 2024 (in thousands):
| Total | Next 12 months | Beyond 12 months | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reinsurance payable and multi-year commitments (1) | $ | 475,438 | $ | 294,668 | $ | 180,770 | |||||
| Unpaid losses and LAE, direct (2) | 959,291 | 579,412 | 379,879 | ||||||||
| Long-term debt (3) | 113,934 | 7,182 | 106,752 | ||||||||
| Total material cash requirements | $ | 1,548,663 | $ | 881,262 | $ | 667,401 |
(1)The amount represents the payment of reinsurance premiums payable under multi-year commitments. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies).”
(2)There are generally no notional or stated amounts related to unpaid losses and LAE. Both the amounts and timing of future loss and LAE payments are estimates and subject to the inherent variability of legal and market conditions affecting the obligations and make the timing of cash outflows uncertain. The ultimate amount and timing of unpaid losses and LAE could differ materially from the amounts in the table above. Further, the unpaid losses and LAE do not represent all the obligations that will arise under the contracts, but rather only the estimated liability incurred through December 31, 2024. Unpaid losses and LAE are net of estimated subrogation recoveries. In addition, these balances exclude amounts recoverable from our reinsurance program. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 4 (Reinsurance).” and Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses).”
(3)Long-term debt consists of a Surplus note and 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
IMPACT OF INFLATION AND CHANGING PRICES
Our financial statements, prepared under GAAP report historical dollar values and do not adjust for inflation. Our performance is influenced by both interest rates and inflation. We try to anticipate inflation when setting insurance premiums, but there are competitive and regulatory limits. Interest rates impact our investment portfolio’s market value and return rate. Significant and prolonged inflation could materially affect our future liabilities related to loss and LAE.
ARRANGEMENTS WITH VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES
We entered into a reinsurance captive arrangement with a VIE in the normal course of business, and consolidated the VIE since we are the primary beneficiary.
For a further discussion of our involvement with the VIE, see “Part II—Item 8—Note 2 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies)” and “Item 8—Note 18 (Variable Interest Entities).”
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.
Liability for Unpaid Losses and LAE
A liability, net of estimated subrogation, is established to provide for the estimated costs of paying losses and LAE under insurance policies the Insurance Entities have issued. Underwriting results are significantly influenced by an estimate of a liability for unpaid losses and LAE. The liability is an estimate of amounts necessary to settle all outstanding claims, including claims that have been incurred, but not yet reported as of the financial statement date. The process of estimating loss reserves requires significant judgment due to a number of variables, such as the type, severity and jurisdiction of loss, economic conditions including inflation, social attitudes, judicial decisions and legislative development, and changes in claims handling procedures. These variables will inherently result in an ultimate liability that will differ from initial estimates. We revise our reserve for unpaid losses as additional information becomes available, and reflect adjustments, if any, in our earnings in the periods in which we determine the adjustments are necessary. We estimate and accrue our right to subrogate reported or estimated claims against other parties. Subrogated claims are recorded at amounts estimated to be received from the subrogated parties, net of expenses and netted against unpaid losses and LAE.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for a discussion of the Company’s basis and methodologies used to establish its liability for unpaid losses and LAE along with the following quantitative disclosures:
•Five-year accident year table on incurred claim and allocated claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance including columns of:
◦IBNR—Total of Incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development (redundancy) on reported claims by accident year, and
◦Claim counts—cumulative number of reported claims by accident year.
•Five-year accident year table on cumulative paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance,
•Reconciliation of net incurred and paid claims development tables to the liability for unpaid losses and LAE in the consolidated balance sheet,
•Duration—a table of the average historical claims duration for the past five years, and
•Reconciliation of the change in liability for unpaid losses and LAE presented in the consolidated financial statements.
We utilize independent actuaries to help establish liabilities for unpaid losses, anticipated loss recoveries, and LAE. We do not discount the liability for unpaid losses and LAE for financial statement purposes. In establishing the liability for unpaid losses and LAE, actuarial judgment is relied upon in order to make appropriate assumptions to estimate a best estimate of ultimate losses. There are inherent uncertainties associated with this estimation process, especially when a company is undergoing changes in its claims settlement practices, when a company has limited experience in a certain area or when behaviors of policyholders are influenced by external factors and/or market dynamics. As an example, a dramatic change occurred during calendar year 2015 when we realigned our adjusting teams as well as launched our Fast Track initiative, reducing settlement costs and strengthening case reserve adequacy for claims reported during the year. These changes have had a meaningful influence on development pattern selections applied to 2013 through 2017 accident year claims in the reserving estimates for each of the methods described in “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses).” More recently, since 2016 there has been a significant increase in efforts to pursue subrogation against third parties responsible for property damage losses to our insureds. As a result, anticipated subrogation recoveries are reviewed and estimated on a stand-alone basis in the Company’s reserve analysis. Market dynamics in Florida include the use of assignments of benefits (“AOB”) and the resulting increase in litigation against the Company. As a result of the use of AOBs, as well as the continued overall increase in represented claims and claims-related abuses in Florida, we have increased our estimates of ultimate losses for the most recent and prior accident years.
Factors Affecting Reserve Estimates
Reserve estimates are developed based on the processes and historical development trends discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. These estimates are considered in conjunction with known facts and interpretations of circumstances and factors including our experience with similar cases, actual claims paid, differing payment patterns and pending levels of unpaid claims, loss management programs, product mix and contractual terms, changes in law and regulation, judicial decisions, and economic conditions. When these types of changes are experienced, actuarial judgment is applied in the determination and selection of development factors in order to better reflect new trends or expectations. For example, if a change in law is expected to have a significant impact on the development of claim severity, actuarial judgment is applied to determine appropriate development factors that will most
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accurately reflect the expected impact on that specific estimate. As an example, the Company considered and included the effects of the enacted legislation in developing its ultimate loss projections and reserve estimates as of December 31, 2023, as noted in “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. Another example would be when a change in economic conditions is expected to affect the cost of repairs to property; actuarial judgment is applied to determine appropriate development factors to use in the reserve estimate that will most accurately reflect the expected impacts on severity development.
Changes in homeowners current year claim severity are generally influenced by inflation in the cost of building materials, the cost of construction and property repair services, the cost of replacing home furnishings and other contents, the types of claims that qualify for coverage, the presence of third party representation, such as legal or repair contractors (which serve to inflate claim expenses), and other economic and environmental factors. We employ various loss management programs to mitigate the effects of these factors.
Key assumptions that may materially affect the estimate of the reserve for loss and LAE relate to the effects of emerging claim and coverage issues. As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other environmental conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverages may emerge. These issues may adversely affect our business by either extending coverage beyond our underwriting intent, lengthening the time to final settlement, or by increasing the number or size of claims. Key assumptions that are premised on future emergence that are inconsistent with historical loss reserve development patterns include but are not limited to:
•Adverse changes in loss cost trends, including inflationary pressures in home repair costs;
•Judicial expansion of policy coverage and the impact of new theories of liability; and
•Plaintiffs targeting property and casualty insurers in purported class action or other litigation related to claims-handling and other practices.
As loss experience for the current year develops for each type of loss, the reserves for loss and LAE are monitored relative to initial assumptions until they are judged to have sufficient statistical credibility. From that point in time and forward, reserves are re-estimated using statistical actuarial processes to reflect the impact loss trends have on development factors incorporated into the actuarial estimation processes.
Causes of Reserve Estimate Uncertainty
Since reserves are estimates of the unpaid portions of claims and claims expenses that have occurred, the establishment of appropriate reserves, including reserves for catastrophes, requires regular reevaluation and refinement of estimates to determine ultimate loss and LAE estimates.
At each reporting date, the highest degree of uncertainty in reserve estimates arises from claims remaining to be settled for the current accident year and the most recent preceding accident year, and claims that have occurred but have not been reported. The estimate for the current accident year contains the greatest degree of uncertainty because it contains the greatest proportion of losses that have not been reported or settled but must be estimated as of the current reporting date. During the first year after the end of an accident year, a large portion of the total losses for that accident year are settled. When accident year losses paid through the end of the first year following the initial accident year are incorporated into updated actuarial estimates, the trends inherent in the settlement of claims emerge more clearly. Consequently, this is the point in time at which the largest re-estimates of losses for an accident year can occur. After the second year, the losses paid for the accident year typically relate to claims that are more difficult to settle, such as those involving litigation.
Reserves for Catastrophe Losses
Loss and LAE reserves also include reserves for catastrophe losses. Catastrophe losses are an inherent risk of the property-casualty insurance industry that have contributed, and will continue to contribute, to potentially material year-to-year fluctuations in results of operations and financial position. A catastrophe is an event that produces significant insured losses before reinsurance and involves multiple first party policyholders, or an event that produces a number of claims in excess of a preset, per-event threshold of average claims in a specific area, occurring within a certain amount of time following the event. Catastrophes are commonly caused by various natural events including high winds, tornadoes, wildfires, winter storms, tropical storms and hurricanes.
The estimation of claims and claims expense reserves for catastrophes also comprises estimates of losses from reported and unreported claims, primarily for damage to property. In general, estimates for catastrophe reserves are based on claim adjuster inspections and the application of historical loss development factors as described previously and in “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. However, depending on the nature of the catastrophe, as noted above, the estimation process can be further complicated. For example, for hurricanes, complications could include the inability of insureds to be able to promptly report losses, a prevalence of solicited and late-reported claims creating or compounding challenges with determining the cause and amount of loss, limitations placed on claims adjusting staff affecting their ability to inspect losses, determining whether losses are covered by our homeowners policy (generally for damage caused by wind or wind driven rain) or are specifically excluded from coverage such as losses caused by flood, estimating additional living expenses or assessing the impact of demand surge and exposure to mold damage. The effects of numerous other considerations, include the timing of a catastrophe in relation to other events, such as at or near the end of a financial reporting period, which can affect the availability of information needed to estimate reserves for that reporting period.
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In these situations, practices are adapted to accommodate these circumstances in order to determine a best estimate of losses from a catastrophe.
Key Actuarial Assumptions That Affect the Loss and LAE Estimate
The aggregation of estimates for reported losses and IBNR forms the reserve liability recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
At any given point in time, the recorded loss and LAE reserves represent our best estimate of the ultimate settlement and administration cost of insured claims incurred and unpaid. Since the process of estimating loss and LAE reserves requires significant judgment due to a number of variables, such as fluctuations in inflation, judicial decisions, legislative changes and changes in claims handling procedures, ultimate liability may exceed or be less than these estimates. Reserves for losses and LAE are revised as additional information becomes available, and adjustments, if any, are reflected in earnings in the periods in which they are determined.
In selecting development factors and averages described in “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements, due consideration is given to how the historical experience patterns change from one year to the next over the course of several consecutive years of recent history. Predictions surrounding these patterns drive the estimates that are produced by each method, and are based on statistical techniques that follow standard actuarial practices.
In compliance with annual statutory reporting requirements, our appointed independent actuary provides a Statement of Actuarial Opinion (“SAO”) indicating that carried loss and LAE reserves recorded at each annual balance sheet date make a reasonable provision for all of the Insurance Entities’ unpaid loss and LAE obligations under the terms of contracts and agreements with our policyholders. Recorded reserves are compared to the indicated range provided in the actuary’s report accompanying the SAO. At December 31, 2024, the recorded amount for net loss and LAE falls within the range determined by the Company’s appointed independent actuary.
Potential Reserve Estimate Variability
The methods employed by actuaries include a range of estimated unpaid losses, each reflecting a level of uncertainty. Projections of loss and LAE liabilities are subject to potentially large variability in the estimation process since the ultimate disposition of claims incurred prior to the financial statement date, whether reported or not, is subject to the outcome of events that have not yet occurred. Examples of these events include jury decisions, court interpretations, legislative changes, public attitudes, and social/economic conditions such as inflation. Any estimate of future costs is subject to the inherent limitation on one’s ability to predict the aggregate course of future events. It should therefore be expected that the actual emergence of losses and LAE will vary, perhaps materially, from any estimate.
In selecting the range of reasonable estimates, the range of indications produced by the various methods is evaluated, the relative strengths and weaknesses of each method are considered, and from those inputs a range of estimates can be selected. For reasons cited above, this range of estimated ultimate losses is typically smaller for older, more mature accident periods and greater for more recent, less mature accident periods. The greatest level of uncertainty is associated with the most recent accident years, and particularly years during which catastrophe events occurred.
The inherent uncertainty associated with our loss and LAE liability is magnified due to our concentration of property business in catastrophe-exposed and litigious states, primarily Florida. In 2018, for example, loss and expense payments for Hurricane Irma claims exceeded initial liability estimates that were established at year-end 2017, which was shortly after the event occurred. This unexpected development was partially due to the influence of plaintiff attorneys in the claim filing process; both at initial contact prior to coverage validation or damage assessment, and after claims were settled and closed which resulted in a large number of claims being reopened during the year. In 2019, UPCIC continued to experience unanticipated unfavorable development on losses from claims being reopened and new claims being opened due to public adjusters encouraging policyholders to file new claims. Due to the relatively low frequency and inherent uncertainty of catastrophe events, the parameters utilized in loss estimation methodologies are updated whenever new information emerges.
The following table summarizes the effect on net loss and LAE reserves and net loss, net of tax in the event of reasonably likely changes in the severity of claims considered in establishing loss and LAE reserves. The range of reasonably likely changes in the severity of our claims was established based on a review of changes in loss year development and applied loss and LAE reserves as a whole. The selected range of changes does not indicate what could be the potential best or worst case or likely scenarios (dollars in thousands):
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| Year Ended December 31, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent Change in | |||||||
| Change in Reserves | Reserves | Net Income | |||||
| -20.0% | $ | 767,433 | 227 | % | |||
| -15.0% | 815,397 | 170 | % | ||||
| -10.0% | 863,362 | 113 | % | ||||
| -5.0% | 911,326 | 57 | % | ||||
| Base | 959,291 | — | |||||
| 5.0% | 1,007,256 | (57) | % | ||||
| 10.0% | 1,055,220 | (113) | % | ||||
| 15.0% | 1,103,185 | (170) | % | ||||
| 20.0% | 1,151,149 | (227) | % |
Adequacy of Reserve Estimates
We believe our net loss and LAE reserves and estimated subrogation recoveries are appropriately established based on available methodology, facts, technology, laws, and regulations. We calculate and record a single best reserve estimate, in conformance with generally accepted actuarial standards, for reported and unreported losses, LAE losses and subrogation, and as a result we believe no other estimate is better than our recorded amount.
Due to the uncertainties involved, the ultimate cost of losses and LAE may vary materially from recorded amounts, which are based on our best estimates. The liability for unpaid losses and LAE, net of subrogation at December 31, 2024 is $959.3 million.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740), which will require that public business entities on an annual basis (1) disclose specific categories in the rate reconciliation and (2) provide additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold (if the effect of those reconciling items is equal to or greater than 5 percent of the amount computed by multiplying pretax income [or loss] by the applicable statutory income tax rate). The impact to our consolidated financial statements, if any, will be dependent on the timing and terms of any future modifications related to a change in effective tax rate. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024.
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, “Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expense.” This subtopic update requires public business entities to disclose additional information about certain expenses in the notes to the financial statements for both annual and interim periods. The guidance will become effective for the Company in the annual and interim financial statements for the 2027 fiscal year, with early adoption permitted. The Company is still evaluating the impact of this guidance update on the expense disclosures in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP. For more information regarding our key performance indicators, please refer to the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Key Performance Indicators.”
The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP revenue to core revenue, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| GAAP revenue | $ | 1,520,536 | $ | 1,391,582 | $ | 1,222,658 | ||||
| less: Net realized gains (losses) on investments | (1,315) | (1,229) | 348 | |||||||
| less: Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | 9,936 | 12,046 | (13,145) | |||||||
| Core Revenue | $ | 1,511,915 | $ | 1,380,765 | $ | 1,235,455 |
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The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP operating income (loss) to adjusted operating income (loss), which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| GAAP income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) | $ | 84,611 | $ | 88,349 | $ | (27,247) | ||||
| add: Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,476 | 6,531 | 6,609 | |||||||
| GAAP operating income (loss) | 91,087 | 94,880 | (20,638) | |||||||
| less: Net realized gains (losses) on investments | (1,315) | (1,229) | 348 | |||||||
| less: Net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | 9,936 | 12,046 | (13,145) | |||||||
| Adjusted operating income (loss) | $ | 82,466 | $ | 84,063 | $ | (7,841) |
The following table presents the reconciliation of operating income (loss) margin to adjusted operating income (loss) margin, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| GAAP operating income (loss) | $ | 91,087 | $ | 94,880 | $ | (20,638) | ||||
| GAAP revenue | 1,520,536 | 1,391,582 | 1,222,658 | |||||||
| GAAP operating income (loss) margin | 6.0 | % | 6.8 | % | (1.7) | % | ||||
| Adjusted operating income (loss) | 82,466 | 84,063 | (7,841) | |||||||
| Core revenue | 1,511,915 | 1,380,765 | 1,235,455 | |||||||
| Adjusted operating income (loss) margin | 5.5 | % | 6.1 | % | (0.6) | % |
The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP net income (loss) available to common stockholders to adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| GAAP net income (loss) | $ | 58,928 | $ | 66,823 | $ | (22,257) | ||||
| less: Preferred dividends | 10 | 10 | 10 | |||||||
| GAAP net income (loss) available to common stockholders | 58,918 | 66,813 | (22,267) | |||||||
| less: Net realized gains (losses) on investments | (1,315) | (1,229) | 348 | |||||||
| less: Net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | 9,936 | 12,046 | (13,145) | |||||||
| add: Income tax effect on above adjustments | 2,121 | 2,661 | (3,148) | |||||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders | $ | 52,418 | $ | 58,657 | $ | (12,618) | ||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding - Diluted | 29,274 | 30,147 | 30,751 | |||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 2.01 | $ | 2.22 | $ | (0.72) | ||||
| Diluted adjusted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 1.79 | $ | 1.95 | $ | (0.41) |
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The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP stockholders’ equity to adjusted stockholders’ equity and book value per common share to adjusted book value per common share, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| As of | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | ||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| GAAP Stockholders' equity | $ | 373,250 | $ | 341,297 | $ | 287,896 | ||||
| less: Preferred equity | 100 | 100 | 100 | |||||||
| Common stockholders' equity | 373,150 | 341,197 | 287,796 | |||||||
| less: Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) | (63,166) | (74,172) | (103,782) | |||||||
| Adjusted common stockholders' equity | $ | 436,316 | $ | 415,369 | $ | 391,578 | ||||
| Common shares outstanding | 28,096 | 28,966 | 30,389 | |||||||
| Book value per common share | $ | 13.28 | $ | 11.78 | $ | 9.47 | ||||
| Adjusted book value per common share | $ | 15.53 | $ | 14.34 | $ | 12.89 |
The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP ROCE to adjusted ROCE, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Actual net income (loss) available to common stockholders' | $ | 58,918 | $ | 66,813 | $ | (22,267) | ||||
| Average common stockholders' equity | $ | 357,174 | $ | 314,497 | $ | 358,699 | ||||
| ROCE | 16.5 | % | 21.2 | % | (6.2) | % | ||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders | $ | 52,418 | $ | 58,657 | $ | (12,618) | ||||
| Adjusted average common stockholders' equity* | $ | 422,593 | $ | 399,396 | $ | 423,199 | ||||
| Adjusted ROCE | 12.4 | % | 14.7 | % | (3.0) | % |
*Adjusted average common stockholders’ equity excludes current period after-tax net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments.
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000891166-24-000013.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to assist in an understanding of our financial condition and results of operations and should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in “Item 8—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” below. Except for the historical information contained herein, the discussions in this MD&A contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our future results could differ materially from those discussed herein. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed above under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Part I— Item 1A—Risk Factors.”
Overview
We are a vertically integrated holding company offering homeowners insurance to our customers. In addition, we generate revenue from our investment portfolio, reinsurance brokerage services, the receipt of managing general agency fees from policy holders, and from other sources of revenue (collectively “Other Revenue Sources”). We develop, market, and underwrite insurance products for consumers predominantly in the personal residential homeowners lines of business and perform substantially all insurance-related services for our Insurance Entities, including risk management, claims management, and distribution. Our Insurance Entities offer insurance products through both appointed independent insurance agents and through our online distribution channel. We currently sell insurance policies in 18 states with Florida representing 81.4% of our direct premiums written, with licenses to write insurance in two additional states. We seek to produce an underwriting profit (defined as earned premium-net minus losses, LAE, policy acquisition costs and other operating costs) over the long term, along with growing our Other Revenue Sources.
Revenues
We generate revenue primarily from the collection of insurance premiums. Other sources of revenue include: commissions paid by our reinsurers to our reinsurance intermediary subsidiary BARC on reinsurance it places for the Insurance Entities; policy fees collected from policyholders by our managing general agent subsidiary, ERA (formerly Universal Risk Advisors, Inc.); and financing fees charged to policyholders who choose to defer premium payments reflected in other income. In addition, our subsidiary Alder receives fees from the Insurance Entities for claims-handling services. The Insurance Entities are reimbursed for these fees on claims that are subject to recovery under the Insurance Entities’ respective reinsurance programs. These fees, after expenses, are recorded in the consolidated financial statements as an adjustment to LAE. We also generate income by investing our assets.
The nature of our business tends to be seasonal during the year, reflecting consumer behaviors in connection with the Florida residential real estate market and the hurricane season. The amount of direct premiums written tends to be highest in the second and third quarters of our fiscal year and lowest in the first and fourth quarters.
Trends and Geographical Distribution
Florida Trends
We are currently working through a cycle to improve long-term rate adequacy and earnings for the Insurance Entities by adjusting rates, managing exposures, and implementing Florida statutory reforms intended to curtail claims-related abuses, while taking advantage of what we believe to be opportunities in a dislocated market. The Florida personal lines homeowners’ market in recent years, and continuing currently, can be characterized as a “hard market,” where insurance premium rates have been escalating, insurers have been reducing coverages, and underwriting standards have tightened as insurers closely monitor insurance rates and manage coverage capacity. Due to conditions in the Florida market and factors more generally affecting the U.S. and global reinsurance markets, reinsurance capacity in recent years has also been subject to less favorable pricing and terms. These market forces decrease competition among admitted insurers, and ultimately result in the increased use of Citizens, which was created to be the State’s residual property insurance market. In recent years, in response to rising claims costs, increased reinsurance costs, and deteriorating conditions in the Florida residential market, most admitted market competitors have implemented significant rate increases. Meanwhile, Citizens’ rate increases are limited by law, resulting in its policies typically being priced lower than admitted market policies. This causes Citizens to become viewed as a desirable alternative to the admitted market as admitted market insurers continue to manage through the hard market challenges. Our Insurance Entities likewise have taken and continue to take action to manage through this hard market by increasing rates, tactically managing exposures, and implementing Florida statutory reforms intended to curtail claims-related abuses, while also seeking to maintain their competitive position in the Florida market, supporting our current policyholders and agents.
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In December 2022, the Florida legislature enacted substantial reforms intended to mitigate rising claims costs and resulting premium increases while also enhancing service to policyholders. These laws have required insurers, including the Insurance Entities, to implement faster claims-response standards and to comply with additional regulatory oversight requirements intended to increase consumer protections. The reforms also seek to curtail certain claimants’ abusive claims practices against insurance carriers, which have contributed substantially to the Florida market’s recent problems of escalating claim costs. Among the reforms, the Florida legislature eliminated policyholders’ former one-way statutory right to attorneys’ fees reimbursement and eliminated the ability of policyholders to assign their insurance benefits to third parties. The Florida legislature also reduced the post-loss time period for submitting claims to one year as contrasted with prior laws permitting claims to be reported two years or even three years after loss events, which led to extended solicitations of claims by contractors, public adjusters, and attorneys and challenges for insurers in evaluating the cause and amount of the late-reported claims.
The most significant statutory reforms took effect for policies issued after December 16, 2022. Policies written before this date might benefit from procedural changes made by the legislature but remain subject to substantive laws previously in effect. Claims associated with policies issued prior to the reforms typically continue to be adversely impacted by the concerns that have plagued the market in recent years, including disproportionately high incidences of represented and litigated claims. As a result, losses and loss adjustment expenses associated with these claims remain high, exceeding historical patterns in Florida and in other states. Although the Insurance Entities’ number of remaining claims subject to pre-reform laws continues to decline, it will be several years before all of these claims are settled or brought to an adjudicated conclusion. We are optimistic that the legislative reforms will gradually improve the Florida claims environment as the number of claims associated with the pre-reform era continues to decline and more of the Insurance Entities’ claims benefit from the reforms.
We seek to achieve rate adequacy for the Insurance Entities, recognizing the effects of the recent Florida claims environment on losses, LAE and expenses, while also taking into account potential benefits associated with the reforms. We have continued to experience increased costs for losses and LAE in the Florida market, where an industry has developed around the solicitation, filing, and litigation of personal residential claims. These dynamics have worsened due to the litigation financing industry, which in some cases funds these actions. In addition, rising inflation, as seen in the cost of labor and material supplies, has further escalated costs associated with the settlement of claims. These conditions and the resulting increases in losses and LAE are chief contributing factors for the rate increases in this market. Adverse actions by public adjusters and lawyers have resulted in a pattern of continued increases in year-over-year levels of represented claims, increases in purported claim amounts, and increased demands for attorneys’ fees. Active solicitation of personal residential claims in Florida by policyholder representatives, remediation companies, and repair companies has led to an increase in the frequency and severity of personal residential claims in Florida, exceeding historical levels and levels seen in other jurisdictions. Information prepared by the FLOIR shows that claims in Florida are litigated at a substantially disproportionate rate when compared to other states. This is largely due to a Florida statute in effect prior to December 16, 2022, providing a one-way right of attorneys’ fees against insurers which has, when coupled with certain other statutes and judicial rulings, produced a legal environment in Florida that encourages litigation, in many cases without regard to the underlying merits of the claims. The one-way right to attorneys’ fees essentially means that unless an insurer’s position is substantially upheld in litigation, the insurer must pay the plaintiff’s attorneys’ fees in addition to its own defense costs. This affects not only pre-reform claims that are litigated to resolution, but also the settlement discussions that take place with nearly all litigated pre-reform claims. This also affects a large number of claims from inception or during the adjusting process as a substantial percentage of policyholders obtain representation early in the process, sometimes even before notifying insurers of their claims. These market conditions also add, and will continue to add, complexity to efforts to efficiently and expeditiously adjust claims. This is due to an increasing number of policyholders who have one or more recent prior losses with the Insurance Entities or with other insurers, which then require evaluation during subsequent claims and determinations regarding whether property has been repaired consistently with the scope and amount of damage previously asserted. The law changes referenced above are intended to curtail the abuses and mitigate the costs associated with represented and litigated claims, assignments of benefits, and late-reported claims. Because many of the reforms apply only to new or renewal policies issued after the effective date of the law change, the impact of the new laws on claims and claims-related costs will not be known for several years. This is especially the case as many of the Insurance Entities’ pre-reform claims that remain open have not been conducive to resolution through the claims adjusting process or efficient alternative dispute resolution methods.
Despite our initiatives in implementing law changes and responding to adverse claims behaviors and trends, our costs to settle claims in Florida have increased for the reasons noted herein. For example, the Company continues to adjust its estimate of expected losses and has increased its current year gross loss estimates and increased estimates associated with prior years’ claims when indicated. Over the past four years, even as we have increased our estimates of expected losses each year, we have recorded adverse claim development on prior years’ loss reserves and further strengthened current year losses during the year to address the increasing impact that Florida’s market disruptions had on claim cost trends, especially rising costs from one-way attorneys’ fees as well as the impact of rising costs of building materials and labor. The full extent and duration of these market disruptions on the claim settlement process and inflationary pressures are unknown and still unfolding, and we will monitor the impact of such disruptions on the recording and reporting of claim costs.
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The Company has taken a series of steps over time to mitigate the financial impact of these negative trends in the Florida market. We also have closely monitored rate levels, especially in the Florida market, and have submitted rate filings based upon evolving data. However, because rate filings rely upon past loss and expense data and take time to develop, file and implement, we can experience significant delays between identifying needed rate adjustments, filing the associated rate changes, and ultimately collecting and earning the resulting increased premiums. This is particularly the case in an era of rising costs such as the current Florida market, in which the costs of losses and loss adjustment expenses continue to increase due to Florida’s outsized claims litigation environment and inflationary pressure. Similarly, the Company evaluates and periodically adjusts its policy forms in response to market factors and competitive considerations. While policy form changes can be beneficial in the Company’s risk management initiatives, like with rate adjustments, we can experience delays between identifying desired changes, filing and gaining regulatory approval of the changes, and implementing the new forms.
The Company also updates its claims-handling procedures over time in response to market trends. The Company has adopted initiatives to adjust and pay straightforward, meritorious claims as promptly as possible to mitigate the adverse impacts that can be seen with claims that remain open for longer periods. The Company also has increasingly used video and other technology to facilitate reviews of damaged property and improve efficiency in the claims process. In addition, we develop in-house expertise, often in the form of dedicated internal units, to respond to certain types of claims such as water damage claims, represented claims, and large-loss claims. The Company additionally has established significant in-house legal services to address the high volume of litigated or represented claims as cost-effectively as possible, as well as a subrogation unit that seeks to mitigate losses for the benefit of policyholders and the Company when damages are caused by third parties.
Summary of Recent Rate Increases
In November 2022, UPCIC filed a 3.7% rate increase on Florida personal residential homeowners’ line of business, effective February 15, 2023, for new business and April 1, 2023, for renewals.
In April 2023, UPCIC submitted and received approval for a rate decrease of 1.4% for Homeowners’, and a rate decrease of 1.6% for Dwelling Fire in the State of Florida, effective July 15, 2023, for new and renewal business. This filing resulted from UPCIC’s statutorily required participation in Florida’s Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders Program (“RAP”). This program is unrelated to the FHCF and allows insurers to access a layer of reinsurance coverage that is below the FHCF industry retention at no cost to the insurer. In exchange the Insurance Entities adopted a corresponding one-year rate reduction. Under current law, the RAP program expires with the reinsurance contract year ending May 31, 2024. Accordingly, the rate decrease that was temporarily implemented in response to the RAP coverage will expire one year from its effective date, on July 15, 2024.
In July 2023, UPCIC filed a 7.5% rate increase on Florida personal residential homeowners’ line of business, effective July 17, 2023, for new business and November 4, 2023, for renewal business. Additionally, in October 2023, UPCIC filed a 4.1% rate increase on Florida personal dwelling-fire lines of business, effective January 15, 2024, for both new and renewal business. Both of these rate increases were implemented under file-and-use rating laws and are pending review with regulators.
Throughout 2023, the following rate changes for UPCIC have become effective in states other than Florida:
•Georgia: +9.8% effective January 10, 2023, for renewal business
•Virginia: +7.3% effective February 23, 2023 for new business, and April 14, 2023 for renewal business
•Minnesota: +8.0% effective February 23,2023, for new business, and April 29, 2023, for renewal business
•Alabama: +9.5% effective February 13, 2023, for new business, and April 4, 2023, for renewal business
•Indiana: +6.0% effective March 22, 2023, for new business, and May 11, 2023, for renewal business
•Pennsylvania: +5.0% effective June 1, 2023, for new business, and July 21, 2023, for renewal business
•New Jersey: +6.7% effective August 21, 2023, for new business, and October 10, 2023, for renewal business
•Georgia: +14.8% effective November 21, 2023 for new business, and January 10, 2024, for renewal business
In addition to this, a file and use rate filing was made in Massachusetts for a rate increase of 11.9% which would become effective November 1, 2023, for new business, and December 21, 2023, for renewal business upon approval.
An additional three rate increases were filed in 2023 which are currently pending approval:
•South Carolina: +7.8% effective January 16, 2024 for new business, and March 6, 2024 for renewal business
•Maryland: +13.3% effective January 22, 2024 for new business, and March 12, 2024, for renewal business
•New York: +14.7% effective March 11, 2024, for new business, and April 30, 2024, for renewal business
•Indiana: +8.0% effective March 22, 2024 for new business, and May 11, 2024, for renewal business
Geographical Distribution
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Direct premiums written continue to increase across in 16 of the 18 states in which we conduct business year-over-year. As a result of our business strategy, rate changes and disciplined underwriting initiatives, we have seen a decrease in total policy count in 9 out of 19 states, but an increase in in-force premium and total insured value in a majority of states for the past two years. Direct premiums written for states outside of Florida increased 15.9%, representing a $49.0 million increase during 2023. Direct premiums written for Florida increased 1.8%, representing a $27.1 million increase during 2023. The following table provides direct premiums written for Florida and other states for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended | Growth Year Over Year | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| State | Direct Premiums Written | % | Direct Premiums Written | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||
| Florida | $ | 1,565,197 | 81.4 | % | $ | 1,538,143 | 83.3 | % | $ | 27,054 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||
| Other states | 356,636 | 18.6 | % | 307,643 | 16.7 | % | 48,993 | 15.9 | % | ||||||||||||
| Grand total | $ | 1,921,833 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,845,786 | 100.0 | % | $ | 76,047 | 4.1 | % |
We seek to prudently grow and generate long-term rate adequate premium in each state where we offer policies. Our diversification strategy seeks to increase business outside of Florida and to improve geographical distribution within Florida.
The geographical distribution of our policies in force, premium in force and total insured value across all states were as follows, as of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 (dollars in thousands, rounded to the nearest thousand):
| As of December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 567,893 | 70.1 | % | $ | 1,577,210 | 81.5 | % | $ | 188,516,949 | 58.3 | % | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 56,787 | 7.0 | % | 70,170 | 3.6 | % | 25,990,577 | 8.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 31,335 | 3.9 | % | 54,315 | 2.8 | % | 16,704,678 | 5.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 21,443 | 2.6 | % | 33,902 | 1.8 | % | 16,702,823 | 5.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 19,213 | 2.4 | % | 25,736 | 1.3 | % | 12,788,156 | 4.0 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 18,606 | 2.3 | % | 25,712 | 1.3 | % | 13,358,747 | 4.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 16,440 | 2.0 | % | 29,589 | 1.5 | % | 7,404,975 | 2.3 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 19,201 | 2.4 | % | 28,184 | 1.5 | % | 8,997,564 | 2.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 12,584 | 1.6 | % | 18,386 | 1.0 | % | 5,326,469 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 9,446 | 1.2 | % | 19,407 | 1.0 | % | 5,613,856 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 9,439 | 1.2 | % | 12,648 | 0.7 | % | 4,965,478 | 1.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 8,671 | 1.1 | % | 9,379 | 0.4 | % | 4,431,977 | 1.4 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 7,102 | 0.9 | % | 12,359 | 0.6 | % | 5,771,055 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 4,890 | 0.6 | % | 7,641 | 0.4 | % | 2,634,991 | 0.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 2,341 | 0.2 | % | 3,330 | 0.2 | % | 1,531,896 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 858 | 0.1 | % | 1,100 | 0.1 | % | 510,735 | 0.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 2,491 | 0.3 | % | 3,720 | 0.2 | % | 1,498,349 | 0.4 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 318 | — | % | 358 | — | % | 230,587 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 874 | 0.1 | % | 1,222 | 0.1 | % | 476,843 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 809,932 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,934,368 | 100.0 | % | $ | 323,456,705 | 100.0 | % |
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| As of December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 615,796 | 72.5 | % | $ | 1,547,383 | 83.4 | % | $ | 201,237,145 | 62.4 | % | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 54,988 | 6.5 | % | 60,990 | 3.3 | % | 23,135,353 | 7.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 35,174 | 4.2 | % | 53,250 | 2.9 | % | 17,684,518 | 5.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 18,849 | 2.2 | % | 28,729 | 1.5 | % | 13,886,783 | 4.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 20,123 | 2.4 | % | 24,622 | 1.3 | % | 12,691,444 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 17,965 | 2.1 | % | 23,551 | 1.3 | % | 12,434,136 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 14,218 | 1.7 | % | 22,794 | 1.2 | % | 6,043,021 | 1.9 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 17,260 | 2.0 | % | 20,304 | 1.1 | % | 7,344,000 | 2.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 14,441 | 1.7 | % | 18,804 | 1.0 | % | 5,885,207 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 9,545 | 1.1 | % | 18,100 | 1.0 | % | 5,456,394 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 11,179 | 1.3 | % | 13,700 | 0.7 | % | 5,645,993 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 6,840 | 0.8 | % | 6,642 | 0.4 | % | 3,116,236 | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 3,897 | 0.5 | % | 5,963 | 0.3 | % | 2,912,117 | 0.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 3,497 | 0.4 | % | 4,995 | 0.3 | % | 1,756,525 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 1,939 | 0.2 | % | 2,645 | 0.1 | % | 1,220,586 | 0.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 1,566 | 0.2 | % | 1,901 | 0.1 | % | 875,158 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 1,057 | 0.1 | % | 1,435 | 0.1 | % | 588,925 | 0.2 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 350 | 0.1 | % | 306 | — | % | 239,970 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 172 | — | % | 225 | — | % | 89,629 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 848,856 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,856,339 | 100.0 | % | $ | 322,243,140 | 100.0 | % |
| As of December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 695,533 | 73.7 | % | $ | 1,395,476 | 83.1 | % | $ | 203,062,948 | 63.3 | % | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 58,644 | 6.2 | % | 57,534 | 3.4 | % | 22,703,801 | 7.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 41,097 | 4.4 | % | 53,956 | 3.2 | % | 19,057,338 | 5.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 16,793 | 1.8 | % | 23,790 | 1.4 | % | 11,467,490 | 3.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 23,306 | 2.5 | % | 21,069 | 1.3 | % | 13,854,648 | 4.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 14,484 | 1.5 | % | 19,966 | 1.2 | % | 5,725,381 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 17,744 | 1.9 | % | 19,018 | 1.1 | % | 6,810,107 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 11,934 | 1.2 | % | 18,216 | 1.1 | % | 6,372,221 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 14,844 | 1.6 | % | 18,054 | 1.1 | % | 9,523,904 | 3.0 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 17,563 | 1.8 | % | 17,976 | 1.1 | % | 6,860,210 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 13,930 | 1.5 | % | 14,688 | 0.9 | % | 6,528,352 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 6,615 | 0.7 | % | 6,003 | 0.4 | % | 2,802,756 | 0.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 3,476 | 0.4 | % | 4,572 | 0.3 | % | 1,585,940 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 2,808 | 0.3 | % | 3,814 | 0.2 | % | 1,898,297 | 0.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 1,819 | 0.2 | % | 2,316 | 0.1 | % | 1,061,987 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 1,773 | 0.2 | % | 1,974 | 0.1 | % | 903,844 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 786 | 0.1 | % | 1,006 | — | % | 409,660 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 369 | — | % | 301 | — | % | 235,154 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 75 | — | % | 92 | — | % | 34,396 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 943,593 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,679,821 | 100.0 | % | $ | 320,898,434 | 100.0 | % |
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KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The Company considers the measures and ratios in the following discussion to be key performance indicators for its businesses. Management believes that these indicators are helpful in understanding the underlying trends in the Company’s businesses. Some of these indicators are reported on a quarterly basis and others on an annual basis. Please also refer to “Item 8—Note 2 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies)” for definitions of certain other terms we use when describing our financial results.
These indicators may not be comparable to other performance measures used by the Company’s competitors and should only be evaluated together with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.
In addition to our key performance indicators and other financial measures presented in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), management also uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Company's financial performance and the overall growth in value generated for the Company’s common shareholders. Management believes that non-GAAP financial measures, which may be defined differently by other companies, help to explain the Company’s results to investors in a manner that allows for a more complete understanding of the underlying trends in the Company’s business. The non-GAAP measures should not be viewed as a substitute for those determined in accordance with GAAP. The calculation of these key financial measures including the reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the nearest GAAP measure are found below under “—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
Definitions of Key Performance Indicators and GAAP and Non-GAAP Measures
Adjusted book value per common share ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated as adjusted common stockholders’ equity divided by common shares outstanding at the end of the period. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying book value growth by excluding the impact of unrealized gains and losses due to interest rate volatility.
Adjusted common stockholders’ equity ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated by GAAP common stockholders’ equity, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying growth in stockholders’ equity by excluding the impact of unrealized gains and losses due to interest rate volatility.
Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated by GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investment and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net of tax. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Adjusted operating income (loss) ― is a non-GAAP measure that is computed by GAAP operating income (loss), excluding net realized gains (losses) on investment and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Adjusted operating income (loss) margin ― is a non-GAAP measure that is computed by adjusted operating income (loss) divided by core revenue. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Adjusted return on common equity (Adjusted “ROCE”) ― is a non-GAAP measure, that is calculated by actual or annualized adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders divided by average adjusted common stockholders’ equity, with the denominator excluding current period income statement net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net of tax. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Book Value Per Common Share ― total stockholders’ equity, adjusted for preferred stock liquidation, divided by the number of common shares outstanding as of a reporting period. Book value per common share is the excess of assets over liabilities at a reporting period attributed to each share of stock. Changes in book value per common share informs shareholders of retained equity in the Company on a per share basis which may assist in understanding market value trends for the Company’s stock.
Combined Ratio ― the combined ratio is a measure of underwriting profitability for a reporting period and is calculated by dividing total operating costs and expenses (which is made up of losses and LAE and general and administrative expenses) by premiums earned, net, which is net of ceded premiums earned. Changes to the combined ratio over time provide management with an understanding of costs to operate its business in relation to net premiums it is earning and the impact of rate, underwriting and other business management actions on underwriting profitability. A combined ratio below 100% indicates underwriting profit; a combined ratio above 100% indicates underwriting losses.
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Core Loss Ratio ― a common operational metric used in the insurance industry to describe the ratio of current accident year expected losses and LAE, excluding current accident year weather events beyond those expected, to premiums earned. Core loss ratio is an important measure identifying profitability trends of premiums in force. Core losses consists of losses and LAE excluding current accident year weather events beyond those expected and prior years’ reserve development. The financial benefit from the management of claims, including claim fees ceded to reinsurers, is recorded in the condensed consolidated financial statements as a reduction to core losses. The core loss ratio can be measured on a direct basis, using direct earned premiums, or on a net basis, using premiums earned, net (i.e., direct premiums earned less ceded premiums earned).
Core revenue ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated by total GAAP revenue, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying revenue trends and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio ― long-term debt divided by stockholders’ equity. This ratio helps management measure the amount of financing leverage in place in relation to equity and future leverage capacity.
Debt-to-Total Capital Ratio ― long-term debt divided by the sum of total stockholders’ equity and long-term debt (often referred to as total capital resources). This ratio helps management measure the amount of financing leverage in place (long-term debt) in relation to total capital resources and future leverage capacity.
Diluted adjusted earnings per common share ― is a non-GAAP measure that is calculated by adjusted net income available to common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying revenue trends and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Direct Premiums Written (“DPW”) ― reflects the total value of policies issued during a period before considering premiums ceded to reinsurers. Direct premiums written, comprised of renewal premiums, endorsements, and new business, is initially recorded as unearned premium in the balance sheet which is then earned pro-rata over the next year or remaining policy term. Direct premiums written reflects current trends in the Company’s sale of property and casualty insurance products and amounts that will be recognized as earned premiums in the future.
DPW (Florida) ― includes only DPW in the state of Florida. This measure allows management to analyze growth in our primary market and is also a measure of business concentration risk.
Expense Ratio (Including Policy Acquisition Cost Ratio and Other Operating Cost Ratio) ― calculated as general and administrative expenses as a percentage of premiums earned, net. General and administrative expenses is comprised of policy acquisition costs and other operating costs, which includes such items as underwriting costs, facilities, and corporate overhead. The expense ratio, including the sub-expense ratios of policy acquisition cost ratio and other operating cost ratio, are indicators to management of the Company’s cost efficiency in acquiring and servicing its business and the impact of expense items to overall profitability.
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expense Ratio or Loss and LAE Ratio ― a measure of the cost of claims and claim settlement expenses incurred in a reporting period as a percentage of premiums earned in that same reporting period. Losses and LAE incurred in a reporting period includes both amounts related to the current accident year and prior accident years, if any, referred to as development. Ultimate losses and LAE are based on actuarial estimates with changes in those estimates recognized in the period the estimates are revised. Losses and LAE consist of claim costs arising from claims occurring and settling in the current period, an estimate of claim costs for reported but unpaid claims, an estimate of unpaid claim costs for incurred-but-not-reported claims and an estimate of claim settlement expenses associated with reported and unreported claims which occurred during the reporting period. The loss and LAE ratio can be measured on a direct basis, which includes losses and LAE divided by direct earned premiums, or on a net basis, which includes losses and LAE after amounts have been ceded to reinsurers divided by net earned premiums (i.e., direct premium earned less ceded premium earned). The net loss and LAE ratio is a measure of underwriting profitability after giving consideration to the effect of reinsurance. Trends in the net loss and LAE ratio are an indication to management of current and future profitability.
Monthly Weighted Average Renewal Retention Rate ― measures the monthly average of policyholders that renew their policies over the period of a calendar year. This measure allows management to assess customer retention.
Premiums Earned, Net ― the pro-rata portion of current and previously written premiums that the Company recognizes as earned premium during the reporting period, net of ceded premium earned. Ceded premiums are premiums paid or payable by the Company for reinsurance protection. Written premiums are considered earned and are recognized pro-rata over the policy coverage period. Premiums earned, net is a measure that allows management to identify revenue trends.
Policies in Force ― represents the number of active policies with coverage in effect as of the end of the reporting period. The change in the number of policies in force is a growth measure and provides management with an indication of progress toward achieving strategic objectives. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
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Premium in Force ― is the amount of the annual direct written premiums previously recorded by the Company for policies which are still active as of the reporting date. This measure assists management in measuring the level of insured exposure and progress toward meeting revenue goals for the current year, and provides an indication of business available for renewal in the next 12 months. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Return on Average Common Equity (“ROCE”) ― calculated by actual net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders divided by average common stockholders’ equity. ROCE is a capital profitability measure of how efficiently management creates profits.
Total Insured Value ― represents the amount of insurance limits available on a policy for a single loss based on all policies active as of the reporting date. This measure assists management in measuring the level of insured exposure.
Unearned Premiums ― represents the portion of direct premiums corresponding to the time period remaining on an insurance policy and available for future earning by the Company. Trends in unearned premiums generally indicate expansion, if growing, or contraction, if reducing, which are important indicators to management. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Weather events ― an estimate of losses and LAE from weather events occurring during the current accident year that exceed initial estimates of expected weather events when establishing the core loss ratio for each accident year. This metric informs management of factors impacting overall current year profitability.
REINSURANCE
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events. Reinsurance contracts are typically classified as treaty or facultative contracts. Treaty reinsurance provides coverage for all or a portion of a specified group or class of risks ceded by the primary insurer, while facultative reinsurance provides coverage for specific individual risks. Within each classification, reinsurance can be further classified as quota share or excess of loss. Quota-share reinsurance is where the primary insurer and the reinsurer share proportionally or pro-rata in the direct premiums and losses of the insurer. Excess-of-loss reinsurance indemnifies the direct insurer or reinsurer for all or a portion of the loss in excess of an agreed upon amount or retention.
Developing and implementing our reinsurance strategy to adequately protect our balance sheet and Insurance Entities in the event of one or more catastrophes while maintaining efficient reinsurance costs has been a key strategic priority for us. In order to limit the Insurance Entities’ potential exposure to catastrophic events, we purchase significant reinsurance from third-party reinsurers and the FHCF. The FLOIR requires the Insurance Entities, like all residential property insurance companies doing business in Florida, to have a certain amount of capital and reinsurance coverage in order to cover losses upon the occurrence of a single catastrophic event and a series of catastrophic events occurring in the same hurricane season. The Insurance Entities’ respective 2023-2024 reinsurance programs meet the FLOIR’s requirements, which are based on, among other things, successfully demonstrating cohesive and comprehensive reinsurance programs that protect the policyholders of our Insurance Entities as well as satisfying a series of stress test catastrophe loss scenarios based on past historical events. Similarly, the Insurance Entities’ respective 2023-2024 reinsurance programs meet the stress test and review requirements of Demotech, Inc., for maintaining Financial Stability Ratings® of A (Exceptional) and of Kroll for maintaining insurer financial strength ratings of “A-”.
We believe the Insurance Entities’ retentions under their respective reinsurance programs are appropriate and structured to protect policyholders. We test the sufficiency of the reinsurance programs by subjecting the Insurance Entities’ personal residential exposures to statistical testing using a third-party hurricane model, RMS RiskLink v18.1 (Build 1945). This model combines simulations of the natural occurrence patterns and characteristics of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other catastrophes with information on property values, construction types and occupancy classes. The model outputs provide information concerning the potential for large losses before they occur, so companies can prepare for their financial impact. Furthermore, as part of our operational excellence initiatives, we continually look to enable new technology to refine our data intelligence on catastrophe risk modeling.
Effective June 1, 2023, the Insurance Entities entered into multiple reinsurance agreements comprising our 2023-2024 reinsurance program. See “Item 1—Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
UPCIC/APPCIC 2023-2024 All States Reinsurance Program
•First event All States retention of $45 million.
•All States first event tower extends to $2.61 billion with no co-participation in any of the layers, no limitation on loss adjustment expenses for the non-catastrophe bond Cosaint Re Pte. Ltd. traditional reinsurance and no accelerated deposit premiums.
•Assuming a first event completely exhausts the $2.61 billion tower, the second event exhaustion point would be $912 million.
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•Full reinstatement available on $867 million of non-FHCF and non-RAP first event catastrophe coverage for guaranteed second event coverage. For all layers purchased between $45 million and the RAP layer, to the extent that all of our coverage or a portion thereof is exhausted in a catastrophic event and reinstatement premium is due, we have purchased enough reinstatement premium protection ("RPP") limit to pay the premium necessary for the reinstatement of these coverages or have secured a specific second event contract.
•First event layer of 100% of $66 million in excess of $45 million established by Universal in captive insurance arrangement. While the Company retains the risk that otherwise would be transferred to third-party reinsurers for this layer, the additional risk is substantially offset by the savings in premiums that would otherwise have been paid to third-party reinsurers.
•Specific 2nd event private market excess of loss coverage of $66 million in excess of $45 million sitting behind captive arrangement.
•Specific 3rd and 4th event private market catastrophe excess of loss coverage of $86 million in excess of $25 million provides frequency protection for multiple events during the treaty period including a $20 million reduction in retention for a 3rd and 4th event.
•For the FHCF Reimbursement Contracts effective June 1, 2023, both UPCIC and APPCIC have continued the election of the 90% coverage level. We estimate the total mandatory FHCF layer will provide approximately $1.316 billion of coverage for UPCIC, which insures to the benefit of the open market coverage secured from private reinsurers and Cosaint Re Pte. Ltd (covers UPCIC only) and we estimate the total mandatory FHCF layer will provide approximately $22.5 million of coverage for APPCIC, which insures to the benefit of the open market coverage secured from private reinsurers.
•For the participation in the RAP program for the 2023-2024 period, we estimate the total RAP layer will provide approximately $202.8 million of coverage for UPCIC and $3.5 million of coverage for APPCIC, both of which inure to the benefit of the open market coverage secured from private reinsurers.
•To further insulate future years, UPCIC has secured $277 million of catastrophe capacity below the FHCF, with contractually agreed limits that extend coverage to include the 2024 wind season. UPCIC’s catastrophe bond, secured leading up to the 2021-2022 renewal, Cosaint Re Pte. Ltd, continues to provide one limit of $150 million in this year’s program and is in its third and final year.
Reinsurers
The table below provides the A.M. Best and S&P financial strength ratings for each of the largest rated third-party reinsurers in UPCIC’s 2023-2024 reinsurance program:
| Reinsurer | A.M. Best | S&P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (1) | N/A | N/A | ||
| Various Lloyd’s of London Syndicates | A | A+ | ||
| Munich Reinsurance America Inc. | A+ | AA- | ||
| DaVinci Reinsurance Ltd. | A | A+ | ||
| Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. | A+ | A+ | ||
| Chubb Tempest Reinsurance Ltd. | A++ | AA | ||
| Allianz Risk Transfer AG. Bermuda Branch | A+ | AA | ||
| Markel Bermuda Ltd. | A | A |
(1)No rating is available, because the fund is not rated.
The cost of the 2023-2024 all states reinsurance programs for UPCIC and APPCIC is projected to be $620.6 million, prior to any potential reinstatement premiums due, and represents approximately 31.97% of projected direct premium earned for the 12-month treaty period.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA |
The following selected historical consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and “Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
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Operations” set forth elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K. The historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected in any future period.
The following tables present historical selected consolidated financial data of Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries for the five years ended December 31, 2023 (in thousands, except per share data):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||||
| Statement of Income Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 1,921,833 | $ | 1,845,786 | $ | 1,671,252 | $ | 1,517,479 | $ | 1,292,721 | |||||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (46,704) | (86,085) | (74,634) | (121,856) | (59,600) | ||||||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,875,129 | 1,759,701 | 1,596,618 | 1,395,623 | 1,233,121 | ||||||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (623,193) | (631,075) | (561,155) | (472,060) | (390,619) | ||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,251,936 | 1,128,626 | 1,035,463 | 923,563 | 842,502 | ||||||||||||||
| Net investment income (1) | 48,449 | 25,785 | 12,535 | 20,393 | 30,743 | ||||||||||||||
| Other revenue (2) | 80,380 | 81,044 | 71,993 | 65,437 | 55,633 | ||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,391,582 | 1,222,658 | 1,121,851 | 1,072,770 | 939,351 | ||||||||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 992,636 | 938,399 | 779,205 | 758,810 | 603,406 | ||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 208,011 | 214,259 | 226,167 | 199,102 | 177,530 | ||||||||||||||
| Other operating costs | 96,055 | 90,638 | 87,428 | 90,532 | 94,655 | ||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 1,296,702 | 1,243,296 | 1,092,800 | 1,048,444 | 875,591 | ||||||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,531 | 6,609 | 638 | 95 | 243 | ||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) | 88,349 | (27,247) | 28,413 | 24,231 | 63,517 | ||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 21,526 | (4,990) | 8,006 | 5,126 | 17,003 | ||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 66,823 | $ | (22,257) | $ | 20,407 | $ | 19,105 | $ | 46,514 | |||||||||
| Per Share Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Basic earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 2.24 | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 | $ | 1.37 | |||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 2.22 | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 | $ | 1.36 | |||||||||
| Dividends declared per common share | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | |||||||||
| As of December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total invested assets | $ | 1,160,784 | $ | 1,105,806 | $ | 1,093,680 | $ | 919,924 | $ | 914,586 | |||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 397,306 | 388,706 | 250,508 | 167,156 | 182,109 | ||||||||||||||
| Total assets | 2,316,561 | 2,890,154 | 2,056,141 | 1,758,741 | 1,719,852 | ||||||||||||||
| Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses | 510,117 | 1,038,790 | 346,216 | 322,465 | 267,760 | ||||||||||||||
| Unearned premiums | 990,559 | 943,854 | 857,769 | 783,135 | 661,279 | ||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt (3) | 102,006 | 102,769 | 103,676 | 8,456 | 9,926 | ||||||||||||||
| Total liabilities | 1,975,264 | 2,602,258 | 1,626,439 | 1,309,479 | 1,225,951 | ||||||||||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | $ | 341,297 | $ | 287,896 | $ | 429,702 | $ | 449,262 | $ | 493,901 | |||||||||
| Shares outstanding end of period | 28,966 | 30,389 | 31,221 | 31,137 | 32,638 | ||||||||||||||
| Book value per share | $ | 11.78 | $ | 9.47 | $ | 13.76 | $ | 14.43 | $ | 15.13 | |||||||||
| Return on average common equity (ROCE) | 21.2 | % | (6.2) | % | 4.6 | % | 4.1 | % | 9.2 | % | |||||||||
| Selected Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Loss and loss adjustment expense ratio (4) | 79.3 | % | 83.2 | % | 75.3 | % | 82.1 | % | 71.6 | % | |||||||||
| General and administrative expense ratio (5) | 24.3 | % | 27.0 | % | 30.2 | % | 31.4 | % | 32.3 | % | |||||||||
| Combined Ratio (6) | 103.6 | % | 110.2 | % | 105.5 | % | 113.5 | % | 103.9 | % |
(1)Net investment income excludes net realized gains (losses) on sale of investments and net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments.
(2)Other revenue consists of commission revenue, policy fees, and other revenue.
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(3)For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, long-term debt includes a private placement of $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
(4)The loss and loss adjustment expense ratio is calculated by dividing losses and loss adjustment expenses by premiums earned, net.
(5)The general and administrative expense ratio is calculated by dividing general and administrative expense by premiums earned, net.
(6)The combined ratio is the sum of the losses and loss adjustment expense ratio and the general and administrative expense ratio.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
2023 Financial and Business Highlights (comparisons are to 2022 unless otherwise specified)
•Rate filings and automatic policy inflation adjustments to policy insured values are increasing written and earned premium as the new rates and property insured values take effect on policy renewals and new business, and earn prospectively over the policy period.
•Management is continuing its efforts to prudently manage new business risk selection, improve risk exposure diversification, while rate increases are taking effect to improve profitability. As a result of management’s efforts to manage exposures, the number of total policies in force has been decreasing. Offsetting the impact of lower policies in force are increases in written and earned premiums driven by rate increases and inflation increases to insured values.
•UPCIC filed with its regulators in Hawaii to withdraw from the state. There were 858 policies in Hawaii as of December 31, 2023. The withdrawal and nonrenewal of policies in Hawaii are expected to be completed within the next year.
•UPCIC filed its initial rate filing in Wisconsin (a new expansion state in 2023), which was subsequently approved.
•Costs for the 2023 reinsurance were lower than 2022 because of Florida’s RAP program as well as existing multi-year reinsurance agreements previously placed in the 2023-2024 reinsurance program. RAP is a one-time, no-cost reinsurance benefit to the Insurance Entities which in exchange provided a rate decrease to policyholders of approximately 1.4%. The lower reinsurance costs, effective June 1 2023, have a favorable effect on financial ratios which are based on net earned premium.
•The Insurance Entities concluded a mandatory commutation with the FHCF relating to the 2017/18 contract year, which covered Hurricane Irma. Additionally, commutations with certain other reinsurers were concluded during the year, which the Insurance Entities deemed were in their best interests.
•Net investment income increased as cash and maturing interest earning investments are redeployed into higher interest rate investments.
•For the year ended December 31, 2023, the net loss ratio declined to 79.3% from 83.2% due to the absence of major hurricane events in 2023 when compared to Hurricane Ian in 2022, offset by higher prior year development in 2023 including reserve strengthening of pre-reform losses. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” above and “Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses” below.
•General and administrative expenses have declined year-over-year, including a decline in the expense ratio, as a result of management’s efforts in this area. Over the past two years, commissions paid on renewal policies in Florida have been reduced to 8% from 10%. The rollout to this new lower commission rate was concluded in May 2023. The benefit of lower commission rates is realized over 12 months as policies are renewed under the lower commission rate structure. Further reducing the expense ratio was continued net earned premium growth.
•The Company continued to return shareholder value with quarterly dividends and share repurchases. Also, during the year, the Company approved a new share repurchase plan permitting share repurchases not to exceed $20.0 million during the period between June 12, 2023, until June 10, 2025. The Company’s current share repurchase authorization program has $4.1 million remaining.
•The Company entered into a June 30, 2023 committed, unsecured $40.0 million (previously $37.5 million) revolving credit line with JP Morgan Chase. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has not borrowed any amount under this revolving loan.
•All three rating agencies, Kroll (A- stable), Demotech (A rating) and Egan-Jones (A rating), updated and affirmed their previous ratings.
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All comparisons for the year ended December 31, 2023 results of operations are to the corresponding prior year period (unless otherwise specified).
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022
Net income was $66.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a net loss of $22.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Benefiting the year ended December 31, 2023 were increases in premiums earned, net, an increase in net investment income, the change in unrealized gains in the current year compared to unrealized losses in the prior year, offset by an increase in losses and loss adjustment expenses, net. In 2023, direct premium earned and premiums earned, net were up 6.6% and 10.9%, respectively compared to direct premium earned and premiums earned in 2022, due to premium growth in the majority of states in which we are licensed and writing during the past 12 months as a result of rate increases implemented during 2022 and 2023, in addition to an increase in policies in force in 11 states. Premiums earned, net, were favorably impacted by a decrease in reinsurance expenses for the 2023-2024 contract year primarily due to the Insurance Entities’ mandatory participation in Florida’s RAP program, which allowed insurers to access a layer of reinsurance coverage below the FHCF industry retention at no cost to the insurers. The lower reinsurance costs, effective June 1 2023, have a favorable effect on financial ratios which are based on net earned premium. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the loss ratio declined to 79.3% from 83.2% in 2022 due to the absence of major hurricane events in 2023 when compared to Hurricane Ian in 2022, offset by higher prior year development in 2023. See 2023 Reinsurance Ratio Benefit noted below. As a result of the above and as further explained below, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 103.6% compared to 110.2% for the year ended December 31, 2022. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” regarding our response to the Florida market.
A detailed discussion of our results of operations follows the table below (in thousands, except per share data).
| (in thousands) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| REVENUES | |||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 1,921,833 | $ | 1,845,786 | $ | 76,047 | 4.1 | % | |||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (46,704) | (86,085) | 39,381 | (45.7) | % | ||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,875,129 | 1,759,701 | 115,428 | 6.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (623,193) | (631,075) | 7,882 | (1.2) | % | ||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,251,936 | 1,128,626 | 123,310 | 10.9 | % | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | 48,449 | 25,785 | 22,664 | 87.9 | % | ||||||||||
| Net realized gains (losses) on investments | (1,229) | 348 | (1,577) | NM | |||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | 12,046 | (13,145) | 25,191 | NM | |||||||||||
| Commission revenue | 54,058 | 53,168 | 890 | 1.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Policy fees | 18,881 | 20,182 | (1,301) | (6.4) | % | ||||||||||
| Other revenue | 7,441 | 7,694 | (253) | (3.3) | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,391,582 | 1,222,658 | 168,924 | 13.8 | % | ||||||||||
| OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 992,636 | 938,399 | 54,237 | 5.8 | % | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 304,066 | 304,897 | (831) | (0.3) | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,296,702 | 1,243,296 | 53,406 | 4.3 | % | ||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,531 | 6,609 | (78) | (1.2) | % | ||||||||||
| INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT) | 88,349 | (27,247) | 115,596 | NM | |||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 21,526 | (4,990) | 26,516 | NM | |||||||||||
| NET INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 66,823 | $ | (22,257) | $ | 89,080 | NM | ||||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | 29,610 | (88,214) | 117,824 | NM | |||||||||||
| COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 96,433 | $ | (110,471) | $ | 206,904 | NM | ||||||||
| DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE DATA: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 2.22 | $ | (0.72) | $ | 2.94 | NM | ||||||||
| Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding | 30,147 | 30,751 | (604) | (2.0) | % | ||||||||||
| NM - Not Meaningful |
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Revenues
Direct premiums written increased by $76.0 million, or 4.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, driven by premium growth within our Florida business of $27.1 million, or 1.8%, and premium growth in our other states business of $49.0 million, or 15.9%, as compared to the prior year. Rate increases approved in 2022 and 2023 for Florida and for certain other states and policy inflation adjustments were the principal driver of higher written premiums, in addition to an increase in policies in force in 11 other states. In total, policies in force declined 38,924, or 4.6%, from 848,856 at December 31, 2022 to 809,932 at December 31, 2023. A summary of the recent rate increases which are driving increases in written premium is discussed above under “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
Rate changes are applied on new business submissions and renewals from the effective date of their renewal, and then are earned subsequently over the policy period. The recent rate and inflation increases in Florida are in response to rising claim costs driven by higher costs of material and labor associated with claims, the cost of weather events, the rising cost of catastrophe and other reinsurance protecting policyholders and, more importantly, the impact of an increased cost and use of litigation by policyholders on claims as claim settlements increasingly have involved inflated demands, representation, and litigation. In addition, the Insurance Entities’ policies provide for coverage limits to be adjusted at renewal to adjust insured value coverage limits for the impact of changes in inflation. This is based on third-party industry data sources that monitor inflation factors such as changes in costs for residential building materials and labor.
During 2023, management continued efforts to tactically manage policy counts and exposures intended to slow the growth of exposures relating to new business compared to prior years while filed rate increases are taking effect. The impact of policy reductions through attrition attributable to selective underwriting, together with selected policy non-renewals, have resulted in a decrease in policies in force of 38,924, or 4.6%, during 2023 from 848,856 at December 31, 2022 to 809,932 at December 31, 2023. Direct premiums written continue to increase across the majority of states in which we conduct business. As a result of our business strategy, rate changes and disciplined underwriting initiatives, we have seen an overall decrease in policies in force in the aggregate, but an increase in premium in force, and an increase in total insured value in a majority of states for the past two years. We actively wrote policies in 18 states during 2023 and 19 states during 2022. In addition, we are authorized to do business in Tennessee and Wisconsin. In 2023, UPCIC filed with its regulators in Hawaii to withdraw from the state, with the withdrawal and nonrenewal of policies expected to be completed within the next year. At December 31, 2023, policies in force decreased by 38,924 policies, or 4.6%, premium in force increased $78.0 million, or 4.2%, and total insured value increased $1.2 billion, or 0.4%, compared to December 31, 2022.
Direct premium earned increased by $115.4 million, or 6.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting the earning of premiums written over the past 12 months, including the benefit of rate changes due to primary rate filings, filings to cover increased reinsurance costs as well as policy premium adjustments due to increases in insured values caused by inflation.
Reinsurance
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events and other covered events. Ceded premium represents premiums paid to reinsurers for this protection and is a cost which reduces net written and net earned premiums. Hurricane Ian triggered reinstatement premiums, increasing ceded premiums written by $24.6 million which were earned prospectively effective September 28, 2022 to May 31, 2023, increasing ceded premiums earned for the year ended December 31, 2023 by $15.0 million, in addition to $2.2 million of reinstatement premiums in December 2023 which were also attributable to Hurricane Ian, and which were earned immediately. In total, ceded premium earned decreased $7.9 million, or 1.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the same period of the prior year. The decrease in reinsurance cost reflects several factors, including the Insurance Entities’ mandatory participation in the RAP program for the 2023/2024 reinsurance program, which allowed insurers to access a layer of reinsurance coverage that is below the FHCF industry retention at no cost to the insurer. In exchange, the Insurance Entities adopted a 1.4% one-year rate reduction. Also benefiting the year were lower reinstatement premiums in the second half of the year. Reinsurance costs, as a percentage of direct premium earned, decreased from 35.9% in 2022 to 33.2% in 2023. Reinsurance costs associated with each year’s reinsurance program are earned over the annual policy period which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st. See the discussion above for the Insurance Entities’ 2022-2023 reinsurance programs and “Part II—Item 8— Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
2023 Reinsurance Ratio Benefit
Costs for the 2023 reinsurance was lower than 2022 because of Florida’s RAP program in the 2023-2024 reinsurance program. This is a one time, no cost reinsurance benefit to the Insurance Entities which in exchange provided a rate decrease to policyholders of approximately 1.4%. The lower reinsurance costs, effective June 1 2023, have a favorable effect on financial ratios which are based on net earned premium.
Premiums earned, net of ceded premium earned, grew by 10.9%, or $123.3 million, to $1,251.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting an increase in direct premium earned and decreased costs for reinsurance.
Investment Results
Net investment income was $48.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $25.8 million for the same period in 2022, an increase of $22.7 million, or 87.9%. Invested cash balances along with liquidity generated by our investment portfolio from maturities, principal repayments, and interest payments received were invested in higher rates, resulting in an increase in investment returns on our portfolio and cash balances.
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We look to optimize our investment portfolio on a rolling basis, which, from time-to-time, results in portfolio shaping opportunities. During the year ended December 31, 2023, sales of available-for-sale debt securities and sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized loss of $1.2 million.
There was a $12.0 million net unrealized gain on investments during the year ended December 31, 2023, largely driven by our portfolio optimization efforts in the private and public equity markets, coupled with the overall domestic equity market appreciation tailwind during 2023, compared to a $13.1 million net unrealized loss on investments during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Total invested assets were $1.16 billion as of December 31, 2023 compared to $1.11 billion as of December 31, 2022. The increase is primarily attributable to unrealized gains on our fixed income and equity portfolio, and increases in net investment income. Cash and cash equivalents were $397.3 million at December 31, 2023 compared to $388.7 million at December 31, 2022, an increase of 2.2%. See below “—Analysis of Financial Condition” for more information. Cash and cash equivalents are invested short-term until needed to settle loss and LAE payments, reinsurance premium payments, and operating cash needs or until they are deployed by our investment advisors.
Commissions, Policy Fees and Other Revenue
Commission revenue is comprised principally of brokerage commissions we earn from traditional open market third-party reinsurers, which excludes reinsurance provided by the State of Florida as well as catastrophe bond participants. Commission revenue is earned pro-rata over the reinsurance policy period which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. For the year ended December 31, 2023, commission revenue was $54.1 million, compared to $53.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in commission revenue of $0.9 million, or 1.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to reinstatement premiums attributable to Hurricane Ian which were earned through May 31, 2023, or the conclusion of the 2022-2023 reinsurance contract period.
Policy fees for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $18.9 million compared to $20.2 million for the same period in 2022. The decrease of $1.3 million, or 6.4%, was the result of a decrease in the combined total number of new and renewal policies written during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 in states where we are permitted to charge this fee.
Other revenue, representing revenue from policy installment fees, premium financing, and other miscellaneous income, was $7.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $7.7 million for the same period in 2022.
Non-GAAP
Core revenue, representing total GAAP revenue, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, was $1.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $1.2 billion for the same period in 2022.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
Losses and LAE experience over the past several years including both 2023 and 2022, reflects an adverse litigation environment and other market conditions in Florida that the Florida Legislature has been attempting to address with the passage of legislation spanning several years with the most significant changes made during a special session held in December 2022.
Losses and LAE, net of reinsurance recoveries was $992.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, resulting in a net loss ratio of 79.3%, compared to $938.4 million, and 83.2%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the decline in loss ratio was primarily due to the absence of major hurricane events in 2023, in contrast to 2022 which saw Hurricane Ian make landfall on Florida’s gulf coast, offset by higher prior year development in 2023. See 2023 Reinsurance Ratio Benefit noted above.
Prior year development includes changes in previous estimates for unpaid Losses and LAE for all events occurring in prior years including hurricanes, other weather, and non-weather claims affected by pre-reform market conditions in Florida as well as changes in prior estimates resulting from the evaluation of claims in anticipation of the commutation of Hurricane Irma losses with the FHCF. In recent years, we have strengthened reserves as a result of adverse development due to Florida homeowners, tenants and condo owners coverages arising from non-weather and weather events. Similar to other carriers operating in the Florida homeowners marketplace, we have experienced deterioration in water and hurricane claims due to an unfavorable claims environment characterized by increases in policyholder demands related to roof repairs and significant attorney representation. In 2023, adverse development was due to represented and litigated claims, and Florida weather claims for accident years 2017 and later. One of management’s objectives in 2023 was to strengthen reserves on those prior period claims which do not benefit from the new legislation signed in late 2022 that eliminated the one-way attorneys’ fee statute and assignments of benefits and made other reforms intended to improve the Florida market. Prior year development was $110.6 million, or 8.8 net loss ratio points for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $25.0 million for 2022, or 2.2 net loss ratio points. We continue to see adverse claim trends on Florida losses which occurred prior to the effective date of recent legislation (December 16, 2022) introduced in Florida, which was intended to curtail the impact of certain abusive claims
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practices, however prior years claims not covered by the new legislation continued to experience adverse development, as claims settled above previously estimated amounts.
We believe the legislation passed in late 2022 represents a positive step towards reducing claim costs in Florida and management is optimistic about its eventual benefits. However, the full transition to these new laws will take many years. Many of the reforms apply only prospectively and provide only marginal benefit for claims filed prior to the new laws’ effective date. The transition to the new laws therefore involves first renewing policies during the year following the effective date, such that the policies, and subsequent claims under those policies, are governed by the new requirements. As for prior policy periods, insurers must continue to adjust claims under the prior laws that were subject to abuse while awaiting the expiration of claim reporting periods and statute of limitations periods applicable to those policies. Therefore, it will be several years until the abusive claim practices permitted under the prior laws, including those resulting from requiring insurance companies to pay claimants’ litigation costs, are fully extinguished and the full benefit of the new legislation can be realized. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
Excluding prior year development recorded in 2023, for prior accident years, all other losses and LAE, net for the current accident year are estimated to be $882.1 million or 70.5 net loss ratio points for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $802.4 million, or 71.1 net loss ratio points in 2022. See 2023 ratio benefit noted above. This category also reflects savings from activities performed by affiliates within our holding company system on behalf of our Insurance Entities and our reinsurers when losses and LAE are ceded under our reinsurance contracts. When claims are adjusted by our claims team and files handled by our legal group in this litigious environment in Florida, there are synergies achieved by having these two functions within the same consolidated group that could not be achieved through third parties. This synergistic relationship results in more efficient handling and coordination of claims including represented claims handled by our legal group of close to 500 employees. By choosing not to outsource these activities, we also save money for the consolidated group by generating a potential financial benefit outside of the Insurance Entities that serves to reduce LAE at the consolidated level (contra LAE). During 2023 these claims related activities generated a financial benefit of $50.4 million compared to $62.4 million during 2022
General and Administrative Expenses
For the year ended December 31, 2023, general and administrative expenses were $304.1 million, compared to $304.9 million during the same period in 2022, as follows (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Ratio | $ | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | $ | 1,251,936 | $ | 1,128,626 | $ | 123,310 | 10.9 | % | |||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 208,011 | 16.6 | % | 214,259 | 19.0 | % | (6,248) | (2.9) | % | ||||||||||||
| Other operating costs | 96,055 | 7.7 | % | 90,638 | 8.0 | % | 5,417 | 6.0 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 304,066 | 24.3 | % | $ | 304,897 | 27.0 | % | $ | (831) | (0.3) | % |
General and administrative expenses decreased by $0.8 million, which was the result of decreases in policy acquisition costs of $6.2 million offset by an increase in other operating costs of $5.4 million. The total general and administrative expense ratio was 24.3% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to 27.0% for the year ended December 31, 2022.
•The decrease in policy acquisition costs of $6.2 million was primarily attributable to an increase in reinsurance profit commissions which were received as a result of commutations with reinsurers concluded during the year and lower total commissions expense for the year offset by slightly higher premium taxes.
•The increase in other operating costs of $5.4 million primarily reflects an increase in salaries, performance bonuses, and stock based compensation and an increase in other miscellaneous operating expenses. The other operating cost ratio was 7.7% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to 8.0% in the year ended December 31, 2022. This reduction primarily reflects the increase in premiums earned, net for the year.
As a result of the above, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 103.6% compared to 110.2% for the same period in 2022. The decrease was due to the absence of a hurricane in the current year compared to Hurricane Ian in 2022, in addition to an increase in premiums earned, net, offset by higher prior year development.
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Interest and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs
Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $6.5 million compared to $6.6 million for the same period in 2022.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax expense was $21.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to income tax benefit of $(5.0) million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Our effective tax rate (“ETR”) increased to 24.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to 18.3% for the year ended December 31, 2022. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 12 (Income Taxes)” for a table of items reconciling statutory rates to the effective rate for years 2023 and 2022.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Other comprehensive income, net of taxes for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $29.6 million compared to other comprehensive loss of $88.2 million for the same period in 2022, reflecting after-tax changes in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities held in our investment portfolio and reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income for available-for-sale debt securities sold. The improvement in 2023 reflects investment actions and relative stability in market prices during 2023 compared to 2022. During 2023, maturing securities and investment returns were reinvested at market rates, reducing unrealized losses on maturing securities. The maturity of the remaining securities in an unrealized loss position has also reduced during the year. Over time, unrealized losses on securities in an unrealized loss position lessens as the remaining maturity shortens and securities approach their maturity or par value. See discussion above and “Part II—Item 8—Note 14 (Other Comprehensive Income (Loss))” for additional information about the amounts comprising other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes for these periods.
Non-GAAP
Adjusted operating income (loss) represents GAAP operating income (loss), excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments. Adjusted operating income was $84.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to adjusted operating income of $7.8 million for the same period in 2022.
Adjusted operating income (loss) margin represents adjusted operating income (loss) divided by core revenue. Adjusted operating income margin was 6.1% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to adjusted operating loss margin of 0.6% for the same period in 2022.
Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders represents GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net of tax. Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders was $58.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to adjusted net loss attributable to common stockholders of $12.6 million for the same period in 2022.
Diluted adjusted earnings (loss) per common share represents adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Diluted adjusted income per common share was $1.95 for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to diluted adjusted loss per common share of $0.41 for the same period in 2022.
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YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021
Net loss was $22.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, due primarily to the $111 million net loss and LAE from Hurricane Ian, compared to net income of $20.4 million for the same period in 2021. Benefiting the year ended December 31, 2022 were increases in premiums earned, net, an increase in net investment income, an increase in commission revenue, and a decrease in acquisition costs offset by an increase in unrealized losses, a decrease in realized gains, a decrease in revenue from policy fees, and an increase in losses and loss adjustment expenses. Direct premium earned and premiums earned, net were up 10.2% and 9.0%, respectively, due to premium growth in the majority of states in which we are licensed and writing during the past 12 months as a result of rate increases implemented during 2021 and 2022, partially offset by higher costs for reinsurance flowing through to premiums earned, net. Renewal commissions to agents were lowered to 8% from 10% during 2022 resulting in lower acquisition costs compared to the prior year. The net loss and LAE ratio was 83.2% for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to 75.3% for the year ended 2021 reflecting the impact of Hurricane Ian, and higher core net losses, an increase in the cost of litigated claims, and increased other weather losses compared to the prior year, partially offset by lower prior years’ reserve development. As a result of the above and as further explained below, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 110.2% compared to 105.5% for the year ended December 31, 2021. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” regarding our response to the Florida market.
A detailed discussion of our results of operations follows the table below (in thousands, except per share data).
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| REVENUES | |||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 1,845,786 | $ | 1,671,252 | $ | 174,534 | 10.4 | % | |||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (86,085) | (74,634) | (11,451) | 15.3 | % | ||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,759,701 | 1,596,618 | 163,083 | 10.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (631,075) | (561,155) | (69,920) | 12.5 | % | ||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,128,626 | 1,035,463 | 93,163 | 9.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | 25,785 | 12,535 | 13,250 | 105.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Net realized gains (losses) on investments | 348 | 5,892 | (5,544) | (94.1) | % | ||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | (13,145) | (4,032) | (9,113) | 226.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Commission revenue | 53,168 | 41,649 | 11,519 | 27.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Policy fees | 20,182 | 22,713 | (2,531) | (11.1) | % | ||||||||||
| Other revenue | 7,694 | 7,631 | 63 | 0.8 | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,222,658 | 1,121,851 | 100,807 | 9.0 | % | ||||||||||
| OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 938,399 | 779,205 | 159,194 | 20.4 | % | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 304,897 | 313,595 | (8,698) | (2.8) | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,243,296 | 1,092,800 | 150,496 | 13.8 | % | ||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,609 | 638 | 5,971 | 935.9 | % | ||||||||||
| INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAX EXPENSE | (27,247) | 28,413 | (55,660) | NM | |||||||||||
| Income tax expense | (4,990) | 8,006 | (12,996) | NM | |||||||||||
| NET INCOME (LOSS) | $ | (22,257) | $ | 20,407 | $ | (42,664) | NM | ||||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | (88,214) | (18,911) | (69,303) | 366.5 | % | ||||||||||
| COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) | $ | (110,471) | $ | 1,496 | $ | (111,967) | NM | ||||||||
| DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE DATA: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings per common share | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | $ | (1.37) | NM | ||||||||
| Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding | 30,751 | 31,307 | (556) | (1.8) | % | ||||||||||
| NM - Not Meaningful |
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Revenues
Direct premiums written increased by $174.5 million, or 10.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, driven by premium growth within our Florida business of $149.8 million, or 10.8%, and premium growth in our other states business of $24.7 million, or 8.7%, as compared to the same period of the prior year. Rate increases approved in 2021 and 2022 for Florida and for certain other states and policy inflation adjustments were the principal driver of higher written premiums. In total, policies in force declined 94,737, or 10.0%, from 943,593 at December 31, 2021 to 848,856 at December 31, 2022. A summary of the recent rate increases which are driving increases in written premium is discussed above under “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
Rate changes are applied on new business submissions and renewals from the effective date of their renewal, and then are earned subsequently over the policy period. The recent rate and inflation increases in Florida are in response to rising claim costs driven by higher costs of material and labor associated with claims, the cost of weather events, the rising cost of catastrophe, and other reinsurance protecting policyholders and, more importantly, the impact of an increased use of litigation by policyholders on claims as claim settlements increasingly have involved inflated demands, representation, and litigation. In addition, the Insurance Entities’ policies provide for coverage limits to be adjusted at renewal to adjust insured value coverage limits for the impact of changes in inflation. This is based on third-party industry data sources that monitor inflation factors such as changes in costs for residential building materials and labor.
During 2022, management continued efforts to prudently manage policy counts and exposures intended to slow the growth of exposures relating to new business compared to prior years while filed rate increases are taking effect. Reduced new business writings, declines in renewal retentions in 2022 and the impact of selected policy non-renewals have resulted in a decrease in policies in force of 94,737, or 10.0%, during 2022 from 943,593 at December 31, 2021 to 848,856 at December 31, 2022. Direct premiums written continue to increase across the majority of states in which we conduct business. As a result of our business strategy, rate changes, and disciplined underwriting initiatives, we have seen a decrease in policies in force, but an increase in premium in force and an increase in total insured value in a majority of states for the past two years. We actively wrote policies in 19 states during 2022 and 2021. In addition, we are authorized to do business in Tennessee and Wisconsin and are proceeding with product filings in those states. At December 31, 2022, policies in force decreased by 94,737 policies, or 10.0%, premium in force increased $176.5 million, or 10.5%, and total insured value increased $1.3 billion, or 0.4%, compared to December 31, 2021.
Direct premium earned increased by $163.1 million, or 10.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, reflecting the earning of premiums written over the past 12 months, including the benefit of rate changes due to primary rate filings, filings to cover increased reinsurance costs as well as policy premium adjustments due to increases in insured values caused by inflation.
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events and other covered events. Ceded premium represents premiums paid to reinsurers for this protection and is a cost which reduces net written and net earned premiums. Hurricane Ian triggered reinstatement premiums, increasing ceded premiums written by $24.6 million which were earned prospectively effective September 28, 2022 to May 31, 2023, increasing ceded premiums earned for the year ended December 31, 2022 by $9.5 million. In total, ceded premium earned increased $69.9 million, or 12.5%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the same period of the prior year. The increase in reinsurance costs reflects an increase in the value of exposures we insure; increased pricing when compared to the expired reinsurance program and differences in the structure and design of the respective programs. Reinsurance costs, as a percentage of direct premium earned, increased from 35.1% in 2021 to 35.9% in 2022. Reinsurance costs associated with each year’s reinsurance program are earned over the annual policy period which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st. See the discussion above for the Insurance Entities’ 2022-2023 reinsurance programs and “Part II—Item 8— Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
Premiums earned, net of ceded premium earned, grew by 9.0%, or $93.2 million, to $1.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022, reflecting an increase in direct premium earned offset by increased costs for reinsurance.
Net investment income was $25.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $12.5 million for the same period in 2021, an increase of $13.3 million, or 105.7%. 2022 saw significant increases in fixed income investment yields as the Federal Reserve took actions to address the market concerns of inflation and full employment. As a result, liquidity generated by our portfolio from maturities, principal repayments, interest payments, and new deposits were invested at higher rates, resulting in an increase in investment returns on our portfolio.
Total invested assets were $1.11 billion as of December 31, 2022 compared to $1.09 billion as of December 31, 2021. The increase is primarily attributable to new cash deposits, offset by increased unrealized losses on our portfolio due to a decline in bond prices, which move inversely with the rate increases seen throughout 2022. Unrealized losses reverse over time as debt instruments are generally held to maturity. Cash and cash equivalents were $388.7 million at December 31, 2022 compared to $250.5 million at December 31, 2021, an increase of 55.2%. This increase is largely attributable to cash calls to reinsurers to support Hurricane Ian claim settlement liquidity and changes in operational cash flows since year end. See below “—Analysis of Financial Condition” for more information. Cash and cash equivalents are invested short-term until needed to settle loss and LAE payments, reinsurance premium payments and operating cash needs or until they are deployed by our investment advisors.
Yields from cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, and the available-for-sale debt portfolio are dependent on the composition of the portfolio, future market forces, monetary policy, and interest rate policy from the Federal Reserve. During most of 2021, the Federal Reserve broadly maintained lower interest rates, which impacted the effective yields on newly purchased available-for-sale debt securities and overnight cash purchases and short-term investments. This overall trend changed in late 2021, and throughout 2022, as inflation worries began to impact the financial markets, including the markets’ concern over future Federal Reserve actions of rate hikes and other actions to address inflation concerns. As a result, we saw
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increased yields on securities purchased in late 2021, and throughout 2022, and increased unrealized losses on our portfolio, reflected after-tax in the equity section of our balance sheet as increased market yields negatively impacted the fair value of much of our available-for-sale debt securities.
We sell invested assets from our portfolio from time to time to meet our investment objectives or to take advantage of market opportunities. During the year ended December 31, 2022, sales of available-for-sale debt securities resulted in net realized losses of $1.8 million and sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized gain of $2.2 million, in total generating net realized gains of $0.4 million. During the year ended December 31, 2021, sales of available-for-sale debt securities resulted in a net realized gain of $0.2 million, sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized gain of $2.8 million, the sale of two investment real estate properties, which includes one classified as assets held for sale in 2021, resulted in a realized gain of $2.7 million, and one real estate property classified as assets held for sale in 2021 resulted in a realized gain of $0.2 million, in total generating a net realized gain of $5.9 million. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments).”
There was a $13.1 million net unrealized loss in equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to a $4.0 million net unrealized loss in equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2021. Net change in unrealized gains or losses for equity securities still held at the end of the reported period are recorded at fair value in the Consolidated Balance Sheet with changes in the fair value of equity securities reported in current period earnings in the Consolidated Statements of Income within net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments as they occur.
Commission revenue is comprised principally of brokerage commissions we earn from traditional open market third-party reinsurers, which excludes reinsurance provided by the State of Florida as well as catastrophe bond participants. Commission revenue is earned pro-rata over the reinsurance policy period which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. Reinstatement premiums for Hurricane Ian resulted in $13.1 million of additional brokerage commissions which will be earned prospectively from September 28, 2022 to May 31, 2023, increasing brokerage commission revenue earned of $5.0 million from September 28, 2022 through December 31, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2022, commission revenue was $53.2 million, compared to $41.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in commission revenue of $11.5 million, or 27.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due to increased commissions from third-party reinsurers earned on increased reinsurance premiums which is attributable to growth in our insured values, as well as the difference in pricing and structure associated with our reinsurance program when compared to the prior year.
Policy fees for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $20.2 million compared to $22.7 million for the same period in 2021. The decrease of $2.5 million, or 11.1%, was the result of a decrease in the combined total number of new and renewal policies written during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021 in states where we are permitted to charge this fee.
Other revenue, representing revenue from policy installment fees, premium financing, and other miscellaneous income, was $7.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $7.6 million for the same period in 2021.
Core revenue, representing total GAAP revenue, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, was $1,235.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $1,120.0 million for the same period in 2021.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
Losses and LAE, net of reinsurance recoveries was $938.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, resulting in a net loss ratio of 83.2%, compared to $779.2 million, and 75.3%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Hurricane Ian resulted in $111.0 million of net losses and LAE for the 2022 accident year, or 9.9 net loss ratio points, compared to $28.0 million of weather above plan in 2021, or 2.7 net loss ratio points.
Prior year development includes changes in estimated losses and LAE for all events occurring in prior years including hurricanes and other weather. Prior year development was $25.0 million, or 2.2 net loss ratio points for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $54.5 million for 2021, or 5.3 net loss ratio points.
Excluding Hurricane Ian and prior year development recorded in 2022, all other losses and LAE, net for the current accident year are estimated to be $802.4 million or 71.1 net loss ratio points for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $696.7 million, or 67.3 net loss ratio points estimated in 2021. Throughout 2022, management increased its current accident year loss pick (plan) primarily to reduce volatility in weather above plan. This category also reflects savings from activities performed by affiliates within our holding company system on behalf of our Insurance Entities and our reinsurers when losses and LAE are ceded under our reinsurance contracts. When claims are adjusted by our claims team and files handled by our legal group in this litigious environment, there are synergies achieved by having these two functions within the same consolidated group that could not be achieved through third parties. This synergistic relationship results in more efficient handling and coordination of claims including represented claims handled by our legal group of close to 500 employees. By choosing not to outsource these activities, we also save money for the consolidated group by generating a potential profit margin outside of the Insurance Entities that serves to offset LAE at the consolidated level (contra LAE). During 2022 these claims related activities generated a profit margin of $62.4 million compared to $11.9 million during 2021.
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Losses and LAE experience over the past several years including both 2022 and 2021, reflects an adverse litigation environment and other market conditions in Florida that the Florida Legislature has been attempting to address with the passage of legislation spanning several years with the most significant changes made during a special session held in December 2022.
General and Administrative Expenses
For the year ended December 31, 2022, general and administrative expenses were $304.9 million, compared to $313.6 million during the same period in 2021, as follows (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Ratio | $ | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | $ | 1,128,626 | $ | 1,035,463 | $ | 93,163 | 9.0 | % | |||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 214,259 | 19.0 | % | 226,167 | 21.8 | % | (11,908) | (5.3) | % | ||||||||||||
| Other operating costs | 90,638 | 8.0 | % | 87,428 | 8.4 | % | 3,210 | 3.7 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 304,897 | 27.0 | % | $ | 313,595 | 30.2 | % | $ | (8,698) | (2.8) | % |
General and administrative expenses decreased by $8.7 million, which was the result of decreases in policy acquisition costs of $11.9 million offset by an increase in other operating costs of $3.2 million. The total general and administrative expense ratio was 27.0% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 30.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021.
•The decrease in policy acquisition costs of $11.9 million reflects a reduction in the commission rate paid to agents on the renewal of Florida policies which was reduced by two percentage points to 10% effective April 1, 2021, which also reduced the ratio of policy acquisition to net premiums earned. The commission rate paid to agents on the renewal of Florida policies was reduced by an additional two percentage points to 8% effective May 1, 2022, which will benefit future periods as the new rate structure applies prospectively.
•The increase in other operating costs of $3.2 million primarily reflects an increase in performance bonuses partially offset by a decrease in share-based compensation. The other operating cost ratio was 8.0% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 8.4% in the year ended December 31, 2021. This reduction reflects several factors including economies of scale as we continue to grow premium and spending discipline.
As a result of the above, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 110.2% compared to 105.5% for the same period in 2021. The increase was the result of the impact of Hurricane Ian and higher core losses.
Interest and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs
Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $6.6 million compared to $0.6 million for the same period in 2021. The increase of $6.0 million, or 935.9%, in interest and amortization of debt issuance costs is the result of the issuance of additional debt in the fourth quarter of 2021. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” for additional details.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax benefit was $5.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to income tax expense of $8.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Our effective tax rate decreased to 18.3% for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 28.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 12 (Income Taxes)” for a table of items reconciling statutory rates to the effective rate for years 2022 and 2021.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $88.2 million compared to other comprehensive loss of $18.9 million for the same period in 2021, reflecting after-tax changes in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities held in our investment portfolio and reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income for available-for-sale debt securities sold. We saw increased market yields on securities purchased in late 2021 and 2022 and increased unrealized losses on our portfolio, reflected after-tax in the equity section of our balance sheet as increased interest rates negatively impacted the fair value on much of our available-for-sale debt securities. See discussion above and “Part II—Item 8—Note 14 (Other Comprehensive Income (Loss))” for additional information about the amounts comprising other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes for these periods.
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Non-GAAP
Adjusted operating income (loss) represents GAAP operating income (loss), excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments. Adjusted operating loss was $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to adjusted operating income of $27.2 million for the same period in 2021.
Adjusted operating income (loss) margin represents adjusted operating income (loss) divided by core revenue. Adjusted operating loss margin was 0.6% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to adjusted operating income margin of 2.4% for the same period in 2021.
Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders represents GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net of tax. Adjusted net loss attributable to common stockholders was $12.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders of $19.0 million for the same period in 2021.
Diluted adjusted earnings (loss) per common share represents adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Diluted adjusted loss per common share was $0.41 for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to diluted adjusted earnings per share of $0.61 for the same period in 2021.
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ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2023 COMPARED TO DECEMBER 31, 2022
We believe that cash flows generated from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital requirements for at least the next 12 months. We invest amounts considered to be in excess of current working capital requirements.
The following table summarizes, by type, the carrying values of investments as of the dates presented (in thousands):
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Investment | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Available-for-sale debt securities | $ | 1,064,330 | $ | 1,014,626 | |||
| Equity securities | 80,495 | 85,469 | |||||
| Other investments, at fair value | 10,434 | — | |||||
| Investment real estate, net | 5,525 | 5,711 | |||||
| Total | $ | 1,160,784 | $ | 1,105,806 |
See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” and “Item 8—Note 3 (Investments)” for explanations on changes in investments.
Prepaid reinsurance premiums represent the portion of unearned ceded written premium that will be earned pro-rata over the coverage period of our reinsurance program, which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. The decrease of $46.2 million to $236.3 million as of December 31, 2023 was primarily due to decreased reinsurance costs relating to our 2023-2024 catastrophe reinsurance program beginning June 1, 2023, less amortization of ceded written premium for the reinsurance costs earned since the beginning of the new program. See “Part II— Item7— “Reinsurance Program” regarding the Company’s reinsurance placement and participation in the Florida RAP program.
Reinsurance recoverable represents the estimated amount of paid and unpaid losses, LAE, and other expenses that are expected to be recovered from reinsurers. The decrease of $589.7 million to $219.1 million as of December 31, 2023 was primarily due to the settlement and collection of Hurricane Ian claims and amounts recoverable from reinsurers relating to other ceded events. In addition commutations concluded during the year reduced reinsurance recoverable.
Premiums receivable, net represents amounts receivable from policyholders. The increase in premiums receivable, net of $7.5 million to $77.1 million as of December 31, 2023 is consistent with premium trends including seasonality and consumer payment behaviors.
Property, plant, and equipment, net represents long-term assets held and used in the operations of the business. The decrease in property, plant, and equipment, net of $3.8 million to $47.6 million as of December 31, 2023 is a result of disposals and depreciation of assets held.
Deferred policy acquisition costs (“DPAC”) increased by $6.3 million to $110.0 million as of December 31, 2023, and is consistent with written premium trends and changes in commissions paid to agents. In 2023, DPAC was impacted by the reductions to Florida renewal commissions implemented during 2022 and other changes to the Company’s commission structure. See “Item 1—Note 5 (Insurance Operations)” for a roll-forward in the balance of our DPAC.
Income taxes payable represents the difference between estimated tax obligations and tax payments made to taxing authorities. As of December 31, 2023, the balance payable was $5.9 million, representing amounts due to taxing authorities at that date, compared to a balance recoverable of $1.5 million as of December 31, 2022.
Deferred income taxes represent the estimated tax asset or tax liability caused by temporary differences between the tax return basis of certain assets and liabilities and amounts recorded in the financial statements. During the year ended December 31, 2023, deferred income tax asset, net decreased by $14.1 million to $43.2 million, primarily due to a decrease in unrealized losses on investments, and deferred acquisition costs, and an increase in unearned premiums. Deferred income taxes reverse in future years as the temporary differences between book and tax reverse.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for a roll-forward in the balance of our unpaid losses and LAE. Unpaid losses and LAE decreased by $528.7 million to $510.1 million as of December 31, 2023. The majority of the increase in 2022 was a result of losses recorded in the third quarter of 2022 for Hurricane Ian and in the fourth quarter of 2022 for Hurricane Nicole. Overall, unpaid losses and LAE decreased, as a result of payment of current and prior year claims especially the settlement of Hurricane Ian claims. Unpaid losses and LAE are net of estimated subrogation recoveries of $144.1 million as of December 31, 2023 compared to $134.4 million as of December 31, 2022.
Unearned premiums represent the portion of direct premiums written that will be earned pro-rata in the future. The increase of $46.7 million from December 31, 2022 to $990.6 million as of December 31, 2023 reflects the increases in written premiums as the result of rate increases.
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Advance premium represents premium payments made by policyholders ahead of the effective date of the policies. The decrease of $6.3 million from December 31, 2022 to $48.7 million as of December 31, 2023 reflects customer payment behavior and the payment behavior of mortgage escrow service providers as well as premium trends.
We exclude net negative cash balances, if any, from cash and cash equivalents that we have with any single financial institution based on aggregating the book balance of all accounts at the institution which have the right of offset. If the aggregation results in a net negative book balance, that balance is reclassified from cash and cash equivalents in our Consolidated Balance Sheet to book overdraft. These amounts represent outstanding checks or drafts not yet presented to the financial institution in excess of amounts on deposit at the financial institutions. We maintain a short-term cash investment strategy sweep to maximize investment returns on cash balances. There were $14.6 million book overdrafts as of December 31, 2023, none as of December 31, 2022. The increase of $14.6 million is the result of lower cash balances available for offset as of December 31, 2023 compared to December 31, 2022. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.
Reinsurance payable, net, represents the unpaid reinsurance premium installments owed to reinsurers, unpaid reinstatement premiums due to reinsurers, and cash advances received from reinsurers, if any. On June 1st of each year, we renew our core catastrophe reinsurance program and record the estimated annual cost of our reinsurance program. These estimated annual costs are increased or decreased during the year based on premium adjustments or as a result of new placements during the year. The annual cost initially increases reinsurance payable, which is then reduced as installment payments are made over the policy period of the reinsurance, which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st. The balance decreased by $192.7 million to $191.9 million as of December 31, 2023 as a result of timing of the above items and decline in costs of reinsurance expense for the current treaty period in 2023 and the reduction in cash advances received in 2022 after Hurricane Ian which have been utilized during the claim settlement process in 2023 of Ian claims. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information about timing of reinsurance premium installment payments.
Other liabilities and accrued expenses increased by $31.8 million to $90.6 million as of December 31, 2023, primarily driven by an increase in amounts payable for securities resulting from trades executed that had not settled as of December 31, 2023.
Capital resources, net increased by $52.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting a net increase in total stockholders’ equity, partially offset by a decline in long-term debt. The change in stockholders’ equity was the result of our 2023 net income offset by treasury share purchases and dividends to shareholders. See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity” and “Item 8—Note 8 (Stockholders’ Equity)” for an explanation of changes in treasury stock. The reduction in long-term debt was primarily the result of principal payments on long-term debt of $1.5 million offset by amortization of debt issuance costs of $0.7 million on our 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 during 2023 . See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.
Additional paid-in-capital increased by $2.6 million primarily from share-based compensation expense of $5.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This was largely offset by $2.1 million in connection with the settlement of certain restricted stock units.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity
Liquidity is a measure of a company’s ability to generate sufficient cash flows to meet its short- and long-term obligations. Funds generated from operations have been sufficient and we expect them to be sufficient to meet our current and long term liquidity requirements.
The balance of cash and cash equivalents, excluding restricted cash, as of December 31, 2023 was $397.3 million, compared to $388.7 million at December 31, 2022. See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” for a reconciliation of the balance of cash and cash equivalents between December 31, 2023 and 2022. This increase was driven by cash flows generated from operating activities in excess of cash flows used in investing and financing activities. Our cash investment strategy at times includes cash investments where the right of offset against other bank accounts does not exist. A book overdraft occurs when aggregating the book balance of all accounts at a financial institution for accounts which have the right of offset, and if the aggregation results in a net negative book balance, that balance is reclassified from cash and cash equivalents in our Consolidated Balance Sheet to book overdraft. Cash and cash equivalents balances are available to settle book overdrafts, and to pay reinsurance premiums, expenses and claims. Reinsurance premiums are paid in installments during the reinsurance policy period, which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. The FHCF reimbursement premiums are paid in three installments on August 1st, October 1st and December 1st, and third-party reinsurance premiums are generally paid in four installments on July 1st, October 1st, January 1st and April 1st, resulting in significant payments at those times. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)” and additional discussion below under the caption “—Material Cash Requirements” for more information.
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During 2023, there was one significant hurricane, Hurricane Idalia, which was below the Company’s reinsurance attachment point. The Company’s reinsurance program provides sufficient liquidity in the form of cash advances for paid losses ceded to the reinsurers in the case of weather events with losses above the Company’s reinsurance attachment point. During 2022, Hurricane Ian generated $1.0 billion in gross losses, or $111 million net after the benefit of reinsurance. The Company routinely collected amounts ceded to reinsurers and, as in the past did not have to use funds in the Company’s investment portfolio. See “—Results of Operations” for more information.
The balance of restricted cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 represents cash equivalents on deposit with certain regulatory agencies in the various states in which our Insurance Entities do business.
Liquidity is required at the holding company for us to cover the payment of holding company general operating expenses and contingencies, dividends to shareholders (if and when authorized and declared by our Board of Directors), payment for the possible repurchase of our common stock (if and when authorized by our Board of Directors), payment of our tax obligations to taxing authorities, settlement of taxes between subsidiaries in accordance with our tax sharing agreement, capital contributions to subsidiaries or surplus note contributions to the Insurance Entities, if needed, and interest and principal payments on outstanding debt obligations of the holding company. Effective in 2021 for UPCIC and 2022 for APPCIC, the holding company has put in place an ongoing surplus note arrangement with the Insurance Entities, which has been approved by the FLOIR as the Insurance Entities’ domestic regulator. Surplus notes are unsecured debt issued by the Insurance Entities that are subordinated to all claims by policyholders and creditors, with interest and principal payments on the surplus notes to the holding company being made only upon the FLOIR’s express approval. Surplus notes are considered bonds in function and payout structure, but are accounted for as equity in the statutory reporting of the Insurance Entities. The holding company has outstanding with the Insurance Entities $134.0 million in surplus notes. Under the arrangement, interest accrues at a variable rate (currently 10.54%) on the outstanding surplus note balances and, if approved by the FLOIR, is payable annually to the holding company. The declaration and payment of future dividends to our shareholders, and any future repurchases of our common stock, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon many factors, including our operating results, financial condition, debt covenants, and any regulatory constraints. New regulations or changes to existing regulations imposed on the Company and its affiliates may also impact the amount and timing of future dividend payments to the parent. Principal sources of liquidity for the holding company include dividends paid by our service entities generated from income earned on fees paid by the Insurance Entities to affiliated companies for general agency, inspections and claims adjusting services. Dividends are also paid from income earned from brokerage commissions we earn from third-party reinsurers on reinsurance contracts placed by our wholly-owned subsidiary, BARC and policy fees. We also maintain high quality investments in our portfolio as a source of liquidity along with ongoing interest and dividend income from those investments. As discussed in “Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations),” there are limitations on the dividends the Insurance Entities may pay to their immediate parent company, Protection Solutions, Inc. (“PSI,” formerly known as Universal Insurance Holding Company of Florida).
The maximum amount of dividends that can be paid by Florida insurance companies without prior approval of the FLOIR is subject to restrictions as referenced below and in “Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations).” Dividends from the Insurance Entities can only be paid from accumulated unassigned funds derived from net operating profits and net realized capital gains. Subject to such accumulated unassigned funds, the maximum dividend that may be paid by the Insurance Entities to PSI without prior approval (an “ordinary dividend”) is further limited to the lesser of statutory net income from operations of the preceding calendar year or statutory unassigned surplus as of the preceding year end. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 the Insurance Entities did not pay dividends to PSI. As of December 31, 2023, the Insurance Entities did not have the capacity to pay ordinary dividends.
On November 23, 2021, we issued $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026. We used the net proceeds to support the Insurance Entities’ statutory capital requirements and for general corporate purposes. If necessary, the Company also has amounts available under our unsecured revolving loan as discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
Liquidity for the Insurance Entities is primarily required to cover payments for reinsurance premiums, claims payments including potential payments of catastrophe losses (offset by recovery of any reimbursement amounts under our reinsurance agreements), fees paid to affiliates for managing general agency services, inspections and claims adjusting services, agent commissions, premium and income taxes, regulatory assessments, general operating expenses, and interest and principal payments on debt obligations. The principal source of liquidity for the Insurance Entities consists of the revenue generated from the collection of premiums earned, net, interest and dividend income from the investment portfolio, the collection of reinsurance recoverable and financing fees.
Our insurance operations provide liquidity as premiums are generally received months or even years before potential losses are paid under the policies written. In the event of catastrophic events, many of our reinsurance agreements provide for “cash advance” whereby reinsurers advance or prepay amounts to us, thereby providing liquidity, which we utilize in the claim settlement process. In addition, the Insurance Entities maintain substantial investments in highly liquid, marketable securities, which would generate funds upon sale. The average credit rating on our available-for-sale securities was A+ as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022. Credit ratings are a measure of collection risk on invested assets. Credit ratings are provided by third party nationally recognized rating agencies and are periodically updated. Management establishes guidelines for minimum credit rating and overall credit rating for all investments. The duration of our available-for-sale securities was 3.7 years as of December 31, 2023 compared to 4.0 years at December 31, 2022. Duration is a measure of a bond’s sensitivity to interest rate changes and is used by management to limit the potential impact of longer-term investments.
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The Insurance Entities are responsible for losses related to catastrophic events in excess of coverage provided by the Insurance Entities’ reinsurance programs and retentions before our reinsurance protection commences. Also, the Insurance Entities are responsible for all other losses that otherwise may not be covered by the reinsurance programs and any amounts arising in the event of a reinsurer default. Losses or a default by reinsurers may have a material adverse effect on either of the Insurance Entities or on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Capital Resources
Capital resources provide protection for policyholders, furnish the financial strength to support the business of underwriting insurance risks and facilitate continued business growth. The following table provides our stockholders’ equity, total long-term debt, total capital resources, debt-to-total capital ratio and debt-to-equity ratio for the periods presented (dollars in thousands):
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Stockholders’ equity | $ | 341,297 | $ | 287,896 | |||
| Total long-term debt | 102,006 | 102,769 | |||||
| Total capital resources | $ | 443,303 | $ | 390,665 | |||
| Debt-to-total capital ratio | 23.0 | % | 26.3 | % | |||
| Debt-to-equity ratio | 29.9 | % | 35.7 | % |
Capital resources, net increased by $52.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting a net increase in total stockholders’ equity. The change in stockholders’ equity was the result of our 2023 net income offset by treasury share purchases and dividends to shareholders.
The debt-to-total capital ratio is total long-term debt divided by total capital resources, whereas the debt-to-equity ratio is total long-term debt divided by stockholders’ equity. These ratios help management measure the amount of financing leverage in place in relation to equity and future leverage capacity.
Adjusted common stockholders’ equity, representing GAAP common stockholders’ equity, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), was $415.4 million as of December 31, 2023 and $391.6 million as of December 31, 2022.
Adjusted book value per share common share, representing adjusted common stockholders’ equity divided by outstanding common shares at the end of the reporting period, was $14.34 as of December 31, 2023 and $12.89 as of December 31, 2022.
Adjusted return on common equity representing actual or annualized adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders divided by average adjusted common stockholders' equity, with the denominator excluding current period income statement net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net of tax, was 14.7% as of December 31, 2023 and (3.0)% as of December 31, 2022.
The Insurance Entities are required annually to comply with the NAIC RBC requirements. RBC requirements prescribe a method of measuring the amount of capital appropriate for an insurance company to support its overall business operations in light of its size and risk profile. NAIC’s RBC requirements are used by regulators to determine appropriate regulatory actions relating to insurers who show signs of weak or deteriorating condition. As of December 31, 2023, based on calculations using the appropriate NAIC RBC formula, the Insurance Entities reported respective total adjusted capital in excess of the requirements. Failure by the Insurance Entities to maintain the required level of statutory capital and surplus could result in the suspension of their authority to write new or renewal business, other regulatory actions, or ultimately, in the revocation of their certificate of authority by the FLOIR.
In 2006, UPCIC entered into a $25.0 million surplus note with the State Board of Administration of Florida (the “SBA”) under Florida’s Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program (the “ICBUI”). The surplus note has a twenty-year term, with quarterly payments of interest based on the 10-year Constant Maturity Treasury Index. As of December 31, 2023, UPCIC’s net written premium to surplus ratio and gross written premium to surplus ratio were in excess of the required minimums and, therefore, UPCIC is not subject to increases in interest rates. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” for additional details. At December 31, 2023, UPCIC was in compliance with the terms of the surplus note and with each of the loan’s covenants as implemented by rules promulgated by the SBA. Total adjusted capital and surplus, which includes the surplus note, was in excess of regulatory requirements for both UPCIC and APPCIC.
Revolving Loan
As discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term Debt),” the Company entered into a committed and unsecured $40.0 million revolving credit line with JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. This agreement succeeded the previous $37.5 million revolving credit line with J.P. Morgan Chase, N.A. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has not borrowed any amount under this revolving loan. The Company must pay an annual commitment of 0.50% of the unused portion of the commitment. Borrowings mature on June 29, 2024, 364 days after the inception date and carries an interest rate of prime rate plus a margin of
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2%. The credit line is subject to annual renewals. The credit line contains customary financial and other covenants, with which the Company is in compliance.
Long-term Debt
In November 2021, we issued and sold $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 (the “Notes”) to certain institutional accredited investors and qualified institutional buyers. The Notes mature on November 26, 2026, at which time the entire $100.0 million of principal is due and payable. At any time on or after November 23, 2023, the Company may redeem all or part of the Notes. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” for additional details. As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with all applicable covenants.
We will also continue to evaluate opportunities to access the debt capital markets to raise additional capital. We anticipate any proceeds would be used for general corporate purposes, including investing in the capital and surplus of the Insurance Entities.
In addition to the liquidity generally provided from operations, we maintain a conservative, well-diversified investment portfolio, predominantly comprised of fixed income securities with an average credit rating of A+, that focuses on capital preservation and providing an adequate source of liquidity for potential claim payments and other cash needs. The portfolio’s secondary investment objective is to provide a total rate of return with emphasis on investment income. Historically, we have consistently generated funds from operations, allowing our cash and invested assets to grow. We have not had to liquidate investment holdings to fund either operations or financing activities.
Looking Forward
We continue to monitor a range of financial metrics related to our business. Although we have not experienced material adverse impacts on our business or liquidity, conditions are subject to change depending on the extent of the economic outcomes, and the pace and extent of an economic recovery. Uncertainties regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic tapered in 2023, including mitigated assessed risk by the Federal Reserve regarding the economic concerns of inflation, employment, and recession. We will continue to monitor the broader lasting economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Common Stock Repurchases
We may repurchase shares from time to time at our discretion, based on ongoing assessments of our capital needs, the market price of our common stock, and general market conditions. We will fund the share repurchase program with cash from operations. During 2023, there were two authorized repurchase plans in effect:
•On December 15, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized a successor share repurchase program under which the Company is authorized to repurchase up to $8.0 million of shares of our common stock through December 15, 2024 (the “December 2024 Share Repurchase Program”), which represents the unused portion of a previous share repurchase program authorization from November 2022. Under the December 2024 Share Repurchase Program, we repurchased 587,126 shares of our common stock at an aggregate cost of approximately $8.0 million. As of December 31, 2023, all amounts authorized under the December 2024 Program were repurchased.
•On June 12, 2023, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $20.0 million of our common stock through June 10, 2025 (“The June 2025 Share Repurchase Program”) pursuant to which we repurchased 1,112,953 shares of our common stock at an aggregate cost of approximately $15.9 million. As of December 31, 2023, we have the ability to purchase up to approximately $4.1 million of our common stock under the June 2025 Share Repurchase Program.
In total, during the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased an aggregate of 1,513,644 shares of our common stock in the open market at an aggregate purchase price of $22.0 million. Also see “Part II—Item 5—Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities—Registrant Purchases of Equity Securities” for share repurchase activity during the three months ended December 31, 2023.
Cash Dividends
The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid by the Company during the year ended December 31, 2023:
| Dividend | Shareholders | Dividend | Cash Dividend | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Declared Date | Record Date | Payable Date | Per Share Amount | |||||
| First Quarter | February 9, 2023 | March 9, 2023 | March 16, 2023 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Second Quarter | April 12, 2023 | May 12, 2023 | May 19, 2023 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Third Quarter | July 20, 2023 | August 4, 2023 | August 11, 2023 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Fourth Quarter | November 15, 2023 | December 8, 2023 | December 15, 2023 | $ | 0.29 |
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Reinsurance Recoverable
The following table provides total unpaid loss and LAE, net of related reinsurance recoverable for the dates presented (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Unpaid loss and LAE, net | $ | 44,508 | $ | 44,164 | |||
| IBNR loss and LAE, net | 282,174 | 195,946 | |||||
| Total unpaid loss and LAE, net | $ | 326,682 | $ | 240,110 | |||
| Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid loss and LAE | $ | 49,249 | $ | 156,683 | |||
| Reinsurance recoverable on IBNR loss and LAE | 134,185 | 641,997 | |||||
| Total reinsurance recoverable on unpaid loss and LAE | $ | 183,434 | $ | 798,680 |
Statutory Loss Ratios
Underwriting results of insurance companies are frequently measured by their combined ratios, which is the sum of the loss and expense ratios described in the following paragraph. However, investment income, federal income taxes and other non-underwriting income or expense are not reflected in the combined ratio. The profitability of property and casualty insurance companies depends on income from underwriting, investment and service operations. Underwriting results are considered profitable when the combined ratio is under 100% and unprofitable when the combined ratio is over 100%.
The following table provides the statutory loss ratios, expense ratios and combined ratios for the periods indicated for the Insurance Entities:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Loss and LAE Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 86 | % | 85 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 58 | % | 57 | % | ||
| Expense Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 25 | % | 33 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 33 | % | 28 | % | ||
| Combined Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 111 | % | 118 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 91 | % | 85 | % |
(1)The ratios are net of ceded premiums and losses and LAE, including premiums ceded to our catastrophe reinsurers which comprise a significant cost, and losses and LAE ceded to reinsurers. The expense ratio includes management fees and commissions, which are based on market rates, paid to an affiliate of the Insurance Entities in the amount of $122.0 million and $135.8 million for UPCIC for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $2.8 million and $1.7 million for APPCIC for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The management fees and commissions paid to the affiliate are eliminated in consolidation.
Ratings
The Insurance Entities’ financial strength and stability are rated by certain independent insurance rating agencies to measure the Insurance Entities’ ability to meet their financial obligations to its policyholders. For the Insurance Entities’ policies to be considered acceptable to the secondary mortgage market, the Insurance Entities must maintain a specified rating level with at least one independent insurance rating agency recognized by each of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) or alternatively must qualify for an exception to the rating requirement. The Insurance Entities currently maintain acceptable ratings from two rating agencies recognized by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
In 2023, Demotech, Inc. affirmed the Financial Stability Rating® of “A” for the Insurance Entities and Kroll affirmed its insurer financial strength ratings of “A-”. According to Demotech, Inc., the assigned rating represents a company’s continued positive surplus related to policyholders, liquidity of invested assets, an acceptable level of financial leverage, reasonable loss and LAE reserves, and realistic pricing. According to Kroll, its category of “A” ratings, inclusive of A+, A, and A- ratings,
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indicates an insurer’s financial condition is strong and it is very likely to meet its policy obligations under difficult economic, financial, and business conditions. The ratings of the Insurance Entities are subject to at least annual review by the respective rating agencies, and may be revised upward or downward or revoked at the sole discretion of the rating agencies. Insurer financial stability or financial strength ratings primarily directed towards policyholders, and are not evaluations directed toward the protection of investors in a company, including holders of a company’s common stock, and are not recommendations to buy, sell, or hold securities.
The “A” rating on the 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 was reaffirmed by Egan-Jones Ratings Company in 2023. There are three notches in the rating categories assigned by Egan-Jones Ratings Company (e.g., A-, A, and A+), except for AAA and those deep into speculative grade, i.e., CC, C, and D, which do not have notches. According to Egan-Jones Ratings Company, the assigned rating pertains solely to their view of current and prospective credit quality. Their rating does not address pricing, liquidity, or other risks associated with holding investments in the issuer (UVE). Their rating is dependent on numerous factors including the reliability, accuracy, and quality of the data used in determining the credit rating.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that are reasonably likely to have a material effect on the financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital resources of the Company, except for multi-year reinsurance contract commitments for future years that will be recorded at the commencement of the coverage period. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)” for more information.
Material Cash Requirements
The following table represents our material cash requirements for which cash flows are fixed or determinable as of December 31, 2023 (in thousands):
| Total | Next 12 months | Beyond 12 months | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reinsurance payable and multi-year commitments (1) | $ | 317,197 | $ | 264,551 | $ | 52,646 | |||||
| Unpaid losses and LAE, direct (2) | 510,117 | 287,030 | 223,087 | ||||||||
| Long-term debt (3) | 121,198 | 7,256 | 113,942 | ||||||||
| Total material cash requirements | $ | 948,512 | $ | 558,837 | $ | 389,675 |
(1)Amount represents the payment of reinsurance premiums payable under multi-year commitments. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies).”
(2)There are generally no notional or stated amounts related to unpaid losses and LAE. Both the amounts and timing of future loss and LAE payments are estimates and subject to the inherent variability of legal and market conditions affecting the obligations and make the timing of cash outflows uncertain. The ultimate amount and timing of unpaid losses and LAE could differ materially from the amounts in the table above. Further, the unpaid losses and LAE do not represent all the obligations that will arise under the contracts, but rather only the estimated liability incurred through December 31, 2023. Unpaid losses and LAE are net of estimated subrogation recoveries. In addition, these balances exclude amounts recoverable from our reinsurance program. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 4 (Reinsurance).” and Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses).”
(3)Long-term debt consists of a Surplus note and 5.625% Senior unsecured notes. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
Impact of Inflation and Changing Prices
The financial statements and related data presented herein have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require the measurement of financial position and operating results in terms of historical dollars without considering changes in the relative purchasing power of money over time due to inflation. Our primary assets are monetary in nature. As a result, interest rates have a more significant impact on our performance than the effects of the general levels of inflation. Interest rates do not necessarily move in the same direction or with the same magnitude as the cost of paying losses and LAE.
Insurance premiums are established before we know the amount of loss and LAE and the extent to which inflation may affect such expenses. Consequently, we attempt to anticipate the future impact of inflation when establishing rate levels. While we attempt to charge adequate rates, we may be limited in raising premium levels for competitive and regulatory reasons. Inflation also affects the market value of our investment portfolio and the investment rate of return. Any future economic changes which result in prolonged and increasing levels of inflation could cause increases in the dollar amount of incurred loss and LAE and thereby materially adversely affect future liability requirements.
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Arrangements with Variable Interest Entities
We entered into a reinsurance captive arrangement with a VIE in the normal course of business, and consolidated the VIE since we are the primary beneficiary.
For a further discussion of our involvement with the VIE, see “Part II—Item 8—Note 2 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies)” and “Item 8—Note 18 (Variable Interest Entities).”
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.
Liability for Unpaid Losses and LAE
A liability, net of estimated subrogation, is established to provide for the estimated costs of paying losses and LAE under insurance policies the Insurance Entities have issued. Underwriting results are significantly influenced by an estimate of a liability for unpaid losses and LAE. The liability is an estimate of amounts necessary to settle all outstanding claims, including claims that have been incurred, but not yet reported as of the financial statement date. The process of estimating loss reserves requires significant judgment due to a number of variables, such as the type, severity and jurisdiction of loss, economic conditions including inflation, social attitudes, judicial decisions and legislative development, and changes in claims handling procedures. These variables will inherently result in an ultimate liability that will differ from initial estimates. We revise our reserve for unpaid losses as additional information becomes available, and reflect adjustments, if any, in our earnings in the periods in which we determine the adjustments are necessary. We estimate and accrue our right to subrogate reported or estimated claims against other parties. Subrogated claims are recorded at amounts estimated to be received from the subrogated parties, net of expenses and netted against unpaid losses and LAE.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for a discussion of the Company’s basis and methodologies used to establish its liability for unpaid losses and LAE along with the following quantitative disclosures:
•Five-year accident year table on incurred claim and allocated claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance including columns of:
◦IBNR—Total of Incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development (redundancy) on reported claims by accident year, and
◦Claim counts—cumulative number of reported claims by accident year.
•Five-year accident year table on cumulative paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance,
•Reconciliation of net incurred and paid claims development tables to the liability for unpaid losses and LAE in the consolidated balance sheet,
•Duration—a table of the average historical claims duration for the past five years, and
•Reconciliation of the change in liability for unpaid losses and LAE presented in the consolidated financial statements.
We utilize independent actuaries to help establish liabilities for unpaid losses, anticipated loss recoveries, and LAE. We do not discount the liability for unpaid losses and LAE for financial statement purposes. In establishing the liability for unpaid losses and LAE, actuarial judgment is relied upon in order to make appropriate assumptions to estimate a best estimate of ultimate losses. There are inherent uncertainties associated with this estimation process, especially when a company is undergoing changes in its claims settlement practices, when a company has limited experience in a certain area or when behaviors of policyholders are influenced by external factors and/or market dynamics. As an example, a dramatic change occurred during calendar year 2015 when we realigned our adjusting teams as well as launched our Fast Track initiative, reducing settlement costs and strengthening case reserve adequacy for claims reported during the year. These changes have had a meaningful influence on development pattern selections applied to 2013 through 2017 accident year claims in the reserving estimates for each of the methods described in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses).” More recently, since 2016 there has been a significant increase in efforts to pursue subrogation against third parties responsible for property damage losses to our insureds. As a result, anticipated subrogation recoveries are reviewed and estimated on a stand-alone basis in the Company’s reserve analysis. Market dynamics in Florida include the use of assignments of benefits (“AOB”) and the resulting increase in litigation against the Company. As a result of the use of AOBs, as well as the continued overall increase in represented claims and claims-related abuses in Florida, we have increased our estimates of ultimate losses for the most recent and prior accident years.
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Factors Affecting Reserve Estimates
Reserve estimates are developed based on the processes and historical development trends discussed in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. These estimates are considered in conjunction with known facts and interpretations of circumstances and factors including our experience with similar cases, actual claims paid, differing payment patterns and pending levels of unpaid claims, loss management programs, product mix and contractual terms, changes in law and regulation, judicial decisions, and economic conditions. When these types of changes are experienced, actuarial judgment is applied in the determination and selection of development factors in order to better reflect new trends or expectations. For example, if a change in law is expected to have a significant impact on the development of claim severity, actuarial judgment is applied to determine appropriate development factors that will most accurately reflect the expected impact on that specific estimate. As an example, the Company considered and included the effects of the enacted legislation in developing its ultimate loss projections and reserve estimates as of December 31, 2023, as noted in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. Another example would be when a change in economic conditions is expected to affect the cost of repairs to property; actuarial judgment is applied to determine appropriate development factors to use in the reserve estimate that will most accurately reflect the expected impacts on severity development.
Changes in homeowners current year claim severity are generally influenced by inflation in the cost of building materials, the cost of construction and property repair services, the cost of replacing home furnishings and other contents, the types of claims that qualify for coverage, the presence of third party representation, such as legal or repair contractors (which serve to inflate claim expenses), and other economic and environmental factors. We employ various loss management programs to mitigate the effects of these factors.
Key assumptions that may materially affect the estimate of the reserve for loss and LAE relate to the effects of emerging claim and coverage issues. As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other environmental conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverages may emerge. These issues may adversely affect our business by either extending coverage beyond our underwriting intent, lengthening the time to final settlement, or by increasing the number or size of claims. Key assumptions that are premised on future emergence that are inconsistent with historical loss reserve development patterns include but are not limited to:
•Adverse changes in loss cost trends, including inflationary pressures in home repair costs;
•Judicial expansion of policy coverage and the impact of new theories of liability; and
•Plaintiffs targeting property and casualty insurers in purported class action or other litigation related to claims-handling and other practices.
As loss experience for the current year develops for each type of loss, the reserves for loss and LAE are monitored relative to initial assumptions until they are judged to have sufficient statistical credibility. From that point in time and forward, reserves are re-estimated using statistical actuarial processes to reflect the impact loss trends have on development factors incorporated into the actuarial estimation processes.
Causes of Reserve Estimate Uncertainty
Since reserves are estimates of the unpaid portions of claims and claims expenses that have occurred, the establishment of appropriate reserves, including reserves for catastrophes, requires regular reevaluation and refinement of estimates to determine ultimate loss and LAE estimates.
At each reporting date, the highest degree of uncertainty in reserve estimates arises from claims remaining to be settled for the current accident year and the most recent preceding accident year, and claims that have occurred but have not been reported. The estimate for the current accident year contains the greatest degree of uncertainty because it contains the greatest proportion of losses that have not been reported or settled but must be estimated as of the current reporting date. During the first year after the end of an accident year, a large portion of the total losses for that accident year are settled. When accident year losses paid through the end of the first year following the initial accident year are incorporated into updated actuarial estimates, the trends inherent in the settlement of claims emerge more clearly. Consequently, this is the point in time at which the largest re-estimates of losses for an accident year can occur. After the second year, the losses paid for the accident year typically relate to claims that are more difficult to settle, such as those involving litigation.
Reserves for Catastrophe Losses
Loss and LAE reserves also include reserves for catastrophe losses. Catastrophe losses are an inherent risk of the property-casualty insurance industry that have contributed, and will continue to contribute, to potentially material year-to-year fluctuations in results of operations and financial position. A catastrophe is an event that produces significant insured losses before reinsurance and involves multiple first party policyholders, or an event that produces a number of claims in excess of a preset, per-event threshold of average claims in a specific area, occurring within a certain amount of time following the event. Catastrophes are commonly caused by various natural events including high winds, tornadoes, wildfires, winter storms, tropical storms and hurricanes.
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The estimation of claims and claims expense reserves for catastrophes also comprises estimates of losses from reported and unreported claims, primarily for damage to property. In general, estimates for catastrophe reserves are based on claim adjuster inspections and the application of historical loss development factors as described previously and in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. However, depending on the nature of the catastrophe, as noted above, the estimation process can be further complicated. For example, for hurricanes, complications could include the inability of insureds to be able to promptly report losses, a prevalence of solicited and late-reported claims creating or compounding challenges with determining the cause and amount of loss, limitations placed on claims adjusting staff affecting their ability to inspect losses, determining whether losses are covered by our homeowners policy (generally for damage caused by wind or wind driven rain) or are specifically excluded from coverage such as losses caused by flood, estimating additional living expenses or assessing the impact of demand surge and exposure to mold damage. The effects of numerous other considerations, include the timing of a catastrophe in relation to other events, such as at or near the end of a financial reporting period, which can affect the availability of information needed to estimate reserves for that reporting period. In these situations, practices are adapted to accommodate these circumstances in order to determine a best estimate of losses from a catastrophe.
Key Actuarial Assumptions That Affect the Loss and LAE Estimate
The aggregation of estimates for reported losses and IBNR forms the reserve liability recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
At any given point in time, the recorded loss and LAE reserves represent our best estimate of the ultimate settlement and administration cost of insured claims incurred and unpaid. Since the process of estimating loss and LAE reserves requires significant judgment due to a number of variables, such as fluctuations in inflation, judicial decisions, legislative changes and changes in claims handling procedures, ultimate liability may exceed or be less than these estimates. Reserves for losses and LAE are revised as additional information becomes available, and adjustments, if any, are reflected in earnings in the periods in which they are determined.
In selecting development factors and averages described in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements, due consideration is given to how the historical experience patterns change from one year to the next over the course of several consecutive years of recent history. Predictions surrounding these patterns drive the estimates that are produced by each method, and are based on statistical techniques that follow standard actuarial practices.
In compliance with annual statutory reporting requirements, our appointed independent actuary provides a Statement of Actuarial Opinion (“SAO”) indicating that carried loss and LAE reserves recorded at each annual balance sheet date make a reasonable provision for all of the Insurance Entities’ unpaid loss and LAE obligations under the terms of contracts and agreements with our policyholders. Recorded reserves are compared to the indicated range provided in the actuary’s report accompanying the SAO. At December 31, 2023, the recorded amount for net loss and LAE falls within the range determined by the Company’s appointed independent actuary.
Potential Reserve Estimate Variability
The methods employed by actuaries include a range of estimated unpaid losses, each reflecting a level of uncertainty. Projections of loss and LAE liabilities are subject to potentially large variability in the estimation process since the ultimate disposition of claims incurred prior to the financial statement date, whether reported or not, is subject to the outcome of events that have not yet occurred. Examples of these events include jury decisions, court interpretations, legislative changes, public attitudes, and social/economic conditions such as inflation. Any estimate of future costs is subject to the inherent limitation on one’s ability to predict the aggregate course of future events. It should therefore be expected that the actual emergence of losses and LAE will vary, perhaps materially, from any estimate.
In selecting the range of reasonable estimates, the range of indications produced by the various methods is evaluated, the relative strengths and weaknesses of each method are considered, and from those inputs a range of estimates can be selected. For reasons cited above, this range of estimated ultimate losses is typically smaller for older, more mature accident periods and greater for more recent, less mature accident periods. The greatest level of uncertainty is associated with the most recent accident years, and particularly years during which catastrophe events occurred.
The inherent uncertainty associated with our loss and LAE liability is magnified due to our concentration of property business in catastrophe-exposed and litigious states, primarily Florida. In 2018, for example, loss and expense payments for Hurricane Irma claims exceeded initial liability estimates that were established at year-end 2017, which was shortly after the event occurred. This unexpected development was partially due to the influence of plaintiff attorneys in the claim filing process; both at initial contact prior to coverage validation or damage assessment, and after claims were settled and closed which resulted in a large number of claims being reopened during the year. In 2019, UPCIC continued to experience unanticipated unfavorable development on losses from claims being reopened and new claims being opened due to public adjusters encouraging policyholders to file new claims. Due to the relatively low frequency and inherent uncertainty of catastrophe events, the parameters utilized in loss estimation methodologies are updated whenever new information emerges.
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The following table summarizes the effect on net loss and LAE reserves and net loss, net of tax in the event of reasonably likely changes in the severity of claims considered in establishing loss and LAE reserves. The range of reasonably likely changes in the severity of our claims was established based on a review of changes in loss year development and applied loss and LAE reserves as a whole. The selected range of changes does not indicate what could be the potential best or worst case or likely scenarios (dollars in thousands):
| Year ended December 31, 2023 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent Change in | |||||||
| Change in Reserves | Reserves | Net Income | |||||
| -20.0% | $ | 408,094 | (115) | % | |||
| -15.0% | 433,599 | (87) | % | ||||
| -10.0% | 459,105 | (58) | % | ||||
| -5.0% | 484,611 | (29) | % | ||||
| Base | 510,117 | — | |||||
| 5.0% | 535,623 | 29 | % | ||||
| 10.0% | 561,129 | 58 | % | ||||
| 15.0% | 586,635 | 87 | % | ||||
| 20.0% | 612,140 | 115 | % |
Adequacy of Reserve Estimates
We believe our net loss and LAE reserves are appropriately established based on available methodology, facts, technology, laws, and regulations. We calculate and record a single best reserve estimate, in conformance with generally accepted actuarial standards, for reported and unreported losses and LAE losses and as a result we believe no other estimate is better than our recorded amount.
Due to the uncertainties involved, the ultimate cost of losses and LAE may vary materially from recorded amounts, which are based on our best estimates. The liability for unpaid losses and LAE at December 31, 2023 is $510.1 million.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740), which will require that public business entities on an annual basis (1) disclose specific categories in the rate reconciliation and (2) provide additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold (if the effect of those reconciling items is equal to or greater than 5 percent of the amount computed by multiplying pretax income [or loss] by the applicable statutory income tax rate). The impact to our consolidated financial statements, if any, will be dependent on the timing and terms of any future modifications related to a change in effective tax rate. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP. For more information regarding our key performance indicators, please refer to the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Key Performance Indicators.”
The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP revenue (total premiums earned and other revenues) to core revenue, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| GAAP revenue | $ | 1,391,582 | $ | 1,222,658 | $ | 1,121,851 | ||||
| less: Net realized gains (losses) on investments | (1,229) | 348 | 5,892 | |||||||
| less: Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | 12,046 | (13,145) | (4,032) | |||||||
| Core Revenue | $ | 1,380,765 | $ | 1,235,455 | $ | 1,119,991 |
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The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP operating income (loss) to adjusted operating income (loss), which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| GAAP income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) | $ | 88,349 | $ | (27,247) | $ | 28,413 | ||||
| add: Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,531 | 6,609 | 638 | |||||||
| GAAP operating income (loss) | 94,880 | (20,638) | 29,051 | |||||||
| less: Net realized gains (losses) on investments | (1,229) | 348 | 5,892 | |||||||
| less: Net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | 12,046 | (13,145) | (4,032) | |||||||
| Adjusted operating income (loss) | $ | 84,063 | $ | (7,841) | $ | 27,191 |
The following table presents the reconciliation of operating income (loss) margin to adjusted operation income (loss) margin, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| GAAP operating income (loss) | $ | 94,880 | $ | (20,638) | $ | 29,051 | ||||
| GAAP revenue | 1,391,582 | 1,222,658 | 1,121,851 | |||||||
| GAAP operating income (loss) margin | 6.8 | % | (1.7) | % | 2.6 | % | ||||
| Adjusted operating income (loss) | 84,063 | (7,841) | 27,191 | |||||||
| Core revenue | 1,380,765 | 1,235,455 | 1,119,991 | |||||||
| Adjusted operating income (loss) margin | 6.1 | % | (0.6) | % | 2.4 | % |
The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP net income (loss) available to common stockholders to adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| GAAP net income (loss) | $ | 66,823 | $ | (22,257) | $ | 20,407 | ||||
| less: Preferred dividends | 10 | 10 | 10 | |||||||
| GAAP net income (loss) available to common stockholders | 66,813 | (22,267) | 20,397 | |||||||
| less: Net realized gains (losses) on investments | (1,229) | 348 | 5,892 | |||||||
| less: Net changes in unrealized gains (losses) on investments | 12,046 | (13,145) | (4,032) | |||||||
| add: Income tax effect on above adjustments | 2,661 | (3,148) | 422 | |||||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders | $ | 58,657 | $ | (12,618) | $ | 18,959 | ||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding - Diluted | 30,147 | 30,751 | 31,307 | |||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 2.22 | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | ||||
| Diluted adjusted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 1.95 | $ | (0.41) | $ | 0.61 |
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The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP stockholders’ equity to adjusted stockholders’ equity and book value per common share to adjusted book value per common share, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| As of | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | ||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| GAAP Stockholders' equity | $ | 341,297 | $ | 287,896 | $ | 429,702 | ||||
| less: Preferred equity | 100 | 100 | 100 | |||||||
| Common stockholders' equity | 341,197 | 287,796 | 429,602 | |||||||
| less: Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | (74,172) | (103,782) | (15,568) | |||||||
| Adjusted common stockholders' equity | $ | 415,369 | $ | 391,578 | $ | 445,170 | ||||
| Common shares outstanding | 28,966 | 30,389 | 31,221 | |||||||
| Book value per common share | $ | 11.78 | $ | 9.47 | $ | 13.76 | ||||
| Adjusted book value per common share | $ | 14.34 | $ | 12.89 | $ | 14.26 |
The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP ROCE to adjusted ROCE, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Actual net income (loss) available to common stockholders' | 66,813 | (22,267) | 20,397 | |||||||
| Average common stockholders' equity | 314,497 | 358,699 | 439,382 | |||||||
| ROCE | 21.2 | % | (6.2) | % | 4.6 | % | ||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders | $ | 58,657 | $ | (12,618) | $ | 18,959 | ||||
| Adjusted average common stockholders' equity* | $ | 399,396 | $ | 423,199 | $ | 444,776 | ||||
| Adjusted ROCE | 14.7 | % | (3.0) | % | 4.3 | % |
*Adjusted average common stockholders’ equity excludes current period after-tax net realized gains (losses) on investments and net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments.
FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000891166-23-000022.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to assist in an understanding of our financial condition and results of operations and should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in “Item 8—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” below. Except for the historical information contained herein, the discussions in this MD&A contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our future results could differ materially from those discussed herein. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed above under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Part I— Item 1A—Risk Factors.”
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Overview
We are a vertically integrated holding company offering homeowners insurance to our customers. In addition, we generate revenue from our investment portfolio, reinsurance brokerage services, the receipt of managing general agency fees from policy holders and from other sources of revenue (collectively “Other Revenue Sources”). We develop, market, and underwrite insurance products for consumers predominantly in the personal residential homeowners lines of business and perform substantially all insurance-related services for our Insurance Entities, including risk management, claims management and distribution. Our Insurance Entities offer insurance products through both appointed independent insurance agents and through our online distribution channel. We currently sell insurance policies in 19 states with Florida representing 83.3% of our direct premiums written, with licenses to write insurance in two additional states. We seek to produce an underwriting profit (defined as earned premium-net minus losses, LAE, policy acquisition costs and other operating costs) over the long term, along with growing our Other Revenue Sources.
Revenues
We generate revenue primarily from the collection of insurance premiums. Other sources of revenue include: commissions paid by our reinsurers to our reinsurance intermediary subsidiary BARC on reinsurance it places for the Insurance Entities; policy fees collected from policyholders by our managing general agent subsidiary, ERA (formerly Universal Risk Advisors, Inc.); and financing fees charged to policyholders who choose to defer premium payments reflected in other income. In addition, our subsidiary Alder receives fees from the Insurance Entities for claims-handling services. The Insurance Entities are reimbursed for these fees on claims that are subject to recovery under the Insurance Entities’ respective reinsurance programs. These fees, after expenses, are recorded in the consolidated financial statements as an adjustment to LAE. We also generate income by investing our assets.
The nature of our business tends to be seasonal during the year, reflecting consumer behaviors in connection with the Florida residential real estate market and the hurricane season. The amount of direct premiums written tends to be highest in the second and third quarters of our fiscal year and lowest in the first and fourth quarters.
Trends and Geographical Distribution
Florida Trends
We are currently working through a cycle to improve long-term rate adequacy and earnings for the Insurance Entities by increasing rates and managing exposures, while taking advantage of what we believe to be opportunities in a dislocated market. The Florida personal lines homeowners’ market currently can be characterized as a “hard market”, where insurance premium rates are escalating, insurers are reducing coverages, and underwriting standards are tightening as insurers closely monitor insurance rates and manage coverage capacity. Due to conditions in the Florida market and factors more generally affecting the U.S. and global reinsurance markets, reinsurance capacity in recent years has also been subject to less favorable pricing and terms. These market forces decrease competition among admitted insurers, and ultimately result in the increased use of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (“Citizens”), which was created to be the State’s residual property insurance market. In recent years, in response to rising claims costs, increased reinsurance costs and deteriorating conditions in the Florida residential market, most admitted market competitors have implemented significant rate increases. Meanwhile, Citizens’ rate increases are limited by law, resulting in its policies, in a hard market, becoming priced lower than admitted market policies. This causes Citizens to become viewed as a desirable alternative to the admitted market as admitted market insurers manage through the hard market challenges. Our Insurance Entities likewise have taken and continue to take action to manage through this hard market by increasing rates and prudently managing exposures while also seeking to maintain their competitive position in the Florida market, supporting our current policyholders and agents.
While addressing rate adequacy for the Insurance Entities, we continue to experience increased costs for losses and LAE in the Florida market, where an industry has developed around the solicitation, filing and litigation of personal residential claims. These dynamics have been made worse by the litigation financing industry, which in some cases funds these actions. In addition, rising inflation, as seen in the cost of labor and material supplies, has further escalated costs associated with the settlement of claims. These conditions and the resulting increases in losses and LAE are chief contributing factors for the rate increases in this market. Adverse actions by public adjusters and lawyers have resulted in a pattern of continued increases in year-over-year levels of represented claims, increases in purported claim amounts, and increased demands for attorneys’ fees. Active solicitation of personal residential claims in Florida by policyholder representatives, remediation companies and repair companies has led to an increase in the frequency and severity of personal residential claims in Florida, exceeding historical levels and levels seen in other jurisdictions. Information prepared by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation shows that claims in Florida are litigated at a substantially disproportionate rate when compared to other states. This is largely due to a Florida statute in effect prior to December 16, 2022, providing a one-way right of attorneys’ fees against insurers which has, when coupled with certain other statutes and judicial rulings, produced a legal environment in Florida that encourages litigation, in many cases without regard to the underlying merits of the claims. The one-way right to attorneys’ fees essentially means that unless an insurer’s position is substantially upheld in litigation, the insurer must pay the plaintiff’s attorneys’ fees in addition to its own defense costs. This affects not only claims that are litigated to resolution, but also the settlement discussions that take place with nearly all litigated claims. This also affects a large number of claims from inception or during the adjusting process as a substantial and growing percentage of policyholders obtain representation early in the process, and sometimes even before notifying insurers of their claims. These market conditions also add, and will continue to add, complexity to efforts to efficiently and expeditiously adjust claims. This is due to an increasing number of policyholders who have one or more recent prior losses with the Insurance Entities or with other insurers, which then require evaluation during subsequent claims and
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determinations regarding whether property has been repaired consistently with the scope and amount of damage previously asserted.
The one-way right to attorney fees creates a nearly risk-free environment, and incentive, for attorneys to pursue litigation against insurers. The Florida legislature attempted to curtail these abuses through a series of law changes beginning in 2019. However, the reforms passed in 2019 and thereafter have not proven to be effective in reversing or even significantly moderating the trend of increased losses and loss adjustments expenses and the resulting impact on premiums for consumers. More recently, in December 2022, the Florida legislature took more definitive steps to address the primary underlying causes of abuses in the Florida market. The legislature eliminated the statutory one-way right to attorneys’ fees; prohibited assignments of post-loss benefits under insurance policies; improved the usefulness of offers of judgment as a means of fostering resolutions of disputed claims; made incremental adjustments to reduce Citizens’ competitiveness with the private market; and adopted several other related measures. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law on December 16, 2022. Because some of the changes will affect only future policies, the impact of the new laws on claims and claims-related costs, including litigation, will not be fully known for some time.
Despite our initiatives in implementing prior law changes and responding to adverse claims behaviors and trends, our costs to settle claims in Florida have increased for the reasons noted herein. For example, the Company continues to adjust its estimate of expected losses and has increased its current year loss estimates and increased estimates associated with prior years’ claims. Over the past three years, even as we have increased our estimates of prospective losses each year, we have recorded adverse claim development on prior years’ loss reserves and further strengthened current year losses during the year to address the increasing impact that Florida’s market disruptions, as well as the impact of rising costs of building materials and labor, have had on the claims process and the establishment of reserves for losses and LAE. The full extent and duration of these market disruptions and inflationary pressures are unknown and still unfolding, and we will monitor the impact of such disruptions on the recording and reporting of claim costs.
The Company has taken a series of steps over time to mitigate the financial impact of these negative trends in the Florida market. We also have closely monitored rate levels, especially in the Florida market, and have submitted rate filings based upon evolving data. However, because rate filings rely upon past loss and expense data and take time to develop, file and implement, we can experience significant delays between identifying needed rate adjustments, filing the associated rate changes, and ultimately collecting and earning the resulting increased premiums. This is particularly the case in an era of rising costs such as the current Florida market, in which the costs of losses and loss adjustment expenses continue to increase due to Florida’s outsized claims litigation environment and inflationary pressure. In addition, the Company has implemented several initiatives in its claims department in response to the adverse market trends. We utilize our process called Fast Track, which is an initiative to handle straightforward, meritorious claims as promptly as possible to mitigate the adverse impacts that can be seen with claims that remain open for longer periods. In addition, we increased our emphasis on subrogation to reduce our net losses while also recovering policyholders’ deductibles when losses are attributable to the actions of others. We have an internal staff of trained water remediation experts to address the extraordinary number of purported water damage claims filed by policyholders and vendors. We developed a specialized in-house unit for responding to the unique aspects of represented claims, and we have substantially increased our in-house legal staff in an effort to address the increase in litigated or represented claims as cost-effectively as possible.
Additionally, we have taken steps to implement claim settlement rules associated with the Florida legislation passed in 2019 and subsequently. Following legislation adopted in Florida’s December 2022 special session, we have analyzed the changes and have initiated efforts to implement the new provisions that the legislature intends will curtail abuses in the market. Although the recent law changes mark the legislature’s most definitive effort to find effective solutions to Florida’s market problems, it is too early to evaluate the extent to which the changes will be successful or the time period over which any benefits will materialize.
Summary of Rate Increases and Cost of Living Adjustments
In May 2022, the Company filed a rate increase with the FLOIR for an overall 14.9% rate increase for UPCIC on Florida personal residential homeowners’ line of business which became effective June 1, 2022, for new business and November 4, 2022, for renewals.
In addition, in November 2022, UPCIC filed a 3.7% rate increase on Florida personal residential homeowners’ line of business, effective February 15, 2023, for new business and April 1, 2023, for renewals.
During 2022 inflation adjustments averaging 11.9% have been implemented. These are adjustments to policy coverage amounts designed to facilitate the policies’ adherence to insurance-to-value requirements. The coverage adjustments provide a degree of protection insureds have against inflationary pressures while also resulting in additional premium to the Company to cover the increased claim costs driven by inflation factors.
Changing Climate Conditions
Severe weather events over the last two decades underscore the unpredictability of climate trends, and changing climate conditions have added to the frequency and severity of natural disasters and created additional uncertainty as to future trends and exposures. The insurance industry has experienced increased catastrophe losses due to a number of potential causal factors, including, in addition to weather/climate variability, aging infrastructure; more people living in high-risk areas; population growth in areas with weaker enforcement of building codes; urban expansion; an increase in the number of amenities included in, and average size of, a home; and increased inflation, including as a result of post-pandemic demand surge. Climate studies by government agencies, academic institutions, catastrophe modeling organizations and other groups indicate that we are
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experiencing, and are expected to continue to experience over time, an increase in frequency and/or intensity of hurricanes, heavy precipitation events, flash flooding, sea level rise, droughts, heat waves and wildfires. Understanding the potential impacts of changing climate conditions is important to the Company’s business.
Geographical Distribution
Direct premiums written continue to increase across the states in which we conduct business. As a result of our business strategy, rate changes and disciplined underwriting initiatives, we have seen a decrease in policy count, but an increase in in-force premium and total insured value in a majority of states for the past two years. Direct premiums written for states outside of Florida increased 8.7%, representing a $24.7 million increase during 2022. Direct premiums written for Florida increased 10.8%, representing a $149.8 million increase during 2022. The following table provides direct premiums written for Florida and other states for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended | Growth Year Over Year | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| State | Direct Premiums Written | % | Direct Premiums Written | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||
| Florida | $ | 1,538,143 | 83.3 | % | $ | 1,388,318 | 83.1 | % | $ | 149,825 | 10.8 | % | |||||||||
| Other states | 307,643 | 16.7 | % | 282,934 | 16.9 | % | 24,709 | 8.7 | % | ||||||||||||
| Grand total | $ | 1,845,786 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,671,252 | 100.0 | % | $ | 174,534 | 10.4 | % |
We seek to prudently grow and generate long-term rate adequate premium in each state where we offer policies. Our diversification strategy seeks to increase business outside of Florida and to improve geographical distribution within Florida.
The geographical distribution of our policies in force, premium in force and total insured value across all states were as follows, as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 (dollars in thousands, rounded to the nearest thousand):
| As of December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 615,796 | 72.5 | % | $ | 1,547,383 | 83.4 | % | $ | 201,237,145 | 62.4 | % | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 54,988 | 6.5 | % | 60,990 | 3.3 | % | 23,135,353 | 7.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 35,174 | 4.2 | % | 53,250 | 2.9 | % | 17,684,518 | 5.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 18,849 | 2.2 | % | 28,729 | 1.5 | % | 13,886,783 | 4.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 20,123 | 2.4 | % | 24,622 | 1.3 | % | 12,691,444 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 17,965 | 2.1 | % | 23,551 | 1.3 | % | 12,434,136 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 14,218 | 1.7 | % | 22,794 | 1.2 | % | 6,043,021 | 1.9 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 17,260 | 2.0 | % | 20,304 | 1.1 | % | 7,344,000 | 2.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 14,441 | 1.7 | % | 18,804 | 1.0 | % | 5,885,207 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 9,545 | 1.1 | % | 18,100 | 1.0 | % | 5,456,394 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 11,179 | 1.3 | % | 13,700 | 0.7 | % | 5,645,993 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 6,840 | 0.8 | % | 6,642 | 0.4 | % | 3,116,236 | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 3,897 | 0.5 | % | 5,963 | 0.3 | % | 2,912,117 | 0.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 3,497 | 0.4 | % | 4,995 | 0.3 | % | 1,756,525 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 1,939 | 0.2 | % | 2,645 | 0.1 | % | 1,220,586 | 0.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 1,566 | 0.2 | % | 1,901 | 0.1 | % | 875,158 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 1,057 | 0.1 | % | 1,435 | 0.1 | % | 588,925 | 0.2 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 350 | 0.1 | % | 306 | — | % | 239,970 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 172 | — | % | 225 | — | % | 89,629 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 848,856 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,856,339 | 100.0 | % | $ | 322,243,140 | 100.0 | % |
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| As of December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 695,533 | 73.7 | % | $ | 1,395,476 | 83.1 | % | $ | 203,062,948 | 63.3 | % | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 58,644 | 6.2 | % | 57,534 | 3.4 | % | 22,703,801 | 7.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 41,097 | 4.4 | % | 53,956 | 3.2 | % | 19,057,338 | 5.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 16,793 | 1.8 | % | 23,790 | 1.4 | % | 11,467,490 | 3.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 23,306 | 2.5 | % | 21,069 | 1.3 | % | 13,854,648 | 4.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 14,484 | 1.5 | % | 19,966 | 1.2 | % | 5,725,381 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 17,744 | 1.9 | % | 19,018 | 1.1 | % | 6,810,107 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 11,934 | 1.2 | % | 18,216 | 1.1 | % | 6,372,221 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 14,844 | 1.6 | % | 18,054 | 1.1 | % | 9,523,904 | 3.0 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 17,563 | 1.8 | % | 17,976 | 1.1 | % | 6,860,210 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 13,930 | 1.5 | % | 14,688 | 0.9 | % | 6,528,352 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 6,615 | 0.7 | % | 6,003 | 0.4 | % | 2,802,756 | 0.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 3,476 | 0.4 | % | 4,572 | 0.3 | % | 1,585,940 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 2,808 | 0.3 | % | 3,814 | 0.2 | % | 1,898,297 | 0.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 1,819 | 0.2 | % | 2,316 | 0.1 | % | 1,061,987 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 1,773 | 0.2 | % | 1,974 | 0.1 | % | 903,844 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 786 | 0.1 | % | 1,006 | — | % | 409,660 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 369 | — | % | 301 | — | % | 235,154 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 75 | — | % | 92 | — | % | 34,396 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 943,593 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,679,821 | 100.0 | % | $ | 320,898,434 | 100.0 | % |
| As of December 31, 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policies | Premium | Total Insured | ||||||||||||||||||
| State | In Force | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 728,211 | 73.9 | % | $ | 1,252,916 | 82.4 | % | $ | 192,504,430 | 63.6 | % | |||||||||
| Georgia | 46,678 | 4.7 | % | 57,251 | 3.8 | % | 20,141,751 | 6.7 | % | |||||||||||
| North Carolina | 62,849 | 6.4 | % | 55,307 | 3.6 | % | 21,500,109 | 7.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 23,546 | 2.4 | % | 20,226 | 1.3 | % | 12,959,884 | 4.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 15,090 | 1.5 | % | 20,161 | 1.3 | % | 9,507,917 | 3.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 19,839 | 2.0 | % | 18,328 | 1.2 | % | 7,171,623 | 2.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 12,730 | 1.3 | % | 17,863 | 1.2 | % | 6,252,822 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 13,632 | 1.4 | % | 17,409 | 1.2 | % | 4,953,449 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 17,877 | 1.8 | % | 16,886 | 1.1 | % | 6,297,270 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 17,183 | 1.7 | % | 14,540 | 1.0 | % | 7,394,773 | 2.4 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 11,576 | 1.2 | % | 12,915 | 0.9 | % | 6,684,386 | 2.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 5,664 | 0.6 | % | 4,816 | 0.3 | % | 2,226,324 | 0.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 3,494 | 0.4 | % | 4,290 | 0.3 | % | 1,478,595 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 1,936 | 0.2 | % | 2,251 | 0.2 | % | 1,159,105 | 0.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 2,031 | 0.2 | % | 1,983 | 0.1 | % | 901,401 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 1,581 | 0.2 | % | 1,908 | 0.1 | % | 870,728 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 497 | 0.1 | % | 580 | — | % | 235,593 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 409 | — | % | 312 | — | % | 238,121 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 7 | — | % | 7 | — | % | 2,774 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 984,830 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,519,949 | 100.0 | % | $ | 302,481,055 | 100.0 | % |
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KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The Company considers the measures and ratios in the following discussion to be key performance indicators for its businesses. Management believes that these indicators are helpful in understanding the underlying trends in the Company’s businesses. Some of these indicators are reported on a quarterly basis and others on an annual basis. Please also refer to “Item 8—Note 2 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies)” for definitions of certain other terms we use when describing our financial results.
These indicators may not be comparable to other performance measures used by the Company’s competitors and should only be evaluated together with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.
In addition to our key performance indicators and other financial measures presented in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), management also uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Company's financial performance and the overall growth in value generated for the Company’s common shareholders. Management believes that non-GAAP financial measures, which may be defined differently by other companies, help to explain the Company’s results to investors in a manner that allows for a more complete understanding of the underlying trends in the Company’s business. The non-GAAP measures should not be viewed as a substitute for those determined in accordance with GAAP. The calculation of these key financial measures including the reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to the nearest GAAP measure are found below under “—Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
Definitions of Key Performance Indicators and GAAP and Non-GAAP Measures
Adjusted book value per common share ― is a non-GAAP measure, that is calculated as adjusted common stockholders’ equity divided by common shares outstanding at the end of the period. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying book value growth by excluding the impact of unrealized gains and losses due to interest rate volatility.
Adjusted common stockholders' equity ― is a non-GAAP measure, that is calculated by GAAP common stockholders' equity, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying growth in stockholders’ equity by excluding the impact of unrealized gains and losses due to interest rate volatility.
Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders ― is a non-GAAP measure, that is calculated by GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investment and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities, net of tax. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Adjusted operating income (loss) ― is a non-GAAP measure, that is computed by GAAP operating income (loss), excluding net realized gains (losses) on investment and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Adjusted operating income (loss) margin ― is a non-GAAP measure, which is computed by adjusted operating income (loss) divided by core revenue. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Adjusted return on common equity (Adjusted “ROCE”) ― is a non-GAAP measure, that is calculated by actual or annualized adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders divided by average adjusted common stockholders' equity, with the denominator excluding current period income statement net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities, net of tax. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying profitability and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Book Value Per Common Share ― total stockholders’ equity, adjusted for preferred stock liquidation, divided by the number of common shares outstanding as of a reporting period. Book value per common share is the excess of assets over liabilities at a reporting period attributed to each share of stock. Changes in book value per common share informs shareholders of retained equity in the Company on a per share basis which may assist in understanding market value trends for the Company’s stock.
Combined Ratio ― the combined ratio is a measure of underwriting profitability for a reporting period and is calculated by dividing total operating costs and expenses (which is made up of losses and LAE and general and administrative expenses) by premiums earned, net, which is net of ceded premiums earned. Changes to the combined ratio over time provide management with an understanding of costs to operate its business in relation to net premiums it is earning and the impact of rate, underwriting and other business management actions on underwriting profitability. A combined ratio below 100% indicates underwriting profit; a combined ratio above 100% indicates underwriting losses.
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Core Loss Ratio ― a common operational metric used in the insurance industry to describe the ratio of current accident year expected losses and LAE to premiums earned. Core loss ratio is an important measure identifying profitability trends of premiums in force. Core losses consists of all other losses and LAE, excluding weather events beyond those expected and prior years’ reserve development. The financial benefit from the management of claims, including claim fees ceded to reinsurers, is recorded in the consolidated financial statements as a reduction to core losses.
Core revenue ― is a non-GAAP measure, that is calculated by total GAAP revenue, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying revenue trends and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio ― long-term debt divided by stockholders’ equity. This ratio helps management measure the amount of financing leverage in place in relation to equity and future leverage capacity.
Debt-to-Total Capital Ratio ― long-term debt divided by the sum of total stockholders’ equity and long-term debt (often referred to as total capital resources). This ratio helps management measure the amount of financing leverage in place (long-term debt) in relation to total capital resources and future leverage capacity.
Diluted adjusted earnings per common share ― is a non-GAAP measure, which is calculated by adjusted net income available to common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Management believes this metric is meaningful, as it allows investors to evaluate underlying revenue trends and enhances comparability across periods, by excluding items that are heavily impacted by investment market fluctuations and other economic factors and are not indicative of operating trends.
Direct Premiums Written (“DPW”) ― reflects the total value of policies issued during a period before considering premiums ceded to reinsurers. Direct premiums written, comprised of renewal premiums, endorsements, and new business, is initially recorded as unearned premium in the balance sheet which is then earned pro-rata over the next year or remaining policy term. Direct premiums written reflects current trends in the Company’s sale of property and casualty insurance products and amounts that will be recognized as earned premiums in the future.
DPW (Florida) ― includes only DPW in the state of Florida. This measure allows management to analyze growth in our primary market and is also a measure of business concentration risk.
Expense Ratio (Including Policy Acquisition Cost Ratio and Other Operating Cost Ratio) ― calculated as general and administrative expenses as a percentage of premiums earned, net. General and administrative expenses is comprised of policy acquisition costs and other operating costs, which includes such items as underwriting costs, facilities, and corporate overhead. The expense ratio, including the sub-expense ratios of policy acquisition cost ratio and other operating cost ratio, are indicators to management of the Company’s cost efficiency in acquiring and servicing its business and the impact of expense items to overall profitability.
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expense Ratio or Loss and LAE Ratio ― a measure of the cost of claims and claim settlement expenses incurred in a reporting period as a percentage of premiums earned in that same reporting period. Losses and LAE incurred in a reporting period includes both amounts related to the current accident year and prior accident years, if any, referred to as development. Ultimate losses and LAE are based on actuarial estimates with changes in those estimates recognized in the period the estimates are revised. Losses and LAE consist of claim costs arising from claims occurring and settling in the current period, an estimate of claim costs for reported but unpaid claims, an estimate of unpaid claim costs for incurred-but-not-reported claims and an estimate of claim settlement expenses associated with reported and unreported claims which occurred during the reporting period. The loss and LAE ratio can be measured on a direct basis, which includes losses and LAE divided by direct earned premiums, or on a net basis, which includes losses and LAE after amounts have been ceded to reinsurers divided by net earned premiums (i.e., direct premium earned less ceded premium earned). The net loss and LAE ratio is a measure of underwriting profitability after giving consideration to the effect of reinsurance. Trends in the net loss and LAE ratio are an indication to management of current and future profitability.
Monthly Weighted Average Renewal Retention Rate ― measures the monthly average of policyholders that renew their policies over the period of a calendar year. This measure allows management to assess customer retention.
Premiums Earned, Net ― the pro-rata portion of current and previously written premiums that the Company recognizes as earned premium during the reporting period, net of ceded premium earned. Ceded premiums are premiums paid or payable by the Company for reinsurance protection. Written premiums are considered earned and are recognized pro-rata over the policy coverage period. Premiums earned, net is a measure that allows management to identify revenue trends.
Policies in Force ― represents the number of active policies with coverage in effect as of the end of the reporting period. The change in the number of policies in force is a growth measure and provides management with an indication of progress toward achieving strategic objectives. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
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Premium in Force ― is the amount of the annual direct written premiums previously recorded by the Company for policies which are still active as of the reporting date. This measure assists management in measuring the level of insured exposure and progress toward meeting revenue goals for the current year, and provides an indication of business available for renewal in the next twelve months. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Return on Average Common Equity (“ROCE”) ― calculated by actual net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders divided by average common stockholders' equity. ROCE is a capital profitability measure of how efficiently management creates profits.
Total Insured Value ― represents the amount of insurance limits available on a policy for a single loss based on all policies active as of the reporting date. This measure assists management in measuring the level of insured exposure.
Unearned Premiums ― represents the portion of direct premiums corresponding to the time period remaining on an insurance policy and available for future earning by the Company. Trends in unearned premiums generally indicate expansion, if growing, or contraction, if reducing, which are important indicators to management. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Weather events ― an estimate of losses and LAE from weather events occurring during the current accident year that exceed initial estimates of expected weather events when establishing the core loss ratio for each accident year. This metric informs management of factors impacting overall current year profitability.
REINSURANCE
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events. Reinsurance contracts are typically classified as treaty or facultative contracts. Treaty reinsurance provides coverage for all or a portion of a specified group or class of risks ceded by the primary insurer, while facultative reinsurance provides coverage for specific individual risks. Within each classification, reinsurance can be further classified as quota share or excess of loss. Quota-share reinsurance is where the primary insurer and the reinsurer share proportionally or pro-rata in the direct premiums and losses of the insurer. Excess-of-loss reinsurance indemnifies the direct insurer or reinsurer for all or a portion of the loss in excess of an agreed upon amount or retention.
Developing and implementing our reinsurance strategy to adequately protect our balance sheet and Insurance Entities in the event of one or more catastrophes while maintaining efficient reinsurance costs has been a key strategic priority for us. In order to limit the Insurance Entities’ potential exposure to catastrophic events, we purchase significant reinsurance from third-party reinsurers and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (“FHCF”). The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (“FLOIR”) requires the Insurance Entities, like all residential property insurance companies doing business in Florida, to have a certain amount of capital and reinsurance coverage in order to cover losses upon the occurrence of a single catastrophic event and a series of catastrophic events occurring in the same hurricane season. The Insurance Entities’ respective 2022-2023 reinsurance programs meet the FLOIR’s requirements, which are based on, among other things, successfully demonstrating cohesive and comprehensive reinsurance programs that protect the policyholders of our Insurance Entities as well as satisfying a series of stress test catastrophe loss scenarios based on past historical events. Similarly, the Insurance Entities’ respective 2022-2023 reinsurance programs meet the stress test and review requirements of Demotech, Inc., for maintaining Financial Stability Ratings® of A (Exceptional) and of Kroll for maintaining insurer financial strength ratings of “A-”.
We believe the Insurance Entities’ retentions under their respective reinsurance programs are appropriate and structured to protect policyholders. We test the sufficiency of the reinsurance programs by subjecting the Insurance Entities’ personal residential exposures to statistical testing using a third-party hurricane model, RMS RiskLink v18.1 (Build 1945). This model combines simulations of the natural occurrence patterns and characteristics of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other catastrophes with information on property values, construction types and occupancy classes. The model outputs provide information concerning the potential for large losses before they occur, so companies can prepare for their financial impact. Furthermore, as part of our operational excellence initiatives, we continually look to enable new technology to refine our data intelligence on catastrophe risk modeling.
Effective June 1, 2022, the Insurance Entities entered into multiple reinsurance agreements comprising our 2022-2023 reinsurance program. See “Item 1—Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
UPCIC’s 2022-2023 Reinsurance Program
•First event All States retention of $45 million.
•All States first event tower extends to $3.012 billion with no co-participation in any of the layers, no limitation on loss adjustment expenses for the non-catastrophe bond Cosaint Re Pte. Ltd. traditional reinsurance and no accelerated deposit premiums.
•Assuming a first event completely exhausts the $3.012 billion tower, the second event exhaustion point would be $1.183 billion.
•Full reinstatement available on $1.138 billion of the $1.288 billion of non-FHCF first event catastrophe coverage for guaranteed second event coverage. For all layers purchased between $111 million and the projected FHCF retention, to the extent that all of our coverage or a portion thereof is exhausted in a catastrophic event and reinstatement premium
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is due, we have purchased enough reinstatement premium protection ("RPP") limit to pay the premium necessary for the reinstatement of these coverages.
•First event layer of 100% of $66 million in excess of $45 million established by UIH in a captive insurance arrangement. While the Company retains the risk that otherwise would be transferred to third party-reinsurers for this layer, the additional risk is substantially offset by the savings in premiums that would otherwise have been paid to third-party reinsurers.
•Specific 2nd event private market excess of loss coverage of $66 million in excess of $45 million sitting behind captive arrangement.
•Specific 3rd and 4th event private market catastrophe excess of loss coverage of $86 million in excess of $25 million provides frequency protection for multiple events during the treaty period including a $20 million reduction in retention for a 3rd and 4th event.
•For the FHCF Reimbursement Contracts effective June 1, 2022, UPCIC has continued the election of the 90% coverage level. We estimate the total mandatory FHCF layer will provide approximately $1.679 billion of coverage for UPCIC, which inures to the benefit of the open market coverage secured from private reinsurers and Cosaint Re Pte. Ltd.
•To further insulate for future years, UPCIC has secured $383 million of catastrophe capacity with contractually agreed limits that extend coverage to include the 2022 and 2023 wind seasons and $277 million of the $383 million extends through the 2024 wind season and is all capacity which sits below the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. UPCIC’s catastrophe bond, secured leading up to the 2021-2022 renewal, Cosaint Re Pte. Ltd, continues to provide one limit of $150 million in this year’s program and it may also include the 2023 wind season, depending on loss activity in the 2022 wind season.
Reinsurers
The table below provides the A.M. Best and S&P financial strength ratings for each of the largest rated third-party reinsurers in UPCIC’s 2022-2023 reinsurance program:
| Reinsurer | A.M. Best | S&P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allianz Risk Transfer AG. Bermuda Branch | A+ | AA- | ||
| Chubb Tempest Reinsurance Ltd. | A++ | AA | ||
| Everest Re | A+ | A+ | ||
| Munich Re | A+ | AA- | ||
| Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. | A+ | A+ | ||
| Various Lloyd’s of London Syndicates | A | A+ | ||
| Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (1) | N/A | N/A |
(1)No rating is available, because the fund is not rated.
APPCIC’s 2022-2023 Reinsurance Program
•First event All States retention of $3.5 million.
•All States first event tower of $50.5 million with no co-participation in any of the layers, no limitation on loss adjustment expenses and no accelerated deposit premiums.
•Full reinstatement available for all private market first event catastrophe layers for guaranteed second event coverage. For the layer purchased between $3.5 million and the projected FHCF retention, to the extent that all of our coverage or a portion thereof is exhausted in a catastrophic event and reinstatement premium is due, we have purchased enough RPP limit to pay the premium necessary for the reinstatement of this coverage.
•APPCIC also purchases extensive multiple line excess per risk reinsurance with various reinsurers due to the high-value risks it insures in both the personal residential and commercial multiple peril lines of business. Under this multiple line excess per risk contract, APPCIC has coverage of $8.5 million in excess of $0.5 million ultimate net loss for each risk and each property loss, and $1 million in excess of $0.3 million for each casualty loss. A $19.5 million aggregate limit applies to the term of the contract for property-related losses and a $2.0 million aggregate limit applies to the term of the contract for casualty-related losses. This contract also contains a profit-sharing feature if specific performance measures are met.
•For the FHCF Reimbursement Contracts effective June 1, 2022, APPCIC has continued the election of the 90% coverage level. We estimate the total mandatory FHCF layer will provide approximately $24.2 million of coverage for APPCIC, which inures to the benefit of the open market coverage secured from private reinsurers.
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Reinsurers
The table below provides the A.M. Best and S&P financial strength ratings for each of the largest rated third-party reinsurers in APPCIC’s 2022-2023 reinsurance program:
| Reinsurer | A.M. Best | S&P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chubb Tempest Reinsurance Ltd. | A++ | AA | ||
| DaVinci Reinsurance Limited | A | A+ | ||
| Lancashire Insurance Company Limited | A | A- | ||
| Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. | A+ | A+ | ||
| Various Lloyd’s of London Syndicates | A | A+ | ||
| Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (1) | N/A | N/A |
(1)No rating is available, because the fund is not rated.
The cost of the 2022-2023 reinsurance programs for UPCIC and APPCIC is projected to be $696 million, prior to any potential reinstatement premiums due and represents approximately 37.6% of estimated direct premium earned for the 12-month treaty period for UPCIC and APPCIC.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA |
The following selected historical consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and “Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” set forth elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K. The historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected in any future period.
The following tables present historical selected consolidated financial data of Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries for the five years ended December 31, 2022 (in thousands, except per share data):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |||||||||||||||
| Statement of Income Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 1,845,786 | $ | 1,671,252 | $ | 1,517,479 | $ | 1,292,721 | $ | 1,190,875 | |||||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (86,085) | (74,634) | (121,856) | (59,600) | (69,235) | ||||||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,759,701 | 1,596,618 | 1,395,623 | 1,233,121 | 1,121,640 | ||||||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (631,075) | (561,155) | (472,060) | (390,619) | (353,258) | ||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,128,626 | 1,035,463 | 923,563 | 842,502 | 768,382 | ||||||||||||||
| Net investment income (1) | 25,785 | 12,535 | 20,393 | 30,743 | 24,816 | ||||||||||||||
| Other revenue (2) | 81,044 | 71,993 | 65,437 | 55,633 | 49,876 | ||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,222,658 | 1,121,851 | 1,072,770 | 939,351 | 823,816 | ||||||||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 938,399 | 779,205 | 758,810 | 603,406 | 414,455 | ||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 214,259 | 226,167 | 199,102 | 177,530 | 157,327 | ||||||||||||||
| Other operating costs | 90,638 | 87,428 | 90,532 | 94,655 | 98,815 | ||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 1,243,296 | 1,092,800 | 1,048,444 | 875,591 | 670,597 | ||||||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,609 | 638 | 95 | 243 | 346 | ||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) | (27,247) | 28,413 | 24,231 | 63,517 | 152,873 | ||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | (4,990) | 8,006 | 5,126 | 17,003 | 35,822 | ||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | (22,257) | $ | 20,407 | $ | 19,105 | $ | 46,514 | $ | 117,051 | |||||||||
| Per Share Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Basic earnings (loss) per common share | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 | $ | 1.37 | $ | 3.36 | |||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 | $ | 1.36 | $ | 3.27 | |||||||||
| Dividends declared per common share | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.73 |
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| As of December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |||||||||||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total invested assets | $ | 1,105,806 | $ | 1,093,680 | $ | 919,924 | $ | 914,586 | $ | 908,154 | |||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 388,706 | 250,508 | 167,156 | 182,109 | 166,428 | ||||||||||||||
| Total assets | 2,890,154 | 2,056,141 | 1,758,741 | 1,719,852 | 1,858,390 | ||||||||||||||
| Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses | 1,038,790 | 346,216 | 322,465 | 267,760 | 472,829 | ||||||||||||||
| Unearned premiums | 943,854 | 857,769 | 783,135 | 661,279 | 601,679 | ||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt (3) | 102,769 | 103,676 | 8,456 | 9,926 | 11,397 | ||||||||||||||
| Total liabilities | 2,602,258 | 1,626,439 | 1,309,479 | 1,225,951 | 1,356,757 | ||||||||||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | $ | 287,896 | $ | 429,702 | $ | 449,262 | $ | 493,901 | $ | 501,633 | |||||||||
| Shares outstanding end of period | 30,389 | 31,221 | 31,137 | 32,638 | 34,783 | ||||||||||||||
| Book value per share | $ | 9.47 | $ | 13.76 | $ | 14.43 | $ | 15.13 | $ | 14.42 | |||||||||
| Return on average common equity (ROCE) | (6.2) | % | 4.6 | % | 4.1 | % | 9.2 | % | 24.1 | % | |||||||||
| Selected Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Loss and loss adjustment expense ratio (4) | 83.2 | % | 75.3 | % | 82.1 | % | 71.6 | % | 53.9 | % | |||||||||
| General and administrative expense ratio (5) | 27.0 | % | 30.2 | % | 31.4 | % | 32.3 | % | 33.4 | % | |||||||||
| Combined Ratio (6) | 110.2 | % | 105.5 | % | 113.5 | % | 103.9 | % | 87.3 | % |
(1)Net investment income excludes net realized gains (losses) on sale of investments and net change in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities.
(2)Other revenue consists of commission revenue, policy fees, and other revenue.
(3)For the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, long-term debt includes a private placement of $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
(4)The loss and loss adjustment expense ratio is calculated by dividing losses and loss adjustment expenses by premiums earned, net.
(5)The general and administrative expense ratio is calculated by dividing general and administrative expense by premiums earned, net.
(6)The combined ratio is the sum of the losses and loss adjustment expense ratio and the general and administrative expense ratio.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
2022 Financial and Business Highlights (comparisons are to 2021 unless otherwise specified)
•In late September 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida, continued across the state into the Atlantic Ocean, and then made a second landfall in South Carolina. Current estimates for UVE’s gross ultimate loss is approximately $1 billion, well within its $3 billion reinsurance tower, with projected net exposure limited to retentions at its insurance and captive insurance entity subsidiaries. Estimated net losses and LAE exposure to the Insurance Entities, after estimated reinsurance recoveries, is $45 million. The Insurance Entities’ reinsurance recoveries include losses and LAE recoveries of $66 million from UVE’s prefunded captive insurance arrangement which is eliminated in consolidation. In total, net losses from Hurricane Ian, including losses and LAE incurred under the funded captive insurance arrangement, is currently estimated to be $111 million. In addition to net retention losses, Hurricane Ian triggered reinstatement premiums and related reinsurance brokerage commissions as well as revenues generated by our claims adjusting affiliate, as discussed further in Results of Operations.
•Rate filings and inflation adjustments to policy insured values are increasing written and earned premium as the new rates and property insured values take effect on policy renewals and new business, and earn prospectively over the policy period.
•Management is continuing its efforts to prudently manage new business risk selection, improve risk exposure diversification and moderate new business growth rates, compared to prior years, while rate increases are taking effect to improve profitability. Renewal retention rates have declined year over year as consumers react to higher renewal premiums. As a result of management’s efforts to manage exposures and declining retention rates, the number of total policies in force is decreasing.
•Net investment income increased as market interest rates rise; however, rising interest rates have lowered the market value of our investments, resulting in temporary unrealized losses.
•Losses and LAE, net were higher this year compared to the same period last year primarily due to Hurricane Ian, and other weather events and a higher level of estimated losses and LAE for the current accident year as a result of emerging loss trends which have increased, including higher claim costs due to inflation in Florida and in our other markets.
•Other operating expense and acquisition cost management efforts have lowered the expense ratio. In April 2021, the commission rate on policy renewals was reduced two percentage points and further reduced on May 1, 2022 by another 2 percentage points, in response to premium rate increases during the past year. The benefit of lower commission rates are realized over the next year as policies renew under the lower commission rate structure.
•The Company continued to return shareholder value with quarterly dividends and modest share repurchases.
•The Company offered Clovered.com in all 19 states in which the Company writes policies as of December 31, 2022.
•The Company entered into a December 31, 2022 committed, unsecured $37.5 million (previously $35.0 million) revolving credit line with JP Morgan Chase. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has not borrowed any amount under this revolving loan.
•In December 2022, the Florida legislature enacted new legislation intended to improve the Florida insurance market by making changes to the property insurance claims process, including the repeal of policyholders’ statutory one-way right to attorneys’ fees in property insurance claims, which has been driving up claims costs and loss adjustment expenses. We are optimistic these changes will improve the claims environment in Florida as the changes become effective.
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All comparisons for the year ended December 31, 2022 results of operations are to the corresponding prior year period (unless otherwise specified).
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021
Net loss was $22.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, due primarily to the $111 million net loss and LAE from Hurricane Ian, compared to net income of $20.4 million for the same period in 2021. Benefiting the year ended December 31, 2022 were increases in premiums earned, net, an increase in net investment income, an increase in commission revenue, and a decrease in acquisition costs offset by an increase in unrealized losses, a decrease in realized gains, a decrease in revenue from policy fees and an increase in losses and loss adjustment expenses. Direct premium earned and premiums earned, net were up 10.2% and 9.0%, respectively, due to premium growth in the majority of states in which we are licensed and writing during the past 12 months as a result of rate increases implemented during 2021 and 2022, partially offset by higher costs for reinsurance flowing through to premiums earned, net. Renewal commission to agents were lowered to 8% from 10% during 2022 resulting in lower acquisition costs compared to the prior year. The net loss and LAE ratio was 83.2% for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to 75.3% for the year ended 2021 reflecting the impact of Hurricane Ian, and higher core net losses, an increase in the cost of litigated claims and increased other weather losses compared to the prior year, partially offset by lower prior years’ reserve development. As a result of the above and as further explained below, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 110.2% compared to 105.5% for the year ended December 31, 2021. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” regarding our response to the Florida market.
A detailed discussion of our results of operations follows the table below (in thousands, except per share data).
| (in thousands) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| REVENUES | |||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 1,845,786 | $ | 1,671,252 | $ | 174,534 | 10.4 | % | |||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (86,085) | (74,634) | (11,451) | 15.3 | % | ||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,759,701 | 1,596,618 | 163,083 | 10.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (631,075) | (561,155) | (69,920) | 12.5 | % | ||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,128,626 | 1,035,463 | 93,163 | 9.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | 25,785 | 12,535 | 13,250 | 105.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Net realized gains (losses) on investments | 348 | 5,892 | (5,544) | (94.1) | % | ||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities | (13,145) | (4,032) | (9,113) | 226.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Commission revenue | 53,168 | 41,649 | 11,519 | 27.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Policy fees | 20,182 | 22,713 | (2,531) | (11.1) | % | ||||||||||
| Other revenue | 7,694 | 7,631 | 63 | 0.8 | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,222,658 | 1,121,851 | 100,807 | 9.0 | % | ||||||||||
| OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 938,399 | 779,205 | 159,194 | 20.4 | % | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 304,897 | 313,595 | (8,698) | (2.8) | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,243,296 | 1,092,800 | 150,496 | 13.8 | % | ||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,609 | 638 | 5,971 | 935.9 | % | ||||||||||
| INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT) | (27,247) | 28,413 | (55,660) | NM | |||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | (4,990) | 8,006 | (12,996) | NM | |||||||||||
| NET INCOME (LOSS) | $ | (22,257) | $ | 20,407 | $ | (42,664) | NM | ||||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | (88,214) | (18,911) | (69,303) | 366.5 | % | ||||||||||
| COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) | $ | (110,471) | $ | 1,496 | $ | (111,967) | NM | ||||||||
| DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE DATA: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | $ | (1.37) | NM | ||||||||
| Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding | 30,751 | 31,307 | (556) | (1.8) | % | ||||||||||
| NM - Not Meaningful |
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Revenues
Direct premiums written increased by $174.5 million, or 10.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, driven by premium growth within our Florida business of $149.8 million, or 10.8%, and premium growth in our other states business of $24.7 million, or 8.7%, as compared to the same period of the prior year. Rate increases approved in 2021 and 2022 for Florida and for certain other states and policy inflation adjustments were the principal driver of higher written premiums. In total, policies in force declined 94,737, or 10.0%, from 943,593 at December 31, 2021 to 848,856 at December 31, 2022. A summary of the recent rate increases which are driving increases in written premium is discussed above under “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
Rate changes are applied on new business submissions and renewals from the effective date of their renewal, and then are earned subsequently over the policy period. The recent rate and inflation increases in Florida are in response to rising claim costs driven by higher costs of material and labor associated with claims, the cost of weather events, the rising cost of catastrophe and other reinsurance protecting policyholders and, more importantly, the impact of an increased use of litigation by policyholders on claims as claim settlements increasingly have involved inflated demands, representation and litigation. In addition, the Insurance Entities’ policies provide for coverage limits to be adjusted at renewal to adjust insured value coverage limits for the impact of changes in inflation. This is based on third-party industry data sources that monitor inflation factors such as changes in costs for residential building materials and labor.
During 2022, management continued efforts to prudently manage policy counts and exposures intended to slow the growth of exposures relating to new business compared to prior years while filed rate increases are taking effect. Reduced new business writings, declines in renewal retentions in 2022 and the impact of selected policy non-renewals have resulted in a decrease in policies in force of 94,737, or 10.0%, during 2022 from 943,593 at December 31, 2021 to 848,856 at December 31, 2022. Direct premiums written continue to increase across the majority of states in which we conduct business. As a result of our business strategy, rate changes and disciplined underwriting initiatives, we have seen a decrease in policies in force, but an increase in premium in force and an increase in total insured value in a majority of states for the past two years. We actively wrote policies in 19 states during 2022 and 2021. In addition, we are authorized to do business in Tennessee and Wisconsin and are proceeding with product filings in those states. At December 31, 2022, policies in force decreased 94,737 policies, or 10.0%, premium in force increased $176.5 million, or 10.5%, and total insured value increased $1.3 billion, or 0.4%, compared to December 31, 2021.
Direct premium earned increased by $163.1 million, or 10.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2022, reflecting the earning of premiums written over the past 12 months, including the benefit of rate changes due to primary rate filings, filings to cover increased reinsurance costs as well as policy premium adjustments due to increases in insured values caused by inflation.
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events and other covered events. Ceded premium represents premiums paid to reinsurers for this protection and is a cost which reduces net written and net earned premiums. Hurricane Ian triggered reinstatement premiums, increasing ceded premiums written by $24.6 million which will be earned prospectively effective September 28, 2022 to May 31, 2023, increasing ceded premiums earned for the year ended December 31, 2022 by $9.5 million. In total, ceded premium earned increased $69.9 million, or 12.5%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the same period of the prior year. The increase in reinsurance costs reflects an increase in the value of exposures we insure; increased pricing when compared to the expired reinsurance program and differences in the structure and design of the respective programs. Reinsurance costs, as a percentage of direct premium earned, increased from 35.1% in 2021 to 35.9% in 2022. Reinsurance costs associated with each year’s reinsurance program are earned over the annual policy period which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st. See the discussion above for the Insurance Entities’ 2022-2023 reinsurance programs and “Part II—Item 8— Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
Premiums earned, net of ceded premium earned, grew by 9.0%, or $93.2 million, to $1,128.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, reflecting an increase in direct premium earned offset by increased costs for reinsurance.
Net investment income was $25.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $12.5 million for the same period in 2021, an increase of $13.3 million, or 105.7%. 2022 saw significant increases in fixed income investment yields as the Federal Reserve took actions to address the market concerns of inflation and full employment. As a result, liquidity generated by our portfolio from maturities, principal repayments, interest payments, and new deposits were invested at higher rates, resulting in an increase in investment returns on our portfolio.
Total invested assets were $1.11 billion as of December 31, 2022 compared to $1.09 billion as of December 31, 2021. The increase is primarily attributable to new cash deposits, offset by increased unrealized losses on our portfolio due to a decline in bond prices, which move inversely with the rate increases seen throughout 2022. Unrealized losses reverse over time as debt instruments are generally held to maturity. Cash and cash equivalents were $388.7 million at December 31, 2022 compared to $250.5 million at December 31, 2021, an increase of 55.2%. This increase is largely attributable to cash calls to reinsurers to support Hurricane Ian claim settlement liquidity and changes in operational cash flows since year end. See below “—Analysis of Financial Condition” for more information. Cash and cash equivalents are invested short-term until needed to settle loss and LAE payments, reinsurance premium payments and operating cash needs or until they are deployed by our investment advisors.
Yields from cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and the available-for-sale debt portfolio are dependent on the composition of the portfolio, future market forces, monetary policy and interest rate policy from the Federal Reserve. During most of 2021, the Federal Reserve broadly maintained lower interest rates, which impacted the effective yields on newly purchased available-for-sale debt securities and overnight cash purchases and short-term investments. This overall trend changed in late 2021, and throughout 2022, as inflation worries began to impact the financial markets, including the markets’ concern over future Federal Reserve actions of rate hikes and other actions to address inflation concerns. As a result, we saw
38
increased yields on securities purchased in late 2021, and throughout 2022, and increased unrealized losses on our portfolio, reflected after-tax in the equity section of our balance sheet as increased market yields negatively impacted the fair value of much of our available-for-sale debt securities.
We sell invested assets from our portfolio from time to time to meet our investment objectives or to take advantage of market opportunities. During the year ended December 31, 2022, sales of available-for-sale debt securities resulted in net realized losses of $1.8 million and sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized gain of $2.2 million, in total generating net realized gains of $0.4 million. During the year ended December 31, 2021, sales of available-for-sale debt securities resulted in a net realized gain of $0.2 million, sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized gain of $2.8 million, the sale of two investment real estate properties, which includes one classified as assets held for sale in 2021, resulted in a realized gain of $2.7 million, and one real estate property classified as assets held for sale in 2021 resulted in a realized gain of $0.2 million, in total generating a net realized gain of $5.9 million. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments).”
There was a $13.1 million net unrealized loss in equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to a $4.0 million net unrealized loss in equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2021. Net change in unrealized gains or losses for equity securities still held at the end of the reported period are recorded at fair value in the Consolidated Balance Sheet with changes in the fair value of equity securities reported in current period earnings in the Consolidated Statements of Income within net change in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities as they occur.
Commission revenue is comprised principally of brokerage commissions we earn from traditional open market third-party reinsurers, which excludes reinsurance provided by the State of Florida as well as catastrophe bond participants. Commission revenue is earned pro-rata over the reinsurance policy period which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. Reinstatement premiums for Hurricane Ian resulted in $13.1 million of additional brokerage commissions which will be earned prospectively from September 28, 2022 to May 31, 2023, increasing brokerage commission revenue earned of $5.0 million from September 28, 2022 through December 31, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2022, commission revenue was $53.2 million, compared to $41.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in commission revenue of $11.5 million, or 27.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due to increased commissions from third-party reinsurers earned on increased reinsurance premiums which is attributable to growth in our insured values, as well as the difference in pricing and structure associated with our reinsurance program when compared to the prior year.
Policy fees for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $20.2 million compared to $22.7 million for the same period in 2021. The decrease of $2.5 million, or 11.1%, was the result of a decrease in the combined total number of new and renewal policies written during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021 in states where we are permitted to charge this fee.
Other revenue, representing revenue from policy installment fees, premium financing and other miscellaneous income, was $7.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $7.6 million for the same period in 2021.
Core revenue, representing total GAAP revenue, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities, was $1,235.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $1,120.0 million for the same period in 2021.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
Losses and LAE, net of reinsurance recoveries was $938.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, resulting in a net loss ratio of 83.2%, compared to $779.2 million, and 75.3%, respectively for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Hurricane Ian resulted in $111.0 million of net losses and LAE for the 2022 accident year, or 9.9 net loss ratio points, compared to $28.0 million of weather above plan in 2021, or 2.7 net loss ratio points.
Prior year development includes changes in estimated losses and LAE for all events occurring in prior years including hurricanes and other weather. Prior year development was $25.0 million, or 2.2 net loss ratio points for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $54.5 million for 2021, or 5.3 net loss ratio points.
Excluding Hurricane Ian and prior year development recorded in 2022, all other losses and LAE, net for the current accident year are estimated to be $802.4 million or 71.1 net loss ratio points for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $696.7 million, or 67.3 net loss ratio points estimated in 2021. Throughout 2022, management increased its current accident year loss pick (plan) primarily to reduce volatility in weather above plan. This category also reflects savings from activities performed by affiliates within our holding company system on behalf of our Insurance Entities and our reinsurers when losses and LAE are ceded under our reinsurance contracts. When claims are adjusted by our claims team and files handled by our legal group in this litigious environment, there are synergies achieved by having these two functions within the same consolidated group that could not be achieved through third parties. This synergistic relationship results in more efficient handling and coordination of claims including represented claims handled by our legal group of over 500 employees. By choosing not to outsource these activities, we also save money for the consolidated group by generating a potential profit margin outside of the Insurance Entities that serves to offset LAE at the consolidated level (contra LAE). During 2022 these claims related activities generated a profit margin of $62.4 million compared to $11.9 million during 2021.
Losses and LAE experience over the past several years including both 2022 and 2021, reflects an adverse litigation environment and other market conditions in Florida that the Florida Legislature has been attempting to address with the passage of legislation spanning several years with the most significant changes made during a special session held in December 2022.
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General and Administrative Expenses
For the year ended December 31, 2022, general and administrative expenses were $304.9 million, compared to $313.6 million during the same period in 2021, as follows (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Ratio | $ | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | $ | 1,128,626 | $ | 1,035,463 | $ | 93,163 | 9.0 | % | |||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 214,259 | 19.0 | % | 226,167 | 21.8 | % | (11,908) | (5.3) | % | ||||||||||||
| Other operating costs | 90,638 | 8.0 | % | 87,428 | 8.4 | % | 3,210 | 3.7 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 304,897 | 27.0 | % | $ | 313,595 | 30.2 | % | $ | (8,698) | (2.8) | % |
General and administrative expenses decreased by $8.7 million, which was the result of decreases in policy acquisition costs of $11.9 million offset by an increase in other operating costs of $3.2 million. The total general and administrative expense ratio was 27.0% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 30.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021.
•The decrease in policy acquisition costs of $11.9 million reflects a reduction in the commission rate paid to agents on the renewal of Florida policies which was reduced by two percentage points to 10% effective April 1, 2021, which also reduced the ratio of policy acquisition to net premiums earned. The commission rate paid to agents on the renewal of Florida policies was reduced by an additional two percentage points to 8% effective May 1, 2022, which will benefit future periods as the new rate structure applies prospectively.
•The increase in other operating costs of $3.2 million primarily reflects an increase in performance bonuses partially offset by a decrease in share-based compensation. The other operating cost ratio was 8.0% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 8.4% in the year ended December 31, 2021. This reduction reflects several factors including economies of scale as we continue to grow premium and spending discipline.
As a result of the above, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 110.2% compared to 105.5% for the same period in 2021. The increase was the result of the impact of Hurricane Ian and higher core losses.
Interest and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs
Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $6.6 million compared to $0.6 million for the same period in 2021. The increase of $6.0 million, or 935.9%, in interest and amortization of debt issuance costs is the result of the issuance of additional debt in the fourth quarter of 2021. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” for additional details.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Income tax benefit was $5.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to income tax expense of $8.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Our effective tax rate (“ETR”) decreased to 18.3% for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 28.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 12 (Income Taxes)” for a table of items reconciling statutory rates to the effective rate for years 2022 and 2021.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $88.2 million compared to other comprehensive loss of $18.9 million for the same period in 2021, reflecting after-tax changes in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities held in our investment portfolio and reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income for available-for-sale debt securities sold. We saw increased market yields on securities purchased in late 2021 and 2022 and increased unrealized losses on our portfolio, reflected after-tax in the equity section of our balance sheet as increased interest rates negatively impacted the fair value on much of our available-for-sale debt securities. See discussion above and “Part II—Item 8—Note 14 (Other Comprehensive Income (Loss))” for additional information about the amounts comprising other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes for these periods.
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Non-GAAP
Adjusted operating income (loss) represents GAAP operating income (loss), excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities. Adjusted operating loss was $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to adjusted operating income of $27.2 million for the same period in 2021.
Adjusted operating income (loss) margin represents adjusted operating income (loss) divided by core revenue. Adjusted operating loss margin was 0.6% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to adjusted operating income margin of 2.4% for the same period in 2021.
Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders represents GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities, net of tax. Adjusted net loss attributable to common stockholders was $12.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders of $19.0 million for the same period in 2021.
Diluted adjusted earnings (loss) per common share represents adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Diluted adjusted loss per common share was $0.41 for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to diluted adjusted earnings per share of $0.61 for the same period in 2021.
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YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020
Net income was $20.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to net income of $19.1 million for the same period in 2020, an increase of $1.3 million, or 6.8%. Diluted EPS for 2021 was $0.65 compared to $0.60 in 2020, an increase of $0.05, or 8.3%. Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2021 were lower by 2.1% to 31.3 million shares from 32.0 million shares for the same period of the prior year. Benefiting the year ended December 31, 2021 were increases in premiums earned, net and an increase in commission revenue, partially offset by a decrease in net investment income, a decrease in realized gains year over year and unrealized losses during 2021 compared to modest unrealized gains in 2020, policy fees and other revenue and an increase in operating costs and expenses. Direct premium earned and premiums earned, net were up 14.4% and 12.1%, respectively, due to direct premium written growth in 16 of the 19 states in which we are licensed and writing during the past 12 months as a result of rate increases implemented during 2020 and 2021, partially offset by higher costs for reinsurance flowing through to premiums earned, net. The net loss and LAE ratio was 75.3% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to 82.1% for the same period in 2020 reflecting a decrease in excess weather events beyond those expected and lower prior years’ reserve development, partially offset by higher core net losses. As a result of the above and further explained below, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 105.5% compared to 113.5% for the year ended December 31, 2020. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” regarding our response to the Florida market.
A detailed discussion of our results of operations follows the table below (in thousands, except per share data).
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| REVENUES | |||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 1,671,252 | $ | 1,517,479 | $ | 153,773 | 10.1 | % | |||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (74,634) | (121,856) | 47,222 | (38.8) | % | ||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,596,618 | 1,395,623 | 200,995 | 14.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (561,155) | (472,060) | (89,095) | 18.9 | % | ||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,035,463 | 923,563 | 111,900 | 12.1 | % | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | 12,535 | 20,393 | (7,858) | (38.5) | % | ||||||||||
| Net realized gains (losses) on investments | 5,892 | 63,352 | (57,460) | (90.7) | % | ||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities | (4,032) | 25 | (4,057) | NM | |||||||||||
| Commission revenue | 41,649 | 33,163 | 8,486 | 25.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Policy fees | 22,713 | 23,773 | (1,060) | (4.5) | % | ||||||||||
| Other revenue | 7,631 | 8,501 | (870) | (10.2) | % | ||||||||||
| Total revenues | 1,121,851 | 1,072,770 | 49,081 | 4.6 | % | ||||||||||
| OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 779,205 | 758,810 | 20,395 | 2.7 | % | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 313,595 | 289,634 | 23,961 | 8.3 | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,092,800 | 1,048,444 | 44,356 | 4.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 638 | 95 | 543 | 571.6 | % | ||||||||||
| INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAX EXPENSE | 28,413 | 24,231 | 4,182 | 17.3 | % | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 8,006 | 5,126 | 2,880 | 56.2 | % | ||||||||||
| NET INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 20,407 | $ | 19,105 | $ | 1,302 | 6.8 | % | |||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | (18,911) | (17,618) | (1,293) | 7.3 | % | ||||||||||
| COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 1,496 | $ | 1,487 | $ | 9 | 0.6 | % | |||||||
| DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE DATA: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings per common share | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 | $ | 0.05 | 8.3 | % | |||||||
| Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding | 31,307 | 31,972 | (665) | (2.1) | % | ||||||||||
| NM - Not Meaningful |
Direct premiums written increased by $153.8 million, or 10.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, driven by premium growth within our Florida business of $137.6 million, or 11.0%, and premium growth in our other states business of $16.2 million, or 6.1%, as compared to the same period of the prior year. Rate increases approved in 2020 and 2021 for Florida and for certain other states as discussed below, were the principal driver of higher written premiums. In total, policies in force declined 41,237, or 4.19%, from 984,830 at December 31, 2020 to 943,593 at December 31, 2021. A summary of the recent
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rate increases which are driving increases in written premium is discussed above under “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends.”
These rate increases are applied on new business submissions and renewals from the effective date of their renewal, and then are earned subsequently over the policy period. The recent rate increases in Florida are in response to rising claim costs driven by higher costs of material and labor associated with claims, the cost of weather events, the rising cost of catastrophe and other reinsurance protecting policyholders and, more importantly, the impact of “social inflation” on claims as claim settlements increasingly have involved inflated demands, representation and litigation. In addition, the Insurance Entities’ policies provide for coverage limits to be adjusted at renewal based on third-party data sources that monitor factors such as changes in costs for residential building materials and labor.
During 2021, management continued efforts to prudently manage policy counts and exposures and implemented new measures intended to slow the growth of written premiums relating to new business compared to prior years while the above rate increases were taking effect. Reduced new business writings, when coupled with natural attrition among policies and selected policy non-renewals, resulted in a decrease in policies in force during 2021. In total we wrote policies in 19 states during 2021 and 2020. In addition, we are authorized to do business in Tennessee and Wisconsin and are proceeding with product filings in those states. At December 31, 2021, premium in force increased $159.9 million, or 10.5%, and total insured value increased $18.4 billion, or 6.1%, compared to December 31, 2020.
Direct premium earned increased by $201.0 million, or 14.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, reflecting the earning of premiums written over the past 12 months, including the benefit of rate changes and the changes in policies in force during that time.
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events and other covered events. Ceded premium represents premiums paid to reinsurers for this protection and is a cost which reduces net written and net earned premiums. Ceded premium earned increased $89.1 million, or 18.9%, for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the same period of the prior year. The increase in reinsurance costs reflects an increase in the value of exposures we insure; increased pricing when compared to the expired reinsurance program and differences in the structure and design of the respective programs. Reinsurance costs, as a percentage of direct premium earned, increased from 33.8% in 2020 to 35.1% in 2021 primarily due to the general increase in the pricing of reinsurance which generally takes effect prior to primary rate increases. Reinsurance costs associated with each year’s reinsurance program are earned over the annual policy period which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st.
Premiums earned, net of ceded premium earned, grew by 12.1%, or $111.9 million, to $1,035.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, reflecting an increase in direct premium earned offset by increased costs for reinsurance.
Net investment income was $12.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $20.4 million for the same period in 2020, a decrease of $7.9 million, or 38.5%. This decrease is largely attributable to significantly lower yields on the reinvested portfolio following the sale of a majority of available-for-sale debt securities in the portfolio that were in an unrealized gain position in the third and fourth quarters of 2020. In the first quarter of 2020, our investment portfolio was adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic-induced market dislocation, but subsequently recovered, generating unrealized gains that were substantially higher than amounts prior to the pandemic. During the third and fourth quarters of 2020, we took advantage of the recovery by monetizing the increase in fair value, generating $56.4 million in net realized gains from the sale of available-for-sale debt securities.
Market rates during the reinvestment of our portfolio in the second half of 2020 were considerably lower than the book yields of the portfolio prior to the sale. Additionally, interest income was down $0.9 million in 2021 compared to the same period of the prior year due to significantly lower yields on cash sweep and short-term cash investing.
Total invested assets were $1,093.7 million as of December 31, 2021 compared to $919.9 million as of December 31, 2020. The increase is attributable to the reinvestment of investment returns and additional contributions to the investment portfolio from excess cash, partially offset by dispositions of equity securities and investment real estate. Cash and cash equivalents were $250.5 million at December 31, 2021 compared to $167.2 million at December 31, 2020, an increase of 49.9%. This increase is largely attributable to the receipt of $100.0 million in proceeds from the private placement of the 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes and payment of related debt issuance costs of approximately $3.3 million. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” and below “—Analysis of Financial Condition” for more information. Cash and cash equivalents are invested short term until needed to settle loss and LAE payments, reinsurance premium payments and operating cash needs or until they are deployed by our investment advisors.
Yields from cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and the available-for-sale debt portfolio are dependent on the composition of the portfolio, future market forces, monetary policy and interest rate policy from the Federal Reserve. During most of 2021, the Federal Reserve has broadly been maintaining lower interest rates, which has impacted the effective yields on newly purchased available-for-sale securities and overnight cash purchases and short-term investments. This trend changed in late 2021 as inflation worries began to impact the financial markets, including the markets’ concern over future Federal Reserve actions of rate hikes and other actions to address inflation concern. As a result, we saw increased yields on securities purchased in late 2021 and increased unrealized losses on our portfolio as increased market yields negatively impact the fair value of much of our debt securities. As discussed above, due to the significant sale of our securities during the third quarter and fourth quarter of 2020, it is expected that future portfolio returns will reflect book yields based on the low yielding market conditions when the portfolio was reinvested.
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We sell investments, including securities, from our investment portfolio from time to time to meet our investment objectives or take advantage of market opportunities. During the year ended December 31, 2021, sales of available-for-sale debt securities resulted in a net realized gain of $0.2 million, sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized gain of $2.8 million, the sale of two investment real estate properties, which includes one classified as assets held for sale in 2021, resulted in a realized gain of $2.7 million, and one real estate property classified as assets held for sale in 2021 resulted in a realized gain of $0.2 million, in total generating a net realized gain of $5.9 million. During the year ended December 31, 2020, sales of available-for-sale debt securities resulted in a net realized gain of $56.9 million and sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized gain of $6.5 million, in total generating a net realized gain of $63.4 million. In 2020, we took the opportunity to realize the increase in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities to increase the statutory surplus of UPCIC. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments).”
There was a $4.0 million net unrealized loss in equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to a nominal net unrealized gain during the year ended December 31, 2020. Net change in unrealized gains or losses reflected on the income statement are the result of changes in the fair market value of our equity securities during the period for securities still held at the end of the reported period and the reversal of unrealized gains or losses for securities sold during the period. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments).”
Commission revenue is comprised principally of brokerage commissions we earn from third-party reinsurers (excluding the FHCF) on reinsurance placed for the Insurance Entities. Commission revenue is earned pro-rata over the reinsurance policy period which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. For the year ended December 31, 2021, commission revenue was $41.6 million, compared to $33.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in commission revenue of $8.5 million, or 25.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to increased commissions from third-party reinsurers earned on increased reinsurance premiums which is attributable to growth in our insured values, as well as the difference in pricing and structure associated with our reinsurance program when compared to the prior year.
Policy fees for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $22.7 million compared to $23.8 million for the same period in 2020. The decrease of $1.1 million, or 4.5%, was the result of a decrease in the combined total number of new and renewal policies written during the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 in states where we are permitted to charge this fee.
Other revenue, representing revenue from policy installment fees, premium financing and other miscellaneous income, was $7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $8.5 million for the same period in 2020.
Core revenue, representing total GAAP revenue, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities, was $1,120.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $1,009.4 million for the same period in 2020.
The following table presents losses and LAE incurred on a direct, ceded and net basis expressed in dollars and as a percent of the respective amounts of premiums earned. These amounts are further categorized as (i) core losses, (ii) weather events for the current accident year and (iii) prior years’ reserve development (dollars in thousands):
| For The Year Ended December 31, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | Loss Ratio | Ceded | Loss Ratio | Net | Loss Ratio | ||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned | $ | 1,596,618 | $ | 561,155 | $ | 1,035,463 | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Core losses | $ | 696,775 | 43.6 | % | $ | 20 | — | % | $ | 696,755 | 67.3 | % | |||||||||
| Weather events* | 28,000 | 1.8 | % | — | — | % | 28,000 | 2.7 | % | ||||||||||||
| Prior years’ reserve development | 464,669 | 29.1 | % | 410,219 | 73.1 | % | 54,450 | 5.3 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total losses and loss adjustment expenses | $ | 1,189,444 | 74.5 | % | $ | 410,239 | 73.1 | % | $ | 779,205 | 75.3 | % | |||||||||
| *Includes only current weather events beyond those expected. |
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| For The Year Ended December 31, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | Loss Ratio | Ceded | Loss Ratio | Net | Loss Ratio | ||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned | $ | 1,395,623 | $ | 472,060 | $ | 923,563 | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Core losses | $ | 538,826 | 38.6 | % | $ | 316 | 0.1 | % | $ | 538,510 | 58.3 | % | |||||||||
| Weather events* | 256,917 | 18.4 | % | 94,954 | 20.1 | % | 161,963 | 17.5 | % | ||||||||||||
| Prior years’ reserve development | 284,315 | 20.4 | % | 225,978 | 47.9 | % | 58,337 | 6.3 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total losses and loss adjustment expenses | $ | 1,080,058 | 77.4 | % | $ | 321,248 | 68.1 | % | $ | 758,810 | 82.1 | % |
*Includes only current weather events beyond those expected.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for change in liability for unpaid losses and LAE.
Management looks at losses and LAE in three areas, as described below and represented in the tables above, each of which has different drivers that impact reported results. As a result, these components of losses and LAE are described separately. Overall losses and LAE, net of reinsurance recoveries, were $779.2 million resulting in a 75.3% net loss and LAE ratio for the year ended December 31, 2021. This compares to $758.8 million resulting in an 82.1% net loss and LAE ratio for the year ended December 31, 2020. Increased ceded premiums also impact the ratio calculations such that the net loss and LAE ratio for the year ended December 31, 2021 also reflects higher relative reinsurance costs compared to the same period in 2020, which contributed to an overall increase of 1.5 percentage points to the net loss and LAE ratio. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
The factors impacting losses and LAE are as follows:
•Core losses
◦Our core losses consist of all losses and LAE for the current year excluding both weather events for the current year beyond those anticipated in our regular accrual process and prior years’ reserve development. Core losses were 67.3% of net premium earned for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 58.3% for the same period in 2020. These losses and loss ratios benefit from the potential profits generated through the management of claims by our claims adjusting affiliate, including claim fees ceded to reinsurers, which are described below, reducing core losses. The core loss ratio for 2020 and 2021 reflects actions taken by management to increase its loss pick to accrue for current accident year reserves. Core losses also increase as premium volume increases year over year. Although the Insurance Entities received rate increases in Florida and certain other states, management has elected not to decrease the core loss ratio compared to the prior year but to increase it and to monitor results until management sees loss costs stabilize in Florida and certain other states. During 2021, management increased the core loss ratio in the second quarter of 2021 by one loss ratio point, in the third quarter of 2021 by an additional one loss ratio point and then in the fourth quarter by an additional two and one half loss ratio points ending the year at a 44.5% loss ratio before the benefit of claim service fees. These increases in the expected ultimate losses made during 2021 were retroactive to January 1, 2021 in all three cases. These increases reflect recent and ongoing trends in weather-related claims, higher expected costs for building materials and labor as a result of inflationary pressure as well as the continuing prevalence of solicited, represented, and litigated claims in Florida resulting in increased claims frequencies, losses and loss adjustment expenses.
•Weather events beyond those expected
◦During 2021 there were a number of weather events which in total exceeded amounts included in our core loss ratio by $28.0 million and are reflected in the above chart.
◦During the year ended December 31, 2020, there were a significant number of storms including Hurricane Sally which in the aggregate significantly exceeded core loss ratio expectations. The number of adverse weather events and resulting claims during the fourth quarter of 2020 exceeded weather event claims reported during the first three quarters. Reported losses from Hurricane Sally significantly benefited from our catastrophe reinsurance protection. Our reinsurance program reduced our direct estimate of Hurricane Sally ultimate losses of $133.4 million to $43.0 million on a net basis after estimated reinsurance recoveries. Other weather events resulting in losses with only limited benefit from our catastrophe reinsurance protection included Hurricanes Isaias, Eta, Delta and Zeta and other unnamed storms tracked by an industry numerically assigned identifier. These weather events during 2020 resulted in direct losses of $123.5 million and $119.0 million net after reinsurance. In 2020 the Company experienced the highest level of unnamed weather events when compared to the previous three years.
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•Prior years’ reserve development
◦Two drivers influence the amounts recorded as prior years’ reserve development, namely: (i) changes to prior estimates of direct and net ultimate losses on prior accident years excluding major hurricanes and (ii) changes to prior estimates of direct and net ultimate losses on hurricanes.
▪For the year ended December 31, 2021, prior years’ reserve development totaled $464.7 million of direct losses and $54.5 million of net unfavorable loss development after the benefit of reinsurance.
•For hurricanes, prior years’ reserve development for the year ended December 31, 2021 was the result of a direct increase in the ultimate losses for several hurricanes of $420.4 million offset by ceded hurricane losses of $410.8 million resulting in net unfavorable development of $9.6 million. Direct losses increased for Hurricanes Irma, Sally, Michael, Matthew and Florence. Net development for Hurricane Irma was $20.6 million as a result of limitations on loss adjustment expenses on losses ceded to the Florida Hurricane CAT Fund and the exhaustion of third party coverage on Hurricane Irma and favorable development on Hurricanes Sally and Michael of $11.0 million as a result of changes in amounts ceded to the All States reinsurance coverage which has a lower retention.
•Excluding hurricanes, there was $44.3 million of direct and $44.9 million net prior years’ reserve development during the year ended December 31, 2021. This development, primarily from the 2020, 2019 and 2017 accident years, primarily resulted from the settlement on litigated claims exceeding prior estimated amounts.
•For the year ended December 31, 2020 prior years’ reserve development totaled $284.3 million of direct losses and $58.3 million of net losses after the benefit of reinsurance.
•Prior years’ reserve development, excluding hurricanes described below, was $42.1 million direct and $40.2 million net of reinsurance for the year ended December 31, 2020. This development largely resulted from increased prior-year non-hurricane companion claims in the run up to the expiration of limitations period for Hurricane Irma claims, the emergence of claims associated with AOB litigated claims, and an increase in reopened claims. In 2019, the Florida legislature enacted legislation intended to reduce abuses with claims involving AOB. Prior to the effective date of the new law, the Company experienced an increase in claims reported by vendors seeking to pursue their claims under the prior law. In many instances, these claims have since further developed into litigated claims during 2020. Also, Hurricane Irma made landfall in 2017. In accordance with Florida law, the deadline for filing Hurricane Irma claims expired three years later in September 2020. As a result, in 2020 the Company experienced adverse development due to non-hurricane companion claims reported with new Hurricane Irma claims reported as the deadline approached. In 2020, claims associated with these issues continued to adversely develop; and Florida’s one-way attorneys’ fee statute and overall negative legal environment have led to increased litigation and higher losses and LAE.
•For the year ended December 31, 2020, development of direct and net losses on previously reported hurricanes was $242.2 million direct and $18.1 million net after the benefit of reinsurance. This was principally driven by continued adverse development of previous estimated losses and LAE on Hurricanes Irma, Michael, Florence and Matthew. Net development for the year ended December 31, 2020 principally resulted from an increase in our previously estimated losses and LAE on Hurricane Irma for claims which are not eligible for recovery from the FHCF.
•Florida law in effect at the time of Hurricane Irma barred new, supplemental or reopened claims for loss caused by the peril of windstorm or hurricane unless notice is provided within three years of the event. In September 2020, the three-year period following Hurricane Irma expired. The Company continues to adjust and settle Hurricane Irma claims that were reported prior to the expiration of the three-year period.
The financial benefit generated by our claims adjusting affiliate from the management of claims, including claim fees ceded by our Insurance Entities to reinsurers, was $11.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $17.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2020, driven by the recoveries from reinsurers and internal claim services. The benefit was recorded in the consolidated financial statements as a reduction to losses and LAE.
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For the year ended December 31, 2021, general and administrative expenses were $313.6 million compared to $289.6 million during the same period in 2020 as follows (dollars in thousands):
| For The Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Ratio | $ | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | $ | 1,035,463 | $ | 923,563 | $ | 111,900 | 12.1 | % | |||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 226,167 | 21.8 | % | 199,102 | 21.6 | % | 27,065 | 13.6 | % | ||||||||||||
| Other operating costs (1) | 87,428 | 8.4 | % | 90,532 | 9.8 | % | (3,104) | (3.4) | % | ||||||||||||
| Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 313,595 | 30.2 | % | $ | 289,634 | 31.4 | % | $ | 23,961 | 8.3 | % |
General and administrative expenses increased by $24.0 million, which was the result of increases in policy acquisition costs of $27.1 million primarily due to commissions and premium taxes associated with increased premium, and a decrease in other operating costs of $3.1 million. The expense ratio as a percentage of premiums earned, net was 30.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 31.4% for the year ended December 31, 2020.
•The increase in policy acquisition costs as a percentage of premiums earned, net during the year ended December 31, 2021 was a result of higher reinsurance costs reducing premiums earned, net in a greater proportion than the prior year. The commission rate paid to agents on the renewal of Florida policies was reduced 2 percentage points effective April 1, 2021, which will benefit future periods as the new rate structure applies prospectively.
•The decrease in other operating costs of $3.1 million reflects lower performance compensation, lower share-based compensation, lower marketing and distribution costs, and lower costs associated with employee medical benefits. The other operating cost ratio for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 8.4% compared to 9.8% in the year ended December 31, 2020. This reduction, which was partially offset by higher reinsurance costs, reflects several factors including economies of scale as we continue to grow premium, efficiencies gained from leveraging technology and spending discipline.
As a result of the above, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 105.5% compared to 113.5% for the same period in 2020. The decrease reflects improved underwriting results when compared to the same period of 2020. The reduction was the result of decreases in both the loss and LAE ratio and expense ratio as described above.
Income tax expense increased by $2.9 million to $8.0 million, or 56.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, when compared to income tax expense of $5.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Our effective tax rate increased to 28.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to 21.2% for the year ended December 31, 2020. Benefiting the 2020 effective tax rate was a non-recurring liability adjustment of 9.7 points of the effective tax rate. Benefiting 2021 effective tax rate was a non-recurring one-year Florida state income tax reduction which benefited the effective tax rate by 1.4 points when compared to 2020. Significant recurring items which impacted the effective tax rate in 2021 were a lower level of disallowed or non-deductible compensation of 2.1 points of the effective tax rate compared to 6.2 points of the effective tax rate in 2020 and a higher impact from excess tax shortfalls from stock-based compensation of 2.3 points of the effective tax in 2021 when compared to 0.4 points in 2020. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 12 (Income Taxes)” for an a table of items impacting the effective tax rate and an explanation of the change in our effective tax rates.
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $18.9 million compared to other comprehensive loss of $17.6 million for the same period in 2020, reflecting after-tax changes in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities held in our investment portfolio and reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for available-for-sale debt securities sold. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 14 (Other Comprehensive Income (Loss))” for additional information about the amounts comprising other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes for these periods.
Adjusted operating income (loss) represents GAAP operating income (loss), excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities. Adjusted operating income was $27.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to adjusted operating loss of $39.1 million for the same period in 2020.
Adjusted operating income (loss) margin represents adjusted operating income (loss) divided by core revenue. Adjusted operating income margin was 2.4% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to adjusted operating loss margin of 3.9% for the same period in 2021.
Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders represents GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, excluding net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities, net of tax. Adjusted net loss attributable to common stockholders was $19.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to adjusted net loss attributable to common stockholders of $29.0 million for the same period in 2020.
Diluted adjusted earnings (loss) per common share represents adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Diluted adjusted earnings per common share was $0.61 for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to diluted adjusted loss per share of $0.91 for the same period in 2020.
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ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2022 COMPARED TO DECEMBER 31, 2021
We believe that cash flows generated from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital requirements for at least the next twelve months. We invest amounts considered to be in excess of current working capital requirements.
The following table summarizes, by type, the carrying values of investments as of the dates presented (in thousands):
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Investment | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| Available-for-sale debt securities | $ | 1,014,626 | $ | 1,040,455 | |||
| Equity securities | 85,469 | 47,334 | |||||
| Investment real estate, net | 5,711 | 5,891 | |||||
| Total | $ | 1,105,806 | $ | 1,093,680 |
See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” and “Item 8—Note 3 (Investments)” for explanations on changes in investments.
Prepaid reinsurance premiums represent the portion of unearned ceded written premium that will be earned pro-rata over the coverage period of our reinsurance program, which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. The increase of $41.4 million to $282.4 million as of December 31, 2022 was primarily due to additional ceded written premium reinsurance costs relating to our 2022-2023 catastrophe reinsurance program beginning June 1, 2022, less amortization of ceded written premium for the reinsurance costs earned since the beginning of the new program.
Reinsurance recoverable represents the estimated amount of paid and unpaid losses, LAE and other expenses that are expected to be recovered from reinsurers. The increase of $623.3 million to $808.9 million as of December 31, 2022 was primarily due Hurricane Ian losses covered by our reinsurance contracts.
Premiums receivable, net represents amounts receivable from policyholders. The increase in premiums receivable, net of $4.7 million to $69.6 million as of December 31, 2022 is consistent with premium trends.
Deferred policy acquisition costs (“DPAC”) decreased by $5.2 million to $103.7 million as of December 31, 2022, and is consistent with written premium trends and changes in commissions paid to agents. In 2022, DPAC was impacted by the reductions to Florida renewal commissions implemented during 2022 and reductions to 2021 and other changes to the Company’s commission structure. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations)” for a roll-forward in the balance of our DPAC.
Income taxes recoverable represents the difference between estimated tax obligations and tax payments made to taxing authorities. As of December 31, 2022, the balance recoverable was $1.5 million, representing amounts due from taxing authorities at that date, compared to a balance recoverable of $16.9 million as of December 31, 2021. Income taxes recoverable as of December 31, 2022 will either be refunded or applied to future periods to offset future federal and state income tax obligations.
Deferred income taxes represent the estimated tax asset or tax liability caused by temporary differences between the tax return basis of certain assets and liabilities and amounts recorded in the financial statements. During the year ended December 31, 2022, deferred income tax asset, net increased by $40.9 million to $57.3 million, primarily due to an increase in unrealized losses on investments. Deferred income taxes reverse in future years as the temporary differences between book and tax reverse.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for a roll-forward in the balance of our unpaid losses and LAE. Unpaid losses and LAE increased by $692.6 million to $1,038.8 million as of December 31, 2022. The majority of the increase in 2022 was a result of losses recorded in the third quarter of 2022 for Hurricane Ian and in the fourth quarter of 2022 for Hurricane Nicole. Overall, unpaid losses and LAE increased, as incurred losses and LAE exceeded settlements. Unpaid losses and LAE are net of estimated subrogation recoveries of $134 million as of December 31, 2022 compared to $119 million as of December 31, 2021.
Unearned premiums represent the portion of direct premiums written that will be earned pro-rata in the future. The increase of $86.1 million from December 31, 2021 to $943.9 million as of December 31, 2022 reflects the increases in written premiums as the result of rate increases.
Advance premium represents premium payments made by policyholders ahead of the effective date of the policies. The increase of $1.3 million from December 31, 2021 to $55.0 million as of December 31, 2022 reflects customer payment behavior and the payment behavior of mortgage escrow service providers as well as premium trends..
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We exclude net negative cash balances, if any, from cash and cash equivalents that we have with any single financial institution based on aggregating the book balance of all accounts at the institution which have the right of offset. If the aggregation results in a net negative book balance, that balance is reclassified from cash and cash equivalents in our Consolidated Balance Sheet to book overdraft. These amounts represent outstanding checks or drafts not yet presented to the financial institution in excess of amounts on deposit at the financial institutions. We maintain a short-term cash investment strategy sweep to maximize investment returns on cash balances. There were no book overdrafts as of December 31, 2022, compared to a book overdraft of $26.8 million as of December 31, 2021. The decrease of $26.8 million is the result of higher cash balances available for offset as of December 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.
Reinsurance payable, net, represents the unpaid reinsurance premium installments owed to reinsurers, unpaid reinstatement premiums due to reinsurers and cash advances received from reinsurers, if any. On June 1st of each year, we renew our core catastrophe reinsurance program and record the estimated annual cost of our reinsurance program. These estimated annual costs are increased or decreased during the year based on premium adjustments or as a result of new placements during the year. The annual cost initially increases reinsurance payable, which is then reduced as installment payments are made over the policy period of the reinsurance, which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st. The balance increased by $195.8 million to $384.5 million as of December 31, 2022 as a result of timing of the above items and cash advanced from reinsurers in 2022 in connection with ceded Hurricane Ian claims. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information about timing of reinsurance premium installment payments.
Other liabilities and accrued expenses increased by $31.5 million to $58.8 million as of December 31, 2022, primarily driven by increases in the collection of advanced reinsurance commission and increases in other liabilities due to timing of payments. Advance reinsurance commission represents the early collection of reinsurance commissions as a result of the Company settling its reinsurance obligations before the contractual due date and in 2022 includes reinsurance commissions received on reinstatement premiums from Hurricane Ian.
Capital resources, net decreased by $142.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, reflecting a net decrease in total stockholders’ equity and long-term debt. The change in stockholders’ equity was principally the result of our 2022 net loss, declines in the after-tax changes in the fair value of our available-for-sale debt securities, treasury share purchases and dividends to shareholders offset by increases from share-based compensation. Available-for-sale debt securities’ decline in fair value of $117.1 million (before tax) in 2022, caused the net unrealized loss position of $20.2 million at December 31, 2021 to increase to $137.3 million at December 31, 2022. Current market outlooks are signaling further Federal Reserve tightening which could continue to have a negative impact on the valuation of available-for-sale debt securities. See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity” and “Item 8—Note 8 (Stockholders’ Equity)” for an explanation of changes in treasury stock. The reduction in long-term debt was primarily the result of principal payments on long-term debt of $1.5 million offset by amortization of debt issuance costs of $0.7 million on our 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 during 2022 . See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.
Additional paid-in-capital increased by $4.3 million primarily from share-based compensation expense of $4.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. This was offset by the common stock value acquired and cancelled through tax withholdings on the intrinsic value of performance units and restricted stock units vested for share-based payment transactions of $0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity
Liquidity is a measure of a company’s ability to generate sufficient cash flows to meet its short- and long-term obligations. Funds generated from operations have been sufficient and we expect them to be sufficient to meet our current and long term liquidity requirements.
The balance of cash and cash equivalents, excluding restricted cash, as of December 31, 2022 was $388.7 million, compared to $250.5 million at December 31, 2021. See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” for a reconciliation of the balance of cash and cash equivalents between December 31, 2022 and 2021. This increase is largely attributable to cash calls to reinsurers to support Hurricane Ian claim settlement liquidity and changes in operational cash flows since year end and was driven by cash flows generated from operating activities in excess of cash flows used in investing and financing activities. Our cash investment strategy at times includes cash investments where the right of offset against other bank accounts does not exist. A book overdraft occurs when aggregating the book balance of all accounts at a financial institution for accounts which have the right of offset, and if the aggregation results in a net negative book balance, that balance is reclassified from cash and cash equivalents in our Consolidated Balance Sheet to book overdraft. Cash and cash equivalents balances are available to settle book overdrafts, and to pay reinsurance premiums, expenses and claims. Reinsurance premiums are paid in installments during the reinsurance policy period, which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. The FHCF reimbursement premiums are paid in three installments on August 1st, October 1st and December 1st, and third-party reinsurance premiums are generally paid in four installments on July 1st, October 1st, January 1st and April 1st, resulting in significant payments at those times. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)” and additional discussion below under the caption “—Material Cash Requirements” for more information.
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During 2022, there was one significant hurricane, Hurricane Ian, in which estimated losses are $1 billion gross and $111 million net after reinsurance recoveries. The Company’s reinsurance program provides sufficient liquidity in the form of cash advances for paid losses ceded to the reinsurers. During 2021, the Company routinely collected amounts ceded to reinsurers and, as in the past did not have to use funds in the Company’s investment portfolio. See “—Results of Operations” for more information.
The balance of restricted cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 represents cash equivalents on deposit with certain regulatory agencies in the various states in which our Insurance Entities do business.
Liquidity is required at the holding company for us to cover the payment of holding company general operating expenses and contingencies, dividends to shareholders (if and when authorized and declared by our Board of Directors), payment for the possible repurchase of our common stock (if and when authorized by our Board of Directors), payment of our tax obligations to taxing authorities, settlement of taxes between subsidiaries in accordance with our tax sharing agreement, capital contributions to subsidiaries or surplus note contributions to the Insurance Entities, if needed, and interest and principal payments on outstanding debt obligations of the holding company. Effective in 2021 for UPCIC and 2022 for APPCIC, the holding company has put in place an ongoing surplus note arrangement with the Insurance Entities, which has been approved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation as the Insurance Entities’ domestic regulator. Surplus notes are unsecured debt issued by the Insurance Entities that are subordinated to all claims by policyholders and creditors, with interest and principal payments on the surplus notes to the holding company being made only upon the FLOIR’s express approval. Surplus notes are considered bonds in function and payout structure, but are accounted for as equity in the statutory reporting of the Insurance Entities. The holding company has outstanding with the Insurance Entities $134.0 million in surplus notes. Under the arrangement, interest accrues at a variable rate (currently 8.27%) on the outstanding surplus note balances and, if approved by the FLOIR, is payable annually to the holding company. In 2022, UPCIC received approval from its Florida regulator to permit UPCIC to pay interest accruing at a 8.27% interest rate for surplus notes outstanding as of December 31, 2021. The declaration and payment of future dividends to our shareholders, and any future repurchases of our common stock, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon many factors, including our operating results, financial condition, debt covenants and any regulatory constraints. New regulations or changes to existing regulations imposed on the Company and its affiliates may also impact the amount and timing of future dividend payments to the parent. Principal sources of liquidity for the holding company include dividends paid by our service entities generated from income earned on fees paid by the Insurance Entities to affiliated companies for general agency, inspections and claims adjusting services. Dividends are also paid from income earned from brokerage commissions earned on reinsurance contracts placed by our wholly-owned subsidiary, BARC and policy fees. We also maintain high quality investments in our portfolio as a source of liquidity along with ongoing interest and dividend income from those investments. As discussed in “Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations),” there are limitations on the dividends the Insurance Entities may pay to their immediate parent company, Protection Solutions, Inc. (“PSI”, formerly known as Universal Insurance Holding Company of Florida).
The maximum amount of dividends that can be paid by Florida insurance companies without prior approval of the FLOIR is subject to restrictions as referenced below and in “Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations).” Dividends from the Insurance Entities can only be paid from accumulated unassigned funds derived from net operating profits and net realized capital gains. Subject to such accumulated unassigned funds, the maximum dividend that may be paid by the Insurance Entities to PSI without prior approval (an “ordinary dividend”) is further limited to the lesser of statutory net income from operations of the preceding calendar year or statutory unassigned surplus as of the preceding year end. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 the Insurance Entities did not pay dividends to PSI. As of December 31, 2022, the Insurance Entities did not have the capacity to pay ordinary dividends.
On November 23, 2021, we issued $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026. We used the net proceeds to support the Insurance Entities’ statutory capital requirements and for general corporate purposes. If necessary, the Company also has amounts available under our unsecured revolving loan as discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
Liquidity for the Insurance Entities is primarily required to cover payments for reinsurance premiums, claims payments including potential payments of catastrophe losses (offset by recovery of any reimbursement amounts under our reinsurance agreements), fees paid to affiliates for managing general agency services, inspections and claims adjusting services, agent commissions, premium and income taxes, regulatory assessments, general operating expenses, and interest and principal payments on debt obligations. The principal source of liquidity for the Insurance Entities consists of the revenue generated from the collection of premiums earned, net, interest and dividend income from the investment portfolio, the collection of reinsurance recoverable and financing fees.
Our insurance operations provide liquidity as premiums are generally received months or even years before potential losses are paid under the policies written. In the event of catastrophic events, many of our reinsurance agreements provide for “cash advance” whereby reinsurers advance or prepay amounts to us, thereby providing liquidity, which we utilize in the claim settlement process. In addition, the Insurance Entities maintain substantial investments in highly liquid, marketable securities, which would generate funds upon sale. The average credit rating on our available-for-sale securities was A+ as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021. Credit ratings are a measure of collection risk on invested assets. Credit ratings are provided by third party nationally recognized rating agencies and are periodically updated. Management establishes guidelines for minimum credit rating and overall credit rating for all investments. The duration of our available-for-sale securities was 4.0 years as of December 31, 2022 compared to 4.4 years at December 31, 2021. Duration is a measure of a bond’s sensitivity to interest rate changes and is used by management to limit the potential impact of longer-term investments.
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The Insurance Entities are responsible for losses related to catastrophic events in excess of coverage provided by the Insurance Entities’ reinsurance programs and retentions before our reinsurance protection commences. Also, the Insurance Entities are responsible for all other losses that otherwise may not be covered by the reinsurance programs and any amounts arising in the event of a reinsurer default. Losses or a default by reinsurers may have a material adverse effect on either of the Insurance Entities or on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Capital Resources
Capital resources provide protection for policyholders, furnish the financial strength to support the business of underwriting insurance risks and facilitate continued business growth. The following table provides our stockholders’ equity, total long-term debt, total capital resources, debt-to-total capital ratio and debt-to-equity ratio for the periods presented (dollars in thousands):
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Stockholders’ equity | $ | 287,896 | $ | 429,702 | |||
| Total long-term debt | 102,769 | 103,676 | |||||
| Total capital resources | $ | 390,665 | $ | 533,378 | |||
| Debt-to-total capital ratio | 26.3 | % | 19.4 | % | |||
| Debt-to-equity ratio | 35.7 | % | 24.1 | % |
The debt-to-total capital ratio is total long-term debt divided by total capital resources, whereas the debt-to-equity ratio is total long-term debt divided by stockholders’ equity. These ratios help management measure the amount of financing leverage in place in relation to equity and future leverage capacity.
Adjusted common stockholders’ equity, representing GAAP common stockholders' equity, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), was $391.6 million as of December 31, 2022 and $445.2 million as of December 31, 2021.
Adjusted book value per share common share, representing adjusted common stockholders’ equity divided by outstanding common shares at the end of the reporting period, was $12.89 as of December 31, 2022 and $14.26 as of December 31, 2021.
Adjusted return on common equity representing actual or annualized adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders divided by average adjusted common stockholders' equity, with the denominator excluding current period income statement net realized gains (losses) on investments and net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities, net of tax, was (3.0)% as of December 31, 2022 and 4.3% as of December 31, 2021.
The Insurance Entities are required annually to comply with the NAIC RBC requirements. RBC requirements prescribe a method of measuring the amount of capital appropriate for an insurance company to support its overall business operations in light of its size and risk profile. NAIC’s RBC requirements are used by regulators to determine appropriate regulatory actions relating to insurers who show signs of weak or deteriorating condition. As of December 31, 2022, based on calculations using the appropriate NAIC RBC formula, the Insurance Entities reported respective total adjusted capital in excess of the requirements. Failure by the Insurance Entities to maintain the required level of statutory capital and surplus could result in the suspension of their authority to write new or renewal business, other regulatory actions, or ultimately, in the revocation of their certificate of authority by the FLOIR.
In 2006, UPCIC entered into a $25.0 million surplus note with the State Board of Administration of Florida (the “SBA”) under Florida’s Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program (the “ICBUI”). The surplus note has a twenty-year term, with quarterly payments of interest based on the 10-year Constant Maturity Treasury Index. As of December 31, 2022, UPCIC’s net written premium to surplus ratio and gross written premium to surplus ratio were in excess of the required minimums and, therefore, UPCIC is not subject to increases in interest rates. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” for additional details. At December 31, 2022, UPCIC was in compliance with the terms of the surplus note and with each of the loan’s covenants as implemented by rules promulgated by the SBA. Total adjusted capital and surplus, which includes the surplus note, was in excess of regulatory requirements for both UPCIC and APPCIC.
As discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term Debt),” the Company entered into a 364-day credit agreement and related revolving loan (“2021 Revolving Loan”) with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.. (“JPMorgan”) in August 2021. The Company and JPMorgan subsequently agreed during the term of the 2021 Revolving Loan to extend its expiration date until October 31, 2022. The Company renewed this agreement on October 31, 2022, increasing the credit facility to $37.5 million and modifying other terms. The October 31, 2022 Revolving Loan agreement (“2022 Revolving Loan”) makes available to the Company an unsecured revolving credit facility with an aggregate commitment not to exceed $37.5 million (previously $35.0 million) and carries an interest rate of prime rate plus a margin of 2%. The Company must pay an annual commitment of 0.50% of the unused portion of the commitment. Borrowings under the 2022 Revolving Loan mature on October 30, 2023, 364 days after the inception date of the 2022 Revolving Loan. The 2022 Revolving Loan is subject to annual renewals. The 2022 Revolving Loan contains customary financial and other covenants with which the Company is in compliance. The Company did not borrow any amount under the 2021 Revolving Loan and the Company has not borrowed any amount under the 2022 Revolving Loan.
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In November 2021, we issued and sold $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 (the “Notes”) to certain institutional accredited investors and qualified institutional buyers. The Notes mature on November 26, 2026, at which time the entire $100.0 million of principal is due and payable. At any time on or after November 23, 2023, the Company may redeem all or part of the Notes. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” for additional details. As of December 31, 2022, we were in compliance with all applicable covenants.
We will also continue to evaluate opportunities to access the debt capital markets to raise additional capital. We anticipate any proceeds would be used for general corporate purposes, including investing in the capital and surplus of the Insurance Entities.
In addition to the liquidity generally provided from operations, we maintain a conservative, well-diversified investment portfolio, predominantly comprised of fixed income securities with an average credit rating of A+, that focuses on capital preservation and providing an adequate source of liquidity for potential claim payments and other cash needs. The portfolio’s secondary investment objective is to provide a total rate of return with emphasis on investment income. Historically, we have consistently generated funds from operations, allowing our cash and invested assets to grow. We have not had to liquidate investment holdings to fund either operations or financing activities.
Looking Forward
We continue to monitor a range of financial metrics related to our business. Although we have not experienced material adverse impacts on our business or liquidity, conditions are subject to change depending on the extent of the economic downturn, and the pace and extent of an economic recovery. Significant uncertainties exist with the potential long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including unforeseen newly emerging risks that could affect us and future economic changes as the Federal Reserve addresses the economic concerns of inflation, employment and recession. We will continue to monitor the broader economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Common Stock Repurchases
On November 3, 2020, we announced that our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program under which we may repurchase in the open market up to $20 million of outstanding shares of our common stock through November 3, 2022. On December 15, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized a successor share repurchase program under which we may repurchase up to $8.0 million of shares of our common stock through December 15, 2024, which represents the unused portion of the November 2022 Share Repurchase Program authorization. We may repurchase shares from time to time at our discretion, based on ongoing assessments of our capital needs, the market price of our common stock and general market conditions. We will fund the share repurchase program with cash from operations.
In total, during the year ended December 31, 2022, we repurchased an aggregate of 992,759 shares of our common stock in the open market at an aggregate purchase price of $11.6 million. Also see “Part II—Item 5—Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities—Registrant Purchases of Equity Securities” for share repurchase activity during 2022 and the three months ended December 31, 2022.
Cash Dividends
The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid by the Company during the year ended December 31, 2022:
| Dividend | Shareholders | Dividend | Cash Dividend | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Declared Date | Record Date | Payable Date | Per Share Amount | |||||
| First Quarter | February 10, 2022 | March 10, 2022 | March 17, 2022 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Second Quarter | April 20, 2022 | May 13, 2022 | May 20, 2022 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Third Quarter | July 19, 2022 | August 2, 2022 | August 9, 2022 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Fourth Quarter | November 14, 2022 | December 9, 2022 | December 16, 2022 | $ | 0.29 |
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Reinsurance Recoverable
The following table provides total unpaid loss and LAE, net of related reinsurance recoverable for the dates presented (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Unpaid loss and LAE, net | $ | 44,164 | $ | 83,468 | |||
| IBNR loss and LAE, net | 195,946 | 146,888 | |||||
| Total unpaid loss and LAE, net | $ | 240,110 | $ | 230,356 | |||
| Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid loss and LAE | $ | 156,683 | $ | 6,560 | |||
| Reinsurance recoverable on IBNR loss and LAE | 641,997 | 109,300 | |||||
| Total reinsurance recoverable on unpaid loss and LAE | $ | 798,680 | $ | 115,860 |
Statutory Loss Ratios
Underwriting results of insurance companies are frequently measured by their combined ratios, which is the sum of the loss and expense ratios described in the following paragraph. However, investment income, federal income taxes and other non-underwriting income or expense are not reflected in the combined ratio. The profitability of property and casualty insurance companies depends on income from underwriting, investment and service operations. Underwriting results are considered profitable when the combined ratio is under 100% and unprofitable when the combined ratio is over 100%.
The following table provides the statutory loss ratios, expense ratios and combined ratios for the periods indicated for the Insurance Entities:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| Loss and LAE Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 85 | % | 77 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 57 | % | 62 | % | ||
| Expense Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 33 | % | 35 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 28 | % | (17) | % | ||
| Combined Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 118 | % | 112 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 85 | % | 45 | % |
(1)The ratios are net of ceded premiums and losses and LAE, including premiums ceded to our catastrophe reinsurers which comprise a significant cost, and losses and LAE ceded to reinsurers. The expense ratio includes management fees and commissions, which are based on market rates, paid to an affiliate of the Insurance Entities in the amount of $135.8 million and $135.2 million for UPCIC for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $1.7 million and $0.9 million for APPCIC for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The management fees and commissions paid to the affiliate are eliminated in consolidation.
Ratings
The Insurance Entities’ financial strength and stability are rated by certain independent insurance rating agencies to measure the Insurance Entities’ ability to meet their financial obligations to its policyholders. For the Insurance Entities’ policies to be considered acceptable to the secondary mortgage market, the Insurance Entities must maintain a specified rating level with at least one independent insurance rating agency recognized by each of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) or alternatively must qualify for an exception to the rating requirement. The Insurance Entities currently maintain acceptable ratings from two rating agencies recognized by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
In December 2022, Demotech, Inc. affirmed the Financial Stability Rating® of “A” for the Insurance Entities and Kroll affirmed its insurer financial strength ratings of “A-”. According to Demotech, Inc., the assigned rating represents a company’s continued positive surplus related to policyholders, liquidity of invested assets, an acceptable level of financial leverage, reasonable loss and LAE reserves, and realistic pricing. According to Kroll, its category of “A” ratings, inclusive of A+, A and A- ratings, indicates an insurer’s financial condition is strong and it is very likely to meet its policy obligations under difficult
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economic, financial, and business conditions. The ratings of the Insurance Entities are subject to at least annual review by the respective rating agencies, and may be revised upward or downward or revoked at the sole discretion of the rating agencies. Insurer financial stability or financial strength ratings primarily directed towards policyholders, and are not evaluations directed toward the protection of investors in a company, including holders of a company’s common stock, and are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold securities.
The 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 were assigned a rating of “A” by Egan-Jones Ratings Company in October 2021. There are three notches in the rating categories assigned by Egan-Jones Ratings Company (e.g., A- A, and A+), except for AAA and those deep into speculative grade, i.e., CC, C, and D, which do not have notches. According to Egan-Jones Ratings Company, the assigned rating pertains solely to their view of current and prospective credit quality. Their rating does not address pricing, liquidity, or other risks associated with holding investments in the issuer (UVE). Their rating is dependent on numerous factors including the reliability, accuracy, and quality of the data used in determining the credit rating.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that are reasonably likely to have a material effect on the financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital resources of the Company, except for multi-year reinsurance contract commitments for future years that will be recorded at the commencement of the coverage period. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)” for more information.
Material Cash Requirements
The following table represents our material cash requirements for which cash flows are fixed or determinable as of December 31, 2022 (in thousands):
| Total | Next 12 months | Beyond 12 months | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reinsurance payable and multi-year commitments (1) | $ | 713,907 | $ | 490,128 | $ | 223,779 | |||||
| Unpaid losses and LAE, direct (2) | 1,038,790 | 596,265 | 442,525 | ||||||||
| Long-term debt (3) | 128,429 | 7,282 | 121,147 | ||||||||
| Total material cash requirements | $ | 1,881,126 | $ | 1,093,675 | $ | 787,451 |
(1)Amount represents the payment of reinsurance premiums payable under multi-year commitments. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies).”
(2)There are generally no notional or stated amounts related to unpaid losses and LAE. Both the amounts and timing of future loss and LAE payments are estimates and subject to the inherent variability of legal and market conditions affecting the obligations and make the timing of cash outflows uncertain. The ultimate amount and timing of unpaid losses and LAE could differ materially from the amounts in the table above. Further, the unpaid losses and LAE do not represent all the obligations that will arise under the contracts, but rather only the estimated liability incurred through December 31, 2022. Unpaid losses and LAE are net of estimated subrogation recoveries. In addition, these balances exclude amounts recoverable from our reinsurance program. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 4 (Reinsurance).” and Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses).”
(3)Long-term debt consists of a Surplus note and 5.625% Senior unsecured notes. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
Impact of Inflation and Changing Prices
The financial statements and related data presented herein have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require the measurement of financial position and operating results in terms of historical dollars without considering changes in the relative purchasing power of money over time due to inflation. Our primary assets are monetary in nature. As a result, interest rates have a more significant impact on our performance than the effects of the general levels of inflation. Interest rates do not necessarily move in the same direction or with the same magnitude as the cost of paying losses and LAE.
Insurance premiums are established before we know the amount of loss and LAE and the extent to which inflation may affect such expenses. Consequently, we attempt to anticipate the future impact of inflation when establishing rate levels. While we attempt to charge adequate rates, we may be limited in raising premium levels for competitive and regulatory reasons. Inflation also affects the market value of our investment portfolio and the investment rate of return. Any future economic changes which result in prolonged and increasing levels of inflation could cause increases in the dollar amount of incurred loss and LAE and thereby materially adversely affect future liability requirements.
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Arrangements with Variable Interest Entities
We entered into a reinsurance captive arrangement with a VIE in the normal course of business, and consolidated the VIE since we are the primary beneficiary.
For a further discussion of our involvement with the VIE, see “Part II—Item 8—Note 2 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies)” and “Item 8—Note 18 (Variable Interest Entities).”
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.
Liability for Unpaid Losses and LAE
A liability, net of estimated subrogation, is established to provide for the estimated costs of paying losses and LAE under insurance policies the Insurance Entities have issued. Underwriting results are significantly influenced by an estimate of a liability for unpaid losses and LAE. The liability is an estimate of amounts necessary to settle all outstanding claims, including claims that have been incurred, but not yet reported as of the financial statement date. The process of estimating loss reserves requires significant judgment due to a number of variables, such as the type, severity and jurisdiction of loss, economic conditions including inflation, social attitudes, judicial decisions and legislative development and changes in claims handling procedures. These variables will inherently result in an ultimate liability that will differ from initial estimates. We revise our reserve for unpaid losses as additional information becomes available, and reflect adjustments, if any, in our earnings in the periods in which we determine the adjustments are necessary. We estimate and accrue our right to subrogate reported or estimated claims against other parties. Subrogated claims are recorded at amounts estimated to be received from the subrogated parties, net of expenses and netted against unpaid losses and LAE.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for a discussion of the Company’s basis and methodologies used to establish its liability for unpaid losses and LAE along with the following quantitative disclosures:
•Five-year accident year table on incurred claim and allocated claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance including columns of:
◦IBNR—Total of Incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development (redundancy) on reported claims by accident year, and
◦Claim counts—cumulative number of reported claims by accident year.
•Five-year accident year table on cumulative paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance,
•Reconciliation of net incurred and paid claims development tables to the liability for unpaid losses and LAE in the consolidated balance sheet,
•Duration—a table of the average historical claims duration for the past five years, and
•Reconciliation of the change in liability for unpaid losses and LAE presented in the consolidated financial statements.
We utilize independent actuaries to help establish liabilities for unpaid losses, anticipated loss recoveries and LAE. We do not discount the liability for unpaid losses and LAE for financial statement purposes. In establishing the liability for unpaid losses and LAE, actuarial judgment is relied upon in order to make appropriate assumptions to estimate a best estimate of ultimate losses. There are inherent uncertainties associated with this estimation process, especially when a company is undergoing changes in its claims settlement practices, when a company has limited experience in a certain area or when behaviors of policyholders are influenced by external factors and/or market dynamics. As an example, a dramatic change occurred during calendar year 2015 when we realigned our adjusting teams as well as launched our Fast Track initiative, reducing settlement costs and strengthening case reserve adequacy for claims reported during the year. These changes have had a meaningful influence on development pattern selections applied to 2013 through 2017 accident year claims in the reserving estimates for each of the methods described in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses).” More recently, since 2016 there has been a significant increase in efforts to pursue subrogation against third parties responsible for property damage losses to our insureds. As a result, anticipated subrogation recoveries are reviewed and estimated on a stand-alone basis in the Company’s reserve analysis. Market dynamics in Florida include the use of assignments of benefits (“AOB”) and the resulting increase in litigation against the Company. As a result of the use of AOBs, as well as the continued overall increase in represented claims and claims-related abuses in Florida, we have increased our estimates of ultimate losses for the most recent and prior accident years.
Factors Affecting Reserve Estimates
Reserve estimates are developed based on the processes and historical development trends discussed in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. These estimates are considered in conjunction with known facts and interpretations of circumstances and factors including our experience with similar cases, actual claims paid, differing payment patterns and pending levels of unpaid claims, loss management programs, product mix and contractual terms, changes in law and regulation, judicial decisions, and economic conditions. When these
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types of changes are experienced, actuarial judgment is applied in the determination and selection of development factors in order to better reflect new trends or expectations. For example, if a change in law is expected to have a significant impact on the development of claim severity, actuarial judgment is applied to determine appropriate development factors that will most accurately reflect the expected impact on that specific estimate. This example appropriately describes the reserving methodology selection for use in estimating sinkhole liabilities after the passing of legislation, as noted in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. Another example would be when a change in economic conditions is expected to affect the cost of repairs to property; actuarial judgment is applied to determine appropriate development factors to use in the reserve estimate that will most accurately reflect the expected impacts on severity development.
Changes in homeowners current year claim severity are generally influenced by inflation in the cost of building materials, the cost of construction and property repair services, the cost of replacing home furnishings and other contents, the types of claims that qualify for coverage, the presence of third party representation, such as legal or repair contractors (which serve to inflate claim expenses) and other economic and environmental factors. We employ various loss management programs to mitigate the effects of these factors.
Key assumptions that may materially affect the estimate of the reserve for loss and LAE relate to the effects of emerging claim and coverage issues. As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other environmental conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverages may emerge. These issues may adversely affect our business by either extending coverage beyond our underwriting intent, lengthening the time to final settlement, or by increasing the number or size of claims. Key assumptions that are premised on future emergence that are inconsistent with historical loss reserve development patterns include but are not limited to:
•Adverse changes in loss cost trends, including inflationary pressures in home repair costs;
•Judicial expansion of policy coverage and the impact of new theories of liability; and
•Plaintiffs targeting property and casualty insurers in purported class action litigation related to claims-handling and other practices.
As loss experience for the current year develops for each type of loss, the reserves for loss and LAE are monitored relative to initial assumptions until they are judged to have sufficient statistical credibility. From that point in time and forward, reserves are re-estimated using statistical actuarial processes to reflect the impact loss trends have on development factors incorporated into the actuarial estimation processes.
Causes of Reserve Estimate Uncertainty
Since reserves are estimates of the unpaid portions of claims and claims expenses that have occurred, the establishment of appropriate reserves, including reserves for catastrophes, requires regular reevaluation and refinement of estimates to determine ultimate loss and LAE estimates.
At each reporting date, the highest degree of uncertainty in reserve estimates arises from claims remaining to be settled for the current accident year and the most recent preceding accident year, and claims that have occurred but have not been reported. The estimate for the current accident year contains the greatest degree of uncertainty because it contains the greatest proportion of losses that have not been reported or settled but must be estimated as of the current reporting date. During the first year after the end of an accident year, a large portion of the total losses for that accident year are settled. When accident year losses paid through the end of the first year following the initial accident year are incorporated into updated actuarial estimates, the trends inherent in the settlement of claims emerge more clearly. Consequently, this is the point in time at which the largest re-estimates of losses for an accident year can occur. After the second year, the losses paid for the accident year typically relate to claims that are more difficult to settle, such as those involving litigation.
Reserves for Catastrophe Losses
Loss and LAE reserves also include reserves for catastrophe losses. Catastrophe losses are an inherent risk of the property-casualty insurance industry that have contributed, and will continue to contribute, to potentially material year-to-year fluctuations in results of operations and financial position. A catastrophe is an event that produces significant insured losses before reinsurance and involves multiple first party policyholders, or an event that produces a number of claims in excess of a preset, per-event threshold of average claims in a specific area, occurring within a certain amount of time following the event. Catastrophes are commonly caused by various natural events including high winds, tornadoes, wildfires, winter storms, tropical storms and hurricanes.
The estimation of claims and claims expense reserves for catastrophes also comprises estimates of losses from reported and unreported claims, primarily for damage to property. In general, estimates for catastrophe reserves are based on claim adjuster inspections and the application of historical loss development factors as described previously and in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. However, depending on the nature of the catastrophe, as noted above, the estimation process can be further complicated. For example, for hurricanes, complications could include the inability of insureds to be able to promptly report losses, limitations placed on claims adjusting staff affecting their ability to inspect losses, determining whether losses are covered by our homeowners policy (generally for damage caused by wind or wind driven rain) or specifically excluded coverage caused by flood, estimating additional living expenses or assessing the impact of demand surge and exposure to mold damage. The effects of numerous other considerations, include the timing of a catastrophe in relation to other events, such as at or near the end of a financial reporting period, which
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can affect the availability of information needed to estimate reserves for that reporting period. In these situations, practices are adapted to accommodate these circumstances in order to determine a best estimate of losses from a catastrophe.
Key Actuarial Assumptions That Affect the Loss and LAE Estimate
The aggregation of estimates for reported losses and IBNR forms the reserve liability recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
At any given point in time, the recorded loss and LAE reserves represent our best estimate of the ultimate settlement and administration cost of insured claims incurred and unpaid. Since the process of estimating loss and LAE reserves requires significant judgment due to a number of variables, such as fluctuations in inflation, judicial decisions, legislative changes and changes in claims handling procedures, ultimate liability may exceed or be less than these estimates. Reserves for losses and LAE are revised as additional information becomes available, and adjustments, if any, are reflected in earnings in the periods in which they are determined.
In selecting development factors and averages described in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements, due consideration is given to how the historical experience patterns change from one year to the next over the course of several consecutive years of recent history. Predictions surrounding these patterns drive the estimates that are produced by each method, and are based on statistical techniques that follow standard actuarial practices.
In compliance with annual statutory reporting requirements, our appointed independent actuary provides a Statement of Actuarial Opinion (“SAO”) indicating that carried loss and LAE reserves recorded at each annual balance sheet date make a reasonable provision for all of the Insurance Entities’ unpaid loss and LAE obligations under the terms of contracts and agreements with our policyholders. Recorded reserves are compared to the indicated range provided in the actuary’s report accompanying the SAO. At December 31, 2022, the recorded amount for net loss and LAE falls within the range determined by the Company’s appointed independent actuary.
Potential Reserve Estimate Variability
The methods employed by actuaries include a range of estimated unpaid losses, each reflecting a level of uncertainty. Projections of loss and LAE liabilities are subject to potentially large variability in the estimation process since the ultimate disposition of claims incurred prior to the financial statement date, whether reported or not, is subject to the outcome of events that have not yet occurred. Examples of these events include jury decisions, court interpretations, legislative changes, public attitudes and social/economic conditions such as inflation. Any estimate of future costs is subject to the inherent limitation on one’s ability to predict the aggregate course of future events. It should therefore be expected that the actual emergence of losses and LAE will vary, perhaps materially, from any estimate.
In selecting the range of reasonable estimates, the range of indications produced by the various methods is evaluated, the relative strengths and weaknesses of each method are considered, and from those inputs a range of estimates can be selected. For reasons cited above, this range of estimated ultimate losses is typically smaller for older, more mature accident periods and greater for more recent, less mature accident periods. The greatest level of uncertainty is associated with the most recent accident years, and particularly years during which catastrophe events occurred.
The inherent uncertainty associated with our loss and LAE liability is magnified due to our concentration of property business in catastrophe-exposed and litigious states, primarily Florida. In 2018, for example, loss and expense payments for Hurricane Irma claims exceeded initial liability estimates that were established at year-end 2017, which was shortly after the event occurred. This unexpected development was partially due to the influence of plaintiff attorneys in the claim filing process; both at initial contact prior to coverage validation or damage assessment, and after claims were settled and closed which resulted in a large number of claims being reopened during the year. In 2019, UPCIC continued to experience unanticipated unfavorable development on losses from claims being reopened and new claims being opened due to public adjusters encouraging policyholders to file new claims. Due to the relatively low frequency and inherent uncertainty of catastrophe events, the parameters utilized in loss estimation methodologies are updated whenever new information emerges.
The following table summarizes the effect on net loss and LAE reserves and net loss, net of tax in the event of reasonably likely changes in the severity of claims considered in establishing loss and LAE reserves. The range of reasonably likely changes in the severity of our claims was established based on a review of changes in loss year development and applied loss and LAE reserves as a whole. The selected range of changes does not indicate what could be the potential best or worst case or likely scenarios (dollars in thousands):
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| Year ended December 31, 2022 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent Change in | |||||||
| Change in Reserves | Reserves | Net Income | |||||
| -20.0% | $ | 831,032 | 763 | % | |||
| -15.0% | 882,972 | 572 | % | ||||
| -10.0% | 934,911 | 381 | % | ||||
| -5.0% | 986,851 | 191 | % | ||||
| Base | 1,038,790 | — | |||||
| 5.0% | 1,090,730 | (191) | % | ||||
| 10.0% | 1,142,669 | (381) | % | ||||
| 15.0% | 1,194,609 | (572) | % | ||||
| 20.0% | 1,246,548 | (763) | % |
Adequacy of Reserve Estimates
We believe our net loss and LAE reserves are appropriately established based on available methodology, facts, technology, laws and regulations. We calculate and record a single best reserve estimate, in conformance with generally accepted actuarial standards, for reported and unreported losses and LAE losses and as a result we believe no other estimate is better than our recorded amount.
Due to the uncertainties involved, the ultimate cost of losses and LAE may vary materially from recorded amounts, which are based on our best estimates. The liability for unpaid losses and LAE at December 31, 2022 is $1,038.8 million.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
None
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP. For more information regarding our key performance indicators, please refer to the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Key Performance Indicators.”
The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP revenue (total premiums earned and other revenues) to core revenue, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| GAAP revenue | $ | 1,222,658 | $ | 1,121,851 | $ | 1,072,770 | ||||
| less: Net realized gains (losses) on investments | 348 | 5,892 | 63,352 | |||||||
| less: Net change in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities | (13,145) | (4,032) | 25 | |||||||
| Core Revenue | $ | 1,235,455 | $ | 1,119,991 | $ | 1,009,393 |
The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP operating income (loss) to adjusted operating income (loss), which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
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| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| GAAP income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) | $ | (27,247) | $ | 28,413 | $ | 24,231 | ||||
| add: Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs | 6,609 | 638 | 95 | |||||||
| GAAP operating income (loss) | (20,638) | 29,051 | 24,326 | |||||||
| less: Net realized gains (losses) on investments | 348 | 5,892 | 63,352 | |||||||
| less: Net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities | (13,145) | (4,032) | 25 | |||||||
| Adjusted operating income (loss) | $ | (7,841) | $ | 27,191 | $ | (39,051) |
The following table presents the reconciliation of operating income (loss) margin to adjusted operation income (loss) margin, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| GAAP operating income (loss) | $ | (20,638) | $ | 29,051 | $ | 24,326 | ||||
| GAAP revenue | 1,222,658 | 1,121,851 | 1,072,770 | |||||||
| GAAP operating income (loss) margin | (1.7) | % | 2.6 | % | 2.3 | % | ||||
| Adjusted operating income (loss) | (7,841) | 27,191 | (39,051) | |||||||
| Core revenue | 1,235,455 | 1,119,991 | 1,009,393 | |||||||
| Adjusted operating income (loss) margin | (0.6) | % | 2.4 | % | (3.9) | % |
The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP net income (loss) available to common stockholders to adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| GAAP net income (loss) | $ | (22,257) | $ | 20,407 | $ | 19,105 | ||||
| less: Preferred dividends | 10 | 10 | 10 | |||||||
| GAAP net income (loss) available to common stockholders | (22,267) | 20,397 | 19,095 | |||||||
| less: Net realized gains (losses) on investments | 348 | 5,892 | 63,352 | |||||||
| less: Net changes in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities | (13,145) | (4,032) | 25 | |||||||
| add: Income tax effect on above adjustments | (3,148) | 422 | 15,274 | |||||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders | $ | (12,618) | $ | 18,959 | $ | (29,008) | ||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding - Diluted | 30,751 | 31,307 | 31,972 | |||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | (0.72) | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 | ||||
| Diluted adjusted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | (0.41) | $ | 0.61 | $ | (0.91) |
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The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP stockholders’ equity to adjusted stockholders’ equity and book value per common share to adjusted book value per common share, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| As of | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | December 31, | December 31, | ||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| GAAP Stockholders' equity | $ | 287,896 | $ | 429,702 | 449,262 | |||||
| less: Preferred equity | 100 | 100 | 100 | |||||||
| Common stockholders' equity | 287,796 | 429,602 | 449,162 | |||||||
| less: Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | (103,782) | (15,568) | 3,343 | |||||||
| Adjusted common stockholders' equity | $ | 391,578 | $ | 445,170 | $ | 445,819 | ||||
| Common shares outstanding | 30,389 | 31,221 | 31,137 | |||||||
| Book value per common share | $ | 9.47 | $ | 13.76 | $ | 14.43 | ||||
| Adjusted book value per common share | $ | 12.89 | $ | 14.26 | $ | 14.32 |
The following table presents the reconciliation of GAAP ROCE to adjusted ROCE, which is a non-GAAP measure (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Actual net income (loss) available to common stockholders' | (22,267) | 20,397 | 19,095 | |||||||
| Average common stockholders' equity | 358,699 | 439,382 | 471,482 | |||||||
| ROCE | (6.2) | % | 4.6 | % | 4.0 | % | ||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) available to common stockholders | $ | (12,618) | $ | 18,959 | $ | (29,008) | ||||
| Adjusted average common stockholders' equity* | $ | 423,199 | $ | 444,776 | $ | 435,577 | ||||
| Adjusted ROCE | (3.0) | % | 4.3 | % | (6.7) | % |
*Adjusted average common stockholders’ equity excludes current period after-tax net realized gains (losses) on investments and net change in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities.
FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000891166-22-000018.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to assist in an understanding of our financial condition and results of operations and should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in “Item 8—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” below. Except for the historical information contained herein, the discussions in this MD&A contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our future results could differ materially from those discussed herein. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed above under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Part I, Item 1A—Risk Factors.”
Overview
We are a vertically integrated holding company offering property and casualty insurance and value-added insurance services. We develop, market, and underwrite insurance products for consumers predominantly in the personal residential homeowners lines of business and perform substantially all other insurance-related services for our primary insurance entities, including risk management, claims management and distribution. Our primary insurance entities, UPCIC and APPCIC, offer insurance products through both our appointed independent agent network and our online distribution channels across 19 states (primarily in Florida), with licenses to write insurance in an additional two states. The Insurance Entities seek to produce an underwriting profit (defined as earned premium minus losses, LAE, policy acquisition costs and other operating costs) over the long term; maintain a conservative balance sheet to prepare for years in which the Insurance Entities are not able to achieve an underwriting profit; and generate investment income from invested assets.
Revenues
We generate revenue primarily from the collection of insurance premiums. Other sources of revenue include: commissions paid by our reinsurers to our reinsurance intermediary subsidiary BARC on reinsurance it places for the Insurance Entities; policy fees collected from policyholders by our managing general agent subsidiary, ERA (formerly Universal Risk Advisors, Inc.); and financing fees charged to policyholders who choose to defer premium payments. In addition, our subsidiary Alder receives fees from the Insurance Entities for claims-handling services. The Insurance Entities are reimbursed for these fees on claims that are subject to recovery under the Insurance Entities’ respective reinsurance programs. These fees, after expenses, are recorded in the consolidated financial statements as an adjustment to LAE. We also generate income by investing our assets.
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The nature of our business tends to be seasonal during the year, reflecting consumer behaviors in connection with the Florida residential real estate market and the hurricane season. The amount of direct premiums written tends to increase just prior to the second quarter and tends to decrease approaching the fourth quarter.
Trends and Geographical Distribution
Florida Trends
We are currently working through a cycle to improve long-term rate adequacy and earnings for the Insurance Entities by increasing rates and managing exposures, while taking advantage of what we believe to be opportunities in a dislocated market. The Florida personal lines homeowners’ market currently can be characterized as a “hard market”, where insurance premium rates are escalating, insurers are reducing coverages, and underwriting standards are tightening as insurers closely monitor insurance rates and manage coverage capacity. Due to conditions in the Florida market and factors more generally affecting the U.S. and global reinsurance markets, reinsurance capacity in recent years has also been subject to less favorable pricing or terms. These market forces decrease competition among admitted insurers, and ultimately result in the increased use of Citizens, which was created to be the State’s residual property insurance market. In recent years, in response to adverse behaviors and conditions in the Florida residential market, most admitted market competitors have sought and often received approval for significant rate increases. Meanwhile, Citizens’ rate increases are limited by law, resulting in its policies, in a hard market, becoming priced lower than admitted market policies. This causes Citizens to become viewed as a desirable alternative to the admitted market as admitted market insurers manage through the hard market challenges. Our Insurance Entities likewise have taken and continue to take action to manage through this hard market by increasing rates and prudently managing exposures while also maintaining their competitive position in the market and supporting our current policyholders and agents.
While addressing rate adequacy for the Insurance Entities, we continue to experience inflated costs for losses and LAE in the Florida market, where an industry has developed around the solicitation, filing and litigation of personal residential claims. These dynamics have been made worse by the litigation financing industry which in some cases funds these actions. These behaviors are a chief contributing factor for the rate increases in this market. These behaviors result in a pattern of continued increases in year-over-year levels of represented claims, the inflation of purported claim amounts, and increased demands for attorneys’ fees. Active solicitation of personal residential claims in Florida by policyholder representatives, remediation companies and repair companies has led to an increase in the frequency and severity of personal residential claims in Florida exceeding historical levels and levels seen in other jurisdictions. Information prepared by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation also shows that claims in Florida are litigated at a substantially disproportionate rate when compared to other states. This is largely due to a Florida statute providing a one-way right of attorneys’ fees against insurers which has, when coupled with certain other statutes and judicial rulings, produced a legal environment in Florida that encourages litigation, in many cases without regard to the underlying merits of the claims. The one-way right to attorneys’ fees essentially means that unless an insurer’s position is entirely upheld in litigation, the insurer must pay the plaintiff’s attorneys’ fees in addition to its own defense costs. This affects not only claims that are litigated to resolution, but also the settlement discussions that take place with nearly all litigated claims. This one-way right to attorney fees creates a nearly risk-free environment, and incentive, for attorneys to pursue litigation against insurers. The result has been a substantial increase in represented and litigated claims in Florida, far outpacing levels experienced in other states.
In April 2021, the Florida legislature passed a bill intending to curtail the adverse claim trends impacting the Florida homeowners’ insurance market. Most provisions of the bill went into effect on July 1, 2021. Among its provisions, the bill creates a new pre-suit notice requirement wherein an insured must make a formal monetary demand of a residential property insurer before commencing suit. The Company has established an internal team to review and respond to these pre-suit demands in a further effort to resolve disputes before litigation ensues. Another provision of the new law reduces the time period in which to file a new or reopened claim to two years following the date of loss. Other changes include attempting to curtail the solicitation of certain roof claims and to limit referral fees in connection with certain types of claims. Opponents of the reforms have challenged certain parts of the new law, including obtaining an injunction against provisions that limit the solicitation of roof claims. In light of the recent enactment of these reforms and the litigation that has ensued, it is premature to assess whether the reforms will have their intended effect. Whether these changes are beneficial to consumers, insurers, insurance company holding systems or the residential property insurance market as a whole may not be fully known for some time.
Despite our initiatives, such as those mentioned above, our costs to settle claims in Florida have increased for the reasons mentioned above. For example, the Company has previously increased its current year loss estimates and increased estimates associated with prior years’ claims. Over the past three years, even as we have increased our estimates of prospective losses each year, we have recorded adverse claim development on prior years’ loss reserves and further strengthened current year losses during the year to address the increasing impact Florida’s market disruptions, as well as the impact of rising costs of building materials and labor, have had on the claims process and the establishment of reserves for losses and LAE. The full extent and duration of these market disruptions and inflationary pressures are unknown and still unfolding, and we will monitor the impact of such disruptions on the recording and reporting of claim costs.
The Company has taken a series of steps over time to mitigate the financial impact of these negative trends in the Florida market. We also have closely monitored rate levels, especially in the Florida market, and have submitted rate filings based upon evolving data. However, because rate filings rely upon past loss and expense data and take time to develop, file and implement, we can experience significant delays between identifying needed rate adjustments, gaining approval of rate changes, and ultimately collecting the resulting increased premiums. In addition, the Company has implemented several initiatives in its claims department in response to the adverse market trends. We utilize our process called Fast Track, which is an initiative to handle straightforward, meritorious claims as promptly as possible to mitigate the adverse impacts that can be seen with claims
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that remain open for longer periods. In addition, we increased our emphasis on subrogation to reduce our net losses while also recovering policyholders’ deductibles when losses are attributable to the actions of others. We have an internal staff of trained water remediation experts to address the extraordinary number of purported water damage claims filed by policyholders and vendors. We developed a specialized in-house unit for responding to the unique aspects of represented claims, and we have substantially increased our in-house legal staff in an effort to address the increase in litigated or represented claims as cost-effectively as possible.
Additionally, we have taken steps to implement claim settlement rules associated with the Florida legislation passed in 2019 designed to reduce the negative effects of claims involving assignments of benefits (“AOB”). See “Part I— Item 1—Business—Government Regulation.” An AOB is a document signed by a policyholder that allows a third party to be paid for services performed for an insured homeowner who would normally be reimbursed by the insurance company directly after making a claim. Prior to the AOB reform legislation, the Company experienced an increase in the use of AOBs involving litigation by Florida policyholders. Claims paid under an AOB often involve unnecessary litigation, with the Company required to pay both its own defense costs and those of the plaintiff, and, as a result, cost the Company significantly more than claims settled when an AOB is not involved. In 2019, the Florida legislature passed legislation designed to increase consumer protections against AOB abuses and reduce AOB-related litigation. While the Florida legislation addressing abuses associated with AOBs may be beneficial in reducing one aspect of the concerns affecting the Florida market, the overall impact of the deterioration in claims-related tactics and behaviors, including other first-party litigation, thus far has continued to outpace benefits arising from the 2019 AOB reform legislation. More recently, following legislation adopted in Florida’s 2021 legislative session, we have established procedures and dedicated personnel to a new pre-suit notice and offer process. The new process requires policyholders or their attorneys to notify insurers at least ten days before commencing litigation and allows insurers an opportunity to make pre-suit settlement offers. The policyholders’ ability to recover attorneys’ fees is determined according to a scale that compares the ultimate outcomes of the cases to the insurers’ pre-suit offers. Although this new process is intended to reduce claims litigation and encourage settlements, it is too early to evaluate whether it will be successful in limiting the types of settlement demands and litigation that have plagued the Florida market or in offsetting other factors adversely affecting the market such as increased costs of building materials and labor.
Geographical Distribution
Direct premiums written continue to increase across the states in which we conduct business. As a result of our business strategy, rate changes and disciplined underwriting initiatives, we have seen a decrease in policy count, but an increase in in-force premium and total insured value in almost all states for the past three years. Direct premiums written for states outside of Florida increased 6.1%, representing a $16.2 million increase during 2021. Direct premiums written for Florida increased 11.0%, representing a $137.6 million increase during 2021. The following table provides direct premiums written for Florida and other states for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended | Growth Year Over Year | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| State | Direct Premiums Written | % | Direct Premiums Written | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||
| Florida | $ | 1,388,318 | 83.1 | % | $ | 1,250,748 | 82.4 | % | $ | 137,570 | 11.0 | % | |||||||||
| Other states | 282,934 | 16.9 | % | 266,731 | 17.6 | % | 16,203 | 6.1 | % | ||||||||||||
| Grand total | $ | 1,671,252 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,517,479 | 100.0 | % | $ | 153,773 | 10.1 | % |
We seek to grow and generate long-term rate adequate premium in each state where we offer policies. Our diversification strategy seeks to increase business outside of Florida and to improve geographical distribution within Florida. Premium growth outside Florida is a measure monitored by management in its efforts to meet that objective.
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The geographical distribution of our policies in force, premium in force and total insured value across all states were as follows, as of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in thousands, rounded to the nearest thousand):
| As of December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | Total Insured | |||||||||||||||||||
| State | Policy Count | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 695,533 | 73.7 | % | $ | 1,395,476 | 83.1 | % | $ | 203,062,948 | 63.3 | % | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 58,644 | 6.2 | % | 57,534 | 3.4 | % | 22,703,801 | 7.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Georgia | 41,097 | 4.4 | % | 53,956 | 3.2 | % | 19,057,338 | 5.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 16,793 | 1.8 | % | 23,790 | 1.4 | % | 11,467,490 | 3.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 23,306 | 2.5 | % | 21,069 | 1.3 | % | 13,854,648 | 4.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 14,484 | 1.5 | % | 19,966 | 1.2 | % | 5,725,381 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 17,744 | 1.9 | % | 19,018 | 1.1 | % | 6,810,107 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 11,934 | 1.2 | % | 18,216 | 1.1 | % | 6,372,221 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 14,844 | 1.6 | % | 18,054 | 1.1 | % | 9,523,904 | 3.0 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 17,563 | 1.8 | % | 17,976 | 1.1 | % | 6,860,210 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 13,930 | 1.5 | % | 14,688 | 0.9 | % | 6,528,352 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 6,615 | 0.7 | % | 6,003 | 0.4 | % | 2,802,756 | 0.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 3,476 | 0.4 | % | 4,572 | 0.3 | % | 1,585,940 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 2,808 | 0.3 | % | 3,814 | 0.2 | % | 1,898,297 | 0.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 1,819 | 0.2 | % | 2,316 | 0.1 | % | 1,061,987 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 1,773 | 0.2 | % | 1,974 | 0.1 | % | 903,844 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 786 | 0.1 | % | 1,006 | — | % | 409,660 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 369 | — | % | 301 | — | % | 235,154 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 75 | — | % | 92 | — | % | 34,396 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 943,593 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,679,821 | 100.0 | % | $ | 320,898,434 | 100.0 | % |
| As of December 31, 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | Total Insured | |||||||||||||||||||
| State | Policy Count | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 728,211 | 73.9 | % | $ | 1,252,916 | 82.4 | % | $ | 192,504,430 | 63.6 | % | |||||||||
| Georgia | 46,678 | 4.7 | % | 57,251 | 3.8 | % | 20,141,751 | 6.7 | % | |||||||||||
| North Carolina | 62,849 | 6.4 | % | 55,307 | 3.6 | % | 21,500,109 | 7.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 23,546 | 2.4 | % | 20,226 | 1.3 | % | 12,959,884 | 4.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 15,090 | 1.5 | % | 20,161 | 1.3 | % | 9,507,917 | 3.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 19,839 | 2.0 | % | 18,328 | 1.2 | % | 7,171,623 | 2.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 12,730 | 1.3 | % | 17,863 | 1.2 | % | 6,252,822 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 13,632 | 1.4 | % | 17,409 | 1.2 | % | 4,953,449 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 17,877 | 1.8 | % | 16,886 | 1.1 | % | 6,297,270 | 2.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 17,183 | 1.7 | % | 14,540 | 1.0 | % | 7,394,773 | 2.4 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 11,576 | 1.2 | % | 12,915 | 0.9 | % | 6,684,386 | 2.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 5,664 | 0.6 | % | 4,816 | 0.3 | % | 2,226,324 | 0.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 3,494 | 0.4 | % | 4,290 | 0.3 | % | 1,478,595 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 1,936 | 0.2 | % | 2,251 | 0.2 | % | 1,159,105 | 0.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 2,031 | 0.2 | % | 1,983 | 0.1 | % | 901,401 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 1,581 | 0.2 | % | 1,908 | 0.1 | % | 870,728 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 497 | 0.1 | % | 580 | — | % | 235,593 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 409 | — | % | 312 | — | % | 238,121 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Iowa | 7 | — | % | 7 | — | % | 2,774 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 984,830 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,519,949 | 100.0 | % | $ | 302,481,055 | 100.0 | % |
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| As of December 31, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | Total Insured | |||||||||||||||||||
| State | Policy Count | % | In Force | % | Value | % | ||||||||||||||
| Florida | 662,343 | 74.6 | % | $ | 1,070,034 | 82.5 | % | $ | 164,654,848 | 64.3 | % | |||||||||
| Georgia | 42,637 | 4.8 | % | 49,615 | 3.8 | % | 17,536,031 | 6.9 | % | |||||||||||
| North Carolina | 58,283 | 6.6 | % | 49,420 | 3.8 | % | 19,150,001 | 7.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Massachusetts | 13,596 | 1.5 | % | 17,991 | 1.4 | % | 8,312,929 | 3.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Indiana | 18,291 | 2.1 | % | 16,643 | 1.3 | % | 6,458,310 | 2.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Minnesota | 12,466 | 1.4 | % | 16,035 | 1.2 | % | 5,881,338 | 2.3 | % | |||||||||||
| South Carolina | 16,682 | 1.9 | % | 15,705 | 1.2 | % | 5,575,934 | 2.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Virginia | 16,313 | 1.8 | % | 14,111 | 1.1 | % | 8,415,470 | 3.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 16,874 | 1.9 | % | 13,726 | 1.1 | % | 6,922,815 | 2.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Alabama | 11,186 | 1.3 | % | 12,998 | 1.0 | % | 3,923,446 | 1.5 | % | |||||||||||
| New Jersey | 7,145 | 0.8 | % | 7,554 | 0.6 | % | 3,824,506 | 1.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Michigan | 3,417 | 0.4 | % | 4,089 | 0.3 | % | 1,399,470 | 0.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Maryland | 4,181 | 0.5 | % | 3,474 | 0.3 | % | 1,600,113 | 0.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Hawaii | 2,090 | 0.2 | % | 1,930 | 0.2 | % | 881,476 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Delaware | 1,273 | 0.1 | % | 1,500 | 0.1 | % | 673,331 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| New York | 1,183 | 0.1 | % | 1,244 | 0.1 | % | 646,130 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| New Hampshire | 249 | — | % | 181 | — | % | 135,254 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Illinois | 152 | — | % | 166 | — | % | 65,006 | — | % | |||||||||||
| Total | 888,361 | 100.0 | % | $ | 1,296,416 | 100.0 | % | $ | 256,056,408 | 100.0 | % |
Also see “Results of Operations” below and “Part I—Item 1A—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Operations—Because we conduct the majority of our business in Florida, our financial results depend on the regulatory, economic and weather conditions in Florida” for discussion on geographical diversification.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The Company considers the measures and ratios in the following discussion to be key performance indicators for its businesses. Management believes that these indicators are helpful in understanding the underlying trends in the Company’s businesses. Some of these indicators are reported on a quarterly basis and others on an annual basis. Please also refer to “Item 8—Note 2 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies)” for definitions of certain other terms we use when describing our financial results.
These indicators may not be comparable to other performance measures used by the Company’s competitors and should only be evaluated together with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.
Definitions of Key Performance Indicators
Book Value Per Common Share ― total stockholders’ equity, adjusted for preferred stock liquidation, divided by the number of common shares outstanding as of a reporting period. Book value per common share is the excess of assets over liabilities at a reporting period attributed to each share of stock. Changes in book value per common share informs shareholders of retained equity in the Company on a per share basis which may assist in understanding market value trends for the Company’s stock.
Combined Ratio ― the combined ratio is a measure of underwriting profitability for a reporting period and is calculated by dividing total operating costs and expenses (which is made up of losses and LAE and general and administrative expenses) by premiums earned, net, which is net of ceded premiums earned. Changes to the combined ratio over time provide management with an understanding of costs to operate its business in relation to net premiums it is earning and the impact of rate, underwriting and other business management actions on underwriting profitability. A combined ratio below 100% indicates underwriting profit; a combined ratio above 100% indicates underwriting losses.
Core Loss Ratio ― a common operational metric used in the insurance industry to describe the ratio of current accident year expected losses and LAE to premiums earned. Core loss ratio is an important measure identifying profitability trends of premiums in force. Core losses consists of all other losses and LAE, excluding weather events beyond those expected and prior years’ reserve development. The financial benefit from the management of claims, including claim fees ceded to reinsurers, is recorded in the consolidated financial statements as a reduction to core losses.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio ― long-term debt divided by stockholders’ equity. This ratio helps management measure the amount of financing leverage in place in relation to equity and future leverage capacity.
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Debt-to-Total Capital Ratio ― long-term debt divided by the sum of total stockholders’ equity and long-term debt (often referred to as total capital resources). This ratio helps management measure the amount of financing leverage in place (long-term debt) in relation to total capital resources and future leverage capacity.
Direct Premiums Written (“DPW”) ― reflects the total value of policies issued during a period before considering premiums ceded to reinsurers. Direct premiums written, comprised of renewal premiums, endorsements and new business, is initially recorded as unearned premium in the balance sheet which is then earned pro-rata over the next year or remaining policy term. Direct premiums written reflects current trends in the Company’s sale of property and casualty insurance products and amounts that will be recognized as earned premiums in the future.
DPW (Florida) ― includes only DPW in the state of Florida. This measure allows management to analyze growth in our primary market and is also a measure of business concentration risk.
Expense Ratio (Including Policy Acquisition Cost Ratio and Other Operating Cost Ratio) ― calculated as general and administrative expenses as a percentage of premiums earned, net. General and administrative expenses is comprised of policy acquisition costs and other operating costs, which includes such items as underwriting costs, facilities and corporate overhead. The expense ratio, including the sub-expense ratios of policy acquisition cost ratio and other operating cost ratio, are indicators to management of the Company’s cost efficiency in acquiring and servicing its business and the impact of expense items to overall profitability.
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expense Ratio or Loss and LAE Ratio ― a measure of the cost of claims and claim settlement expenses incurred in a reporting period as a percentage of premiums earned in that same reporting period. Losses and LAE incurred in a reporting period includes both amounts related to the current accident year and prior accident years, if any, referred to as development. Ultimate losses and LAE are based on actuarial estimates with changes in those estimates recognized in the period the estimates are revised. Losses and LAE consist of claim costs arising from claims occurring and settling in the current period, an estimate of claim costs for reported but unpaid claims, an estimate of unpaid claim costs for incurred-but-not-reported claims and an estimate of claim settlement expenses associated with reported and unreported claims which occurred during the reporting period. The loss and LAE ratio can be measured on a direct basis, which includes losses and LAE divided by direct earned premiums, or on a net basis, which includes losses and LAE after amounts have been ceded to reinsurers divided by net earned premiums (i.e., direct premium earned less ceded premium earned). The net loss and LAE ratio is a measure of underwriting profitability after giving consideration to the effect of reinsurance. Trends in the net loss and LAE ratio are an indication to management of current and future profitability.
Monthly Weighted Average Renewal Retention Rate ― measures the monthly average of policyholders that renew their policies over the period of a calendar year. This measure allows management to assess customer retention.
Premiums Earned, Net ― the pro-rata portion of current and previously written premiums that the Company recognizes as earned premium during the reporting period, net of ceded premium earned. Ceded premiums are premiums paid or payable by the Company for reinsurance protection. Written premiums are considered earned and are recognized pro-rata over the policy coverage period. Premiums earned, net is a measure that allows management to identify revenue trends.
Policies in Force ― represents the number of active policies with coverage in effect as of the end of the reporting period. The change in the number of policies in force is a growth measure and provides management with an indication of progress toward achieving strategic objectives. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Premium in Force ― is the amount of the annual direct written premiums previously recorded by the Company for policies which are still active as of the reporting date. This measure assists management in measuring the level of insured exposure and progress toward meeting revenue goals for the current year, and provides an indication of business available for renewal in the next twelve months. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Return on Average Equity (“ROAE”) ― calculated by dividing earnings (loss) per common share by average book value per common share. Average book value per common share is computed as the sum of book value per common share at the beginning and the end of a period, divided by two. ROAE is a capital profitability measure of how effectively management creates profits per common share.
Total Insured Value ― represents the amount of insurance limits available on a policy for a single loss based on all policies active as of the reporting date. This measure assists management in measuring the level of insured exposure.
Unearned Premiums ― represents the portion of direct premiums corresponding to the time period remaining on an insurance policy and available for future earning by the Company. Trends in unearned premiums generally indicate expansion, if growing, or contraction, if reducing, which are important indicators to management. Inherent seasonality in our business makes this measure more useful when comparing each quarter’s balance to the same quarter in prior years.
Weather events ― an estimate of losses and LAE from weather events occurring during the current accident year that exceed initial estimates of expected weather events when establishing the core loss ratio for each accident year. This metric informs management of factors impacting overall current year profitability.
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REINSURANCE
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events. Reinsurance contracts are typically classified as treaty or facultative contracts. Treaty reinsurance provides coverage for all or a portion of a specified group or class of risks ceded by the primary insurer, while facultative reinsurance provides coverage for specific individual risks. Within each classification, reinsurance can be further classified as quota share or excess of loss. Quota-share reinsurance is where the primary insurer and the reinsurer share proportionally or pro-rata in the direct premiums and losses of the insurer. Excess-of-loss reinsurance indemnifies the direct insurer or reinsurer for all or a portion of the loss in excess of an agreed upon amount or retention.
Developing and implementing our reinsurance strategy to adequately protect our balance sheet and Insurance Entities in the event of one or more catastrophes while maintaining efficient reinsurance costs has been a key strategic priority for us. In order to limit the Insurance Entities’ potential exposure to catastrophic events, we purchase significant reinsurance from third-party reinsurers and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (“FHCF”). The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (“FLOIR”) requires the Insurance Entities, like all residential property insurance companies doing business in Florida, to have a certain amount of capital and reinsurance coverage in order to cover losses upon the occurrence of a single catastrophic event and a series of catastrophic events occurring in the same hurricane season. The Insurance Entities’ respective 2021-2022 reinsurance programs meet the FLOIR’s requirements, which are based on, among other things, successfully demonstrating cohesive and comprehensive reinsurance programs that protect the policyholders of our Insurance Entities as well as satisfying a series of stress test catastrophe loss scenarios based on past historical events. Similarly, the Insurance Entities’ respective 2021-2022 reinsurance programs meet the stress test and review requirements of Demotech, Inc., for maintaining Financial Stability Ratings® of A (Exceptional).
We believe the Insurance Entities’ retentions under their respective reinsurance programs are appropriate and structured to protect policyholders. We test the sufficiency of the reinsurance programs by subjecting the Insurance Entities’ personal residential exposures to statistical testing using a third-party hurricane model, RMS RiskLink v18.1 (Build 1945). This model combines simulations of the natural occurrence patterns and characteristics of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other catastrophes with information on property values, construction types and occupancy classes. The model outputs provide information concerning the potential for large losses before they occur, so companies can prepare for their financial impact. Furthermore, as part of our operational excellence initiatives, we continually look to enable new technology to refine our data intelligence on catastrophe risk modeling.
Effective June 1, 2021, the Insurance Entities entered into multiple reinsurance agreements comprising our 2021-2022 reinsurance program. See “Item 1—Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
UPCIC’s 2021-2022 Reinsurance Program
•First event All States retention of $45 million during the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season; first event Non-Florida retention of $15 million.
•All States first event reinsurance protection extends to $3.364 billion with no co-participation in any of the layers and no limitation on loss adjustment expenses for the non-catastrophe bond Cosaint Re Pte. Ltd. traditional reinsurance while maintaining the same favorable historical deposit premium payment schedules.
•Assuming a first event completely exhausts the $3.364 billion tower, the second event exhaustion point would be $1.101 billion.
•Full reinstatement available on $1.06 billion of the $1.356 billion of non-FHCF first event catastrophe coverage for guaranteed second event coverage. For all layers purchased between $45 million and the projected FHCF retention, to the extent that all of our coverage or a portion thereof is exhausted in a catastrophic event and reinstatement premium is due, we have purchased enough reinstatement premium protection ("RPP") limit to pay the premium necessary for the reinstatement of these coverages.
•Specific 3rd and 4th event private market catastrophe excess of loss coverage of $86 million in excess of $25 million provides frequency protection for multiple events during the treaty period.
•For the FHCF Reimbursement Contract effective June 1, 2021, UPCIC has continued the election of the 90% coverage level. We estimate the FHCF layer will provide approximately $1.963 billion of coverage for UPCIC, which inures to the benefit of the open market coverage secured from private reinsurers.
•Secured $383 million of new catastrophe capacity with contractually agreed limits that extend coverage to include the 2022 and 2023 wind seasons. This amount does not include the single limit of $150 million of protection for named windstorm events, which now definitively includes the 2022 wind season and potentially could include the 2023 wind season depending on loss activity in the 2022 wind season, that UPCIC obtained in March 2021 when it entered into a three-year reinsurance agreement with Cosaint Re Pte. Ltd., a reinsurance entity incorporated in Singapore that correspondingly issued notes in a Rule 144A offering to raise proceeds to collateralize its obligations under this agreement.
The first-event All States program described above for UPCIC includes coverage from a captive insurance arrangement that UVE established which inures to the benefit of UPCIC. This intercompany transaction provides UPCIC approximately $13.2 million of reinsurance protection on the first layer of UPCIC’s first-event All States program. This transaction eliminates in consolidation effectively increasing the first event retention noted above to $58.2 million for the consolidated group in the event this limit is exhausted.
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The captive insurance arrangement effective June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022 was terminated effective December 1, 2021, pursuant to the terms of the agreement. In connection with the termination of the agreement, and according to its terms, certain funds held in trust were released to the beneficiary (i.e., UPCIC) and the balance was remitted to the grantor (i.e., UVE) in December 2021. The termination of the agreement results in a first-event All States retention of $58.2 million for UPCIC for the period of December 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022, which is outside of the traditional Atlantic hurricane season.
Reinsurers
The table below provides the A.M. Best and S&P financial strength ratings for each of the largest third-party reinsurers in UPCIC’s 2021-2022 reinsurance program:
| Reinsurer | A.M. Best | S&P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allianz Risk Transfer | A+ | AA | ||
| Everest Re | A+ | A+ | ||
| Chubb Tempest Reinsurance Ltd. | A++ | AA | ||
| Munich Re | A+ | AA- | ||
| Renaissance Re | A+ | A+ | ||
| Various Lloyd’s of London Syndicates | A | A+ | ||
| Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (1) | N/A | N/A |
(1)No rating is available, because the fund is not rated.
APPCIC’s 2021-2022 Reinsurance Program
•First event All States retention of $2.5 million.
•All States first event tower of $38 million with no co-participation in any of the layers and no limitation on loss adjustment expenses while maintaining the same favorable historical deposit premium payment schedules.
•Full reinstatement available for all private market first event catastrophe layers for guaranteed second event coverage. For the layer purchased between $2.5 million and the projected FHCF retention, to the extent that all of our coverage or a portion thereof is exhausted in a catastrophic event and reinstatement premium is due, we have purchased enough RPP limit to pay the premium necessary for the reinstatement of this coverage.
•APPCIC also purchases extensive multiple line excess per risk reinsurance with various reinsurers due to the high-value risks it insures in both the personal residential and commercial multiple peril lines of business. Under this multiple line excess per risk contract, APPCIC has coverage of $8.5 million in excess of $0.5 million ultimate net loss for each risk and each property loss, and $1 million in excess of $0.3 million for each casualty loss. A $19.5 million aggregate limit applies to the term of the contract for property-related losses and a $2 million aggregate limit applies to the term of the contract for casualty-related losses. This contract also contains a profit-sharing feature if specific performance measures are met.
•For the FHCF Reimbursement Contract effective June 1, 2021, APPCIC has continued the election of the 90% coverage level. We estimate the FHCF layer will provide approximately $18.4 million of coverage for APPCIC, which inures to the benefit of the open market coverage secured from private reinsurers.
Reinsurers
The table below provides the A.M. Best and S&P financial strength ratings for each of the largest third-party reinsurers in APPCIC’s 2021-2022 reinsurance program:
| Reinsurer | A.M. Best | S&P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chubb Tempest Reinsurance Ltd. | A++ | AA | ||
| Lancashire Insurance Company Limited | A | A- | ||
| Various Lloyd’s of London Syndicates | A | A+ | ||
| Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (1) | N/A | N/A |
(1)No rating is available, because the fund is not rated.
The total cost of the 2021-2022 reinsurance programs for UPCIC and APPCIC, excluding internal reinsurance discussed above, is projected to be $584 million, representing approximately 35% of estimated direct premium earned for the 12-month treaty period.
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| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA |
The following selected historical consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and “Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” set forth elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K. The historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected in any future period.
The following tables present historical selected consolidated financial data of Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries for the five years ended December 31, 2021 (in thousands, except per share data):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |||||||||||||||
| Statement of Income Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Revenue: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 1,671,252 | $ | 1,517,479 | $ | 1,292,721 | $ | 1,190,875 | $ | 1,055,886 | |||||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (74,634) | (121,856) | (59,600) | (69,235) | (56,688) | ||||||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,596,618 | 1,395,623 | 1,233,121 | 1,121,640 | 999,198 | ||||||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (561,155) | (472,060) | (390,619) | (353,258) | (310,405) | ||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,035,463 | 923,563 | 842,502 | 768,382 | 688,793 | ||||||||||||||
| Net investment income (1) | 12,535 | 20,393 | 30,743 | 24,816 | 13,460 | ||||||||||||||
| Other revenues (2) | 71,993 | 65,437 | 55,633 | 49,876 | 47,093 | ||||||||||||||
| Total revenue | 1,121,851 | 1,072,770 | 939,351 | 823,816 | 751,916 | ||||||||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 779,205 | 758,810 | 603,406 | 414,455 | 350,428 | ||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 226,167 | 199,102 | 177,530 | 157,327 | 138,846 | ||||||||||||||
| Other operating costs | 88,066 | 90,627 | 94,898 | 99,161 | 92,158 | ||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 1,093,438 | 1,048,539 | 875,834 | 670,943 | 581,432 | ||||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | 28,413 | 24,231 | 63,517 | 152,873 | 170,484 | ||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 8,006 | 5,126 | 17,003 | 35,822 | 63,549 | ||||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 20,407 | $ | 19,105 | $ | 46,514 | $ | 117,051 | $ | 106,935 | |||||||||
| Per Share Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Basic earnings per common share | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 | $ | 1.37 | $ | 3.36 | $ | 3.07 | |||||||||
| Diluted earnings per common share | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 | $ | 1.36 | $ | 3.27 | $ | 2.99 | |||||||||
| Dividends declared per common share | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.77 | $ | 0.73 | $ | 0.69 | |||||||||
| As of December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |||||||||||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total invested assets | $ | 1,093,680 | $ | 919,924 | $ | 914,586 | $ | 908,154 | $ | 730,023 | |||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 250,508 | 167,156 | 182,109 | 166,428 | 213,486 | ||||||||||||||
| Total assets | 2,056,141 | 1,758,741 | 1,719,852 | 1,858,390 | 1,454,999 | ||||||||||||||
| Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses | 346,216 | 322,465 | 267,760 | 472,829 | 248,425 | ||||||||||||||
| Unearned premiums | 857,769 | 783,135 | 661,279 | 601,679 | 532,444 | ||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt (3) | 103,676 | 8,456 | 9,926 | 11,397 | 12,868 | ||||||||||||||
| Total liabilities | 1,626,439 | 1,309,479 | 1,225,951 | 1,356,757 | 1,015,011 | ||||||||||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | $ | 429,702 | $ | 449,262 | $ | 493,901 | $ | 501,633 | $ | 439,988 | |||||||||
| Shares outstanding end of period | 31,221 | 31,137 | 32,638 | 34,783 | 34,735 | ||||||||||||||
| Book value per share | $ | 13.76 | $ | 14.43 | $ | 15.13 | $ | 14.42 | $ | 12.67 | |||||||||
| Return on average equity (ROE) | 4.6 | % | 4.1 | % | 9.2 | % | 24.1 | % | 25.7 | % | |||||||||
| Selected Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Loss and loss adjustment expense ratio (4) | 75.3 | % | 82.2 | % | 71.6 | % | 53.9 | % | 50.9 | % | |||||||||
| General and administrative expense ratio (5) | 30.2 | % | 31.4 | % | 32.3 | % | 33.4 | % | 33.5 | % | |||||||||
| Combined Ratio (6) | 105.5 | % | 113.6 | % | 103.9 | % | 87.3 | % | 84.4 | % |
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(1)Net investment income excludes net realized gains (losses) on sale of investments and net change in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities.
(2)Other revenue consists of commission revenue, policy fees, and other revenue.
(3)For the year ended December 31, 2021, long-term debt includes a private placement of $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
(4)The loss and loss adjustment expense ratio is calculated by dividing losses and loss adjustment expenses by premiums earned, net.
(5)The general and administrative expense ratio is calculated by dividing general and administrative expense, excluding interest expense, by premiums earned, net. Interest expense was $652 thousand, $102 thousand, $248 thousand, $346 thousand and $348 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
(6)The combined ratio is the sum of the losses and loss adjustment expense ratio and the general and administrative expense ratio.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
2021 Financial and Business Highlights (comparisons are to 2020 unless otherwise specified)
•Direct premiums written overall grew by $153.8 million, or 10.1%, to $1,671.3 million.
•Policies in force decreased by 41,237, or 4.2%, to 943,593, at December 31, 2021 from 984,830 at December 31, 2020.
•In Florida, direct premiums written grew by $137.6 million, or 11.0%, and in our other states, direct premiums written grew by $16.2 million, or 6.1%.
•Premiums earned, net grew by $111.9 million, or 12.1%, to $1,035.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2021.
•FLOIR approved an overall 14.9% rate increase in September 2021 for UPCIC on Florida personal residential homeowners’ line of business, effective September 2021 for new business and November 2021 for renewals. FLOIR approved an overall 3.9% additional rate increase due to higher reinsurance expenses effective January 2022 for new business and March 2022 for renewal business. Rate increases are in the process of being implemented in other states (Minnesota, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama) with an average increase of 17.8%.
•Net investment income was $12.5 million compared to $20.4 million.
•Net realized gains on investments were $5.9 million compared to $63.4 million in the prior period. Prior period gains were the result of management’s efforts to realize gains on securities, which was intended to boost statutory surplus in UPCIC.
•Total revenues increased by $49.1 million, or 4.6%, to $1,121.9 million.
•Net loss and LAE ratio decreased to 75.3% during the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 82.2% during the year ended December 31, 2020.
•Diluted earnings per common share (“EPS”) was $0.65 compared to $0.60 in the prior period.
•Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding were lower by 2.1% to 31.3 million shares as of December 31, 2021 from 32.0 million shares as of December 31, 2020.
•Book value per share decreased by $0.67, or 4.6%, to $13.76 at December 31, 2021 from $14.43 at December 31, 2020.
•Declared and paid dividends per common share of $0.77, including a $0.13 special dividend in December 2021.
•Repurchased 116,886 shares in 2021 at an aggregate cost of $1.6 million.
•Offered Clovered.com in all 19 states in which the Company writes policies as of December 31, 2021.
•Entered into a committed, unsecured $35 million revolving credit line with JP Morgan Chase.
•Completed private placement of $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 to support growth.
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YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020
Net income was $20.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to net income of $19.1 million for the same period in 2020, an increase of $1.3 million, or 6.8%. Diluted EPS for 2021 was $0.65 compared to $0.60 in 2020, an increase of $0.05, or 8.3%. Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2021 were lower by 2.1% to 31.3 million shares from 32.0 million shares for the same period of the prior year. Benefiting the year ended December 31, 2021 were increases in premiums earned, net, an increase in commission revenue, partially offset by a decrease in net investment income, a decrease in realized gains year over year and unrealized losses during 2021 compared to modest unrealized gains in 2020, policy fees and other revenue and an increase in operating costs and expenses. Direct premium earned and premiums earned, net were up 14.4% and 12.1%, respectively, due to direct premium written growth in 16 of the 19 states in which we are licensed and writing during the past 12 months as a result of rate increases implemented during 2020 and 2021, partially offset by higher costs for reinsurance flowing through to premiums earned, net. The net loss and LAE ratio was 75.3% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to 82.2% for the same period in 2020 reflecting a decrease in excess weather events beyond those expected and lower prior years reserve development, partially offset by higher core net losses. As a result of the above and further explained below, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 105.6% compared to 113.5% for the year ended December 31, 2020. See “Overview—Trends and Geographical Distribution—Florida Trends” regarding our response to the Florida market.
A detailed discussion of our results of operations follows the table below (in thousands, except per share data).
| (in thousands) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| PREMIUMS EARNED AND OTHER REVENUES | |||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 1,671,252 | $ | 1,517,479 | $ | 153,773 | 10.1 | % | |||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (74,634) | (121,856) | 47,222 | (38.8) | % | ||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,596,618 | 1,395,623 | 200,995 | 14.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (561,155) | (472,060) | (89,095) | 18.9 | % | ||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 1,035,463 | 923,563 | 111,900 | 12.1 | % | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | 12,535 | 20,393 | (7,858) | (38.5) | % | ||||||||||
| Net realized gains (losses) on investments | 5,892 | 63,352 | (57,460) | (90.7) | % | ||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities | (4,032) | 25 | (4,057) | NM | |||||||||||
| Commission revenue | 41,649 | 33,163 | 8,486 | 25.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Policy fees | 22,713 | 23,773 | (1,060) | (4.5) | % | ||||||||||
| Other revenue | 7,631 | 8,501 | (870) | (10.2) | % | ||||||||||
| Total premiums earned and other revenues | 1,121,851 | 1,072,770 | 49,081 | 4.6 | % | ||||||||||
| OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 779,205 | 758,810 | 20,395 | 2.7 | % | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 314,233 | 289,729 | 24,504 | 8.5 | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,093,438 | 1,048,539 | 44,899 | 4.3 | % | ||||||||||
| INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES | 28,413 | 24,231 | 4,182 | 17.3 | % | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 8,006 | 5,126 | 2,880 | 56.2 | % | ||||||||||
| NET INCOME | $ | 20,407 | $ | 19,105 | $ | 1,302 | 6.8 | % | |||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | (18,911) | (17,618) | (1,293) | 7.3 | |||||||||||
| COMPREHENSIVE INCOME | $ | 1,496 | $ | 1,487 | $ | 9 | 0.6 | % | |||||||
| DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE DATA: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings per common share | $ | 0.65 | $ | 0.60 | $ | 0.05 | 8.3 | % | |||||||
| Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding | 31,307 | 31,972 | (665) | (2.1) | % |
Direct premiums written increased by $153.8 million, or 10.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, driven by premium growth within our Florida business of $137.6 million, or 11.0%, and premium growth in our other states business of $16.2 million, or 6.1%, as compared to the same period of the prior year. Rate increases approved in 2020 and 2021 for Florida and for certain other states, as discussed below, were the principal driver of higher written premiums. In total, policies in force declined 41,237, or 4.2%, from 984,830 at December 31, 2020 to 943,593 at December 31, 2021. A summary of the recent rate increases which are driving increases in written premium are as follows:
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•In May 2020, the FLOIR approved an overall 12.4% rate increase for UPCIC on Florida personal residential homeowners’ line of business, effective May 2020 for new business and July 2020 for renewals.
•In October 2020, the FLOIR approved an overall 7.6% rate increase for UPCIC on Florida personal residential dwelling lines of business, effective October 2020 for new business and December 2020 for renewals.
•In December 2020, the FLOIR approved an overall 7.0% rate increase for UPCIC on Florida personal residential homeowners’ line of business, effective December 2020 for new business and March 2021 for renewals.
•In September 2021, the FLOIR approved an overall 14.9% rate increase for UPCIC on Florida personal residential homeowners’ line of business, effective September 2021 for new business and November 2021 for renewals.
•In December 2021, the FLOIR approved an overall 3.9% rate increase for UPCIC on Florida personal residential homeowners’ line of business, effective January 2022 for new business and March 2022 for renewals.
•In addition, during the past year, rate increases for UPCIC were approved in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Virginia.
These rate increases are applied on new business submissions and renewals from the effective date of their renewal, and then are earned subsequently over the policy period. The recent rate increases in Florida are in response to rising claim costs driven by higher costs of material and labor associated with claims, the cost of weather events, the rising cost of catastrophe and other reinsurance protecting policyholders and, more importantly, the impact of “social inflation” on claims as claim settlements increasingly have involved inflated demands, representation and litigation. In addition, the Insurance Entities’ policies provide for coverage limits to be adjusted at renewal based on third-party data sources that monitor factors such as changes in costs for residential building materials and labor.
During 2021, management continued efforts to prudently manage policy counts and exposures and implemented new measures intended to slow the growth of written premiums relating to new business compared to prior years while the above rate increases were taking effect. Reduced new business writings, when coupled with natural attrition among policies and selected policy non-renewals, resulted in a decrease in policies in force during 2021. In total we wrote policies in 19 states during 2021 and 2020. In addition, we are authorized to do business in Tennessee and Wisconsin and are proceeding with product filings in those states. At December 31, 2021, premium in force increased $159.9 million, or 10.5%, and total insured value increased $18.4 billion, or 6.1%, compared to December 31, 2020.
Direct premium earned increased by $201.0 million, or 14.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, reflecting the earning of premiums written over the past 12 months, including the benefit of rate changes and the changes in policies in force during that time.
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events and other covered events. Ceded premium represents premiums paid to reinsurers for this protection and is a cost which reduces net written and net earned premiums. Ceded premium earned increased $89.1 million, or 18.9%, for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the same period of the prior year. The increase in reinsurance costs reflects an increase in the value of exposures we insure; increased pricing when compared to the expired reinsurance program and differences in the structure and design of the respective programs. Reinsurance costs, as a percentage of direct premium earned, increased from 33.8% in 2020 to 35.1% in 2021 primarily due to the general increase in the pricing of reinsurance which generally takes effect prior to primary rate increases. Reinsurance costs associated with each year’s reinsurance program are earned over the annual policy period which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st. See the discussion above for the Insurance Entities’ 2021-2022 reinsurance program and “Part II—Item 8— Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
Premiums earned, net of ceded premium earned, grew by 12.1%, or $111.9 million, to $1,035.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, reflecting an increase in direct premium earned offset by increased costs for reinsurance.
Net investment income was $12.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $20.4 million for the same period in 2020, a decrease of $7.9 million, or 38.5%. This decrease is largely attributable to significantly lower yields on the reinvested portfolio following the sale of a majority of available-for-sale debt securities in the portfolio that were in an unrealized gain position in the third and fourth quarters of 2020. In the first quarter of 2020, our investment portfolio was adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic-induced market dislocation, but subsequently recovered, generating unrealized gains that were substantially higher than amounts prior to the pandemic. During the third and fourth quarters of 2020, we took advantage of the recovery by monetizing the increase in fair value, generating $56.4 million in net realized gains from the sale of available-for-sale debt securities.
Market rates during the reinvestment of our portfolio in the second half of 2020 were considerably lower than the book yields of the portfolio prior to the sale. Additionally, interest income was down $0.9 million in 2021 compared to the same period of the prior year due to significantly lower yields on cash sweep and short-term cash investing.
Total invested assets were $1,093.7 million as of December 31, 2021 compared to $919.9 million as of December 31, 2020. The increase is attributable to the reinvestment of investment returns and additional contributions to the investment portfolio from excess cash, partially offset by dispositions of equity securities and investment real estate. Cash and cash equivalents were $250.5 million at December 31, 2021 compared to $167.2 million at December 31, 2020, an increase of 49.9%. This increase is largely attributable to the receipt of $100.0 million in proceeds from the private placement of the 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes and payment of related debt issuance costs of approximately $3.3 million. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” and below “Analysis of Financial Condition” for more information. Cash and cash equivalents are invested short term
37
until needed to settle loss and LAE payments, reinsurance premium payments and operating cash needs or until they are deployed by our investment advisors.
Yields from cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and the available-for-sale debt portfolio are dependent on the composition of the portfolio, future market forces, monetary policy and interest rate policy from the Federal Reserve. During most of 2021, the Federal Reserve has broadly been maintaining lower interest rates, which has impacted the effective yields on newly purchased available-for-sale securities and overnight cash purchases and short-term investments. This trend changed in late 2021 as inflation worries began to impact the financial markets, including the markets’ concern over future Federal Reserve actions of rate hikes and other actions to address inflation concern. As a result, we saw increased yields on securities purchased in late 2021 and increased unrealized losses on our portfolio as increased market yields negatively impact the fair value of much of our debt securities. As discussed above, due to the significant sale of our securities during the third quarter and fourth quarter of 2020, it is expected that future portfolio returns will reflect book yields based on the low yielding market conditions when the portfolio was reinvested.
We sell investments, including securities, from our investment portfolio from time to time to meet our investment objectives or take advantage of market opportunities. During the year ended December 31, 2021, sales of available-for-sale debt securities resulted in a net realized gain of $0.2 million, sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized gain of $2.8 million, the sale of two investment real estate properties, which includes one classified as assets held for sale in 2021, resulted in a realized gain of $2.7 million, and one real estate property classified as assets held for sale in 2021 resulted in a realized gain of $0.2 million, in total generating a net realized gain of $5.9 million. During the year ended December 31, 2020, sales of available-for-sale debt securities resulted in a net realized gain of $56.9 million and sales of equity securities resulted in a net realized gain of $6.5 million, in total generating a net realized gain of $63.4 million. In 2020, we took the opportunity to realize the increase in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities to increase the statutory surplus of UPCIC. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments).”
There was a $4.0 million net unrealized loss in equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to a nominal net unrealized gain during the year ended December 31, 2020. Net change in unrealized gains or losses reflected on the income statement are the result of changes in the fair market value of our equity securities during the period for securities still held at the end of the reported period and the reversal of unrealized gains or losses for securities sold during the period. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments).”
Commission revenue is comprised principally of brokerage commissions we earn from third-party reinsurers (excluding the FHCF) on reinsurance placed for the Insurance Entities. Commission revenue is earned pro-rata over the reinsurance policy period which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. For the year ended December 31, 2021, commission revenue was $41.6 million, compared to $33.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in commission revenue of $8.5 million, or 25.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to increased commissions from third-party reinsurers earned on increased reinsurance premiums which is attributable due to growth in our insured values, as well as the difference in pricing and structure associated with our reinsurance program when compared to the prior year.
Policy fees for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $22.7 million compared to $23.8 million for the same period in 2020. The decrease of $1.1 million, or 4.5%, was the result of a decrease in the combined total number of new and renewal policies written during the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 in states where we are permitted to charge this fee.
Other revenue, representing revenue from policy installment fees, premium financing and other miscellaneous income, was $7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $8.5 million for the same period in 2020.
The following table presents losses and LAE incurred on a direct, ceded and net basis expressed in dollars and as a percent of the respective amounts of premiums earned. These amounts are further categorized as (i) core losses, (ii) weather events for the current accident year and (iii) prior years’ reserve development (dollars in thousands):
| For the Year Ended December 31, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | Loss | Loss | |||||||||||||||||||
| Direct | Ratio | Ceded | Ratio | Net | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned | $ | 1,596,618 | $ | 561,155 | $ | 1,035,463 | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Core losses | $ | 696,775 | 43.6 | % | $ | 20 | — | % | $ | 696,755 | 67.3 | % | |||||||||
| Weather events* | 28,000 | 1.8 | % | — | — | % | 28,000 | 2.7 | % | ||||||||||||
| Prior years’ reserve development | 464,669 | 29.1 | % | 410,219 | 73.1 | % | 54,450 | 5.3 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total losses and loss adjustment expenses | $ | 1,189,444 | 74.5 | % | $ | 410,239 | 73.1 | % | $ | 779,205 | 75.3 | % |
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| For the Year Ended December 31, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | Loss | Loss | |||||||||||||||||||
| Direct | Ratio | Ceded | Ratio | Net | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned | $ | 1,395,623 | $ | 472,060 | $ | 923,563 | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Core losses | $ | 538,826 | 38.6 | % | $ | 316 | 0.1 | % | $ | 538,510 | 58.3 | % | |||||||||
| Weather events* | 256,917 | 18.4 | % | 94,954 | 20.1 | % | 161,963 | 17.6 | % | ||||||||||||
| Prior years’ reserve development | 284,315 | 20.4 | % | 225,978 | 47.9 | % | 58,337 | 6.3 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total losses and loss adjustment expenses | $ | 1,080,058 | 77.4 | % | $ | 321,248 | 68.1 | % | $ | 758,810 | 82.2 | % |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| * | Includes only weather events beyond expected. |
See “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for change in liability for unpaid losses and LAE.
Management looks at losses and LAE in three areas, as described below and represented in the tables above, each of which has different drivers that impact reported results. As a result, these components of losses and LAE are described separately. Overall losses and LAE, net of reinsurance recoveries, were $779.2 million resulting in a 75.3% net loss and LAE ratio for the year ended December 31, 2021. This compares to $758.8 million resulting in a 82.2% net loss and LAE ratio for the year ended December 31, 2020. Increased ceded premiums also impact the ratio calculations such that the net loss and LAE ratio for the year ended December 31, 2021 also reflects higher relative reinsurance costs compared to the same period in 2020, which contributed an overall increase of 1.5 percentage points to the net loss and LAE ratio. See the discussion above for the Insurance Entities’ 2021-2022 reinsurance programs and “Part II—Item 8—Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
The factors impacting losses and LAE are as follows:
•Core losses
◦Our core losses consist of all losses and LAE for the current year excluding both weather events for the current year beyond those anticipated in our regular accrual process and prior years’ reserve development. Core losses were 67.3% of net premium earned for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 58.3% for the same period in 2020. These losses and loss ratios benefit from the potential profits generated through the management of claims by our claims adjusting affiliate, including claim fees ceded to reinsurers, which are described below, reducing core losses. The core loss ratio for 2020 and 2021 reflects actions taken by management to increase its loss pick to accrue for current accident year reserves. Core losses also increase as premium volume increases year over year. Although the Insurance Entities received rate increases in Florida and certain other states, management has elected not to decrease the core loss ratio compared to the prior year but to increase it and to monitor results until management sees loss costs stabilize in Florida and certain other states. During 2021, management increased the core loss ratio in the second quarter of 2021 by one loss ratio point, in the third quarter of 2021 by an additional one loss ratio point and then in the fourth quarter by an additional two and one half loss ratio points ending the year at a 44.5% loss ratio before the benefit of claim service fees. These increases in the expected ultimate losses made during 2021 were retroactive to January 1, 2021 in all three cases. These increases reflect recent and ongoing trends in weather-related claims, higher expected costs for building materials and labor as a result of inflationary pressure as well as the continuing prevalence of solicited, represented, and litigated claims in Florida resulting in increased claims frequencies, losses and loss adjustment expenses.
•Weather events beyond those expected
◦During 2021 there were a number of weather events which in total exceeded amounts included in our core loss ratio by $28.0 million and are reflected in the above chart.
◦During the year ended December 31, 2020, there were a significant number of storms including Hurricane Sally which in the aggregate significantly exceeded core loss ratio expectations. The number of adverse weather events and resulting claims during the fourth quarter of 2020 exceeded weather event claims reported during the first three quarters. Reported losses from Hurricane Sally significantly benefited from our catastrophe reinsurance protection. Our reinsurance program reduced our direct estimate of Hurricane Sally ultimate losses of $133.4 million to $43.0 million on a net basis after estimated reinsurance recoveries. Other weather events resulting in losses with only limited benefit from our catastrophe reinsurance protection included Hurricanes Isaias, Eta, Delta and Zeta and other unnamed storms tracked by an industry numerically assigned identifier. These weather events during 2020 resulted in direct losses of $123.5 million and $119.0 million net after reinsurance. In 2020 the Company experienced the highest level of unnamed weather events when compared to the previous three years.
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•Prior years’ reserve development
◦Two drivers influence the amounts recorded as prior years’ reserve development, namely: (i) changes to prior estimates of direct and net ultimate losses on prior accident years excluding major hurricanes and (ii) changes to prior estimates of direct and net ultimate losses on hurricanes.
▪For the year ended December 31, 2021, prior years’ reserve development totaled $464.7 million of direct losses and $54.5 million of net unfavorable loss development after the benefit of reinsurance.
•For hurricanes, prior years’ reserve development for the year ended December 31, 2021 was the result of a direct increase in the ultimate losses for several hurricanes of $420.4 million offset by ceded hurricane losses of $410.8 million resulting in net unfavorable development of $9.6 million. Direct losses increased for Hurricanes Irma, Sally, Michael, Matthew and Florence. Net development for Hurricane Irma was $20.6 million as a result of limitations on loss adjustment expenses on losses ceded to the Florida Hurricane CAT Fund and the exhaustion of third party coverage on Hurricane Irma and favorable development on Hurricanes Sally and Michael of $11.0 million as a result of changes in amounts ceded to the All States reinsurance coverage which has a lower retention.
•Excluding hurricanes, there was $44.3 million of direct and $44.9 million net prior years’ reserve development during the year ended December 31, 2021. This development, primarily from the 2020, 2019 and 2017 accident years, primarily resulted from the settlement on litigated claims exceeding prior estimated amounts.
•For the year ended December 31, 2020 prior years’ reserve development totaled $284.3 million of direct losses and $58.3 million of net losses after the benefit of reinsurance.
•Prior years’ reserve development, excluding hurricanes described below, was $42.1 million direct and $40.2 million net of reinsurance for the year ended December 31, 2020. This development largely resulted from increased prior-year non-hurricane companion claims in the run up to the expiration of limitations period for Hurricane Irma claims, the emergence of claims associated with AOB litigated claims, and an increase in reopened claims. In 2019, the Florida legislature enacted legislation intended to reduce abuses with claims involving AOB. Prior to the effective date of the new law, the Company experienced an increase in claims reported by vendors seeking to pursue their claims under the prior law. In many instances, these claims have since further developed into litigated claims during 2020. Also, Hurricane Irma made landfall in 2017. In accordance with Florida law, the deadline for filing Hurricane Irma claims expired three years later in September 2020. As a result, in 2020 the Company experienced adverse development due to non-hurricane companion claims reported with new Hurricane Irma claims reported as the deadline approached. In 2020, claims associated with these issues continued to adversely develop; and Florida’s one-way attorneys’ fee statute and overall negative legal environment have led to increased litigation and higher losses and LAE.
•For the year ended December 31, 2020, development of direct and net losses on previously reported hurricanes was $242.2 million direct and $18.1 million net after the benefit of reinsurance. This was principally driven by continued adverse development of previous estimated losses and LAE on Hurricanes Irma, Michael, Florence and Matthew. Net development for the year ended December 31, 2020 principally resulted from an increase in our previously estimated losses and LAE on Hurricane Irma for claims which are not eligible for recovery from the FHCF.
•Florida law in effect at the time of Hurricane Irma barred new, supplemental or reopened claims for loss caused by the peril of windstorm or hurricane unless notice is provided within three years of the event. In September 2020, the three-year period following Hurricane Irma expired. The Company continues to adjust and settle Hurricane Irma claims that were reported prior to the expiration of the three-year period.
The financial benefit generated by our claims adjusting affiliate from the management of claims, including claim fees ceded by our Insurance Entities to reinsurers, was $11.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $17.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2020, driven by the recoveries from reinsurers and internal claim services. The benefit was recorded in the consolidated financial statements as a reduction to losses and LAE.
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For the year ended December 31, 2021, general and administrative expenses were $314.2 million, compared to $289.7 million during the same period in 2020, as follows (dollars in thousands):
| For the Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Ratio | $ | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | $ | 1,035,463 | $ | 923,563 | $ | 111,900 | 12.1 | % | |||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 226,167 | 21.8 | % | 199,102 | 21.6 | % | 27,065 | 13.6 | % | ||||||||||||
| Other operating costs | 88,066 | 8.5 | % | 90,627 | 9.8 | % | (2,561) | (2.8) | % | ||||||||||||
| Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 314,233 | 30.3 | % | $ | 289,729 | 31.4 | % | $ | 24,504 | 8.5 | % | |||||||||
| (1) Other operating costs includes $652 and $102 of interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. |
General and administrative expenses increased by $24.5 million, which was the result of increases in policy acquisition costs of $27.1 million primarily due to commissions and premium taxes associated with increased premium, and a decrease in other operating costs of $2.6 million. The expense ratio as a percentage of premiums earned, net was 30.3% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 31.4% for the year ended December 31, 2020.
•The increase in policy acquisition costs as a percentage of premiums earned, net during the year ended December 31, 2021 was a result of higher reinsurance costs reducing premiums earned, net in a greater proportion than the prior year. The commission rate paid to agents on the renewal of Florida policies was reduced 2 percentage points effective April 1, 2021, which will benefit future periods as the new rate structure applies prospectively.
•The decrease in other operating costs of $2.6 million reflects lower performance compensation, lower share-based compensation, lower marketing and distribution costs, and lower costs associated with employee medical benefits. The other operating cost ratio for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 8.5% compared to 9.8% in the year ended December 31, 2020. This reduction, which was partially offset by higher reinsurance costs, reflects several factors including economies of scale as we continue to grow premium, efficiencies gained from leveraging technology and spending discipline.
As a result of the above, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 105.6% compared to 113.5% for the same period in 2020. The decrease reflects improved underwriting results when compared to the same period of 2020. The reduction was the result of decreases in both the loss and LAE ratio and expense ratio as described above.
Income tax expense increased by $2.9 million to $8.0 million, or 56.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2021, when compared to income tax expense of $5.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Our effective tax rate increased to 28.2% for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to 21.2% for the year ended December 31, 2020. Benefiting the 2020 effective tax rate was a non-recurring liability adjustment of 9.7 points of the effective tax rate. Benefiting 2021 effective tax rate was a non-recurring one-year Florida state income tax reduction which benefited the effective tax rate by 1.4 points when compared to 2020. Significant recurring items which impacted the effective tax rate in 2021 were a lower level of disallowed or non-deductible compensation of 2.1 points of the effective tax rate compared to 6.2 points of the effective tax rate in 2020 and a higher impact from excess tax shortfalls from stock-based compensation of 2.3 points of the effective tax in 2021 when compared to 0.4 points in 2020. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 12 (Income Taxes)” for an a table of items impacting the effective tax rate and an explanation of the change in our effective tax rates.
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $18.9 million compared to other comprehensive loss of $17.6 million for the same period in 2020, reflecting after-tax changes in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities held in our investment portfolio and reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income for available-for-sale debt securities sold. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 14 (Other Comprehensive Income (Loss))” for additional information about the amounts comprising other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes for these periods.
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YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019
A detailed discussion of our results of operations follows the table below (in thousands, except per share data).
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2019 | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| PREMIUMS EARNED AND OTHER REVENUES | |||||||||||||||
| Direct premiums written | $ | 1,517,479 | $ | 1,292,721 | $ | 224,758 | 17.4 | % | |||||||
| Change in unearned premium | (121,856) | (59,600) | (62,256) | 104.5 | % | ||||||||||
| Direct premium earned | 1,395,623 | 1,233,121 | 162,502 | 13.2 | % | ||||||||||
| Ceded premium earned | (472,060) | (390,619) | (81,441) | 20.8 | % | ||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | 923,563 | 842,502 | 81,061 | 9.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | 20,393 | 30,743 | (10,350) | (33.7) | % | ||||||||||
| Net realized gains (losses) on investments | 63,352 | (12,715) | 76,067 | NM | |||||||||||
| Net change in unrealized gains (losses) of equity securities | 25 | 23,188 | (23,163) | (99.9) | % | ||||||||||
| Commission revenue | 33,163 | 26,101 | 7,062 | 27.1 | % | ||||||||||
| Policy fees | 23,773 | 21,560 | 2,213 | 10.3 | % | ||||||||||
| Other revenue | 8,501 | 7,972 | 529 | 6.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Total premiums earned and other revenues | 1,072,770 | 939,351 | 133,419 | 14.2 | % | ||||||||||
| OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses | 758,810 | 603,406 | 155,404 | 25.8 | % | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 289,729 | 272,428 | 17,301 | 6.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Total operating costs and expenses | 1,048,539 | 875,834 | 172,705 | 19.7 | % | ||||||||||
| INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES | 24,231 | 63,517 | (39,286) | (61.9) | % | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 5,126 | 17,003 | (11,877) | (69.9) | % | ||||||||||
| NET INCOME | $ | 19,105 | $ | 46,514 | $ | (27,409) | (58.9) | % | |||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes | (17,618) | 28,374 | (45,992) | NM | |||||||||||
| COMPREHENSIVE INCOME | $ | 1,487 | $ | 74,888 | $ | (73,401) | (98.0) | % | |||||||
| DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE DATA: | |||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings per common share | $ | 0.60 | $ | 1.36 | $ | (0.76) | (55.9) | % | |||||||
| Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding | 31,972 | 34,233 | (2,261) | (6.6) | % |
Net income was $19.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to net income of $46.5 million for the same period in 2019.
Diluted EPS for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $0.60 compared to $1.36 in 2019, a decrease of $0.76, or 55.9%. Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2020 were lower by 6.6% to 32.0 million shares from 34.2 million shares for the same period of the prior year. Benefiting the year ended December 31, 2020 were increases in premiums earned, net, realized gains on investments, commission revenue, policy fees and other revenue, offset by a decrease in net investment income, a lower level of unrealized gains in the fair value of our equity securities in 2020 and increased total operating costs and expenses. Direct premium earned and premiums earned, net were up 13.2% and 9.6%, respectively, due to growth of policies in almost all states in which we are licensed and writing during the past 12 months and rate increases implemented during 2020, offset by higher costs for reinsurance flowing through to premiums earned, net. Increases in losses and LAE were the result of several factors including (1) increased estimated core losses and LAE for the current year compared to prior year, (2) premium growth and change in mix between Florida and other states and (3) increased adverse weather events. The increase was partially offset by a reduced level of prior years’ reserve development in 2020.
Direct premiums written increased by $224.8 million, or 17.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, driven by growth within our Florida business of $184.6 million, or 17.3%, and growth in our other states business of $40.1 million, or 17.7%, as compared to the same period of the prior year. Rate increases in Florida and in certain other states along with slightly improved retention also contributed to the premium growth. Premium in force increased in every state in which we are writing at December 31, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019. We implemented new guidelines during the year ended December 31, 2020 on new business to address emerging loss trends that have since slowed the rate of growth in Florida in certain territories during December 31, 2020. We actively wrote policies in 19 states during 2020 compared to 18 in 2019. In addition, we are authorized to do business in Tennessee and Wisconsin and are proceeding with product filings in those states. During the second quarter of 2020 the Company withdrew its application to write business in Connecticut. Policies in force, premium in force and total insured value all increased as of December 31, 2020 when compared to December 31, 2019.
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Direct premium earned increased by $162.5 million, or 13.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, reflecting the earning of premiums written over the past 12 months and changes in rates and policies in force during that time.
Reinsurance enables our Insurance Entities to limit potential exposures to catastrophic events and other covered events. Ceded premium represents amounts paid to reinsurers for this protection. Ceded premium earned increased $81.4 million, or 20.8%, for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the same period of the prior year. The increase in reinsurance costs reflects both an increase in costs associated with the increase in exposures we insure, reinstatement premiums emerging during the year and increased pricing when compared to the expired reinsurance program. Reinsurance costs, as a percentage of direct premium earned, increased from 31.7% in 2019 to 33.8% in 2020. During the fourth quarter of 2020 the Company recorded additional ceded written premiums of $18.5 million representing reinstatement premiums on Hurricane Sally losses of which $7.7 million was unearned at December 31, 2020. Reinsurance costs associated with each year’s reinsurance program are earned over the June 1st to May 31st twelve-month coverage period. See the discussion above for the Insurance Entities’ 2020-2021 reinsurance program and “Part II—Item 8— Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
Premiums earned, net of ceded premium earned, grew by 9.6%, or $81.1 million, to $923.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, reflecting an increase in direct premium earned offset by increased costs for reinsurance.
Net investment income was $20.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $30.7 million for the same period in 2019, a decrease of $10.4 million, or 33.7%. The decrease is driven by lower trends in market yields. During 2020, the Company sold most securities in an unrealized gain position to recognize market value appreciation. The total amount of securities sold was $1.1 billion. As a result, the Company reinvested its portfolio into similar securities yielding current market rates, which in many cases is a reduction from the book yields of the portfolio prior to the sale and reinvestment. The book yield of the available-for-sale debt securities was 3.08% at December 31, 2019 compared to 1.16% at December 31, 2020, a reduction of 62.3%. Total invested assets were $919.9 million as of December 31, 2020 compared to $914.6 million as of December 31, 2019. Cash and cash equivalents were $167.2 million at December 31, 2020 compared to $182.1 million at December 31, 2019, a decrease of 8.2%. Cash and cash equivalents are invested short term until needed to settle loss and LAE payments, reinsurance premium payments and operating cash needs or until they are deployed by our investment advisors.
Yields from cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and the available-for-sale debt portfolio are dependent on future market forces, monetary policy and interest rate policy from the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve has broadly been lowering and maintaining lower interest rates, which has impacted the effective yields on new available-for-sale portfolio and overnight cash purchases and short-term investments. The overall trend has been lower interest rates on new purchases of securities over the past year and lower returns on cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments. As discussed below, due to the significant sale of securities during the third quarter of 2020, it is expected that future portfolio returns will reflect lower book yields based on current market conditions.
We sell investments from our investment portfolio from time to time to meet our investment objectives or take advantage of market opportunities. During the year ended December 31, 2020, sales of available-for-sale debt securities resulted in net realized gain of $56.9 million and sales of equity securities resulted in net realized gain of $6.5 million, in total generating net realized gain of $63.4 million. We took the opportunity to monetize an increase in fair value of these securities to enhance surplus for UPCIC. The proceeds from the sale of available-for-sale debt securities are in the process of reinvestment. During the year ended December 31, 2019, sales of equity securities resulted in net realized losses of $14.4 million, sales of available-for-sale debt securities resulted in net realized gains of $0.5 million and the sale of an investment real estate property resulted in a realized gain of $1.2 million, in total generating net realized loss of $12.7 million. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments).”
There was a nominal favorable net unrealized gain in equity securities during the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to a $23.2 million favorable net unrealized gain during the year ended December 31, 2019. Unrealized gains or losses reflected on the income statement are the result of changes in the fair market value of our equity securities during the period for securities still held and the reversal of unrealized gains or losses for securities sold during the period. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 3 (Investments).”
During 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the financial markets. In the first quarter of 2020, our investment portfolio was negatively impacted, but has since substantially recovered. We took advantage of the recovery with the realization of gains on our available-for-sale debt securities discussed above. We believe the adverse impact to our investment portfolio was minimized during this COVID-19-induced market dislocation as a result of our conservative investment strategy’s focus on capital preservation and adequate liquidity to pay claims. We believe the high credit rating and shorter duration foundation of our portfolio and portfolio diversification will help us weather these difficult market conditions, thereby limiting the impact of future economic financial market downturns on the portfolio. Recent market yields have been lower when compared to prior years and we expect that trend to continue, negatively impacting future investment returns on our portfolio. We will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on our portfolio. Significant uncertainties and emerging risks still exist regarding the potential long-term impact of COVID-19 on the credit markets and our investment portfolio.
Commission revenue is comprised principally of brokerage commissions we earn from third-party reinsurers (excluding the FHCF) on reinsurance placed for the Insurance Entities. Commission revenue is earned pro-rata over the reinsurance policy period which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. For the year ended December 31, 2020, commission revenue was $33.2 million, compared to $26.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in commission revenue of $7.1 million, or 27.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to increased commissions from third-party
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reinsurers earned on increased reinsurance premiums due to growth in our exposures, as well as the difference in pricing and structure associated with our reinsurance program when compared to the prior year.
Policy fees for the year ended December 31, 2020 were $23.8 million compared to $21.6 million for the same period in 2019. The increase of $2.2 million, or 10.3%, was the result of an increase in the total number of new and renewal policies written during the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
Other revenue, representing revenue from policy installment fees, premium financing and other miscellaneous income, was $8.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $8.0 million for the same period in 2019.
The following table presents losses and LAE incurred on a direct, ceded and net basis expressed in dollars and as a percent of the respective amounts of earned premium. These amounts are further categorized as 1) core losses, 2) weather events for the current accident year and 3) prior years’ reserve development (dollars in thousands):
| For The Year Ended December 31, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | Loss Ratio | Ceded | Loss Ratio | Net | Loss Ratio | ||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned | $ | 1,395,623 | $ | 472,060 | $ | 923,563 | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Core losses | $ | 538,826 | 38.6 | % | $ | 316 | 0.1 | % | $ | 538,510 | 58.3 | % | |||||||||
| Weather events* | 256,917 | 18.4 | % | 94,954 | 20.1 | % | 161,963 | 17.6 | % | ||||||||||||
| Prior years’ reserve development | 284,315 | 20.4 | % | 225,978 | 47.9 | % | 58,337 | 6.3 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total losses and loss adjustment expenses | $ | 1,080,058 | 77.4 | % | $ | 321,248 | 68.1 | % | $ | 758,810 | 82.2 | % |
| For The Year Ended December 31, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | Loss Ratio | Ceded | Loss Ratio | Net | Loss Ratio | ||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned | $ | 1,233,121 | $ | 390,619 | $ | 842,502 | |||||||||||||||
| Losses and loss adjustment expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Core losses | $ | 476,739 | 38.7 | % | $ | 51 | — | % | $ | 476,688 | 56.6 | % | |||||||||
| Weather events* | 45,562 | 3.7 | % | 6,912 | 1.8 | % | 38,650 | 4.6 | % | ||||||||||||
| Prior years’ reserve development | 562,303 | 45.6 | % | 474,235 | 121.4 | % | 88,068 | 10.4 | % | ||||||||||||
| Total losses and loss adjustment expenses | $ | 1,084,604 | 88.0 | % | $ | 481,198 | 123.2 | % | $ | 603,406 | 71.6 | % |
*Includes only current weather events beyond those expected.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for change in liability for unpaid losses and LAE.
Management evaluates losses and LAE in three areas, as described below and represented in the tables above, each of which have different drivers which impact reported results. As a result, these components of losses and LAE are described separately. Overall losses and LAE, net of reinsurance recoveries, were $758.8 million resulting in a 82.2% net loss and LAE ratio for the year ended December 31, 2020. This compares to $603.4 million resulting in a 71.6% net loss and LAE ratio for the year ended December 31, 2019.
The factors impacting losses and LAE are as follows:
Core losses
Our core losses consist of all losses and LAE, except weather events beyond those expected and prior years’ reserve development. We establish core loss reserves by applying a direct loss percentage (loss pick) to direct premium earned. The loss pick is set by management each year with input coming out of the annual study performed by our independent third-party
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actuary. Our loss pick before the claims management benefits described below, which we increased in 2019 as a result of higher loss trends in Florida, was increased slightly (0.9 loss ratio points) in 2020.
The core losses and loss ratios in the above table benefit from favorable claim management adjustment benefits derived from certain ceded claim fees or other benefits, which are described below, reducing core losses. Core losses for the year, after favorable claim management adjusting benefits for the year ended 2020 were 38.6% of direct premium earned compared to 38.7% for the same period in 2019. Although the core loss ratio only slightly changed year over year, core loss and LAE has increased and reserves increased resulting from higher premium volume and the impact of primary rate increases approved in 2020.
Weather events beyond those expected
During the year ended December 31, 2020, there were a significant number of storms including Hurricane Sally compared to prior years which in the aggregate exceeded core loss ratio expectations. The number of adverse weather events and resulting claims during the fourth quarter exceeded weather event claims reported during the first three quarters. Reported losses from Hurricane Sally significantly benefited from our catastrophe reinsurance protection. Our reinsurance program reduced our direct estimate of Hurricane Sally ultimate losses of $133.4 million to $43.0 million on a net basis after estimated reinsurance recoveries. Other weather events resulting in losses with only limited benefit from our catastrophe reinsurance protection included Hurricanes Isaias, Eta, Delta and Zeta and other unnamed storms tracked by an industry numerically assigned identifier. These weather events totaled direct losses of $123.5 million and $119.0 million net after reinsurance. In 2020 the Company experienced the highest level of unnamed weather events when compared to the previous three years.
During the year ended December 31, 2019, weather events totaled $45.6 million direct and $38.7 million net, principally for Hurricane Dorian and other weather events beyond those expected.
Prior years’ reserve development
Management identifies two drivers which influence amounts recorded as prior years’ reserve development, namely: (i) changes to prior estimates of direct and net ultimate losses on prior accident years excluding major hurricanes and (ii) changes in prior estimates of direct and net ultimate losses on hurricanes. During the year ended December 31, 2020, prior years’ reserve development totaled $284.3 million of direct losses and $58.3 million of net losses after the benefit of reinsurance.
Prior years’ reserve development, excluding hurricanes described above, was $42.1 million direct and $40.2 million net of reinsurance for the year ended December 31, 2020. This development largely resulted from increased prior-year non-hurricane companion claims in the run up to the expiration of limitations period for Hurricane Irma claims, the emergence of claims associated with AOB litigated claims, and an increase in reopened claims. In 2019, the Florida legislature enacted legislation intended to reduce abuses with claims involving AOB. Prior the effective date of the new law, the Company experienced an increase in claims reported by vendors seeking to pursue their claims under the prior law. In many instances, these claims have since further developed into litigated claims during 2020. Also, Hurricane Irma made landfall in 2017. In accordance with Florida law, the deadline for filing Hurricane Irma claims expired three years later in September 2020. As a result, in 2020 the Company experienced adverse development due to non-hurricane companion claims reported with new Hurricane Irma claims reported as the deadline approached. In 2020, claims associated with these issues continued to adversely develop, Florida’s one-way attorneys’ fee statute and overall negative legal environment have led to increased litigation and higher losses and LAE.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, development of direct and net losses on previously reported hurricanes was $242.2 million direct and $18.1 million net after the benefit of reinsurance. This was principally driven by continued adverse development of previous estimated losses and LAE on Hurricanes Irma, Michael, Florence and Matthew. Net development for the year ended December 31, 2020 principally resulted from an increase in our previously estimated losses and LAE on Hurricane Irma for claims which are not eligible for recovery from the FHCF.
As noted above, Florida law bars new, supplemental or reopened claim for loss caused by the peril of windstorm or hurricane unless notice is provided within three years of the event. In September 2020, the three-year period following Hurricane Irma expired. The Company continues to adjust and settle Hurricane Irma claims that were reported prior to the expiration of the three-year period.
For the year ended December 31, 2019, direct prior years’ reserve development of $562.3 million was principally due to increased ultimate direct losses and LAE for Hurricane Irma, which were fully ceded, while net prior years’ reserve development of $88.1 million was principally due to a change in the allocation of estimated reinsurance recoveries on Hurricane Michael losses from our Non-Florida reinsurance coverage to the All States reinsurance coverage. The Non-Florida reinsurance coverage has a lower retention and the change in the allocation of reinsurance recoveries to the All States reinsurance coverage resulted in higher retained losses.
The net loss and LAE ratio for the year ended December 31, 2020 was 82.2% compared to 71.6% for the prior year. The increase of 10.6% loss ratio points was a result of: (1) increase in weather (13.0% loss ratio points); and (2) an increase in estimated core losses and LAE ratio for the current year (1.7% loss ratio points) principally the result of higher reinsurance costs. The increase was partially offset by a lower level of prior years’ reserve development on prior years’ losses and LAE reserves (4.1% loss ratio points).
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The Company continues to experience increased costs for losses and LAE in the Florida market where an industry has developed around the solicitation, filing and litigation of personal residential claims, resulting in a pattern of continued increased year over year levels of represented claims, inflation of purported claim amounts, and increased demands for attorneys’ fee. Active solicitation of personal residential claims in Florida by policyholder representatives, remediation companies and repair companies has led to an increase in the frequency and severity of personal residential claims in Florida exceeding historical levels and levels seen in other jurisdictions. A Florida statute providing a one-way right of attorneys’ fees against insurers, coupled with other adverse statutes and judicial rulings, have further produced a legal environment in Florida that encourages litigation, in many cases without regard to the underlying circumstances of the claims.
The market trends in losses and LAE led us to file in February 2020 for an overall 12.4% rate increase in Florida, which was approved effective May 18, 2020 for new business and July 7, 2020 for renewals. In addition we filed and received approval on December 31, 2020 to further increase our rates in Florida by an additional 7.0% in response to higher reinsurance costs associated with the reinsurance program we put into effect June 1, 2020. This rate change was effective December 31, 2020 for new business and March 1, 2021 for renewal business. In addition, we implemented changes to certain new business underwriting guidelines, reduced new business writings in certain Florida counties and developed and implemented specialized claims and litigation management efforts to address market trends which we believe are driving up claim costs. Nonetheless, the deterioration of the Florida residential insurance market, fostered by the proliferation of represented and litigated claims, thus far has outpaced the benefits of these initiatives.
The financial benefit from the management of claims ceded, including claim fees ceded to reinsurers, was $17.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $3.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2019, driven primarily by the recoveries from reinsurers in excess of costs and the financial impact of internal claim services on the expected core loss ratio. The benefit was recorded in the consolidated financial statements as a reduction to losses and LAE.
General and administrative expenses were $289.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $272.4 million during the same period in 2019 as detailed below (dollars in thousands):
| For The Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2019 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| $ | Ratio | $ | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Premiums earned, net | $ | 923,563 | $ | 842,502 | $ | 81,061 | 9.6 | % | |||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy acquisition costs | 199,102 | 21.6 | % | 177,530 | 21.1 | % | 21,572 | 12.2 | % | ||||||||||||
| Other operating costs (1) | 90,627 | 9.8 | % | 94,898 | 11.2 | % | (4,271) | (4.5) | % | ||||||||||||
| Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 289,729 | 31.4 | % | $ | 272,428 | 32.3 | % | $ | 17,301 | 6.4 | % | |||||||||
| (1)Other operating costs includes $102 and $248 of interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. |
General and administrative expenses increased by $17.3 million, which was the result of increases in policy acquisition costs of $21.6 million due to commissions associated with increased premium volume offset by a decrease in other operating costs of $4.3 million. The expense ratio as a percentage of premiums earned, net decreased from 32.3% for the year ended December 31, 2019 to 31.4% for the same period in 2020. Our increase in policy acquisition costs continued to be driven by increased premium volume and continued geographic expansion into states that typically have higher commission rates as compared to Florida. Other operating costs ratio for the year ended December 31, 2020 was 9.8% compared to 11.2% for the year ended December 31, 2019, reflecting lower share-based compensation and performance bonuses in 2020 and economies of scale as other operating costs did not increase at the same rate as premiums earned, net. In addition, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel and auto expenses along with meal and entertainment were lower in 2020 when compared to the prior year.
Income tax expense decreased by $11.9 million, or 69.9%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of a 61.9% reduction in income before income taxes, when compared with the year ended December 31, 2019. Our estimated tax rate (“ETR”) decreased to 21.2% for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to 26.8% for the year ended December 31, 2019. The ETR decreased as a result of a higher ratio of permanent items relative to the amount of income before taxes, principally non-deductible compensation, and a higher level of discrete tax benefits.
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $17.6 million, compared to other comprehensive income of $28.4 million for the same period in 2019, reflecting reclassifications out of cumulative other comprehensive income for available-for-sale debt securities sold and after-tax changes in fair value of available-for-sale debt securities held in our investment portfolio. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 11 (Other Comprehensive Income (Loss))” for additional information about the amounts comprising other comprehensive income for these periods.
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ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2021 COMPARED TO DECEMBER 31, 2020
We believe that cash flows generated from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital requirements for at least the next twelve months. We invest amounts considered to be in excess of current working capital requirements.
The following table summarizes, by type, the carrying values of investments as of the dates presented (in thousands):
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Investment | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| Available-for-sale debt securities | $ | 1,040,455 | $ | 819,861 | |||
| Equity securities | 47,334 | 84,887 | |||||
| Investment real estate, net | 5,891 | 15,176 | |||||
| Total | $ | 1,093,680 | $ | 919,924 |
See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” and “Item 8—Note 3 (Investments)” for explanations on changes in investments. Investment real estate, net was reduced by $9.3 million during 2021 as a result of the sale of two investment real estate properties, one which was classified as assets held for sale earlier in 2021 . The gain on the sale of these two investment properties was $2.7 million.
Restricted cash and cash equivalents decreased by $10.1 million to $2.6 million as of December 31, 2021 as a result of the release of collateral held by a reinsurance captive arrangement between affiliates that was terminated effective December 1, 2021, pursuant to the terms of the agreement. In connection with the termination of the agreement, the affiliates agreed to release funds held in trust due to UPCIC and the balance to the participant of the separate account (UVE) in December 2021. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 18 (Variable Interest Entities)” for more information.
Prepaid reinsurance premiums represent the portion of unearned ceded written premium that will be earned pro-rata over the coverage period of our reinsurance program, which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. The increase of $25.3 million to $241.0 million as of December 31, 2021 was primarily due to additional ceded written premium and the reinsurance costs relating to our 2021-2022 catastrophe reinsurance program beginning June 1, 2021, less amortization of ceded written premium for the reinsurance costs earned since the beginning of the program.
Reinsurance recoverable represents the estimated amount of paid and unpaid losses, LAE and other expenses that are expected to be recovered from reinsurers. The increase of $25.2 million to $185.6 million as of December 31, 2021 was primarily due to the increased estimate of amounts recoverable from reinsurers relating to settled claims from hurricanes and covered by our reinsurance contracts.
Premiums receivable, net represents amounts receivable from policyholders. The decrease in premiums receivable, net of $2.0 million to $64.9 million as of December 31, 2021 relates to consumer payment behavior of our business.
Deferred policy acquisition costs (“DPAC”) decreased by $1.8 million to $108.8 million as of December 31, 2021, which is consistent with the underlying premium growth and changes to the Company’s commission structure. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations)” for a roll-forward in the balance of our DPAC.
Income taxes recoverable represents the difference between estimated tax obligations and tax payments made to taxing authorities. As of December 31, 2021, the balance recoverable was $16.9 million, representing amounts due from taxing authorities at that date, compared to a balance recoverable of $30.6 million as of December 31, 2020. Income taxes recoverable as of December 31, 2021 will either be refunded or applied to future periods to offset future federal and state income tax obligations.
Deferred income taxes represent the estimated tax asset or tax liability caused by temporary differences between the tax return basis of certain assets and liabilities and amounts recorded in the financial statements. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the deferred income tax asset, net increased by $10.0 million to $16.3 million. Deferred income taxes reverse in future years as the temporary differences between book and tax reverse.
Other assets increased by $7.2 million to $22.0 million as of December 31, 2021, primarily driven from increases in receivable due from brokers relating to securities sold from our investment portfolio which settled after December 31, 2021.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for a roll-forward in the balance of our unpaid losses and LAE. Unpaid losses and LAE increased by $23.8 million to $346.2 million as of December 31, 2021. The increase in unpaid losses and LAE was principally due to increases in the core loss ratio, increases in the estimated amounts to settle claims from previous hurricane and storm events, the impact of inflation on estimated claims settlements and increased litigation costs. Unpaid losses and LAE are net of estimated subrogation recoveries of $119 million as of December 31, 2021 compared to $71 million as of December 31, 2020.
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Unearned premiums represent the portion of direct premiums written that will be earned pro-rata in the future. The increase of $74.6 million to $857.8 million as of December 31, 2021 reflects the increase in written premiums of our business.
Advance premium represents premium payments made by policyholders ahead of the effective date of the policies. The increase of $4.1 million from December 31, 2020 to $53.7 million as of December 31, 2021 reflects customer payment behavior.
We exclude net negative cash balances, if any, from cash and cash equivalents that we have with any single financial institution based on aggregating the book balance of all accounts at the institution which have the right of offset. If the aggregation results in a net negative book balance, that balance is reclassified from cash and cash equivalents in our Consolidated Balance Sheet to book overdraft. These amounts represent outstanding checks or drafts not yet presented to the financial institution in excess of amounts on deposit at the financial institutions. We maintain a short-term cash investment strategy sweep to maximize investment returns on cash balances. Book overdraft totaled $26.8 million as of December 31, 2021, compared to $59.4 million as of December 31, 2020. The decrease of $32.6 million is the result of higher cash balances available for offset as of December 31, 2021 compared to December 31, 2020.
Reinsurance payable, net, represents the unpaid reinsurance premium installments owed to reinsurers, unpaid reinstatement premiums due to reinsurers and cash advances received from reinsurers, if any. On June 1st of each year, we renew our core catastrophe reinsurance program and record the estimated annual cost of our reinsurance program. These estimated annual costs are increased or decreased during the year based on premium adjustments or as a result of new placements during the year. The annual cost initially increases reinsurance payable, which is then reduced as installment payments are made over the policy period of the reinsurance, which typically runs from June 1st to May 31st. The balance increased by $178.4 million to $188.7 million as of December 31, 2021 as a result of an acceleration of payments in December 2020 for amounts typically paid in January and April of the following year relating to the 2020-2021 reinsurance program. There was no similar acceleration of payment made for the year ended December 31, 2021 relating to the 2021-2022 reinsurance program.
Other liabilities and accrued expenses decreased by $25.0 million to $27.3 million as of December 31, 2021, primarily driven by decreases in the collection of advanced reinsurance commission of $14.0 million and payable for unsettled security purchases of $8.8 million. Advance reinsurance commission represents the early collection of reinsurance commissions as a result of the Company settling its reinsurance obligations before the contractual due date. Payables for securities purchased represents payables relating to available-for-sale debt securities purchases which settled after December 31, 2020. There were payables for securities purchased totaling $8.8 million as of December 31, 2020. There were no payables for securities purchased as of December 31, 2021.
Capital resources, net increased by $75.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2021, reflecting a net increase in total stockholders’ equity and long-term debt. The decrease in stockholders’ equity was principally the result of our benefits coming from our 2021 net income and share-based compensation offset by declines in the after-tax changes in the fair value of available-for-sale debt securities, treasury shares purchases and dividends to shareholders. Available-for-sale debt securities in the portfolio experienced net unrealized losses of $24.6 million (before tax) in 2021, which caused the net unrealized gain position of $4.4 million at December 31, 2020 to decrease to a net unrealized loss position of $20.2 million at December 31, 2021. Current market outlooks, signaling further Federal Reserve tightening, could have a negative impact on the valuation of available-for-sale debt securities. See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity” and “Item 8—Note 8 (Stockholders’ Equity)” for an explanation of changes in treasury shares. The increase in long-term debt of $95.2 million was primarily the result of cash proceeds from the Notes, net of debt issuance costs of $96.7 million offset by principal payments on long-term debt of $1.5 million during 2021. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.
Additional paid-in-capital increased by $4.8 million primarily from share-based compensation expense of $5.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. This was offset by the common stock value acquired and cancelled through tax withholdings on the intrinsic value of performance units and restricted stock units vested for share-based payment transactions of $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity
Liquidity is a measure of a company’s ability to generate sufficient cash flows to meet its short- and long-term obligations. Funds generated from operations have been sufficient and we expect them to be sufficient to meet our current and long term liquidity requirements. See discussion below regarding the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact. Also see the discussion above under “Overview—Trends—Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic” regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial impact to us, our general outlook and plans to monitor the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The balance of cash and cash equivalents, excluding restricted cash, as of December 31, 2021 was $250.5 million, compared to $167.2 million at December 31, 2020. See “Part II—Item 8—Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” for a reconciliation of the balance of cash and cash equivalents between December 31, 2021 and 2020. The increase in cash and cash equivalents was driven by cash flows generated from operating and financing activities in excess of cash flows used in investing activities. Our cash investment strategy at times includes cash investments where the right of offset against other bank accounts does not exist. A book overdraft occurs when aggregating the book balance of all accounts at a financial institution for accounts which have the right of offset, and if the aggregation results in a net negative book balance, that balance is reclassified from cash and cash equivalents in our Consolidated Balance Sheet to book overdraft. Cash and cash equivalents balances are available to settle
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book overdrafts, and to pay reinsurance premiums, expenses and claims. Reinsurance premiums are paid in installments during the reinsurance policy period, which runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year. The FHCF reimbursement premiums are paid in three installments on August 1st, October 1st and December 1st, and third-party reinsurance premiums are generally paid in four installments on July 1st, October 1st, January 1st and April 1st, resulting in significant payments at those times. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)” and “—Material Cash Requirements” for more information.
During 2020, there was one significant hurricane, Hurricane Sally, in which estimated losses benefited from UPCIC’s reinsurance program. The Company’s reinsurance program provides sufficient liquidity in the form of cash advances for paid losses ceded to the reinsurers. During 2021, the Company routinely collected amounts ceded to reinsurers and, as in the past did not have to use funds in the Company’s investment portfolio. See “Results of Operations” for more information.
The balance of restricted cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 represents cash equivalents on deposit with certain regulatory agencies in the various states in which our Insurance Entities do business. Restricted cash and cash equivalents also includes collateral held by a reinsurance captive arrangement with one of the Insurance Entities reported as a VIE in the condensed consolidated financial statements. The amount of collateral held was $10.1 million as of December 31, 2020. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 18 (Variable Interest Entities)” for more information.
Liquidity is required at the holding company for us to cover the payment of general operating expenses and contingencies, dividends to shareholders (if and when authorized and declared by our Board of Directors), payment for the possible repurchase of our common stock (if and when authorized by our Board of Directors), payment of our tax obligations, capital contributions to subsidiaries, if needed, and interest and principal payments on outstanding debt obligations of the holding company. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations).” The declaration and payment of future dividends to our shareholders, and any future repurchases of our common stock, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon many factors, including our operating results, financial condition, debt covenants and any regulatory constraints. New regulations or changes to existing regulations imposed on the Company and its affiliates may also impact the amount and timing of future dividend payments to the parent. Principal sources of liquidity for the holding company include dividends paid by our service entities generated from income earned on fees paid by the Insurance Entities to affiliated companies for general agency, inspections and claims adjusting services. Dividends are also paid from income earned from brokerage commissions earned on reinsurance contracts placed by BARC and policy fees. We also maintain high quality investments in our portfolio as a source of liquidity along with ongoing interest and dividend income from those investments. As discussed in “Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations),” there are limitations on the dividends the Insurance Entities may pay to their immediate parent company, Protection Solutions, Inc. (“PSI”, formerly known as Universal Insurance Holding Company of Florida).
The maximum amount of dividends that can be paid by Florida insurance companies without prior approval of the FLOIR is subject to restrictions as referenced below and in “Item 8—Note 5 (Insurance Operations).” Dividends from the Insurance Entities can only be paid from accumulated unassigned funds derived from net operating profits and net realized capital gains. Subject to such accumulated unassigned funds, the maximum dividend that may be paid by the Insurance Entities to PSI without prior approval (an “ordinary dividend”) is further limited to the lesser of statutory net income from operations of the preceding calendar year or statutory unassigned surplus as of the preceding year end. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 the Insurance Entities did not pay dividends to PSI.
On November 23, 2021, we entered into Note Purchase Agreements with certain institutional accredited investors and qualified institutional buyers pursuant to which we issued and sold $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 and we intend to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, including growth capital. If necessary, the Company also has amounts available under our unsecured revolving loan as discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
Liquidity for the Insurance Entities is primarily required to cover payments for reinsurance premiums, claims payments including potential payments of catastrophe losses (offset by recovery of any reimbursement amounts under our reinsurance agreements), fees paid to affiliates for managing general agency services, inspections and claims adjusting services, agent commissions, premium and income taxes, regulatory assessments, general operating expenses, and interest and principal payments on debt obligations. The principal source of liquidity for the Insurance Entities consists of the revenue generated from the collection of premiums earned, net, interest and dividend income from the investment portfolio, the collection of reinsurance recoverable and financing fees.
Our insurance operations provide liquidity as premiums are generally received months or even years before potential losses are paid under the policies written. In the event of catastrophic events, many of our reinsurance agreements provide for “cash advance” whereby reinsurers advance or prepay amounts to us, thereby providing liquidity, which we utilize in the claim settlement process. In addition, the Insurance Entities maintain substantial investments in highly liquid, marketable securities, which would generate funds upon sale. The average credit rating on our available-for-sale securities was A+ as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Credit ratings are a measure of collection risk on invested assets. Credit ratings are provided by third party nationally recognized rating agencies and are periodically updated. Management establishes guidelines for minimum credit rating and overall credit rating for all investments. The duration of our available-for-sale securities was 4.4 years as of December 31, 2021 compared to 4.0 years at December 31, 2020. Duration is a measure of a bond’s sensitivity to interest rate changes and is used by management to limit the potential impact of longer-term investments.
The Insurance Entities are responsible for losses related to catastrophic events in excess of coverage provided by the Insurance Entities’ reinsurance programs and retentions before our reinsurance protection commences. Also, the Insurance Entities are responsible for all other losses that otherwise may not be covered by the reinsurance programs and any amounts arising in the
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event of a reinsurer default. Losses or a default by reinsurers may have a material adverse effect on either of the Insurance Entities or on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Capital Resources
Capital resources provide protection for policyholders, furnish the financial strength to support the business of underwriting insurance risks and facilitate continued business growth. The following table provides our stockholders’ equity, total long-term debt, total capital resources, debt-to-total capital ratio and debt-to-equity ratio for the periods presented (dollars in thousands):
| As of December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Stockholders’ equity | $ | 429,702 | $ | 449,262 | |||
| Total long-term debt | 103,676 | 8,456 | |||||
| Total capital resources | $ | 533,378 | $ | 457,718 | |||
| Debt-to-total capital ratio | 19.4 | % | 1.8 | % | |||
| Debt-to-equity ratio | 24.1 | % | 1.9 | % |
The debt-to-total capital ratio is total long-term debt divided by total capital resources, whereas the debt-to-equity ratio is total long-term debt divided by stockholders’ equity. These ratios help management measure the amount of financing leverage in place in relation to equity and future leverage capacity.
The Insurance Entities are required annually to comply with the NAIC RBC requirements. RBC requirements prescribe a method of measuring the amount of capital appropriate for an insurance company to support its overall business operations in light of its size and risk profile. NAIC’s RBC requirements are used by regulators to determine appropriate regulatory actions relating to insurers who show signs of weak or deteriorating condition. As of December 31, 2021, based on calculations using the appropriate NAIC RBC formula, the Insurance Entities reported respective total adjusted capital in excess of the requirements. Failure by the Insurance Entities to maintain the required level of statutory capital and surplus could result in the suspension of their authority to write new or renewal business, other regulatory actions, or ultimately, in the revocation of their certificate of authority by the FLOIR.
In 2006, UPCIC entered into a $25.0 million surplus note with the State Board of Administration of Florida (the “SBA”) under Florida’s Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program (the “ICBUI”). The surplus note has a twenty-year term, with quarterly payments of interest based on the 10-year Constant Maturity Treasury Index. As of December 31, 2021, UPCIC’s net written premium to surplus ratio and gross written premium to surplus ratio were in excess of the required minimums and, therefore, UPCIC is not subject to increases in interest rates. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” for additional details. At December 31, 2021, UPCIC was in compliance with the terms of the surplus note and with each of the loan’s covenants as implemented by rules promulgated by the SBA. Total adjusted capital surplus, which includes the surplus note, was in excess of regulatory requirements for both UPCIC and APPCIC.
As discussed in “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt),” we entered into a credit agreement and related revolving loan with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in August 2021 which makes available an unsecured revolving credit facility with an aggregate commitment not to exceed $35.0 million. Borrowings under the Revolving Loan mature 364 days after the date of the loan. The Revolving Loan contains customary financial covenants. As of December 31, 2021, the Company was in compliance with all applicable covenants, including financial covenants. We had not drawn any amounts under the Revolving Loan as of December 31, 2021.
In November 2021, we completed a private placement offering through which we issued and sold $100 million of 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 (the “Notes”) to certain institutional accredited investors and qualified institutional buyers. The Notes mature on November 26, 2026, at which time the entire $100.0 million of principal is due and payable. At any time on or after November 23, 2023, the Company may redeem all or part of the Notes. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt)” for additional details. As of December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with all applicable covenants, including financial covenants.
We will also continue to evaluate opportunities to access the debt capital markets to raise additional capital. We anticipate any proceeds would be used for general corporate purposes, including investing in the capital and surplus of the Insurance Entities.
In addition to the liquidity generally provided from operations, we maintain a conservative, well-diversified investment portfolio, predominantly comprised of fixed income securities with an average credit rating of A+, that focuses on capital preservation and providing an adequate source of liquidity for potential claim payments and other cash needs. The portfolio’s secondary investment objective is to provide a total rate of return with emphasis on investment income. Historically, we have consistently generated funds from operations, allowing our cash and invested assets to grow. We have not had to liquidate investment holdings to fund either operations or financing activities.
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Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
Towards the latter part of 2020 there had been a significant recovery in the fair value of invested assets since the low point on or about March 23, 2020 and in the third and fourth quarters of 2020, the Company sold many of its securities in an unrealized gain position to take advantage of the recovery in asset values. The proceeds from the sales of available-for-sale debt securities in the third and fourth quarters of 2020 have been fully reinvested. The sales took advantage of increased market prices occurring on our available-for-sale debt investment portfolio. As a result of the sales and reinvestment of available-for-sale debt securities, it is expected that future portfolio investment income will lower, as reinvestment rates reflect market rates which are below the book yields of the securities sold.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the credit markets remains a key risk as the world continues to navigate its consequences and the efforts taken by governments to accelerate and stimulate a financial recovery. We remain in regular contact with our advisors to monitor the credit quality of the issuers of the securities in our portfolio and discuss appropriate responses to credit downgrades or changes in companies’ credit outlook. We believe these measures, when combined with the inherent liquidity generated by our business model and in our investment portfolio, will allow us to continue to meet our short- and long-term obligations.
Looking Forward
We continue to monitor a range of financial metrics related to our business. Although we have not yet experienced material adverse impacts on our business or liquidity, conditions are subject to change depending on the extent of the economic downturn, and the pace and extent of an economic recovery. Significant uncertainties exist with the potential long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including unforeseen newly emerging risks that could affect us. We will continue to monitor the broader economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our operations and financial condition including liquidity and capital resources.
Common Stock Repurchases
We may repurchase shares from time to time at our discretion, based on ongoing assessments of our capital needs, the market price of our common stock and general market conditions. We will fund the share repurchase program with cash from operations.
In total, during the year ended December 31, 2021, we repurchased an aggregate of 116,886 shares of our common stock in the open market at an aggregate purchase price of $1.6 million. Also see “Part II—Item 5—Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities—Registrant Purchases of Equity Securities” for share repurchase activity during 2021 and the three months ended December 31, 2021.
Cash Dividends
The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid by the Company during the year ended December 31, 2021:
| Dividend | Shareholders | Dividend | Cash Dividend | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Declared Date | Record Date | Payable Date | Per Share Amount | |||||
| First Quarter | March 1, 2021 | March 11, 2021 | March 18, 2021 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Second Quarter | April 22, 2021 | May 14, 2021 | May 21, 2021 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Third Quarter | July 19, 2021 | August 2, 2021 | August 9, 2021 | $ | 0.16 | ||||
| Fourth Quarter | November 15, 2021 | December 10, 2021 | December 17, 2021 | $ | 0.29 |
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Reinsurance Recoverable
The following table provides total unpaid loss and LAE, net of related reinsurance recoverable for the dates presented (in thousands):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Unpaid loss and LAE, net | $ | 83,468 | $ | 75,471 | |||
| IBNR loss and LAE, net | 146,888 | 127,472 | |||||
| Total unpaid loss and LAE, net | $ | 230,356 | $ | 202,943 | |||
| Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid loss and LAE | $ | 6,560 | $ | 18,957 | |||
| Reinsurance recoverable on IBNR loss and LAE | 109,300 | 100,565 | |||||
| Total reinsurance recoverable on unpaid loss and LAE | $ | 115,860 | $ | 119,522 |
Statutory Loss Ratios
Underwriting results of insurance companies are frequently measured by their combined ratios, which is the sum of the loss and expense ratios described in the following paragraph. However, investment income, federal income taxes and other non-underwriting income or expense are not reflected in the combined ratio. The profitability of property and casualty insurance companies depends on income from underwriting, investment and service operations. Underwriting results are considered profitable when the combined ratio is under 100% and unprofitable when the combined ratio is over 100%.
The following table provides the statutory loss ratios, expense ratios and combined ratios for the periods indicated for the Insurance Entities:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| Loss and LAE Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 77 | % | 84 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 62 | % | 34 | % | ||
| Expense Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 35 | % | 36 | % | ||
| APPCIC | (17) | % | 50 | % | ||
| Combined Ratio (1) | ||||||
| UPCIC | 112 | % | 120 | % | ||
| APPCIC | 45 | % | 84 | % |
(1)The ratios are net of ceded premiums and losses and LAE, including premiums ceded to our catastrophe reinsurers which comprise a significant cost, and losses and LAE ceded to reinsurers. The expense ratio includes management fees and commissions, which are based on market rates, paid to an affiliate of the Insurance Entities in the amount of $135.2 million and $118.1 million for UPCIC for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and $0.9 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 for APPCIC. The management fees and commissions paid to the affiliate are eliminated in consolidation.
Ratings
The Insurance Entities’ financial strength is rated by a rating agency to measure the Insurance Entities’ ability to meet their financial obligations to its policyholders. The agency maintains a letter scale Financial Stability Rating® system ranging from “A” (A double prime) to “L” (licensed by state regulatory authorities).
In December 2021, Demotech, Inc. affirmed the Financial Stability Rating® of “A” for the Insurance Entities. According to Demotech, Inc., the assigned rating represents a company’s continued positive surplus related to policyholders, liquidity of invested assets, an acceptable level of financial leverage, reasonable loss and LAE reserves, and realistic pricing. The ratings of the Insurance Entities are subject to at least annual review by Demotech, Inc., and may be revised upward or downward or revoked at the sole discretion of Demotech, Inc. Financial Stability Ratings® are primarily directed towards policyholders, and are not evaluations directed toward the protection of investors in a company, including holders of a company’s common stock, and are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold securities. See “Part I—Item 1A—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Operations—A downgrade in our Financial Stability Rating® may have an adverse effect on our competitive position, the marketability of our product offerings, and our liquidity, operating results and financial condition.”
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The 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026 were assigned a rating of “A” by Egan-Jones Ratings Company in October 2021. There are three notches in the rating categories assigned by Egan-Jones Ratings Company (e.g., A- A, and A+), except for AAA and those deep into speculative grade, i.e., CC, C, and D, which do not have notches. According to Egan-Jones Ratings Company, the assigned rating pertains solely to their view of current and prospective credit quality. Their rating does not address pricing, liquidity, or other risks associated with holding investments in the issuer (UVE). Their rating is dependent on numerous factors including the reliability, accuracy, and quality of the data used in determining the credit rating.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that are reasonably likely to have a material effect on the financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or capital resources of the Company, except for multi-year reinsurance contract commitments for future years that will be recorded at the commencement of the coverage period. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies)” for more information.
Material Cash Requirements
The following table represents our material cash requirements for which cash flows are fixed or determinable as of December 31, 2021 (in thousands):
| Total | Next 12 months | Beyond 12 months | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reinsurance payable and multi-year commitments (1) | $ | 493,306 | $ | 282,930 | $ | 210,376 | |||||
| Unpaid losses and LAE, direct (2) | 346,216 | 195,266 | 150,950 | ||||||||
| Long-term debt (3) | 135,381 | 7,195 | 128,186 | ||||||||
| Total material cash requirements | $ | 974,903 | $ | 485,391 | $ | 489,512 |
(1)Amount represents the payment of reinsurance premiums payable under multi-year commitments. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 15 (Commitments and Contingencies).”
(2)There are generally no notional or stated amounts related to unpaid losses and LAE. Both the amounts and timing of future loss and LAE payments are estimates and subject to the inherent variability of legal and market conditions affecting the obligations and make the timing of cash outflows uncertain. The ultimate amount and timing of unpaid losses and LAE could differ materially from the amounts in the table above. Further, the unpaid losses and LAE do not represent all the obligations that will arise under the contracts, but rather only the estimated liability incurred through December 31, 2021. Unpaid losses and LAE are net of estimated subrogation recoveries. In addition, these balances exclude amounts recoverable from our reinsurance program. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 4 (Reinsurance).”
(3)Long-term debt consists of a Surplus note and 5.625% Senior unsecured notes. See “Part II—Item 8—Note 7 (Long-term debt).”
Impact of Inflation and Changing Prices
The financial statements and related data presented herein have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which require the measurement of financial position and operating results in terms of historical dollars without considering changes in the relative purchasing power of money over time due to inflation. Our primary assets are monetary in nature. As a result, interest rates have a more significant impact on our performance than the effects of the general levels of inflation. Interest rates do not necessarily move in the same direction or with the same magnitude as the cost of paying losses and LAE.
Insurance premiums are established before we know the amount of loss and LAE and the extent to which inflation may affect such expenses. Consequently, we attempt to anticipate the future impact of inflation when establishing rate levels. While we attempt to charge adequate rates, we may be limited in raising premium levels for competitive and regulatory reasons. Inflation also affects the market value of our investment portfolio and the investment rate of return. Any future economic changes which result in prolonged and increasing levels of inflation could cause increases in the dollar amount of incurred loss and LAE and thereby materially adversely affect future liability requirements.
Arrangements with Variable Interest Entities
We entered into a reinsurance captive arrangement with a VIE in the normal course of business, and consolidated the VIE since we are the primary beneficiary.
For a further discussion of our involvement with the VIE, see “Part II—Item 8—Note 2 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies)” and “Item 8—Note 18 (Variable Interest Entities).”
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.
Liability for Unpaid Losses and LAE
A liability, net of estimated subrogation, is established to provide for the estimated costs of paying losses and LAE under insurance policies the Insurance Entities have issued. Underwriting results are significantly influenced by an estimate of a liability for unpaid losses and LAE. The liability is an estimate of amounts necessary to settle all outstanding claims, including claims that have been incurred, but not yet reported as of the financial statement date. The process of estimating loss reserves requires significant judgment due to a number of variables, such as the type, severity and jurisdiction of loss, economic conditions including inflation, social attitudes, judicial decisions and legislative development and changes in claims handling procedures. These variables will inherently result in an ultimate liability that will differ from initial estimates. See “Part I—Item 1A—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Operations—Actual claims incurred have exceeded, and in the future may exceed, reserves established for claims, adversely affecting our operating results and financial condition.” We revise our reserve for unpaid losses as additional information becomes available, and reflect adjustments, if any, in our earnings in the periods in which we determine the adjustments are necessary. We estimate and accrue our right to subrogate reported or estimated claims against other parties. Subrogated claims are recorded at amounts estimated to be received from the subrogated parties, net of expenses and netted against unpaid losses and LAE.
See “Part II—Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” for a discussion of the Company’s basis and methodologies used to establish its liability for unpaid losses and LAE along with the following quantitative disclosures:
•Five-year accident year table on incurred claim and allocated claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance including columns of:
◦IBNR—Total of Incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development (redundancy) on reported claims by accident year, and
◦Claim counts—cumulative number of reported claims by accident year.
•Five-year accident year table on cumulative paid claims and allocated claim adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance,
•Reconciliation of net incurred and paid claims development tables to the liability for unpaid losses and LAE in the consolidated balance sheet,
•Duration—a table of the average historical claims duration for the past five years, and
•Reconciliation of the change in liability for unpaid losses and LAE presented in the consolidated financial statements.
We utilize independent actuaries to help establish liabilities for unpaid losses, anticipated loss recoveries and LAE. We do not discount the liability for unpaid losses and LAE for financial statement purposes. In establishing the liability for unpaid losses and LAE, actuarial judgment is relied upon in order to make appropriate assumptions to estimate a best estimate of ultimate losses. There are inherent uncertainties associated with this estimation process, especially when a company is undergoing changes in its claims settlement practices, when a company has limited experience in a certain area or when behaviors of policyholders are influenced by external factors and/or market dynamics. As an example, a dramatic change occurred during calendar year 2015 when we realigned our adjusting teams as well as launched our Fast Track initiative, reducing settlement costs and strengthening case reserve adequacy for claims reported during the year. These changes have had a meaningful influence on development pattern selections applied to 2013 through 2017 accident year claims in the reserving estimates for each of the methods described in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses).” More recently, since 2016 there has been a significant increase in efforts to pursue subrogation against third parties responsible for property damage losses to our insureds. As a result, anticipated subrogation recoveries are reviewed and estimated on a stand-alone basis in the Company’s reserve analysis. Market dynamics in Florida include the use of assignments of benefits (“AOB”) and the resulting increase in litigation against the Company. As a result of the use of AOBs, as well as the continued overall increase in represented claims and claims-related abuses in Florida, we have increased our estimates of ultimate losses for the most recent and prior accident years.
Factors Affecting Reserve Estimates
Reserve estimates are developed based on the processes and historical development trends discussed in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. These estimates are considered in conjunction with known facts and interpretations of circumstances and factors including our experience with similar cases, actual claims paid, differing payment patterns and pending levels of unpaid claims, loss management programs, product mix and contractual terms, changes in law and regulation, judicial decisions, and economic conditions. When these types of changes are experienced, actuarial judgment is applied in the determination and selection of development factors in order to better reflect new trends or expectations. For example, if a change in law is expected to have a significant impact on the development of claim severity, actuarial judgment is applied to determine appropriate development factors that will most accurately reflect the expected impact on that specific estimate. This example appropriately describes the reserving methodology selection for use in estimating sinkhole liabilities after the passing of legislation, as noted in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. Another example would be when a change in economic conditions is expected to affect the cost of repairs to property; actuarial judgment is applied to
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determine appropriate development factors to use in the reserve estimate that will most accurately reflect the expected impacts on severity development.
Changes in homeowners current year claim severity are generally influenced by inflation in the cost of building materials, the cost of construction and property repair services, the cost of replacing home furnishings and other contents, the types of claims that qualify for coverage, the presence of third party representation, such as legal or repair contractors (which serve to inflate claim expenses) and other economic and environmental factors. We employ various loss management programs to mitigate the effects of these factors.
Key assumptions that may materially affect the estimate of the reserve for loss and LAE relate to the effects of emerging claim and coverage issues. As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other environmental conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverages may emerge. These issues may adversely affect our business by either extending coverage beyond our underwriting intent, lengthening the time to final settlement, or by increasing the number or size of claims. Key assumptions that are premised on future emergence that are inconsistent with historical loss reserve development patterns include but are not limited to:
•Adverse changes in loss cost trends, including inflationary pressures in home repair costs;
•Judicial expansion of policy coverage and the impact of new theories of liability; and
•Plaintiffs targeting property and casualty insurers in purported class action litigation related to claims-handling and other practices.
As loss experience for the current year develops for each type of loss, the reserves for loss and LAE are monitored relative to initial assumptions until they are judged to have sufficient statistical credibility. From that point in time and forward, reserves are re-estimated using statistical actuarial processes to reflect the impact loss trends have on development factors incorporated into the actuarial estimation processes.
Causes of Reserve Estimate Uncertainty
Since reserves are estimates of the unpaid portions of claims and claims expenses that have occurred, the establishment of appropriate reserves, including reserves for catastrophes, requires regular reevaluation and refinement of estimates to determine ultimate loss and LAE estimates.
At each reporting date, the highest degree of uncertainty in reserve estimates arises from claims remaining to be settled for the current accident year and the most recent preceding accident year, and claims that have occurred but have not been reported. The estimate for the current accident year contains the greatest degree of uncertainty because it contains the greatest proportion of losses that have not been reported or settled but must be estimated as of the current reporting date. During the first year after the end of an accident year, a large portion of the total losses for that accident year are settled. When accident year losses paid through the end of the first year following the initial accident year are incorporated into updated actuarial estimates, the trends inherent in the settlement of claims emerge more clearly. Consequently, this is the point in time at which the largest re-estimates of losses for an accident year can occur. After the second year, the losses paid for the accident year typically relate to claims that are more difficult to settle, such as those involving litigation.
Reserves for Catastrophe Losses
Loss and LAE reserves also include reserves for catastrophe losses. Catastrophe losses are an inherent risk of the property-casualty insurance industry that have contributed, and will continue to contribute, to potentially material year-to-year fluctuations in results of operations and financial position. A catastrophe is an event that produces significant insured losses before reinsurance and involves multiple first party policyholders, or an event that produces a number of claims in excess of a preset, per-event threshold of average claims in a specific area, occurring within a certain amount of time following the event. Catastrophes are commonly caused by various natural events including high winds, tornadoes, wildfires, winter storms, tropical storms and hurricanes.
The estimation of claims and claims expense reserves for catastrophes also comprises estimates of losses from reported and unreported claims, primarily for damage to property. In general, estimates for catastrophe reserves are based on claim adjuster inspections and the application of historical loss development factors as described previously and in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements. However, depending on the nature of the catastrophe, as noted above, the estimation process can be further complicated. For example, for hurricanes, complications could include the inability of insureds to be able to promptly report losses, limitations placed on claims adjusting staff affecting their ability to inspect losses, determining whether losses are covered by our homeowners policy (generally for damage caused by wind or wind driven rain) or specifically excluded coverage caused by flood, estimating additional living expenses or assessing the impact of demand surge and exposure to mold damage. The effects of numerous other considerations, include the timing of a catastrophe in relation to other events, such as at or near the end of a financial reporting period, which can affect the availability of information needed to estimate reserves for that reporting period. In these situations, practices are adapted to accommodate these circumstances in order to determine a best estimate of losses from a catastrophe.
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Key Actuarial Assumptions That Affect the Loss and LAE Estimate
The aggregation of estimates for reported losses and IBNR forms the reserve liability recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
At any given point in time, the recorded loss and LAE reserves represent our best estimate of the ultimate settlement and administration cost of insured claims incurred and unpaid. Since the process of estimating loss and LAE reserves requires significant judgment due to a number of variables, such as fluctuations in inflation, judicial decisions, legislative changes and changes in claims handling procedures, ultimate liability may exceed or be less than these estimates. Reserves for losses and LAE are revised as additional information becomes available, and adjustments, if any, are reflected in earnings in the periods in which they are determined.
In selecting development factors and averages described in “Item 8—Note 17 (Liability for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses)” to the consolidated financial statements, due consideration is given to how the historical experience patterns change from one year to the next over the course of several consecutive years of recent history. Predictions surrounding these patterns drive the estimates that are produced by each method, and are based on statistical techniques that follow standard actuarial practices.
In compliance with annual statutory reporting requirements, our appointed independent actuary provides a Statement of Actuarial Opinion (“SAO”) indicating that carried loss and LAE reserves recorded at each annual balance sheet date make a reasonable provision for all of the Insurance Entities’ unpaid loss and LAE obligations under the terms of contracts and agreements with our policyholders. Recorded reserves are compared to the indicated range provided in the actuary’s report accompanying the SAO. At December 31, 2021, the recorded amount for net loss and LAE falls within the range determined by the Company’s appointed independent actuary.
Potential Reserve Estimate Variability
The methods employed by actuaries include a range of estimated unpaid losses, each reflecting a level of uncertainty. Projections of loss and LAE liabilities are subject to potentially large variability in the estimation process since the ultimate disposition of claims incurred prior to the financial statement date, whether reported or not, is subject to the outcome of events that have not yet occurred. Examples of these events include jury decisions, court interpretations, legislative changes, public attitudes and social/economic conditions such as inflation. Any estimate of future costs is subject to the inherent limitation on one’s ability to predict the aggregate course of future events. It should therefore be expected that the actual emergence of losses and LAE will vary, perhaps materially, from any estimate.
In selecting the range of reasonable estimates, the range of indications produced by the various methods is evaluated, the relative strengths and weaknesses of each method are considered, and from those inputs a range of estimates can be selected. For reasons cited above, this range of estimated ultimate losses is typically smaller for older, more mature accident periods and greater for more recent, less mature accident periods. The greatest level of uncertainty is associated with the most recent accident years, and particularly years during which catastrophe events occurred.
The inherent uncertainty associated with our loss and LAE liability is magnified due to our concentration of property business in catastrophe-exposed and litigious states, primarily Florida. In 2018, for example, loss and expense payments for Hurricane Irma claims exceeded initial liability estimates that were established at year-end 2017, which was shortly after the event occurred. This unexpected development was partially due to the influence of plaintiff attorneys in the claim filing process; both at initial contact prior to coverage validation or damage assessment, and after claims were settled and closed which resulted in a large number of claims being reopened during the year. In 2019, UPCIC continued to experience unanticipated unfavorable development on losses from claims being reopened and new claims being opened due to public adjusters encouraging policyholders to file new claims. Due to the relatively low frequency and inherent uncertainty of catastrophe events, the parameters utilized in loss estimation methodologies are updated whenever new information emerges.
The following table summarizes the effect on net loss and LAE reserves and net income, net of tax in the event of reasonably likely changes in the severity of claims considered in establishing loss and LAE reserves. The range of reasonably likely changes in the severity of our claims was established based on a review of changes in loss year development and applied loss and LAE reserves as a whole. The selected range of changes does not indicate what could be the potential best or worst case or likely scenarios (dollars in thousands):
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| Year ended December 31, 2021 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent Change in | |||||||
| Change in Reserves | Reserves | Net Income | |||||
| -20.0% | $ | 276,973 | 244 | % | |||
| -15.0% | 294,284 | 183 | % | ||||
| -10.0% | 311,594 | 122 | % | ||||
| -5.0% | 328,905 | 61 | % | ||||
| Base | 346,216 | — | |||||
| 5.0% | 363,527 | (61) | % | ||||
| 10.0% | 380,838 | (122) | % | ||||
| 15.0% | 398,148 | (183) | % | ||||
| 20.0% | 415,459 | (244) | % |
Adequacy of Reserve Estimates
We believe our net loss and LAE reserves are appropriately established based on available methodology, facts, technology, laws and regulations. We calculate and record a single best reserve estimate, in conformance with generally accepted actuarial standards, for reported and unreported losses and LAE losses and as a result we believe no other estimate is better than our recorded amount.
Due to the uncertainties involved, the ultimate cost of losses and LAE may vary materially from recorded amounts, which are based on our best estimates. The liability for unpaid losses and LAE at December 31, 2021 is $346.2 million.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
None