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Business Developments and Risks and Uncertainties
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Text Block [Abstract]  
Business Developments and Risks and Uncertainties

Note 1: Business Developments and Risks and Uncertainties

Summary

MBIA Inc., together with its consolidated subsidiaries, (collectively, “MBIA” or the “Company”) operates within the financial guarantee insurance industry. MBIA manages three operating segments: 1) United States (“U.S.”) public finance insurance; 2) corporate; and 3) international and structured finance insurance. The Company’s U.S. public finance insurance business is managed through National Public Finance Guarantee Corporation (“National”), the corporate segment is operated through MBIA Inc. and several of its subsidiaries, including its service company, MBIA Services Corporation (“MBIA Services”) and its international and structured finance insurance business is primarily operated through MBIA Insurance Corporation and its subsidiaries (“MBIA Corp.”).

Refer to “Note 12: Business Segments” for further information about the Company’s operating segments.

Business Developments

PREPA

During 2023, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (“PREPA”) defaulted on scheduled debt service for National insured bonds and National paid gross claims in the aggregate of $137 million. As of December 31, 2023, National had $808 million of debt service outstanding related to PREPA.

In January 1, 2024, PREPA defaulted on scheduled debt service for National insured bonds and National paid gross claims in the aggregate of $16 million.

On January 31, 2023, National entered into a restructuring support agreement (“PREPA RSA”) with the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (the “Oversight Board”), on behalf of itself and as the sole Title III representative of PREPA.

An amended plan of adjustment for PREPA and related disclosure statement was filed on February 9, 2023. On June 26, 2023, the Court entered an order reducing bondholder allowed net unsecured claims to $2.4 billion from approximately $7.6 billion. On August 25, 2023, National entered into the First Amendment to the PREPA Plan Support Agreement (the “Amended PSA”) with the Oversight Board, on behalf of itself and as the sole Title III representative of PREPA. By order dated November 17, 2023, the Court approved the Disclosure Statement for the Third Amended Plan incorporating, among other things, the terms of the Amended PSA. On December 29, 2023, the Oversight Board filed the Corrected Fourth Amended Title III Plan (the "Amended Plan"). The Amended PSA provides that, upon effective date of the Amended Plan, National shall receive cash, together with certain fees and expense reimbursement payments, in an amount based in part on the ultimate participation, if any, of certain currently non-accepting holders of uninsured PREPA bonds. The Amended PSA also provides National with additional consideration in the form of two types of contingent values instruments, whose value cannot be assured. The Amended PSA remains subject to a number of conditions, including (but not limited to) the Title III Court’s confirmation and effectiveness of the Amended Plan, as it may be further amended with the Court’s approval. Refer to “Note 6: Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves” for a further discussion of the Company’s PREPA reserves and recoveries.

Dividends

In November of 2023, National declared and paid an as-of-right dividend of $97 million to its ultimate parent, MBIA Inc. In addition, on December 7, 2023, National paid a $550 million special dividend that was approved by the New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYSDFS”) to its ultimate parent, MBIA Inc. Also on December 7, 2023, the Company's Board of Directors declared an extraordinary cash dividend on MBIA’s common stock of $8.00 per share. The dividend was paid on December 22, 2023 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 18, 2023. Due to the absence of retained earnings for MBIA Inc., the Company accounted for the dividend as a return of capital that was paid from additional paid-in capital on the Company's consolidated balance sheet. A portion of the dividends from National are being retained by MBIA Inc. and are intended to be used for general corporate purposes including, but not limited to, future operating expenses and debt service obligations.

 

 

MBIA Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Note 1: Business Developments and Risks and Uncertainties (continued)

Zohar CDOs

Payment of claims on MBIA Corp.’s policies insuring the Class A-1 and A-2 notes issued by Zohar collateralized debt obligation (“CDO”) 2003-1, Limited (“Zohar I”) and Zohar II 2005-1, Limited (“Zohar II”) (collectively, the “Zohar CDOs”), entitled MBIA Corp. to reimbursement of such amounts plus interest and expenses and/or to exercise certain rights and remedies to seek recovery of such amounts. MBIA Corp. has anticipated that it would receive substantial recoveries on the loans made to, and equity interests in, portfolio companies that, until late March of 2020, were purportedly controlled and managed by the sponsor and former collateral manager of the Zohar CDOs (collectively, the “Zohar Collateral”). Since March of 2018, MBIA Corp. had been pursuing those recoveries in a Delaware bankruptcy proceeding filed by the Zohar CDOs (“Zohar Funds Bankruptcy Cases”). Pursuant to a plan of liquidation that became effective in August of 2022, all remaining Zohar Collateral was distributed to MBIA Corp. either directly or in the form of interests in certain asset recovery entities. There still remains significant uncertainty with respect to the realizable value of the remaining loans and equity interests that formerly constituted the Zohar Collateral. Further, as the monetization of these assets unfolds, and new information concerning the financial condition of the portfolio companies is disclosed, the Company will continue to revise its expectations for recoveries.

The interests in the asset recovery entities include various loans to and equity interest in portfolio companies. For those portfolio companies in which the Company does not have a majority of the voting interest, the Company recorded these assets as investments. For those portfolio companies in which the Company owns a majority of the voting interest, the Company consolidated the assets, liabilities, and financial results of these companies. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 360-10, Property, Plant, and Equipment and ASC 205-20, Presentation of Financial Statements-Discontinued Operations, certain of these portfolio companies met the criteria to be classified as held for sale and discontinued operations. Refer to the following “Discontinued Operations” section below for further information about the Company’s discontinued operations. In addition, certain of the Zohar debtors’ litigation claims were transferred into a litigation trust that the Company consolidated as a variable interest entity (“VIE”).

Discontinued Operations

For those Zohar-related portfolio companies in which the Company acquired an interest and which have met the criteria for held for sale classification in accordance with ASC 360, the Company classified these entities as held for disposition. Accordingly, the Company classified the assets and liabilities of consolidated portfolio companies and the interests in certain nonconsolidated portfolio companies as held for sale. Furthermore, as these entities met the one-year probable sale criteria on the acquisition date, and the remaining held for sale criteria within a short period following the acquisition date, these entities were classified as discontinued operations in accordance with ASC 205. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the assets and liabilities of these entities are presented within “Assets held for sale” and “Liabilities held for sale” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Additionally, the results of operations for these entities are classified as “Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes” on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. During 2023, the net assets of one of the Company's Zohar-related portfolio companies that was classified as held for sale was disposed. The consideration received as part of this disposition was approximate to the carrying value of the assets and liabilities held for sale. For the net assets of the Company's Zohar-related portfolio companies that are classified as held for sale beyond one year, the Company continues to actively market its net assets held for sale and has identified interested parties, including having attained various stages of a sales or liquidation process. In addition, the Company has continued to (i) take necessary actions to respond to changes in circumstances, including recording a loss on disposal group; (ii) actively market the net assets at prices that are deemed reasonable; and (iii) meet the criteria for held for sale classification.

MBIA Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Note 1: Business Developments and Risks and Uncertainties (continued)

In the first quarter of 2023, the Company recorded income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes of $18 million, to correct the overstatement of a loss recognized in the fourth quarter of 2022 related to the loss on disposal group. Additionally, the Company recorded a loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests in the first quarter of 2023 of $8 million to correct the overstatement of a loss attributable to noncontrolling interests recognized in the fourth quarter of 2022. The Company evaluated the materiality of these errors in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 99, Materiality, and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 108, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements When Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements, and concluded that these errors, individually and in the aggregate, were immaterial to the current and the prior periods to which these errors relate.

The following table summarizes the components of assets and liabilities held for sale:

 

 

 

  As of

In millions

 

December 31, 2023

 

December 31, 2022

Assets held for sale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash

 

$

1

 

 

$

12

 

Accounts receivable

 

 

17

 

 

 

24

 

Goodwill

 

 

90

 

 

 

90

 

Other assets

 

 

9

 

 

 

8

 

Loss on disposal group

 

 

(44

)

 

 

(54

)

Total assets held for sale

 

$

73

 

 

$

80

 

Liabilities held for sale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

7

 

 

$

12

 

Debt

 

 

39

 

 

 

30

 

Accrued expenses and other

 

 

18

 

 

 

19

 

Total liabilities held for sale

 

$

64

 

 

$

61

 

 

The results of operations from discontinued operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 consist of the following:

 

 

 

Years Ended December 31,

 

In millions

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenues

$

116

 

 

$

58

 

 

Cost of sales

 

58

 

 

 

29

 

 

     Total revenues from discontinued operations

 

58

 

 

 

29

 

Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating

 

67

 

 

 

28

 

 

Interest

 

4

 

 

 

1

 

 

Increase (decrease) on loss on disposal group

 

(10

)

 

 

54

 

 

     Total expenses from discontinued operations

 

61

 

 

 

83

 

Income (loss) before income taxes from discontinued operations

 

 

(3

)

 

 

(54

)

Provision (benefit) for income taxes from discontinued operations

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes

 

$

(3

)

 

$

(54

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

MBIA Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Note 1: Business Developments and Risks and Uncertainties (continued)

Risks and Uncertainties

The Company’s financial statements include estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. The outcome of certain significant risks and uncertainties could cause the Company to revise its estimates and assumptions or could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s estimates. The discussion below highlights the significant risks and uncertainties that could have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements and business objectives in future periods.

National’s Insured Portfolio

National continues to monitor and remediate its existing insured portfolio. Certain state and local governments and territory obligors that National insures are under financial and budgetary stress. This could lead to an increase in defaults by such entities on the payment of their obligations and losses or impairments on a greater number of National’s insured transactions. In particular, PREPA is currently in bankruptcy-like proceedings in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. While National has entered into an agreement to support a plan to resolve the PREPA proceeding, PREPA may continue to fail to make payments when due, which could cause National to make additional claims payments which could be material. There is no assurance the Amended Plan will ultimately be confirmed and become effective. National monitors and analyzes these situations and other stressed credits closely, and the overall extent and duration of this stress is uncertain.

MBIA Corp.’s Insured Portfolio

MBIA Corp.’s primary objectives are to satisfy all claims by its policyholders and to maximize future recoveries, if any, for its surplus note holders, and then its preferred stock holders. MBIA Corp. is executing this strategy by, among other things, taking steps to maximize the collection of recoveries and by reducing and mitigating potential losses on its insurance exposures. MBIA Corp.’s insured portfolio performance could deteriorate and result in additional significant loss reserves and claim payments. MBIA Corp.’s ability to meet its obligations is limited by available liquidity and its ability to secure additional liquidity through financing and other transactions. There can be no assurance that MBIA Corp. will be successful in generating sufficient resources to meet its obligations.

Recoveries

In addition to the recoveries on the Zohar Collateral, MBIA Corp. also projects to collect recoveries from prior claims associated with insured residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”); however, the amount and timing of these collections are uncertain.

 

Failure to collect its expected recoveries could impede MBIA Corp.’s ability to make payments when due on other policies. MBIA Corp. believes that if the NYSDFS concludes at any time that MBIA Insurance Corporation will not be able to pay its policyholder claims, the NYSDFS would likely put MBIA Insurance Corporation into a rehabilitation or liquidation proceeding under Article 74 of the New York Insurance Law (“NYIL”) and/or take such other actions as the NYSDFS may deem necessary to protect the interests of MBIA Insurance Corporation’s policyholders. The determination to commence such a proceeding or take other such actions is within the exclusive control of the NYSDFS.

Given the separation of MBIA Inc. and MBIA Corp. as distinct legal entities, the absence of any cross defaults between the entities and the lack of reliance by MBIA Inc. on MBIA Corp. for dividends, the Company does not believe that a rehabilitation or liquidation proceeding with respect to MBIA Insurance Corporation would have any significant liquidity impact on MBIA Inc. Such a proceeding could have material adverse consequences for MBIA Corp., including the termination of derivative contracts for which counterparties may assert market-based claims, the acceleration of debt obligations issued by affiliates and insured by MBIA Corp., the loss of control of MBIA Insurance Corporation to a rehabilitator or liquidator, and unplanned costs.

Refer to “Note 6: Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves” for additional information about MBIA Corp.’s recoveries.