UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

 

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 15, 2017

 

 

 

JAMES RIVER GROUP HOLDINGS, LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Bermuda 001-36777 98-0585280
(State or other jurisdiction (Commission (IRS Employer
of incorporation) File Number) Identification No.)

 

Wellesley House, 2nd Floor, 90 Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke Bermuda HM 08
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: +1-441-278-4580

 

 

 

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below):

 

¨Written Communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 2.02Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

 

On February 15, 2017, James River Group Holdings, Ltd. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

The information in Item 2.02 and in Exhibit 99.1 furnished herewith shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other document filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act unless specifically stated by the Company.

 

Item 8.01Other Events.

 

On February 15, 2017, the Company announced that its board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.30 per common share of the Company to be paid on March 31, 2017 to shareholders of record on March 13, 2017.

 

Item 9.01Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)Exhibits

 

The following Exhibit is furnished as a part of this Form 8-K:

 

Exhibit No.   Description
     
99.1   Press Release of the Company dated February 15, 2017

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  JAMES RIVER GROUP HOLDINGS, LTD.
     
Dated:  February 15, 2017 By: /s/ Sarah C. Doran
  Name: Sarah C. Doran
  Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.   Description
     
99.1   Press Release of the Company dated February 15, 2017

 

 

  

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

JAMES RIVER GROUP HOLDINGS ANNOUNCES FOURTH QUARTER AND YEAR END RESULTS

 

 

 

RECORD ANNUAL NET INCOME OF $74.5 MILLION, OR $2.49 PER DILUTED SHARE AND ADJUSTED NET OPERATING INCOME OF $71.3 MILLION, OR $2.39 PER DILUTED SHARE

 

 

 

RECORD FOURTH QUARTER NET INCOME OF $25.7 MILLION, OR $0.85 PER DILUTED SHARE, AND ADJUSTED NET OPERATING INCOME OF $23.2 MILLION, OR $0.77 PER DILUTED SHARE

 

 

 

24.7% AND 20.1% GROWTH, RESPECTIVELY, IN FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2016 EXCESS AND SURPLUS LINES SEGMENT GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS

 

 

 

FULL YEAR GROSS FEE INCOME MORE THAN DOUBLED FROM THE PRIOR YEAR

 

 

 

FULL YEAR EXPENSE RATIO OF 31.2%, IMPROVES 2.3 POINTS FROM THE PRIOR YEAR

 

 

 

Pembroke, Bermuda, February 15, 2017—James River Group Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ: JRVR) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2016.

 

J. Adam Abram, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of James River Group Holdings, Ltd. commented, “We are very pleased to report record results this quarter and for all of 2016. Our team continues to drive strong risk adjusted returns for our shareholders. Our full year 14.6% adjusted operating return on tangible equity and 94.3% combined ratio demonstrate the strength of our franchise. We believe we are well positioned for continued success in 2017.”

 

Significant factors for the fourth quarter of 2016 include:

 

·Fully diluted earnings per share of $0.85 compared to $0.43 in the prior year quarter;

 

·Fully diluted adjusted operating earnings per share of $0.77 compared to $0.60 in the prior year quarter;

 

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Wellesley House, 90 Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke HM 08, Bermuda

Mailing address l P.O. Box 1502, Hamilton HM FX, Bermuda

Tel 441.278.4580 l Fax 441.278.4588

 

 

 

 

JRVR Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

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·Net income of $25.7 million compared to $12.7 million in the prior year quarter, driven by profitable growth across the insurance segments and increased net investment income;

 

·Net adjusted operating income of $23.2 million compared to $17.9 million in the prior year quarter;

 

·Gross written premiums of $173.5 million, comprised of the following:

 

   Three Months Ended December 31,     
($ in thousands)  2016   2015   Change 
Excess and Surplus Lines  $91,427   $73,333    24.7%
Specialty Admitted Insurance   63,214    29,223    116.3%
Casualty Reinsurance   18,849    6,133    207.3%
   $173,490   $108,689    59.6%

 

·Net written premiums of $112.6 million, comprised of the following:

 

   Three Months Ended December 31,     
($ in thousands)  2016   2015   Change 
Excess and Surplus Lines  $77,304   $61,334    26.0%
Specialty Admitted Insurance   16,304    13,166    23.8%
Casualty Reinsurance   19,000    6,131    209.9%
   $112,608   $80,631    39.7%

 

·Accident year loss ratio of 68.7% compared to 62.0% in the prior year quarter, due to changes in mix of business, specifically growth in the Commercial Auto division within the Excess and Surplus Lines segment, which carries a higher initial loss pick but also a lower expense ratio than the segment as a whole;

 

·Combined ratio of 92.0% compared to 92.3% in the prior year quarter;

 

·Expense ratio of 29.4% improved from 31.8% in the prior year quarter, driven principally by increased net earned premium and fee income, as well as growth in lines of business which carry relatively low expense ratios;

 

·Favorable reserve development of $9.0 million compared to $1.7 million in the prior year quarter (representing a 6.1 point and 1.5 point reduction of the Company’s loss and combined ratios, respectively), largely driven by releases in the Excess and Surplus Lines segment. Pre-tax reserve development by segment was as follows:

 

   Three Months Ended
December 31,
       Years Ended
December 31,
     
   2016   2015   Change   2016   2015   Change 
   (in thousands) 
Excess and Surplus Lines  $10,301   $6,977   $3,324   $24,079   $25,424   $(1,345)
Specialty Admitted Insurance   1,323    1,365    (42)   3,822    3,531    291 
Casualty Reinsurance   (2,656)   (6,616)   3,960    (4,185)   (12,637)   8,452 
   $8,968   $1,726   $7,242   $23,716   $16,318   $7,398 

 

 

·Gross fee income of $4.6 million, an increase of 135.5% over the prior year quarter as a result of increased program and fronting volume in the Specialty Admitted Insurance segment and increased fee-related business in the Excess and Surplus Lines segment.

 

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JRVR Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

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This fee income, net of related expenses, resulted in a 2.2 percentage point reduction to the Company’s fourth quarter expense ratio;

 

·Investment income of $14.0 million, an increase of 35.6% over the prior year quarter, driven by increased contributions from alternatives, while all three portfolios contributed positively. Further details can be found in the ‘Investments’ section below;
   
·The percentage of net IBNR to total reserves decreased from 68% at December 31, 2015 to 67% at December 31, 2016 as the Company’s Excess and Surplus Lines segment continued to grow in some of its shorter tail lines. The Company maintains reserves at or above the selected estimate of its independent actuaries.

 

Investments

 

Net investment income for the fourth quarter of 2016 was $14.0 million which compares to $10.3 million for the same period in 2015. The increase was principally driven by fair value gains in the Company’s renewable energy portfolio, an increase in the value of certain limited partnership investments and asset growth across the core investment portfolio. The Company’s net investment income by portfolio is as follows:

 

   Three Months Ended
December 31,
       Years Ended
December 31,
     
   2016   2015   %
Change
   2016   2015   %
Change
 
   ($ in thousands) 
Renewable Energy Investments  $1,505   $(19)   -   $3,480   $3,936    (11.6)%
Other Private Investments   1,564    382    309.4%   6,056    2,011    201.1%
All Other Net Investment Income   10,947    9,976    9.7%   43,102    38,888    10.8%
Total Net Investment Income  $14,016   $10,339    35.6%  $52,638   $44,835    17.4%

 

The Company’s annualized gross investment yield on average fixed maturity and bank loan securities for the three months ended December 31, 2016 was 3.5% and the average duration of the portfolio was 3.6 years at year-end.

 

During the fourth quarter, the Company recognized $5.2 million of pre-tax net realized gains ($2.1 million of net realized losses in the same period in 2015) which included $3.6 million recognized on the sale of one common stock and $1.3 million of realized gains on bank loan participations.

 

Taxes

 

The Company’s effective tax rate can fluctuate due to its geographic mix of income and capital management. The tax rate for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was 5.4% and 14.0%, respectively. The tax rate for the three months ended December 31, 2015 was elevated due to $2.5 million of withholding taxes related to an intercompany dividend paid in the fourth quarter of that year.

 

For the full year 2016, the Company’s tax rate was 6.1%, as compared to 10.5% for the full year 2015.

 

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JRVR Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

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Tangible Equity

 

Tangible equity value decreased 10.0% in the fourth quarter of 2016 from $524.9 million at September 30, 2016 to $472.5 million at December 31, 2016, largely due to the payment of $48.7 million of dividends, including the $39.8 million special dividend. Tangible equity per share was $16.15 at December 31, 2016.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2016, tangible equity increased 2.8% due to $74.5 million of net income offset by $66.3 million of dividends. Excluding dividends, the Company’s tangible equity grew by 17.2% for the year.

 

Capital Management

 

The Company announced that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.30 per common share. This dividend is payable on Friday, March 31, 2017 to all shareholders of record on Monday, March 13, 2017.

 

As previously announced, on December 29, 2016, the Company paid an ordinary dividend of $0.30 per common share and a special dividend of $1.35 per common share.

 

Guidance

 

The Company has announced its guidance to achieve a 12.0% or better operating return on average tangible equity and a combined ratio of between 92% and 95% for 2017.

 

Conference Call

 

James River Group Holdings will hold a conference call to discuss its fourth quarter and full year results tomorrow, February 16, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Investors may access the conference call by dialing (877) 930-8055 Conference ID# 49052924 or via the internet by going to www.jrgh.net and clicking on the “Investor Relations” link. Please visit the website at least 15 minutes early to register and download any necessary audio software. A replay of the call will be available at both the number above and the website until 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on March 18, 2017.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, such forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as believe, expect, seek, may, will, intend, project, anticipate, plan, estimate, guidance or similar words. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Although it is not possible to identify all of these risks and factors, they include, among others, the following: the inherent uncertainty of estimating reserves and the possibility that incurred losses may be greater than our loss and loss adjustment expense reserves; inaccurate estimates and judgments in our risk management may expose us to greater risks than intended; losses from catastrophic events which substantially exceed our expectations and/or exceed the amount of reinsurance we have purchased to protect us from such events; the potential loss of key members of our management team or key employees and our ability to attract and retain personnel; adverse economic factors; a decline in our financial strength rating resulting in a reduction of new or renewal business; reliance on a select group of brokers and agents for a significant portion of our business and the impact of our potential failure to maintain such relationships; reliance on a select group of customers for a significant portion of our business and the impact of

 

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JRVR Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

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our potential failure to maintain such relationships; existing or new regulations that may inhibit our ability to achieve our business objectives or subject us to penalties or suspensions for non-compliance or cause us to incur substantial compliance costs; a failure of any of the loss limitations or exclusions we employ; potential effects on our business of emerging claim and coverage issues; exposure to credit risk, interest rate risk and other market risk in our investment portfolio; losses in our investment portfolio; the cyclical nature of the insurance and reinsurance industry, resulting in periods during which we may experience excess underwriting capacity and unfavorable premium rates; additional government or market regulation; the impact of loss settlements made by ceding companies and fronting carriers on our reinsurance business; a forced sale of investments to meet our liquidity needs; our ability to obtain reinsurance coverage at reasonable prices or on terms that adequately protect us; our underwriters and other associates taking excessive risks; losses resulting from reinsurance counterparties failing to pay us on reinsurance claims or insurance companies with whom we have a fronting arrangement failing to pay us for claims; insufficient capital to fund our operations; the potential impact of internal or external fraud, operational errors, systems malfunctions or cyber security incidents; our ability to manage our growth effectively; inadequacy of premiums we charge to compensate us for our losses incurred; competition within the casualty insurance and reinsurance industry; an adverse outcome in a legal action that we are or may become subject to in the course of our insurance and reinsurance operations; in the event we do not qualify for the insurance company exception to the passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) rules and are therefore considered a PFIC; the Company or our subsidiaries, James River Group Holdings UK Limited, a holding company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, or JRG Reinsurance Company, Ltd., a Bermuda domiciled reinsurance company, becoming subject to U.S. federal income taxation; failure to maintain effective internal controls in accordance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; the ownership of a significant portion of our outstanding shares by affiliates of D. E. Shaw & Co. L.P. (the “D.E. Shaw Affiliates”) and their resulting ability to exert significant influence over matters requiring shareholder approval in a manner that could conflict with the interests of other shareholders and additionally, the D.E. Shaw Affiliates having certain rights with respect to board representation and approval rights with respect to certain transactions; changes in our financial condition, regulations or other factors that may restrict our ability to pay dividends; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, (or “SEC”). These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.

 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

In presenting James River Group Holdings’ results, management has included financial measures that are not calculated under standards or rules that comprise accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). Such measures, including underwriting profit, adjusted net operating income and tangible equity are referred to as non-GAAP measures. These non-GAAP measures may be defined or calculated differently by other companies. These measures should not be viewed as a substitute for those determined in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of such measures to the most comparable GAAP figures are included at the end of this press release.

 

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JRVR Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

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About James River Group Holdings, Ltd.

 

James River Group Holdings, Ltd. (or “the Company”) is a Bermuda-based insurance holding company which owns and operates a group of specialty insurance and reinsurance companies founded by members of our management team. The Company operates in three specialty property-casualty insurance and reinsurance segments: Excess and Surplus Lines, Specialty Admitted Insurance and Casualty Reinsurance. The Company tends to focus on accounts associated with small or medium-sized businesses in each of its segments. Each of the Company’s regulated insurance subsidiaries are rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company.

 

Visit James River Group Holdings, Ltd. on the web at www.jrgh.net

 

For more information contact:

 

Kevin Copeland

Investor Relations

441-278-4573

 

InvestorRelations@jrgh.net

 

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James River Group Holdings, Ltd. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet Data

(Unaudited)

 

   December 31,
2016
   December 31,
2015
 
   ($ in thousands, except for share amounts) 
ASSETS        
Invested assets:          
Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale  $941,077   $899,660 
Fixed maturity securities, trading   5,063    5,046 
Equity securities, available-for-sale   76,401    74,111 
Bank loan participations, held-for-investment   203,526    191,700 
Short-term investments   50,844    19,270 
Other invested assets   55,419    54,504 
Total invested assets   1,332,330    1,244,291 
           
Cash and cash equivalents   109,784    106,406 
Accrued investment income   7,246    8,068 
Premiums receivable and agents’ balances   265,315    176,685 
Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses   182,737    131,788 
Reinsurance recoverable on paid losses   2,877    11,298 
Deferred policy acquisition costs   64,789    60,754 
Goodwill and intangible assets   220,762    221,359 
Other assets   160,693    94,848 
Total assets  $2,346,533   $2,055,497 
           
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
Reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses  $943,865   $785,322 
Unearned premiums   390,563    301,104 
Senior debt   88,300    88,300 
Junior subordinated debt   104,055    104,055 
Accrued expenses   36,884    29,476 
Other liabilities   89,645    66,202 
Total liabilities   1,653,312    1,374,459 
           
Total shareholders’ equity   693,221    681,038 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity  $2,346,533   $2,055,497 
           
Tangible equity  $472,459   $459,679 
Total shareholders’ equity per common share outstanding  $23.69   $23.53 
Tangible equity per common share outstanding  $16.15   $15.88 
Common shares outstanding at end-of-period   29,257,566    28,941,547 
Debt to total capitalization ratio   21.7%   22.0%

 

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JRVR Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

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James River Group Holdings, Ltd. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Income Statement Data

(Unaudited)

 

   Three Months Ended
December 31,
   Years Ended
December 31,
 
   2016   2015   2016   2015 
   ($ in thousands, except for share data) 
REVENUES                    
Gross written premiums  $173,490   $108,689   $737,398   $572,194 
Net written premiums  $112,608   $80,631   $557,708   $471,032 
                     
Net earned premiums  $146,829   $115,429   $515,663   $461,205 
Net investment income   14,016    10,339    52,638    44,835 
Net realized investment gains (losses)   5,189    (2,074)   7,565    (4,547)
Other income   2,988    1,410    10,361    3,428 
Total revenues   169,022    125,104    586,227    504,921 
                     
EXPENSES                    
Losses and loss adjustment expenses   91,930    69,883    325,421    279,016 
Other operating expenses   46,096    38,039    170,828    157,803 
Other expenses   1,554    523    1,590    730 
Interest expense   2,154    1,782    8,448    6,999 
Amortization of intangible assets   150    150    597    597 
Total expenses   141,884    110,377    506,884    445,145 
Income before taxes   27,138    14,727    79,343    59,776 
Income tax expense   1,466    2,057    4,872    6,279 
NET INCOME  $25,672   $12,670   $74,471   $53,497 
ADJUSTED NET OPERATING INCOME (a)  $23,221   $17,860   $71,318   $61,090 
                     
EARNINGS PER SHARE                    
Basic  $0.88   $0.44   $2.56   $1.87 
Diluted  $0.85   $0.43   $2.49   $1.82 
                     
ADJUSTED NET OPERATING INCOME PER SHARE                    
Basic  $0.80   $0.62   $2.45   $2.13 
Diluted  $0.77   $0.60   $2.39   $2.08 
                     
Weighted-average common shares outstanding:                    
Basic   29,160,732    28,821,260    29,063,075    28,662,051 
Diluted   30,072,744    29,604,363    29,894,378    29,334,918 
Cash dividends declared per common share  $1.65   $1.16   $2.25   $1.64 
                     
Ratios:                    
Loss ratio   62.6%   60.5%   63.1%   60.5%
Expense ratio   29.4%   31.8%   31.2%   33.5%
Combined ratio   92.0%   92.3%   94.3%   94.0%
Accident year loss ratio   68.7%   62.0%   67.7%   64.0%

 

(a)See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures.”

 

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JRVR Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

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James River Group Holdings, Ltd. and Subsidiaries

Segment Results

 

EXCESS AND SURPLUS LINES

 

   Three Months Ended
December 31,
   %   Years Ended
December 31,
   % 
   2016   2015   Change   2016   2015   Change 
   ($ in thousands)     
Gross written premiums  $91,427   $73,333    24.7%  $370,844   $308,717    20.1%
Net written premiums  $77,304   $61,334    26.0%  $316,922   $253,285    25.1%
                               
Net earned premiums  $83,662   $62,807    33.2%  $301,404   $240,878    25.1%
Losses and loss adjustment expenses   (51,311)   (29,838)   72.0%   (188,768)   (131,221)   43.9%
Underwriting expenses   (16,511)   (15,621)   5.7%   (65,401)   (62,050)   5.4%
Underwriting profit (a), (b)  $15,840   $17,348    (8.7)%  $47,235   $47,607    (0.8)%
                               
Ratios:                              
Loss ratio   61.3%   47.5%        62.6%   54.5%     
Expense ratio   19.7%   24.9%        21.7%   25.8%     
Combined ratio   81.1%   72.4%        84.3%   80.2%     
Accident year loss ratio   73.6%   58.6%        70.6%   65.1%     

 

(a)See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures.”
(b)Underwriting results include fee income of $2.9 million and $1.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $10.1 million and $3.2 million for the respective twelve month periods. These amounts are included in “Other income” in our Condensed Consolidated Income Statements.

 

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JRVR Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

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SPECIALTY ADMITTED INSURANCE

 

   Three Months Ended
December 31,
   %   Years Ended
December 31,
   % 
   2016   2015   Change   2016   2015   Change 
   ($ in thousands)     
Gross written premiums  $63,214   $29,223    116.3%  $182,221   $90,978    100.3%
Net written premiums  $16,304   $13,166    23.8%  $55,803   $44,917    24.2%
                               
Net earned premiums  $15,465   $11,758    31.5%  $52,281   $42,206    23.9%
Losses and loss adjustment expenses   (8,839)   (7,246)   22.0%   (30,897)   (25,623)   20.6%
Underwriting expenses   (5,056)   (3,944)   28.2%   (18,512)   (15,509)   19.4%
Underwriting profit (a), (b)  $1,570   $568    176.4%  $2,872   $1,074    167.4%
                               
Ratios:                              
Loss ratio   57.2%   61.6%        59.1%   60.7%     
Expense ratio   32.7%   33.5%        35.4%   36.7%     
Combined ratio   89.8%   95.2%        94.5%   97.5%     
Accident year loss ratio   65.7%   73.2%        66.4%   69.1%     

 

(a)See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures.”
(b)Underwriting results include fee income of $1.7 million and $596,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $4.2 million and $1.8 million for the respective twelve month periods. These amounts are included in “Other operating expenses” in our Condensed Consolidated Income Statements.

 

CASUALTY REINSURANCE

 

   Three Months Ended
December 31,
   %   Years Ended
December 31,
   % 
   2016   2015   Change   2016   2015   Change 
   ($ in thousands)     
Gross written premiums  $18,849   $6,133    207.3%  $184,333   $172,499    6.9%
Net written premiums  $19,000   $6,131    209.9%  $184,983   $172,830    7.0%
                               
Net earned premiums  $47,702   $40,864    16.7%  $161,978   $178,121    (9.1)%
Losses and loss adjustment expenses   (31,780)   (32,799)   (3.1)%   (105,756)   (122,172)   (13.4)%
Underwriting expenses   (16,789)   (11,534)   45.6%   (56,416)   (58,507)   (3.6)%
Underwriting loss (a)  $(867)  $(3,469)   (75.0)%  $(194)  $(2,558)   (92.4)%
                               
Ratios:                              
Loss ratio   66.6%   80.3%        65.3%   68.6%     
Expense ratio   35.2%   28.2%        34.8%   32.8%     
Combined ratio   101.8%   108.5%        100.1%   101.4%     
Accident year loss ratio   61.1%   64.1%        62.7%   61.5%     

 

(a)See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures.”

 

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JRVR Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

Page | 11

 

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES

 

Underwriting Profit

 

The following table reconciles the underwriting profit by individual operating segment and of the whole Company to consolidated income before taxes. We believe that these measures are useful to investors in evaluating the performance of our Company and its operating segments because our objective is to consistently earn underwriting profits. We evaluate the performance of our operating segments and allocate resources based primarily on the underwriting profit of operating segments. Our definition of underwriting profit of operating segments and underwriting profit may not be comparable to that of other companies.

 

   Three Months Ended
December 31,
   Years Ended
December 31,
 
   2016   2015   2016   2015 
   ($ in thousands) 
Underwriting profit of the operating segments:                    
Excess and Surplus Lines  $15,840   $17,348   $47,235   $47,607 
Specialty Admitted Insurance   1,570    568    2,872    1,074 
Casualty Reinsurance   (867)   (3,469)   (194)   (2,558)
Total underwriting profit of operating segments   16,543    14,447    49,913    46,123 
Other operating expenses of the Corporate and
Other segment
   (4,836)   (5,596)   (20,433)   (18,554)
Underwriting profit (a)   11,707    8,851    29,480    27,569 
Net investment income   14,016    10,339    52,638    44,835 
Net realized investment gains (losses)   5,189    (2,074)   7,565    (4,547)
Other income and expenses   (1,470)   (457)   (1,295)   (485)
Interest expense   (2,154)   (1,782)   (8,448)   (6,999)
Amortization of intangible assets   (150)   (150)   (597)   (597)
Consolidated income before taxes  $27,138   $14,727   $79,343   $59,776 

 

(a)Included in underwriting results for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 is fee income of $4.6 million and $1.9 million respectively, and $14.2 million and $5.0 million for the respective twelve month periods.

 

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JRVR Announces Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

Page | 12

 

Adjusted Net Operating Income

 

We define adjusted net operating income as net income excluding net realized investment gains and losses, expenses related to due diligence for various merger and acquisition activities, severance costs associated with terminated employees, and interest expenses on a leased building that we are deemed to own for accounting purposes. We use adjusted net operating income as an internal performance measure in the management of our operations because we believe it gives our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our results of operations and our underlying business performance. Adjusted net operating income should not be viewed as a substitute for net income calculated in accordance with GAAP, and our definition of adjusted net operating income may not be comparable to that of other companies.

 

Our income before taxes and net income for the three months and years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, reconciles to our adjusted net operating income as follows:

 

  

Three and Twelve Months Ended

December 31, 2016

 
   Three Months   Twelve Months 
  

Income

Before

Taxes

  

Net

Income

  

Income

Before

Taxes

  

Net

Income

 
   ($ in thousands) 
Income as reported  $27,138   $25,672   $79,343   $74,471 
Net realized investment gains   (5,189)   (3,699)   (7,565)   (5,207)
Other expenses   1,554    1,045    1,590    1,136 
Interest expense on leased building the Company is deemed to own for accounting purposes   312    203    1,412    918 
Adjusted net operating income  $23,815   $23,221   $74,780   $71,318 

 

  

Three and Twelve Months Ended

December 31, 2015

 
   Three Months   Twelve Months 
  

Income

Before

Taxes

  

Net

Income

  

Income

Before

Taxes

   Net
Income
 
   ($ in thousands) 
Income as reported  $14,727   $12,670   $59,776   $53,497 
Net realized investment losses   2,074    2,144    4,547    4,090 
Dividend withholding taxes   -    2,500    -    2,500 
Other expenses   523    439    730    574 
Interest expense on leased building the Company is deemed to own for accounting purposes   165    107    661    429 
Adjusted net operating income  $17,489   $17,860   $65,714   $61,090 

 

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Tangible Equity and Tangible Equity per Share

 

We define tangible equity as shareholders’ equity less goodwill and intangible assets (net of amortization). Our definition of tangible equity may not be comparable to that of other companies, and it should not be viewed as a substitute for shareholders’ equity calculated in accordance with GAAP. We use tangible equity internally to evaluate the strength of our balance sheet and to compare returns relative to this measure. The following table reconciles shareholders’ equity to tangible equity for December 31, 2016, September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015.

 

   December 31, 2016   September 30, 2016   December 31, 2015 
($ in thousands, except for share data)  Equity  

Equity

per

share

   Equity  

Equity

per

share

   Equity  

Equity

per

share

 
Shareholders’ equity  $693,221   $23.69   $745,765   $25.61   $681,038   $23.53 
Goodwill and intangible assets   220,762    7.54    220,912    7.58    221,359    7.65 
Tangible equity  $472,459   $16.15   $524,853   $18.03   $459,679   $15.88 

 

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Mailing address l P.O. Box 1502, Hamilton HM FX, Bermuda

Tel 441.278.4580 l Fax 441.278.4588