Universal Insurance - Q1 2024

Transcript

Arash Soleimani (Head of Investor Relations)

Good morning. Thank you for joining us today. Welcome to our quarterly earnings call. On the call with me today are Steve Donaghy, Chief Executive Officer, and Frank Wilcox, Chief Financial Officer. Before we begin, please note today's discussion may contain forward-looking statements and non-GAAP financial measures. Forward-looking statements involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those statements. For more information, please see the press release on Universal's SEC filings, all of which are available on the investor section of our website at universalinsuranceholdings.com and on the SEC's website. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to comparable GAAP measures is included in the quarterly press release and can also be found on Universal's website at universalinsuranceholdings.com. With that, I'll turn the call over to Steve.

Stephen J. Donaghy (CEO)

Thanks, Arash. Good morning, everyone. It was a strong quarter, including a 29.4% annualized adjusted return on common equity and 35.4% adjusted diluted earnings per share growth year-over-year. Results were solid across the board, including profitable underwriting that was complemented by our non-underwriting operations, which is a testament to our differentiated business model. Direct premiums written growth accelerated sequentially as policies in force are stabilizing following our previous underwriting initiatives. I'm pleased to announce the completion of our 2024-2025 reinsurance renewal for our insurance entities, as our program is now fully supported and secured. We've also secured additional multiyear coverage, taking us through the 2025-2026 hurricane season, and have added new, financially strong reinsurers to our existing panel of long-term partners. This achievement reflects the diligence and planning of our reinsurance team throughout the year.

Program costs and coverage were consistent with our expectations, and we'll provide specific details at the end of May, as we typically do. I'll turn it over to Frank to walk through our financial results. Frank?

Frank Wilcox (CFO)

Thanks, Steve. Good morning. Adjusted diluted earnings per common share was $1.07, up from $0.79 in the prior year quarter. The increase mostly stems from higher underwriting and net investment income, partially offset by lower commission revenue. Core revenue of $364.9 million was up 15.4% year-over-year, with growth primarily stemming from higher net premiums earned and net investment income, partially offset by lower commission revenue. Direct premiums written were $446.2 million, up 8.8% from the prior year quarter, including 5.2% growth in Florida and 25.6% growth in other states. Overall growth mostly reflects higher rates, inflation adjustments, and stabilizing policies in force.

Direct premiums earned were $482.1 million, up 5.9% from the prior year quarter, reflecting rate-driven direct premiums written growth over the last twelve months. Net premiums earned were $334 million, up 18.4% from the prior year quarter. The increase is primarily attributable to higher direct premiums earned and a lower ceded premium ratio. The net combined ratio was 95.5%, down 4.5 points compared to the prior year quarter. The decrease reflects lower net loss and expense ratios. 71.9% net loss ratio was down 1.2 points compared to the prior year quarter, with the decrease primarily attributable to higher net premiums earned associated with lower reinsurance costs in the current quarter.

The 23.6% net expense ratio improved by 3.3 points compared to the prior-year quarter, primarily reflecting higher net premiums earned associated with lower reinsurance costs in the current year and economies of scale. During the first quarter, the company repurchased approximately 208,000 shares at an aggregate cost of $4.1 million. The company's current share repurchase authorization program has approximately 20 million remaining. On April 10, 2024, the board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.16 per share of common stock, payable on May 17, 2024, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 10, 2024. With that said, I'd like to ask the operator to open the line for questions.

Operator (participant)

Thank you. At this time, we will conduct a question-and-answer session. As a reminder, to ask a question, you'll need to press star one one on your telephone and wait for your name to be announced. To withdraw your question, please press star one one again. Please stand by while we compile the Q&A roster. Our first question comes from the line of Paul Newsome of Piper Sandler. Your line is now open.

Paul Newsome (Analyst)

Good morning. Congrats on the quarter. Was hoping you could talk a little bit about what seems to be very rapidly changing competitive environment, particularly in Florida, and you know, your thoughts on pricing and whether or not you know, there really are folks coming in or out at this point from a competitive perspective.

Stephen J. Donaghy (CEO)

Yeah. Good morning, Paul, and, thanks for the question. You know, we're seeing more entrants coming into the market. We continue to see Citizens as a competitive carrier in the state. I think we continue to lean on particular markets where we're open that we feel are profitable. We've opened additional ones at the end of 2023, and we feel good where we sit today with the business that's coming in. From a rate perspective, you know, it's always a combination of carrier and rate, and I think our agency force feels very confident in Universal's ability to support their books of business as well as their insureds. So I think our relationships, our rates, and the markets that we're open in are serving us well.

From a competitive perspective, you know, we see some people doing things that we don't want to do, and we don't feel bad about the business going elsewhere, so to say. We also have seen our retention improve quarter-over-quarter, and we feel good about that flowing through the book as well right now. I don't know if you have anything more specific than that, but be happy to answer anything further if you'd like.

Paul Newsome (Analyst)

No, that that's helpful and interesting. You know, I've heard thoughts and talk of regulatory pressure for pricing because of the tort reform coming, you know, not necessarily this year, but maybe next. But then I hear the other side, too, that you know, it's been such a tough environment for so long that things will hold on for a long time. Where do you fall in that conversation? Do you see pressure building for sort of an offset for the tort reform? You know, you do hear people talk about concerns about the affordability of policies, just thinking of yourselves in Florida and the impact that may have on what the regulators want to do.

Stephen J. Donaghy (CEO)

Yeah, there's a lot in that question to unpack, Paul. You know, I think from an affordability perspective, that is an issue across the state of Florida right now, and, you know, certain segments of the market continue to go to the E&S market where, you know, rates are extremely high. We traditionally, you know, even in 2023, we looked at our rate indication, and we took less as a submitted rate request as a result of the tort reform, because we felt good about what was coming through the book.

We're just kicking off our rate analysis as we speak for 2024, and when we get the final figures in, you know, we'll take a look at that and try and do what's best, for the market, for ourselves, for our shareholders, and for our insureds and try and do the right thing. When you talk about pressures, you know, I think the state of Florida has done a very good job with the tort reform, and, we're appreciative of that. Could they have gone a little further? Perhaps. Did they go too far? I don't think so. So I think as we look in the future, you know, we'll try and take all those measures into account and do the right thing, but we don't feel. There's nobody calling or suggesting anything to us that...

You know, we're not getting any undue pressure, so to say, at this point.

Paul Newsome (Analyst)

Fantastic. Yeah, congratulations.

Stephen J. Donaghy (CEO)

Yeah, thanks, Paul. Have a great day.

Operator (participant)

Thank you. One moment for our next question. Our next question comes from the line of Nicolas Iacoviello of Dowling & Partners. Your line is now open.

Nicholas Iacoviello (Analyst)

Thanks, guys. Nice quarter. I was just wondering, first off, was there any net prior year development recognized in Q1?

Stephen J. Donaghy (CEO)

Nothing on a net basis. Negligible on a direct.

Nicholas Iacoviello (Analyst)

Got it. Thank you. And I know we'll get more details towards the end of May, but I was just wondering on the comment on the reinsurance program being fully supported and secured. Does that currently assume a similar cat retention as the program placed last year?

Stephen J. Donaghy (CEO)

Yeah, if you're referring to the use of the Isosceles, yeah, Nick, that would be consistent with last year. And we feel as though that was the right thing to do based on cost and capital utilization from the parent. So, yeah.

Nicholas Iacoviello (Analyst)

Okay. Makes sense. Thank you. That's all I had.

Stephen J. Donaghy (CEO)

All right. Thanks, Nick. Have a good day.

Operator (participant)

Thank you. This concludes the question and answer session. I would now like to turn it back to Steve Donaghy, CEO, for closing remarks.

Stephen J. Donaghy (CEO)

Thank you. I'd like to thank our associates, our consumers, agents, and our stakeholders for their continued support of Universal. Wish you all a great day. Thank you.

Operator (participant)

Thank you for your participation in today's conference. This does conclude the program. You may now disconnect.