Business and Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Business and Significant Accounting Policies

The accompanying consolidated financial statements of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. and its subsidiaries (“Argo Group,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Argo Group is an underwriter of specialty insurance products in the property and casualty market.

The preparation of interim financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The major estimates reflected in our consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses; reinsurance recoverables, including the reinsurance recoverables allowance for expected credit losses; fair value of investments and assessment of potential impairment, including the allowance for credit losses on fixed maturity securities; valuation of goodwill and intangibles and our deferred tax asset valuation allowance. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Certain financial information that is normally included in annual financial statements, including certain financial statement footnotes, prepared in accordance with GAAP, is not required for interim reporting purposes and has been condensed or omitted. These statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") (the “2022 Form 10-K”).

The interim financial information as of, and for the three months ended, March 31, 2023 and 2022 is unaudited. However, in the opinion of management, the interim information includes all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair presentation of the results presented for the interim periods. The operating results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. All significant intercompany amounts have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain reclassifications have been made to financial information presented for prior years to conform to the current year’s presentation.

Sale of Argo Underwriting Agency Limited

On September 8, 2022, Argo International Holdings Limited (the “Seller”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and Ohio Farmers Insurance Company (the “Buyer”), part of the Westfield group of insurance companies, entered into a sale and purchase agreement (the “Transaction”) under which the Seller agreed to sell, and the Buyer agreed to purchase, the entire issued share capital of Argo Underwriting Agency Limited (“AUA”), for which the financial results are reported in our International segment. This transaction simplifies our reporting structure and is intended to drive greater efficiencies.

The base cash consideration for the purchase is $125.0 million, which will be adjusted to reflect the extent by which AUA’s net assets at completion are greater or lesser than AUA net assets as of March 31, 2022. In the third quarter of 2022, as a result of the sale, an impairment was recorded in the amount of $28.5 million, consisting of $17.3 million of indefinite lived intangible assets and $11.2 million of goodwill, representing the difference between the carrying value and implied fair value as determined by the consideration to be received. In addition, the Buyer will be obliged to replace certain funds provided by the Company to support the activities of AUA and certain of its subsidiaries at Lloyd’s of London, which would then be released to the Company.

As of December 31, 2022, the Company reported the assets and liabilities of this block of business as held-for-sale on Consolidated Balance Sheets with results continuing to be reported within the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) and the International Operations segment. The Company determined that the Transaction did not represent a strategic shift, and therefore, did not meet the requirements for discontinued operations.

On February 2, 2023, the Seller completed the sale of the entire issued share capital of AUA. At the closing, the Company received total consideration of $155.6 million, which included cash proceeds of $125.0 million as base consideration and an additional $30.6 million which was placed in escrow by the Buyer related to certain reinsurance-related recoverables. In the first quarter of 2023, $4.8 million of the consideration placed in escrow was released to the Company. The funds in escrow may be released to the Seller over a period of two years following the closing. At the end of the two-year escrow period, any remaining balance of the escrow will be returned to the Buyer. The base consideration is subject to adjustment pending a final closing balance sheet.

As a result of the sale, we realized a loss of $20.3 million, which is included as a component of Net realized investment and other gains (losses) in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss). This loss is due to the realization of unrealized investment losses, which was previously a component of accumulated other comprehensive income.

Sale of Argo Seguros Brasil S.A.

On February 15, 2022, we completed the sale of our Brazilian operations, Argo Seguros Brasil S.A. (“Argo Seguros”), to Spice Private Equity Ltd., an investment company focused on global private equity investments, for a purchase price of 160 million Brazilian Reais (approximately $30.5 million), subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the purchase agreement. Argo Seguros is one of the units within our International Operations reporting segment. As a result, we realized a loss on the sale of Argo Seguros of $28.5 million, which is included as a component of Net realized investment and other gains (losses) in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss). This loss was primarily attributable to the realization of historical foreign currency translation, which was previously a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. We previously recognized a $6.3 million loss during 2021 as we adjusted the carrying value of Argo Seguros to its fair value.

In third quarter of 2022, a final purchase price was established in the amount of 140 million Brazilian Reais (approximately $26.9 million). As a result, we realized a loss on the sale of Argo Seguros of $33.8 million in 2022, which is included as a component of Net realized investment and other gains (losses) in our Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss).