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HOUSTON, May 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SKWD) ("Skyward Specialty” or the "Company”) today reported first quarter 2025 net income of $42.1 million, or $1.01 per diluted share, compared to $36.8 million, or $0.90 per diluted share, for the same 2024 period.
Adjusted operating income(1) for the first quarter of 2025 was $37.3 million, or $0.90 per diluted share, compared to $31.0 million, or $0.75 per diluted share, for the same 2024 period.
Highlights for the first quarter included:
- Gross written premiums of $535.3 million, an increase of 16.7% compared to 2024;
- Combined ratio of 90.5%;
- Ex-Cat combined ratio of 88.3%;
- Annualized return on equity of 20.5%; and,
- Book value per share of $21.06, an increase of 6% compared to December 31, 2024.
(1) See "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures"
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Skyward Specialty Chairman and CEO Andrew Robinson commented, "We delivered outstanding first quarter results, including adjusted operating income(1) which increased over 20% to $37.3 million, which is the best in Company history, and we achieved annualized return on equity of 20.5%. We continued our consistent and strong record of growth in underwriting performance as gross written premiums increased by approximately 17%, and we delivered a 90.5% combined ratio inclusive of 2.2 points of catastrophe losses. Our strong growth this quarter highlights the strength of our diversified business portfolio, with our global agriculture unit and our accident & health division each having a breakout quarter; we have highlighted these two areas as part of our intentional strategy to grow in areas less exposed to the P&C market."
"As we look out to the remainder of the year, we remain confident that the strength of our diversified business portfolio, the power of our Rule Our Niche strategy, our investment in technology and talent, and our track record for consistent execution, positions us to continue to deliver strong financial results that create long-term value for our shareholders."
Results of Operations
Underwriting Results
| Premiums | |||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | Three months ended March 31, | ||||||||||
| unaudited | 2025 | 2024 | %
Change | ||||||||
| Gross written premiums | $ | 535,326 | $ | 458,620 | 16.7 | % | |||||
| Ceded written premiums | $ | (192,055 | ) | $ | (171,520 | ) | 12.0 | % | |||
| Net retention | 64.1 | % | 62.6 | % | NM | (1) | |||||
| Net written premiums | $ | 343,271 | $ | 287,100 | 19.6 | % | |||||
| Net earned premiums | $ | 300,366 | $ | 236,342 | 27.1 | % | |||||
| (1)Not meaningful | |||||||||||
The increase in gross written premiums for the first quarter of 2025, when compared to the same 2024 period, was driven by double-digit premium growth primarily from the agriculture and credit (re)insurance, accident & health and specialty programs divisions, partially offset by a decrease in gross written premiums in the global property division.
During the first quarter 2025, the Company updated its underwriting divisions to align with how management currently oversees the business, allocates resources and evaluates operating performance. The Company added a ninth division, Agriculture and Credit (Re)insurance, which includes the Global Agriculture unit, previously reported with Global Property, and the Mortgage and Credit units, and focuses on specialty classes for which reinsurance provides a more attractive market entry. The Industry Solutions division is now the Construction & Energy Solutions division and the Inland Marine unit is now included in the Transactional E&S division. Programs is now Specialty Programs. Prior reporting periods have been conformed to reflect the new presentation.
| Combined Ratio | Three months ended March 31, | |||||
| (unaudited) | 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| Non-cat loss and LAE | 60.2 | % | 60.6 | % | ||
| Cat loss and LAE(1) | 2.2 | % | 0.4 | % | ||
| Prior accident year development - LPT | 0.0 | % | (0.1) | % | ||
| Loss Ratio | 62.4 | % | 60.9 | % | ||
| Net policy acquisition costs | 14.8 | % | 13.6 | % | ||
| Other operating and general expenses | 14.0 | % | 16.0 | % | ||
| Commission and fee income | (0.7) | % | (0.9) | % | ||
| Expense ratio | 28.1 | % | 28.7 | % | ||
| Combined ratio | 90.5 | % | 89.6 | % | ||
| Ex-Cat Combined Ratio(2) | 88.3 | % | 89.2 | % | ||
| (1)Current accident year | ||||||
| (2)Defined as the combined ratio excluding cat loss and LAE(1) | ||||||
The loss ratio for the first quarter of 2025 increased 1.5 points when compared to the same 2024 period, due to higher catastrophe losses, primarily from convective storms in the Midwest and the California wildfires. Partially offsetting the increase in the cat loss and LAE ratio was improvement in the non-cat loss and LAE ratio driven by the business mix shift.
The expense ratio for the first quarter improved 0.6 points when compared to the same 2024 period due to earnings leverage partially offset by higher acquisition costs due to the business mix shift.
The expense ratios for the first quarters of 2025 and 2024 exclude the impact of IPO related stock compensation and secondary offering expenses, which are reported in other expenses in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.
Investment Results
| Net Investment Income | ||||||||
| $ in thousands | Three months ended March 31, | |||||||
| (unaudited) | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| Short-term investments & cash and cash equivalents | $ | 4,041 | $ | 5,088 | ||||
| Fixed income | 16,730 | 12,478 | ||||||
| Equities | 657 | 627 | ||||||
| Alternative & strategic investments | (2,097 | ) | 104 | |||||
| Net investment income | $ | 19,331 | $ | 18,297 | ||||
| Net unrealized gains on securities still held | $ | 5,491 | $ | 8,991 | ||||
| Net realized gains (losses) | 1,350 | (688 | ) | |||||
| Net investment gains | $ | 6,841 | $ | 8,303 | ||||
Net investment income for the first quarter of 2025 increased $1.0 million when compared to the same 2024 period, driven by increased income from our fixed income portfolio due to a higher yield and larger asset base. Partially offsetting the increase in income from our fixed income portfolio were (i) losses from the alternative and strategic investments portfolio due to the decline in the fair value of limited partnership investments, and (ii) less income from short-term investments driven by a lower yield.
Stockholders' Equity
Stockholders' equity was $850.7 million at March 31, 2025 which represented an increase of 7.1% when compared to stockholders' equity of $794.0 million at December 31, 2024. The increase in stockholders' equity was primarily due to an increase in the market value of our investment portfolio and net income.
Conference Call
At 9:30 a.m. eastern time tomorrow, May 2, 2025, Skyward Specialty management will hold a conference call to discuss quarterly results with insurance industry analysts. Interested parties may listen to the discussion at investors.skywardinsurance.com under Events & Presentations. Additionally, investors can access the earnings call via conference call by registering via the conference link. Users will receive dial-in information and a unique PIN to join the call upon registering.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release contains certain financial measures and ratios that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP”). We refer to these measures as "non-GAAP financial measures.” We use these non-GAAP financial measures when planning, monitoring, and evaluating our performance.
We consider these non-GAAP financial measures to be useful metrics for our management and investors to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period. While we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful in evaluating our business, this information should be considered supplemental in nature and is not meant to be a substitute for revenue or net income, in each case as recognized in accordance with GAAP. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate such measures differently, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures. For more information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of such measures to comparable GAAP financial measures, see the section entitled "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
About Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.
Skyward Specialty is a rapidly growing and innovative specialty insurance company, delivering commercial property and casualty products and solutions on a non-admitted and admitted basis. The Company operates through nine underwriting divisions - Accident & Health, Agriculture and Credit (Re)insurance, Captives, Construction & Energy Solutions, Global Property, Professional Lines, Specialty Programs, Surety and Transactional E&S. SKWD stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, which represents the top fourth of all Nasdaq listed companies.
Skyward Specialty's subsidiary insurance companies consist of Great Midwest Insurance Company, Houston Specialty Insurance Company, Imperium Insurance Company, and Oklahoma Specialty Insurance Company. These insurance companies are rated A (Excellent) with stable outlook by A.M. Best Company. Additional information about Skyward Specialty can be found on our website at www.skywardinsurance.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information, all other information in this news release consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified through use of the words "believe," "expect," "enable," "may," "will," "could," "intends," "estimate," "anticipate," "plan," "predict," "probable," "potential," "possible," "should," "continue," and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied. The most significant of these uncertainties are described in Skyward Specialty's Form 10-K, and include (but are not limited to) legislative changes at both the state and federal level, state and federal regulatory rule making promulgations and adjudications, class action litigation involving the insurance industry and judicial decisions affecting claims, policy coverages and the general costs of doing business, the potential loss of key members of our management team or key employees and our ability to attract and retain personnel, the impact of competition on products and pricing, inflation in the costs of the products and services insurance pays for, product development, geographic spread of risk, weather and weather-related events, other types of catastrophic events, our ability to obtain reinsurance coverage at prices and on terms that allow us to transfer risk and adequately protect our company against financial loss, and losses resulting from reinsurance counterparties failing to pay us on reinsurance claims. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.
Investor contact:
Natalie Schoolcraft,
614-494-4988
or
Media contact:
Haley Doughty
713-935-4944
| Consolidated Balance Sheets | ||||||||
| ($ in thousands, except share and per share amounts) | ||||||||
| (unaudited) | March 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | ||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Investments: | ||||||||
| Fixed maturity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $1,410,269 and $1,320,266, respectively) | $ | 1,397,508 | $ | 1,292,218 | ||||
| Fixed maturity securities, held-to-maturity, at amortized cost (net of allowance for credit losses of $250 and $243, respectively) | 37,519 | 39,153 | ||||||
| Equity securities, at fair value | 108,075 | 106,254 | ||||||
| Mortgage loans, at fair value | 16,012 | 26,490 | ||||||
| Equity method investments | 88,588 | 98,594 | ||||||
| Other long-term investments | 37,646 | 33,182 | ||||||
| Short-term investments, at fair value | 308,042 | 274,929 | ||||||
| Total investments | 1,993,390 | 1,870,820 | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 112,916 | 121,603 | ||||||
| Restricted cash | 40,590 | 35,922 | ||||||
| Premiums receivable, net | 417,542 | 321,641 | ||||||
| Reinsurance recoverables, net | 902,970 | 857,876 | ||||||
| Ceded unearned premium | 232,147 | 203,901 | ||||||
| Deferred policy acquisition costs | 126,439 | 113,183 | ||||||
| Deferred income taxes | 26,984 | 30,486 | ||||||
| Goodwill and intangible assets, net | 87,089 | 87,348 | ||||||
| Other assets | 90,566 | 86,698 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 4,030,633 | $ | 3,729,478 | ||||
| Liabilities and stockholders' equity | ||||||||
| Liabilities: | ||||||||
| Reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses | $ | 1,871,491 | $ | 1,782,383 | ||||
| Unearned premiums |
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