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Table of Contents

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-Q

 

QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For Quarter Ended March 31, 2003

 

Commission File Number 1-8052

 


 

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

DELAWARE

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

63-0780404

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

2001 3rd Avenue South,

Birmingham, Alabama

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

35233

(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (205) 325-4200

 

NONE

Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report.

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes  x  No  ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes x No ¨

 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding for each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the last practicable date.

 

CLASS


 

OUTSTANDING AT APRIL 30, 2003


Common Stock,

$1.00 Par Value

 

116,085,283

 

Index of Exhibits (Page 46)

Total number of pages included are 51.

 



Table of Contents

 

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

INDEX

 

            

Page


Part I.

 

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

    
   

Item 1.

 

Financial Statements

    
       

Consolidated Balance Sheets

  

1

       

Consolidated Statements of Operations

  

2

       

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

  

3

       

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

  

4

       

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

  

5

   

Item 2.

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

  

10

   

Item 3.

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

  

36

   

Item 4.

 

Controls and Procedures

  

36

PART II.

 

OTHER INFORMATION

    
   

Item 1.

 

Legal Proceedings

  

37

   

Item 5.

 

Other Information

  

45

   

Item 6.

 

Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

  

46


Table of Contents

 

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Financial Statements

 

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

 

    

March 31,

2003


    

December 31,

2002


 
    

(Unaudited)

        

Assets

                 

Investments:

                 

Fixed maturities, available for sale, at fair value (amortized cost: 2003 – $7,022,939;
2002 – $6,888,830)

  

$

7,445,817

 

  

$

7,194,392

 

Equity securities, at fair value (cost: 2003 – $24,020; 2002 – $24,260)

  

 

24,676

 

  

 

24,457

 

Mortgage loans, at cost (fair value: 2003 – $122,464; 2002 – $122,368)

  

 

121,860

 

  

 

121,805

 

Investment real estate, at depreciated cost

  

 

9,248

 

  

 

9,351

 

Policy loans

  

 

281,374

 

  

 

279,429

 

Other long-term investments, at fair value

  

 

80,585

 

  

 

81,505

 

Short-term investments

  

 

125,401

 

  

 

72,812

 

    


  


Total investments

  

 

8,088,961

 

  

 

7,783,751

 

Cash

  

 

12,195

 

  

 

7,181

 

Accrued investment income

  

 

144,531

 

  

 

132,984

 

Other receivables

  

 

68,138

 

  

 

70,419

 

Deferred acquisition costs

  

 

2,211,738

 

  

 

2,184,134

 

Value of insurance purchased

  

 

98,494

 

  

 

102,091

 

Property and equipment

  

 

32,882

 

  

 

33,431

 

Goodwill

  

 

378,436

 

  

 

378,436

 

Other assets

  

 

12,767

 

  

 

11,500

 

Separate account assets

  

 

1,568,244

 

  

 

1,656,795

 

    


  


Total assets

  

$

12,616,386

 

  

$

12,360,722

 

    


  


Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

                 

Liabilities:

                 

Future policy benefits

  

$

5,833,027

 

  

$

5,709,623

 

Unearned and advance premiums

  

 

95,761

 

  

 

95,243

 

Policy claims and other benefits payable

  

 

250,804

 

  

 

242,661

 

Other policyholders’ funds

  

 

85,265

 

  

 

83,427

 

    


  


Total policy liabilities

  

 

6,264,857

 

  

 

6,130,954

 

Accrued income taxes

  

 

804,834

 

  

 

720,176

 

Other liabilities

  

 

123,753

 

  

 

103,874

 

Short-term debt

  

 

214,414

 

  

 

201,479

 

Long-term debt (fair value: 2003 – $621,986; 2002 – $612,172)

  

 

553,503

 

  

 

551,564

 

Separate account liabilities

  

 

1,568,244

 

  

 

1,656,795

 

    


  


Total liabilities

  

 

9,529,605

 

  

 

9,364,842

 

Trust preferred securities (fair value: 2003 – $157,150; 2002 – $157,200)

  

 

144,433

 

  

 

144,427

 

Shareholders’ equity:

                 

Preferred stock, par value $1 per share—Authorized 5,000,000 shares;
outstanding:  -0-  in 2003 and in 2002

  

 

0

 

  

 

0

 

Common stock, par value $1 per share—Authorized 320,000,000 shares; outstanding:
(2003 – 118,783,658 issued, less 2,667,511 held in treasury and 2002 – 126,800,908 issued, less 8,533,456 held in treasury)

  

 

118,784

 

  

 

126,801

 

Additional paid-in capital

  

 

520,737

 

  

 

554,768

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

  

 

252,945

 

  

 

176,622

 

Retained earnings

  

 

2,147,314

 

  

 

2,316,868

 

Treasury stock, at cost

  

 

(97,432

)

  

 

(323,606

)

    


  


Total shareholders’ equity

  

 

2,942,348

 

  

 

2,851,453

 

    


  


Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

  

$

12,616,386

 

  

$

12,360,722

 

    


  


 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

 

1


Table of Contents

 

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited and in thousands except per share data)

 

    

Three Months Ended

March 31,


 
    

2003


    

2002


 

Revenue:

                 

Life premium

  

$

320,538

 

  

$

298,344

 

Health premium

  

 

262,406

 

  

 

262,507

 

Other premium

  

 

7,529

 

  

 

10,390

 

    


  


Total premium

  

 

590,473

 

  

 

571,241

 

Net investment income

  

 

135,436

 

  

 

128,203

 

Realized investment gains (losses)

  

 

(14,413

)

  

 

(10,252

)

Other income

  

 

492

 

  

 

479

 

    


  


Total revenue

  

 

711,988

 

  

 

689,671

 

Benefits and expenses:

                 

Life policyholder benefits

  

 

212,115

 

  

 

199,845

 

Health policyholder benefits

  

 

174,211

 

  

 

172,838

 

Other policyholder benefits

  

 

9,079

 

  

 

8,196

 

    


  


Total policyholder benefits

  

 

395,405

 

  

 

380,879

 

Amortization of deferred acquisition costs

  

 

77,746

 

  

 

75,026

 

Commissions and premium taxes

  

 

42,486

 

  

 

42,507

 

Other operating expense

  

 

36,073

 

  

 

34,615

 

Interest expense

  

 

6,295

 

  

 

7,318

 

    


  


Total benefits and expenses

  

 

558,005

 

  

 

540,345

 

Income from continuing operations before income taxes and preferred securities dividends

  

 

153,983

 

  

 

149,326

 

Income taxes

  

 

(52,495

)

  

 

(50,167

)

Preferred securities dividends (net of tax)

  

 

(855

)

  

 

(1,005

)

    


  


Net income

  

$

100,633

 

  

$

98,154

 

    


  


Basic net income per share

  

$

0.86

 

  

$

0.80

 

    


  


Diluted net income per share

  

$

0.85

 

  

$

0.80

 

    


  


Dividends declared per common share

  

$

0.09

 

  

$

0.09

 

    


  


 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

2


Table of Contents

 

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Unaudited and in thousands)

 

    

Three Months Ended

March 31,


 
    

2003


    

2002


 

Net income

  

$

100,633

 

  

$

98,154

 

Other comprehensive income (loss):

                 

Unrealized gains (losses) on securities:

                 

Unrealized holding gains (losses) arising during period

  

 

109,143

 

  

 

(115,486

)

Less: reclassification adjustment for gains (losses) on securities included in net income

  

 

12,097

 

  

 

1,728

 

Less: reclassification adjustment for amortization of discount and premium

  

 

(476

)

  

 

(1,490

)

Less: foreign exchange adjustment on securities marked to market

  

 

(2,990

)

  

 

(484

)

    


  


Unrealized gains (losses) on securities

  

 

117,774

 

  

 

(115,732

)

Unrealized gains (losses) on other investments

  

 

(40

)

  

 

626

 

Unrealized gains (losses) adjustment to deferred acquisition costs

  

 

(5,269

)

  

 

8,878

 

Foreign exchange translation adjustments

  

 

3,362

 

  

 

359

 

    


  


Other comprehensive income (loss), before tax

  

 

115,827

 

  

 

(105,869

)

Income tax benefit (expense) related to other comprehensive income (loss)

  

 

(39,504

)

  

 

37,180

 

    


  


Other comprehensive income (loss)

  

 

76,323

 

  

 

(68,689

)

    


  


Comprehensive income

  

$

176,956

 

  

$

29,465

 

    


  


 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

3


Table of Contents

 

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited and in thousands)

 

    

Three Months Ended

March 31,


 
    

2003


    

2002


 

Cash provided from operations

  

$

222,810

 

  

$

199,773

 

Cash provided from (used for) investment activities:

                 

Investments sold or matured:

                 

Fixed maturities available for sale—sold

  

 

8,738

 

  

 

76,904

 

Fixed maturities available for sale—matured, called, and repaid

  

 

119,591

 

  

 

66,510

 

Other long-term investments

  

 

845

 

  

 

2,399

 

    


  


Total investments sold or matured

  

 

129,174

 

  

 

145,813

 

Investments acquired:

                 

Fixed maturities

  

 

(270,830

)

  

 

(371,354

)

Other long-term investments

  

 

(2,569

)

  

 

(13,276

)

    


  


Total investments acquired

  

 

(273,399

)

  

 

(384,630

)

Net (increase) decrease in short-term investments

  

 

(52,589

)

  

 

103,541

 

Net effect of change in payable or receivable for securities

  

 

13,173

 

  

 

(49,508

)

Disposition of properties

  

 

21

 

  

 

15

 

Additions to properties

  

 

(571

)

  

 

(622

)

    


  


Cash used for investment activities

  

 

(184,191

)

  

 

(185,391

)

Cash provided from (used for) financing activities:

                 

Issuance of common stock

  

 

674

 

  

 

2,643

 

Additions to debt

  

 

12,935

 

  

 

37,836

 

Repayments of debt

  

 

0

 

  

 

(75

)

Acquisition of treasury stock

  

 

(76,787

)

  

 

(40,370

)

Cash dividends paid to shareholders

  

 

(10,645

)

  

 

(11,062

)

Net receipts (withdrawals) from deposit product operations

  

 

40,218

 

  

 

(2,543

)

    


  


Cash used for financing activities

  

 

(33,605

)

  

 

(13,571

)

Net increase (decrease) in cash

  

 

5,014

 

  

 

811

 

Cash at beginning of year

  

 

7,181

 

  

 

3,714

 

    


  


Cash at end of period

  

$

12,195

 

  

$

4,525

 

    


  


 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

4


Table of Contents

 

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

 

Note A—Accounting Policies

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q. Therefore, they do not include all of the disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. However, in the opinion of management, these statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position at March 31, 2003, and the consolidated results of operations, comprehensive income and cash flows for the periods ended March 31, 2003 and 2002. During the quarter ended March 31, 2003, Torchmark had no significant changes to its accounting policies.

 

Note B—Earnings Per Share Giving Effect to Stock Options

 

Torchmark accounts for its employee stock options in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 123–Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation as amended by SFAS 148–Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation—Transition which defines a “fair value method” of measuring and accounting for compensation expense from employee stock options. This standard also allows accounting for such options under the “intrinsic value method” in accordance with Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees (APB 25) and related interpretations. If a company elects to use the intrinsic value method, then pro forma disclosures of earnings and earnings per share are required as if the fair value method of accounting was applied.

 

Torchmark accounts for stock options under the intrinsic value method as outlined in APB 25, whereby compensation expense is recognized only if the exercise price of the employee stock option is less than the market price of the underlying stock on the date of grant. As required by SFAS 123, Torchmark has computed the required pro forma earnings disclosures utilizing the fair value method. The fair value method requires the use of an option valuation model, such as the Black-Scholes option valuation model, to value employee stock options. Compensation expense is based on these values. The expense is then charged to pro forma earnings over the option vesting period.

 

 

5


Table of Contents

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED

(UNAUDITED)

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

 

 

Torchmark’s pro forma earnings information giving effect to stock option expense is presented in the following table.

 

    

For the three months ended

March 31,


 
    

2003


    

2002


 

Net income as reported

  

$

100,633

 

  

$

98,154

 

After tax stock-based compensation, as reported

  

 

72

 

  

 

113

 

After tax effect of stock-based compensation, fair value method

  

 

(1,786

)

  

 

(1,926

)

    


  


Pro forma net income

  

$

98,919

 

  

$

96,341

 

    


  


Earnings per share:

                 

Basic—as reported

  

$

.86

 

  

$

.80

 

    


  


Basic—pro forma

  

$

.84

 

  

$

.79

 

    


  


Diluted—as reported

  

$

.85

 

  

$

.80

 

    


  


Diluted—pro forma

  

$

.84

 

  

$

.79

 

    


  


 

Note C—Earnings Per Share

 

A reconciliation of basic and diluted weighted-average shares outstanding is as follows:

 

    

For the three months ended

March 31,


    

2003


  

2002


Basic weighted average shares outstanding

  

117,470,995

  

122,407,364

Weighted average dilutive options outstanding

  

312,762

  

511,037

    
  

Diluted weighted average shares outstanding

  

117,783,757

  

122,918,401

    
  

 

Stock options to purchase 6,878,811 shares and 3,305,025 shares as of March 31, 2003 and 2002, respectively, are considered to be anti-dilutive and are excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share. For the periods presented, pro forma income available to common shareholders for basic earnings per share is equivalent to pro forma income available to common shareholders for diluted earnings per share.

 

6


Table of Contents

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED

(UNAUDITED)

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

 

 

Note D—Related Party Information

 

In 1999, Torchmark sold certain of its investment real estate properties to an investor group of which Elgin Development Company was a 30% investor. R. K. Richey, a director and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Torchmark, was an investor in Elgin Development at the time of the transaction and currently is a 25% investor in the parent company of Elgin Development. As a part of the consideration received for the real estate transaction, Elgin Development issued to Torchmark a $12.4 million ten-year collateralized 8% note. At March 31, 2003, the outstanding balance on the collateralized note was $9.7 million. Elgin Development did not make the scheduled payment of principal and interest on the collateralized note that was due March 31, 2003, nor within the grace period after such date as provided in the note, and accordingly, the note has been declared in default. Torchmark believes that the ultimate outcome from the resolution of this matter will not have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

 

Note E—Business Segments

 

Torchmark’s segments are based on the insurance product lines it markets and administers: life insurance, health insurance, and annuities. There is also the investment segment, which manages the Company’s investment portfolio, debt, and cash flow. The measure of profitability for insurance segments is underwriting income before other income and administrative expenses. It represents the profit margin on insurance products before administrative expenses, and is calculated by deducting net policy obligations and acquisition expenses from premium revenue. The measure of profitability for the investment segment is excess investment income, which is the income earned on the investment portfolio in excess of net policy requirements and financing costs associated with Torchmark’s debt and preferred securities. Other income and the unallocated insurance administrative expense are classified in a separate “Other” segment. The tables below set forth reconcilations of Torchmark’s revenues and measures of profitability by segment to its major income statement line items for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2003 and March 31, 2002.

 

7


Table of Contents

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED

(UNAUDITED)

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

 

 

Note E—Business Segments (continued)

 

Reconciliation of Segment Operating Information to the Consolidated Statement of Operations

 

    

For the three months ended March 31, 2003


 
    

Life


    

Health


    

Annuity


    

Investment


    

Other &

Corporate***


    

Adjustments


    

Consolidated


 

Revenue:

                                                              

Premium

  

$

320,538

 

  

$

262,406

 

  

$

7,529

 

                             

$

590,473

 

Net investment income

                             

$

136,341

 

           

$

(905

)*

  

 

135,436

 

Other income ***

                                      

$

1,033

 

  

 

(541

)#

  

 

492

 

    


  


  


  


  


  


  


Total revenue

  

 

320,538

 

  

 

262,406

 

  

 

7,529

 

  

 

136,341

 

  

 

1,033

 

  

 

(1,446

)

  

 

726,401

 

Expenses

                                                              

Policy benefits

  

 

212,115

 

  

 

174,211

 

  

 

9,079

 

                             

 

395,405

 

Required interest on reserves

  

 

(72,202

)

  

 

(4,191

)

  

 

(9,294

)

  

 

85,687

 

                    

 

0

 

Amortization of acquisition costs

  

 

54,907

 

  

 

19,619

 

  

 

3,220

 

                             

 

77,746

 

Commissions and premium tax

  

 

17,818

 

  

 

25,150

 

  

 

59

 

                    

 

(541

)#

  

 

42,486

 

Required interest on acquisition costs

  

 

28,945

 

  

 

5,057

 

  

 

1,909

 

  

 

(35,911

)

                    

 

0

 

Insurance administrative expense**

                                      

 

33,512

 

           

 

33,512

 

Parent expense***

                                      

 

2,561

 

           

 

2,561

 

Financing costs:

                                                              

Debt

                             

 

6,295

 

                    

 

6,295

 

Preferred securities ##

                             

 

1,315

 

                    

 

1,315

 

    


  


  


  


  


  


  


Total expenses

  

 

241,583

 

  

 

219,846

 

  

 

4,973

 

  

 

57,386

 

  

 

36,073

 

  

 

(541

)

  

 

559,320

 

    


  


  


  


  


  


  


Measure of segment profitability (pretax adjusted operating income)

  

$

78,955

 

  

$

42,560

 

  

$

2,556

 

  

$

78,955

 

  

$

(35,040

)

  

$

(905

)

  

$

167,081

 

    


  


  


  


  


  


        

Deduct applicable income taxes

                                                        

 

(57,079

)

                                                          


Adjusted net operating income

                                                        

 

110,002

 

Add income taxes applicable to segment profitability

                                                        

 

57,079

 

Add financing costs—preferred securities (reported on Statements of Operations after tax) ##

                                                        

 

1,315

 

Deduct realized investment losses

                                                        

 

(14,413

)

                                                          


Pretax income per Statements of Operations

                                                        

$

153,983

 

                                                          



*   Tax equivalency adjustment.
**   Adminstrative expense is not allocated to insurance segments, but is a component of the “Other” segment.
***   Parent expense is assigned to the “Corporate” segment, other income and insurance administrative expense are components of the “Other” segment.
#   Elimination of intersegment commission.
##   Investment segment includes preferred dividends, net of swap benefit, on a pretax basis.

 

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Table of Contents

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—CONTINUED

(UNAUDITED)

(Dollar amounts in thousands except per share data)

 

 

Note E—Business Segments (continued)

 

Reconciliation of Segment Operating Information to the Consolidated Statement of Operations

 

    

For the three months ended March 31, 2002


 
    

Life


    

Health


    

Annuity


    

Investment


    

Other & Corporate***


    

Adjustments


    

Consolidated


 

Revenue

                                                              

Premium

  

$

298,344

 

  

$

262,507

 

  

$

10,390

 

                             

$

571,241

 

Net investment income

                             

$

129,159

 

           

$

(956

)*

  

 

128,203

 

Other income***

                                      

$

949

 

  

 

(470

)#

  

 

479

 

    


  


  


  


  


  


  


Total revenue

  

$

298,344

 

  

$

262,507

 

  

$

10,390

 

  

$

129,159

 

  

$

949

 

  

$

(1,426

)

  

$

699,923

 

Expenses

                                                              

Policy benefits

  

 

199,845

 

  

 

172,838

 

  

 

8,196

 

                             

 

380,879

 

Required interest on reserves

  

 

(68,271

)

  

 

(3,757

)

  

 

(9,533

)

  

 

81,561

 

                    

 

0

 

Amortization of acquisition costs

  

 

50,804

 

  

 

18,913

 

  

 

5,309

 

                             

 

75,026

 

Commissions and premium tax

  

 

16,546

 

  

 

26,141

 

  

 

290

 

                    

 

(470

)#

  

 

42,507

 

Required interest on acquisition costs

  

 

27,257

 

  

 

4,699

 

  

 

2,106

 

  

 

(34,062

)

                    

 

0

 

Insurance administrative expense**

                                      

 

31,274

 

           

 

31,274

 

Parent expenses***

                                      

 

3,341

 

           

 

3,341

 

Financing costs:

                                                              

Debt

                             

 

7,318

 

                    

 

7,318

 

Preferred securities ##

                             

 

1,546

 

                    

 

1,546

 

    


  


  


  


  


  


  


Total expenses

  

 

226,181

 

  

 

218,834

 

  

 

6,368

 

  

 

56,363

 

  

 

34,615

 

  

 

(470

)

  

 

541,891

 

    


  


  


  


  


  


  


Measure of segment profitability (pretax adjusted operating income)

  

$

72,163

 

  

$

43,673

 

  

$

4,022

 

  

$

72,796

 

  

$

(33,666

)

  

$

(956

)

  

$

158,032

 

    


  


  


  


  


  


        

Deduct applicable income taxes

                                                        

 

(53,214

)

                                                          


Adjusted net operating income

                                                        

 

104,818

 

Add income taxes applicable to segment profitability

                                                        

 

53,214

 

Add financing costs—preferred securities (reported on Statements of Operations after tax) ##

                                                        

 

1,546

 

Deduct realized investment losses

                                                        

 

(10,252

)

                                                          


Pretax income per Statements of Operations

                                                        

$

149,326

 

                                                          



*   Tax equivalency adjustment.
**   Administrative expense is not allocated to insurance segments, but is a component of the “Other” segment.
***   Parent expense is assigned to the “Corporate” segment, other income and insurance administrative expense arecomponents of the “Other” segment.
#   Elimination of intersegment commission
##   Investment segment includes preferred dividends, net of swap benefit, on a pretax basis.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

Cautionary statements. Torchmark cautions readers regarding certain forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and elsewhere in this document, and in any other statements made by, or on behalf of Torchmark whether or not in future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any statement that is not a historical fact, or that might otherwise be considered an opinion or projection concerning Torchmark or its business, whether express or implied, is meant as and should be considered a forward-looking statement. Such statements represent management’s opinions concerning future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments.

 

Forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that are subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, many of which are beyond Torchmark’s control. If these estimates or assumptions prove to be incorrect, the actual results of Torchmark may differ materially from the forward-looking statements made on the basis of such estimates or assumptions. Whether or not actual results differ materially from forward-looking statements may depend on numerous foreseeable and unforeseeable events or developments, which may be national in scope, related to the insurance industry generally, or applicable to Torchmark specifically. Such events or developments could include, but are not necessarily limited to:

 

  1)   Changing general economic conditions leading to unexpected changes in lapse rates and/or sales of Torchmark’s policies, as well as levels of mortality, morbidity, and utilization of healthcare services that differ from Torchmark’s assumptions;
  2)   Regulatory developments, including changes in governmental regulations (particularly those impacting taxes and changes to the Federal Medicare program that would affect Medicare Supplement insurance) and regulatory inquiries regarding industrial life insurance;
  3)   Market trends in the senior-aged health care industry that provide alternatives to traditional Medicare (such as Health Maintenance Organizations and other managed care or private plans) and that could affect the sales of traditional Medicare Supplement insurance;
  4)   Interest rate changes that affect product sales and/or investment portfolio yield;
  5)   General economic, industry sector or individual debt issuers’ financial conditions that may affect the current market value of securities owned by Torchmark, or that may impair issuers ability to make principal and/or interest payments due Torchmark on those securities;
  6)   Changes in pricing competition;
  7)   Litigation results;
  8)   Levels of administrative and operational efficiencies that differ from

 

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Table of Contents

Torchmark’s assumptions;

  9)   The inability of Torchmark to obtain timely and appropriate premium rate increases for health insurance policies due to regulatory delay;
  10)   The customer response to new products and marketing initiatives; and
  11)   Reported amounts in the financial statements which are based on management’s estimates and judgments which may differ from the actual amounts ultimately realized.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Results of Operations

 

Summary of Operations. Torchmark’s operations are segmented into its insurance underwriting and investment operations as described in Note E—Business Segments. The measures of profitability for each segment are defined in that note. Also included in this note are schedules indicating how the measures of profitability are calculated and how they reconcile to the major line items in Torchmark’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. These designated measures of profitability are highly useful to management in evaluating the performance of the segments and the underlying marketing groups within each insurance segment. These measures enable management to view period-to-period trends which are helpful in the determination of future courses of action to be taken.

 

The sum of the measures of profitability for the segments is Torchmark’s pretax adjusted operating income, an important and very useful measure to Torchmark’s management, investors, and other interested parties in evaluating the overall operating performance of the Company. This adjusted operating income, after deducting the applicable income taxes, is referred to as adjusted net operating income, and has been consistently used over time by management to monitor Torchmark’s performance and growth trends, and is used as a basis for management compensation.

 

Adjusted net operating income is disclosed as required under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). It does not appear on the Consolidated Statements of Operations, but is in the note to the financial statements regarding Business Segments. Adjusted net operating income differs from net income as reported on the Statements of Operations because it excludes certain nonoperating items, nonrecurring items, and discontinued operations which must be recorded on the GAAP Statements of Operations. These items can impact the comparability of current period operating results with prior period operating results if only net income is considered and financial statements are not taken as a whole.

 

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Table of Contents

 

A reconciliation of adjusted net operating income to net income as reported in the Statements of Operations is as follows with per share data on a diluted basis.

 

Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Operating Income to Net Income

(Dollar amounts in thousands, except for per share data)

 

    

Three months ended

March 31,


 
    

2003


    

2002


 
    

Amount


    

Per Share


    

Amount


    

Per Share


 

Adjusted net operating income

  

$

110,002

 

  

$

0.93

 

  

$

104,818

 

  

$

0.85

 

Realized gains (losses), net of tax, from:

                                   

Investment sales

  

 

(1,773

)

  

 

(0.02

)

  

 

(1,112

)

  

 

(0.01

)

Writedown of fixed maturities

  

 

(6,305

)

  

 

(0.05

)

  

 

0

 

  

 

0

 

Valuation of interest rate swap agreements

  

 

(1,291

)

  

 

(0.01

)

  

 

(5,552

)

  

 

(0.04

)

    


  


  


  


Net income

  

$

100,633

 

  

$

0.85

 

  

$

98,154

 

  

$

0.80

 

    


  


  


  


 

In comparing the first quarter of 2003 with 2002, the differences between net income and adjusted net operating income are realized losses. A realized gain (loss) is a recurring item which Torchmark does not consider to be a component of its core operations and, accordingly, not a component of adjusted net operating income. Fixed maturities, which comprise 92% of the investment portfolio, are generally held to maturity, but are sometimes sold because of deteriorating credit quality, for tax purposes, or other reasons. These sales result in gains and losses which can be significant in relation to Torchmark’s core earnings. GAAP accounting rules also require Torchmark to revalue its interest-rate swaps to their fair value at the end of each accounting period. These fair values fluctuate with interest rates in financial markets. While period-to-period fluctuations can be substantial, the value of the swaps, and the cumulative gains and losses from marking the swaps to market value since inception, will be zero when the swap expires. The GAAP rules require that these temporary changes in swap values be included as a component of realized gains (losses) on the Statements of Operations. Torchmark’s core insurance business is very long-term in nature, with the realization of actual profits emerging over many years. The inclusion of realized gains and losses in adjusted net operating income could affect the comparability of Torchmark’s period-to-period operating trends, and could impact indications of future performance.

 

Net realized capital losses from investments, excluding interest rate swaps, were $8.1 million after tax for the quarter, compared with net realized losses of $1.1 million in the year-ago quarter. The 2003 losses consist of a writedown of bonds in the amount of $6.3 million and losses on the sale of other investments of $1.8 million. At March 31, 2003, the book values of certain bonds were written down from a total of $16.3 million to $6.6 million

 

13


Table of Contents

resulting in the after-tax loss of $6.3 million. The writedowns pertained to bonds primarily in the textile and media sectors. The loss from marking interest rate swaps to market value was $1.3 million after tax in the 2003 three-month period, compared with $5.6 million in the 2002 first quarter.

 

Torchmark’s segments consist of its insurance segments: life, health, annuity, and other; the investment segment; and the corporate segment. Insurance segment profitability is represented by insurance underwriting income before insurance administrative expense and other income. This insurance underwriting income consists of premium income less net policy obligations, commissions, and acquisition expenses. Investment segment profitability is indicated by excess investment income. Excess investment income is tax-equivalent net investment income reduced by the interest credited to net policy liabilities and the financing costs of Torchmark’s debt and preferred securities. Tax-equivalent investment income is the investment segment’s measure of net investment income. It includes an adjustment to the yield on tax-exempt securities to produce a yield equivalent to the pretax yield on taxable securities. Tax-equivalent investment income is useful because it places all fixed maturities on a comparable-yield basis, regardless of tax treatment.

 

14


Table of Contents

 

The following table is a summary of Torchmark’s adjusted net operating income indicating the contribution of each component segment.

 

Summary of Adjusted Net Operating Income

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Three months ended

March 31,


    

Increase


 
    

2003


    

2002


    

Amount


    

%


 
                                   

Insurance underwriting income before other income and administrative expense:

                                 

Life

  

$

78,955

 

  

$

72,163

 

  

$

6,792

 

  

9

 

Health

  

 

42,560

 

  

 

43,673

 

  

 

(1,113

)

  

(3

)

Annuity

  

 

2,556

 

  

 

4,022

 

  

 

(1,466

)

  

(36

)

    


  


  


      

Total

  

 

124,071

 

  

 

119,858

 

  

 

4,213

 

  

4

 

Other income (Other segment)

  

 

1,033

 

  

 

949

 

  

 

84

 

  

9

 

Administrative expense (Other segment)

  

 

(33,512

)

  

 

(31,274

)

  

 

(2,238

)

  

7

 

    


  


  


      

Insurance underwriting income

  

 

91,592

 

  

 

89,533

 

  

 

2,059

 

  

2

 

Excess investment income (Investment segment)

  

 

78,955

 

  

 

72,796

 

  

 

6,159

 

  

8

 

Corporate expense (Corporate segment)

  

 

(2,561

)

  

 

(3,341

)

  

 

780

 

  

(23

)

Tax equivalency adjustment (Investment segment)

  

 

(905

)

  

 

(956

)

  

 

51

 

  

(5

)

    


  


  


      

Pretax adjusted operating income

  

 

167,081

 

  

 

158,032

 

  

 

9,049

 

  

6

 

Income tax applicable to adjusted operating income

  

 

(57,079

)

  

 

(53,214

)

  

 

(3,865

)

  

7

 

    


  


  


      

Adjusted net operating income

  

$

110,002

 

  

$

104,818

 

  

$

5,184

 

  

5

 

    


  


  


  

Adjusted net operating income per diluted share

  

$

0.93

 

  

$

0.85

 

           

9

 

    


  


           

 

A discussion of operations follows by each of Torchmark’s segments.

 

15


Table of Contents

 

Life insurance. Torchmark’s life insurance premium income increased 7% to $321 million in the first three months of 2003. The following table presents Torchmark’s life insurance premium and policy charges by distribution method.

 

Life Insurance

Premium by Distribution Method

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Three months ended March 31,


      
    

2003


  

2002


  

Increase


 
    

Amount


  

% of Total


  

Amount


  

% of Total


  

Amount


    

    %    


 

Direct Response

  

$

86,328

  

27

  

$

78,091

  

26

  

$

8,237

 

  

11

 

Liberty National Exclusive Agency

  

 

76,045

  

24

  

 

75,270

  

25

  

 

775

 

  

1

 

American Income Exclusive Agency

  

 

74,716

  

23

  

 

65,544

  

22

  

 

9,172

 

  

14

 

Military

  

 

39,927

  

12

  

 

35,760

  

12

  

 

4,167

 

  

12

 

United American Independent Agency

  

 

13,012

  

4

  

 

12,210

  

4

  

 

802

 

  

7

 

United American Branch Office Agency

  

 

4,774

  

2

  

 

4,821

  

2

  

 

(47

)

  

(1

)

Other

  

 

25,736

  

8

  

 

26,648

  

9

  

 

(912

)

  

(3

)

    

  
  

  
  


      

Total life premium

  

$

320,538

  

100

  

$

298,344

  

100

  

$

22,194

 

  

7

 

    

  
  

  
  


  

 

16


Table of Contents

 

Annualized life premium in force was $1.37 billion, 7% higher than the $1.28 billion in force a year earlier. Life insurance sales, in terms of annualized premium issued, were $88 million in the three months of 2003, increasing 14% over 2002 first-quarter sales of $77 million. The following table presents Torchmark’s life insurance sales and in force data by distribution method.

 

Life Insurance

Annualized Premium Sales and In Force by Distribution Method

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Sales


    

In Force


 
    

Three months ended March 31,


  

Increase


    

At March 31,


  

Increase


 
    

2003


  

2002


  

Amount


    

  %  


    

2003


  

2002


  

Amount


    

  %  


 

Direct Response

  

$

37,499

  

$

29,241

  

$

8,258

 

  

28

 

  

$

368,916

  

$

333,365

  

$

35,551

 

  

11

 

Liberty National Exclusive Agency

  

 

14,057

  

 

14,057

  

 

0

 

  

0

 

  

 

320,373

  

 

316,742

  

 

3,631

 

  

1

 

American Income Exclusive Agency

  

 

22,948

  

 

19,374

  

 

3,574

 

  

18

 

  

 

310,527

  

 

272,766

  

 

37,761

 

  

14

 

Military

  

 

6,147

  

 

5,513

  

 

634

 

  

12

 

  

 

163,473

  

 

145,574

  

 

17,899

 

  

12

 

UA Independent Agency

  

 

5,014

  

 

5,757

  

 

(743

)

  

(13

)

  

 

57,566

  

 

54,227

  

 

3,339

 

  

6

 

UA Branch Office Agency

  

 

731

  

 

1,646

  

 

(915

)

  

(56

)

  

 

21,343

  

 

21,328

  

 

15

 

  

0

 

Other Distribution

  

 

1,616

  

 

1,904

  

 

(288

)

  

(15

)

  

 

125,447

  

 

131,874

  

 

(6,427

)

  

(5

)

    

  

  


         

  

  


      

Total

  

$

88,012

  

$

77,492

  

$

10,520

 

  

14

 

  

$

1,367,645

  

$

1,275,876

  

$

91,769

 

  

7

 

    

  

  


  

  

  

  


  

 

Torchmark’s Direct Response operation is conducted primarily through direct mail, but also through co-op mailings, television, and direct mail solicitations endorsed by groups, unions and associations. Direct Response’s life premium of $86 million represented 27% of Torchmark’s total life premium, the largest percentage contribution of any Torchmark distribution system. Direct Response life premium increased 11% over the prior-year period. Direct Response life insurance sales rose 28% from $29 million to $37 million in the 2003 quarter. Annualized premium in force rose 11% over the past twelve months to $369 million at March 31, 2003.

 

The Liberty National Agency markets to middle-income customers in the Southeastern United States. It represented 24% of Torchmark’s life premium in the 2003 first quarter, the second largest percentage of any distribution system. Life premium was $76 million, increasing 1% over first-quarter 2002 premium. Life insurance sales were flat at $14 million of annualized life premium issued in both periods. Annualized life premium in force was $320 million at March 31, 2003, increasing 1% over the prior year. Liberty’s agent count rose 6% over the prior year to 2,189.

 

17


Table of Contents

 

The American Income Agency markets to members of labor unions, credit unions, and other associations. With respect to sales growth, it is Torchmark’s fastest growing agency. This agency produced premium income of $75 million, an increase of 14% over the 2002 first quarter. American Income life premium represented 23% of Torchmark’s total life premium. Life sales for this agency rose 18% in the 2003 quarter to $23 million. Growth in sales of the American Income Agency was largely attributable to the growth in the number of agents, which rose 18% over the prior year to 2,054 at March 31, 2003. Annualized life premium in force was $311 million at March 31, 2003, up 14% compared with a year ago. American Income’s growth in annualized premium in force and premium income was the strongest of any Torchmark life agency, in terms of both percentage and dollar amount.

 

Torchmark’s Military Agency is an independent agency comprised of former military officers who sell exclusively to military officers and their families. Life premium in the Military Agency rose 12% in the 2003 first quarter to $40 million. Sales in the Military Agency were $6 million in the first three months of 2003, also rising 12%. This agency also had 12% growth in annualized life premium in force totalling $163 million at March 31, 2003.

 

Torchmark’s Other Distribution systems offering life insurance include United Investors and various minor distribution channels. The Other Distribution group contributed $26 million of life premium to Torchmark, a decline of 3%. Other Distribution life premium represented less than 10% of Torchmark’s total life premium. Other Distribution sales declined 15% to $1.6 million. Annualized premium in force was down 5% to $125 million. These declines were largely affected by surrender activity.

 

Life Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Three months ended March 31,


    
    

2003


  

2002


  

Increase


    

Amount


  

% to Total


  

Amount


  

% to Total


  

Amount


  

    %    


Premium and policy charges

  

$

320,538

  

100

  

$

298,344

  

100

  

$

22,194

  

7

Net policy obligations

  

 

139,913

  

43

  

 

131,574

  

44

  

 

8,339

  

6

Commissions and acquisition expense

  

 

101,670

  

32

  

 

94,607

  

32

  

 

7,063

  

7

    

       

       

    

Insurance underwriting income before other income and administrative expense

  

$

78,955

  

25

  

$

72,163

  

24

  

$

6,792

  

9

    

  
  

  
  

  

 

18


Table of Contents

 

Life insurance underwriting income before insurance administrative expenses was $79 million in the first quarter of 2003, increasing 9% over the same period of 2002. As a percentage of life premium, underwriting income rose from 24% to 25% in the 2003 period. The Direct Response Group is seeking to improve life insurance margins by emphasizing sales of its juvenile policy, a higher margin product. American Income, which has the highest underwriting profit margin as a percentage of premium, accounted for a higher percentage of total life premium than in the first quarter of 2002.

 

 

19


Table of Contents

Health insurance. Health insurance premium income was flat at approximately $262 million when comparing the first quarter of 2003 with the same period of 2002. The table below is an analysis of Torchmark’s health premium by distribution method.

 

Health Insurance

Premium by Distribution Method

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Three months ended March 31,


             
    

2003


  

2002


  

Increase


 
    

Amount


  

% to Total


  

Amount


  

% to Total


  

Amount


    

%


 

United American Independent Agency

  

$

121,620

  

46

  

$

122,535

  

47

  

$

(915

)

  

(1

)

United American Branch Office Agency

  

 

80,576

  

31

  

 

82,155

  

31

  

 

(1,579

)

  

(2

)

Liberty National Exclusive Agency

  

 

40,530

  

16

  

 

39,877

  

15

  

 

653

 

  

2

 

American Income Exclusive Agency

  

 

13,358

  

5

  

 

12,669

  

5

  

 

689

 

  

5

 

Direct Response

  

 

6,322

  

2

  

 

5,271

  

2

  

 

1,051

 

  

20

 

    

  
  

  
  


      

Total health premium

  

$

262,406

  

100

  

$

262,507

  

100

  

$

(101

)

  

0

 

    

  
  

  
  


  

 

The table below is a presentation of health insurance sales and in force data by distribution method.

 

Health Insurance

Annualized Premium Sales and In Force by Distribution Method

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Sales


    

In Force


 
    

Three months ended March 31,


  

Increase


    

At March 31,


  

Increase


 
    

2003


  

2002


  

Amount


    

%


    

2003


  

2002


  

Amount


    

%


 

UA Independent Agency

  

$

23,941

  

$

22,918

  

$

1,023

 

  

4

 

  

$

476,243

  

$

475,056

  

$

1,187

 

  

0

 

UA Branch Office Agency

  

 

16,597

  

 

19,845

  

 

(3,248

)

  

(16

)

  

 

317,978

  

 

332,562

  

 

(14,584

)

  

(4

)

Liberty Exclusive Agency

  

 

2,588

  

 

2,646

  

 

(58

)

  

(2

)

  

 

167,069

  

 

162,993

  

 

4,076

 

  

3

 

AI Exclusive Agency

  

 

2,799

  

 

2,434

  

 

365

 

  

15

 

  

 

51,108

  

 

48,564

  

 

2,544

 

  

5

 

Direct Response

  

 

2,411

  

 

2,162

  

 

249

 

  

12

 

  

 

24,814

  

 

20,999

  

 

3,815

 

  

18

 

    

  

  


         

  

  


      

Total

  

$

48,336

  

$

50,005

  

$

(1,669

)

  

(3

)

  

$

1,037,212

  

$

1,040,174

  

$

(2,962

)

  

0

 

    

  

  


  

  

  

  


  

 

Annualized health insurance premium in force was $1.04 billion at March 31, 2003, a slight decline from a year ago. Sales of health insurance, as measured by annualized premium issued, declined 3% to $48 million during the three months of 2003 as compared with the year-ago period.

 

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The following table presents health insurance sales and premium in force data by product type.

 

Health Insurance

Annualized Premium Sales and In Force by Product Type

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Sales


    

In Force


 
    

Three months ended March 31,


  

Increase


    

At March 31,


  

Increase


 
    

2003


  

2002


  

Amount


    

%


    

2003


  

2002


  

Amount


    

%


 

Medicare Supplement

  

$

19,687

  

$

31,300

  

$

(11,613

)

  

(37

)

  

$

711,020

  

$

753,308

  

$

(42,288

)

  

(6

)

Cancer

  

 

2,835

  

 

2,497

  

 

338

 

  

14

 

  

 

173,881

  

 

169,597

  

 

4,284

 

  

3

 

Other health-related policies

  

 

25,814

  

 

16,208

  

 

9,604

 

  

59

 

  

 

152,311

  

 

117,269

  

 

35,042

 

  

30

 

    

  

  


         

  

  


      
    

$

48,336

  

$

50,005

  

$

(1,669

)

  

(3

)

  

$

1,037,212

  

$

1,040,174

  

$

(2,962

)

  

0

 

    

  

  


         

  

  


      

 

Medicare Supplement represented approximately 69% of Torchmark’s annualized health premium in force at $711 million on March 31, 2003. Medicare Supplement annualized premium in force declined 6% from $753 million a year earlier. Medicare Supplement sales, which represented 41% of Torchmark’s first quarter 2003 health sales, declined 37% in that period over the same period of 2002. These sales were $20 million in the 2003 quarter compared with $31 million in the 2002 quarter. Torchmark’s Medicare Supplement products are sold primarily by the United American Independent and Branch Office Agencies. The decline in Medicare Supplement sales was primarily the result of the decline in the number of agents selling Medicare Supplement and premium rate competitive pressures. The Branch Office Agency producing agents declined 15% to 1,275 compared with a year ago. Premium rate increases implemented in recent periods, due to medical cost inflation, have made new sales more difficult. Increased competition from other carriers has also been a factor, as these companies have been slower to implement needed rate increases. Agents in some markets have left for easier sales at those competitors with lower priced Medicare Supplement policies. Torchmark is seeking lower rate increases in 2003 than in prior years while not compromising margins. Additionally, management believes competitive pressures will subside as competitors obtain necessary rate increases.

 

Cancer sales, produced primarily by the Liberty National Agency, were $2.8 million in the 2003 first quarter, rising 14% over the prior-year period. Cancer annualized premium in force was $174 million, compared with $170 million a year earlier. Cancer business represented 17% of Torchmark’s annualized health premium in force at March 31, 2003.

 

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Other health product sales, consisting primarily of accident and limited-benefit hospital and surgical policies, rose 59% to $26 million in the 2003 quarter, primarily from increased sales at the United American Independent Agency. Other health products accounted for 53% of Torchmark’s total health sales in the March, 2003 quarter. Sales were $16 million in the prior-year period. Other health annualized premium in force increased 30% to $152 million at March 31, 2003, representing 15% of total annualized health premium in force.

 

These limited-benefit hospital and surgical policies are primarily written by the United American Agencies. They are lower cost alternatives to individual major medical plans or products that are bought in the absence of or to supplement employer-sponsored group health plans. Increased demand for these plans is the result of the growing unavailability of individual major medical plans and decreased coverage offered by employers.

 

The following table presents underwriting margin data for health insurance.

 

Health Insurance

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Three months ended March 31,


  

Increase


 
    

2003


  

2002


  
    

Amount


  

% of

Total


  

Amount


  

% of

Total


  

Amount


    

%


 

Premium and policy charges

  

$

262,406

  

100

  

$

262,507

  

100

  

$

(101

)

  

0

 

Net policy obligations

  

 

170,020

  

65

  

 

169,081

  

64

  

 

939

 

  

1

 

Commissions and acquisition expense

  

 

49,826

  

19

  

 

49,753

  

19

  

 

73

 

  

0

 

    

  
  

  
  


      

Insurance underwriting income before other income and administrative expenses

  

$

42,560

  

16

  

$

43,673

  

17

  

$

(1,113

)

  

(3

)

    

  
  

  
  


  

 

Underwriting margins for health insurance declined 3% to $43 million in the 2003 three-month period from the prior-year period. As a percentage of health premium, underwriting margins declined slightly from 16.6% in 2002 to 16.2% in 2003. The majority of the health margin decline results from the continuing margin pressure from increasing medical cost inflation on a closed block of Liberty National cancer policies.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Annuities. The following table presents collection and deposit balance information about Torchmark’s annuities.

 

Annuities

Collections and Deposit Balances

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Collections


    

Deposit Balances


 
    

Three months ended March 31,


  

Increase (Decrease)


    

At March 31,


  

Increase (Decrease)


 
    

2003


  

2002


  

Amount


    

    %    


    

2003


  

2002


  

Amount


    

    %    


 

Fixed

  

$

25,902

  

$

4,413

  

$

21,489

 

  

487

 

  

$

660,661

  

$

600,687

  

$

59,974

 

  

10

 

Variable

  

 

2,841

  

 

8,000

  

 

(5,159

)

  

(64

)

  

 

1,449,014

  

 

2,171,647

  

 

(722,633

)

  

(33

)

    

  

  


         

  

  


      

Total

  

$

28,743

  

$

12,413

  

$

16,330

 

  

132

 

  

$

2,109,675

  

$

2,772,334

  

$

(662,659

)

  

(24

)

    

  

  


  

  

  

  


  

 

Torchmark markets both fixed and variable annuities. Fixed annuity collections were $26 million in the first three months of 2003, almost six times the $4.4 million collected in the prior-year period. Fixed annuities on deposit with Torchmark rose to $661 million from $601 million one year ago. The fixed annuity balance increased 5% from $628 million at year-end 2002. In recent periods, weaker financial markets have caused increased customer interest in fixed annuities. Collections of variable annuities were $3 million in the first quarter of 2003, declining from variable collections of $8 million in the same period of 2002. The variable annuity balance was $1.4 billion at March 31, 2003, $1.5 billion at December 31, 2002, and $2.2 billion one year ago. The 33% decline in the variable annuity balance during the prior twelve months was primarily the result of (1) the significant decline in the market value of deposit balances during the prior twelve months, reflective of general equity market declines, and (2) the replacement activity by the Waddell & Reed sales force of Torchmark’s variable annuity products with those of a competitor. Prior to the second quarter of 2001, Waddell & Reed was the primary distributor of the variable annuities of United Investors.

 

On March 19, 2002, an Alabama jury awarded to Torchmark’s subsidiary, United Investors, $50 million compensatory damages against Waddell & Reed. The dispute arose regarding certain compensation on United Investors’ in-force block of variable annuities and alleged a scheme by Waddell & Reed to improperly replace United Investors’ variable annuities with those of another company. On June 25, 2002, an order was issued by the Jefferson County Alabama Circuit Court entering the jury verdict. Interest on the $50 million award was scheduled to accrue at an annual rate of 12% from June 25, 2002 until the date paid. Waddell & Reed appealed the Circuit Court’s decision to the Alabama Supreme Court. In October 2002, the Alabama Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of counterclaims against Torchmark and an individual defendant but Waddell & Reed’s appeal of the jury verdict and trial court judgment remained pending. On April 18, 2003, the Alabama Supreme Court reversed in part, and remanded in part, the $50 million jury

 

23


Table of Contents

 

verdict. The Supreme Court found that conversion, breach of contract and one claim of fraud and suppression were properly submitted to the jury but that two claims, tortious interference with contractual relations and fraud in connection with a promise by Waddell & Reed not to replace United Investors’ existing variable contracts, should not have been submitted to the jury. Under Alabama law, the Supreme Court’s finding that two claims should not have been sent to the jury requires a remand to the trial court on the remaining claims. United Investors had not recorded the award or the related accrued interest as income since it had not been received and all appeals had not been completed.

 

United Investors has filed a petition for rehearing with the Supreme Court and will also pursue at the trial court level its claims for conversion, breach of contract, fraud and suppression, which involve actual damage claims of over $10 million and claims for punitive damages of up to three times that amount.

 

Torchmark is now marketing the variable annuities of United Investors through other broker-dealers. In addition, a small amount of fixed annuities are sold by the United American Independent Agency and the Liberty National Agency. While Torchmark continues to sell annuity products, it does not expect to emphasize this product line in the future.

 

The following table presents underwriting margin results for Torchmark’s annuities.

 

Annuities

Summary of Results

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Three months ended March 31,


    

Increase


 
    

2003


    

2002


    

Amount


    

    %    


 

Policy charges

  

$

7,529

 

  

$

10,390

 

  

$

(2,861

)

  

(28

)

Net policy obligations

  

 

(215

)

  

 

(1,337

)

  

 

1,122

 

  

(84

)

Commissions and acquisition expense

  

 

5,188

 

  

 

7,705

 

  

 

(2,517

)

  

(33

)

    


  


  


      

Insurance underwriting income before other income and administrative expenses

  

$

2,556

 

  

$

4,022

 

  

$

(1,466

)

  

(36

)

    


  


  


  

 

Policy charges are assessed against the annuity account balance periodically for insurance risk, sales, administration, and cash surrender. Policy charges for annuities declined 28% in the first quarter of 2003 to $7.5 million, primarily as a result of the decline in the variable annuity account balance compared with the prior year. Annuity underwriting income decreased 36% in the 2003 quarter to $2.6 million from $4.0 million in the 2002 period, primarily because of the decline in policy charges. Net policy obligations included $1.4 million in guaranteed minimum death benefits in the 2003 period, an increase of $.8 million.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Investment. The following table summarizes Torchmark’s investment income and excess investment income.

 

Excess Investment Income

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

    

Three months ended

March 31,


    

Increase


 
    

2003


    

2002


    

Amount


    

    %    


 

Net investment income

  

$

135,436

 

  

$

128,203

 

  

$

7,233

 

  

6

 

Tax-equivalency adjustment*

  

 

905

 

  

 

956

 

  

 

(51

)

  

(5

)

    


  


  


      

Tax equivalent investment income

  

 

136,341

 

  

 

129,159

 

  

 

7,182

 

  

6

 

Required interest on net insurance policy liabilities

  

 

(49,776

)

  

 

(47,499

)

  

 

(2,277

)

  

5

 

Financing costs:

                                 

Debt

  

 

(11,137

)

  

 

(11,688

)

  

 

551

 

  

(5

)

Trust Preferred/MIPS

  

 

(2,911

)

  

 

(2,913

)

  

 

2

 

  

0

 

Interest rate swaps

  

 

6,438

 

  

 

5,737

 

  

 

701

 

  

12

 

    


  


  


      

Total financing costs

  

 

(7,610

)

  

 

(8,864

)

  

 

1,254

 

  

(14

)

    


  


  


      

Excess investment income

  

$

78,955

 

  

$

72,796

 

  

$

6,159

 

  

8

 

    


  


  


  

Excess investment income per share

  

$

0.67

 

  

$

0.59

 

  

$

0.08

 

  

14

 

    


  


  


  

 

*   Adjusts the yield on tax-exempt securities so that all fixed-maturity investments are on a comparable yield basis, regardless of tax treatment.

 

Tax-equivalent net investment income increased 6% to $136 million in the first quarter 2003, compared with $129 million during the same 2002 period. The increase was primarily the result of the 6% growth in the investment portfolio (based on average invested assets). Average invested assets, which include fixed maturities at amortized cost, were $7.6 billion in the 2003 first three months, compared with $7.2 billion in the 2002 period. The $404 million increase in average invested assets over the prior-year period was achieved even though Torchmark used $219 million to repurchase Torchmark shares under its share repurchase program and wrote certain fixed maturities down by $99 million (before tax) during the prior twelve months.

 

Excess investment income is tax-equivalent net investment income reduced by the interest credited to net insurance policy liabilities and Torchmark’s financing costs. Financing costs include interest on debt, the pretax dividends on Torchmark’s preferred securities, and the difference between the fixed-rate and floating-rate payments on Torchmark’s swap instruments. Excess investment income for the 2003 first quarter rose 8% to $79 million from $73 million for the same period of 2002. Financing costs declined

 

25


Table of Contents

14% to $7.6 million in the 2003 period as a result of the lower interest rates and the favorable effect they have had on Torchmark’s swap instruments and commercial paper borrowings. Because significant cash flow has been used to purchase Torchmark stock, management believes excess investment income should be considered on a per-share basis. Excess investment income per share rose 14% in the 2003 period to $.67 from $.59.

 

Approximately 92% of Torchmark’s investments are in a diversified fixed-maturity portfolio. The balance of investments is in mortgages (2%), short-terms (2%), policy loans, which are secured by policy cash values (3%), and other investments (1%). At March 31, 2003, fixed maturities had a market value of $7.4 billion, compared with $7.2 billion at December 31, 2002 and $6.6 billion at March 31, 2002. An analysis of Torchmark’s fixed-maturity portfolio by component at March 31, 2003 is as follows.

 

 

Fixed Maturities by Component

(Dollar amounts in millions)

 

    

Cost or

Amortized

Cost


  

Gross

Unrealized

Gains


  

Gross

Unrealized

Losses


    

Market

Value


  

% of

Total

Fixed

Maturities


Fixed maturities available for sale:

                                  

Bonds:

                                  

U. S. Government direct obligations & agencies

  

$

50

  

$

5

           

$

55

  

.7

GNMA pools

  

 

100

  

 

10

           

 

110

  

1.5

Other mortgage-backed securities

  

 

100

  

 

9

           

 

109

  

1.5

States, municipalities and political subdivisions

  

 

144

  

 

10

  

$

(1

)

  

 

153

  

2.0

Foreign governments

  

 

18

  

 

2

           

 

20

  

.3

Corporates

  

 

6,566

  

 

515

  

 

(130

)

  

 

6,951

  

93.3

Asset-backed securities

  

 

39

  

 

3

           

 

42

  

.6

Redeemable preferred stocks

  

 

6

                  

 

6

  

.1

    

  

  


  

  

Total fixed maturities

  

$

7,023

  

$

554

  

$

(131

)

  

$

7,446

  

100.0

    

  

  


  

  

 

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Table of Contents

 

An analysis of the fixed-maturity portfolio by quality rating at March 31, 2003 is as follows.

 

 

Fixed Maturities by Rating*

(Dollar amounts in millions)

 

    

Amortized

Cost


  

%


  

Fair

Market

Value


  

%


AAA

  

$

361

  

5.1

  

$

392

  

5.3

AA

  

 

268

  

3.8

  

 

302

  

4.0

A

  

 

3,201

  

45.6

  

 

3,495

  

46.9

BBB

  

 

2,471

  

35.2

  

 

2,593

  

34.9

BB

  

 

431

  

6.1

  

 

396

  

5.3

B

  

 

228

  

3.3

  

 

207

  

2.8

Below B

  

 

53

  

0.8

  

 

51

  

0.7

Not Rated

  

 

10

  

0.1

  

 

10

  

0.1

    

  
  

  
    

$

7,023

  

100.0

  

$

7,446

  

100.0

    

  
  

  

*       Rating based on Bloomberg composite

                

 

The portfolio has an average quality rating of “BBB+.” Approximately 90% of the portfolio at amortized cost was considered investment grade.

 

The majority of Torchmark’s fixed-maturity holdings are in corporate securities. Torchmark’s investments in corporate fixed maturities are highly diversified in a wide range of industry sectors. At fair value, the following table presents the highest ten percentage holdings of Torchmark’s corporate fixed maturities by industry sector at March 31, 2003.

 

Industry


  

%


Depository institutions

  

17.2

Electric, gas, sanitation services

  

17.0

Insurance carriers

  

12.9

Nondepository credit institutions (finance)

  

6.4

Communications

  

5.3

Chemicals & allied products

  

3.8

Food & kindred products

  

3.4

Transportation equipment

  

2.8

Petroleum refining & related industries

  

2.6

Industrial, commercial machinery, computer equipment

  

2.1

All other sectors *

  

26.5

    
    

100.0

    

*       No individual industry sector represented more than 2% of Torchmark’s corporate fixed maturities.

 

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Table of Contents

 

During the first three months of 2003, Torchmark continued to make investments in investment-grade fixed-maturity corporate bonds and trust preferred securities with a diversity of issuers and industry sectors. The chart below summarizes selected information for fixed maturity purchases. Both yield and average life calculations on new purchases of noncallable bonds are based on the maturity date, or, for callable bonds, the call or maturity date whichever produces the lowest yield (“yield to worst”).

 

 

Fixed Maturity Acquisitions Selected Information

 

    

For the three months ended

March 31,


 
    

2003


    

2002


 

Cost of fixed maturity acquisitions (millions)

  

$

270.8

 

  

$

371.3

 

Investment-grade corporate acquisitions (millions)

  

 

270.8

 

  

$

285.8

 

Average yield *

  

 

7.40

%

  

 

7.61

%

Effective annual yield *

  

 

7.54

%

  

 

7.75

%

Average life (in years, to worst call)

  

 

18.9

 

  

 

9.9

 

*       tax equivalent basis

                 

 

Torchmark has historically been able to maintain a desired yield on new investments even in periods of declining interest rates because its net insurance policy liabilities are long term and have essentially fixed crediting rates. As a result, Torchmark has been able to lengthen or shorten the maturity of acquisitions depending on yields available in the market place. These efforts have allowed Torchmark to maintain effective yields in excess of 7.4% in recent quarters. However, in view of the extended decline in interest rates in recent periods, and consistent with Torchmark’s policy of making only investment-grade acquisitions, Torchmark does not expect to make fixed-maturity acquisitions at the same yield level in the near future.

 

At March 31, 2003, Torchmark had accumulated $125 million in short-term investments, compared with $73 million at year-end 2002. The majority of these funds will be invested in fixed-maturity securities in the second quarter, consistent with Torchmark’s investment policies.

 

28


Table of Contents

 

Additional information concerning the fixed-maturity portfolio is as follows.

 

Fixed Maturity Portfolio Selected Information

 

    

At March 31,

      

At December 31,

    

At March 31,

 
    

2003


      

2002


    

2002


 

Amortized cost (millions)

  

$

7,023

 

    

$

6,889

 

  

$

6,756

 

Gross unrealized gains (millions)

  

 

554

 

    

 

482

 

  

 

157

 

Gross unrealized losses (millions)

  

 

(131

)

    

 

(177

)

  

 

(274

)

    


    


  


Fair market value (millions)

  

$

7,446

 

    

$

7,194

 

  

$

6,639

 

    


    


  


Average yield (tax-equivalent book basis)

  

 

7.42

%

    

 

7.43

%

  

 

7.46

%

Average life (in years, to worst call)

  

 

9.7

 

    

 

9.6

 

  

 

9.3

 

Average life (in years, to maturity)

  

 

13.7

 

    

 

13.6

 

  

 

12.9

 

Effective duration (to worst call) *

  

 

5.9

 

    

 

5.9

 

  

 

5.8

 

Effective duration (to maturity)*

  

 

7.3

 

    

 

7.3

 

  

 

6.9

 

*       A measure of the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security to a particular change in interest rates.

 

Torchmark calculates the average life and duration of the fixed maturity portfolio two ways: (1) based on the same date used to calculate the yield, which is the “worst call” date for callable bonds and the maturity date for all other bonds, and (2) based on the maturity date of all bonds, whether callable or not.

 

Torchmark’s $7.4 billion fixed-maturity portfolio at fair market value had a net unrealized gain of $423 million at March 31, 2003. At the end of the first quarter last year, the $6.6 billion portfolio had a net unrealized loss of $118 million. At year-end 2002, the $7.2 billion portfolio had a net unrealized gain of $306 million. The improvement in market valuation of the portfolio resulted principally from the continued reduction during the period in interest rates and in yields on competing assets.

 

29


Table of Contents

 

The following tables disclose certain information about unrealized losses in Torchmark’s fixed-maturity portfolio at March 31, 2003.

 

 

Analyses of Gross Unrealized Investment Losses on Fixed Maturities

At March 31, 2003

(Amounts in millions)

 

    

Fair value

greater than

80% of book


  

Fair value

less than

80% of book for less than

6 months


    

Fair value

less than

80% of book

from 6 months

to 1 year


    

Fair value

less than

80% of book

for more than 1 year


  

Total


Investment grade securities:

                                      

Corporates

  

$

42.4

  

$

6.3

    

$

2.9

           

$

51.6

Asset-backed securities

  

 

.3

                           

 

.3

Non-investment grade securities:

                                      

States, municipals, & political subdivisions

                           

$

1.4

  

 

1.4

Corporates

  

 

27.7

  

 

15.6

    

 

23.4

    

 

11.0

  

 

77.7

    

  

    

    

  

    

$

70.4

  

$

21.9

    

$

26.3

    

$

12.4

  

$

131.0

    

  

    

    

  

Maturity distribution:

                                      

Due in one year or less

  

$

.7

                           

$

.7

Due in more than 1 year through 5 years

  

 

14.8

  

$

9.4

             

$

.7

  

 

24.9

Due in more than 5 years through 10 years

  

 

16.0

  

 

2.4

    

$

11.7

    

 

3.3

  

 

33.4

Due in more than 10 years through 20 years

  

 

18.2

  

 

3.0

    

 

3.6

    

 

3.2

  

 

28.0

Due in more than 20 years

  

 

20.7

  

 

7.1

    

 

11.0

    

 

5.2

  

 

44.0

    

  

    

    

  

    

$

70.4

  

$

21.9

    

$

26.3

    

$

12.4

  

$

131.0

    

  

    

    

  

Major sectors:

                                      

Insurance carriers

  

$

20.3

  

$

1.4

    

$

8.1

           

$

29.8

Electric, gas, water, sanitation services

  

 

13.8

  

 

3.0

    

 

5.5

    

$

5.3

  

 

27.6

Communications

  

 

8.1

           

 

0.3

           

 

8.4

Transportation equipment

  

 

5.0

  

 

2.8

                    

 

7.8

Auto repair, services, parking

  

 

1.8

  

 

2.8

    

 

3.0

           

 

7.6

Industrial, comm machinery, computer equip

  

 

1.4

  

 

4.4

             

 

1.2

  

 

7.0

Petroleum refining & related industries

  

 

2.5

           

 

3.7

           

 

6.2

Rubber & miscellaneous plastics products

  

 

.6

  

 

5.0

                    

 

5.6

Stone, clay, glass, concrete products

  

 

1.6

           

 

1.9

           

 

3.5

Electrical, other elect equip, ex computers

  

 

0.2

           

 

3.0

           

 

3.2

General merchandise stores

  

 

3.0

                           

 

3.0

Chemicals & allied products

  

 

.7

                    

 

2.0

  

 

2.7

Fab metal, ex machinery & transport equip

  

 

2.0

                    

 

.5

  

 

2.5

Food stores

  

 

1.0

  

 

1.0

                    

 

2.0

Metal mining

                           

 

2.0

  

 

2.0

Nondepository credit instn (finance cos)

  

 

1.8

                           

 

1.8

Depository institutions

  

 

1.7

                           

 

1.7

Primary metal industries

  

 

1.7

                           

 

1.7

Municipal bonds

                           

 

1.4

  

 

1.4

Media (printing, publishing & allied lines)

                  

 

.8

           

 

.8

Transportation by air

         

 

.8

                    

 

.8

Other

  

 

3.2

  

 

.7

                    

 

3.9

    

  

    

    

  

    

$

70.4

  

$

21.9

    

$

26.3

    

$

12.4

  

$

131.0

    

  

    

    

  

 

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Administrative expense. Torchmark administrative expense consists of its insurance administrative expense and its parent company expense. Insurance administrative expense rose 7.2% to $33.5 million in the 2003 first quarter, compared with $31.3 million in the prior period. As a percentage of premium, insurance administrative expense increased from 5.5% in the 2002 quarter to 5.7% in the 2003 quarter. Total administrative expense, including parent expense, rose 4.2% to $36.1 million in the 2003 period. As a percentage of total revenue, total administrative expense was flat in both periods at 5.0%.

 

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Financial Condition

 

Liquidity. Torchmark’s liquidity is demonstrated by strong positive cash flow, a portfolio of marketable investments, and the availability of a line of credit facility. Torchmark’s insurance operations ordinarily generate cash flows well in excess of immediate requirements. Torchmark’s net cash inflows from operations were $223 million in the first three months of 2003, compared with $200 million in the same period of 2002. In addition to cash flows from operations, Torchmark received $120 million in investment maturities or repayments during the first quarter of 2003.

 

Torchmark’s cash and short-term investments were $138 million at March 31, 2003, compared with $80 million at December 31, 2002 and $35 million at the end of March, 2002. In addition to these liquid assets, Torchmark’s entire portfolio of fixed-income and equity securities, in the approximate amount of $7.5 billion at market value on March 31, 2003, is available for sale should any need arise. Substantially all of Torchmark’s fixed-income and equity securities are publicly traded.

 

Torchmark has in place a line of credit facility with a group of lenders that allows unsecured borrowings and stand-by letters of credit up to $625 million. The facility consists of two parts: a $325 million 364-day tranche maturing November 27, 2003 and a $300 million five-year tranche maturing November 30, 2006. The company has the ability to request up to $200 million in letters of credit to be issued against the $300 million five-year tranche. Under either tranche, interest is charged at variable rates. The line of credit is further designated as a back-up credit line for a commercial paper program not to exceed $600 million, whereby Torchmark may borrow from either the credit line or issue commercial paper at any time, with total commercial paper outstanding not to exceed $600 million. Commercial paper borrowings and letters of credit on a combined basis may not exceed $625 million. At March 31, 2003, Torchmark had $215 million face amount of commercial paper outstanding ($214 million book value), $170 million letters of credit issued, and there were no borrowings under the line of credit. A facility fee is charged on the entire $625 million facility. The facility has no ratings-based acceleration triggers which would require early repayment. In accordance with the agreements, Torchmark is subject to certain covenants regarding capitalization and interest coverage. At March 31, 2003, Torchmark was in full compliance with these covenants.

 

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Capital resources. Torchmark’s capital structure consists of its short-term debt (the commercial paper facility described above), its long-term funded debt, its trust preferred securities, and its shareholders’ equity. Torchmark’s outstanding long-term debt at book value was $554 million at March 31, 2003, compared with $552 million at December 31, 2002 and $535 million at March 31, 2002. An analysis of funded debt issues outstanding is as follows at March 31, 2003.

 

 

Long Term Debt at March 31, 2003

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

 

Instrument


  

Year

Due


  

Interest

Rate


    

Par

Value


  

Book

Value


  

Fair

Value


Senior debentures

  

2009

  

8 1/4

%

  

$

99,450

  

$

99,450

  

$

119,917

Notes

  

2023

  

7 7/8

 

  

 

168,912

  

 

165,818

  

 

196,157

Notes

  

2013

  

7 3/8

 

  

 

94,050

  

 

93,003

  

 

108,938

Senior Notes

  

2006

  

6 1/4

 

  

 

180,000

  

 

195,232

  

 

196,974

                

  

  

Total funded debt

              

$

542,412

  

$

553,503

  

$

621,986

                

  

  

 

The carrying value of Torchmark’s 6.25% Senior Note is adjusted each period to reflect the change in fair market value of a swap instrument which hedges the value of the note. This instrument increased the value of long-term debt by $16.9 million and $15.1 million at March 31, 2003 and December 31, 2002, respectively, and decreased the value by $.6 million at March 31, 2002.

 

The trust preferred securities were carried at approximately $144 million at the end of each period. Shareholders’ equity was $2.94 billion at March 31, 2003, $2.85 billion at December 31, 2002 and $2.48 billion at March 31, 2002.

 

Because Torchmark has a large available-for-sale fixed-maturity portfolio, Torchmark is required by an accounting rule (SFAS 115) to revalue the portfolio to fair market value at the end of each accounting period. These changes, net of their associated impact on deferred acquisition costs and tax, are reflected directly in shareholders’ equity. Without this SFAS 115 adjustment, fixed maturities would be reported at book value. The fair values of fixed maturities fluctuate with changes in interest rates in financial markets. Because the size of Torchmark’s fixed-maturity portfolio is very large relative to its shareholders’ equity, and because small changes in interest rates can cause substantial swings in market value, Torchmark’s shareholders’ equity as reported in accordance with GAAP can be very volatile. This volatility can have a significant impact on the period-to-period presentation of Torchmark’s capital structure, as the short-term changes in the value of its fixed-maturity investment portfolio caused by interest rate fluctuations do not have a significant bearing on its long-term ongoing insurance business. For this reason, Torchmark’s management, credit rating agencies, lenders, many industry analysts, and

 

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certain other financial statement users prefer to remove the effect of SFAS 115 when analyzing Torchmark’s balance sheet, capital structure, and financial ratios.

 

The following tables present selected data related to Torchmark’s capital resources. Additionally, the tables present the effect of SFAS 115 on relevant line items, so that investors and other financial statement users may determine its impact on Torchmark’s capital structure.

 

 

Selected Financial Data

 

    

At March 31,

2003


    

At December 31,

2002


 
    

GAAP


  

Effect of

SFAS 115*


    

GAAP


  

Effect of

SFAS 115*


 

Fixed maturities (millions)

  

$

7,446

  

$

423

 

  

$

7,194

  

$

306

 

Deferred acquisition costs (millions) **

  

 

2,310

  

 

(23

)

  

 

2,286

  

 

(18

)

Total assets (millions)

  

 

12,616

  

 

400

 

  

 

12,361

  

 

288

 

Short-term debt (millions)

  

 

214

  

 

0

 

  

 

201

  

 

0

 

Long-term debt (millions)

  

 

554

  

 

0

 

  

 

552

  

 

0

 

Trust preferred securities (millions)

  

 

144

  

 

0

 

  

 

144

  

 

0

 

Shareholders’ equity (millions)

  

 

2,942

  

 

260

 

  

 

2,851

  

 

187

 

Diluted shares outstanding (thousands)

  

 

116,413

           

 

118,598

        

Actual shares outstanding (thousands)

  

 

116,116

           

 

118,267

        

*       Amount added to (deducted from) comprehensive income to produce the stated GAAP item

**     Includes the value of insurance purchased

 

Torchmark acquired 2.2 million of its outstanding common shares on the open market at a cost of $77 million during the first three months of 2003 under its share repurchase program. Torchmark’s share repurchase program has no authorized limit, and Torchmark intends to pursue the repurchase of its common shares when financial markets are favorable.

 

The year-over-year growth in adjusted book value per diluted share was 6%, and was achieved during a twelve-month period in which $219 million in share buybacks were made under Torchmark’s share repurchase program and a writedown in the amount of $99 million after-tax was taken on investment securities.

 

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Related Party Information. In 1999, Torchmark sold certain of its investment real estate properties to an investor group of which Elgin Development Company was a 30% investor. R. K. Richey, a director and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Torchmark, was an investor in Elgin Development at the time of the transaction and currently is a 25% investor in the parent company of Elgin Development. As a part of the consideration received for the real estate transaction, Elgin Development issued to Torchmark a $12.4 million ten-year collateralized 8% note. At March 31, 2003, the outstanding balance on the collateralized note was $9.7 million. Elgin Development did not make the scheduled payment of principal and interest on the collateralized note that was due March 31, 2003, nor within the grace period after such date as provided in the note, and accordingly, the note has been declared in default. Torchmark believes that the ultimate outcome from the resolution of this matter will not have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

There have been no quantitative or qualitative changes with respect to market risk exposure during the three months ended March 31, 2003.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

 

Torchmark, under the direction of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has established disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by Torchmark in the reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. The disclosure controls and procedures are also intended to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to Torchmark’s management, including the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

 

Within 90 days prior to the filing of this Form 10-Q, an evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of Torchmark management, including the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, of Torchmark’s disclosure controls and procedures (as those terms are defined in Rule 13a-14(c) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Based upon their evaluation, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that Torchmark’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of the date of this Form 10-Q. In compliance with Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. §1350), each of these officers executed a Certification included in this Form 10-Q.

 

As of the date of this Form 10-Q, there have not been any significant changes in Torchmark’s internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect these controls subsequent to the date of their evaluation. No significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in such internal controls were identified in the evaluation and as a consequence, no corrective action was required to be taken.

 

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PART II—OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

 

Torchmark and its subsidiaries continue to be named as parties to pending or threatened legal proceedings. These lawsuits involve tax matters, alleged breaches of contract, torts, including bad faith and fraud claims based on alleged wrongful or fraudulent acts of agents of Torchmark’s subsidiaries, employment discrimination, and miscellaneous other causes of action. Many of these lawsuits involve claims for punitive damages in state courts of Alabama, a jurisdiction particularly recognized for its large punitive damage verdicts. A number of such actions involving Liberty also name Torchmark as a defendant. In 1999, Alabama enacted legislation limiting punitive damages in non-physical injury cases to the greater of $500,000 or three times compensatory damages. Since this legislation has not undergone scrutiny by appellate courts regarding its constitutionality and a jury’s discretion regarding the amount of compensatory damages (including mental anguish) awarded in any given case is not precisely defined, the effect of this legislation on Torchmark’s litigation remains unclear. Additionally, it should be noted that Torchmark subsidiaries actively market insurance in the State of Mississippi, a jurisdiction which is recognized nationally for large punitive damage verdicts. Bespeaking caution is the fact that the likelihood or extent of a punitive damage award in any given case is currently impossible to predict. As of March 31, 2003, Liberty was a party to approximately 88 active lawsuits (including 7 employment related cases and excluding interpleaders and stayed cases), 64 of which were Alabama proceedings and 14 of which were Mississippi proceedings in which punitive damages were sought. Liberty faces trial settings in these cases on an on-going basis.

 

Based upon information presently available, and in light of legal and other factual defenses available to Torchmark and its subsidiaries, contingent liabilities arising from threatened and pending litigation are not presently considered by management to be material. It should be noted, however, that large punitive damage awards bearing little or no relation to actual damages awarded by juries in jurisdictions in which Torchmark has substantial business, particularly Alabama and Mississippi, continue to occur, creating the potential for unpredictable material adverse judgments in any given punitive damage suit.

 

As previously reported, on March 15, 1999, Torchmark was named as a defendant in consolidated derivative securities class action litigation involving Vesta Insurance Group, Inc. filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (In re Vesta Insurance Group, Inc. Securities Litigation. Master File No. 98-AR-1407-S). The amended consolidated complaint in this litigation alleges violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by the defendants Vesta, certain present and former Vesta officers and directors, Vesta’s former independent public accountants and Torchmark and of Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act by certain former Vesta officers and directors and Torchmark acting as “controlling persons” of Vesta in connection with certain accounting irregularities in Vesta’s reported financial results and filed financial statements.

 

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Unspecified damages and equitable relief are sought on behalf of a purported class of purchasers of Vesta equity securities between June 2, 1995 and June 29, 1998. A class was certified in this litigation on October 25, 1999. In September, 2001, Torchmark filed a motion for summary judgment, which was denied by the District Court on January 10, 2002. On April 9, 2003, the District Court issued an order denying the class plaintiffs’ motion to strike certain of Torchmark’s affirmative defenses, holding that Torchmark cannot be held jointly and severally liable with Vesta under the securities laws without an affirmative jury determination that Torchmark knowingly committed a violation of the securities laws.

 

As previously reported, Liberty was served on October 28, 1999 with a subpoena from the Florida Department of Insurance in connection with that Department’s investigation into Liberty’s sales practices and disclosures in the State of Florida regarding industrial life insurance and low coverage life insurance policies. Liberty has also received similar subpoenas from the Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, South Carolina and Minnesota Insurance Departments regarding its industrial life insurance and other low face-amount life insurance policies sold in those states. Specific inquiry is made into the historical use of race-distinct mortality in the design or pricing of industrial insurance, a practice believed to be actuarially sound, but nevertheless discontinued by Liberty many years ago. In 1988, Liberty endeavored to convert to paid-up status those policies utilizing race-distinct mortality that remained in premium-paying status at that time. Liberty has been and continues responding to these subpoenas in a timely fashion. In July 2000, the Florida and Georgia Insurance Departments issued cease and desist orders to all companies reporting premium income from industrial life insurance, including Liberty, stating that, to the extent that any company is currently collecting any race-distinct insurance premiums from Florida and Georgia residents, respectively, it immediately cease and desist from collecting any premium differential based on the race of the policyholders. Upon receiving the Georgia order, Liberty informed the Georgia Insurance Department that Liberty did not interpret the Georgia Department’s directive as a cease and desist order since it did not afford Liberty the opportunity for a mandatory or voluntarily requested hearing thereunder. On August 22, 2000, the Florida District Court of Appeals issued an order staying the Florida Insurance Department’s immediate final cease and desist order, pending appeals to the Florida Supreme Court. The Florida Supreme Court subsequently reversed and rendered the District Court of Appeals’ order, and thus declared the cease and desist order null and void. Liberty, as an Alabama domestic company, was examined by representatives of the Alabama Department of Insurance with regard to issues parallel to those raised by the State of Florida. By order dated January 28, 2002, the Alabama Department finalized a report of its examination of Liberty. The report has now been turned over to the Alabama Department’s Legal Division for further consideration.

 

On December 8, 1999, purported class action litigation was filed against Liberty in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (Moore v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Case No. CV-99-BU-3262-S), on behalf of all African-Americans who have or have had at the time of policy termination an ownership interest in certain life insurance policies ($25,000 face amount or less) marketed by Liberty and certain of its former subsidiaries. The alleged class period covers virtually the entire twentieth century.

 

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Plaintiffs allege racial discrimination in Liberty’s premium rates in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1981, breach of fiduciary duty in sales and administrative practices, receipt of excessive and unreasonable premium payments by Liberty, improper hiring, supervision, retention and failure to monitor actions of officers, agents and employees, breach of contract in dismantling the debit premium collection system, fraudulent inducement and negligent misrepresentation. Unspecified compensatory and punitive damages are sought together with a declaratory judgment and equitable and/or injunctive relief, including establishment of a constructive trust for the benefit of class members. Defendants filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings or in the alternative for summary judgment on January 27, 2000. On April 7, 2000, the District Court entered an order granting Liberty’s motion for judgment on the pleadings and dismissing plaintiffs’ claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 with prejudice as time-barred and dismissing their state law claims without prejudice to re-file in state court if desired. Plaintiffs subsequently filed motions with the District Court to reconsider its April 17, 2000 order and for permission to file an amended complaint adding similar claims under 24 U.S.C. § 1982. Liberty opposed this motion. On June 22, 2000, purported class action litigation with allegations comparable to those in the Moore case was filed against Liberty in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama (Baldwin v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Case No. CV 00-684). The Baldwin case is currently stayed pending disposition of the Moore case.

 

On July 3, 2000, the District Court issued an order in the Moore case granting in part and denying in part the plaintiffs’ motions. The District Court ordered the Moore plaintiffs to file an amended complaint setting forth their claims under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1982 and, if such claims are timely, any state law claims for breach of contract related to the discontinuance of debit collections, and dismissed with prejudice all remaining state law claims of the plaintiffs as time-barred by the common law rule of repose. On July 14, 2000, plaintiffs filed their amended complaint with the District Court and Liberty filed a motion to alter or amend the District Court’s July order or, in the alternative, requested that the District Court certify for purposes of appeal the issue whether the state law doctrine of repose should be applied to and bar plaintiffs’ actions under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1982. The District Court entered such an order on July 21, 2000 and stayed proceedings in Moore pending resolution of Liberty’s petition to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Liberty filed a petition on July 30, 2000 with the Eleventh Circuit seeking that Court’s permission to appeal the portions of the District Court’s July order in Moore granting the plaintiffs the right to file the amended complaint. The Eleventh Circuit Court granted Liberty’s motion and agreed to consider Liberty’s arguments regarding the applicability of the state law of repose to actions under 28 U.S.C. §§1981 and 1982. Oral arguments were heard by the Eleventh Circuit Court on July 20, 2001. On September 28, 2001, the Eleventh Circuit Court ruled that the rule of repose was not a bar to the Moore claims in federal court and that there is no reverse pre-emption under the McCarrin Ferguson Act. Liberty filed a petition seeking an en banc rehearing in the Eleventh Circuit Court, which was subsequently denied. Liberty filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on February 21, 2002, which was denied. The plaintiffs filed their motion for class certification in Moore with the District Court on December 20, 2002 and Liberty filed its opposition to this motion on February 3, 2003.

 

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Four individual cases with similar allegations to those in the Moore case which were filed against Liberty in various state Circuit Courts in Alabama remain pending and have been removed and/or transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The Moore case and all cases transferred to the Northern District of Alabama have been assigned to Judge U.W. Clemon, a noted former civil rights attorney. In the earliest filed of the individual state court actions, Walter Moore v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company (Circuit Court of Dallas County, Alabama, CV 00-306) the Court entered an order granting summary judgment in favor of Liberty based upon the doctrine of repose and has subsequently denied a motion to reconsider its dismissal of this case.

 

Hudson v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, one of the four individual cases referenced above, was filed in the Circuit Court of Bullock County, Alabama on February 28, 2001 (Case No. CV 2001-25) and contains similar allegations to those in Moore. After denials by the Bullock Circuit Court of Liberty’s motion to dismiss and request that certain questions arising in the litigation be certified to the Alabama Supreme Court, Liberty sought a writ of mandamus on the certified questions issue from the Alabama Supreme Court. The Alabama Supreme Court agreed to hear Liberty’s petition for writ of mandamus seeking to have the Supreme Court direct the trial court to grant Liberty’s motion to dismiss or for a summary judgment or to certify for interlocutory appeal the Circuit Court’s denial of such motion. On January 18, 2002, the Alabama Supreme Court denied Liberty’s request for the writ of mandamus but noted that Liberty’s motion for summary judgment based on the rule of repose remained pending in the trial court and was ripe for adjudication. Upon remand, plaintiff amended his complaint to add causes of action under federal law and this case has been removed to federal court as discussed above.

 

In the fifth individual state court action, (Edwards v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Case No. CV 0005872), the trial court denied Liberty’s motion seeking a summary judgment based upon the rule of repose but indicated that it would reconsider that motion after discovery. Liberty filed a motion to alter or amend the trial court’s order, or in the alternative, for an interlocutory appeal. In September 2001, the trial court in that case vacated its earlier order and stayed the litigation pending resolution of the Hudson case, which is discussed above. On February 22, 2002, the trial court held a hearing regarding the stay in Edwards. The trial court permitted the plaintiffs very limited discovery. The case is presently on the administrative docket, which temporarily stays the litigation.

 

On March 15, 2001, purported class action litigation was filed against Liberty in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina (Hinton v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Civil Action No. 3-01-68078 19), containing allegations largely similar to the Moore case filed in the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Liberty was described in the suit as successor in interest of New South Life Insurance Company (New South), an insurer acquired out of receivership by an entity which was subsequently acquired by Peninsular Life Insurance Company (Peninsular). In 1985, Liberty reinsured a block of insurance business from Peninsular, including business formerly written by New South. Liberty has requested indemnification in the Hinton litigation from Peninsular and its successors in interest. Liberty sought a writ of mandamus in Hinton from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals as well as a change of venue to

 

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consolidate the Hinton case with the Moore case currently pending in Federal District Court in Alabama. Both the change in venue and the writ of mandamus were denied. However, the South Carolina District Court issued an order inviting the parties to resubmit a motion for change of venue. Liberty National filed such a motion to transfer the case to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, which was granted by the South Carolina District Court on February 12, 2002.

 

Another action with similar allegations to Moore, which also includes claims for race discrimination under 24 U.S.C. §§1981 and 1982, was filed against Liberty in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama on January 28, 2002 (Hull v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Civil Action No. CV-02-C-0219-W).

 

There are a total of 16 race-distinct mortality cases pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (with two of such cases having been originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia), including Sunday v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Case No. CV02-BE-0639-S), in which approximately 460 individuals assert that they had discriminatory insurance policies with Liberty. The Baldwin and Edwards cases remain pending in Alabama Circuit Courts. Plaintiffs’ attorneys have actively advertised for additional plaintiffs to join these suits or file additional suits.

 

On December 23, 2002, seventy individual plaintiffs filed an action against Liberty and certain of its sales agents in the Circuit Court of Holmes County, Mississippi (Thurmond v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Cause No.: 2002-517). The plaintiffs, all African Americans, assert claims of fraudulent and reckless misrepresentation, innocent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment and suppression, breach of contract in the dismantling of Liberty’s debit collection system and racial discrimination under various sections of the Mississippi Code Annotated in connection with the marketing, sale and administration by Liberty of plaintiffs’ industrial low value whole life, accident and/or burial insurance policies. Actual and punitive damages in an unspecified amount, interest and costs are sought.

 

On December 27, 2002, individual litigation involving 120 separate plaintiffs with substantially similar allegations, was filed against Liberty in the Circuit Courts of Holmes County, Mississippi (Billingsley v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Civil Action No.: 2002-532), of Bolivar County, Mississippi (Mary Hudson v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Civil Action No.: 2002-170) and of Leflore County, Mississippi (Teague v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Civil Action No.: 2002-0218-CICI). Plaintiffs in each action assert that Liberty and its sales agents marketed small value debit insurance policies at racially discriminatory rates to African Americans using racially discriminatory sales and administrative practices and collected premium payments which are alleged to be excessive and unconscionable in that such premiums exceeded the face amount of insurance issued. Unspecified actual and punitive damages, attorneys fees, costs and interest, as well as the imposition of a constructive trust or disgorgement are sought for claims of fraud and fraudulent inducement, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, tortuous breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, money had and received, unjust enrichment, negligence and/or gross negligence, violations of the Mississippi

 

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Consumer Protection Act, conversion and violations of Mississippi Code Ann. § 83-7-3 (prohibiting discrimination by life insurers in the assessment of premiums to policyholders). These three cases together with the Thurmond case were removed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. After Liberty filed responsive pleadings with supporting affidavits in Mary Hudson, those plaintiffs agreed to voluntarily dismiss their case with prejudice as have the plaintiffs in the Teague case. Since the cases are similar, plaintiffs’ attorneys have agreed to consider a similar disposition of Billingsley once Liberty provides plaintiffs with evidence that the pertinent facts in Billingsley are similar to those in Mary Hudson.

 

On July 26, 2001, litigation was filed against Torchmark and three current members of Torchmark’s Board of Directors in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas (Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. v. Torchmark Corporation, Civil Action No. 01-2372-KHV). Plaintiffs assert that defendants engaged in a scheme to control and injure Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. (Waddell & Reed) after it was spun-off by Torchmark in November 1998, to interfere with the business relationship between a Waddell & Reed subsidiary, Waddell & Reed, Inc. (W&R) and a Torchmark subsidiary, United Investors, and to injure Waddell & Reed as well as asserting that one of the individual defendants sought to interfere with Waddell & Reed’s relationship with the United Group of Mutual Funds. The litigation alleges RICO violations, breaches of fiduciary duty by the three individual defendants, knowing participation in such breaches of fiduciary duty by Torchmark and intentional interference with prospective business relations in connection with the relationship between W&R and United Investors. Plaintiffs seek actual, punitive and treble damages, interest, fees and costs under RICO of $29 million, $13.4 million plus punitive damages, interest and costs on the intentional interference allegations and a total of $58 million on the remaining two counts.

 

Defendants filed a motion to abstain or, in the alternative, to dismiss the Kansas District Court litigation on August 22, 2001, citing pending litigation filed in Jefferson County Alabama state circuit court by Torchmark and its subsidiary, United Investors against Waddell & Reed and W&R (United Investors Life Insurance Company v. Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., et al, Case No. CV 00-2720), involving an alleged agreement dealing with existing in-force United Investors variable annuity business marketed by W&R as well as the prior dismissal by the Kansas District Court of litigation originally filed by W&R against United Investors in Kansas state court involving such variable annuity business. Defendant’s motion was denied but the Kansas District Court ruled that a judgment in the prior Alabama litigation would likely be res judicata as to the claims against Torchmark and one of the individual defendants in the current Kansas litigation. Trial of the Alabama state court litigation began February 19, 2002.

 

On March 19, 2002, a Jefferson County, Alabama Circuit Court jury awarded $50 million compensatory damages to Torchmark’s subsidiary, United Investors in the Alabama state court litigation. United Investors’ claims in this litigation for additional injunctive relief prohibiting unlawful future policy replacements by W&R remained to be decided by the Circuit Court. Based upon the Alabama jury verdict, Torchmark filed a motion for summary judgment in the Kansas District Court.

 

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On June 25, 2002, the Jefferson County Circuit Court entered an order in United Investors’ Alabama state court litigation granting a declaratory judgment for United Investors against W&R. The Circuit Court refused to set aside or reduce the $50,000,000 compensatory damage verdict awarded against W&R by the trial jury in the original litigation. The Circuit Court’s order stated that there was no valid and binding contractual or other obligation requiring United Investors to pay certain additional compensation that W&R had sought in connection with United Investors’ in-force block of variable annuity business for which W&R had formerly been the distributor. Escrowed funds for the commissions owed by W&R to United Investors were ordered to be released to United Investors. The Circuit Court also denied W&R’s motions to set aside the jury’s verdict or to order a new trial and denied United Investors’ motion for additional injunctive relief to prohibit future replacements of United Investors policies by W&R since United Investors has an adequate remedy at law through additional litigation against W&R.

 

On July 25, 2002, W&R filed notice of appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court of the Jefferson County Circuit Court’s order, which notice of appeal was supplemented on July 31, 2002 and the record of the same was certified to the Alabama Supreme Court in September, 2002. On October 25, 2002, the Alabama Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s judgment dismissing with prejudice all of W&R’s third party counterclaims against Torchmark and R. K. Richey. Oral arguments were heard by the Alabama Supreme Court on February 19, 2003 in W&R’s appeal from the jury verdict and trial court judgment against W&R on United Investors’ claims.

 

On February 4, 2003, an order was entered in the Kansas District Court litigation granting that portion of the defendants’ judgment as regarded claims against Torchmark and one individual defendant by Waddell & Reed and W&R. Other portions of the defendants’ motion were denied so that Waddell & Reed and W&R’s claims against the other two individual defendants as well as all claims of Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company, another Waddell & Reed subsidiary, remain pending. The order also lifted the discovery stay.

 

On April 18, 2003, the Alabama Supreme Court reversed in part and remanded in part the $50 million jury verdict awarded to United Investors in March 2002. The Supreme Court found that conversion, breach of contract and one claim of fraud and suppression were properly submitted to the jury but that two claims, tortuous interference in connection with contractual relations and fraud in connection with a promise by W&R not to replace United Investors’ existing variable contracts, should not have been submitted to the jury. Under Alabama law regarding general verdicts, the Supreme Court’s finding that two claims should not have been sent to the jury requires a remand to the trial court on United Investors’ remaining claims submitted to the jury.

 

United Investors has filed a petition for rehearing with the Supreme Court seeking clarification of the Supreme Court’s opinion which did not address the jury’s verdict for United Investors on Waddell & Reed’s counterclaims. United Investors will also pursue the claims for conversion, breach of contract and fraud and suppression, involving actual

 

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damage claims of over $10 million and treble punitive damages, at the trial court level.

 

On January 22, 2002, purported class action litigation was filed against Liberty and Torchmark in the Circuit Court of Choctaw County, Alabama on behalf of all persons who currently or in the past were insured under Liberty cancer policies which are no longer marketed regardless of whether such policies remain in force or have lapsed (Roberts v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Case No. CV-2002-009-B). Plaintiffs in this action are alleged to have purchased guaranteed renewable cancer policies wherein Liberty reserved the right to change premium rates. They allege that Liberty ceased marketing certain cancer policies -”closed” the block of business, capping the potential pool of insureds and leading to increased premiums to the remaining insureds. They further allege that in instituting premium increases on cancer policies after the Robertson v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company class action settlement, Liberty misrepresented the reasons for such premium increases. This action asserts claims for breach of contract in implementing premium rate increases on a basis other than that set out in the policies, misrepresentation regarding the premium increases, fraud and suppression concerning the closed block of business and unjust enrichment. Unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys fees, costs and interest are sought by plaintiffs. Defendants filed a motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, for summary judgment on March 29, 2002 with the Circuit Court. A hearing on this motion was held on October 23, 2002. The Circuit Court subsequently denied the motion and on April 23, 2003, defendants filed a petition for a writ of mandamus with the Alabama Supreme Court or for a more definite statement. On May 5, 2003, plaintiffs amended the complaint to specify the transaction.

 

On January 30, 2003, purported class action litigation was filed against Liberty in the Circuit Court of Lowndes County, Alabama (Gordon v. Liberty National Life Insurance Company, Civil Action No. CV03-13). Plaintiffs assert state law claims that Liberty breached the insurance contracts with them, engaged in intentional, willful and/or negligent conduct and was unjustly enriched when Liberty allowed them to pay premiums on insurance policies that exceeded the “face value” and/or “amount of insurance” of the insurance policies. Unspecified monetary damages, injunctive relief and return of all proceeds is sought. On March 3, 2003, Liberty filed a motion to dismiss this case.

 

On March 13, 2003, purported class action litigation was filed against United American Insurance Company in the Circuit Court of Duval County, Florida (Moore v. United American Insurance Company, Case No. 16-2003-CA-001955-XXXX-MA, Division CV-E). The plaintiff, representing a class with in excess of 8,000 members, asserts that the annual additional fee that United American charges him and its other Medicare Supplement insurance policyholders for electronic processing of claims is a premium or charge subject to filing with and approval by the State of Florida’s Department of Financial Services/Department of Insurance (Department) and that such charge has never been filed by United American with and approved by the Department. The plaintiff alleges claims for breach of contract and the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing as well as for declaratory relief. Compensatory damages including the refund of all premium charges found to be illegal, a declaratory judgment, interest, costs, and attorneys fees are sought.

 

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Item 5. Other Information

 

The following information is being provided under Item 11 of Form 8-K, “Temporary Suspension of Trading under Registrant’s Employee Benefit Plans.”

 

The Torchmark Corporation Savings and Investment Plan (“TMK Thrift Plan”) and the Liberty National Life Insurance Company 401(K) Plan (“LNL 401(K) Plan”) will change their record keepers to Metavante 401(K) Services. These changes will necessitate a blackout period for the participants in each of these plans where participants will be temporarily unable to direct or diversify investments in their individual accounts or obtain a distribution from the plan. The class of equity securities that will be subject to the blackout period is Torchmark Corporation’s common stock. This blackout period for both the TMK Thrift Plan and the LNL 401(K) Plan will begin at 4:00 p.m. EDT on May 23, 2003 and end during the week beginning June 8, 2003. It is currently intended that the blackout period end at 9:00 a.m. CDT on June 9, 2003. You may determine if the blackout period has in fact ended by calling toll free, 1-800-518-4574 at any time after 9:00 a.m. CDT on June 9, 2003. Notices of this blackout period were sent to all the Plans’ participants and beneficiaries as required under Department of Labor regulations, as well as to all members of the Torchmark Board of Directors and all persons subject to Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Section 16 reporting on April 14, 2003.

 

Questions about Section 306(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act should be addressed to Larry Hutchison at Torchmark Corporation, 3700 South Stonebridge Drive, McKinney, Texas 75070 (972-569-3245) or Carol McCoy at Torchmark Corporation, 2001 Third Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233 (205-325-4243). Questions concerning the Blackout Period or the Blackout Period Notice should be addressed to Dennis Luft at Liberty National Life Insurance Company, 2001 Third Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233 (205-325-2812).

 

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6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K.

 

(a) Exhibits

 

(11)

  

Statement re computation of per share earnings

(99)(a)

  

Certification of Periodic Report by C.B. Hudson

(99)(b)

  

Certification of Periodic Report by Gary L. Coleman

 

(b) Reports on Form 8-K

 

A Form 8-K dated February 27, 2003 was filed in the first quarter of 2003 containing a press release announcing declaration of a quarterly dividend and the promotion of Mark S. McAndrew. The Form 8-K contained no financial statements.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirement of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

       

TORCHMARK CORPORATION

Date: May 13, 2003

     

/s/    C. B. HUDSON        


           

C. B. Hudson,

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

 

Date: May 13, 2003

     

/s/    GARY L. COLEMAN        


           

Gary L. Coleman,

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(Chief Accounting Officer)

 

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CERTIFICATIONS

 

I, C. B. Hudson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Torchmark Corporation, certify that:

 

1.   I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Torchmark Corporation;

 

2.   Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

 

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

 

4.   The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:

 

  a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;
  b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this quarterly report (the “Evaluation Date”); and
  c)   presented in this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

 

5.   The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

 

  a)   all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant’s auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and
  b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal controls; and

 

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6.   The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have indicated in this quarterly report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

 

Date: May 13, 2003

     

/s/    C. B. HUDSON        


           

C. B. Hudson,

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

 

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I, Gary L. Coleman, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Torchmark Corporation, certify that:

 

1.   I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Torchmark Corporation;

 

2.   Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

 

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

 

4.   The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:

 

  a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;
  b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this quarterly report (the “Evaluation Date”); and
  c)   presented in this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

 

5.   The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

 

  a)   all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant’s auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and
  b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal controls; and

 

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6.   The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have indicated in this quarterly report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

 

Date: May 13, 2003

     

/s/    GARY L. COLEMAN        


           

Gary L. Coleman,

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

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