TIPT - Tiptree Announces Fourth Quarter 2023 Results

Tiptree Inc. (NASDAQ:TIPT) (“Tiptree” or the “Company”), today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter 2023.

“We are extremely pleased with our performance in the fourth quarter and full-year 2023. Our operating businesses demonstrated strong performance, resulting in an increase of revenues to $1.6 billion for the year, accompanied by an adjusted return on equity of 15.2%. Notably, Fortegra, our specialty insurance business, achieved record results, with premium and premium equivalent growth of 21%, and an adjusted return on equity of 29%. We firmly believe Fortegra is strategically positioned to maintain a trajectory of consistent top-line growth and sustained underwriting profitability over the long-term. Looking ahead, we see significant opportunities to expand our businesses and remain confident in the long-term outlook for the company”, said Tiptree’s Executive Chairman, Michael Barnes.

Financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows:

Fourth Quarter 2023 Summary

• Revenues of $446.4 million for the quarter, an increase of 20.8% from Q4'22, driven by growth in Fortegra’s specialty insurance lines. Excluding investment gains and losses, revenues increased 23.8%.

• Net income of $6.9 million compared to $0.9 million in Q4'22, driven by growth in our insurance business, partially offset by lower shipping income as a result of the sale of our vessels in 2022.

• Adjusted net income of $13.9 million increased by 43.1% from $9.7 million in Q4'22, driven by growth in our insurance operations. Annualized Adjusted return on average equity was 13.6% for the quarter, as compared to 9.9% in Q4'22.

• Declared a dividend of $0.06 per share (an increase of 20%) to stockholders of record on March 11, 2024 with a payment date of March 18, 2024.

Full Year 2023 Summary

• Revenues of $1.6 billion, an increase of 18.0% from 2022, driven by growth in Fortegra’s specialty insurance lines. Excluding investment gains and losses, revenues increased 19.3%.

• Net income of $14.0 million compared to net loss of $8.3 million in 2022, driven by growth in insurance operations and the decrease in tax expense related to the tax deconsolidation of Fortegra from $33.1 million in 2022 to $19.1 million in 2023, partially offset by lower mortgage and the sale of our vessels in 2022.

• Adjusted net income of $61.9 million increased by 16.7% from $53.0 million in 2022, driven by revenue growth in our insurance operations while maintaining a consistent combined ratio. Adjusted return on average equity was 15.2% for the year, as compared to 13.6% in 2022.

Segment Financial Highlights - Fourth Quarter 2023

Insurance (The Fortegra Group):

• Gross written premiums and premium equivalents grew 37.5% for the quarter and 21.4% for the year, driven by growth in specialty E&S and admitted insurance lines in the U.S. and Europe, along with benefits from a book-roll transaction with one of Fortegra’s MGA partners.

• Net written premiums were $384.3 million for the quarter, an increase of 56.7%, and $1,319.9 million for the year, an increase of 21.2%. The increases in both periods were consistent with the growth in gross written premiums and premium equivalents and increased retention on Fortegra’s whole account quota share reinsurance agreement from 30% to 40%, effective April 1, 2023.

• Record revenues increased 25.4% for the quarter and 27.6% for the year driven by premium growth in specialty E&S and admitted lines, and services businesses in the U.S. and Europe, along with growth in net investment income. Excluding the impact of investment gains and losses, revenues increased by 24.6% for the quarter and 25.9% for the year.

• The combined ratio for the quarter was 89.8%, in-line with the prior year’s period. Total year 2023 combined ratio was 90.3%, as compared to 90.4% in 2022, reflecting the consistent underwriting performance and scalability of the Company’s operating platform.

• Record income before taxes for the quarter of $44.2 million, up $15.1 million. Total year 2023 income before the taxes was $129.8 million, up $61.7 million. After-tax return on equity for the year was 25.7%, compared to 14.6% in 2022. The increases were driven by growth in underwriting and fee revenues, the consistent combined ratio and improved contributions from the investment portfolio.

• Adjusted net income for the quarter of $32.6 million, up 36.2% from Q4'22. Total year 2023 adjusted net income was $115.7 million, up 38.0% from prior year. Adjusted return on average equity for the year was 29.2%, compared to 26.1% in 2022. The increases in both periods were driven by growth in underwriting and fee income and increased net investment income.

• As of December 31, 2023, Fortegra held an outstanding balance of $130.0 million on its revolving line of credit, as compared to a balance of $46.0 million as of September 30, 2023. The increase in borrowings was primarily to fund statutory capital requirements and general corporate purposes.

• In December 2023, Fortegra entered into a commutation agreement with a partner resulting in a reduction of policy liabilities and unpaid claims of $75.6 million relating to policies written in the 2020 and 2021 treaty years.

Tiptree Capital:

• Tiptree Capital loss before taxes was $2.1 million for the quarter, compared to income of $8.5 million in Q4’22, driven by lower mortgage revenues and the sale of vessels in 2022.

• Loss before taxes was $6.5 million for the year, down from the prior year driven by the sale of five vessels in 2022, losses on Invesque and lower mortgage revenues, partially offset by improved performance in the Company’s other investment holdings.

• Total Tiptree Capital book value was $178.1 million as of Q4’23.

Corporate:

Corporate includes expenses of the holding company for employee compensation and benefits, audit and professional fees, and public company and other expenses. For the quarter, corporate expenses were $12.1 million compared to $12.5 million in Q4'22. For the year, the corporate expenses were $40.2 million compared to $46.4 million in the prior year. The decrease was primarily driven by lower interest expense as we repaid our corporate holding company borrowings in June 2022.

Non-GAAP

Management uses Adjusted net income and Adjusted return on average equity as measurements of operating performance. Management believes these measures provide supplemental information useful to investors as they are frequently used by the financial community to analyze financial performance and comparison among companies. Management uses Adjusted net income and adjusted return on average equity as part of its capital allocation process and to assess comparative returns on invested capital. Adjusted net income represents income before taxes, less provision (benefit) for income taxes, and excluding the after-tax impact of various expenses that we consider to be unique and non-recurring in nature, stock-based compensation, net realized and unrealized gains (losses), and intangibles amortization associated with purchase accounting, all of which is reduced for non-controlling interests. Adjusted net income and Adjusted return on average equity are presented before the impacts of non-controlling interests. Adjusted net income and Adjusted return on average equity are not measurements of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative or substitute for GAAP net income. See “Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for a reconciliation of these measures to their GAAP equivalents.

Earnings Conference Call

Tiptree will host a conference call on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its Q4 2023 financial results. A copy of our investor presentation, to be used during the conference call, as well as this press release, will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website, located at www.tiptreeinc.com .

The conference call will be available via live or archived webcast at https://investors.tiptreeinc.com . To listen to a live broadcast, go to the site at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time in order to register, download and install any necessary audio software. To participate in the telephone conference call, please dial 1-877-407-4018 (domestic) or 1-201-689-8471 (international). Please dial in at least five minutes prior to the start time.

A replay of the call will be available from Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 01:30 p.m. Eastern Time, until midnight Eastern on Thursday, March 7, 2024. To listen to the replay, please dial 1-844-512-2921 (domestic) or 1-412-317-6671 (international), Passcode: 13743665.

About Tiptree

Tiptree Inc. (NASDAQ: TIPT) allocates capital to select small and middle market companies with the mission of building long-term value. Established in 2007, Tiptree has a significant track record investing across a variety of industries and asset types, including the insurance, asset management, specialty finance, real estate and shipping sectors. With proprietary access and a flexible capital base, Tiptree seeks to uncover compelling investment opportunities and support management teams in unlocking the full value potential of their businesses. For more information, please visit tiptreeinc.com and follow us on LinkedIn .

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains “forward-looking statements” which involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. All statements contained in this release that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking, and the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company’s plans, objectives, expectations for our businesses and intentions. In addition, we make certain forward-looking statements regarding the Company’s plans to take Fortegra public. Any initial public offering by Fortegra would be subject to a variety of factors, including market conditions, and may not be consummated. The forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecast in the forward-looking statements. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to those described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, and as described in the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as to the date of this release. The factors described therein are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause actual results or developments to differ materially from those expressed in any of our forward-looking statements. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could affect our forward-looking statements. Consequently, our actual performance could be materially different from the results described or anticipated by our forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Tiptree Inc.
Non-GAAP Reconciliations (Unaudited)

Non-GAAP Financial Measures — Adjusted net income and Adjusted return on average equity

Adjusted net income is defined as income before taxes, less provision (benefit) for income taxes, and excluding the after-tax impact of various expenses that we consider to be unique and non-recurring in nature, including merger and acquisition related expenses, stock-based compensation, net realized and unrealized gains (losses) and intangibles amortization associated with purchase accounting, all of which is reduced for non-controlling interests. The calculation of adjusted net income excludes net realized and unrealized gains (losses) that relate to investments or assets rather than business operations. Adjusted net income is presented before the impacts of non-controlling interests. Adjusted return on average equity represents adjusted net income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period. Management uses Adjusted net income and adjusted return on average equity as part of its capital allocation process and to assess comparative returns on invested capital. We believe adjusted net income provides additional clarity on the results of the Company’s underlying business operations as a whole for the periods presented by excluding distortions created by the unpredictability and volatility of realized and unrealized gains (losses). We also believe adjusted net income provides useful supplemental information to investors as it is frequently used by the financial community to analyze financial performance between periods and for comparison among companies.