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Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited Reports Third Quarter 2006 Earnings
Hamilton, Bermuda: October 25, 2006 €” Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited (NYSE: AHL; BSX: AHL.BH) today reported a net profit of $95.0 million, or $0.94 per diluted ordinary share, for the three months ended September 30, 2006.
Gross written premiums were $457.5 million for the third quarter 2006.
Net investment income was $47.3 million for the third quarter 2006.
Chris O'Kane, Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our diversified business model has performed very well again in this quarter. While property results are good, reflecting the absence of major catastrophe losses in the quarter, we are particularly pleased with the strong contributions from our casualty reinsurance and specialty lines segments. Investment returns are also an increasingly important contributor to our earnings. Notwithstanding the approximately 50 per cent reduction in our peak zone catastrophe exposures, we are well placed to produce attractive returns in 2006 and beyond."
Shareholders' equity increased from $2,039.8 million at December 31, 2005 to $2,314.7 million at September 30, 2006.
Earnings conference call
Aspen will hold a conference call tomorrow, October 26, 2006 at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss its 2006 third quarter financial results. Investors may participate in the live conference call by dialing 877-412-8086 (toll-free domestic U.S.) or 973-582-2842 (international); conference ID: 7917532. Please call to register at least 10 minutes before the conference call begins. A replay of the call will be available for 10 days via telephone starting approximately two hours following the live call on October 26, 2006, and can be accessed at 877-519-4471 (toll-free domestic U.S.) or 973-341-3080 (international); digital pin: 7917532. The live call and a replay can also be heard via Aspen's website at www.aspen.bm.
In addition, a financial supplement relating to Aspen's financial results for the third quarter 2006 and nine months ended September 30, 2006 is available in the Investor Relations section of Aspen's website at www.aspen.bm. A brief slide presentation which will be used for reference during the earnings call will also be available in the Investor Relations section of Aspen's website.
About Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited
Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited was established in June 2002. Aspen is a Bermudian holding company that provides property and casualty reinsurance in the global market, property and liability insurance principally in the United Kingdom and the United States and specialty insurance and reinsurance consisting mainly of marine and energy and aviation worldwide. Aspen's operations are conducted through its wholly-owned subsidiaries located in London, Bermuda and the United States: Aspen Insurance UK Limited, Aspen Insurance Limited and Aspen Specialty Insurance Company. Aspen has four operating segments: property reinsurance, casualty reinsurance, specialty insurance and reinsurance and property and casualty insurance. Aspen's principal existing founding shareholders include The Blackstone Group, Candover Partners Limited and Credit Suisse First Boston Private Equity. For more information about Aspen, please visit Aspen's website at www.aspen.bm.
Application of the Safe Harbor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
This press release contains, and Aspen's earnings conference call may contain, written or oral "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts, and can be identified by the use of words such as "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "project," "anticipate," "seek," "will," "estimate," "may," "continue," and similar expressions of a future or forward-looking nature.
All forward-looking statements address matters that involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. Aspen believes these factors include, but are not limited to: the impact that our future operating results, capital position and rating agency and other considerations have on the execution of any capital management initiatives, the impact of any capital management activities on our financial condition, the impact of acts of terrorism and related legislation and acts of war; the possibility of greater frequency or severity of claims and loss activity, including as a result of natural or man-made catastrophic events such as Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, than our underwriting, reserving or investment practices have anticipated; evolving interpretive issues with respect to coverage as a result of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma; the level of inflation in repair costs due to limited availability of labor and materials after catastrophes; the effectiveness of Aspen's loss limitation methods; changes in the availability, cost or quality of reinsurance or retrocessional coverage; the reliability of, and changes in assumptions to, catastrophe pricing, accumulation and estimated loss models; loss of key personnel; a decline in our operating subsidiaries' ratings with Standard & Poor's, A.M. Best Company or Moody's Investors Service; changes in general economic conditions including inflation, foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and other factors that could affect our investment portfolio; increased competition on the basis of pricing, capacity, coverage terms or other factors; decreased demand for Aspen's insurance or reinsurance products and cyclical downturn of the industry; changes in governmental regulations or tax laws in jurisdictions where Aspen conducts business; Aspen or its Bermudian subsidiary becoming subject to income taxes in the United States or the United Kingdom; the effect on insurance markets, business practices and relationships of ongoing litigation, investigations and regulatory activity by the New York State Attorney General's office and other authorities concerning contingent commission arrangements with brokers and bid solicitation activities; the total industry losses resulting from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and the actual number of Aspen's insureds incurring losses from these storms; and with respect to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, Aspen's reliance on loss reports received from cedants and loss adjustors, Aspen's reliance on industry loss estimates and those generated by modeling techniques, the impact of these storms on Aspen's reinsurers, any changes in Aspen's reinsurers' credit quality, the amount and timing of reinsurance recoverables and reimbursements actually received by Aspen from its reinsurers and the overall level of competition and the related demand and supply dynamics as contracts come up for renewal. For a more detailed description of these uncertainties and other factors, please see the "Risk Factors" section in Aspen's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 6, 2006. Aspen undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made.
Summary of Results - Consolidated Income Statements
Three Three
Months Months Nine Months Nine Months
Ended Ended Ended Ended
Sept. 30, Sept. 30, Sept. 30, Sept. 30,
(in US$ millions) 2006 2005 2006 2005
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
UNDERWRITING REVENUES
Gross premiums written 457.5 494.0 1,658.6 1,847.5
Premiums ceded (24.0) (149.5) (273.1) (384.0)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Net premiums written 433.5 344.5 1,385.5 1,463.5
Change in unearned
premiums (4.2) 34.9 (124.6) (310.4)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Net premiums earned 429.3 379.4 1,260.9 1,153.1
UNDERWRITING EXPENSES
Losses and loss
expenses (232.0) (683.0) (688.2) (1,086.3)
Acquisition expenses (78.9) (71.1) (255.4) (218.4)
General and
administrative
expenses (36.8) (31.5) (118.0) (90.6)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Total underwriting
expenses (347.7) (785.6) (1,061.6) (1,395.3)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Underwriting income
(loss) 81.6 (406.2) 199.3 (242.2)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
OTHER OPERATING
REVENUE
Net investment income 47.3 29.4 141.7 82.0
Interest expense (4.6) (4.3) (12.5) (12.2)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Total other operating
revenue 42.7 25.1 129.2 69.8
Other expense (7.1) (4.8) (9.6) (9.2)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
OPERATING INCOME
(LOSS) BEFORE TAX 117.2 (385.9) 318.9 (181.6)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
OTHER
Net realized exchange
gains (losses) 2.5 (3.9) 10.4 (8.7)
Net realized
investment losses (1.0) (1.4) (6.1) (1.4)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE
INCOME TAX 118.7 (391.2) 323.2 (191.7)
Income taxes (expense)
/ benefit (23.7) 29.2 (64.6) (16.4)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
NET INCOME (LOSS)
AFTER TAX 95.0 (362.0) 258.6 (208.1)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Dividends paid on
ordinary shares (14.4) (10.4) (42.9) (31.2)
Dividend declared on
preference shares (3.2) 0.0 (10.4) 0.0
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Retained income (loss) 77.4 (372.4) 205.3 (239.3)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Components of net
income (loss) (after
tax)
Operating income
(loss) 93.5 (357.1) 253.5 (198.4)
Net realized
exchange gains
(losses) (after
tax) 2.5 (3.9) 10.4 (8.7)
Net realized
investment losses
(after tax) (1.0) (1.0) (5.3) (1.0)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
NET INCOME (LOSS)
AFTER TAX 95.0 (362.0) 258.6 (208.1)
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Per Share Data
Three Three
Months Months Nine Months Nine Months
Ended Ended Ended Ended
(in US$ except for Sept. 30, Sept. 30, Sept. 30, Sept. 30,
number of shares) 2006 2005 2006 2005
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Basic earnings per
ordinary share
Net income (loss)
adjusted for
preference share
dividend 0.96 (5.22) 2.61 (3.00)
Operating income
(loss) adjusted
for preference
dividend 0.95 (5.15) 2.55 (2.86)
Diluted earnings per
ordinary share
Net income (loss)
adjusted for
preference share
dividend 0.94 (5.22) 2.55 (3.00)
Operating income
(loss) adjusted
for preference
dividend 0.93 (5.15) 2.50 (2.86)
Weighted average
ordinary shares
outstanding 95,253,714 69,343,435 95,249,041 69,339,484
Weighted average
ordinary shares
outstanding and
dilutive potential
ordinary shares 97,321,137 69,343,435 97,238,516 69,339,484
Book value per
ordinary share 21.87 17.53
Diluted book value
(treasury stock
method) 21.41 17.53
Ordinary shares
outstanding at end of
the period 95,260,798 69,342,486
Ordinary shares
outstanding and
dilutive potential
ordinary shares at
end of the period 97,338,272 69,342,486
Consolidated Balance Sheets
As at As at
Sept. 30, Dec. 31,
(in US$ millions) 2006 2005
----------- -----------
ASSETS
Investments
Fixed maturities 3,766.7 3,046.1
Short-term investments 502.2 643.0
Other investments 150.0 0.0
----------- -----------
Total investments 4,418.9 3,689.1
Cash and cash equivalents 411.5 748.3
Reinsurance recoverables
Unpaid losses 788.3 1,192.7
Ceded unearned premiums 93.8 72.7
Receivables
Underwriting premiums 814.3 541.4
Other 46.4 55.7
Deferred policy acquisition costs 166.6 156.2
Derivative at fair value 12.6 40.5
Office properties and equipment 23.0 22.8
Other assets 13.9 10.2
Intangible assets 8.2 8.2
----------- -----------
Total assets 6,797.5 6,537.8
=========== ===========
LIABILITIES
Insurance reserves
Losses and loss adjustment expenses 2,989.3 3,041.6
Unearned premiums 1,032.1 868.0
----------- -----------
Total insurance reserves 4,021.4 3,909.6
Payables
Reinsurance premiums 51.6 155.0
Taxation 69.0 32.7
Accrued expenses and other payables 85.5 139.4
Liabilities under derivative contracts 5.9 12.0
----------- -----------
Total payables 212.0 339.1
Long-term debt 249.4 249.3
----------- -----------
Total liabilities 4,482.8 4,498.0
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Ordinary shares 1,700.8 1,693.3
Preference shares 222.9 193.8
Retained earnings 349.5 144.2
Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of
taxes 41.5 8.5
----------- -----------
Total shareholders' equity 2,314.7 2,039.8
----------- -----------
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 6,797.5 6,537.8
=========== ===========
Summarized Cash Flows
Nine Months Nine Months
Ended Ended
Sept. 30, Sept. 30,
(in US$ millions) 2006 2005
----------- -----------
Net cash from operating activities 371.8 605.9
Net cash from investing activities (697.7) (486.5)
Net cash from financing activities (24.1) (30.8)
Effect of exchange rate movements on cash and
cash equivalents 13.2 (4.1)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash
equivalents (336.8) 84.5
Cash at beginning of the period 748.3 284.9
----------- -----------
Cash at end of the period 411.5 369.4
----------- -----------
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In presenting Aspen's results, management has included and discussed certain "non-GAAP financial measures," as such term is defined in Regulation G. Management believes that these non-GAAP measures, which may be defined differently by other companies, better explain Aspen's results of operations in a manner that allows for a more complete understanding of the underlying trends in Aspen's business. However, these measures should not be viewed as a substitute for those determined in accordance with GAAP. The reconciliation of such non-GAAP financial measures to their respective most directly comparable GAAP financial measures in accordance with Regulation G is included in the financial supplement, which can be obtained from the Investor Relations section of Aspen's website at www.aspen.bm.
(1) Annualized Operating Return on Average Equity ("Operating ROAE") is a non-GAAP financial measure. Annualized Operating Return on Average Equity 1) is calculated using operating income, as defined below and 2) excludes from average equity, the average after-tax unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments and the average after-tax unrealized foreign exchange gains or losses. Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments is primarily the result of interest rate movements and the resultant impact on fixed income securities, and unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on foreign exchange is the result of exchange rate movements between the U.S. dollar and the British pound. Such appreciation (depreciation) is not related to management actions or operational performance (nor is it likely to be realized). Therefore Aspen believes that excluding these unrealized appreciations (depreciations) provides a more consistent and useful measurement of operating performance, which supplements GAAP information. Average equity is calculated as the arithmetic average on a monthly basis for the stated periods.
Aspen presents Operating ROAE as a measure that is commonly recognized as a standard of performance by investors, analysts, rating agencies and other users of its financial information.
See page 22 of Aspen's financial supplement for a reconciliation of operating income to net income and page 15 for a reconciliation of average equity.
(2) Operating income is a non-GAAP financial measure. Operating income is an internal performance measure used by Aspen in the management of its operations and represents after-tax operational results excluding, as applicable, after-tax net realized capital gains or losses and after-tax net foreign exchange gains or losses.
Aspen excludes after-tax net realized capital gains or losses and after-tax net foreign exchange gains or losses from its calculation of operating income because the amount of these gains or losses is heavily influenced by, and fluctuates in part, according to the availability of market opportunities. Aspen believes these amounts are largely independent of its business and underwriting process and including them distorts the analysis of trends in its operations. In addition to presenting net income determined in accordance with GAAP, Aspen believes that showing operating income enables investors, analysts, rating agencies and other users of its financial information to more easily analyze Aspen's results of operations in a manner similar to how management analyzes Aspen's underlying business performance. Operating income should not be viewed as a substitute for GAAP net income. Please see above and page 22 of Aspen's financial supplement for a reconciliation of operating income to net income. Aspen's financial supplement can be obtained from the Investor Relations section of Aspen's website at www.aspen.bm.
(3) Diluted book value per ordinary share is a non-GAAP financial measure. Aspen has included diluted book value per ordinary share because it takes into account the effect of dilutive securities; therefore, Aspen believes it is a better measure of calculating shareholder returns than book value per share. Please see page 22 of Aspen's financial supplement for a reconciliation of diluted book value per share to basic book value per share. Aspen's financial supplement can be obtained from the Investor Relations section of Aspen's website at www.aspen.bm.