EX-99.1 2 a05-19572_1ex99d1.htm EXHIBIT 99

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

Contact:

 

Office of Investor Relations

 

 

e-Mail:

 

InvestorRelations@SafetyInsurance.com

 

 

Telephone:

 

877-951-2522

 

SAFETY ANNOUNCES THIRD QUARTER 2005 RESULTS AND
DECLARES FOURTH QUARTER 2005 DIVIDEND

 

Boston, Massachusetts, November 3, 2005.  Safety Insurance Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAFT) today reported third quarter 2005 results.  Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2005 was $30.5 million, or $1.92 per diluted share, compared to $15.2 million, or $0.98 per diluted share, for the comparable 2004 period.  Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 was $68.2 million, or $4.29 per diluted share, compared to $31.8 million, or $2.06 per diluted share, for the comparable 2004 period.  Safety’s book value per share increased to $23.15 at September 30, 2005 compared to $19.70 at December 31, 2004.  Safety paid $0.42 per share in dividends to investors during the nine months ended September 30, 2005 compared to $0.32 per share during the comparable 2004 period.  Safety paid $0.44 per share in dividends to investors during the year ended December 31, 2004.

 

Direct written premiums for the three months ended September 30, 2005 increased by $6.4 million, or 4.1%, to $161.2 million from $154.8 million for the comparable 2004 period.  Direct written premiums for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 increased by $17.5 million, or 3.5%, to $514.4 million from $496.9 million for the comparable 2004 period.  The 2005 increase occurred primarily in our personal automobile line, which experienced a 0.4% increase in average written premium and a 2.5% increase in written exposures. In addition, our commercial automobile line’s average written premium decreased by 0.7%, which was more than offset by a 7.3% increase in written exposures, and our homeowners line’s average written premium increased by 7.0%, which was partly offset by a 3.0% decrease in written exposures.

 

Net written premiums for the three months ended September 30, 2005 increased by $5.4 million, or 3.6%, to $156.9 million from $151.5 million for the comparable 2004 period.  Net written premiums for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 increased by $22.7 million, or 4.6%, to $511.2 million from $488.5 million for the comparable 2004 period.  Net earned premiums for the three months ended September 30, 2005 increased by $8.0 million, or 5.4%, to $157.5 million from $149.5 million for the comparable 2004 period.  Net earned premiums for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 increased by $30.5 million, or 6.9%, to $470.5 million from $440.0 million for the comparable 2004 period. These increases were primarily due to the factors that increased direct written premiums combined with a decrease in premiums ceded to Commonwealth Automobile Reinsurers (“CAR”).

 

Net investment income for the three months ended September 30, 2005 was $7.9 million compared to $6.9 million for the comparable 2004 period. Net investment income for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 was $23.1 million compared to $20.3 million for the comparable 2004 period.  Average cash and investment securities (at cost) increased by $107.6 million, or 15.0%, to $826.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 from $719.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 due primarily to a $89.3 million increase in average cash and cash equivalents.  Net effective annualized yield on the investment portfolio decreased to 3.7% during the nine months ended September 30, 2005 from 4.0% during 2004 due to management’s investment strategy to shorten the portfolio duration, shift to higher rated securities, and increase tax-exempt holdings.  Our duration decreased to 3.2 years at September 30, 2005 from 3.4 years at December 31, 2004.   Net realized gains on investments decreased to $0.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 from $1.3 million for the comparable 2004 period.

 

Loss, expense and combined ratios calculated under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for the three months ended September 30, 2005 were 57.0%, 23.3% and 80.3% compared to 69.1%, 24.2% and 93.3% for the comparable 2004 period. Loss, expense and combined ratios calculated under GAAP for the nine months ended September 30, 2005 were 62.4%, 24.1% and 86.5% compared to 72.8%, 24.2% and 97.0% for the comparable 2004 period.  The loss ratio improved as a result of a decrease in personal and commercial automobile bodily injury claim

 



 

frequency, favorable loss development in our personal automobile line prior year results, and favorable loss development in CAR prior year results.  Total prior year development included in the pre-tax results for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2005 was $10.2 million and $27.5 million, respectively, compared to $2.2 million prior year development for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004.

 

The Board of Directors today approved and declared a $0.18 per share quarterly cash dividend on the issued and outstanding common stock, payable on December 15, 2005 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 1, 2005.

 

About Safety:  Safety Insurance Group, Inc. is the parent of Safety Insurance Company and Safety Indemnity Insurance Company, which are Boston, MA, based writers of property and casualty insurance.  Safety is a leading writer of personal automobile insurance in Massachusetts.

 

Additional Information:  Press releases, announcements, U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Filings and investor information are available under “About Safety”, “Investor Information” on our Company website located at www.SafetyInsurance.com.  Safety filed its December 31, 2004 Form 10-K with the SEC on March 16, 2005, filed its March 31, 2005 and June 30, 2005 Forms 10-Q on May 10 and August 9, 2005, respectively, and urges stockholders to refer to those documents for more complete information concerning Safety’s financial results.

 

Cautionary Statement under “Safe Harbor” Provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

 

This press release contains, and Safety may from time to time make, written or oral “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws.

 

Forward-looking statements might include one or more of the following, among others:

 

                  Projections of revenues, income, earnings per share, capital expenditures, dividends, capital structure or other financial items;

                  Descriptions of plans or objectives of management for future operations, products or services;

                  Forecasts of future economic performance, liquidity, need for funding and income; and

                  Descriptions of assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing.

 

Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “aim,” “projects,” or words of similar meaning and expressions that indicate future events and trends, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may”. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company’s strategy for growth, product development, market position, expenditures and financial results, are forward looking statements.

 

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. There are a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause actual future conditions, events, results or trends to differ significantly and/or materially from historical results or those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include but are not limited to the competitive nature of our industry and the possible adverse effects of such competition.  Although a number of national insurers that are much larger than we are do not currently compete in a material way in the Massachusetts private passenger automobile market, if one or more of these companies decided to aggressively enter the market it could have a material adverse effect on us.   Other significant factors include conditions for business operations and restrictive regulations in Massachusetts, the possibility of losses due to claims resulting from severe weather, the possibility that the Commissioner may approve future Rule changes that change the operation of the residual market, our possible need for and availability of additional financing, and our dependence on strategic relationships, among others, and other risks and factors identified from time to time in our reports filed with the SEC, such as those set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our prospectus in the registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on November 22, 2002.

 

Some other factors, such as market, operational, liquidity, interest rate, equity and other risks, are described elsewhere in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Annual Reports on Form 10-K. Factors

 



 

relating to the regulation and supervision of our Company are also described or incorporated in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2005. There are other factors besides those described or incorporated in this release or in the reports on Form 10-Q and Form 10-K that could cause actual conditions, events or results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

 



 

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands, except share data)

 

 

 

September 30,

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2005

 

2004

 

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

Investment securities available for sale:

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed maturities, at fair value (amortized cost: $692,872 and $650,159)

 

$

694,773

 

$

663,509

 

Equity securities, at fair value (cost: $2,057 and $1,037)

 

2,157

 

1,087

 

Total investment securities

 

696,930

 

664,596

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

181,574

 

155,673

 

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts

 

167,167

 

150,451

 

Accrued investment income

 

8,052

 

7,008

 

Receivable from reinsurers related to paid loss and loss adjustment expenses

 

21,595

 

18,980

 

Receivable from reinsurers related to unpaid loss and loss adjustment expenses

 

81,293

 

84,167

 

Prepaid reinsurance premiums

 

40,946

 

43,402

 

Deferred policy acquisition costs

 

49,763

 

42,919

 

Deferred income taxes

 

18,825

 

12,679

 

Equity and deposits in pools

 

49,775

 

23,678

 

Other assets

 

2,480

 

2,892

 

Total assets

 

$

1,318,400

 

$

1,206,445

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves

 

$

455,813

 

$

450,897

 

Unearned premium reserves

 

376,119

 

337,786

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

27,672

 

43,684

 

Taxes payable

 

4,570

 

3,509

 

Outstanding claims drafts

 

17,423

 

16,832

 

Payable to reinsurers

 

43,083

 

16,990

 

Payable for securities purchased

 

8,921

 

10,972

 

Capital lease obligations

 

321

 

485

 

Debt

 

19,956

 

19,956

 

Total liabilities

 

953,878

 

901,111

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock: $0.01 par value; 30,000,000 shares authorized; 15,743,472 and 15,500,052 shares issued and outstanding, respectively

 

157

 

155

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

119,015

 

114,070

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of taxes

 

1,301

 

8,709

 

Retained earnings

 

244,049

 

182,400

 

Total shareholders’ equity

 

364,522

 

305,334

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 

$

1,318,400

 

$

1,206,445

 

 



 

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share and share data)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

 

September 30,

 

September 30,

 

 

 

2005

 

2004

 

2005

 

2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earned premiums

 

$

157,521

 

$

149,473

 

$

470,451

 

$

439,983

 

Net investment income

 

7,939

 

6,866

 

23,051

 

20,322

 

Net realized gains on investments

 

58

 

712

 

454

 

1,316

 

Finance and other service income

 

4,322

 

4,098

 

12,268

 

11,698

 

Total revenue

 

169,840

 

161,149

 

506,224

 

473,319

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Losses and loss adjustment expenses

 

89,748

 

103,282

 

293,720

 

320,209

 

Underwriting, operating and related expenses

 

36,769

 

36,209

 

113,335

 

106,649

 

Interest expenses

 

262

 

168

 

710

 

480

 

Total expenses

 

126,779

 

139,659

 

407,765

 

427,338

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

 

43,061

 

21,490

 

98,459

 

45,981

 

Income tax expense

 

12,586

 

6,313

 

30,236

 

14,154

 

Net income

 

$

30,475

 

$

15,177

 

$

68,223

 

$

31,827

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per weighted average common share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

1.95

 

$

0.99

 

$

4.39

 

$

2.08

 

Diluted

 

$

1.92

 

$

0.98

 

$

4.29

 

$

2.06

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash dividends paid per common share

 

$

0.18

 

$

0.12

 

$

0.42

 

$

0.32

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

15,630,838

 

15,318,862

 

15,552,128

 

15,283,000

 

Diluted

 

15,878,212

 

15,521,420

 

15,912,808

 

15,468,389