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Lemonade, Inc. (LMND)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q4 delivered “our best quarter ever,” with revenue up 29% year over year to $148.8M, gross profit up 90% to $63.9M (margin 43%), and the best-ever gross loss ratio at 63% .
- Net loss improved to $(30.0)M (EPS $(0.42)) from $(42.4)M (EPS $(0.61)) a year ago; adjusted EBITDA improved to $(23.8)M from $(28.9)M; adjusted free cash flow was +$26.5M, marking the company’s first full year of positive Adj. FCF ($47.6M) .
- KPIs: In-Force Premium (IFP) rose 26% to $943.7M, customers +20% to 2.43M, premium per customer +5% to $388; ADR ticked down to 86% due to targeted homeowners non-renewals .
- 2025 outlook: year-end IFP $1.203–$1.208B, revenue $655–$657M, adj. EBITDA loss $(140)–$(135)M; Q1 2025 revenue $143–$145M and adj. EBITDA loss $(49)–$(46)M; both include an estimated ~$20M adverse adj. EBITDA impact from California wildfires (gross loss ~$45M) .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Best-ever underwriting quarter: gross loss ratio improved to 63% (vs. 77% LY and 73% in Q3), with favorable prior period development and only ~1 pt CAT impact; TTM gross loss ratio reached 73% (–12 pts YoY, –4 pts QoQ) .
- Strong growth with operating leverage: revenue +29% to $148.8M; gross profit +90% to $63.9M (margin +14 pts to 43%); adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed to $(23.8)M despite sharply higher growth spend .
- Positive cash generation: Adj. FCF +$26.5M in Q4 and +$47.6M for FY24; management: “Q4 delivered an adjusted free cash flow of $27 million, our strongest ever… 2024 overall was cash flow positive” .
- Management quote: “Across the full gamut of our KPIs, the fourth quarter was comfortably our best quarter ever… gross profit doubled… EBITDA positive excluding growth spend for the first time” .
What Went Wrong
- Sales & marketing stepped up materially: total operating expense ex-LAE rose 38% YoY to $123.9M, driven by growth spend of $36.0M (vs. $13.4M in Q4’23), pressuring EBITDA .
- ADR dipped to 86% (–1 pt YoY) due to targeted non-renewals of less profitable homeowners policies (management estimates ~3 pts ADR impact from these actions), though done to improve risk/returns .
- Headwinds ahead: management expects ~$45M gross losses and ~$20M adj. EBITDA headwind in Q1’25 from California wildfires, despite diversification and reinsurance .
Financial Results
Headline P&L and Underwriting Metrics
Notes: “Best-ever” loss ratio and margin expansion were enabled by rate adequacy, underwriting precision, and favorable prior period development; revenue growth was driven by higher GEP, ceding commissions, and investment income .
KPIs
IFP Mix by Product (scale: $M)
Consensus vs. Actuals
- S&P Global consensus estimates for Q4 2024 were unavailable at the time of this analysis due to access limits. As a result, comparisons to Street consensus are not shown. If you want, I can refresh when access becomes available.
Guidance Changes
Context: Management reiterated exit-2026 target for positive EBITDA; guidance includes the estimated ~$20M wildfire headwind .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Across the full gamut of our KPIs, the fourth quarter was comfortably our best quarter ever… Q4 delivered an adjusted free cash flow of $27 million… our loss ratio on a TTM basis [was] 73%… Q4 [loss ratio] at 63% is our best result ever” .
- “In Q4, excluding growth spend, we were EBITDA positive for the first time… we expect… sustained positive adjusted free cash flow and sequential EBITDA improvement for 2025” .
- On wildfires: “Some… loss estimates… were well north of $200 million… about 5x higher than our actual experience on a gross loss basis… These events are expected to lead to approximately $20 million EBITDA impact overall” .
- CFO detail: “Gross loss ratio was 63% for Q4… ex-CAT was 62%… prior period development had a roughly 5% favorable impact [gross], ~7% [net]” .
Q&A Highlights
- Profitability path: EBITDA positive targeted exiting 2026; GAAP net income positive around 2027, give or take .
- LTV/CAC: Roughly 3:1 on average remains a reliable target despite mix shifts; willing to invest up to marginal 1:1 for profitable growth at the margin .
- Car ramp: Product currently live in ~8 states (~25% US population), leveraging renters cross-sell and telematics; numerous tests trending “better and faster,” but full-scale ramp awaits robust foundations .
- California wildfires: ~850–900 claims; ~90% by count renters; dollar losses concentrated in ~30 large home losses; reinsurance materially mitigates net impact; FAIR plan assessment included .
- 2025 growth spend and cadence: ~$165M for the year; ~$35M in Q1, higher in Q2/Q3, then down in Q4; ~80% financed via Synthetic Agents .
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus estimates for Q4 2024 were unavailable due to access limits at the time of retrieval; accordingly, we have not shown “vs. consensus” comparisons for revenue and EPS. If you want, I can update this section when access is restored.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Underwriting inflection: Best-ever 63% gross loss ratio and TTM 73% within target range underpin 14-point gross margin expansion to 43% and a 90% surge in gross profit; these trends are anchored by rate adequacy, favorable development, and portfolio actions .
- Cash engine emerging: Q4 Adj. FCF +$26.5M and FY24 +$47.6M demonstrate cash self-funding even as growth spend increased; Synthetic Agents reduce cash troughs by financing ~80% of growth marketing .
- Growth durability with discipline: IFP +26% to $943.7M and revenue +29%; ADR modestly lower due to homeowners cleanup, but overall retention/growth still strong as mix shifts to pet, car, and Europe .
- Car as multi-year driver: Car loss ratio improved (83% Q4 supplement), but management will scale only as unit economics and infrastructure meet targets; cross-sell and telematics should unlock structurally advantaged CAC and pricing as state footprint expands through 2025–26 .
- 2025 outlook incorporates wildfire headwinds: Q1/FY guidance includes ~$20M adj. EBITDA headwind; management still plans positive Adj. FCF for 2025 and sequential EBITDA improvement, reaffirming exit-2026 EBITDA positivity .
- Continued operating leverage: Tech-driven automation is holding fixed costs comparatively stable while the topline grows; Q4 adjusted EBITDA ex growth spend was positive for the first time, signaling path to profitability at scale .
Appendix: Additional Data Points
- Revenue growth drivers: increased GEP, ceding commission income, and net investment income .
- OpEx dynamics: total operating expense ex-LAE increased to $123.9M (growth spend $36.0M) vs. $90.1M in Q4’23 .
- Cash and investments: ~“$1.0B” at Dec 31, 2024 .
- Product performance: Pet IFP $283M (+57% YoY), pet gross loss ratio 69% FY24, and cost per claim down to $19 via automation .
- Synthetic Agents: facility extended to Dec 2026 with incremental $200M; outstanding balance $83M at year-end 2024 .
Press releases and prior quarters used for trend analysis and narrative context: Q4 press release directing to the shareholder letter , Q3 and Q2 results releases and shareholder letters .