Primerica Reports Second Quarter 2016 Results

DULUTH, Ga.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Primerica, Inc. (NYSE: PRI) today announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2016. In the second quarter, total revenues increased 8% to $379.2 million and operating revenues increased 7% to $375.8 million compared with the second quarter of 2015. Net income grew 21% to $59.3 million and net operating income grew 17% to $57.1 million from the prior year period. Solid earnings combined with ongoing share repurchases drove a 31% increase in net earnings per diluted share to $1.23 and a 27% increase in net operating earnings per diluted share to $1.19 compared with the prior year period. ROE expanded to 19.9% and operating ROAE expanded to 20.2% in the current period versus 16.1% and 17.0%, respectively, in the second quarter of 2015.

Results reflect the continued momentum in the Term Life business as well as the seasonally strong trends historically experienced in the second quarter. Ongoing growth in Term Life issued policies combined with strong second quarter persistency led to a 14% increase in Term Life net premiums year-over-year. Claims experience was below both historical levels and the modestly unfavorable levels experienced in the prior year period. Investment and Savings Product sales and average client asset values were lower than the prior year period while sales increased on a sequential quarter basis during the IRA season.

Glenn Williams, Chief Executive Officer said, “We continue to see strong performance throughout our business. Our sales force leaders delivered distribution growth and strong life insurance productivity in the second quarter. Recruiting and licensing momentum continued resulting in 11% growth in the size of our life insurance licensed sales force year-over-year to 112,365 representatives. Term Life insurance policies issued increased 14% and our Investment and Savings Products performed well despite the uncertainty in the market. EPS and ROE grew significantly through earnings and ongoing share repurchases.”

Distribution & Segment Results

Life Insurance Licensed Sales Force. Strong recruiting and licensing trends in recent quarters drove 11% year-over-year growth in the life insurance licensed sales force to 112,365 representatives at the end of the second quarter. Second quarter recruiting of new representatives increased 8% and new life insurance licenses grew 17% from the year ago period. On a sequential quarter basis, recruiting increased 3% and new life insurance licenses grew 26% reflecting recent recruiting levels.

Term Life Insurance. In the second quarter of 2016, term life insurance policies issued increased 14% year-over-year driven by the larger life insurance licensed sales force and seasonally strong productivity at .23 policies per life insurance licensed representative per month. Term Life revenues increased 14% to $210.7 million compared with the year ago period reflecting a 14% increase in net premiums from ongoing growth in issued policies. Income before income taxes grew 30% to $58.0 million year-over-year. Second quarter claims experience was approximately $2 million below historical levels while claims experience in the year ago quarter was unfavorable by approximately $1 million. Favorable persistency experience contributed approximately $1 million to the segment’s income before income taxes in the second quarter of 2016.

Investment and Savings Products (ISP). In the second quarter, the ISP segment was impacted by uncertainty in the markets as well as by industry-wide weakness in variable annuity sales. ISP revenues decreased 2% to $132.7 million and income before income taxes declined 4% to $36.1 million compared with the year ago period. Results reflect a 6% decline in product sales to $1.47 billion primarily due to 20% lower variable annuity sales year-over-year. Average client asset values of $48.9 billion were consistent with the prior year period while account-based revenue increased 6%. Positive Canadian segregated fund market performance in the second quarter of 2016 led to deceleration of DAC amortization which contributed to $1.2 million lower DAC amortization year-over-year.

Corporate and Other Distributed Products (C&O). The C&O segment operating revenues were $32.4 million, and operating losses before income taxes were $5.6 million in the second quarter of 2016. Results were impacted by a modest increase in insurance and other expenses primarily reflecting higher employee-related expenses partially offset by a $1.5 million reduction in the interest expense on an IPO related reinsurance agreement. Net investment income benefited from an approximately $1 million positive mark-to-market on the deposit asset backing an IPO related reinsurance agreement which offset the continued pressure on the portfolio yield. The invested asset portfolio experienced price improvements with net unrealized gains increasing from $74.9 million at March 31, 2016 to $105.2 million at quarter-end due to a steep decline in interest rates and slightly tighter credit spreads during the period.

Capital

Primerica repurchased $40.6 million or approximately 800,000 shares of its common stock in the second quarter and repurchased $90.5 million, or 2.0 million shares year-to-date through June. Primerica Life Insurance Company’s statutory risk-based capital (RBC) ratio was estimated to be approximately 430% as of June 30, 2016.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We report financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). We also present adjusted direct premiums, other ceded premiums, operating revenues, operating income before income taxes, net operating income, adjusted stockholders’ equity and diluted operating earnings per share. Adjusted direct premiums and other ceded premiums are net of amounts ceded under coinsurance transactions that were executed concurrent with our initial public offering for all periods presented. We exclude amounts ceded under the IPO coinsurance transactions in measuring adjusted direct premiums and other ceded premiums to present meaningful comparisons of the actual premiums economically maintained by the Company. Amounts ceded under the IPO coinsurance transactions will continue to decline over time as policies terminate within this block of business. Operating revenues, operating income before income taxes, net operating income, and diluted operating earnings per share exclude the impact of realized investment gains and losses, including other-than-temporary impairments (OTTI), for all periods presented. We exclude realized investment gains and losses in measuring operating revenues to eliminate period-over-period fluctuations that may obscure comparisons of operating results due to items such as the timing of recognizing gains and losses and other factors prior to an invested asset’s maturity that are not directly associated with the Company’s insurance operations. Adjusted stockholders’ equity excludes the impact of net unrealized investment gains and losses recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) for all periods presented. We exclude unrealized investment gains and losses in measuring adjusted stockholders’ equity as unrealized gains and losses from the Company’s invested assets are largely caused by market movements in interest rates and credit spreads that do not necessarily correlate with the cash flows we will ultimately realize when an invested asset matures or is sold.

The definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures may differ from the definitions of similar measures used by other companies. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in making financial, operating and planning decisions and in evaluating financial performance. Furthermore, management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures may provide users with additional meaningful comparisons between current results and results of prior periods as they are expected to be reflective of the core ongoing business. These measures have limitations, and investors should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the results as reported under GAAP. Reconciliations of non-GAAP to GAAP financial measures are attached to this release.

Earnings Webcast Information

Primerica will hold a webcast Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at 10:00 am EDT, to discuss second quarter results. This release and a detailed financial supplement will be posted on Primerica’s website. Investors are encouraged to review these materials. To access the webcast go to http://investors.primerica.com at least 15 minutes prior to the event to register, download and install any necessary software.

A replay of the call will be available for approximately 30 days on Primerica’s website, http://investors.primerica.com.