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WHITE MOUNTAINS REPORTS THIRD QUARTER RESULTS
HAMILTON, Bermuda (November 6, 2019) - White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (NYSE: WTM) reported book value per share of $1,003 and adjusted book value per share of $1,005 as of September 30, 2019. Book value per share and adjusted book value per share both increased 2% in the third quarter of 2019. Book value per share and adjusted book value per share increased 12% and 13% in the first nine months of 2019, including dividends. The results for the first nine months of 2019 include the impact of the MediaAlpha transaction. Excluding the gain on the MediaAlpha transaction, book value per share and adjusted book value per share would have increased 6% and 7% in the first nine months of 2019, including dividends.(1)
Manning Rountree, CEO, commented, “We had a good quarter on all fronts. Despite challenging primary market conditions, BAM produced strong premium volume, including a significant assumed reinsurance transaction. NSM again produced solid growth on both the top and bottom line. Kudu added three new investments in the quarter and has nearly deployed all of our initial $250 million commitment. Our investment portfolio was up 3.1%, a strong result that includes an increase in the fair value of our investment in MediaAlpha, which produced another quarter of record results. We ended the quarter with $1.1 billion of undeployed capital.”
Comprehensive income attributable to common shareholders was $46 million and $348 million in the third quarter and first nine months of 2019, compared to comprehensive income (loss) attributable to common shareholders of $40 million and $(5) million in the third quarter and first nine months of 2018.
HG Global/BAM
BAM’s gross written premiums and member surplus contributions (MSC) collected were $44 million and $84 million in the third quarter and first nine months of 2019, compared to $16 million and $56 million in the third quarter and first nine months of 2018. BAM insured municipal bonds with par value of $4.1 billion and $8.9 billion in the third quarter and first nine months of 2019, compared to $2.2 billion and $6.6 billion in the third quarter and first nine months of 2018. In the third quarter of 2019, BAM completed an assumed reinsurance transaction to insure municipal bonds with a par value of $1.1 billion. Total pricing was 107 and 94 basis points in the third quarter and first nine months of 2019, compared to 75 and 91 basis points in the third quarter and first nine months of 2018. BAM’s total claims paying resources were $930 million at September 30, 2019, compared to $871 million at December 31, 2018 and $835 million at September 30, 2018.
Seán McCarthy, CEO of BAM, said, “BAM had a strong quarter. Overall new issue volume rose as issuers took advantage of lower interest rates to refinance outstanding bonds, and investor demand for insurance increased. However, lower interest rates and tighter credit spreads continued to impact pricing in the primary market. In the quarter, BAM insured $2.7 billion of municipal bonds in the primary market, up 31% year over year, and an additional $289 million in the secondary market, up almost 100% year over year. We also completed our second assumed reinsurance transaction, helping to bring total par in force to a new high of $59 billion.”
(1) See “Regulation G” on page 16.
The following information was filed by White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd (WTM) on Wednesday, November 6, 2019 as an 8K 2.02 statement, which is an earnings press release pertaining to results of operations and financial condition. It may be helpful to assess the quality of management by comparing the information in the press release to the information in the accompanying 10-Q Quarterly Report statement of earnings and operation as management may choose to highlight particular information in the press release.