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Kingstone(KINS) - 2025 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-11-07 14:32
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported net income of $10.9 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.74, marking the second most profitable quarter in its history and the eighth consecutive quarter of profitability [3][10] - The GAAP combined ratio was 72.7%, with an annualized return on equity of 43% [3][10] - Direct written premium grew by 14%, and net investment income increased by 52% to $2.5 million [3][10] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Policies in force increased by 4.2% year over year and 1.4% sequentially, indicating stability in the agent and customer base [5] - The Select homeowners program now represents 54% of policies in force, with a claim frequency 31% lower than the legacy product [7] - The underlying loss ratio was 44.1%, an increase of 4.9 percentage points year over year, driven by higher claim severity [5][7] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced a month-over-month increase in new business since June, continuing into the fourth quarter [4] - The growth of 14% for the quarter was primarily driven by an average premium increase of 13% and improved retention [4] - Catastrophe losses contributed 0.2 percentage points to the loss ratio compared to 1.7 percentage points in the prior year quarter, indicating a favorable trend [7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is progressing with its state expansion initiative and plans to present a multi-year roadmap in the first half of next year [8] - Guidance for 2025 has been raised for net combined ratio, EPS, and ROE, while maintaining direct written premium growth expectations between 12% and 17% [8][9] - The company aims to capitalize on opportunities in the homeowners' market, particularly in catastrophe-exposed areas, where demand exceeds supply [29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that hard market conditions in downstate New York remain stable, with strong overall volume despite competitors broadening their underwriting appetite [4] - The company anticipates retention rates, which represent over 80% of the premium base, to continue trending higher as rate changes moderate [4] - Management expressed confidence in the company's competitive position, citing a high conversion rate and healthy growth despite increased competition [23] Other Important Information - The company has no debt at its holding company, and shareholders' equity exceeded $107 million, an increase of 80% year over year [13] - The year-to-date return on equity is 39.8%, an increase of 3 percentage points from the same period last year [14] Q&A Session Summary Question: Will all accounts eventually move to the select product? - Management confirmed that the legacy book will be maintained as it is profitable, with plans to convert it to select only when it becomes small enough [17] Question: Is all new business written on the select platform? - Yes, all new business has been written in Select since the beginning of 2022 [18] Question: How is the new E&S product being developed? - The company is currently developing the new product with an outside actuarial consulting firm, leveraging experience from the select product [19] Question: How has the AmGuard book performed since its inception? - The AmGuard book is performing within expectations, with a current writing rate of about $1 million a month [22] Question: How is competition evolving in downstate New York? - Management noted that competitors are expanding their target areas, but the company's growth remains healthy with a high conversion rate [23]
Kingstone(KINS) - 2025 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-11-07 14:32
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported net income of $10.9 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.74, marking the second most profitable quarter in its history and the eighth consecutive quarter of profitability [2][9] - The GAAP combined ratio was 72.7%, with an annualized return on equity of 43% [2][9] - Direct written premium grew by 14%, and net investment income increased by 52% to $2.5 million [2][9][10] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Policies in force increased by 4.2% year-over-year and 1.4% sequentially, indicating stability in the agent and customer base [4] - The Select homeowners program now represents 54% of policies in force, with a claim frequency 31% lower than the legacy product [6] - The underlying loss ratio was 44.1%, an increase of 4.9 percentage points year-over-year, driven by higher claim severity [4][6] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced a month-over-month increase in new business since June, continuing into the fourth quarter [3] - The growth of 14% for the quarter was primarily driven by an average premium increase of 13% and improved retention [3] - Catastrophe losses contributed only 0.2 percentage points to the loss ratio compared to 1.7 percentage points in the prior year quarter, indicating a favorable trend [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is progressing with its state expansion initiative and plans to present a multi-year roadmap in the first half of next year [7] - Guidance for 2025 has been raised for net combined ratio, EPS, and ROE, while reaffirming direct written premium growth to range between 12% and 17% [7][8] - The company aims to maintain a disciplined posture on pricing and exposure management while seeking opportunities to enhance portfolio yield [8][10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that hard market conditions in downstate New York have not changed materially, with strong overall volume [3] - The homeowners' market is in a crisis due to companies not making money, presenting an opportunity for the company to expand geographically [28] - Management expressed confidence in the company's competitive position despite increased competition in the market [22] Other Important Information - The company has no debt at its holding company, and shareholders' equity exceeded $107 million, an increase of 80% year-over-year [12] - Year-to-date return on equity is 39.8%, an increase of 3 percentage points from the same period last year [13] Q&A Session Summary Question: Will all accounts eventually move to the Select product? - Management confirmed that the legacy book will be maintained as it is profitable, and any conversion will occur only when it becomes small enough [16] Question: Is all new business written on the Select platform? - Yes, all new business has been written in Select since the beginning of 2022 [17] Question: How is the new E&S product being developed? - The company is deep into the development of the new product, benefiting from the experience gained with the Select product [18] Question: How has the AmGUARD book performed since writing began? - The performance is on track with expectations, writing about $1 million a month so far [21] Question: How are competitors expanding in downstate New York? - Competitors are opening up to writing more classes of business, but the company's growth remains healthy with a high conversion rate [22]
Kingstone(KINS) - 2025 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-11-07 14:30
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported net income of $10.9 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.74, marking the second most profitable quarter in its history and the eighth consecutive quarter of profitability [3][10] - The GAAP combined ratio was 72.7%, with an annualized return on equity of 43% [3][10] - Direct written premium grew by 14%, and net investment income increased by 52% to $2.5 million [3][10] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Policies in force increased by 4.2% year over year and 1.4% sequentially, indicating stability in the agent and customer base [5] - The Select homeowners program now represents 54% of policies in force, with a claim frequency 31% lower than legacy products [6] - The underlying loss ratio was 44.1%, an increase of 4.9 percentage points year over year, driven by higher claim severity [5][6] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced a month-over-month increase in new business since June, continuing into the fourth quarter [4] - The growth of 14% for the quarter was primarily driven by an average premium increase of 13% and improved retention [4] - Catastrophe losses contributed only 0.2 percentage points to the loss ratio compared to 1.7 percentage points in the prior year quarter [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to present a multi-year roadmap for state expansion in the first half of next year [8] - Guidance for 2025 has been raised for net combined ratio, EPS, and ROE, while maintaining direct written premium growth expectations between 12% and 17% [8][9] - The company aims to capitalize on opportunities in the homeowners' market, particularly in catastrophe-exposed areas, to expand geographically [33] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that hard market conditions in downstate New York have not changed materially, with strong overall volume [4] - The company expects retention, which represents over 80% of its premium base, to continue trending higher as rate changes transition to high single digits [4] - Management remains optimistic about the competitive landscape, indicating a healthy growth trajectory despite increased competition [23] Other Important Information - The company has no debt at its holding company, and shareholders' equity exceeded $107 million, an increase of 80% year over year [12] - The year-to-date return on equity is 39.8%, an increase of 3 percentage points from the same period last year [12] Q&A Session Summary Question: Will all accounts eventually move to the select product? - The company will maintain its legacy book as it is profitable, with plans to convert to select only when it becomes small enough [17] Question: Is all new business put on the select platform? - Yes, all new business has been written in Select since the beginning of 2022 [18] Question: How is the new E&S product being developed? - The company is working with an outside actuarial consulting firm to develop the new product, benefiting from the experience gained with the select product [19] Question: How has the AmGuard book performed? - The AmGuard book is performing as expected, with a mix similar to the select product and geographic diversification [22] Question: How is competition in downstate New York evolving? - Competitors are expanding their target areas, but the company has maintained a healthy growth rate and high conversion rates [23]
Kingstone(KINS) - 2025 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-05-09 13:30
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a net income of $3,900,000 or $0.27 per diluted share, marking a 172% increase in net income compared to the prior year [3][16] - Direct written premium growth was 18% overall, with a 23% increase in the core business [3][16] - The combined ratio was 93.7%, close to the 93.3% from the same quarter last year, while operating income nearly tripled to $2,400,000 [12][16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The select homeowners program's cumulative frequency decreased for thirteen consecutive quarters, with a frequency of 1.6% compared to 2.3% for the legacy product [6] - Core policies in force increased by 10% year-over-year, led by a 19% increase in homeowners policies [9] - New business policy count increased by 68%, contributing to the growth in core business premiums [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company expects to generate $25,000,000 to $35,000,000 in premiums from the Amgard transaction over a twelve-month period [8] - The hard market conditions in Downstate New York remain stable, with companies beginning to increase their underwriting appetite [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to focus on its core state of New York and capitalize on hard market conditions to maximize profitable growth [7][16] - There is a cautious approach towards expanding into other jurisdictions, with a strategy set for 2026 and beyond [46] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the trajectory of the business, emphasizing the discipline of the underwriting strategy in a challenging environment [16] - The company does not anticipate a material impact from inflation on results, maintaining a flat expense ratio [12] Other Important Information - The company finalized the sale of its headquarters, resulting in a one-time after-tax gain of $1,500,000 [12] - Net investment income increased by 36% to $2,000,000, driven by strong cash generation from operations [13] Q&A Session Summary Question: Fire losses details - Management confirmed that fire losses were 3.3 points higher than anticipated, offset by lower catastrophe losses, and expressed no concern over these losses as they were random events [20][21] Question: Capital management priorities - The Board is actively discussing the restoration of dividends, but no share buybacks are envisioned in the near future due to growth opportunities [24][25] Question: Amgard transaction pricing - Management indicated that Amgard's pricing is higher and that they are filing for a rate increase in New York, which may close the pricing gap [26][27] Question: CFO search update - A retained search firm has been hired, and interviews are ongoing to fill the CFO position [28] Question: Expansion into other states - The company will focus on Downstate New York for 2025 but is considering other geographies for future growth, ensuring a thoughtful approach [45][46]