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Business and Basis of Presentation Financial Services, Insurance (Policies)
3 Months Ended 6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025
Mar. 31, 2025
Insurance [Abstract]    
Consolidation, Policy
Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of AFG and all other entities in which AFG (directly or through its subsidiaries) has a controlling financial interest. All significant intercompany balances have been eliminated. The usual condition for a controlling financial interest is ownership of a majority of the voting interests of an entity.
Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations
The Company has separately classified the assets and liabilities of AAC as held for sale as a result of AAC's pending sale and meeting specified accounting criteria. Assets and liabilities held for sale are presented separately within the Consolidated Balance Sheets with any adjustments necessary to measure the disposal group at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less costs to sell. The stockholders' equity section of the Consolidated Balance Sheet continues to be reported on an aggregate basis; equity components (including nonredeemable NCI) solely attributable to AAC are not presented separately.
The Company reports the results of operations of AAC as discontinued operations since the pending sale also represents a strategic shift that will have a major effect on the Company's operations and financial results. The results of discontinued operations are reported separately as Net income (loss) from discontinued operations within the Consolidated Statements of Total Comprehensive Income for the current and prior periods. AAC cash flows are reflected as Net cash provided by (used in) discontinued operations within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for each period presented.
Refer to Sale of Ambac Assurance Corporation ("AAC") in Note 3. Discontinued Operation for further information.
 
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]
Adopted Accounting Standards
There have been no new accounting standards adopted during the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Future Application of Accounting Standards and Required Disclosures
Income Taxes:
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The enhancements in the ASU include the following:
Within the rate reconciliation table, disclosure of additional categories of information about federal, state and foreign income taxes and providing more details about the reconciling items in some categories if the items meet a quantitative threshold.
Annual disclosure of income taxes paid (net of refunds received) disaggregated by federal (national), state and foreign taxes and disaggregation of the information by jurisdiction based on a quantitative threshold.
Other disclosures include: i) income (or loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (or benefit) disaggregated between domestic and foreign and ii) income tax expense (or benefit) from continuing operations disaggregated by federal (national), state, and foreign.
The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. Ambac will
adopt this ASU for the annual reporting period ending December 31, 2025. The standard is not expected to have a consequential impact on Ambac's financial statements.
Expense Disaggregation Disclosures:
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40). The enhanced disclosures requirements include the following:
Disclose the amounts of certain expense categories included in each relevant expense caption. Those categories applicable to Ambac include employee compensation, depreciation, and intangible asset amortization. A relevant expense caption is an expense caption presented on the face of the income statement within continuing operations that contains any of the expense categories listed above.
Include certain amounts that are already required to be disclosed under current GAAP in the same disclosure as the other disaggregation requirements.
Disclose a qualitative description of the amounts remaining in relevant expense captions that are not separately disaggregated quantitatively.
Disclose the total amount of selling expenses and, in annual reporting periods, an entity’s definition of selling expenses.
The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026 and for interim reporting periods after December 15, 2027 with early adoption permitted. Ambac has not determined if it will early adopt this ASU and is evaluating the impact on Ambac's financial statements.
 
Organization, Consolidation, Basis of Presentation, Business Description and Accounting Policies [Text Block]  
1.    BACKGROUND AND BUSINESS DESCRIPTION
Business
The following description provides an update of Note 1. Background and Business Description and Note 2. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and should be read in conjunction with the complete descriptions provided in the Form 10-K. Capitalized terms used, but not defined herein, and in the other footnotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (“AFG”), headquartered in New York City, is an insurance holding company incorporated in the state of Delaware on April 29, 1991. References to “Ambac,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” are to AFG and its subsidiaries, as the context requires. Ambac's principal businesses include:
Insurance Distribution — Ambac's specialty property and casualty ("P&C") insurance underwriting and distribution business, includes Managing General Agents and Underwriters (collectively "MGAs" or "MGA/Us"), an insurance broker, and other distribution and underwriting businesses. Insurance Distribution includes Beat Capital Partners Limited, which was acquired on July 31, 2024. At March 31, 2025, Ambac's insurance distribution platform operates in the following lines of business: property, niche specialty risk, accident & health, miscellaneous specialty, reinsurance, marine & energy, specialty auto, other professional and professional Directors & Officers ("D&O") .
Specialty Property & Casualty Insurance — Ambac's Specialty Property & Casualty Insurance program business currently includes five carriers (collectively, “Everspan”). Everspan carriers have an A.M. Best rating of 'A-' (Excellent) which was last affirmed on June 13, 2024.
The Company reports these two business operations as segments; see Note 2. Segment Information for further information.
Basis of Presentation
The Company has disclosed its significant accounting policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. The following significant accounting policies provide an update to those included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for interim financial reporting and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the
information and disclosures required by GAAP for annual periods. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have not been audited by an independent registered public accounting firm in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (U.S.), but in the opinion of management such financial statements include all adjustments necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2025, may not be indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2025. The December 31, 2024, consolidated balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements.
The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. As additional information becomes available or actual amounts become determinable, the recorded estimates are revised and reflected in operating results.
Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of AFG and all other entities in which AFG (directly or through its subsidiaries) has a controlling financial interest. All significant intercompany balances have been eliminated. The usual condition for a controlling financial interest is ownership of a majority of the voting interests of an entity.
Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations
The Company has separately classified the assets and liabilities of AAC as held for sale as a result of AAC's pending sale and meeting specified accounting criteria. Assets and liabilities held for sale are presented separately within the Consolidated Balance Sheets with any adjustments necessary to measure the disposal group at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less costs to sell. The stockholders' equity section of the Consolidated Balance Sheet continues to be reported on an aggregate basis; equity components (including nonredeemable NCI) solely attributable to AAC are not presented separately.
The Company reports the results of operations of AAC as discontinued operations since the pending sale also represents a strategic shift that will have a major effect on the Company's operations and financial results. The results of discontinued operations are reported separately as Net income (loss) from discontinued operations within the Consolidated Statements of Total Comprehensive Income for the current and prior periods. AAC cash flows are reflected as Net cash provided by (used in) discontinued operations within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for each period presented.
Refer to Sale of Ambac Assurance Corporation ("AAC") in Note 3. Discontinued Operation for further information.
Foreign Currency
The impact of non-functional currency transactions and the remeasurement of non-functional currency assets and liabilities into the respective subsidiaries' functional currency (collectively "foreign currency transactions gains/(losses)") are $(1,582) and $0 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Foreign currency transaction gains/(losses) are primarily the result of Beat's transactions in currencies (primarily the U.S. dollar) other than its functional currency (the British Pound Sterling).
Noncontrolling Interests ("NCI")
Nonredeemable NCI
Nonredeemable NCI of $122,909 and $146,837 as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 includes the NCI share in certain operating units which are minority owned by the units' respective management teams that do not have associated put options. As of December 31, 2024, there were no put options associated with any of these minority interests and as such, the aggregate amount was classified as nonredeemable NCI on the balance sheet. During the three months ended March 31, 2025, certain NCI shares were reclassified between nonredeemable and redeemable NCI as further described under "Redeemable NCI" below. The acquisition date valuation method to determine the fair value of nonredeemable NCI was the discounted cash flow approach. The significant fair value assumptions used in the model included estimated long term revenue and expense forecasts and the discount rate. When redeemable NCI shares are no longer redeemable, such as when put options expire unused, the NCI shares are reclassified to nonredeemable NCI with no change in carrying value.
At March 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024, AAC had 4,596 shares of issued and outstanding Auction Market Preferred Shares ("AMPS") with a liquidation preference of $114,900 relative to Ambac common shareholders (reported as nonredeemable noncontrolling interest of $50,918 on Ambac's balance sheet). See Note 5. Discontinued Operation in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. for further discussion of the AMPS.
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
The Xchange, All Trans, Capacity Marine, Riverton and Beat acquisitions resulted in a majority ownership of the acquired entities by Ambac. Under the terms of all the acquisition
agreements, Ambac has call options to purchase the remaining interests from the minority owners (i.e., noncontrolling interests) and the minority owners have put options to sell their interests to Ambac. Because the exercise of the put options are outside the control of Ambac, in accordance with the Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity Topic of the ASC, Ambac reports redeemable NCI in the mezzanine section of its consolidated balance sheet. In addition, during the three months ended March 31, 2025, Ambac entered into put options with certain minority owners of the MGA/U operating entities that are majority owned by Beat. These put options are embedded in the associated NCI shares ("Option Shares"), resulting in remeasurement of the shares at fair value inclusive of the put options, and reclassification of the Option Shares from nonredeemable NCI to redeemable NCI. The change in carrying value resulting from revaluation of $10,276 is recorded as an offset to retained earnings, with a corresponding impact on earnings per share.
The redeemable noncontrolling interest is remeasured on an annual basis as the greater of:
i.the carrying value under ASC 810, which attributes a portion of consolidated net income (loss) to the redeemable noncontrolling interest, and
ii.the redemption value of the put option under ASC 480 as if it were exercisable at the end of the reporting period.
Any increase (decrease) in the carrying amount of the redeemable noncontrolling interest as a result of adjusting to the redemption value of the put option is recorded as an offset to retained earnings. The impact of such differences on earnings per share are presented in Note 11. Net Income Per Share.
Following is a rollforward of redeemable noncontrolling interest.
Three Months Ended March 31,20252024
Beginning balance$140,860 $17,079 
Reclassification from nonredeemable noncontrolling interest including remeasurement at fair value42,180 — 
Reclassification to nonredeemable noncontrolling interest(1,877)— 
Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest (ASC 810)258 703 
Distributions(708)(650)
Adjustment to redemption value (ASC 480)907 (53)
Foreign exchange3,797 — 
Ending balance$185,417 $17,079 
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow InformationThree Months Ended March 31,
20252024
Cash paid during the period for:
Income taxes$6,834 $2,122 
Interest on debt3,819 — 
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Securities acquired (transferred) in connection with financial guarantee commutations (65,000)
March 31,
20252024
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the
Consolidated Balance Sheets to the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows:
Cash and cash equivalents$34,064 $13,753 
Restricted cash17,596 10,937 
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows$51,660 $24,690 
Restricted cash is cash that we do not have the right to use for general purposes and includes fiduciary cash held by Ambac's insurance distribution subsidiaries, consolidated variable interest entity cash to support the obligations of the consolidated VIEs and cash received as collateral under their derivatives agreements.
Reclassifications and Rounding
Reclassifications may have been made to prior years' amounts to conform to the current year's presentation. Certain amounts and tables in the consolidated financial statements and associated notes may not add due to rounding.
Adopted Accounting Standards
There have been no new accounting standards adopted during the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Future Application of Accounting Standards and Required Disclosures
Income Taxes:
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The enhancements in the ASU include the following:
Within the rate reconciliation table, disclosure of additional categories of information about federal, state and foreign income taxes and providing more details about the reconciling items in some categories if the items meet a quantitative threshold.
Annual disclosure of income taxes paid (net of refunds received) disaggregated by federal (national), state and foreign taxes and disaggregation of the information by jurisdiction based on a quantitative threshold.
Other disclosures include: i) income (or loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (or benefit) disaggregated between domestic and foreign and ii) income tax expense (or benefit) from continuing operations disaggregated by federal (national), state, and foreign.
The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. Ambac will
adopt this ASU for the annual reporting period ending December 31, 2025. The standard is not expected to have a consequential impact on Ambac's financial statements.
Expense Disaggregation Disclosures:
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40). The enhanced disclosures requirements include the following:
Disclose the amounts of certain expense categories included in each relevant expense caption. Those categories applicable to Ambac include employee compensation, depreciation, and intangible asset amortization. A relevant expense caption is an expense caption presented on the face of the income statement within continuing operations that contains any of the expense categories listed above.
Include certain amounts that are already required to be disclosed under current GAAP in the same disclosure as the other disaggregation requirements.
Disclose a qualitative description of the amounts remaining in relevant expense captions that are not separately disaggregated quantitatively.
Disclose the total amount of selling expenses and, in annual reporting periods, an entity’s definition of selling expenses.
The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026 and for interim reporting periods after December 15, 2027 with early adoption permitted. Ambac has not determined if it will early adopt this ASU and is evaluating the impact on Ambac's financial statements.
Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]
Foreign Currency
The impact of non-functional currency transactions and the remeasurement of non-functional currency assets and liabilities into the respective subsidiaries' functional currency (collectively "foreign currency transactions gains/(losses)") are $(1,582) and $0 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Foreign currency transaction gains/(losses) are primarily the result of Beat's transactions in currencies (primarily the U.S. dollar) other than its functional currency (the British Pound Sterling).
 
Noncontrolling Interest Policy
Noncontrolling Interests ("NCI")
Nonredeemable NCI
Nonredeemable NCI of $122,909 and $146,837 as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 includes the NCI share in certain operating units which are minority owned by the units' respective management teams that do not have associated put options. As of December 31, 2024, there were no put options associated with any of these minority interests and as such, the aggregate amount was classified as nonredeemable NCI on the balance sheet. During the three months ended March 31, 2025, certain NCI shares were reclassified between nonredeemable and redeemable NCI as further described under "Redeemable NCI" below. The acquisition date valuation method to determine the fair value of nonredeemable NCI was the discounted cash flow approach. The significant fair value assumptions used in the model included estimated long term revenue and expense forecasts and the discount rate. When redeemable NCI shares are no longer redeemable, such as when put options expire unused, the NCI shares are reclassified to nonredeemable NCI with no change in carrying value.
At March 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024, AAC had 4,596 shares of issued and outstanding Auction Market Preferred Shares ("AMPS") with a liquidation preference of $114,900 relative to Ambac common shareholders (reported as nonredeemable noncontrolling interest of $50,918 on Ambac's balance sheet). See Note 5. Discontinued Operation in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. for further discussion of the AMPS.
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
The Xchange, All Trans, Capacity Marine, Riverton and Beat acquisitions resulted in a majority ownership of the acquired entities by Ambac. Under the terms of all the acquisition
agreements, Ambac has call options to purchase the remaining interests from the minority owners (i.e., noncontrolling interests) and the minority owners have put options to sell their interests to Ambac. Because the exercise of the put options are outside the control of Ambac, in accordance with the Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity Topic of the ASC, Ambac reports redeemable NCI in the mezzanine section of its consolidated balance sheet. In addition, during the three months ended March 31, 2025, Ambac entered into put options with certain minority owners of the MGA/U operating entities that are majority owned by Beat. These put options are embedded in the associated NCI shares ("Option Shares"), resulting in remeasurement of the shares at fair value inclusive of the put options, and reclassification of the Option Shares from nonredeemable NCI to redeemable NCI. The change in carrying value resulting from revaluation of $10,276 is recorded as an offset to retained earnings, with a corresponding impact on earnings per share.
The redeemable noncontrolling interest is remeasured on an annual basis as the greater of:
i.the carrying value under ASC 810, which attributes a portion of consolidated net income (loss) to the redeemable noncontrolling interest, and
ii.the redemption value of the put option under ASC 480 as if it were exercisable at the end of the reporting period.
Any increase (decrease) in the carrying amount of the redeemable noncontrolling interest as a result of adjusting to the redemption value of the put option is recorded as an offset to retained earnings. The impact of such differences on earnings per share are presented in Note 11. Net Income Per Share.
Following is a rollforward of redeemable noncontrolling interest.
Three Months Ended March 31,20252024
Beginning balance$140,860 $17,079 
Reclassification from nonredeemable noncontrolling interest including remeasurement at fair value42,180 — 
Reclassification to nonredeemable noncontrolling interest(1,877)— 
Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest (ASC 810)258 703 
Distributions(708)(650)
Adjustment to redemption value (ASC 480)907 (53)
Foreign exchange3,797 — 
Ending balance$185,417 $17,079