EX-99.1 2 c052-20190501ex991a4635c.htm EX-99.1 saft_Ex99-1

Exhibit 99.1

Safety_logo_468x102_300dpi

 

SAFETY ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER 2019 RESULTS AND DECLARES SECOND QUARTER 2019 DIVIDEND

Boston, Massachusetts, May 1, 2019.  Safety Insurance Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAFT) today reported first quarter 2019 results. Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 was $29.9 million, or $1.95 per diluted share, compared to net income of $9.1 million, or $0.60 per diluted share, for the comparable 2018 period. Non-generally accepted accounting principles (“non-GAAP”) operating income, as defined below, for the quarter ended March 31,  2019 was $1.36 per diluted share, compared to $0.71 per diluted share, for the comparable 2018 period. Safety’s book value per share increased to $49.08 at March 31, 2019 from $47.01 at December 31, 2018.  Safety paid $0.80 per share in dividends to investors during each of the quarters ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Safety paid $3.20 per share in dividends to investors during the year ended December 31, 2018.

Direct written premiums for the quarter ended March 31,  2019 decreased  by $0.3 million, or 0.2%, to $203.4 million from $203.7 million for the comparable 2018 period. Net written premiums for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 decreased by $0.1 million, to $189.9 million from $190.0 million for the comparable 2018 period. Net earned premiums for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 increased by $2.5 million, or 1.3%, to $194.5 million from $192.0 million for the comparable 2018 period.  

For the quarter ended March 31,  2019, loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred decreased by $11.6 million, or  8.4%, to $126.0 million from $137.6 million for the comparable 2018 period.  Loss, expense, and combined ratios for the quarter ended March 31,  2019 were 64.8%,  31.1%, and 95.9%, respectively, compared to 71.7%,  31.7%, and 103.4%, respectively, for the comparable 2018 period. Total prior year favorable development included in the pre-tax results for the quarter ended March 31,  2019 was $12.0 million compared to $14.2 million for the comparable 2018 period. 

Net investment income for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 increased by $1.3 million, or 11.6%, to $11.8 million from $10.5 million for the comparable 2018 period.  The increase is a result of  an increase in the average invested asset balance and improved investment income yields compared to the prior year.  Net effective annualized yield on the investment portfolio for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 was 3.5% compared to 3.3% for the comparable 2018 period. Our duration was 3.2 years at March 31, 2019  and 3.6 years at December 31, 2018, respectively. 

Today, our Board of Directors approved and declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.80 per share on the issued and outstanding common stock, payable on June 14, 2019 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 3, 2019.

Non-GAAP Measures

Management has included certain non-GAAP financial measures in presenting the Company’s results. Management believes that these non-GAAP measures better explain the Company’s results of operations and allow for a more complete understanding of the underlying trends in the Company’s business. These measures should not be viewed as a substitute for those determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). In addition, our definitions of these items may not be comparable to the definitions used by other companies.


 

Non-GAAP operating income and operating income per diluted share consist of our GAAP net income adjusted by the net realized (losses) gains, net impairment losses on investments, change in net unrealized gains on equity securities and taxes related thereto. For the quarter ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $11.8 million for the change in unrealized gains was recognized within income before income taxes, compared to a decrease of $3.5 million recognized in the comparable 2018 period. Net income and earnings per diluted share are the GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating income per diluted share, respectively. A reconciliation of the GAAP financial measures to these non-GAAP measures is included in the financial highlights below.

About Safety:    Safety Insurance Group, Inc., based in Boston, MA, is the parent of Safety Insurance Company, Safety Indemnity Insurance Company, and Safety Property and Casualty Insurance Company.  Operating exclusively in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, Safety is a leading writer of property and casualty insurance products, including private passenger automobile, commercial automobile, homeowners, dwelling fire, umbrella and business owner policies. 

Additional Information:  Press releases, announcements, U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Filings and investor information are available under “About Safety,” “Investor Information” on our Company website located at www.SafetyInsurance.com.  Safety filed its December 31,  2018 Form 10-K with the SEC on February 28,  2019 and urges shareholders to refer to this document for more complete information concerning Safety’s financial results.

Contacts:

Safety Insurance Group, Inc.

Office of Investor Relations

877-951-2522

 

InvestorRelations@SafetyInsurance.com 

 

Cautionary Statement under "Safe Harbor" Provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This press release contains, and Safety may from time to time make, written or oral "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws.  Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts.  They often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “aim,” “projects,” or words of similar meaning and expressions that indicate future events and trends, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may”.  All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company’s strategy for growth, product development, market position, expenditures and financial results, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance.  By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties.  There are a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause actual future conditions, events, results or trends to differ significantly and/or materially from historical results or those projected in the forward-looking statements.  These factors include but are not limited to the competitive nature of our industry and the possible adverse effects of such competition.  Although a number of national insurers that are much larger than we are do not currently compete in a material way in the Massachusetts private passenger automobile market, if one or more of these companies decided to aggressively enter the market it could have a material adverse effect on us.  Other significant factors include conditions for business operations and restrictive regulations in Massachusetts, the possibility of losses due to claims resulting from severe weather, the possibility that the Commissioner of Insurance may approve future Rule changes that change the operation of the residual market, our possible need for and availability of additional financing, and our dependence on strategic relationships, among others, and other risks and factors identified from time to time in our reports filed with the SEC, such as those set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,  2018 filed with the SEC on February 28,  2019.


 

We are not under any obligation (and expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.  You should carefully consider the possibility that actual results may differ materially from our forward-looking statements.


 

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands, except share data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

March 31, 

    

December 31, 

 

 

2019

 

2018

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed maturities, available for sale, at fair value (amortized cost: $1,161,552 and $1,175,413)

 

$

1,173,384

 

$

1,161,862

Equity securities, at fair value (cost: $143,608 and $142,948)

 

 

160,471

 

 

148,011

Other invested assets

 

 

26,238

 

 

23,481

Total investments

 

 

1,360,093

 

 

1,333,354

Cash and cash equivalents

 

 

22,892

 

 

37,582

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts

 

 

188,654

 

 

190,062

Receivable for securities sold

 

 

1,079

 

 

1,039

Accrued investment income

 

 

9,450

 

 

8,420

Receivable from reinsurers related to paid loss and loss adjustment expenses

 

 

29,881

 

 

13,691

Receivable from reinsurers related to unpaid loss and loss adjustment expenses

 

 

109,200

 

 

108,398

Ceded unearned premiums

 

 

33,537

 

 

33,974

Deferred policy acquisition costs

 

 

71,905

 

 

73,355

Deferred income taxes

 

 

2,949

 

 

8,749

Equity and deposits in pools

 

 

28,505

 

 

28,094

Operating lease right-of-use-assets

 

 

36,992

 

 

 —

Other assets

 

 

22,881

 

 

19,522

Total assets

 

$

1,918,018

 

$

1,856,240

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves

 

$

581,762

 

$

584,719

Unearned premium reserves

 

 

430,389

 

 

435,380

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

 

53,875

 

 

71,896

Payable for securities purchased

 

 

5,494

 

 

5,156

Payable to reinsurers

 

 

18,939

 

 

12,220

Taxes payable

 

 

8,286

 

 

6,090

Operating lease liabilities

 

 

36,992

 

 

 —

Other liabilities

 

 

27,219

 

 

22,135

Total liabilities

 

 

1,162,956

 

 

1,137,596

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock:  $0.01 par value; 30,000,000 shares authorized; 17,663,364 and 17,566,180 shares issued

 

 

177

 

 

176

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

198,014

 

 

196,292

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes

 

 

9,347

 

 

(10,706)

Retained earnings

 

 

631,359

 

 

616,717

Treasury stock, at cost: 2,279,570 shares

 

 

(83,835)

 

 

(83,835)

Total shareholders’ equity

 

 

755,062

 

 

718,644

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 

$

1,918,018

 

$

1,856,240

 


 

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 

    

 

    

2019

    

2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earned premiums

 

$

194,491

 

$

192,033

 

Net investment income

 

 

11,751

 

 

10,531

 

Earnings from partnership investments

 

 

835

 

 

4,864

 

Net realized (losses) gains on investments

 

 

(164)

 

 

1,306

 

Change in net unrealized gains on equity investments

 

 

11,801

 

 

(3,482)

 

Net impairment losses on investments (a)

 

 

(220)

 

 

 —

 

Finance and other service income

 

 

4,085

 

 

4,467

 

Total revenue

 

 

222,579

 

 

209,719

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Losses and loss adjustment expenses

 

 

126,027

 

 

137,644

 

Underwriting, operating and related expenses

 

 

60,434

 

 

60,856

 

Interest expense

 

 

22

 

 

22

 

Total expenses

 

 

186,483

 

 

198,522

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

 

 

36,096

 

 

11,197

 

Income tax expense

 

 

6,150

 

 

2,072

 

Net income

 

$

29,946

 

$

9,125

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per weighted average common share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

1.97

 

$

0.60

 

Diluted

 

$

1.95

 

$

0.60

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash dividends paid per common share

 

$

0.80

 

$

0.80

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of shares used in computing earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

15,140,804

 

 

15,045,962

 

Diluted

 

 

15,305,785

 

 

15,191,139

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a) No portion of the other-than-temporary impairments recognized in the period indicated were included in Other Comprehensive Income.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reconciliation of  Net Income to Non-GAAP  Operating Income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

29,946

 

$

9,125

 

Exclusions from net income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Net realized losses (gains) on investments

 

 

164

 

 

(1,306)

 

 Change in net unrealized gains on equity investments

 

 

(11,801)

 

 

3,482

 

 Net impairment losses on investments

 

 

220

 

 

 -

 

 Income tax expense (benefit) on exclusions from net income

 

 

2,398

 

 

(457)

 

Non-GAAP operating income

 

$

20,927

 

$

10,844

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income per diluted share

 

$

1.95

 

$

0.60

 

Exclusions from net income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Net realized losses (gains) on investments

 

 

0.01

 

 

(0.09)

 

 Change in net unrealized gains on equity investments

 

 

(0.77)

 

 

0.23

 

 Net impairment losses on investments

 

 

0.01

 

 

 -

 

 Income tax expense (benefit) on exclusions from net income

 

 

0.16

 

 

(0.03)

 

Non-GAAP operating income per diluted share

 

$

1.36

 

$

0.71

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Additional Premium Information

(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 

 

 

    

2019

    

2018

    

Written Premiums

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct

 

$

203,387

 

$

203,733

 

Assumed

 

 

8,245

 

 

7,948

 

Ceded

 

 

(21,694)

 

 

(21,668)

 

Net written premiums

 

$

189,938

 

$

190,013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earned Premiums

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct

 

$

207,308

 

$

203,819

 

Assumed

 

 

9,315

 

 

8,887

 

Ceded

 

 

(22,132)

 

 

(20,673)

 

Net earned premiums

 

$

194,491

 

$

192,033