RE - Everest Re Group Reports Third Quarter 2020 Results; Net Income of $243.1 Million and 16% Growth in Gross Written Premium Year Over Year

• Net income available to Everest common shareholders of $243.1 million, equal to $6.07 per diluted common share, an 11.0% annualized return on average common equity
• Gross written premium of $2.8 billion, reflecting growth of 16% over the same quarter in 2019, comprised of Reinsurance segment growth of 20% and Insurance segment growth of 6%. Growth was driven by continued rate acceleration, new business opportunities and increased share with existing customers
• An attritional combined ratio excluding the impact of catastrophe and Covid-19 pandemic losses of 85.8%, an improvement vs. the 87.1% for the same quarter in 2019
• Net investment income of $234.2 million
• Net operating income available to Everest common shareholders of $97.0 million, equal to $2.42 per diluted common share, a 4.4% annualized operating return on average common equity

Everest Re Group, Ltd. (“Everest” or the “Company”) today reported that for the three months ended September 30, 2020, net income was $243.1 million, or $6.07 per diluted common share, compared to net income of $104.4 million, or $2.56 per diluted common share, for the three months ended September 30, 2019. After-tax operating income¹ for the quarter was $97.0 million, or $2.42 per diluted common share, compared to after-tax operating income¹ of $138.4 million, or $3.39 per diluted common share, for the same period in 2019.

Everest Re Group President & CEO Juan C. Andrade commented: “Everest is benefitting from a flight to quality and strength in the reinsurance and insurance markets. This is an underwriter’s market. Our broadly diversified reinsurance and insurance franchises, our financial strength, deep distribution relationships, and our focus on providing solutions to our customers position us well for this environment. Everest’s core strength is evidenced by our third quarter 2020 results where we achieved 16% growth in gross written premium, an improved attritional combined ratio of 85.8% and net income of $243 million.”

Group Quarterly Results

• Excluding the catastrophe and Covid-19 Pandemic (“Pandemic”) losses, the Company reported an attritional combined ratio of 85.8%, as compared to 87.1% in the same period during 2019.
• Pre-tax catastrophe losses in the amount of $300 million, this amount is net of reinsurance and reinstatement premiums. These losses include the impact of Hurricanes Laura, Isaias and Sally, wildfires in California and Oregon, and other events including the Midwest United States Derecho windstorm.
• $125 million of net pre-tax losses related to the Pandemic, primarily IBNR and attributed $110 million to reinsurance and $15 million to insurance. To date, Everest has incurred $435 million of losses related to the Pandemic.

Segmental Quarterly Results

Reinsurance segment

• Gross written premiums of $2.1 billion, a 20% increase over the same period in 2019
• Strong premium growth in facultative risk and property and casualty treaty reinsurance in the US, Canada, and Latin America
• Attritional combined ratio of 83.0%, excluding catastrophe and Pandemic losses vs. the prior year comparative figure of 84.0%
• Combined ratio of 105.4%, which included catastrophe losses of 16.3% and Pandemic losses of 6.7%
• Pre-tax catastrophe losses of $262.7 million, net of reinsurance and reinstatement premiums, and pre-tax net pandemic losses of $110 million

Insurance segment

• Gross written premiums of $705 million, a 6% increase over the same period in 2019
• Strong renewal rate change of 19% excluding Worker’s Comp and 13% across all lines
• Attritional combined ratio of 94.2%, excluding catastrophe and Pandemic, vs. the prior year comparative figure of 96.0%
• Combined ratio of 104.5%, which included catastrophe losses of 7.0% and Pandemic losses of 3.4%
• Pre-tax catastrophe losses of $37.5 million, net of reinsurance and reinstatement premiums, and pre-tax net pandemic losses of $15.0 million

Balance Sheet and Investments

• Shareholders’ equity increased to a record $9.6 billion
• Book value per diluted share of $239.98, up 9.3% on a dividend adjusted basis since year end 2019
• Net investment income of $234.2 million includes limited partnership gains of $88.8 million. Note that net investment income from limited partnerships is generally subject to a quarterly reporting lag, with current quarter results reflective of the rebound in US and global equity markets during the second quarter of 2020
• Net after-tax realized gains of $88.9 million for the quarter, with net after-tax unrealized gains of $52.0 million
• Cash flow from operations of $1.1 billion for the quarter
• Common share dividends declared and paid of $1.55 per share, equal to $61.9 million
• The Company repurchased no common shares in the quarter

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in the U.S. Federal securities laws. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements made on behalf of the Company. These risks and uncertainties include the impact of general economic conditions and conditions affecting the insurance and reinsurance industry, the adequacy of our reserves, our ability to assess underwriting risk, trends in rates for property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, competition, investment market and investment income fluctuations, trends in insured and paid losses, catastrophes, pandemic, regulatory and legal uncertainties and other factors described in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Everest Re Group, Ltd.

Everest Re Group, Ltd. (“Everest”) is a leading global provider of reinsurance and insurance, operating for close to 50 years through subsidiaries in the U.S., Europe, Singapore, Canada, Bermuda, and other territories.

Everest offers property, casualty, and specialty products through its various operating affiliates located in key markets around the world.

Everest common stock (NYSE:RE) is a component of the S&P 500 index.

Additional information about Everest, our people, and our products can be found on our website at www.everestre.com . All issuing companies may not do business in all jurisdictions.

A conference call discussing the second quarter results will be held at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on October 30, 2020. The call will be available on the Internet through the Company’s web site at everestre.com/investors .

Recipients are encouraged to visit the Company’s web site to view supplemental financial information on the Company’s results. The supplemental information is located at www.everestre.com in the “Financial Reports” section of the “Investor Center”. The supplemental financial information may also be obtained by contacting the Company directly.

_______________________________________________
¹ The Company generally uses after-tax operating income (loss), a non-GAAP financial measure, to evaluate its performance. After-tax operating income (loss) consists of net income (loss) excluding after-tax net realized capital gains (losses) and after-tax net foreign exchange income (expense) as the following reconciliation displays:

Although net realized capital gains (losses) and net foreign exchange income (expense) are an integral part of the Company’s insurance operations, the determination of net realized capital gains (losses) and foreign exchange income (expense) is independent of the insurance underwriting process. The Company believes that the level of net realized capital gains (losses) and net foreign exchange income (expense) for any particular period is not indicative of the performance of the underlying business in that particular period. Providing only a GAAP presentation of net income (loss) makes it more difficult for users of the financial information to evaluate the Company’s success or failure in its basic business and may lead to incorrect or misleading assumptions and conclusions. The Company understands that the equity analysts who follow the Company focus on after-tax operating income (loss) in their analyses for the reasons discussed above. The Company provides after-tax operating income (loss) to investors so that they have what management believes to be a useful supplement to GAAP information concerning the Company’s performance.

--Financial Details Follow--

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201029006204/en/

Media: Dane Lopes
Group Head of Marketing & Communications
Everest Global Services, Inc.
203.388.3977

Investors: Jon Levenson
Head of Investor Relations
Everest Global Services, Inc.
908.604.3169