EX-99.1 2 saft-20160503ex991265e85.htm EX-99.1 saft_Ex99-1

Exhibit 99.1

Safety_logo_468x102_300dpi

 

SAFETY ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER 2016 RESULTS AND
DECLARES SECOND QUARTER 2016 DIVIDEND

 

Boston, Massachusetts, May 3, 2016.  Safety Insurance Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAFT) today reported first quarter 2016 results.  Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 was $12.7 million, or $0.84 per diluted share, compared to net loss of $35.1 million, or $2.37 per diluted share, for the comparable 2015 period.  Safety’s book value per share increased to $43.46 at March 31, 2016 from $42.70 at December 31, 2015.  Safety paid $0.70 per share in dividends to investors during the quarters ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015, respectively. Safety paid $2.80 per share in dividends to investors during the year ended December 31, 2015.

Direct written premiums for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 increased by $1.3 million, or 0.6%, to $196.0 million from $194.7 million for the comparable 2015 period. The 2016 increase occurred primarily in our homeowners and commercial automobile lines of business, which experienced increases in average written premium per exposure of 7.6% and 3.2%, respectively.

Net written premiums for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 increased by $0.4 million, or 0.2%, to $185.7 million from $185.3 million for the comparable 2015 period. Net earned premiums for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 increased by $3.1 million, or 1.7%, to $185.7 million from $182.6 million for the comparable 2015 period. Net written and net earned premiums increased primarily due to the factors that increased direct written premiums.

For the quarter ended March 31, 2016, loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred decreased by $82.3 million, or 39.5%, to $126.0 million from $208.3 million for the comparable 2015 period. Loss, expense, and combined ratios calculated under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 were 67.9%, 30.1%, and 98.0%, respectively, compared to 114.1%, 28.5%, and 142.6%, respectively, for the comparable 2015 period.  Loss, expense and combined ratios for the quarter ended March 31, 2015 were impacted by the highest recorded snowfall totals in Massachusetts history. Total prior year favorable development included in the pre-tax results for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 was $10.1 million compared to $4.1 million for the comparable 2015 period.

Net investment income for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 decreased by $1.0 million, or 8.8%, to $9.6 million from $10.6 million for the comparable 2015 period.  The decrease is a result of changes in the average invested asset balance as a result of investment proceeds used in the payment of claims resulting from the 2015 winter events.  Net effective annualized yield on the investment portfolio for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 was 3.2% compared to 3.4% for the comparable 2015 period.  Our duration was 4.1 years at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. 

Today, our Board of Directors approved and declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.70 per share on the issued and outstanding common stock, payable on June 15, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 1, 2016.

 


 

About Safety:  Safety Insurance Group, Inc. is the parent of Safety Insurance Company, Safety Indemnity Insurance Company, and Safety Property and Casualty 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, 2015 Form 10-K with the SEC on February 26, 2016 and urges shareholders to refer to this document for more complete information concerning Safety’s financial results.

Contacts:

Safety Insurance Group, Inc.

Office of Investor Relations

877-951-2522

 

InvestorRelations@SafetyInsurance.com

 

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 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 of Insurance 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 Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 filed with the SEC on February 26, 2016.

We are not under any obligation (and expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.  You should carefully consider the possibility that actual results may differ materially from our forward-looking statements.


 

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands, except share data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

March 31, 

    

December 31, 

 

 

2016

 

2015

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Securities available for sale:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed maturities, at fair value (amortized cost: $1,059,661 and $1,063,971)

 

$

1,091,263

 

$

1,081,637

Equity securities, at fair value (cost: $101,335 and $102,541)

 

 

111,122

 

 

110,204

Other invested assets

 

 

17,572

 

 

17,602

Total investments

 

 

1,219,957

 

 

1,209,443

Cash and cash equivalents

 

 

35,940

 

 

47,494

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts

 

 

178,671

 

 

178,567

Receivable for securities sold

 

 

89

 

 

260

Accrued investment income

 

 

9,374

 

 

8,922

Taxes recoverable

 

 

14,182

 

 

15,497

Receivable from reinsurers related to paid loss and loss adjustment expenses

 

 

27,807

 

 

40,972

Receivable from reinsurers related to unpaid loss and loss adjustment expenses

 

 

77,075

 

 

68,261

Ceded unearned premiums

 

 

24,345

 

 

23,222

Deferred policy acquisition costs

 

 

68,404

 

 

68,937

Deferred income taxes

 

 

 —

 

 

4,430

Equity and deposits in pools

 

 

23,373

 

 

23,558

Other assets

 

 

15,013

 

 

14,306

Total assets

 

$

1,694,230

 

$

1,703,869

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves

 

$

549,901

 

$

553,977

Unearned premium reserves

 

 

403,083

 

 

401,961

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

 

46,593

 

 

53,722

Payable for securities purchased

 

 

2,181

 

 

8,607

Payable to reinsurers

 

 

11,586

 

 

11,547

Deferred income taxes

 

 

1,298

 

 

 —

Taxes payable

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

Other liabilities

 

 

21,257

 

 

29,556

Total liabilities

 

 

1,035,899

 

 

1,059,370

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock:  $0.01 par value; 30,000,000 shares authorized; 17,427,897 and 17,373,643 shares issued

 

 

174

 

 

174

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

181,173

 

 

179,896

Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of taxes

 

 

26,903

 

 

16,464

Retained earnings

 

 

533,916

 

 

531,800

Treasury stock, at cost: 2,279,570 shares

 

 

(83,835)

 

 

(83,835)

Total shareholders’ equity

 

 

658,331

 

 

644,499

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 

$

1,694,230

 

$

1,703,869

 


 

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended  March 31, 

 

    

2016

    

2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net earned premiums

 

$

185,654

 

$

182,564

Net investment income

 

 

9,627

 

 

10,557

Earnings from partnership investments

 

 

878

 

 

 —

Net realized (losses) gains on investments

 

 

(323)

 

 

411

Net impairment losses on investments (a)

 

 

(292)

 

 

 —

Finance and other service income

 

 

4,285

 

 

4,507

Total revenue

 

 

199,829

 

 

198,039

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Losses and loss adjustment expenses

 

 

125,979

 

 

208,324

Underwriting, operating and related expenses

 

 

55,957

 

 

52,097

Interest expense

 

 

22

 

 

22

Total expenses

 

 

181,958

 

 

260,443

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income taxes

 

 

17,871

 

 

(62,404)

Income tax expense (credit)

 

 

5,201

 

 

(27,333)

Net income (loss)

 

$

12,670

 

$

(35,071)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings (loss) per weighted average common share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

0.84

 

$

(2.37)

Diluted

 

$

0.84

 

$

(2.37)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash dividends paid per common share

 

$

0.70

 

$

0.70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of shares used in computing earnings (loss) per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

14,903,958

 

 

14,824,132

Diluted

 

 

14,936,017

 

 

14,824,132

(a)

No portion of the other-than-temporary impairments recognized in the period indicated were included in comprehensive income

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Additional Premium Information

(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended  March 31, 

 

 

 

    

2016

    

2015

    

 

Written Premiums

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct

 

$

195,952

 

$

194,733

 

 

Assumed

 

 

7,140

 

 

7,292

 

 

Ceded

 

 

(17,440)

 

 

(16,735)

 

 

Net written premiums

 

$

185,652

 

$

185,290

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earned Premiums

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct

 

$

194,295

 

$

190,711

 

 

Assumed

 

 

7,675

 

 

6,838

 

 

Ceded

 

 

(16,316)

 

 

(14,985)

 

 

Net earned premiums

 

$

185,654

 

$

182,564