Derivatives

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivatives

Derivatives

As discussed under “Derivatives” in Note A — “Accounting Policies,” AFG uses derivatives in certain areas of its operations.

Derivatives That Do Not Qualify for Hedge Accounting   The following derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting under GAAP are included in AFG’s Balance Sheet at fair value (in millions):

		September 30, 2019				December 31, 2018
Derivative	Balance Sheet Line	Asset		Liability		Asset		Liability
MBS with embedded derivatives	Fixed maturities	$	118	$	—	$	109	$	—
Public company warrants	Equity securities	—		—		—		—
Fixed-indexed and variable-indexed annuities (embedded derivative)	Annuity benefits accumulated	—		3,469		—		2,720
Equity index call options	Equity index call options	750		—		184		—
Equity index put options	Other liabilities	—		1		—		1
Reinsurance contracts (embedded derivative)	Other liabilities	—		4		—		2
		$	868	$	3,474	$	293	$	2,723

The MBS with embedded derivatives consist of primarily interest-only and principal-only MBS. AFG records the entire change in the fair value of these securities in earnings. These investments are part of AFG’s overall investment strategy and represent a small component of AFG’s overall investment portfolio.

Warrants to purchase shares of publicly traded companies, which represent a small component of AFG’s overall investment portfolio, are considered to be derivatives that are required to be carried at fair value through earnings.

AFG’s fixed-indexed and variable-indexed annuities provide policyholders with a crediting rate tied, in part, to the performance of an existing stock market or other financial index. AFG attempts to mitigate the risk in the index-based component of these products through the purchase and sale of call and put options on the appropriate index. AFG receives collateral from certain counterparties to support its purchased call option assets (net of collateral required under put option contracts with the same counterparties). This collateral ($472 million at September 30, 2019 and $103 million at December 31, 2018) is included in other assets in AFG’s Balance Sheet with an offsetting liability to return the collateral, which is included in other liabilities. AFG’s strategy is designed so that the change in the fair value of the call and put options will generally offset the economic change in the liabilities from the index participation. Both the index-based component of the annuities and the related call and put options are considered derivatives. Fluctuations in interest rates and the stock market, among other factors, can cause volatility in the periodic measurement of fair value of the embedded derivative that management believes can be inconsistent with the long-term economics of these products.

As discussed under “Reinsurance” in Note A, AFG has a reinsurance contract that is considered to contain an embedded derivative.

The following table summarizes the gains (losses) included in AFG’s Statement of Earnings for changes in the fair value of derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting for the third quarter and first nine months of 2019 and 2018 (in millions): 

		Three months ended September 30,						Nine months ended September 30,
Derivative	Statement of Earnings Line	2019			2018			2019			2018
MBS with embedded derivatives	Realized gains (losses) on securities	$	3		$	(3	)	$	15		$	(8	)
Public company warrants	Realized gains (losses) on securities	(1		)	1			(1		)	—
Fixed-indexed and variable-indexed annuities (embedded derivative) (*)	Annuity benefits	70			(223		)	(643		)	(286		)
Equity index call options	Annuity benefits	30			219			544			271
Equity index put options	Annuity benefits	—			—			1			—
Reinsurance contract (embedded derivative)	Net investment income	—			—			(2		)	2
		$	102		$	(6	)	$	(86	)	$	(21	)

(*) The change in fair value of the embedded derivative includes a favorable adjustment related to the unlocking of actuarial assumptions of $181 million in the third quarter of 2019 and a loss of $44 million in the second quarter of 2018.

Derivatives Designated and Qualifying as Cash Flow Hedges   As of September 30, 2019, AFG has fourteen active interest rate swaps that are designated and qualify as highly effective cash flow hedges to mitigate interest rate risk related to certain floating-rate securities included in AFG’s portfolio of fixed maturity securities. The purpose of each of these swaps is to effectively convert a portion of AFG’s floating-rate fixed maturity securities to fixed rates by offsetting the variability in cash flows attributable to changes in short-term LIBOR.

Under the terms of the swaps, AFG receives fixed-rate interest payments in exchange for variable interest payments based on short-term LIBOR. The notional amounts of the interest rate swaps generally decline over each swap’s respective life (the swaps expire between April 2020 and June 2030) in anticipation of the expected decline in AFG’s portfolio of fixed maturity securities with floating interest rates based on short-term LIBOR. The total outstanding notional amount of AFG’s interest rate swaps was $2.11 billion at September 30, 2019 compared to $2.35 billion at December 31, 2018, reflecting the scheduled amortization discussed above, the termination of a swap with a notional amount of $138 million (on the settlement date) in the second quarter of 2019 and the expiration of a swap with a notional amount of $78 million (on the expiration date) in the third quarter of 2019. The fair value of the interest rate swaps in an asset position and included in other assets was $69 million at September 30, 2019 and $16 million at December 31, 2018. The fair value of the interest rate swaps in a liability position and included in other liabilities was less than $1 million at September 30, 2019 and $46 million at December 31, 2018. The net unrealized gain or loss on cash flow hedges is included in AOCI, net of DPAC and deferred taxes. Amounts reclassified from AOCI (before DPAC and taxes) to net investment income were losses of less than $1 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $1 million in the third quarter of 2018 and losses of $1 million and $2 million for the first nine months of 2019 and 2018, respectively. A collateral receivable supporting these swaps of $19 million at September 30, 2019 and $135 million at December 31, 2018 is included in other assets in AFG’s Balance Sheet.