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8-K - 8-K - SAFETY INSURANCE GROUP INCa13-7169_18k.htm

Exhibit 99.1

 

GRAPHIC

 

SAFETY ANNOUNCES FOURTH QUARTER AND YEAR END 2012 RESULTS

 

Boston, Massachusetts, March 11, 2013.  Safety Insurance Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAFT) today reported fourth quarter and year end 2012 results.  Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 was $9.6 million, or $0.62 per diluted share, compared to $4.8 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, for the comparable 2011 period.  Net income for the year ended December 31, 2012 was $58.1 million, or $3.80 per diluted share, compared to $13.7 million, or $0.90 per diluted share, for the comparable 2011 period.  Safety’s book value per share increased to $45.31 at December 31, 2012 from $43.22 at December 31, 2011.  Safety paid $0.60 per share in dividends to investors during the quarter ended December 31, 2012, compared to $0.50 per share during the comparable 2011 period.  Safety paid $2.20 per share in dividends to investors during the year ended December 31, 2012 compared to $2.00 per share during the comparable 2011 period.

 

Direct written premiums for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 increased by $10.3 million, or 7.1%, to $155.1 million from $144.8 million for the comparable 2011 period.  Direct written premiums for the year ended December 31, 2012 increased by $47.0 million, or 7.2%, to $696.2 million from $649.2 million for the comparable 2011 period.  The 2012 increase occurred primarily in our personal automobile and homeowners business lines, which experienced increases of 4.9% and 4.1%, respectively, in average written premium per exposure.  Written exposures remained consistent in our personal automobile line and increased by 7.2% in our homeowners line.

 

Net written premiums for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 increased by $9.1 million, or 6.7%, to $145.9 million from $136.8 million for the comparable 2011 period.  Net written premiums for the year ended December 31, 2012 increased by $43.6 million, or 7.0%, to $663.9 million from $620.3 million for the comparable 2011 period.  Net earned premiums for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 increased by $11.6 million, or 7.6%, to $165.4 million from $153.8 million for the comparable 2011 period.  Net earned premiums for the year ended December 31, 2012 increased by $44.1 million, or 7.4%, to $642.5 million from $598.4 million for the comparable 2011 period.  Net written and net earned premiums increased primarily due to the factors that increased direct written premiums.

 

Net investment income for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 increased by $1.0 million, or 10.4%, to $10.3 million from $9.3 million for the comparable 2011 period.  Net investment income for the year ended December 31, 2012 increased by $1.8 million, or 4.6%, to $40.9 million from $39.1 million for the comparable 2011 period.  Net effective annualized yield on the investment portfolio increased to 3.6% for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 from 3.4% for the comparable 2011 period.  Net effective annual yield increased to 3.7% for the year ended December 31, 2012 from 3.6% for the comparable 2011 period.  Our duration was 3.6 years at December 31, 2012, down from 3.7 years at December 31, 2011.

 

For the quarter ended December 31, 2012, loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred decreased by $4.2 million, or 3.6%, to $115.0 million from $119.2 million for the comparable 2011 period.  For the year ended December 31, 2012, loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred decreased by $44.4 million, or 9.5%, to $422.2 million from $466.6 million for the comparable 2011 period. The decrease was primarily due to pre-tax catastrophic weather event losses incurred of $8.0 million and $10.3 million during the quarter and year ended December 31, 2012, respectively, compared to $8.4 million and $61.4 million, respectively, during the comparable 2011 periods. Loss, expense, and combined ratios calculated under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 were 69.6%, 32.4%, and 102.0%, respectively, compared to 77.6%, 30.6%, and 108.2%, respectively, for the comparable 2011 period.  Loss, expense, and combined ratios calculated under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for the year ended December 31, 2012 were 65.7%, 31.2%, and 96.9%, respectively, compared to 78.0%, 29.9%, and 107.9%, respectively, for the comparable 2011 period.  Total prior year favorable development included in the pre-tax results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2012 was $5.4 million and $17.3 million, respectively, compared to $11.6 million and $36.7 million, respectively, for the comparable 2011 periods.

 



 

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, 2011 Form 10-K with the SEC on March 13, 2012 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, 2011 filed with the SEC on March 13, 2012.

 

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)

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2012

 

2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

Investments:

 

 

 

 

 

Securities available for sale:

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed maturities, at fair value (amortized cost: $1,100,414 and $1,032,660)

 

$

1,165,553

 

$

1,086,813

 

Equity securities, at fair value (cost: $21,237 and $20.431)

 

22,800

 

21,080

 

Total investments

 

1,188,353

 

1,107,893

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

35,383

 

37,890

 

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts

 

165,750

 

154,143

 

Receivable for securities sold

 

835

 

 

Accrued investment income

 

10,587

 

10,169

 

Taxes recoverable

 

5,529

 

8,406

 

Receivable from reinsurers related to paid loss and loss adjustment expenses

 

6,610

 

3,526

 

Receivable from reinsurers related to unpaid loss and loss adjustment expenses

 

52,185

 

51,774

 

Ceded unearned premiums

 

16,206

 

14,022

 

Deferred policy acquisition costs

 

60,665

 

56,716

 

Equity and deposits in pools

 

16,965

 

14,507

 

Other assets

 

15,278

 

13,448

 

Total assets

 

$

1,574,346

 

$

1,472,494

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves

 

$

423,842

 

$

403,872

 

Unearned premium reserves

 

353,219

 

329,562

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

65,458

 

52,032

 

Payable for securities purchased

 

2,630

 

 

Payable to reinsurers

 

7,056

 

5,338

 

Deferred income taxes

 

8,202

 

3,014

 

Other liabilities

 

19,580

 

22,363

 

Total liabilities

 

879,987

 

816,181

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock:  $0.01 par value; 30,000,000 shares authorized; 17,052,034 and 17,047,104 shares issued

 

170

 

169

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

163,041

 

157,167

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of taxes

 

43,356

 

35,621

 

Retained earnings

 

543,361

 

518,925

 

Treasury stock, at cost: 1,728,645 shares

 

(55,569

)

(55,569

)

Total shareholders’ equity

 

694,359

 

656,313

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 

$

1,574,346

 

$

1,472,494

 

 



 

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

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

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Twelve Months Ended

 

 

 

December 31,

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2012

 

2011

 

2012

 

2011

 

Net earned premiums

 

$

165,370

 

$

153,748

 

$

642,469

 

$

598,368

 

Net investment income

 

10,319

 

9,344

 

40,870

 

39,060

 

Net realized gains on investments

 

749

 

1,658

 

1,975

 

4,360

 

Finance and other service income

 

4,784

 

4,639

 

18,553

 

18,370

 

Total revenue

 

181,222

 

169,389

 

703,867

 

660,158

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Losses and loss adjustment expenses

 

115,033

 

119,281

 

422,217

 

466,640

 

Underwriting, operating and related expenses

 

53,536

 

47,004

 

200,138

 

179,157

 

Interest expense

 

22

 

22

 

88

 

88

 

Total expenses

 

168,591

 

166,307

 

622,443

 

645,885

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

 

12,631

 

3,082

 

81,424

 

14,273

 

Income tax (benefit) expense

 

3,060

 

(1,678

)

23,354

 

571

 

Net income

 

$

9,571

 

$

4,760

 

$

58,070

 

$

13,702

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per weighted average common share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

0.62

 

$

0.31

 

$

3.80

 

$

0.90

 

Diluted

 

$

0.62

 

$

0.31

 

$

3.80

 

$

0.90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash dividends paid per common share

 

$

0.60

 

$

0.50

 

$

2.20

 

$

2.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of shares used in computing earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

15,320,265

 

15,186,737

 

15,288,346

 

15,165,065

 

Diluted

 

15,328,772

 

15,195,845

 

15,295,452

 

15,176,006

 

 

Safety Insurance Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Additional Premium Information

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Twelve Months Ended

 

 

 

December 31,

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2012

 

2011

 

2012

 

2011

 

Written Premiums

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct

 

$

155,130

 

$

144,880

 

$

696,220

 

$

649,262

 

Assumed

 

4,709

 

4,709

 

17,943

 

16,521

 

Ceded

 

(13,880

)

(12,832

)

(50,221

)

(45,467

)

Net written premiums

 

$

145,959

 

$

136,757

 

$

663,942

 

$

620,316

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earned Premiums

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct

 

$

173,706

 

$

160,900

 

$

673,596

 

$

626,483

 

Assumed

 

4,350

 

4,291

 

16,910

 

15,790

 

Ceded

 

(12,686

)

(11,443

)

(48,037

)

(43,905

)

Net earned premiums

 

$

165,370

 

$

153,748

 

$

642,469

 

$

598,368