RLI's Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates on Strong Net Investment Income

Core Insights - RLI Corp. reported second-quarter 2025 operating earnings of 84 cents per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12%, although this represents a 2.3% decrease from the prior-year quarter [1] Operational Performance - Operating revenues for the quarter were $441 million, reflecting a 6.9% year-over-year increase, driven by a 6% rise in net premiums earned and a 16% increase in net investment income, though it missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.5% [2] - Gross premiums written remained flat at $562.3 million, with performance improvements in the Casualty and Property segments offset by a decline in the Surety segment [2] - Net investment income rose 16% year over year to $39.4 million, aligning with estimates, while total expenses increased by 9.8% to $345.8 million due to higher loss and settlement expenses [3] Financial Update - Underwriting income decreased by 11.14% year over year to $62.2 million, with the combined ratio deteriorating by 300 basis points to 84.5, better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 88 [4] - RLI exited the quarter with total investments and cash of $4.4 billion, an 8.4% increase from the end of 2024, and book value rose 13.9% to $18.89 per share [4] - Net cash flow from operations increased by 23.2% year over year to $174.7 million [4] - The statutory surplus increased by 2.3% to $1.8 billion as of June 30, 2025, while return on equity was 23.5%, down 180 basis points from the previous year [5] Dividend Update - On June 20, 2025, RLI paid a dividend of 16 cents, an increase of 1 cent from the previous payout, with cumulative dividends exceeding $971 million over the last five years [6] Peer Performances - The Travelers Companies reported second-quarter 2025 core income of $6.51 per share, beating estimates by 83.8%, with total revenues increasing by 6.7% to $12.1 billion [9] - The Progressive Corporation's earnings per share of $4.88 exceeded estimates by 10.1%, with operating revenues rising 19.5% to $42.2 billion [10] - W.R. Berkley's operating income of $1.05 per share beat estimates, with operating revenues at $3.6 billion, up 7.9% year over year [11]