Global Indemnity Limited Reports 2016 Financial Results

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, March 02, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Indemnity Limited (NASDAQ:GBLI) today reported net income for the year ended December 31, 2016 of $49.9 million or $2.84 per share.  Operating income was $35.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. As of December 31^st, book value per share was $45.42, an increase of 5.7 %, compared to book value per share of $42.98 at December 31, 2015.

Selected Operating and Balance Sheet Data (Dollars in millions, except per share data)

		For the Twelve Months  Ended December 31,							As of December 31,
		2016			2015				2016			2015
Gross Premiums Written		$	565.8		$	590.2		Book value per share	$	45.42		$	42.98
Net Premiums Written		$	470.9		$	501.2		Shareholders' equity	$	798.0		$	749.9
								Cash and invested assets (1)	$	1,498.1		$	1,516.3
Net income		$	49.9		$	41.5
Net income per share		$	2.84		$	1.69		(1) Including receivable/(payable) for securities sold/(purchased)
Operating income		$	35.8		$	44.0
Operating income per share		$	2.04		$	1.80
Combined ratio analysis:
Loss ratio			56.4			54.6
Expense ratio			42.0			39.9
Combined ratio			98.4			94.5

About Global Indemnity Limited and its subsidiaries

Global Indemnity Limited (NASDAQ:GBLI), through its several direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiary insurance and reinsurance companies, provides both admitted and non-admitted specialty property and casualty insurance coverages and individual policyholder coverages in the United States, as well as reinsurance worldwide.  Global Indemnity Limited's three primary segments are:

• United States Based Commercial Lines Operations
   
• United States Based Personal Lines Operations
   
• Bermuda Based Reinsurance Operations

For more information, visit the Global Indemnity Limited's website at http://www.globalindemnity.ky.

Forward-Looking Information

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release [1] do not address a number of risks and uncertainties.  Investors are cautioned that Global Indemnity's actual results may be materially different from the estimates expressed in, or implied, or projected by, the forward looking statements. These statements are based on estimates and information available to us at the time of this press release. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to the Global Indemnity as of the date hereof. The foregoing review of factors that could cause actual financial or operating performance to differ materially from expectations is not exhaustive. Please see Global Indemnity's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of risks and uncertainties which could impact the company and for a more detailed explication regarding forward-looking statements. Global Indemnity does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.   

¹ Disseminated pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of Section 21E of the Security Exchange Act of 1934.

Global Indemnity Limited's Combined Ratio for the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

The combined ratio is a key measure of insurance profitability.  The components comprising the combined ratio are as follows:

	Twelve Months Ended  December 31,
	2016			2015
Loss Ratio:
Current Accident Year
Excluding Catastrophes	50.5			50.0
Catastrophes	18.1			11.5
Current Accident Year	68.6			61.5
Changes to Prior Accident Year	(12.2	)		(6.9	)
Loss Ratio - Calendar Year	56.4			54.6
Expense Ratio	42.0			39.9
Combined Ratio	98.4			94.5

For the twelve months ended December 31^st, the calendar year loss ratio increased by 1.8 points to 56.4  in 2016 from 54.6 in 2015.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, the current accident year loss ratio increased by 7.1 points to 68.6 in 2016 compared to 61.5 for the same period in 2015.

• The current accident year property loss ratio increased 9.8 points to 69.2 in 2016 from 59.4 in 2015 primarily due to higher catastrophe losses experienced during the fourth accident quarter of 2016, particularly from the Tennessee Wildfires.
   
• The current accident year casualty loss ratio improved by 1.4 points to 66.9 in 2016 from 68.3 in 2015. This improvement is mainly due to a decrease in reported claim frequency reflecting the milder winter experienced in 2016. 
   
• Calendar year results for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 include a 12.2 point reduction in the loss ratio related to prior accident years, which was primarily driven by lower than expected claims frequency and severity experienced across multiple prior accident years within Commercial Lines, primarily related to general liability, and less than expected emergence on property catastrophe treaties within the Reinsurance Operations. 

For the twelve months ended December 31^st, the expense ratio increased from 39.9 in 2015 to 42.0 in 2016.

The increase is primarily due to the reduction in earned premiums in 2016 as a result of the quota share arrangement and the purchase of additional reinsurance put in place to mitigate catastrophe exposure as well as the 2015 expense ratio benefitting from accounting adjustments related to the purchase of American Reliable.

Global Indemnity Limited's Gross and Net Premiums Written Results by Segment

	Twelve Months Ended December 31,
	Gross Premiums Written						Net Premiums Written
		2016			2015			2016			2015
Commercial Lines Operations	$	205,120		$	214,218		$	184,911		$	197,526
Personal Lines Operations		300,888			326,282			226,228			254,035
Reinsurance Operations		59,837			49,733			59,801			49,683
Total	$	565,845		$	590,233		$	470,940		$	501,244

Commercial Lines Operations: Gross premiums written and net premiums written decreased 4.2% and 6.4%, respectively, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the same period in 2015. The decline in gross premiums written was mainly due to non-renewal of a program.  This decline in gross premiums written as well as ceding more premiums in an effort to reduce exposure to catastrophes and large losses contributed to the decrease in net premiums written.

Personal Lines Operations:  For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, gross premiums written and net premiums written decreased 7.8% and 10.9%, respectively, as compared to the same period in 2015. Gross premiums written include business written by American Reliable that is ceded to insurance entities owned by Assurant under a 100% quota share reinsurance agreement in the amount of $35.3 million and $55.8 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.  Excluding the business that is ceded 100% to insurance entities owned by Assurant, gross premiums written decreased by 1.8% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 as compared to 2015. The reduction in net premiums written is due to purchasing additional reinsurance to reduce catastrophe exposure.

Reinsurance Operations: For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, gross premiums written and net premiums written increased 20.3% and 20.4%, respectively, as compared to the same period in 2015 primarily due to a new treaty written in the fourth quarter of 2016. 

Note: Tables Follow

GLOBAL INDEMNITY LIMITED  CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS  (Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data)
	For the Three Months  Ended December 31,						For the Twelve Months  Ended December 31,
	(Unaudited)						(Unaudited)
	2016			2015			2016					2015
Gross premiums written	$	136,591		$	130,701		$	565,845			$	590,233
Net premiums written	$	113,707		$	106,638		$	470,940			$	501,244
Net premiums earned	$	109,472		$	123,222		$	468,465			$	504,143
Net investment income		8,880			8,375			33,983				34,609
Net realized investment gains (losses)		30,778			3,842			21,721				(3,374	)
Other income (1)		742			992			10,345				3,400
Total revenues		149,872			136,431			534,514				538,778
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses		48,946			48,498			264,003				275,368
Acquisition costs and other underwriting expenses		47,889			51,185			196,650				201,303
Corporate and other operating expenses		4,274			5,007			17,338				24,448
Interest expense		2,228			2,278			8,905				4,913
Income before income taxes		46,535			29,463			47,618				32,746
Income tax expense (benefit)		8,162			2,159			(2,250	)			(8,723	)
Net income	$	38,373		$	27,304		$	49,868			$	41,469
Weighted average shares outstanding-basic		17,264			20,695			17,247				24,254
Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted		17,597			20,957			17,547				24,506
Net income per share - basic	$	2.22		$	1.32		$	2.89			$	1.71
Net income per share - diluted	$	2.18		$	1.30		$	2.84			$	1.69
Combined ratio analysis: (2)
Loss ratio		44.7			39.4			56.4				54.6
Expense ratio		43.7			41.5			42.0				39.9
Combined ratio		88.4			80.9			98.4				94.5
(1)  On September 30, 2016, the Company sold all the outstanding shares of capital stock of one of its wholly owned subsidiaries, United National Specialty Insurance Company, to an unrelated party and recognized a pretax gain of $6.9 million.  This transaction will not have an impact on the Company's ongoing business operations. Business previously written by United National Specialty Insurance Company has been and will be written by other companies within the Company's U.S. Insurance Operations.
(2)  The loss ratio, expense ratio and combined ratio are GAAP financial measures that are generally viewed in the insurance industry as indicators of underwriting profitability.  The loss ratio is the ratio of net losses and loss adjustment expenses to net premiums earned.  The expense ratio is the ratio of acquisition costs and other underwriting expenses to net premiums earned.  The combined ratio is the sum of the loss and expense ratios.

GLOBAL INDEMNITY LIMITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS  (Dollars in thousands)
ASSETS				(Unaudited) December 31, 2016				December 31, 2015
Fixed Maturities:
	Available for sale securities, at fair value (amortized cost: 2016 - $1,241,339 and 2015 - $1,308,333)			$	1,240,031			$	1,306,149
Equity securities:
	Available for sale, at fair value (cost: 2016 - $119,515 and 2015 - $100,157)				120,557				110,315
Other invested assets					66,121				32,592
		Total investments			1,426,709				1,449,056
Cash and cash equivalents					75,110				67,037
Premiums receivable, net					92,094				89,245
Reinsurance receivables, net					143,774				115,594
Funds held by ceding insurers					13,114				16,037
Deferred federal income taxes					40,957				34,687
Deferred acquisition costs					57,901				56,517
Intangible assets					23,079				23,607
Goodwill					6,521				6,521
Prepaid reinsurance premiums					42,583				44,363
Receivable for securities sold					-				172
Federal income taxes receivable					-				4,828
Other assets					51,104				49,630
		Total assets		$	1,972,946			$	1,957,294
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Liabilities:
Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses				$	651,042			$	680,047
Unearned premiums					286,984				286,285
Ceded balances payable					14,675				4,589
Contingent commissions					9,454				11,069
Debt					163,143				172,034
Payable for Securities					3,717				-
Federal income taxes payable					219				-
Other liabilities					45,761				53,344
		Total liabilities			1,174,995				1,207,368
Shareholders' equity:
Ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value, 900,000,000 ordinary shares authorized; A ordinary shares issued: 13,436,548 and 16,424,546 respectively; A ordinary shares outstanding: 13,436,548 and 13,313,751, respectively; B ordinary  shares issued and outstanding: 4,133,366 and 4,133,366, respectively					2				3
Additional paid-in capital					430,283				529,872
Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of taxes					(618	)			4,078
Retained earnings					368,284				318,416
A ordinary shares in treasury, at cost: 0 and 3,110,795 shares, respectively					-				(102,443	)
		Total shareholders' equity			797,951				749,926
		Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		$	1,972,946			$	1,957,294

 

GLOBAL INDEMNITY LIMITED SELECTED INVESTMENT DATA  (Dollars in millions)
	Market Value as of
	(Unaudited)  December 31, 2016				December 31, 2015
Fixed maturities	$	1,240.0			$	1,306.1
Cash and cash equivalents		75.1				67.0
Total bonds and cash and cash equivalents		1,315.1				1,373.1
Equities and other invested assets		186.7				143.0
Total cash and invested assets, gross		1,501.8				1,516.1
Receivable (payable) for securities sold/(purchased)		(3.7	)			0.2
Total cash and invested assets, net	$	1,498.1			$	1,516.3

 

		(Unaudited) Twelve Months Ended  December 31, 2016 (a)
Net investment income		$	34.0
Net realized investment gains			21.7
Net change in unrealized investment gains and losses			(8.2	)
Net realized and unrealized investment returns			13.5
Total investment return		$	47.5
Average total cash and invested assets		$	1,507.2
Total investment return %			3.1	%
(a)  Amounts in this table are shown on a pre-tax basis.

            

GLOBAL INDEMNITY LIMITED SUMMARY OF OPERATING INCOME (Unaudited)  (Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data)
	For the Three Months Ended December 31,						For the Twelve Months Ended December 31,
		2016			2015			2016			2015
Operating income	$	18,444		$	24,596		$	35,781		$	44,026
Adjustments:
Net realized investment gains/(losses), net of tax		19,929			2,708			14,087			(2,557	)
Net income	$	38,373		$	27,304		$	49,868		$	41,469
Weighted average shares outstanding -  basic		17,264			20,695			17,247			24,254
Weighted average shares outstanding -  diluted		17,597			20,957			17,547			24,506
Operating income per share - basic	$	1.07		$	1.19		$	2.07		$	1.82
Operating income per share - diluted	$	1.05		$	1.17		$	2.04		$	1.80

Note Regarding Operating Income

Operating income, a non-GAAP financial measure, is equal to net income excluding after-tax net realized investment gains (losses). Operating income is not a substitute for net income determined in accordance with GAAP, and investors should not place undue reliance on this measure.

Media
Stephen W. Ries
Senior Corporate Counsel
[phone]
[e-mail]

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Source: Global Indemnity Limited via Globenewswire