Bowhead Specialty Holdings Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results
Third Quarter 2024 Highlights
-
Gross written premiums increased 32.3% to
$197.0 million . -
Net income of
$12.1 million , or$0.36 per diluted share. -
Adjusted net income(1) of
$12.5 million , or$0.38 per diluted share(1). - Return on equity of 13.7% and adjusted return on equity(1) of 14.2%.
-
Book value per share of
$11.17 and diluted book value per share of$10.97 .
__________________
(1) Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable
Bowhead Chief Executive Officer,
Underwriting Results
The 32.3% increase in gross written premiums to
-
Our Casualty division led the growth with a 41.7% increase to
$120.2 million , which included$4.4 million of additional gross written premium ($3.3 million from a net earned premium basis) from an unusually large audit premium on one insured; -
Healthcare Liability increased 29.0% over the same period to
$31.4 million ; and -
Professional Liability increased 13.1% to
$45.0 million . -
Late in the second quarter of 2024, we launched a new division called Baleen Specialty, which focuses on small, hard-to-place risks written 100% on a non-admitted basis. Baleen is a streamlined, low touch “flow” underwriting operation that supplements the “craft” solutions we offer today. In line with our deliberate, measured and limited roll out, Baleen Specialty generated
$0.4 million of gross written premiums for the third quarter of 2024.
Our loss ratio of 64.5% in the third quarter of 2024 utilized the same industry loss ratios used since the fourth quarter of 2023. The decrease from 65.5% in the second quarter of 2024 was primarily driven by mix changes in the portfolio, as well as the large audit premium being fully earned and associated with older accident years that had lower loss pick assumptions. There were no changes to loss picks or prior year reserves during the quarter. As of
Our expense ratio of 29.9% in the third quarter of 2024 decreased from 33.8% in the second quarter of 2024, or 32.3% excluding the one-time stock-based compensation acceleration expense of
__________________
* Comparisons in this release are made to
Investment Results
Net investment income was
The weighted average effective duration of our investment portfolio, which included cash equivalents, was 2.2 years and had an average rating of “AA” at
Summary of Operating Results
The following table summarizes the Company’s results of operations for the three months ended
|
Three Months Ended |
|||||||||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
$ Change |
|
% Change |
|||
|
($ in thousands, except percentages and per share data) |
|||||||||||||
Gross written premiums |
$ |
196,976 |
|
|
$ |
148,919 |
|
|
$ |
48,057 |
|
|
32.3 |
% |
Ceded written premiums |
|
(68,643 |
) |
|
|
(49,581 |
) |
|
|
(19,062 |
) |
|
38.4 |
% |
Net written premiums |
$ |
128,333 |
|
|
$ |
99,338 |
|
|
$ |
28,995 |
|
|
29.2 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net earned premiums |
$ |
105,180 |
|
|
$ |
70,874 |
|
|
$ |
34,306 |
|
|
48.4 |
% |
Net investment income |
|
11,491 |
|
|
|
5,188 |
|
|
|
6,303 |
|
|
121.5 |
% |
Net realized investment losses |
|
(18 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(18 |
) |
|
NM |
|
Other insurance-related income |
|
108 |
|
|
|
31 |
|
|
|
77 |
|
|
248.4 |
% |
Total revenues |
|
116,761 |
|
|
|
76,093 |
|
|
|
40,668 |
|
|
53.4 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses |
|
67,824 |
|
|
|
42,796 |
|
|
|
25,028 |
|
|
58.5 |
% |
Net acquisition costs |
|
9,163 |
|
|
|
5,617 |
|
|
|
3,546 |
|
|
63.1 |
% |
Operating expenses |
|
22,386 |
|
|
|
16,376 |
|
|
|
6,010 |
|
|
36.7 |
% |
Non-operating expenses |
|
487 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
487 |
|
|
NM |
|
Warrant expense |
|
792 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
792 |
|
|
NM |
|
Credit facility interest expenses and fees |
|
252 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
252 |
|
|
NM |
|
Foreign exchange losses |
|
37 |
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
|
(3 |
) |
|
(7.5 |
)% |
Total expenses |
|
100,941 |
|
|
|
64,829 |
|
|
|
36,112 |
|
|
55.7 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Income before income taxes |
|
15,820 |
|
|
|
11,264 |
|
|
|
4,556 |
|
|
40.4 |
% |
Income tax expense |
|
(3,728 |
) |
|
|
(2,556 |
) |
|
|
(1,172 |
) |
|
45.9 |
% |
Net income |
$ |
12,092 |
|
|
$ |
8,708 |
|
|
$ |
3,384 |
|
|
38.9 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Key Operating and Financial Metrics: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Adjusted net income(1) |
$ |
12,520 |
|
|
$ |
8,819 |
|
|
$ |
3,701 |
|
|
42.0 |
% |
Loss ratio |
|
64.5 |
% |
|
|
60.4 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|||
Expense ratio |
|
29.9 |
% |
|
|
31.0 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|||
Combined ratio |
|
94.4 |
% |
|
|
91.4 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|||
Return on equity(2) |
|
13.7 |
% |
|
|
24.8 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|||
Adjusted return on equity(1)(2) |
|
14.2 |
% |
|
|
25.1 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|||
Diluted earnings per share |
$ |
0.36 |
|
|
$ |
0.36 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Diluted adjusted earnings per share(1) |
$ |
0.38 |
|
|
$ |
0.37 |
|
|
|
|
|
__________________ |
||
NM - Percentage change is not meaningful. | ||
(1) |
Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable |
|
(2) |
For the three months ended |
|
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
|
|
|
|
||||
|
($ in thousands, except share data) |
||||||
Assets |
|
|
|
||||
Investments |
|
|
|
||||
Fixed maturity securities, available for sale, at fair value (amortized cost of |
$ |
891,252 |
|
|
$ |
554,624 |
|
Short-term investments, at amortized cost, which approximates fair value |
|
10,002 |
|
|
|
8,824 |
|
Total investments |
|
901,254 |
|
|
|
563,448 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
132,893 |
|
|
|
118,070 |
|
Restricted cash and cash equivalents |
|
28,822 |
|
|
|
1,698 |
|
Accrued investment income |
|
7,118 |
|
|
|
4,660 |
|
Premium balances receivable |
|
46,706 |
|
|
|
38,817 |
|
Reinsurance recoverable |
|
225,011 |
|
|
|
139,389 |
|
Prepaid reinsurance premiums |
|
146,133 |
|
|
|
116,732 |
|
Deferred policy acquisition costs |
|
26,463 |
|
|
|
19,407 |
|
Property and equipment, net |
|
7,438 |
|
|
|
7,601 |
|
Income taxes receivable |
|
325 |
|
|
|
1,107 |
|
Deferred tax assets, net |
|
16,277 |
|
|
|
14,229 |
|
Other assets |
|
9,222 |
|
|
|
2,701 |
|
Total assets |
$ |
1,547,662 |
|
|
$ |
1,027,859 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Liabilities |
|
|
|
||||
Reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses |
$ |
679,568 |
|
|
$ |
431,186 |
|
Unearned premiums |
|
427,096 |
|
|
|
344,704 |
|
Reinsurance balances payable |
|
54,162 |
|
|
|
40,440 |
|
Income taxes payable |
|
29 |
|
|
|
42 |
|
Accrued expenses |
|
14,696 |
|
|
|
14,900 |
|
Other liabilities |
|
7,285 |
|
|
|
4,510 |
|
Total liabilities |
|
1,182,836 |
|
|
|
835,782 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Commitments and contingencies (Note 13) |
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
||||
Mezzanine equity |
|
|
|
||||
Performance stock units |
|
155 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Stockholders' equity |
|
|
|
||||
Common stock |
|
327 |
|
|
|
240 |
|
( |
|
|
|
||||
Additional paid-in capital |
|
316,334 |
|
|
|
178,543 |
|
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
|
(1,293 |
) |
|
|
(11,372 |
) |
Retained earnings |
|
49,303 |
|
|
|
24,666 |
|
Total stockholders' equity |
|
364,671 |
|
|
|
192,077 |
|
Total mezzanine equity and stockholders' equity |
|
364,826 |
|
|
|
192,077 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and stockholders' equity |
$ |
1,547,662 |
|
|
$ |
1,027,859 |
|
Gross Written Premiums
The following table presents gross written premiums by underwriting division for the three months ended
|
Three Months ended |
||||||||||||||||
|
2024 |
|
% of Total |
|
2023 |
|
% of Total |
|
$ Change |
|
% Change |
||||||
|
($ in thousands, except percentages) |
||||||||||||||||
Casualty |
$ |
120,223 |
|
61.0 |
% |
|
$ |
84,865 |
|
57.0 |
% |
|
$ |
35,358 |
|
41.7 |
% |
Professional Liability |
|
44,962 |
|
22.9 |
% |
|
|
39,754 |
|
26.7 |
% |
|
|
5,208 |
|
13.1 |
% |
Healthcare Liability |
|
31,358 |
|
15.9 |
% |
|
|
24,300 |
|
16.3 |
% |
|
|
7,058 |
|
29.0 |
% |
Baleen Specialty |
|
433 |
|
0.2 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
— |
% |
|
|
433 |
|
NM |
|
Gross written premiums |
$ |
196,976 |
|
100.0 |
% |
|
$ |
148,919 |
|
100.0 |
% |
|
$ |
48,057 |
|
32.3 |
% |
Loss Ratio
The following table summarizes current and prior accident loss ratios for the three months ended
|
Three Months Ended |
||||||||||
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
||||||||
|
Net Losses and
|
|
% of Net Earned
|
|
Net Losses and
|
|
% of Net Earned
|
||||
|
($ in thousands, except percentages) |
||||||||||
Current accident year |
$ |
67,824 |
|
64.5 |
% |
|
$ |
42,617 |
|
60.1 |
% |
Prior accident year reserve development |
|
— |
|
— |
% |
|
|
179 |
|
0.3 |
% |
Total |
$ |
67,824 |
|
64.5 |
% |
|
$ |
42,796 |
|
60.4 |
% |
Expense Ratio
The following table summarizes the components of our expense ratio for the three months ended
|
Three Months Ended |
||||||||||||
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
||||||||||
|
Expenses |
|
% of Net Earned
|
|
Expenses |
|
% of Net Earned
|
||||||
|
($ in thousands, except percentages) |
||||||||||||
Net acquisition costs |
$ |
9,163 |
|
|
8.7 |
% |
|
$ |
5,617 |
|
|
7.9 |
% |
Operating expenses |
|
22,386 |
|
|
21.3 |
% |
|
|
16,376 |
|
|
23.1 |
% |
Less: Other insurance-related income |
|
(108 |
) |
|
(0.1 |
)% |
|
|
(31 |
) |
|
— |
% |
Total expense ratio |
$ |
31,441 |
|
|
29.9 |
% |
|
$ |
21,962 |
|
|
31.0 |
% |
Net Investment Income
The following table summarizes the sources of net investment income for the three months ended
|
Three Months Ended |
||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
($ in thousands) |
||||||
|
$ |
3,793 |
|
|
$ |
1,224 |
|
State and municipal |
|
467 |
|
|
|
387 |
|
Commercial mortgage-backed securities |
|
761 |
|
|
|
375 |
|
Residential mortgage-backed securities |
|
1,955 |
|
|
|
256 |
|
Asset-backed securities |
|
719 |
|
|
|
1,044 |
|
Corporate |
|
1,611 |
|
|
|
925 |
|
Short-term investments |
|
134 |
|
|
|
186 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
2,273 |
|
|
|
916 |
|
Gross investment income |
|
11,713 |
|
|
|
5,313 |
|
Investment expenses |
|
(222 |
) |
|
|
(125 |
) |
Net investment income |
$ |
11,491 |
|
|
$ |
5,188 |
|
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This earnings release contains certain financial measures that are not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in
- Adjusted net income is defined as net income excluding the impact of net realized investment gains, non-operating expenses, foreign exchange (gains) losses, and certain strategic initiatives. Adjusted net income excludes the impact of certain items that may not be indicative of underlying business trends, operating results, or future outlook, net of tax impact. We calculate the tax impact only on adjustments which would be included in calculating our income tax expense using the estimated tax rate at which we received a deduction for these adjustments.
- Adjusted return on equity is defined as adjusted net income as a percentage of average beginning and ending mezzanine equity and stockholders’ equity.
- Diluted adjusted earnings per share is defined as adjusted net income divided by the weighted average common shares outstanding for the period, reflecting the dilution that may occur if equity base awards are converted into common stock equivalents as calculated using the treasury stock method.
You should not rely on these non-GAAP financial measures as a substitute for any
Adjusted net income
Adjusted net income for the three months ended
|
Three Months Ended |
||||||||||||
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
||||||||||
|
Before income
|
|
After income
|
|
Before income
|
|
After income
|
||||||
|
($ in thousands) |
||||||||||||
Income as reported |
$ |
15,820 |
|
$ |
12,092 |
|
|
$ |
11,264 |
|
$ |
8,708 |
|
Adjustments: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
Net realized investment gains |
|
18 |
|
|
18 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
Non-operating expenses. |
|
487 |
|
|
487 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
Foreign exchange (gains) losses |
|
37 |
|
|
37 |
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
40 |
|
Strategic initiatives(1) |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
101 |
|
|
101 |
|
Tax impact |
|
— |
|
|
(114 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(30 |
) |
Adjusted net income |
$ |
16,362 |
|
$ |
12,520 |
|
|
$ |
11,405 |
|
$ |
8,819 |
|
_________________ |
||
(1) |
Strategic initiatives for the three months ended |
|
Adjusted return on equity
Adjusted return on equity for the three months ended
|
Three Months Ended |
||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
($ in thousands, except percentages) |
||||||
Numerator: Adjusted net income(1) |
$ |
50,081 |
|
|
$ |
35,275 |
|
Denominator: Average mezzanine equity and stockholders' equity |
|
352,368 |
|
|
|
140,533 |
|
Adjusted return on equity |
|
14.2 |
% |
|
|
25.1 |
% |
________________ |
||
(1) |
For the three months ended |
|
Diluted adjusted earnings per share
Diluted adjusted earnings per share for the three months ended
|
Three Months Ended |
||||
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
||
|
($ in thousands, except share and per share data) |
||||
Numerator: Adjusted net income |
$ |
12,520 |
|
$ |
8,819 |
Denominator: Diluted weighted average shares outstanding |
|
33,263,958 |
|
|
24,000,000 |
Diluted adjusted earnings per share |
$ |
0.38 |
|
$ |
0.37 |
About
Bowhead Specialty is a growing specialty insurance business providing casualty, professional liability and healthcare liability insurance products. We were founded and are led by industry veteran
We pride ourselves on the quality and experience of our people, who are committed to exceeding our partners’ expectations through excellent service and expertise. Our collaborative culture spans all functions of our business and allows us to provide a consistent, positive experience for all of our partners.
Conference Call
The Company will host a conference call to discuss its results on
A replay of the event webcast will be available on the company’s Investor Relations website for one year following the call.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "projects," "seeks," "future," "outlook," "prospects" "will," "would," "should," "could," "may," "can have" or similar words. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. These risks include those described in the Company’s filings made with the
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241105706572/en/
Investor Relations Contact:
investorrelations@bowheadspecialty.com
Source: