Assured Guaranty(AGO) - 2025 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript
Assured GuarantyAssured Guaranty(US:AGO)2025-11-07 14:02

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Adjusted book value per share reached a record high of $181.37, and adjusted operating shareholders' equity per share also reached a record high of $123.10 at the end of Q3 2025 [5] - Adjusted operating income for the year-to-date was $6.77 per share, an increase of approximately 17% compared to the same period last year [5] - Adjusted operating income in Q3 2025 was $124 million or $2.57 per share, compared to $130 million or $2.42 per share in Q3 2024 [14] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Financial guarantee production in Q3 2025 was strong, with $91 million of PVP, which is 44% more than Q3 2024 and 42% more than Q2 2025 [5] - U.S. public finance business produced $152 million of PVP year-to-date, benefiting from record U.S. municipal bond issuance [6] - Secondary market U.S. public finance strategy generated $32 million of PVP in the first nine months of 2025, compared to $5 million in the same period of 2024 [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. municipal bond issuance increased by more than $50 billion year-to-date compared to the record issuance during the first nine months of 2024 [9] - Assured Guaranty insured 63% of the total insured U.S. municipal market par sold in the first nine months of 2025, up from 57% in the same period of 2024 [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is looking for strategic opportunities to expand its insurance businesses into new sectors and markets, aiming to diversify revenue sources for sustainable growth [7] - The focus on shorter duration structured finance transactions is expected to provide better returns on equity and quicker capital recycling [13][38] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the ability to produce and the expected production levels going forward, citing a return to normal business mix in Q3 2025 [36] - The company sees great opportunities in U.S. public finance and global structured finance, particularly in infrastructure and regulatory capital needs [35][36] Other Important Information - The investment portfolio's performance has been enhanced by greater use of alternative investments, achieving an annualized internal rate of return of approximately 13% [7][17] - The Board of Directors authorized an additional $100 million for share repurchases, bringing the total authorization to over $330 million [7][20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Changes to the investment portfolio and allocation to higher-yielding sectors - Management indicated that they aim to optimize yield while maintaining a safe portfolio with adequate liquidity [23] Question: Issues with Brightline transportation exposure - Management acknowledged typical growing pains for Brightline but expressed confidence in their exposure due to being in the senior most section of the capital stack [24] Question: Pipeline for growing written premium into 2026 - Management sees great opportunities across all three financial guarantee lines of business, particularly in U.S. public finance and global structured finance [34][36]