EX-99.1 2 a53730543ex99_1.htm EXHIBIT 99.1
Exhibit 99.1



INVESTORS TITLE COMPANY ANNOUNCES THIRD QUARTER 2023 FINANCIAL RESULTS


     Contact:  Elizabeth B. Lewter
November 2, 2023
Telephone:  (919) 968-2200
        Nasdaq Symbol:  ITIC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Chapel Hill, NC – Investors Title Company today announced results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023. The Company reported net income of $7.1 million, or $3.75 per diluted share, for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to $7.9 million, or $4.17 per diluted share, for the prior year period.

Revenues decreased 21.3% to $61.4 million, compared with $78.0 million for the prior year quarter, primarily as the result of decreases in the Company’s title insurance business and other investment income. The reduction in title insurance revenues is attributable to an overall decline in the level of real estate transaction volumes resulting from higher average mortgage interest rates and ongoing housing inventory constraints. Changes in other investment income are due to fluctuations in the carrying value of the underlying investments and distributions received. The lower levels of title insurance activity and other investment income were partially offset by increases in non-title services revenue and interest income and an improvement in net investment (losses) gains. The increase in revenue from non-title services was mainly due to an increase in like-kind exchange revenues. The impact of positive changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments resulted in a decrease in net investment losses compared to the prior year period.

Operating expenses decreased 22.3% compared to the prior year period, primarily due to reductions in expenses which fluctuate with title insurance volume. Commissions to agents decreased by $9.7 million, commensurate with the decrease in agent premium volume. Personnel expenses decreased by $2.5 million, primarily due to reductions in incentive compensation and reductions in staffing levels. Other expenses were down $2.7 million, mainly due to the impact of lower title insurance volumes and a reduction in the level of contractors engaged in software development activities.  The provision for claims, and office and technology expenses, remained consistent with the prior year period.


Income before income taxes decreased to $8.6 million for the current quarter, versus $10.1 million in the prior year period. Excluding the impact of net investment (losses) gains, adjusted income before income taxes (non-GAAP) decreased 23.0% to $9.4 million for the quarter, versus $12.2 million in the prior year period (see Appendix A for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure).

 For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, net income decreased $527 thousand to $15.9 million, or $8.37 per diluted share, versus $16.4 million, or $8.63 per diluted share, for the prior year period.  Revenues decreased 21.5% to $171.1 million, compared with $217.9 million for the prior year period.  Operating expenses decreased 23.3% to $151.1 million, compared to $197.1 million for the prior year period.  Overall results for the year-to-date period have been shaped predominantly by the same factors that affected the third quarter.

Chairman J. Allen Fine commented, “We were pleased to see an uptick in revenues this quarter over the second quarter, as we entered what is traditionally a more favorable time of year for real estate activity. Market conditions remained challenging, as interest rates rose to levels not seen in over 20 years.  Partially offsetting reductions in title insurance revenues, investment earnings continued to benefit from higher average interest rates.

“Regardless of current market conditions, the strength of our balance sheet allows us to remain focused on the execution of our long-term business strategy.  We will continue to navigate this market cycle by balancing expense discipline with ongoing targeted investments in growing our business and improving our competitive positioning.”

Investors Title Company’s subsidiaries issue and underwrite title insurance policies.  The Company also provides investment management services and services in connection with tax-deferred exchanges of like-kind property.


Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained herein constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements may be identified by the use of words such as “plan,” expect,” “aim,” “believe,” “project,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “should,” “could,” “would,” and other expressions that indicate future events and trends.  Such statements include, among others, any statements regarding the Company’s expected performance for this year,  future home price fluctuations, changes in home purchase or refinance demand, activity and the mix thereof, interest rate changes, expansion of the Company’s market presence, enhancing competitive strengths, development in housing affordability, wages, unemployment or overall economic conditions or statements regarding our actuarial assumptions and the application of recent historical claims experience to future periods.  These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated and historical results.  Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation:  the cyclical demand for title insurance due to changes in the residential and commercial real estate markets; the occurrence of fraud, defalcation or misconduct; variances between actual claims experience and underwriting and reserving assumptions, including the limited predictive power of historical claims experience; declines in the performance of the Company’s investments; government regulations; changes in the economy, including those resulting from a shutdown of the U.S. Government; the impact of inflation and responses by government regulators, including the Federal Reserve, such as increases in interest rates; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (including any of its variants) on the economy and the Company’s business; loss of agency relationships, or significant reductions in agent-originated business; difficulties managing growth, whether organic or through acquisitions and other considerations set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in subsequent filings.

# # # #



Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
For the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 and 2022
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
(unaudited)
 
 
 
Three Months Ended
September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
 
 
2023
   
2022
   
2023
   
2022
 
Revenues:
                       
Net premiums written
 
$
49,822
   
$
66,658
   
$
132,793
   
$
199,409
 
Escrow and other title-related fees
   
4,683
     
6,136
     
12,942
     
17,461
 
Non-title services
   
4,636
     
3,679
     
14,513
     
8,889
 
Interest and dividends
   
2,313
     
1,229
     
6,537
     
3,055
 
Other investment income
   
514
     
2,173
     
2,915
     
4,616
 
Net investment (losses) gains
   
(815
)
   
(2,154
)
   
720
     
(16,456
)
Other
   
257
     
277
     
647
     
924
 
Total Revenues
   
61,410
     
77,998
     
171,067
     
217,898
 
                                 
Operating Expenses:
                               
Commissions to agents
   
23,806
     
33,478
     
63,735
     
97,161
 
Provision for claims
   
1,838
     
1,966
     
3,897
     
3,452
 
Personnel expenses
   
19,083
     
21,586
     
58,451
     
63,738
 
Office and technology expenses
   
4,209
     
4,274
     
13,122
     
12,930
 
Other expenses
   
3,864
     
6,606
     
11,845
     
19,783
 
Total Operating Expenses
   
52,800
     
67,910
     
151,050
     
197,064
 
                                 
Income before Income Taxes
   
8,610
     
10,088
     
20,017
     
20,834
 
                                 
Provision for Income Taxes
   
1,526
     
2,175
     
4,167
     
4,457
 
                                 
Net Income
 
$
7,084
   
$
7,913
   
$
15,850
   
$
16,377
 
                                 
Basic Earnings per Common Share
 
$
3.75
   
$
4.17
   
$
8.37
   
$
8.63
 
                                 
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Basic
   
1,891
     
1,897
     
1,894
     
1,897
 
                                 
Diluted Earnings per Common Share
 
$
3.75
   
$
4.17
   
$
8.37
   
$
8.63
 
                                 
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Diluted
   
1,891
     
1,897
     
1,894
     
1,898
 


Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
 
 
 
September 30,
2023
   
December 31,
2022
 
Assets
           
             
Cash and cash equivalents
 
$
30,411
   
$
35,311
 
                 
Investments:
               
Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value
   
64,640
     
53,989
 
Equity securities, at fair value
   
31,831
     
51,691
 
Short-term investments
   
103,959
     
103,649
 
Other investments
   
20,144
     
18,368
 
Total investments
   
220,574
     
227,697
 
                 
Premiums and fees receivable
   
17,322
     
19,047
 
Accrued interest and dividends
   
1,111
     
872
 
Prepaid expenses and other receivables
   
14,888
     
11,095
 
Property, net
   
22,093
     
17,785
 
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net
   
16,588
     
17,611
 
Lease assets
   
6,432
     
6,707
 
Other assets
   
2,496
     
2,458
 
Current income taxes recoverable
   
     
1,174
 
Total Assets
 
$
331,915
   
$
339,757
 
                 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
               
                 
Liabilities:
               
Reserve for claims
 
$
37,494
   
$
37,192
 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
   
30,719
     
47,050
 
Lease liabilities
   
6,639
     
6,839
 
Current income taxes payable
   
1,008
     
 
Deferred income taxes, net
   
3,387
     
7,665
 
Total liabilities
   
79,247
     
98,746
 
                 
Stockholders’ Equity:
               
Common stock no par value (10,000 authorized shares; 1,891 and 1,897 shares issued
and outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively,
excluding in each period 292 shares of common stock held by the Company's subsidiary)
   
     
 
Retained earnings
   
253,423
     
240,811
 
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income
   
(755
)
   
200
 
Total stockholders’ equity
   
252,668
     
241,011
 
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
 
$
331,915
   
$
339,757
 


Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries
Direct and Agency Net Premiums Written
For the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 and 2022
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
 
   
Three Months Ended September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
   
2023
   
%
   
2022
   
%
   
2023
   
%
   
2022
   
%
 
Direct
 
$
17,485
     
35.1
   
$
22,112
     
33.2
   
$
45,975
     
34.6
   
$
69,446
     
34.8
 
                                                                 
Agency
   
32,337
     
64.9
     
44,546
     
66.8
     
86,818
     
65.4
     
129,963
     
65.2
 
                                                                 
Total
 
$
49,822
     
100.0
   
$
66,658
     
100.0
   
$
132,793
     
100.0
   
$
199,409
     
100.0
 


Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries
Appendix A
Non-GAAP Measures Reconciliation
For the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 and 2022
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

Management uses various financial and operational measurements, including financial information not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), to analyze Company performance.  This includes adjusting revenues to remove the impact of net investment gains and losses, which are recognized in net income under GAAP.  Net investment gains and losses include realized gains and losses on sales of investment securities and changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments.  For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, management has decided to exclude realized gains and losses on sales of investment securities in addition to changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments for consistency with a similar change in the presentation in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.  The non-GAAP financial measures for prior year periods included in this Appendix have also been updated for consistency with this presentation.  Therefore adjusted revenues (non-GAAP) and adjusted income before income taxes (non-GAAP) below are not comparable with previously published non-GAAP financial measures for the Company.  Management believes that these measures are useful to evaluate the Company's internal operational performance from period to period because they eliminate the effects of external market fluctuations.  The Company also believes users of the financial results would benefit from having access to such information, and that certain of the Company’s peers make available similar information.  This information should not be used as a substitute for, or considered superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.

The following tables reconcile non-GAAP financial measurements used by Company management to the comparable measurements using GAAP:
 
   
Three Months Ended
September 30,
   
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
   
2023
   
2022
   
2023
   
2022
 
                         
Revenues
                       
Total revenues (GAAP)
 
$
61,410
   
$
77,998
   
$
171,067
   
$
217,898
 
Add (Subtract):  Net investment losses (gains)
   
815
     
2,154
     
(720
)
   
16,456
 
Adjusted revenues (non-GAAP)
 
$
62,225
   
$
80,152
   
$
170,347
   
$
234,354
 
                                 
Income before Income Taxes
                               
Income before income taxes (GAAP)
 
$
8,610
   
$
10,088
   
$
20,017
   
$
20,834
 
Add (Subtract):  Net investment losses (gains)
   
815
     
2,154
     
(720
)
   
16,456
 
Adjusted income before income taxes (non-GAAP)
 
$
9,425
   
$
12,242
   
$
19,297
   
$
37,290