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Exhibit 99.1

 

LOGO

FIRST AMERICAN FINANCIAL REPORTS SECOND QUARTER 2014 RESULTS

—Reports Earnings of 47 Cents per Diluted Share

SANTA ANA, Calif., July 24, 2014 – First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), a leading global provider of title insurance, settlement services and risk solutions for real estate transactions, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2014.

Current Quarter Highlights

 

    Total revenue down 11 percent compared with last year

 

  - Refinance closed orders down 57 percent

 

    Title Insurance and Services segment pretax margin of 8.0 percent

 

    Title Insurance and Services segment loss ratio of 8.9 percent

 

  - Includes $25.1 million reserve strengthening, primarily due to a commercial claim from policy year 2007

 

    Average revenue per direct title order up 27 percent compared with last year

 

  - Mix continues to shift to higher-premium purchase and commercial transactions

 

  - Average revenue per purchase transaction up 6 percent

 

    Commercial revenues of $132.1 million, down 4 percent compared with last year

 

  - Commercial revenues up 7 percent in the first half of 2014

 

    Specialty Insurance segment total revenues up 9 percent, with a pretax margin of 12.1 percent

 

    Debt-to-capital ratio of 15.1 percent as of June 30, 2014

 

    Amended existing revolving credit facility with improved terms

 

  - Increased capacity to $700 million and extended term to May 2019

Selected Financial Information

($ in millions, except per share data)

 

     For the Three Months Ended
June 30
 
     2014      2013  

Total revenues

   $ 1,150.0       $ 1,288.5   

Income before taxes

     76.5         59.2   

Net income

   $ 50.6       $ 34.7   

Net income per diluted share

     0.47         0.31   

Total revenues for the second quarter of 2014 were $1.1 billion, a decline of 11 percent relative to the second quarter of 2013. Net income in the current quarter was $50.6 million, or 47 cents per diluted share, compared with net income of $34.7 million, or 31 cents per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2013. The current quarter results include net realized investment gains of $6.3 million, or 4 cents per diluted share, compared with net realized investment gains of $4.5 million, or 2 cents per diluted share, in the same quarter of last year. The current quarter also benefited from a 34 percent tax rate, primarily due to a lower effective foreign tax rate, as well as the utilization of foreign net operating loss carryforwards.

“During the second quarter we benefited from the normal seasonal growth in purchase transactions, continued strength in our commercial business and the full realization of expense management actions taken in previous quarters,” said Dennis J. Gilmore, chief executive officer at First American Financial Corporation. “However, the quarter’s good operating results were impacted by a large commercial claim from policy year 2007.

 

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First American Financial Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results

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“Looking forward, the company is particularly well positioned for the continued recovery of the purchase market, in which we expect to see stronger growth beginning in 2015. The investments we have made in our people, technology and data assets have laid the foundation for us to achieve our vision to be the premier provider of title insurance and settlement services.”

Title Insurance and Services

($ in millions, except average revenue per order)

 

     For the Three Months Ended
June 30
 
     2014     2013  

Total revenues

   $ 1,055.4      $ 1,205.0   

Income before taxes

   $ 84.8      $ 73.0   

Pretax margin

     8.0     6.1

Direct open orders

     318,200        421,500   

Direct closed orders

     214,200        321,300   

U.S. Commercial

    

Total revenues

   $ 132.1      $ 138.0   

Open orders

     33,800        35,000   

Closed orders

     19,600        20,000   

Average revenue per order

   $ 6,700      $ 6,900   

Total revenues for the Title Insurance and Services segment were $1.1 billion, a 12 percent decline from the same quarter of 2013. Direct premiums and escrow fees were down 13 percent from the second quarter of 2013, driven by a 33 percent decline in the number of direct title orders closed in the quarter, partly offset by a 27 percent increase in the revenue per direct title order to $1,830. The increase in revenue per direct title order closed was primarily attributable to a shift in the title order mix to higher-premium purchase and commercial transactions. Additionally, the average fee per order for purchase transactions increased by 6 percent, primarily due to rising home values. Agent premiums were down by 15 percent in the current quarter, which is consistent with the decline in direct premiums experienced in the previous quarter, reflecting the typical reporting lag of approximately one quarter.

Information and other revenues were $165.2 million this quarter, down 3 percent compared with the same quarter of last year. The decline was primarily due to lower demand for the company’s default and title plant information products as a result of the slowdown in transaction activity during the quarter, significantly offset by revenues generated by our recent Interthinx acquisition.

Investment income was $19.3 million in the second quarter, a decline of $2.3 million from the second quarter of 2013. The decline was primarily related to lower earnings from investments accounted for using the equity method, partly offset by higher interest income from the investment portfolio. Net realized investment gains totaled $4.3 million in the current quarter, compared with $3.7 million in the second quarter of 2013.

Personnel costs were $327.2 million in the second quarter, a decline of $12.8 million, or 4 percent, compared with the same quarter of 2013. Excluding the $12.7 million impact of recent acquisitions, personnel costs declined by $25.6 million, or 8 percent. This decline was primarily attributable to lower salary, overtime and incentive compensation expenses in the current quarter.

 

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First American Financial Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results

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Other operating expenses were $197.1 million in the second quarter, down $19.2 million, or 9 percent, compared with the second quarter of 2013. Excluding the $9.2 million impact of recent acquisitions, other operating costs declined by $28.4 million, or 13 percent. This decrease was primarily due to lower production-related expenses and temporary labor costs driven by the decline in order volumes in the current quarter.

The provision for policy losses and other claims was $77.1 million in the first quarter, or 8.9 percent of title premiums and escrow fees, a decline of $72.4 million compared with the same quarter of the prior year. The current quarter rate reflects an ultimate loss rate of 6.0 percent for the current policy year and a $25.1 million net increase in the loss reserve estimates for prior policy years. The increase is primarily due to a commercial claim from the 2007 policy year, net of anticipated recoveries. The loss provision in the second quarter of 2013 included an $89.0 million net increase in the loss reserve estimates for prior policy years, primarily due to domestic lender claims for policy years 2004 through 2008.

Pretax income for the Title Insurance and Services segment was $84.8 million in the second quarter, compared with $73.0 million in the second quarter of 2013. Pretax margin was 8.0 percent in the current quarter, compared with 6.1 percent last year.

Specialty Insurance

($ in millions)

 

     For the Three Months Ended
June 30
 
     2014     2013  

Total revenues

   $ 91.2      $ 84.0   

Income before taxes

   $ 11.0      $ 7.3   

Pretax margin

     12.1     8.7

Total revenues for the Specialty Insurance segment were $91.2 million in the second quarter of 2014, an increase of 9 percent compared with the second quarter of 2013. The increase in revenues was driven by higher premiums earned in both the home warranty and property and casualty business lines. The overall loss ratio in the Specialty Insurance segment was 59 percent in the current quarter, compared with a 61 percent loss ratio in the prior year. The improvement in the loss ratio was driven by a significant decline in weather-related claims in the home warranty business. As a result, the pretax margin in the current quarter increased to 12.1 percent from 8.7 percent in the second quarter of 2013.

 

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First American Financial Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results

Page 4

 

Teleconference/Webcast

First American’s second quarter 2014 results will be discussed in more detail on Thursday, July 24, 2014, at 11 a.m. EDT, via teleconference. The toll-free dial-in number is 877-407-8293. Callers from outside the United States may dial 201-689-8349.

The live audio webcast of the call will be available on First American’s website at www.firstam.com/investor. An audio replay of the conference call will be available through August 1, 2014, by dialing 201-612-7415 and using the conference ID 13586540. An audio archive of the call will also be available on First American’s investor website.

About First American

First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a leading provider of title insurance, settlement services and risk solutions for real estate transactions that traces its heritage back to 1889. First American also provides title plant management services; title and other real property records and images; valuation products and services; home warranty products; property and casualty insurance; and banking, trust and investment advisory services. With revenues of $5.0 billion in 2013, the company offers its products and services directly and through its agents throughout the United States and abroad. More information about the company can be found at www.firstam.com.

Website Disclosure

First American posts information of interest to investors at www.firstam.com/investor. This includes opened and closed title insurance order counts for its direct title insurance operations, which are posted approximately 12 days after the end of each month.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this press release and the related management commentary and responses to investor questions, including but not limited to those related to the continued recovery of the purchase market, its growth beginning in 2015, the company’s position with respect thereto, anticipated recoveries in connection with a large commercial claim, increasing purchase and commercial revenues, rising home prices, transaction volumes, future paid title claim trends, expected loss rates for recent policy years, continued strength in the company’s home warranty business and related returns on capital, improvement in the company’s tax rate, and order trends, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may contain the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “predict,” “estimate,” “project,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” or other similar words and phrases. Risks and uncertainties exist that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the anticipated results to differ from those described in the forward-looking statements include: interest rate fluctuations; changes in the performance of the real estate markets; volatility in the capital markets; unfavorable economic conditions; impairments in the company’s goodwill or other intangible assets; failures at financial institutions where the company deposits funds; changes in applicable government regulations; heightened scrutiny by legislators and regulators of the company’s title insurance and services segment and certain other of the company’s businesses; regulation of title insurance rates; reform of government-sponsored mortgage enterprises; limitations on access to public records and other data; product migration; changes in relationships with large mortgage lenders and government-sponsored enterprises; changes in measures of the strength of the company’s title insurance underwriters, including ratings and statutory capital and surplus; losses in the company’s investment portfolio; expenses of and funding obligations to the pension plan; material variance between actual and expected claims experience; defalcations, increased claims or other costs and expenses attributable to the company’s use of title agents; systems interruptions and intrusions,

 

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First American Financial Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results

Page 5

 

wire transfer errors or unauthorized data disclosures; inability to realize the benefits of the company’s offshore strategy; inability of the company’s subsidiaries to pay dividends or repay funds; challenges and adverse effects arising from acquisitions and other factors described in the company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2014, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. The company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This news release and related management commentary contain certain financial measures that are not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), including personnel and other operating expense ratios, adjusted personnel costs and adjusted other operating costs. The company is presenting these non-GAAP financial measures because they provide the company’s management and investors with additional insight into the operational efficiency and performance of the company relative to earlier periods and relative to the company’s competitors. The company does not intend for these non-GAAP financial measures to be a substitute for any GAAP financial information. In this news release, these non-GAAP financial measures have been presented with, and reconciled to, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. Investors should use these non-GAAP financial measures only in conjunction with the comparable GAAP financial measures.

 

Media Contact:    Investor Contact:
Marcus Ginnaty    Craig Barberio
Corporate Communications    Investor Relations
First American Financial Corporation    First American Financial Corporation
714-250-3298    714-250-5214

(Additional Financial Data Follows)

 

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First American Financial Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results

Page 6

 

First American Financial Corporation

Summary of Consolidated Financial Results and Selected Information

(in thousands, except per share amounts and title orders)

(unaudited)

 

     For the Three Months Ended      For the Six Months Ended  
     June 30      June 30  
     2014      2013      2014      2013  

Total revenues

   $ 1,149,969       $ 1,288,464       $ 2,162,768       $ 2,435,227   

Income before income taxes

   $ 76,458       $ 59,224       $ 111,711       $ 118,816   

Income tax expense

     25,770         24,276         39,171         47,636   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income

     50,688         34,948         72,540         71,180   

Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests

     94         276         222         330   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income attributable to the Company

   $ 50,594       $ 34,672       $ 72,318       $ 70,850   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income per share attributable to stockholders:

           

Basic

   $ 0.47       $ 0.32       $ 0.68       $ 0.66   

Diluted

   $ 0.47       $ 0.31       $ 0.67       $ 0.64   

Cash dividends declared per share

   $ —         $ 0.12       $ 0.36       $ 0.24   

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

           

Basic

     106,878         108,210         106,522         107,881   

Diluted

     108,647         110,311         108,423         110,072   

Selected Title Information

           

Title orders opened

     318,200         421,500         589,400         798,100   

Title orders closed

     214,200         321,300         394,300         612,700   

Paid title claims

   $ 69,466       $ 69,148       $ 147,396       $ 140,485   

 

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First American Financial Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results

Page 7

 

First American Financial Corporation

Selected Balance Sheet Information

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

     June 30,
2014
     December 31,
2013
 

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 1,041,259       $ 834,837   

Investment portfolio

     3,464,238         3,385,328   

Goodwill and other intangible assets

     1,044,449         892,373   

Total assets

     7,016,163         6,559,183   

Reserve for claim losses

     1,013,150         1,018,365   

Notes payable

     454,681         310,285   

Total stockholders’ equity

   $ 2,544,024       $ 2,453,049   

 

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First American Financial Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results

Page 8

 

First American Financial Corporation

Segment Information

(in thousands, unaudited)

 

For the Three Months Ended

June 30, 2014

   Consolidated      Title
Insurance
     Specialty
Insurance
     Corporate
(incl. Elims.)
 

Revenues

           

Direct premiums and escrow fees

   $ 531,123       $ 443,365       $ 87,758       $ —     

Agent premiums

     423,209         423,209         —           —     

Information and other

     165,703         165,222         487         (6

Investment income

     23,659         19,332         1,842         2,485   

Net realized investment gains(1)

     6,275         4,267         1,097         911   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     1,149,969         1,055,395         91,184         3,390   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Expenses

           

Personnel costs

     354,133         327,218         15,487         11,428   

Premiums retained by agents

     338,271         338,271         —           —     

Other operating expenses

     214,121         197,050         10,359         6,712   

Provision for policy losses and other claims

     128,466         77,089         51,377         —     

Depreciation and amortization

     19,780         17,623         1,338         819   

Premium taxes

     14,254         12,666         1,588         —     

Interest

     4,486         641         —           3,845   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     1,073,511         970,558         80,149         22,804   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income taxes

   $ 76,458       $ 84,837       $ 11,035       $ (19,414
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

For the Three Months Ended

June 30, 2013

   Consolidated      Title
Insurance
     Specialty
Insurance
     Corporate
(incl. Elims.)
 

Revenues

           

Direct premiums and escrow fees

   $ 593,205       $ 511,918       $ 81,287       $ —     

Agent premiums

     496,730         496,730         —           —     

Information and other

     171,522         171,104         424         (6

Investment income

     22,485         21,599         1,787         (901

Net realized investment gains(1)

     4,522         3,696         525         301   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     1,288,464         1,205,047         84,023         (606
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Expenses

           

Personnel costs

     364,767         340,046         14,905         9,816   

Premiums retained by agents

     396,024         396,024         —           —     

Other operating expenses

     232,765         216,230         9,859         6,676   

Provision for policy losses and other claims

     198,766         149,534         49,232         —     

Depreciation and amortization

     18,192         16,260         1,209         723   

Premium taxes

     14,795         13,268         1,527         —     

Interest

     3,931         645         —           3,286   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     1,229,240         1,132,007         76,732         20,501   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income taxes

   $ 59,224       $ 73,040       $ 7,291       $ (21,107
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1) Includes impairment losses recorded in earnings, except for impairments on investments accounted for under the equity method, which are recorded in investment income.

 

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First American Financial Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results

Page 9

 

First American Financial Corporation

Segment Information

(in thousands, unaudited)

 

For the Six Months Ended

June 30, 2014

   Consolidated      Title
Insurance
     Specialty
Insurance
     Corporate
(incl. Elims.)
 

Revenues

           

Direct premiums and escrow fees

   $ 964,995       $ 792,728       $ 172,267       $ —     

Agent premiums

     844,133         844,133         —           —     

Information and other

     303,345         302,400         957         (12

Investment income

     41,426         35,035         3,571         2,820   

Net realized investment gains (1)

     8,869         6,428         1,530         911   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     2,162,768         1,980,724         178,325         3,719   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Expenses

           

Personnel costs

     680,651         627,498         31,001         22,152   

Premiums retained by agents

     674,936         674,936         —           —     

Other operating expenses

     402,488         367,132         21,828         13,528   

Provision for policy losses and other claims

     218,349         123,305         95,044         —     

Depreciation and amortization

     39,752         35,537         2,577         1,638   

Premium taxes

     26,544         23,602         2,942         —     

Interest

     8,337         1,241         —           7,096   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     2,051,057         1,853,251         153,392         44,414   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income taxes

   $ 111,711       $ 127,473       $ 24,933       $ (40,695
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

For the Six Months Ended

June 30, 2013

   Consolidated      Title
Insurance
     Specialty
Insurance
     Corporate
(incl. Elims.)
 

Revenues

           

Direct premiums and escrow fees

   $ 1,071,056       $ 911,902       $ 159,154       $ —     

Agent premiums

     981,195         981,195         —           —     

Information and other

     323,655         322,852         814         (11

Investment income

     45,543         40,585         3,466         1,492   

Net realized investment gains (1)

     13,778         11,092         2,100         586   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     2,435,227         2,267,626         165,534         2,067   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Expenses

           

Personnel costs

     709,267         656,889         29,236         23,142   

Premiums retained by agents

     783,567         783,567         —           —     

Other operating expenses

     438,111         404,843         20,078         13,190   

Provision for policy losses and other claims

     314,792         226,894         87,898         —     

Depreciation and amortization

     36,587         32,744         2,387         1,456   

Premium taxes

     26,912         24,172         2,740         —     

Interest

     7,175         1,209         —           5,966   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     2,316,411         2,130,318         142,339         43,754   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income taxes

   $ 118,816       $ 137,308       $ 23,195       $ (41,687
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1) Includes impairment losses recorded in earnings, except for impairments on investments accounted for under the equity method, which are recorded in investment income.

 

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First American Financial Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results

Page 10

 

First American Financial Corporation

Expense Ratio Reconciliation

Title Insurance and Services Segment

($ in thousands, unaudited)

 

     For the Three Months Ended
June 30
    For the Six Months Ended
June 30
 
     2014     2013     2014     2013  

Total revenues

   $ 1,055,395      $ 1,205,047      $ 1,980,724      $ 2,267,626   

Less: Net realized investment gains (1)

     4,267        3,696        6,428        11,092   

Investment income

     19,332        21,599        35,035        40,585   

Premiums retained by agents

     338,271        396,024        674,936        783,567   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net operating revenues

   $ 693,525      $ 783,728      $ 1,264,325      $ 1,432,382   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Personnel and other operating expenses

   $ 524,268      $ 556,276      $ 994,630      $ 1,061,732   

Ratio (% net operating revenues)

     75.6     71.0     78.7     74.1

Ratio (% total revenues)

     49.7     46.2     50.2     46.8

 

(1) Includes impairment losses recorded in earnings, except for impairments on investments accounted for under the equity method, which are recorded in investment income.

 

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First American Financial Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results

Page 11

 

First American Financial Corporation

Supplemental Direct Title Order Information

(unaudited)

 

     Q214     Q114     Q413     Q313     Q213  

Open Orders per Day

          

Purchase

     2,189        1,892        1,626        2,054        2,199   

Refinance

     1,554        1,397        1,462        1,628        2,967   

Refinance as % of residential orders

     42     42     47     44     57

Commercial

     528        475        480        477        548   

Other1

     701        682        726        779        872   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total open orders per day

     4,972        4,446        4,294        4,938        6,586   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Closed Orders per Day

          

Purchase

     1,579        1,217        1,383        1,657        1,637   

Refinance

     983        907        1,096        1,645        2,311   

Refinance as % of residential orders

     38     43     44     50     59

Commercial

     306        290        331        316        313   

Other1

     479        538        640        653        759   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total closed orders per day

     3,347        2,952        3,449        4,272        5,020   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Average Revenue per Order (ARPO)2

          

Purchase

   $ 1,918      $ 1,799      $ 1,829      $ 1,813      $ 1,810   

Refinance

     812        813        819        807        802   

Commercial

     6,746        6,530        8,425        6,895        6,886   

Other1

     488        489        409        504        337   

Total ARPO

   $ 1,830      $ 1,723      $ 1,878      $ 1,602      $ 1,440   

Business Days

     64        61        63        64        64   

 

(1) Includes default and other orders
(2) U.S. operations only

 

Totals may not foot due to rounding

 

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