Essent Group Ltd. Announces Second Quarter 2023 Results and Declares Quarterly Dividend

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Aug 04, 2023

Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT) today reported net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 of $172.2 million or $1.61 per diluted share, compared to $231.8 million or $2.16 per diluted share for the quarter ended June 30, 2022.

Essent also announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per common share. The dividend is payable on September 11, 2023, to shareholders of record on September 1, 2023.

“We are pleased with our second quarter 2023 financial results, which reflect the high quality of our portfolio and the resilience in housing and employment,” said Mark A. Casale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our strong operational performance continues to demonstrate the earnings power of our business and provide us with attractive levels of excess capital, which we can then deploy in the best long-term interest of our shareholders.”

Financial Highlights:

  • New insurance written for the second quarter of 2023 was $13.5 billion, compared to $12.9 billion in the first quarter of 2023 and $20.1 billion in the second quarter of 2022.
  • Insurance in force as of June 30, 2023 was $235.6 billion, compared to $231.5 billion as of March 31, 2023 and $215.9 billion as of June 30, 2022.
  • The combined ratio for the second quarter of 2023 was 20.4%, compared to 22.7% in the first quarter of 2023 and (16.2)% in the second quarter of 2022.
  • During the quarter, Essent successfully executed a consent and tender process on $637 million of outstanding notes from two seasoned ILN deals that provided no regulatory or economic capital credit.
  • On July 1, 2023, Essent Group Ltd. completed its previously announced acquisition of Agents National Title Holding Company and Boston National Holdings LLC for $92.6 million.
  • On July 27, 2023, Essent priced its 9th insurance-link note transaction, Radnor Re 2023-1, which provides $281.5 million of collateralized reinsurance coverage for NIW from August 2022 through June 2023.

Conference Call:

Essent management will hold a conference call at 10:00 AM Eastern time today to discuss its results. The conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet at http://ir.essentgroup.com/events-and-presentations/events/default.aspx. The call may also be accessed by dialing 888-330-2384 inside the U.S., or 240-789-2701 for international callers, using passcode 9824537 or by referencing Essent.

A replay of the webcast will be available on the Essent website approximately two hours after the live broadcast ends for a period of one year. A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the call ends for a period of two weeks, using the following dial-in numbers and passcode: 800-770-2030 inside the U.S., or 647-362-9199 for international callers, passcode 9824537.

In addition to the information provided in the Company's earnings news release, other statistical and financial information, which may be referred to during the conference call, will be available on Essent's website at http://ir.essentgroup.com/financials/quarterly-results/default.aspx.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release may include “forward-looking statements” which are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond our control. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," “should,” “expect,” "plan," "anticipate," "believe," “estimate,” “predict,” or "potential" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Actual events, results and outcomes may differ materially from our expectations due to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Although it is not possible to identify all of these risks and factors, they include, among others, the following: changes in or to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the “GSEs”), whether through Federal legislation, restructurings or a shift in business practices; failure to continue to meet the mortgage insurer eligibility requirements of the GSEs; competition for customers; lenders or investors seeking alternatives to private mortgage insurance; deteriorating economic conditions (including inflation, rising interest rates and other adverse economic trends); the impact of COVID-19 and related economic conditions; an increase in the number of loans insured through Federal government mortgage insurance programs, including those offered by the Federal Housing Administration; decline in new insurance written and franchise value due to loss of a significant customer; decline in the volume of low down payment mortgage originations; the definition of "Qualified Mortgage" reducing the size of the mortgage origination market or creating incentives to use government mortgage insurance programs; the definition of "Qualified Residential Mortgage" reducing the number of low down payment loans or lenders and investors seeking alternatives to private mortgage insurance; the implementation of the Basel III Capital Accord discouraging the use of private mortgage insurance; a decrease in the length of time that insurance policies are in force; uncertainty of loss reserve estimates; our non-U.S. operations becoming subject to U.S. Federal income taxation; becoming considered a passive foreign investment company for U.S. Federal income tax purposes; and other risks and factors described in Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 17, 2023, as subsequently updated through other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking information presented herein is made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.

About the Company:

Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT) is a Bermuda-based holding company (collectively with its subsidiaries, “Essent”) which serves the housing finance industry by offering private mortgage insurance, reinsurance, risk management products and title insurance and settlement services to mortgage lenders, borrowers, and investors to support homeownership. Additional information regarding Essent may be found at www.essentgroup.com and www.essent.us.

Source: Essent Group Ltd.

Essent Group Ltd. and Subsidiaries

Financial Results and Supplemental Information (Unaudited)

Quarter Ended June 30, 2023

Exhibit A

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)

Exhibit B

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

Exhibit C

Historical Quarterly Data

Exhibit D

New Insurance Written

Exhibit E

Insurance in Force and Risk in Force

Exhibit F

Other Risk in Force

Exhibit G

Portfolio Vintage Data

Exhibit H

Reinsurance Vintage Data

Exhibit I

Portfolio Geographic Data

Exhibit J

Rollforward of Defaults and Reserve for Losses and LAE

Exhibit K

Detail of Reserves by Default Delinquency

Exhibit L

Investments Available for Sale

Exhibit M

Insurance Company Capital

Exhibit A

Essent Group Ltd. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

2023

2022

2023

2022

Revenues:

Direct premiums written

$

249,167

$

232,660

$

488,658

$

452,914

Ceded premiums

(39,546

)

(22,318

)

(73,137

)

(42,841

)

Net premiums written

209,621

210,342

415,521

410,073

Decrease in unearned premiums

3,608

1,669

8,966

17,268

Net premiums earned

213,229

212,011

424,487

427,341

Net investment income

45,250

29,339

88,486

54,019

Realized investment losses, net

(1,589

)

(471

)

(2,077

)

(7,823

)

(Loss) income from other invested assets

(4,852

)

1,953

(7,554

)

26,658

Other income

8,090

1,577

13,032

8,825

Total revenues

260,128

244,409

516,374

509,020

Losses and expenses:

Provision (benefit) for losses and LAE

1,260

(76,199

)

1,080

(183,057

)

Other underwriting and operating expenses

42,174

41,898

90,369

82,694

Interest expense

7,394

2,887

14,330

5,113

Total losses and expenses

50,828

(31,414

)

105,779

(95,250

)

Income before income taxes

209,300

275,823

410,595

604,270

Income tax expense

37,067

44,054

67,535

98,334

Net income

$

172,233

$

231,769

$

343,060

$

505,936

Earnings per share:

Basic

$

1.62

$

2.17

$

3.22

$

4.70

Diluted

1.61

2.16

3.20

4.69

Weighted average shares outstanding:

Basic

106,249

106,921

106,594

107,540

Diluted

107,093

107,283

107,338

107,933

Net income

$

172,233

$

231,769

$

343,060

$

505,936

Other comprehensive income (loss):

Change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments

(36,098

)

(134,268

)

22,655

(337,274

)

Total other comprehensive income (loss)

(36,098

)

(134,268

)

22,655

(337,274

)

Comprehensive income

$

136,135

$

97,501

$

365,715

$

168,662

Loss ratio

0.6

%

(35.9

%)

0.3

%

(42.8

%)

Expense ratio

19.8

19.8

21.3

19.4

Combined ratio

20.4

%

(16.2

%)

21.5

%

(23.5

%)

Exhibit B

Essent Group Ltd. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)