| [April 26, 2012] |
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Liberty Mutual Insurance Reports First Quarter 2012 Results
BOSTON --(Business Wire)--
Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively
"LMHC" or the "Company") today reported net income attributable to LMHC
of $459 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012, an increase
of $95 million over the same period in 2011.
"Our first quarter results highlight the progress we have made in terms
of core profitability and continued growth," said David H. Long,
President and CEO of Liberty Mutual Insurance. "Our net income of $459
million was up 26% in the quarter reflecting an accelerating commercial
lines price trend, excellent non-catastrophe personal lines results, and
fewer international catastrophes. Our growth was strong where we
targeted, with increases of 12% internationally and 9% in domestic
personal lines, while U.S. commercial lines contracted an acceptable 1%.
These results, plus our acquisition of KIT Finance Insurance in Russia,
have provided an encouraging start to the year."
First Quarter Highlights
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Revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2012 were $8.881
billion, an increase of $500 million or 6.0% over the same period in
2011.
-
Net written premium for the three months ended March 31, 2012 was
$8.078 billion, an increase of $495 million or 6.5% over the same
period in 2011.
-
Pre-tax operating income before private limited partnership ("LP") and
limited liability company ("LLC") income for the three months ended
March 31, 2012 was $456 million, an increase of $219 million or 92.4%
over the same period in 2011.
-
Pre-tax operating income for the three months ended March 31, 2012 was
$577 million, an increase of $130 million or 29.1% over the same
period in 2011.
-
Net income attributable to LMHC for the three months ended March 31,
2012 was $459 million, an increase of $95 million or 26.1% over the
same period in 2011.
-
Cash flow from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2012
was $651 million, an increase of $29 million or 4.7% over the same
period in 2011.
-
The consolidated combined ratio before catastrophesa and
net incurred losses attributable to prior yearsb for the
three months ended March 31, 2012 was 96.0%, a decrease of 0.9 points
from the same period in 2011. Including the impact of catastrophes and
net incurred losses attributable to prior years, the Company's
combined ratio for the three months ended March 31, 2012 decreased 1.5
points to 100.9%.
Financial Condition as of March 31, 2012
-
Total assets were $115.918 billion as of March 31, 2012, a decrease of
$1.213 billion from December 31, 2011.
-
Total equity was $18.504 billion as of March 31, 2012, an increase of
$640 million over December 31, 2011.
Consolidated Results of Operations for the Three Months Ended March
31, 2012 and 2011:
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Three Months Ended
March 31,
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$ in Millions
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2012
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2011
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Change
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Revenues
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$8,881
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$8,381
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6.0%
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Pre-tax operating income ("PTOI") before catastrophes, net incurred
losses attributable to prior years and LP and LLC income
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$793
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$616
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28.7%
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Catastrophes1
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(321)
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(588)
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(45.4)
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Net incurred losses attributable to prior years:
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- Asbestos & environmental
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(2)
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(1)
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100.0
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- All other2
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(14)
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210
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NM
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PTOI before LP and LLC income
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456
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237
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92.4
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LP and LLC income3
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121
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210
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(42.4)
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PTOI
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577
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447
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29.1
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Net realized gains
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49
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76
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(35.5)
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Loss on extinguishment of debt
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(15)
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-
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NM
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Pre-tax income
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611
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523
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16.8
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Income tax expense
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(155)
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(156)
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(0.6)
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Consolidated net income
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456
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367
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24.3
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Less: Net (loss) income attributable to non-controlling interest
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(3)
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3
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NM
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Net income attributable to LMHC
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$459
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$364
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26.1%
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Cash flow from operations
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$651
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$622
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4.7%
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1 Catastrophes include all current and prior accident year
catastrophe losses incurred excluding losses related to the Company's
external reinsurance assumed lines (assumed voluntary reinsurance and
reinsurance assumed through Lloyd's Syndicate 4472) except for the 2011
Australia floods, Cyclone Yasi, Japan earthquake and tsunami, New
Zealand earthquakes, Hurricane Irene, Thailand floods and the tornadoes
and other severe storms in the U.S. Catastrophe losses, where
applicable, include the impact of accelerated earned catastrophe
premiums and earned reinstatement premiums.
2 Net of earned premium attributable to prior years of $14
million and $7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and
2011, respectively. Net of amortization of deferred gains on retroactive
reinsurance of $11 million and $99 million for the three months ended
March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. 2011 reflects a gain on
commutation of two retroactive reinsurance contracts during the first
quarter.
3 LP and LLC income is included in net investment income in
the consolidated statements of income.
NM = Not Meaningful
Financial Information: The Company's financial results,
management's discussion and analysis of operating results and financial
condition, accompanying financial statements and other supplemental
financial information for the three months ended March 31, 2012 are
available on the Company's Investor Relations web site at www.libertymutual.com/investors.
Conference Call Information: At 10:00 a.m. EDT today, David Long,
Liberty Mutual Insurance President and CEO, will host a conference call
to discuss the Company's financial results. To listen to the call,
please dial 800-857-2190, providing the pass code "Liberty" when
prompted. A replay will be available until 5:00 p.m. on May 3, 2012 at
866-413-9173.
About Liberty Mutual Insurance
Boston-based LMHC, the parent corporation of the Liberty Mutual
Insurance group of entities, is a diversified global insurer and third
largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2011 direct
written premium. The Company also ranks 82nd on the Fortune
100 list of largest corporations in the United States based on 2010
revenue. As of December 31, 2011, LMHC had $117.131 billion in
consolidated assets, $99.267 billion in consolidated liabilities, and
$34.671 billion in annual consolidated revenue.
LMHC, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, offers a wide
range of property-casualty insurance products and services to
individuals and businesses alike. In 2001 and 2002, the Company formed a
mutual holding company structure, whereby the three principal mutual
insurance companies, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Liberty Mutual
Fire Insurance Company and Employers Insurance Company of Wausau, each
became separate stock insurance companies under the ownership of LMHC.
Functionally, the Company conducts substantially all of its business
through four strategic business units: Liberty Mutual Agency
Corporation, International, Personal Markets and Commercial Markets.
Each business unit operates independently of the others and has
dedicated sales, underwriting, claims, actuarial, financial and certain
information technology resources. Management believes this structure
allows each business unit to execute its business strategy and/or to
make acquisitions without impacting or disrupting the operations of the
Company's other business units.
LMHC employs more than 45,000 people in more than 900 offices throughout
the world. For a full description of the Company's business operations,
products and distribution channels, please visit Liberty Mutual's
Investor Relations web site at www.libertymutual.com/investors.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward looking statements that are intended
to enhance the reader's ability to assess the Company's future financial
and business performance. Forward looking statements include, but are
not limited to, statements that represent the Company's beliefs
concerning future operations, strategies, financial results or other
developments, and contain words and phrases such as "may," "expects,"
"should," "believes," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends" or similar
expressions. Because these forward looking statements are based on
estimates and assumptions that are subject to significant business,
economic and competitive uncertainties, many of which are beyond the
Company's control or are subject to change, actual results could be
materially different.
Some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ include,
but are not limited to the following: the occurrence of catastrophic
events (including terrorist acts, hurricanes, hail, tornadoes, snowfall
and winter conditions); inadequacy of loss reserves; adverse
developments involving asbestos, environmental or toxic tort claims and
litigation; adverse developments in the cost, availability or ability to
collect reinsurance; disruptions to the Company's relationships with its
independent agents and brokers; financial disruption or a prolonged
economic downturn; the performance of the Company's investment
portfolios; a rise in interest rates; risks inherent in the Company's
alternative investments in private LPs and LLCs; difficulty in valuing
certain of the Company's investments; subjectivity in the determination
of the amount of impairments taken on the Company's investments;
unfavorable outcomes from litigation and other legal proceedings,
including the effects of emerging claim and coverage issues and
investigations by state and federal authorities; the Company's exposure
to credit risk in certain of its business operations; terrorist acts;
the Company's inability to obtain price increases or maintain market
share due to competition or otherwise; inadequacy of the Company's
pricing models; changes to insurance laws and regulations; changes in
the amount of statutory capital that the Company must hold to maintain
its financial strength and credit ratings; regulatory restrictions on
the Company's ability to change its methods of marketing and
underwriting in certain areas; assessments for guaranty funds and
mandatory pooling arrangements; a downgrade in the Company's
claims-paying and financial strength ratings; the ability of the
Company's subsidiaries to pay dividends to the Company; inflation,
including inflation in medical costs and automobile and home repair
costs; the cyclicality of the property and casualty insurance industry;
political, legal, operational and other risks faced by the Company's
international business; potentially high severity losses involving the
Company's surety products; loss or significant restriction on the
Company's ability to use credit scoring in the pricing and underwriting
of personal lines policies; inadequacy of the Company's controls to
ensure compliance with legal and regulatory standards; changes in
federal or state tax laws; risks arising out of the Company's securities
lending program; the Company's utilization of information technology
systems and its implementation of technology innovations; difficulties
with technology or data security; insufficiency of the Company's
business continuity plan in the event of a disaster; the Company's
ability to successfully integrate operations, personnel and technology
from its acquisitions; insufficiency of the Company's enterprise risk
management models and modeling techniques; and changing climate
conditions. The Company's forward looking statements speak only as of
the date of this report or as of the date they are made and should be
regarded solely as the Company's current plans, estimates and beliefs.
For a detailed discussion of these and other cautionary statements,
visit the Company's Investor Relations website at www.libertymutual.com/investors.
The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward looking
statements.
a Catastrophes include all current and prior accident year
catastrophe losses incurred excluding losses related to the Company's
external reinsurance assumed lines (assumed voluntary reinsurance and
reinsurance assumed through Lloyd's Syndicate 4472) except for the 2011
Australia floods, Cyclone Yasi, Japan earthquake and tsunami, New
Zealand earthquakes, Hurricane Irene, Thailand floods and the tornadoes
and other severe storms in the U.S. Catastrophe losses, where
applicable, include the impact of accelerated earned catastrophe
premiums and earned reinstatement premiums.
b Net incurred losses attributable to prior years is defined
as incurred losses attributable to prior years (excluding prior year
losses related to natural catastrophes) including both earned premium
attributable to prior years and amortization of retroactive reinsurance
gains.

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