Horace Mann Reports Third Quarter 2016 Net Income per Share of $0.65; Operating EPS of $0.58

SPRINGFIELD, IL--(Marketwired - October 31, 2016) -

• Third quarter net income increased 23%, driven primarily by strong investment results
• Sales increased in all lines for the quarter
• Book value per share excluding the fair value adjustment for investments of $27.54, up 4% compared to a year ago

Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE: HMN) today reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016:

* These measures are not based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("non-GAAP"). They are reconciled to the most directly comparable GAAP measures in the supplemental numerical pages of this document. An explanation of these measures is contained in the Glossary of Selected Terms included as an exhibit in the company's reports filed with the SEC.
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"Horace Mann's third quarter operating income was $0.58 per diluted share. Each of our segments reflected an increase in investment income, and the annuity net interest spread improved in the quarter. Property and casualty results in the quarter were impacted by adverse weather, resulting in an elevated level of catastrophe and non-catastrophe losses. Sales results were strong, with increases across all four of our product lines," said Horace Mann's President and CEO Marita Zuraitis.

"We are revising our estimate of full-year 2016 operating income to between $1.80 and $1.90 per share to incorporate third quarter results, as well as our current pretax estimate, $9 million to $11 million, of catastrophe losses related to Hurricane Matthew. In addition, we updated our guidance to include the elevated automobile loss severity and frequency trends," stated Zuraitis.

Property and Casualty Segment

For the third quarter of 2016, property and casualty recorded net income of $6.7 million compared to $11.2 million for the same period in the prior year. The total property and casualty combined ratio of 101.5% increased 6.1 points compared to a year earlier. Catastrophe losses of $8.4 million pretax were $3.4 million higher than the third quarter of 2015, representing 1.9 points of the combined ratio increase. Prior years' reserves continue to develop favorably; however, the favorable development in the current quarter was $2.1 million pretax lower than the amount a year ago, representing 1.5 points of the combined ratio increase. On an underlying basis, the auto loss ratio of 77.7% increased 1.1 points compared to a year earlier, primarily as a result of elevated auto loss frequencies. Despite a 3.9 point increase in the underlying property loss ratio, the current quarter's result of 52.9% was strong; the increase reflected the impact of higher weather-related loss frequencies, partially offset by lower reinsurance costs. The total property and casualty expense ratio increased modestly compared to the third quarter of 2015, as anticipated. For both the three and nine months, property and casualty investment income improved by approximately $3 million.

For the first nine months of 2016, property and casualty net income of $16.0 million decreased $16.1 million compared to the prior year. The current period total property and casualty combined ratio of 102.4% increased 5.9 points compared to a year ago, including an underlying loss ratio that increased 1.4 points compared to the prior year, as well as a slightly higher expense ratio. Catastrophe losses were $11.6 million higher than the first nine months of 2015; favorable prior years' reserve development was $5.7 million less than the prior year amount. On an underlying basis, the nine month auto loss ratio of 76.5% increased 3.1 points compared to a year earlier. For property, the underlying loss ratio was 43.6% for the current year, 2.3 points lower than the first nine months of 2015.

Compared to the first nine months of 2015, the property and casualty expense ratio of 27.2% increased 0.9 points, primarily due to a reduction in incentive compensation accruals recorded in the first quarter of 2015. The majority of that 2015 cost reduction benefited the property and casualty segment, increasing that segment's net income by approximately $2 million and decreasing the combined ratio by approximately 1 percentage point for the nine months ended September 30, 2015.

Total property and casualty written premiums of $169.8 million and $476.3 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, each increased 5% compared to the prior year. The growth was driven primarily by increases in average premium per policy for both auto and property, accompanied by an increase in auto policies in force and reductions in catastrophe reinsurance costs.

Total property and casualty sales increased 3% and 7% compared to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively. Auto sales increased 3% for the current quarter and 8% for the nine months compared to the prior year periods, while property sales increased 2% and 4% for the respective periods. Policy retention continues to be strong with auto and property policy retention rates for the current period at 84% and 88%, respectively.

Annuity Segment

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, annuity segment net income of $15.7 million and $39.3 million, respectively, increased $7.0 million and $6.3 million compared to the prior year periods. In the current year, both periods reflected an increase in the net interest margin partially offset by an increase in operating expenses including costs related to the company's continued modernization of technology and infrastructure. And, in the current year, the impact of unlocking deferred policy acquisition costs had a minimal impact on pretax income compared to the $1.9 million decrease to pretax income recorded in both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015. The annuity segment also benefited from a reduction in income tax of approximately $1.5 million related to the filing of the prior calendar year tax return.

The nine month 2016 annualized net interest spread on fixed annuity assets was 195 basis points. This measure increased 10 basis points from a year ago, which reflected an increase in investment prepayments and favorable returns on alternative investments, offset somewhat by the impact of the continued low interest rate environment. Total annuity assets under management of $6.3 billion increased 8% compared to September 30, 2015, and total cash value persistency remained strong at approximately 95%.

For the three months ended September 30, 2016, annuity deposits of $154.6 million increased 11% compared to the prior year period, while annuity deposits of $391.9 million for the current nine months decreased 7% compared to a year ago. The majority of the decline in annuity deposits for the current nine months was due to an elevated level of non-recurring deposits in the first half of 2015 related to changes in the company's employee retirement savings plans.

Horace Mann's total annuity sales increased 11% for the current quarter and decreased 4% compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2015, with the year-to-date change primarily reflecting reductions in single premium and rollover deposits, largely related to the company's employee retirement savings plans, as well as a modest decrease in recurring deposit business for the nine months.

Life Segment

Life segment net income of $4.6 million and $13.1 million for the current three and nine months, respectively, increased $1.0 million and $2.5 million compared to the respective periods in 2015, primarily attributable to increases in investment income, as well as a year to date decrease in mortality losses in 2016, compared to the prior year periods.

In 2016, life segment insurance premiums and contract deposits of $27.2 million for the current quarter and $78.4 million for the nine months increased 9% and 6% compared to the respective periods in 2015. Life sales of $3.6 million increased $1.0 million compared to the third quarter of 2015, including an increase of $0.6 million for single premium sales, which included the company's new Indexed Universal Life product. Similarly, the year to date sales of $10.7 million increased $3.3 million with $2.3 million of the increase attributable to single premium sales. Life persistency of 96% was comparable to 12 months earlier.

Investment Results

Total net investment income increased 17% and 9% compared to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively. While asset balances in the annuity segment continued to grow, overall investment results reflected the increase in investment prepayment activity and favorable returns on alternative investments, partially offset by the impact of the current low interest rate environment. Pretax net realized investment gains were $4.0 million and $6.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively.

Horace Mann's net unrealized investment gains on fixed maturity and equity securities were $599.3 million at September 30, 2016, compared to net unrealized gains of $584.1 million at June 30, 2016 and $309.8 million at December 31, 2015. Net unrealized gains were $403.2 million at September 30, 2015.

Webcast Conference Call

Horace Mann's senior management will discuss the company's third quarter financial results with investors and analysts on November 1, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference call will be webcast live on the Internet at investors.horacemann.com and archived later in the day for replay.

Horace Mann -- the largest national multiline insurance company focusing on educators' financial needs -- provides auto, homeowners and life insurance, retirement products and other financial solutions. Founded by Educators for Educators^® in 1945, the company is headquartered in Springfield, Ill. For more information, visit www.horacemann.com.

Statements included in this news release that are not historical in nature are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Horace Mann is not under any obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Please refer to the company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2016 and the company's past and future filings and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information concerning the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. The information contained in this press release includes financial measures which are based on methodologies other than United States generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the closest GAAP measures are contained in the supplemental numerical pages of this release and additional descriptions of the non-GAAP measures are contained in the Glossary of Selected Terms included as an exhibit to the company's SEC filings.

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