Greenlight Re Announces Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results


GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands, July 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd. (Nasdaq:GLRE) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012. Greenlight Re reported a net loss of $36.1 million for the second quarter of 2012 compared to a net loss of $16.0 million for the same period in 2011. The net loss per share was $0.98, compared to a net loss per share of $0.44 for the same period in 2011.

Fully diluted adjusted book value per share was $22.34 as of June 30, 2012, a 12.7% increase over $19.82 per share as of June 30, 2011.

For the six months ended June 30, 2012, Greenlight Re reported a net profit of $29.1 million compared to a net loss of $59.0 million for the comparable period in 2011. The net income per share was $0.78 on a fully diluted basis for the six months ended June 30, 2012, compared to net loss of $1.63 for the same period in 2011.

"There are signs that conditions are improving in the underlying insurance market, but we have yet to experience this in the reinsurance market, which remains quite competitive," said Bart Hedges, Chief Executive Officer of Greenlight Re. "We are maintaining our underwriting discipline as we continually assess new business opportunities in the U.S. and Europe."

Financial and operating highlights for Greenlight Re for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012 include:

  • Gross written premiums in the second quarter of 2012 were $84.0 million compared to $113.3 million in the second quarter of 2011, while net earned premiums were $130.0 million, an increase from $107.2 million reported in the second quarter of last year.
  • The combined ratio for the six months ended June 30, 2012 was 100.8% compared to 102.1% for the six months ended June 30, 2011.
  • A net investment loss of $36.9 million was reported for the second quarter of 2012, representing a loss of 3.3% to the Company's investment portfolio. This compares to an investment loss of $19.5 million in the second quarter of 2011, when Greenlight Re reported a loss of 1.9%. For the first six months of 2012, net investment income was $34.7 million compared to a net investment loss of $55.6 million during the comparable period in 2011.

"During the second quarter of 2012, our investment portfolio gave back some of the gains we generated in the first quarter of the year," said David Einhorn, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Greenlight Re. "The Company remains focused on its prudent, opportunistic underwriting approach in what remains a challenging reinsurance market."

Conference Call Details

Greenlight Re will hold a live conference call to discuss its financial results for the second quarter of 2012 on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time.  The conference call title is Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd. Second Quarter 2012 Earnings Call.

To participate, please dial in to the conference call at:
 
U.S. toll free  1-877-317-6789
International 1-412-317-6789
   
The conference call can also be accessed via webcast at:
   
http://services.choruscall.com/links/glre120731.html

A telephone replay of the call will be available from 11:00 a.m. Eastern time on July 31, 2012 until 9:00 a.m. Eastern time on August 8, 2012.  The replay of the call may be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (U.S. toll free) or 1-412-317-0088 (international), access code 10016300. An audio file of the call will also be available on the Company's website, www.greenlightre.ky.

Regulation G

Fully diluted adjusted book value per share is a non-GAAP measure and represents basic adjusted book value per share combined with the impact from dilution of share based compensation including in-the-money stock options as of any period end. Book value is adjusted by subtracting the amount of the non-controlling interest in joint venture from total shareholders' equity to calculate adjusted book value. We believe that long term growth in fully diluted adjusted book value per share is the most relevant measure of our financial performance. In addition, fully diluted adjusted book value per share may be of benefit to our investors, shareholders and other interested parties to form a basis of comparison with other companies within the reinsurance industry.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in the U.S. Federal securities laws. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements made on behalf of the Company. These risks and uncertainties include the impact of general economic conditions and conditions affecting the insurance and reinsurance industry, the adequacy of our reserves, our ability to assess underwriting risk, trends in rates for property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, competition, investment market fluctuations, trends in insured and paid losses, catastrophes, regulatory and legal uncertainties and other factors described in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd.

Greenlight Re (www.greenlightre.ky) is a specialist property and casualty reinsurance company based in the Cayman Islands and Ireland.  The Company provides a variety of custom-tailored reinsurance solutions to the insurance, risk retention group, captive and financial marketplaces.  Established in 2004, Greenlight Re selectively offers customized reinsurance solutions in markets where capacity and alternatives are limited.  With a focus on deriving superior returns from both sides of the balance sheet, Greenlight Re's assets are managed according to a value-oriented equity-focused strategy that complements the Company's business goal of long-term growth in book value per share.

The Greenlight Capital Re logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=5571

GREENLIGHT CAPITAL RE, LTD.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
 
June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share and share amounts)
     
  June 30, 2012 December 31, 2011
  (unaudited) (audited)
Assets    
Investments    
Debt instruments, trading, at fair value  $ 9,088  $ 10,639
Equity securities, trading, at fair value 1,058,729 890,822
Other investments, at fair value 138,513 128,685
Total investments 1,206,330 1,030,146
Cash and cash equivalents 11,262 42,284
Restricted cash and cash equivalents 922,889 957,462
Financial contracts receivable, at fair value 23,972 23,673
Reinsurance balances receivable 179,958 141,278
Loss and loss adjustment expenses recoverable 36,911 29,758
Deferred acquisition costs, net 60,321 68,725
Unearned premiums ceded 11,929 27,233
Notes receivable 19,082 17,437
Other assets 4,755 5,492
Total assets  $ 2,477,409  $ 2,343,488
Liabilities and equity    
Liabilities    
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value  $ 663,542  $ 683,816
Financial contracts payable, at fair value 12,972 6,324
Due to prime brokers 365,007 260,359
Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves 294,647 241,279
Unearned premium reserves 208,766 225,735
Reinsurance balances payable 37,947 32,192
Funds withheld 33,185 38,031
Other liabilities 7,777 10,054
Performance compensation payable to related party 7,870
Total liabilities 1,631,713 1,497,790
Equity    
Preferred share capital (par value $0.10; authorized, 50,000,000; none issued)
Ordinary share capital (Class A: par value $0.10; authorized, 100,000,000; issued and outstanding, 30,423,704 (2011: 30,283,200): Class B: par value $0.10; authorized, 25,000,000; issued and outstanding, 6,254,949 (2011: 6,254,949)) 3,668 3,654
Additional paid-in capital 490,215 488,478
Retained earnings 340,035 310,971
Shareholders' equity attributable to shareholders 833,918 803,103
Non-controlling interest in joint venture 11,778 42,595
Total equity 845,696 845,698
Total liabilities and equity  $ 2,477,409  $ 2,343,488
         
GREENLIGHT CAPITAL RE, LTD.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(UNAUDITED)
 
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share and share amounts)
         
  Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
  2012 2011 2012 2011
Revenues        
Gross premiums written  $ 83,986  $ 113,266  $ 236,206  $ 214,005
Gross premiums ceded 4,602 (17,183) (6,393) (20,659)
Net premiums written 88,588 96,083 229,813 193,346
Change in net unearned premium reserves 41,426 11,068 1,789 18,962
Net premiums earned 130,014 107,151 231,602 212,308
Net investment income (loss)  (36,896) (19,469) 34,711 (55,645)
Other income (expense), net  (236) (86) (448) (347)
Total revenues 92,882 87,596 265,865 156,316
Expenses        
Loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred, net 87,337 56,870 150,644 122,595
Acquisition costs, net 37,905 42,824 73,930 84,945
General and administrative expenses 4,359 4,336 8,982 9,335
Total expenses 129,601 104,030 233,556 216,875
Income (loss) before income tax expense (36,719) (16,434) 32,309 (60,559)
Income tax benefit (expense) 201 (40) (62) (41)
Net income (loss) including non-controlling interest (36,518) (16,474) 32,247 (60,600)
(Income) loss attributable to non-controlling interest in joint venture 449 513 (3,183) 1,649
Net income (loss) $ (36,069) $ (15,961)  $ 29,064 $ (58,951)
Earnings (loss) per share        
Basic $ (0.98) $ (0.44) $ 0.80 $ (1.63)
Diluted $ (0.98) $ (0.44) $ 0.78 $ (1.63)
Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in the determination of earnings (loss) per share        
Basic 36,660,267 36,153,743 36,605,610 36,153,743
Diluted 36,660,267 36,153,743 37,338,484 36,153,743

The following table provides the ratios for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011: 

  Six months ended Six months ended
  June 30, 2012 June 30, 2011
  Frequency Severity Total Frequency Severity Total
             
Loss ratio 67.5% 7.9% 65% 57.7% 58.6% 57.7%
Acquisition cost ratio 32.6% 15.9% 31.9% 41.0% 18.8% 40.0%
Composite ratio 100.1% 23.8% 96.9% 98.7% 77.4% 97.7%
Internal expense ratio     3.9%     4.4%
Combined ratio     100.8%     102.1%


            

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