Investors Title Company Announces First Quarter 2020 Financial Results

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--()--Investors Title Company today announced its results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. The Company reported a net loss of $7.0 million, or $3.71 per diluted share, compared with net income of $6.6 million, or $3.49 per diluted share, for the prior year period.

Net premiums written increased 34.1% to a quarterly record of $38.6 million, as purchase volumes remained strong throughout most of the quarter, and as lower average mortgage interest rates sustained a jump in refinance activity which began in 2019. Revenues from non-title services increased 6.7% primarily due to growth in 1031 exchange services and management services. Despite these increases, however, total revenues decreased 25.1% to $29.9 million, compared with $39.9 million in the prior year, as a result of a $14.5 million decrease in the fair value of equity security investments, compared with a $4.7 million increase in the prior year. Impacts to the financial markets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant decline in the fair value of the Company’s equity securities.

Operating expenses increased 21.5% versus the prior year quarter, primarily resulting from higher agent commissions commensurate with the increase in premium volume. Claims expense increased $680,000 from the prior year quarter due to the increase in premium volume and recognition of less favorable loss development in the current period.

The above factors resulted in a pre-tax loss of $8.5 million in the current quarter versus an $8.3 million pre-tax profit in the prior year period. Excluding the impact of changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments, income before income taxes (non-GAAP) increased 62.8% to $5.9 million in the current quarter compared with $3.6 million in the prior year period (see Appendix A for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures used in this press release).

Investors Title is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated impacts on the title insurance industry, and reacting accordingly. The Company is focused on providing uninterrupted service to our customers and business partners, and ensuring the safety and health of our employees. Having been deemed an essential business, all of our issuing offices are fully operational and servicing clients. Many of our employees are working remotely.

One impact of COVID-19 is that technology is becoming even more important in the industry. To limit personal interactions, electronic document signing and other tools that enable virtual loan closings are becoming more widespread. Our technology investments have greatly enhanced the ability not only for our agents and business partners to conduct business remotely, but also the ability of our employees to work remotely.

The ultimate impacts of COVID-19, both on the overall economy and on our own business, remain uncertain at this time. Predictions about the impact of the virus on home sales are constantly evolving, but we expect the volume of transactions to be curtailed as long as quarantining measures are in place and the economic repercussions from business closures linger.

Chairman J. Allen Fine commented, “We are pleased to report strong operational results in the first quarter, despite the unrealized losses in our equities portfolio. Low interest rates and a strong economy prior to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic contributed to a healthy pipeline which sustained us through the first quarter.

As the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic continue to weigh heavily on the economy, the outlook on real estate transaction levels and mortgage lending remains mixed. Housing certainly will not be immune to a slowdown as unemployment climbs and quarantine measures dampen activity. As the impact of the virus subsides and the fundamentals that underpinned the market reemerge, there should be strong support for strengthening real estate activity and values.

Regardless of the current uncertainty in the market, we will continue to emphasize enhancement of our competitive strengths and profitable expansion of our market presence.”

Investors Title Company’s subsidiaries issue and underwrite title insurance policies. The Company also provides investment management services and services in connection with tax-deferred exchanges of like-kind property.

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Certain statements contained herein constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, among others, any statements regarding the Company’s expected performance for this year, future home price fluctuations, changes in home purchase or refinance activity and the mix thereof, interest rate changes, expansion of the Company’s market presence, enhancing competitive strengths, positive development in housing affordability, the return to normal real estate market conditions, and the timing thereof, wages, unemployment or overall economic conditions or statements regarding our actuarial assumptions and the application of recent historical claims experience to future periods. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated and historical results. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects (and the effects of measures undertaken to combat it) on the economy and the Company’s business; the cyclical demand for title insurance due to changes in the residential and commercial real estate markets; the occurrence of fraud, defalcation or misconduct; variances between actual claims experience and underwriting and reserving assumptions, including the limited predictive power of historical claims experience; declines in the performance of the Company’s investments; government regulation; changes in the economy; loss of agency relationships, or significant reductions in agent-originated business; difficulties managing growth, whether organic or through acquisitions and other considerations set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in subsequent filings.

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

(unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 

2020

 

2019

Revenues:

 

 

 

Net premiums written

$

38,627

 

 

$

28,795

 

Escrow and other title-related fees

1,842

 

 

1,322

 

Non-title services

2,547

 

 

2,388

 

Interest and dividends

1,177

 

 

1,256

 

Other investment income

440

 

 

410

 

Net realized investment (losses) gains

(412

)

 

790

 

Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments

(14,458

)

 

4,670

 

Other

138

 

 

315

 

Total Revenues

29,901

 

 

39,946

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Expenses:

 

 

 

Commissions to agents

20,187

 

 

15,058

 

Provision for claims

906

 

 

226

 

Personnel expenses

11,809

 

 

11,612

 

Office and technology expenses

2,415

 

 

2,223

 

Other expenses

3,113

 

 

2,514

 

Total Operating Expenses

38,430

 

 

31,633

 

 

 

 

 

(Loss) Income before Income Taxes

(8,529

)

 

8,313

 

 

 

 

 

(Benefit) Provision for Income Taxes

(1,518

)

 

1,687

 

 

 

 

 

Net (Loss) Income

$

(7,011

)

 

$

6,626

 

 

 

 

 

Basic (Loss) Earnings per Common Share

$

(3.71

)

 

$

3.51

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Basic

1,890

 

 

1,887

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted (Loss) Earnings per Common Share

$

(3.71

)

 

$

3.49

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Diluted

1,890

 

 

1,896

 

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

 

March 31,
2020

 

December 31,
2019

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

25,324

 

 

$

25,949

 

 

 

 

 

Investments:

 

 

 

Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value

101,421

 

 

104,638

 

Equity securities, at fair value

47,983

 

 

61,108

 

Short-term investments

15,641

 

 

13,134

 

Other investments

14,229

 

 

13,982

 

Total investments

179,274

 

 

192,862

 

 

 

 

 

Premiums and fees receivable

12,330

 

 

12,523

 

Accrued interest and dividends

1,243

 

 

1,033

 

Prepaid expenses and other receivables

10,026

 

 

5,519

 

Property, net

9,959

 

 

9,776

 

Goodwill and other intangible assets, net

10,149

 

 

10,275

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets

4,300

 

 

4,469

 

Other assets

1,513

 

 

1,487

 

Total Assets

$

254,118

 

 

$

263,893

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

Reserve for claims

$

31,407

 

 

$

31,333

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

27,816

 

 

28,318

 

Operating lease liabilities

4,337

 

 

4,502

 

Current income taxes payable

2,921

 

 

1,340

 

Deferred income taxes, net

3,990

 

 

7,038

 

Total liabilities

70,471

 

 

72,531

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ Equity:

 

 

 

Common stock no par value (10,000 authorized shares; 1,891 and 1,889 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, excluding in each period 292 shares of common stock held by the Company's subsidiary)

 

 

 

Retained earnings

180,535

 

 

188,262

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income

3,112

 

 

3,100

 

Total stockholders’ equity

183,647

 

 

191,362

 

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

$

254,118

 

 

$

263,893

 

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries

Net Premiums Written By Branch and Agency

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

2020

%

2019

%

Branch

$

9,895

 

25.6

$

7,166

 

24.9

 

 

 

 

 

Agency

28,732

 

74.4

21,629

 

75.1

 

 

 

 

 

Total

$

38,627

 

100.0

$

28,795

 

100.0

Investors Title Company and Subsidiaries
Appendix A
Non-GAAP Measures Reconciliation
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 and 2019
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

Management uses various financial and operational measurements, including financial information not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), to analyze Company performance. This includes adjusting revenues to remove the impact of changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments, which are recognized in net (loss) income under GAAP. Management believes that these measures are useful to evaluate the Company's internal operational performance from period to period because they eliminate the effects of external market fluctuations. The Company also believes users of the financial results would benefit from having access to such information, and that certain of the Company’s peers make available similar information. This information should not be used as a substitute for, or considered superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.

The following tables reconcile non-GAAP financial measurements used by Company management to the comparable measurements using GAAP:

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

2020

 

2019

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

 

 

Total revenues (GAAP)

$

29,901

 

 

$

39,946

 

Add (Subtract): Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments

14,458

 

 

(4,670

)

Adjusted revenues (non-GAAP)

$

44,359

 

 

$

35,276

 

 

 

 

 

(Loss) Income before Income Taxes

 

 

 

(Loss) Income before income taxes (GAAP)

$

(8,529

)

 

$

8,313

 

Add (Subtract): Changes in the estimated fair value of equity security investments

14,458

 

 

(4,670

)

Adjusted income before income taxes (non-GAAP)

$

5,929

 

 

$

3,643

 

 

Contacts

Elizabeth B. Lewter
Telephone: (919) 968-2200

Contacts

Elizabeth B. Lewter
Telephone: (919) 968-2200