AXIS Capital (AXS) 2025 Conference Summary Company Overview - **Company**: AXIS Capital (AXS) - **Date**: September 03, 2025 - **Speakers**: Vince Tivio (CEO), Pete Vogt (CFO) Key Points Leadership Transition - Matthew Kirk will succeed Pete Vogt as CFO starting November 2025, with Pete remaining in the role throughout 2025 and advising in 2026 [4][3][2] Reinsurance Business - AXIS's reinsurance segment contributes approximately 15% to 20% of total revenue, with a focus on specialty lines and cautious underwriting in liability [8][7] - The company has maintained a consistent underwriting performance, with a combined ratio in the low 90s [8][9] - The reinsurance business complements AXIS's insurance operations, providing access to specialty lines like agriculture and mortgage [9][10] Incentive Compensation - Incentive compensation is linked to growth in diluted book value per share, including reserve releases, which signal confidence in prior reserve strengthening [12][11] Talent Acquisition - AXIS acknowledges a competitive talent market and emphasizes a strong company culture to attract underwriters and insurance producers [13][14] - New teams have contributed approximately $250 million in premium to the insurance group in Q2 2025 [15][16] Distribution Strategy - AXIS has a dedicated wholesale-only business unit to enhance its distribution capabilities, focusing on innovation and product design [20][21] - The company aims to penetrate the underserved middle market, targeting businesses with $10 million to $100 million in receipts [29][30] Managing MGAs - AXIS has restructured its approach to managing Managing General Agents (MGAs) to ensure underwriting discipline and align financial interests [34][35] - Approximately 14% of AXIS's North American insurance business comes from MGAs, with a focus on substantial partnerships [36][37] Accident and Health Business - The accident and health segment primarily includes pet insurance and travel accident coverage, with growth ambitions supported by profitability in the pet business [43][44] Professional Lines Growth - Professional lines grew approximately 15% in Q2 2025, with contributions from various segments, including allied health and financial institutions [55][56] - Public Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance remains a small portion of the professional lines premium, with a cautious outlook on pricing stability [58][62] Data and Analytics Investments - AXIS is leveraging 20 years of data and third-party information to enhance underwriting decisions, with ongoing investments in data analytics and AI [72][73] - The company anticipates improved risk selection insights and operational efficiencies from these investments over the next few years [78][79] Capital Management - AXIS has shifted its focus towards being predominantly an insurance company, reducing exposure to property catastrophe reinsurance [88][89] - The company maintains a debt-to-capital ratio below 20%, with plans to evaluate capital strategies as opportunities arise [96][99] Inorganic Growth Opportunities - While AXIS is focused on organic growth, the company remains observant of external opportunities for inorganic growth, maintaining a high bar for any acquisitions [102][103] Additional Insights - AXIS is committed to maintaining a consistent earnings generation model while being prudent in its underwriting strategies, particularly in liability reinsurance [95][96] - The company is optimistic about its growth trajectory, supported by strong performance in its core business segments [102][103]

Financial Performance Highlights - The company achieved an all-time high quarterly operating EPS of $3.17[47] - The annualized operating return on average common equity (ROACE) reached 19.2%[13, 35, 48] - The diluted book value per share hit a record of $66.48, marking a 16.4% increase over the past 12 months[48] - The company executed $440 million in share repurchases during the first quarter of 2025[19, 44, 47] Underwriting Performance - The current accident year combined ratio, excluding catastrophes and weather, improved to 87.9%, a 1.7 percentage point improvement year-over-year[48] - The insurance segment's gross premiums written (GPW) reached $1.7 billion, a 5% increase year-over-year, representing the highest first-quarter volume for the segment[33, 47] - Reinsurance segment GPW increased by 5% year-over-year to $1.1 billion, driven by new business in Professional Lines and Credit & Surety lines[33] Strategic Focus and Portfolio - The company's total capital stands at $7.2 billion, with a debt-to-total capital ratio of 18.2%[13] - The company's gross premiums written (GPW) is $9.1 billion[13, 22] - The company aims for a G&A ratio of less than 11% by 2026 through the "How We Work" program[38]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported an annualized operating return on equity of 19.2% and a record diluted book value per common share of $66.48, representing a 16.4% increase over the past twelve months [6][20]. - Operating earnings per share reached $3.17, a 23% increase compared to the prior year quarter, marking the highest quarterly operating earnings per share ever [6][20]. - Gross premiums written were $2.8 billion, reflecting a 5% growth year-over-year [21]. Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Insurance segment generated a combined ratio of 86.7% with premiums of $1.7 billion, up 5% year-over-year, including $547 million in new premiums [9][23]. - The Reinsurance segment achieved a combined ratio of 92.3% with premiums of $1.1 billion, also up about 5% [11][26]. - Cyber portfolio in Reinsurance grew by 29% in the quarter, indicating strong demand in that line [16]. Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America saw a 9% growth in premiums, with a 21% increase in submission flow, particularly in E and S lines [10]. - The company noted a negative 7% rate change in property across its divisions, indicating a competitive market environment [14]. - Liability pricing momentum remained strong, achieving a 13.5% rate increase in the quarter [14]. Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to achieve a GA ratio target of 11% by 2026, focusing on profitable growth while managing volatility [8][19]. - AXIS is leveraging its specialty underwriting capabilities to address customer needs globally, particularly in a dynamic risk environment [5][13]. - The company is pursuing a selective growth strategy in property due to increased competition after years of rate hardening [14]. Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in navigating uncertainties related to trade disruptions and geopolitical tensions, emphasizing the importance of maintaining underwriting discipline [12][13]. - The company anticipates that the current trade environment could impact loss costs, particularly in property and cargo lines [12][13]. - Management remains optimistic about achieving mid to high single-digit net written premium growth for the remainder of 2025 [40]. Other Important Information - The company repurchased $440 million in shares during the quarter and declared $36 million in common dividends, indicating a strong capital position [31]. - The effective tax rate for the quarter was 18.6%, with expectations for the full year to be in the high teens [30]. Q&A Session Summary Question: Pricing reductions in property lines - Management noted a negative 7.1% rate change in property, attributing it to geographic performance and competitive pressures in the market [35][36]. Question: Net written premium growth expectations - Management indicated that mid to high single-digit net written premium growth is reasonable to expect for the remainder of 2025, supported by robust submission growth [39][40]. Question: Expense ratio and its progression - The expense ratio of 11.9% is considered normalized, with expectations for it to remain in that range for the year [53][54]. Question: Impact of tariffs on specific lines - Management highlighted that tariffs could impact property and cargo lines, but they are well-positioned to address potential needs arising from these changes [77][78]. Question: Dynamics of pet insurance impacting net to gross premium ratio - The impact of pet insurance dynamics is expected to be more pronounced in the first half of the year, with less effect in the latter half [80]. Question: Buyback dynamics and future plans - The company executed a significant portion of its buyback through private transactions, with plans to continue opportunistic buybacks throughout the year [83][85].