E-L Financial Corporation Limited Announces December 31, 2014 Year End Financial Results

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 5, 2015) - E-L Financial Corporation Limited ("E-L Financial") (TSX:ELF)(TSX:ELF.PR.F)(TSX:ELF.PR.G)(TSX:ELF.PR.H) today reported for the year ended December 31, 2014, consolidated net operating income from continuing operations¹ of $127.1 million or $28.41 per share² compared with $140.6 million or $31.84 per share in 2013. The $13.5 million decrease in net operating income in 2014 versus 2013 is principally due to the unfavourable impact of long-term interest rate movements relating to the insurance operation's ("Empire Life's") Individual Insurance product line in 2014 compared to the favourable movements in 2013. The decline in operating income was partially offset by a $3.2 million increase in E-L Corporate's³ operating income, resulting from increased dividend income from the deployment of $650 million into equities from the proceeds on the sale of The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company ("The Dominion") in 2013.

E-L Financial earned consolidated net income from continuing operations of $394.5 million in 2014 compared with $596.6 million in 2013. The $202.1 million decline in net income is primarily attributed to a decline in E-L Corporate's income from fair value through profit or loss ("FVTPL") investments which decreased from $396.0 million in 2013 to $229.8 million in 2014, reflecting the more favourable impact of global stock market movements in the prior year.

On November 1, 2013, the Company completed the sale of its formerly wholly-owned subsidiary, The Dominion, to The Travelers Companies, Inc. for gross proceeds of $1.08 billion, resulting in an after-tax gain of $266.4 million. This gain combined with The Dominion's ten month earnings for 2013 of $44.7 million resulted in $311.1 million earned from discontinued operations.

Net income from continuing and discontinued operations resulted in E-L Financial earning total consolidated net income of $394.5 million or $96.51 per share compared with $907.7 million or $227.18 per share in 2013.

E-L Financial earned consolidated comprehensive income of $428.0 million or $105.04 per share compared to $871.6 million or $217.99 per share in 2013. Consolidated other comprehensive income ("OCI") was $33.5 million compared with other comprehensive loss ("OCL") of $36.1 million in 2013. The loss in 2013 is mainly due to the reclassification of significant gains relating to The Dominion's liquidation of its common share portfolio.

E-L Financial's net equity value per Common Share¹ at December 31, 2014 was $970.65.

"In 2014, we continued to benefit from the upward momentum in global equity markets. However, the returns on our investment portfolio were lower than the previous year as markets were not as strong. Our life insurance operations had another solid year, delivering a return on equity of 10.4%. The individual insurance line results were weaker due to a deteriorating yield environment as interest rates retraced their path lower from the previous year. This was offset by strong results in the other lines of business which benefited from favourable stock market conditions. Overall, we are very pleased. In addition, the board of directors would like to extend their gratitude to retiring CFO, Mark Taylor, for his dedication and commitment to the company for over 25 years. We welcome Scott Ewert who will assume the role of CFO on March 9, 2015," said Duncan Jackman, Chairman, President and CEO of E-L Financial.

CONSOLIDATED SUMMARY OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
	December 31, 2014
(thousands of dollars)	E-L Corporate			Empire Life			Total
Net operating income	$	51,109		$	76,003		$	127,112
Realized gain on available for sale investments including impairment write downs		13,518			3,455			16,973
Share of income of associates		20,665			-			20,665
E-L Corporate's fair value change in FVTPL investments		229,780						229,780
Net income		315,072			79,458			394,530
OCI		7,548			25,954			33,502
Comprehensive income	$	322,620		$	105,412		$	428,032

	December 31, 2013
(thousands of dollars)	E-L Corporate			Empire Life			Total
Net operating income	$	47,913		$	92,678		$	140,591
Realized gain (loss) on available for sale investments including impairment write downs		11,061			(2,459	)		8,602
Share of income of associates		51,337			-			51,337
E-L Corporate's fair value change in FVTPL investments		396,023						396,023
Net income from continuing operations		506,334			90,219			596,553
Net income from discontinued operations		-			-			311,126
Net income		506,334			90,219			907,679
OCI (OCL) from continuing operations		32,834			(5,235	)		27,599
OCL from discontinued operations		-			-			(63,701	)
Total OCI (OCL)		32,834			(5,235	)		(36,102	)
Comprehensive income	$	539,168		$	84,984		$	871,577

1 Use of non-GAAP measures:

"net operating income" is net income excluding realized gain on available for sale investments including impairment write downs, the Company's share of income from associates and the fair value change in fair value through profit or loss investments in the E-L Corporate portfolio, all net of tax. The term net operating income does not have any standardized meaning according to GAAP and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.

"net equity value per Common share" provides an indication of the accumulated shareholder value, adjusting shareholders' equity to reflect investments in associates at fair value, net of tax, as opposed to their carrying value.

2 All earnings per share figures are net of dividends paid on First Preference shares.

3 E-L Corporate represents investments in stocks and fixed income securities held directly and indirectly through pooled funds, closed-end investment companies and other investment companies.